Nachum Ish Gamzu

Every great person in history had a role model even greater. The clay digger learned his incredible Emuna from a very special Torah giant named Rebbe Nachum Ish Gam Zu. He was called “Ish Gam Zu” because he always said “Gam zu L’tovah” This is also for the best.

 

A long time ago, during the time of the Roman Empire, the Jews needed someone special to send on an important and dangerous mission. They needed to send expensive jewels and gold as taxes for the Emperor (who hated the Jews and looked for every excuse to destroy them). The Jewish leaders of the time decided that Rebbe Nachum Ish Gam Zu was the perfect person to fulfill this mission as Hashem always performed miracles for him.

 

They sent off the Rebbe with a box full of precious jewels and gold, with emuna that Hashem would protect this tzaddik from all harm. When he got to Rome, he was exhausted and found the closest inn to stay at until the morning. When he went to check in, the innkeeper asked him what he had in his box. The Rebbe told him that the box contained taxes for the Emperor. While the Rebbe was sleeping the Inn Keeper and his sons snuck into his room, found the box, and switched all the jewels and gold with dirt from their garden.

 

The next day, the Rebbe woke up and went to the Emperor’s palace not knowing what was inside the box. He presented the Emperor with the box and to the Rebbe’s surprise, the Emperor was steaming mad. “How dare you bring me a box full of dirt!!! Did you come to make fun of me?!?! You will hang for this! Guards… TAKE HIM AWAY!”

 

The Rebbe stayed calm and thought to himself “Gam Zu L’Tova – This is also for the best” As the guards were taking him away, one of the Emperor’s ministers (who was really Eliahu Hanavi in disguise) suggested to the Emperor that this might be the Magic Dirt used by Avraham, forefather of the Jews who defeated all his enemies singlehandedly. He suggested that the Emperor’s soldiers try throwing it at the enemy. The Emperor decided to give it a chance. He went out to the battle field and threw the dirt at his enemy. The dirt turned into arrows and killed the enemies that had been attacking his border.

 

The Emperor was delighted! He set the Nachum Ish Gamzu free and sent him home with great honour and tons of jewels and gold.

 

The innkeeper heard about this and decided to go to the Emperor with a box of dirt as well, thinking that he must have miraculous dirt. The Emperor tried to kill his enemies with it, but to no avail. The innkeeper was sentenced to death. Such is the way of the evil – their wicked plans always backfire on them. Such shall be the fate of Israel’s enemies, amen.

 

 

                                

The dirt turned into arrows and killed the enemies that had been attacking his border.