01/25/01

So it seems that these four rabbis had a series of theological
arguments, and three were always in accord against the fourth.
One day, the odd rabbi out, after the usual "3 to 1, majority
rules" statement that signified that he had lost again, decided
to appeal to a higher authority.

"Oh, God!" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and
they are wrong! Please give me a sign to prove it to them!"

It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the rabbi finished
his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four.
It rumbled once and dissolved. "A sign from God! See, I'm right,
I knew it!" But the other three disagreed, pointing out that
storm clouds form on hot days.

So the rabbi prayed again: "Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to
show that I am right and they are wrong. So please, God, a
bigger sign!"  This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed
toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning
slammed into a tree on a nearby hill.

"I told you I was right!" cried the rabbi, but his friends
insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained
by natural causes. The rabbi was getting ready to ask for a "very
big" sign, but just as he invoked, "Oh God...," the sky turned
pitch black, the earth shook, and a deep, booming voice intoned,
"HEEEEEEEE'SRIIIIIIIGHT!"

The rabbi put his hands on his hips, turned to the other three
and said, "Well?"

"Well, what?" shrugged the other rabbis, "now it's 3 to 2."