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The Threefold Laugh
One Friday evening, the Baal Shem sat with his disciples in contemplatory silence. To everyone's surprise, the master suddenly began to laugh. This unexpected gaiety recurred twice more during the course of the evening. After a while, Rabbi Wolf asked the Baal Shem to explain his behaviour, and the Master related as follows: On his travels, the Baal Shem met many people and listened attentively when they talked about their lives and their worries. Coming once to a small village, he requested the attendance of Shabtai the bookbinder and asked him how the Sabbath was celebrated nowadays. The old man explained that theirs was a very poor home. As each week drew to a close, he prepared himself mentally for not being able to afford the candles or bread which should grace the Sabbath evening meal. One week, when their poverty was greater than ever before, Shabtai’s wife surprised him by laying a Sabbath evening table with candles, bread, even gefilte fish. To his astonishment, he heard her relate that she had found an old dress in the attic with a gold-embroidered flower on it. She had sold the gold thread to the village goldsmith and used the money to prepare a dignified Sabbath dinner. Shabtai was overwhelmed by this affirmation of undying hope, and the two danced around the room consummated in their happiness.
"You shall rejoice on your festival – you, your son, your daughter, your man-servant, your maid-servant, the Levite, the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow who are in your cities" (Deuteronomy 16:14i
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