Wisdom of the world - Week 130

The rabbi

One day a rabbi, in a frenzy of religious passion, rushed in before the ark, fell to his knees, and started beating his breast, crying “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
The cantor of the synagogue, impressed by his example of spiritual humility, joined the rabbi on his knees “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
The “shamus” (custodian), watching from the corner, couldn’t restrain himself either. He joined the other two on his knees calling out, “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
At which point the rabbi, nudging the cantor with his elbow, pointed to the custodian and said, “Look who thinks he’s nobody!”

Wisdom of the world - Week 129

Prayer and Devotion

This is the story a wise man tells of a conversation with his father in his youth: When I was a child I was a pious boy, fervent in prayer and devotion. One night I was keeping vigil with my father, the Holy Koran was on my lap.
Everyone else in the room began to slumber and soon was sound asleep, so I said to my father, “None of these sleepers opens his eyes or raises his head to say his prayers. You would think that they were all dead.
My father replied, “My beloved son, I would rather you too were asleep like them than slandering.”
Sufi