(Stories of the Righteous, Leaflet 159)
It is related about Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the holy Rashi, who wanted to know who would be his neighbor in the Garden of Eden. He fasted and begged in his prayers, until an angel appeared to him in a dream who told him that his future neighbor would be Avraham ben Gershon of Barcelona. Rashi longed to meet him, and traveled from France to Barcelona, Spain, where he asked the elders of the beit midrash about that man. No one knew him, except for one old man who said: "Perhaps His Holiness intends to discuss the rich Avraham ben Gershon? But he does not engage in Torah. Still, Rashi asked the old man to show him where his home was.
Rashi went up the stairs of the magnificent palace house, and a servant greeted him and asked what to say to his master. Rashi said to him, "Tell him that Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki has come from France." When Don Avraham heard about his guest, he hurried to greet him with a warm welcome and great respect, and said, "Be my guest as much as you wish." Don Avraham brought Rashi to a luxurious lounge, where he gave him a warm welcome and said: "Surely Rabbeinu is amazed at the wealth that God has bestowed upon me. Thank God, I have a rabbi, and I am allowed to enjoy the blessing of heaven." "I am not astonished at this," said Rashi, "but at the way of the land that you have made for me as befits the children of Torah." Don Abraham felt that he had been slandered and said, "I hope to receive my share in the next world like any Jew." "The verse says, 'When the wicked bloom like grass, they will perish forever,'" Rashi answered, "Know that this world was not created to enjoy it, but only to repent and merit the life of the World to Come, and you must be very careful about it." At that moment, the deacon informed his master that the poor had already gathered in the hall and were waiting for the charity money that he was distributing on a regular basis. Don Avraham said that today the poor would receive additional charity, because tomorrow would be his daughter's wedding, and he invited Rashi to distribute the charity. Rashi answered and said, "Surely you have a rich son-in-law" "No," answered Don Avraham, "My son-in-law is the son of poor parents, but he is virtuous and wise." Rashi's joy increased.
Don Abraham sat down in the hall at a large table, and the poor people came up to him one by one and received their money. Then they congratulated him and went to them. Finally, there was one woman who said, "I didn't come to get money. I need advice." "What do you want?" Don Abraham asked. "I'm a poor widow who barely supports my children. All my hope was for an important guy who was my daughter's fiancée. I hoped he would help my home and be a father to my little orphans, as he had promised my husband before he died. But now he left my daughter and got engaged to a rich girl because the money had gone too far." "And what can I do?" asked Don Abraham. "Sir, it is in your hands that the one who has left my daughter is your daughter's fiancée who is getting married tomorrow." Don Abraham was frightened. After recovering, he replied to the widow: "I'll investigate the matter. And if I find that it is indeed as you say, I will appease you."
After the woman had gone on her way, Rashi asked Don Avraham: "What do you intend to do with this shameful business? In my opinion, the best thing is to appease the departed bride for a decent sum of money." "I will invite His Honor tomorrow to witness my daughter's wedding," answered Don Abraham, "and then he will know the solution to this problem." That night, Rashi's sleep wandered, and he pondered all the time about that incident. At the time of the wedding, Don Abraham was dressed in luxurious clothes and the dignitaries of the city sat next to him. When Rashi arrived, Don Avraham went to meet him and received him with great respect. The wedding took place in the palace courtyard in front of the crowd. The bride was dressed in white silk garments, and the parents of the bride and groom brought her to the chuppah, as was customary, where the groom, who was accompanied by the two in-laws, was waiting. Heavenly music was played from the room.
After arranging the chuppah and kiddushin, the groom said: "You are sanctified to me according to the law of Moses and Israel." The rabbi read the ketubah and the great rabbis recited the seven blessings. The joy skyrocketed. At the end of the chuppah, when the groom saw his bride, he almost fainted. "Who is this?!" he shouted, "Is she Leah, the widow's daughter," and the crowd was astonished. Then Don Abraham said to everyone, "This is the groom's first fiancée, and I didn't know it until yesterday, so I chose him as my son-in-law." He turned to the groom and added: "Take your first fiancée and I will give you all the dowry that I promised you out of my pocket as if you were my son-in-law, and thus I fulfill the verse 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" The crowd was enthusiastic and said, "Long live Don Avraham!" Rashi fell on Don Avraham's neck and said: "Blessed is my part that I have been privileged to be your neighbor in the Garden of Eden."
