The Deluge

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As Mumbai recovers from the deluge, one is reminded of this delightful story:

The flood waters were rising fast and the villagers were evacuating and they told the rabbi, “Rabbi, let’s go. We have organized a bus for all of us. The water’s already up to the knees and rising really fast.” The wise old rabbi shook his head and smiled benignly: “The good Lord shall take care of me.”

A while later the flood waters reached the waist. The remaining villagers came in a boat to pick up the rabbi. The rabbi’s faith was strong and he refused to leave, saying: “The good Lord shall take care of me.”

Two hours later the water was touching the chin and a helicopter droned in above the rabbi’s head. The last of the villagers dropped down a ladder: “Rabbi, climb on. You are the only one left. The waters will be above your head in no time.” The rabbi waved them off. “The good Lord shall take care of me.”

The rabbi drowned and when he faced the good Lord, he grumbled bitterly: “You let me down! I trusted you so completely!”

The Lord protested: “I did my best by you. I sent you a bus, then I sent you a boat and finally I sent you a helicopter… but gosh you were so stubborn! You just wouldn’t heed!”

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