I Heard That One Already

In his humility, the Belzer Rebbe once said to the Chuster Rav, the Arugas HaBosem, "Rav of Chuster, you are a masmid. You sit and study Torah day and night, whereas I am the son of holy forebears. I am just a Rebbe, and all I do is tell stories about tzaddikim. Does that bother you?"

"Not at all," answered the Arugas HaBosem, "for that too is considered learning and Torah study, as it says in the pasuk, 'Achas diber Elokim, shtayim zu shamati,' Hashem spoke once, I heard it twice. Achas refers to achdus, unity. Telling stories of tzaddikim brings achdus. Shtayim, two, refers to disparity, strife and lack of unity, where there are two arguing opinions. This occurs when people say, 'Zu shamati, I heard this one already,' when they refuse to listen to tales of tzaddikim with the excuse, 'I heard that one already.' That is machlokes."