דור עקש ופתלתל )פל"ב פ"ה(
An awkward and twisted generation. [32:5]
The Rebbe Reb Bunim ZY”A once said cheerfully that he did not know the definition of awkward and twisted. What is the difference between one and the other? Until he sat once in Danzig on the night of Shabbos Kodesh in an inn and a Jewish man came to drink wine. There were two waiters, one Jewish and one Gentile. They both went to the wine cellar, the Jewish waiter took the candle (מלאכת שבת - Desecration of the Holy Shabbos), and the Gentile took the wine (יין נסך – Poured wine [Forbidden to prevent intermarriage or poured for idols.] Shulchon Aruch Yoreh Deya 123:1). Had they done the opposite it would have been fine. That is the definition of עקש ופתלתל. From here we can learn that the right person must do the right thing at the right time.
Sefer Siach Sarfei Kodesh
