The Maggid of Dubno was once stopped on the street by a Torah scholar—a learned man of the highest repute, a Talmudist whose scholarship was unimpeachable, though his lectures had the uncanny ability to empty a room faster than a fire drill.
"Reb Yaakov," the rabbi said, "I have a question for you. Why do you always use parables and stories in your talks? Why not stick to quoting Biblical and Talmudic sources unadorned, as befits a true scholar?"
The Maggid's eyes twinkled with a glint of amusement. "I have an answer for you," he replied. "But you'll have to forgive me—it comes wrapped in the very package you find so distasteful."
The rabbi sighed, but he gestured for the Maggid to continue.
The Medicine Trick
“Picture this,” the Maggid began, his voice taking on the cadence of a storyteller. “A young child, gravely ill. A fever has taken hold, and her parents are beside themselves with worry. The doctor prescribes a medicine to bring down the fever, but the child—stubborn as they come—refuses to take it. Every time they bring the spoon to her lips, she clamps her mouth shut, tighter than the vaults beneath Solomon's Temple.”
"Now," the Maggid continued, "the parents, desperate, turn to a neighbor for advice. She thinks for a moment, then says, ‘It’s simple, really. Have the medicine ready, and wait for the moment when she opens her mouth. The second she does, shove the spoon in!’"
"A few minutes later, the neighbor shows up in the most ridiculous clown costume you've ever seen. The little girl, despite her fever, can't help but giggle. And just as she opens her mouth to laugh, the mother—quick as a flash—sticks the spoon in and gets the medicine down her throat."
The Maggid paused, allowing the imagery to settle.
“So, you see, my esteemed colleague,” he concluded, his smile widening, “I am like that clever neighbor. I know that the teachings of the Torah—its moral lessons and ethical instructions—can sometimes feel like a bitter pill. So, to get them into the hearts and minds of my listeners, I first have to make them laugh. Once their mouths are open, the medicine goes down much smoother.”
