Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Teachings Online

An old Jew had a parrot

An old Jew had a parrot. After years of reciting his daily prayers, the man discovered that his parrot had learned to pray. On Rosh Hashana, he brought the parrot to synagogue and boasted that his parrot could daven. The congregants started betting whether the parrot would pray, and the old man happily took bets that eventually totaled $50,000.   The prayers began but there was not a word from the bird.  When the prayers ended, the old man was not only crestfallen but also $50,000 in debt. On the way home he thundered at his parrot: "Why did you do this to me? I know you can pray. Do you know how much money I owe now?"   To which the parrot replied: "A little business imagination would help you, dear friend. You must look ahead: Can you imagine what the stakes will be like on Yom [...]