Four rabbis had a series of theological arguments and three were always in accord against the fourth.



One day the odd rabbi out, after losing another argument by a vote of three to one, decided to appeal to a higher authority.

“Oh, God!” he cried, “I know I am right and they are wrong. Please send a sign to prove it to them!”

As soon as the rabbi finished his plea, a storm cloud moved across the sky and rain poured down on the four rabbis.

“I knew I was right,” the rabbi exulted, “the cloud and rain are a sign from God!”

But the others disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days. So he prayed again, “Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to show these skeptics that I’m right and they’re wrong.”


This time a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree on a nearby hill. “I told you I was right!” the rabbi exclaimed, but the other three insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes

Just as the rabbi was about to ask for an even more impressive sign, a huge wind arose and it was so forceful that it slammed the three rabbis against a tree, leaving the lone rabbi standing. Then a streak of sunlight shone down on the rabbi and a voice declared, “You are right, my son.”

As he stood triumphantly over his stunned and quivering colleagues, the rabbi put his hands on his hips and said, “Well?”

One of the other three replied, “So, now it’s three to two.”