No Justifying Jesting
In the year 2008, the home of my holy grandfather, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, in Morocco, underwent renovations. R’ Avraham Knafo, shlita, was responsible for the job and executed it in the best way possible. He told me afterward, that one day, while the work was in progress, he discovered that a considerable amount of materials brought to the building site had simply disappeared.
- The study room of the Tzaddik, Rabbi Chaim Pinto Hagadol, zy”a, called the room of Eliyahu
He immediately turned to the gentile contractor and asked for an explanation. But the man claimed he did not know a thing. He was so adamant in his denial that he swore that if he was, indeed, the one who stole the materials, he should be punished with an unusual death as a punishment, which he spelled out to R’ Knafo.
To the shock of everyone, they found out the next day that this contractor had been killed during the night in a brawl. He had proven to one and all that he was the true thief. He had received his punishment, exactly as he had predicted.
The workers, who knew about his treachery, were very worried about their own future. They began to ask forgiveness from the tzaddik, so that his wrath should not strike them, as well. But one of the workers made a mockery of the whole thing. He scoffed at his frightened comrades, telling them they were making a fuss over nothing. He had not even finished speaking, when his mouth became distorted in a most ugly way. It remained that way until he came to the tzaddik’s home and personally begged forgiveness.
How severe it is to demonstrate disrespect toward a talmid chacham! One who mocks the honor of the holy tzaddikim will pay the price, which will be hefty, indeed.
