Rabbi Broka was fascinated by the scene and the passersby. He reflected on the differences in styles of dress between the Jews and non-Jews. One obvious difference was that all the Jewish men wore four-cornered garments with tzizit (fringes) hanging from each corner. Also, at that time it was customary for the Jews to wear colored, rather than black shoes. In this fashion, Rabbi Broka passed the time studying the characteristics of various passersby.
The external differences were easy enough to discern, but a more profound question filled the Rabbi's thoughts that day. Which of these Jews would have a special place in the World to Come, he wondered. As this question occupied his mind, who happened to be passing through the market, but Elijah the Prophet. He took the opportunity of asking him the question that was troubling him: "Of all the Jews here today, who will deserve a special place in the World to Come?"
Elijah stopped and looked around. Then he pointed to one man, saying: "You see that man standing over there? He is a tzadik who will merit a great reward in the next world." Rabbi Broka was extremely surprised at the prophet's words, for this particular man didn't even seem to be a Jew. He was wearing black shoes and a four-cornered garment devoid of fringes. The Rabbi lost no time in approaching the man in order to ask him some questions, but to his further surprise, he was completely ignored. Unaccustomed as he was to such rudeness, still, he was burning with curiosity to discover what was the hidden greatness of the man, so he went up to him again and asked, "Tell me, please, who are you, and what do you do for a living?" The man replied, "I have no time now, come back tomorrow." And with that he disappeared into the crowd.
Rabbi Broka waited until the next morning and then went again to the market to find the man. This time, the man accompanied him to a quiet side street. Rabbi Broka again asked: "Tell me, please, who are you, and what do you do?"
"I am a Jew, and I work as a guard at the state prison. In this prison there are some Jewish prisoners, both men and women, and I make sure that they are housed separately so that modesty is maintained. And, since the guards speak freely amongst themselves, I hear when the gentile guards plan to harm Jewish women prisoners, and I do whatever I must in order to rescue them. I have even had to risk my life several times." All of this was related very matter-of-factly, with no sense of pride.
Rabbi Broka was greatly impressed by what he heard, but he still was curious. "What you do is certainly praiseworthy, but I must ask you, since you are a Jew, why do you wear black shoes, something which is contrary to the custom of your people? And why do you wear clothing without tzitzit?"
The man's expression changed, and he uttered a deep sigh. "Since my mission, as I understand it, is to aid my fellow Jews who have had the misfortune of being imprisoned, I take great pains to conceal my identity from the other guards. You see, they regard me as one of them, and so, they speak openly before me. Under these conditions, I hear about any plots which are being hatched against the Jewish inmates, and I am able to foil them. As soon as I hear about any evil plan, I quickly run to the Sages and inform them so that they can beg G-d to have pity on the Jews and cancel the evil plot. That is why I couldn't speak to you yesterday in the marketplace. I can't afford to be seen speaking in public to such a well-known person as yourself; also, at that moment, I was rushing off to the Rabbis to tell them of a terrible plot I had just discovered, and I had no time to stop."
The man took his leave, and Rabbi Broka was left in great awe at the deeds of this unknown Jew. Imagine, this simple Jew whose days are devoted to the great mitzva of saving the lives of his fellow Jews, even at the risk of his own life! As Rabbi Broka continued thinking in this vein, Elijah appeared a second time. The Rabbi thanked him for opening his eyes to the hidden merits of the guard, and asked if there were any more such worthy Jews among the shoppers that day. Elijah showed him two pleasant-looking older men who were approaching. Just as before, Rabbi Broka stopped them and inquired about their identities and professions. The men smiled and replied, "We are just simple people, and don't do anything special. Only, if we happen to see a person who is sad, we stop and chat and joke with him until we leave him in a happy mood. That way, he will be more inclined to do good deeds and will be more willing to learn G-d's Torah. And if we happen to see two Jews arguing, we approach them and change the subject. We talk to them about all sorts of pleasant things until they are not in the mood to argue anymore, and they make shalom."
When these two men left Rabbi Broka thought about all he had seen and learned that day. He would never again presume to judge another Jew, for all outward appearances are deceptive, and the heart is known only to G-d.
