Purim: Loving your neighbor like yourself

“I heard one story in Bobov, which, like-I told it all over the world. You know, Bobov, they weren’t so rich, in Poland. By the old Bobova Rebbe, Reb Shloimele, a hundred years ago. How much money did they have to buy beer? Though they had one big barrel of beer, and everybody was supposed to get a little drop. So there was one husky Chasid standing there, and drinking from the beer the whole time! Doesn’t let anybody get close. So the Bobova Rebbe says, “Hey, Avramele. You’re not the only person in the world. How about loving your neighbor as yourself? Somebody else wants beer also.”

He says, “Rebbe, that’s a good commandment for all year. But Purim I have to get drunk. So I gotta drink.” The Rebbe looked at him for a long time. He says, “If you love your neighbor like yourself, you can get drunk by giving a glass of beer to somebody else.” L’Chaim! L’Chaim!”