As a boy, the following story happened in the city he grew up.
There were two stores next to each other. One was owned by a Jew and he sold oil. The other was owned by a non Jew who sold perfumes.
The oil store was always bustling with customers as the store owner was known for his service and honesty. He was very successful. The other store was nearly always empty as he was known to be dishonest in business.
One night the perfume store owner came to his store and made a small hole through the wall to the oil store. When he was bored and his store was empty he would look through the hole and watch what was going on in his neighbor's store.
One evening he saw the Jewish store owner counting a large sum of golden coins and wrapping them up in a red cloth.
The man started thinking how he could get his hands on the money.
He ran in to the street, started shouting and crying that someone stole his money. The police were called and he told them that his money was wrapped up in a red cloth. They asked him if he had any suspicion and he told them that the only person who saw him counting his money was his Jewish neighbor from the oil store.
Obviously, as soon as the police checked the store they found the money and the store owner was arrested.
He couldn't understand what he had done wrong but his claims went on deaf ears.
The case was brought to the local judge who couldn't decide who was telling the truth and who was lying. He therefore sent the case to the city governor.
The governor was in a similar dilemma. He couldn't decide who was the true owner of the money.
He postponed the case for a few weeks. The strange story became the talk of town.
One night the governor was walking through the city and overheard some Jewish kids playing a game of the upcoming court case about the money.
The governor was curious to see how it went. He heard a young boy who was playing the part of the judge calling the two sides to tell their story.
The young Yehuda, the future Maharal listened carefully. After hearing both sides he said, "I want a bowl of hot water brought here."
When the water was brought the Maharal said, "let us put the coins into the water. If the coins belonged to the owner of the oil store then surely they were touched with oily hands and therefore the oil will rise to the top. But if the water is clean then it means that the owner of the perfume store is right.
The governor went home and called for a public hearing. He ruled exactly like the young Maharal and had the coins dropped into a bowl of hot water. Of course plenty drops of oil started rising to the top.
Everyone praised the governor but he told everyone that it wasn't his wisdom but it was the wisdom of the Jewish boy.
Rabbi Shmelke Reich from Worms took the Maharal as a son in law when he was fifteen years old for his daughter Pereleh. After the engagement he sent the Maharal to study in the Yeshiva of the Maharshal..
During the next few years Reb Shmelke lost his money and wasn't in any position to support his son in law. Heartbroken, he sent his future son in law a letter telling him about his position and he wrote that since he cannot support him, he doesn't want him to have to wait and allows him to drop out from marrying his daughter.
The Maharal replied that he has no intention of backing out from his side. However if he doesn't want his daughter to wait, he should get her engaged to someone else that way he will know he is free.
The young Kallah decided to open a small bakery to help support her parents. This went on for over ten years. The Maharal and his Kallah remained engaged. The Maharal sat and learned diligently and was known as Reb Leib Bachur.
After ten years there was a war and a large group of soldiers passed through the city of Worms. One of them stopped by the bakery and stuck his spear into a bread to eat it. Perele begged him in tears not to steal the bread as she was from a poor family and working to support her elderly parents.
The soldier replied, "I don't have any money to pay you but I am riding a horse and sitting on two saddles. I will give you one of them." The horseman took a saddle and threw it into the bakery.
When Pereleh picked it up she saw it was torn and gold coins started falling out. She ran home to tell her parents. Reb Shmelke immediately sent a letter to the Maharal and told him that he can come to the Chassuna as he has funds for them to get married.
Rabbi Yitzchak Katz, son in law of the Maharal told over this story that he heard from his father in law. He added that later as Av Beis Din when similar cases came to him of families that couldn't keep to the promised dowry he tried to convince them not to break the engagement. In very extreme circumstances he would tell the Dayanim to give a ruling in their home but not in his Beis Din room.
Author: Gur Arye, Derech Chaim, Nesivos Olam.
18 Ellul 5369
