“And when it is said to them, ‘Believe as the people have believed,’ they say, ‘Shall we believe as the fools have believed?’ Verily, they are the fools, but they know it not.” (Quran, 2:13)

“Gimpel the Fool” is a great short story - full of humor and wisdom. I have often enjoyed Jewish culture through classic stories, plays, and films - there are many similarities to our own culture. I owe a lot of this to my mother, who loves simple, earthy humor and exposed me in my youth to Fiddler on the Roof and the plays of Neil Simon. She told me about this piece too. : )

This story is a wonderful consolation to the sad situation of the poor innocent, whether it be someone we pity or even ourselves. And what a lesson for anyone who feels they’ve been had in this life. The “fool” may just be the smartest among us.

Praise God, the Most Just!

Here is Isaac Bashevis Singer’s classic:

http://www.gimpel.tv/gimpel.txt