Rebbetzin Riddle: Rescue Me!

Once, the Jewish people sent Nachum Ish Gamzu with a chest full of money as a bribe for the Roman Emperor. On his way, Nachum spent the night at an inn. He asked innkeeper to protect the chest. "You can trust me," the innkeeper lied. At night, the innkeeper took the money and placed rocks and dust in chest instead. The next morning, he returned it to Nachum.

When Nachum reached the Roman Emperor, he said, "Your Majesty, here is a gift from the Jewish people!" The Emperor opened the chest and saw nothing but rocks. "You have insulted me!" the Emperor shouted. "You and your people deserve to be killed!"

Just then Elijah the Prophet appeared in the disguise of a royal minister. "Wait!" he cried. "The Jews are the children of Abraham. When Abraham fought his enemies, he threw dirt, and G-d turned it into arrows. Perhaps this is the same dirt!"

The Emperor tried the secret weapon on his enemies - and it worked! He was so pleased that he sent Nachum Ish Gamzu back to the Land of Israel with a gift of gold. On the way, he stopped at the same inn. When the evil innkeeper learned what happened, he decided to visit the Roman Emperor and also give him a box of dirt, expecting to be rewarded like Nachum. However, his dirt had no miraculous powers, and he was killed. Elijah the Prophet had saved the Jewish people - not only from the Emperor, but from the wicked innkeeper as well!