L o414
,s4 Sharing The Harvest Is God's Request
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A traveler on a little donkey
came to the land where the
Children of Israel lived. "I have
heard the people here have many
strange ways,"he said to himself.
And he looked curiously around.
Soon he passed some workers
in a field of wheat. He saw they had
reaped nothing from the corners of
the field.
"Who is the owner of these
fields?' he asked. "Adonai," a
worker said. "Is this owner so rich
he does not - reap the corners of his
field?" "Adonai commands that the
corners be left for the traveler and
the poor." "In that case," said the
traveler, "I will help myself." And he
piled his donkey high with wheat
from the corners.
Then he urged the little beast
onward. Soon they came to a grape
orchard. The traveler saw many .
grapes left on the vines.
"Does the owner of the wheat
field own the orchard too?" he
called to a worker. "Adonai owns
every field you see,"said the worker.
"But the grapes left on the vines
belong to you." "To me?" said the
`God owns all the earth
and everything in it, said
another worker. 'We give
our thanks by sharing
what we harvest. We call
it Tzedakah.
traveler. "That's right. Adonai
commands that those be left for the
traveler and the poor." "In that
case, I'll just help myself,"said the
traveler, well pleased.
Quickly he filled a basket full
and added it to the donkey's big
load. Then he said happily —
"Where is the owner of these
fields? I want to thank him."
"Everywhere. Adonai is the God
of Israel," said a worker smiling
back. The traveler stared at him.
"God owns all the earth and
everything in it," said another
worker. "We give our thanks by
sharing what we harvest. We call it
Tzedakah."
"We give our thanks by
remembering to be kind to our
animals too," said another. All the
workers were looking at the over-
loaded donkey.
Slowly the traveler took off half
the heavy load. Then he rode
quickly on his way.
But, at the border of the land,
he stopped to look back. "What
curious people they are!" he said.
L-6
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1989
We Are Brothers
On a certain hill lived two
brothers. One farmed the land that
went up one side of the hill. One
farmed the land that went down the
other. And, at every harvest, they
gathered the same amount of
wheat.
One brother had a wife and
children. The other brother lived
alone.
One moonlit night, after
harvesting, the brothers sat each in
his own house. One house was on
one side of the hill. One house was
on the other side.
And both brothers went out into
the night at the same time. Each
filled a large sack from his own
harvest.
One brother began to climb one
side of the hill, carrying his sack.
While the other brother began to
climb the other side of the hill,
carrying his sack.
tz Tket
S94 9**
The brothers walked slowly for
their sacks were heavy. Each smiled
to himself as he thought of the gift
he was carrying.
They reached the top of the hill
at exactly the same time. And they
met in the moonlight.
"What are you doing here?"
they said together. Then each saw
what the other had come to do.
They dropped their gifts and
clasped their hands in brotherhood.
Many years later, King Solomon
built the Holy Temple on this hill of
the brothers. For everyone called it
a holy place.
Reprinted with permission from
"Hear, 0 Israel, About Belonging"
by Molly Cone.