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More About Rav Yonasan Eybeschutz One day he was walking from his home to his cheder (school) in the early morning hours. As he walked, a teenage non-Jewish boy saw him and thinking a Jewish child would make a wonderful victim, leaped on him and began beating him. Little Yonason began to cry at first, but then his clever mind asserted itself and he thought: "This is Esau the wicked, and I will use my wits to overcome him." The Trick "Stop, stop," cried Yonason, "and I will give you the money that I have." When the bully heard this he allowed the little boy to get up from the ground. Reaching into his pocket, Yonason took out two small coins and gave them to the bully. "Here," he said. "Today is a Jewish holiday. On this day any Jew who is beaten up by a non-Jew must give him all that he has in his pockets." The bully looked in astonishment at the little boy. "What idiots you Jews are," he exclaimed. "Who but you people would have such a crazy custom?" Looks For Bigger Game Taking the money, he turned on his heels and went on his way. As he walked he thought: "What a pity that I hit such a small boy who only had a couple of small coins in his pocket. I had better find a wealthy Jew to beat. I will not have an opportunity like this for a long time." Looking about he waited for a "fat victim." He let several Jews pass by because they did not look wealthy enough. Suddenly he gasped in delight: “There is my victim! He should be good for a lot of money!" Communal Leader Passing by, down the street, was the Jewish communal leader of the city of Fintshov. He was th wealthiest man in town and a pillar of the community. Without further ado, the bully crossed over and leaped upon the man, beating him unmercifully. "Help! Help!" shouted the startled man. "Police!" A crowd quickly gathered, among them a police man who seized the bully, gave him a swift blow or the head and dragged him off to jail. The poor bully did not know what was happening Why was he in jail? What had he done? He was only helping Jews celebrate their holiday so that he might "earn' some money for himself. The Truth Comes Out "All right," said the policeman, "why did you hit the leader of the Jewish community?" "It wasn't my fault," blubbered the bully. "I only did it because there is a Jewish holiday today when all Jews give money to anyone who hits them." The policeman looked at the bully in astonishment. "Who told you this?" "A little boy who was on his way to the Jewish school," he replied. The police began an investigation and discovered that Yonason was the boy. Going to his home they asked him: "Why did you tell the youth such a story?" Yonason told them everything that had happened and how the bully had begun to beat him up. "I knew that he was much too big for me to fight so I was forced to use some other means to make sure that he would, get what he deserved." Saves The Jews Still another time, the wisdom of the little Yonason saved the Jews of Fintshov from their enemies. It happened that there was a Jew in town who owned a store that sold spices. His next-door neighbor was a butcher, an anti-Semite of long standing. Between both stores was a very thin wall made of cheap boards. One day when business had been very good, the spice seller sat down to count the day's earnings. As he laid out all the coins of silver and copper on the table he did not know that a pair of eyes were watching his every move. Looking through the cracks in the thin partition was the butcher. He watched and took note of each coin and then saw where the Jew put the money. The next morning he went to the police and told them that he had a large sum of money, which he kept in the store and which had been stolen. He described the coins and then said: "I am sure that my Jewish neighbor stole them." Find The Money The police went to the Jewish store and sure enough, found the money. Nothing the Jew said could save him. The proofs and signs given by the anti-Semite appeared to be clear and unmistakable evidence that the money was really his. Not only did the Jew face a severe prison term but the anti-Semites of the town now used the incident to agitate and fan the flames of hatred against all the Jews of the city. All the Jews gathered to discuss the terrible problem and find a way to prove the innocence of the Jew. Little Yonason sat in his father's home - his father was the rabbi of the city - and listened to the discussion. Then he asked permission to whisper something to his father: "Father, I think I know how you can prove that the Jew is innocent. If the money really belongs to the butcher, surely it will be covered with grease since he received it from his customers while he was selling them fatty meat. "Let them take the coins and put them in water. If the fat floats to the surface, the Jew is guilty but if there is no fat, it is a sign that they are really his and he is innocent." They did this and the truth came out. Yonason had saved the Jew from jail and the Jews in his town from persecution.
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