One day there was a knock on Rabbi Naftali’s door. Naftali opened the door and, as usual, asked:
- Why did you come?
“I came to learn from you,” the man answered.
Naftali slammed the door and said:
- Look for another place. I'm not a teacher. You will find someone else with whom to study the Scriptures.
- But why? - Naftali’s wife asked him. - Why did you send him away? He comes across as genuinely thirsty.
“Those who are interested in studying the Scriptures are, for the most part, stupid. They want to “hide,” Naftali said.
The next day another man knocked. Naftali opened the door and asked:
- Why are you here? What do you want?
“I came to learn to serve humanity next to you,” he answered.
“Get lost,” said Naftali. - You've got the wrong door.
The wife was amazed:
“He didn’t ask to study Scripture with him.” He would make a great transformer of society or something similar. He wanted to serve humanity. Such a pure, believing soul. Why did you refuse him?
“He who does not know himself,” said Naftali, “cannot serve anyone.” In the end, his service resulted in nothing but misfortune.
On the third day, another person knocked. Naftali opened the door and asked:
- What do you want?
“I’m very stupid,” he replied. “Can’t you help me get rid of this a little?”
Naftali kissed him and said:
- Come in. I'm waiting for you.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru