250 Anecdotes About Religion: Volume 2

This is a short, quick, and easy read. Some samples: In the family of Quaker humorist Tom Mullen, as part of the Christmas tradition the youngest child opened her presents first. The youngest child was Ruthie, who was not as materialistic as her siblings. For Ruthie a great part of the pleasure of Christmas lay in making her siblings wait a long time to open their presents. ¿ Rabbi Israel Salanter went to the synagogue to observe the Yahrzeit (one-year death anniversary) of his father and to recite the mourner's Kaddish. Also at the synagogue was a man present to observe the Yahrzeit of his daughter. Because Rabbi Israel was mourning the death of his father, he was given precedence in reciting Kaddish, but he saw how sad was the man who had suffered the loss of his daughter. At the time when the mourner's Kaddish was to be recited, Rabbi Israel allowed the other man to recite it, thus giving up his right of precedence. Was Rabbi Israel showing disrespect for the soul of his own father? No. Rabbi Israel said later, "I have indeed caused my father's soul to perform a Gemiluth Hessed - a deed of kindness - towards the soul of that poor childless woman (this man's departed child, his daughter). A deed of this nature carries through it more for the repose of the departed soul of my father than a Kaddish." ¿ Hong-su asked the Buddhist priest Si-tien, "Can you teach me how to be more persistent when confronted with a difficult task?" Si-tien replied, "Find a four-leaf clover, then bring it to me." Hong-su searched two hours for a four-leaf clover, but he was unable to find one, so he returned to Si-tien and said, "I can't find a four-leaf clover." Si-tien replied, "Find a four-leaf clover, then bring it to me." Hong-su searched the rest of the day for a four-leaf clover, but he was unable to find one, so he returned to Si-tien and said, "I can't find a four-leaf clover." Si-tien replied, "Find a four-leaf clover, then bring it to me." After searching for two days, Hong-su found a four-leaf clover, and he brought it to Si-tien and asked, "Now can you teach me how to be more persistent when confronted with a difficult task?" Si-tien replied, "Bring me another four-leaf clover."