The big joke

We told over the famous Beis Halevy that we think the reason for Yosef being let out of jail was Paroh’s dream. In reality however, it was as the pasuk places it: “And it was at the end of two years and Paroh dreamt”. The time had come that Yosef was to leave, for Yosef’s two years were up. The result was that Paroh dreamt. So it is with life. We think that were it not for this idea we had or that hishtadlus we did we would not have succeeded. Truth is the success was ordained, the idea and hishtadlus was the result. We told over to the kinderlach an old Indian tale to illustrate the matter. One mean chief, Little Beard, had been dead but a few days when a great eclipse of the sun took place. This excited the Indians to a great degree of astonishment, for they were as unqualified to account for so extraordinary a phenomenon as they were ignorant of astronomy. The crisis was alarming, and something effectual must quickly be done to remove the cause of such coldness and darkness, which was expected to increase. After a short consultation they agreed that Little Beard, on account of some old grudge towards them, had placed himself between them and the sun, in order that their corn might not grow. Having thus found the cause, the next thing was to remove it with powder and ball. Every gun in town was loaded, and a firing commenced without cessation till the obscurity was entirely removed, to the great joy of the ingenious and fortunate Indians. We laugh, but the joke is ourselves.