The Chicken and the Sick Man

A complicated halachic question about a chicken was once brought to the Ropshitzer. He ruled that it was kosher, and his talmidim began to argue, bringing proofs that the chicken was a treifah and that his ruling was mistaken. After a while the Ropshitzer cut them off. “I rule that this chicken is kosher,” he said, “and nothing you say will change my ruling.”

Just then a deathly ill man walked in with a kvittel and asked for a berachah. The Ropshitzer said aloud, “A chicken with supposedly the same ailment as this sick Yid was just brought to me, and I ruled that it is kosher. Therefore I tell you that this condition is not a treifah, and you can surely live with it.” He turned to the sick man and said, “Do you hear my ruling? I say that you will live, and you will have a complete recovery.” And so it was.