A Yid once came to Rav Shaya and said that he had owned a tavern in his hometown for many years. Recently, another Jew opened a competing tavern, and he was worried that he would lose his livelihood.
Rav Shaya told him, “Wait a few months and see if you really lose any income or not. If you see that you’re income is going down, I will try to convince your competitor to close his tavern.”
A few months later, the man returned to Kerestir. When Rav Shaya asked him how much income he had lost because of his competitor, he said, “I will tell the Rebbe the truth. Even though there is another tavern in town, my income hasn’t gone down at all.”
Rav Shaya told him, “Don’t you get it? When a goy passes by a tavern, he goes in for a shot of whiskey. When he passes another tavern, he goes in again for a second cup of whiskey.”
May the memory of the tzadik be a blessing for Klal Yisroel.
