As You Sow…
A Hasidic Story

There were once two brothers who farmed together.  They shared equally in all of the work and split the profits exactly.  Each had his own granary.  One of the brothers was married and had a large family;  the other brother was single.

One day the single brother thought to himself, “It is not fair that we divide the grain evenly.  My brother has many mouths to feed, while I have but one.  I know what I’ll do, I will take a sack of grain from my granary each evening and put it into my brother’s granary.”  So, each night when it was dark, he carefully carried a sack of grain, placing it in his brother’s barn.

Now the married brother thought to himself, “It is not fair that we divide the grain evenly.  I have children who will care for me in my old age and my brother has none.  I know what I will do, I will take a sack of grain from my granary each evening and put it in my brother’s granary.”  And he did.

Each morning the two brothers were amazed to discover that though they had removed a sack of grain the night before, they had just as many.

One night the two brothers met each other halfway between their barns, each carrying a sack of grain.  Then they understood the mystery.  And they embraced, and loved each other deeply.  That place has ever since been hallowed ground.

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