“But Ezra was a shrewd young man, and, without wasting any time upon studying, he went straight to Sarai’s father and said to him: ‘Rabbi, you are the greatest scholar of the world to-day. Can you tell me the real meaning of the Talmud?’”
“Poor Joseph!” murmured Mother Politsky.
“‘My son,’ said Rabbi ben Achad, ‘all the wisdom of the human race since the days of Moses has not been able to answer that question!’”
The rabbi had taken up the big fish and the small one, and was carefully balancing them.
“Eight, you say. I know a place where I can get them——”
“Seven, then. And Joseph?”
“——for six.”
“Seven is the lowest. But Jo——”
The rabbi turned to move away.
“All right. Six cents. But finish the story. What did Joseph do?”