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bread, Hamantaschen, and fruit. He also put in a pot of chicken

soup and a plate with "gefilte fish" – filled fish.

When the tablecloth was fill with "good things" (delicacies), he tied

it and went to the poor woman's home. After taking everything out
of the tablecloth and arranging it on the table, Rabbi Levi Isaac went

happily to the synagogue to the reading of the Megillah.

When the rabbi walked in, the people immediately began the

evening prayer. Rabbi Levi Isaac read the Megillah himself, as he

used to. For many years to come, people remembered that on that
year the reading of the Megillah was very unique.

When the Rabbi's wife got home, a great surprise awaited her. She

went to the kitchen to prepare the meal, but nothing was in its place.

No meat, no fish, no Hallas. Even the Hamantaschen had
disappeared! When she saw the Rabbi's face, she immediately

understood who had "swiped" everything.

The poor woman told her friends about the wondrous thing of the
Purim Gift from Heaven: it must have been the prophet Elijah who

had brought her such lovely gifts, she said.

But the Jews of Berdichev figured
out that their rabbi had filled in for

the prophet Elijah this time.
They sent Purim Gifts to the rabbi

very generously. They also did not

forget about the poor woman, her
children and her sick husband.

Such a joyous Purim had not been

in Berdichev for a very long time.

Ulpan-Or www.ulpanor.com RE Pg. 21