Jewish Fable on Christmas Eve | The Distributed Republic

There is a well known midrash [parable] about the two brothers, one who had a family and the other who was single, who each night would deliver wheat to each other. The one with the family rationalized: I am so fortunate to have a family, my brother has nothing, let me at least give him extra wheat.

The single one rationalized: I have no need for all this wheat, my brother has a family, he needs it more.

One night they met while delivering the wheat to each other, hugged and cried. The place they met became the site of har habayis [Temple Mount, holiest site in Judaism, site of the First and Second Temple].

A modern version of this midrash has it that the brothers each night go into the others’ field to take wheat. The single brother rationalized: My brother is so fortunate to have a family. I have nothing, Let me at least enjoy a larger portion of wheat. The brother with the family rationalized: I have a family, I need more wheat, so I will go to my brother’s field and take wheat from him.

One night they met, fought, and the site of their meeting became the Knesset [legislative branch of the Israeli government].

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