Yosef Mokir Shabbos

A hike, astrology, and a fish

Details have been changed.

Today we went on a hike. I offered to go with my husband when he insisted on taking N(3), F(5) and C(7). They seemed like too much for one adult on a hike. He said we were going to the Blue Hills.

So we exited the car, with the three boys, at the Blue Hills. Grumbling, I asked my husband what kind of hike he is taking us on. Is it going to be an easy hike or a hard hike? It had better be a nice easy hike, because the car trip already wore me out.

My husband said that the hike he was planning to take the kids on is about 10 miles long, with steep cliffs, and several rivers to wade through, and we will all need to hitchhike back to the car. I guess I deserved that. So I took that to mean that it would be a short, easy hike that I could easily manage.

F(5): I hope there are no wild animals that will eat me! C(7), be careful not to touch poison ivy!

N(3): I hope to see a snake!

C(7): this is the part of the trail that makes me feel most safe!

There were many rocky steps, but we soon got to the top. We sat down with the kids to eat a snack. Snack was drink boxes and applesauce.

C(7) requested a story. My husband told the kids the story of Yosef Mokir Shabbos.

In case you do not know it, I will tell you the story:

There was once a man named Yosef, who had many children and little money to spare. He loved to honor the Shabbos with expensive food. If he found a fine fish, he would buy it for Shabbos, even if it was Monday. And if, the next day, he found a better fish, he would eat that original fish and then save the better one for Shabbos.

Astrologers were common at the time. Astrologers believed that they could tell the future, by reading the stars in the heavens at night. Sometimes they were a little bit like doctors. They would use your birthday, urine and blood samples to diagnose and treat diseases. Modern doctors also ask your birthday, but they have no idea what the skies looked like on the night you were born, because of all the light pollution. Maybe they should learn.

Nowadays, there's no evidence that astrology has any connection to reality, but back then things were different. It was a perfectly legitimate profession, like necromancer and Wise Man and alchemist, and they had a lot of clients. They would think someone working in software programming or in the stock market or as a psychologist as equally ridiculous.

Back to Yosef's time period, when there were astrologers. Adjoining Yosef's property, there lived a wicked, wealthy man, and all the local fortune tellers and astrologers would try to figure out his future. Maybe that's what they did in between customers. Maybe they hoped to be rewarded. Maybe they hoped to influence his future. It does not say.

Anyways, numerous astrologers approached this wicked, miserly man, and told him, "Based on what we have expertly observed in the stars, your wealth is going to fall into the hands of the Jew named Yosef. We are giving you a warning that this is going to happen, and you should plan against this eventuality."

The wicked man believed their predictions, and he thought of a plan to prevent his wealth from going to Yosef. He sold all of his possessions, and even his property, and bought a huge, expensive diamond, which he sewed into his hat. He felt reassured that Yosef would not possibly steal his hat. It was not Yosef's type of thing to do.

One day, he was walking near the river and a gust of wind blew his hat into the river. No one ever found the hat, but the wicked man was comforted that Yosef would not have his fortune, either.

A long time passed. One day a fisherman caught a huge, beautiful fish. Although it was Friday, they knew he would buy it, so they brought it to Yosef's house, where he happily paid for this high quality fish for Shabbos.

Yosef immediately took the fish and began to prepare it for Shabbos. He sliced it open, and found the precious stone inside. Perhaps the wicked man had died meanwhile, or Yosef would have returned the stone to him, being a righteous man. Yosef Mokir Shabbos was able to live off the money he got for selling the stone for the rest of his life.

And that is the story of Yosef Mokir Shabbos.

My husband was a bit puzzled about why the wicked man did not tie his hat on, with a string. That would have been a simple way to avoid the entire debacle.

Then my husband thought a bit.

Husband: No! Since the astrologers said that "Yosef would have his entire fortune", he should have paid Yosef to guard his fortune, thus technically fulfilling the decree, without losing his wealth.

Me: he should have hired you.

Of course, the reason he did not hire someone like my husband is the same reason as the reason why he did not use a string to tie on his hat in the first place. He was wicked and G-d wanted him to be punished, so his own wicked choices brought him to the punishment.

And with that moral lesson, we will end.