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Weekly Chasidic Story # 1372 (5784-29) 15 Adar II 5784 (March 25, 2024) "Dayeinu" Story in PDF format for more convenient printing PROVIDING PASSOVER EXPENSES [#2] It is said in the name of the Maggid of Kozhnitz that is of great aid in acquiring the needs of the Passover Festival in abundance to tell a certain three stories on the day of the yahrzeit of the holy Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk (21 Adar A)--although some Rebbes would tell them two Shabbats after Purim, on the Shabbat of blessing the month of Nissan (in which Pesach falls on the 15th)--and some on Shabbat HaGadol (the Shabbat that precedes the start of Pesach).I translated the first of the 3 stories [s1164] and published it on ascentofsafed.com and mailed it to this list 4 years ago. The story below is the second. DAYEINUOnce there was a king who lost his ring. The king said he would give all those who would search for his ring a substantial sum of money that would allow them to search worry-free. There was a poor Jew there who did not have money to buy what he needed for Passover. "The king is giving money to all those who are willing to search for his ring," his wife said. "Go and tell the king that you will also search for his ring and the king will give you money, which we will use to buy our Pesach supplies." The man took his wife's advice, went to the king, and offered to help search for his ring. The king gave him money and he bought an abundance of supplies for Pesach. When the Seder night arrived, the Jew brought many guests to his home and fed them royally. One of the king's advisors was a priest who hated Jews. He could not tolerate the fact that this Jew had bought his Pesach supplies with the money given to him by the king. On the Seder night, the priest hid under the Jew's window and saw how he, his family and all his guests were eating and drinking in abundance and were not searching for the king's ring at all. "I am going to show the king what this Jew did with his money," said the priest and he promptly returned with the king. They stood under the window and saw how the Jew was sitting like a king at the head of his table. But the king had his doubts and tried to make out what was being said around the festive table. Just as this was happening, the house's inhabitants reached the Dayeinu. This Jew's custom was that when they sang the Dayeinu at the Seder, he would stand up and recite one verse at a time, and all present would repeat the chorus: "Dayeinu, dayeinu" After each verse. But these Jews were from an area of Europe where "Dayeinu" was pronounced "Dayayni." Incredibly, the priest's name sounded just like "Dayayni." What the king heard was some unintelligible sentence and then the priest's name-again and again. What the king imagined was happening was that the Jew was investigating who stole the ring. He addressed all his merry helpers and asked them questions about what they had found. Each question was answered with Dayayni's name. Listening to this "investigation," the king understood that they had found proof that it was the priest who had stolen the ring. He had the priest arrested and beaten until he admitted that he had stolen the ring and returned it. And the Jew had all his needs for Pesach met with great abundance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connection: See the introduction to the story. Biographical note:
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Yerachmiel
Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor
of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories
to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells
them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.