The Miracle Kaftan

An impoverished ben tovim (an upper-class yungerman) was once staying with Rav Getzil. In the customary rebbishe garb, he wore a silken kaftan, but it was torn and full of holes. In his compassion, Rav Getzil tried to have a new silk kaftan made for him, but the guest was ashamed and refused every offer, claiming that his old garment was fine and sufficient.

Rav Getzil came up with a plan. He ordered the tailor to come by and secretly take the guest’s measurements, so as to sew him a new silk kaftan. Rav Getzil paid the tailor and brought the new garment upstairs. While the guest was fast asleep, Rav Getzil stealthily removed the old kaftan that was draped over a chair and swapped it for the new one.

The next morning the guest got dressed, and though the clothes fit him, he realized that the kaftan was new. He began to shout, “My clothes are gone.”

“Listen, my good friend, calm yourself down,” said Rav Getzil. “There are no thieves here in my house. If your old clothes are gone and this was left in their place, surely a miracle has occurred, and your new garments are Heaven-sent.”

The guest had no choice but to accept the new “miracle kaftan.”