Yossele the Holy Miser
Encyclopedia
Yossele the Holy Miser was a Jew
who lived in medieval Poland in the Kazimierz
Jewish quarter of Kraków
. His apparent stinginess and hidden generosity is at the center of a well-known tale of Jewish folklore that speaks to one of the highest levels of tzedakah
(charity) in the Jewish tradition: giving anonymously. The Holy Miser's tombstone can be found in the Remuh Cemetery
of Kraków next to the grave of the renowned Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
.
, the richest Jew in Kraków in the 17th century was Yossele the Miser
. He was known by this title because in the community he was reviled for his stinginess and refusal to contribute to tzedakah (charity) despite his great wealth. When the Miser died, the townspeople who long despised him refused to bury his body
for several days. Out of scorn, they eventually buried him in the back of the cemetery, an area normally reserved for paupers and other societal outcasts.
Within a week of the Miser's death, strange occurrences began to unfold in the town. All the poor began beseeching the local rabbi
for money because the weekly allowances they had regularly been receiving from an anonymous benefactor had ceased arriving. Eventually, the rabbi realized that Yossele was the source of these charitable donations and in fact, the notorious miser was a great Tzadik
(righteous man).
Immediately, the rabbi commanded the entire town to converge on Yossele's grave and beg for forgiveness. And on the tombstone which read "Yossele the Miser," the rabbi added the word HaTzadik—the Righteous One. According to the story, the rabbi involved was the famed sage Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
, who requested to be buried next to the Holy Miser. This is understood as the reason why the grave of the venerated Rabbi Yom-Tov is found at the back of the Remuh Cemetery
next to Yossele today.
The tale underlines one of the highest forms of tzedakah according to the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher Maimonides
— giving anonymously.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
who lived in medieval Poland in the Kazimierz
Kazimierz
Kazimierz is a historical district of Kraków , best known for being home to a Jewish community from the 14th century until the Second World War.-Early history:...
Jewish quarter of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. His apparent stinginess and hidden generosity is at the center of a well-known tale of Jewish folklore that speaks to one of the highest levels of tzedakah
Tzedakah
Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on the Hebrew word meaning righteousness, fairness or justice...
(charity) in the Jewish tradition: giving anonymously. The Holy Miser's tombstone can be found in the Remuh Cemetery
Remuh Cemetery
The Remuh Cemetery, also known as the old Jewish cemetery of Kraków , in Kraków, Poland, is a Jewish cemetery established in 1535. It is located beside the Remuh Synagogue at 40 Szeroka Street in the historic Kazimierz district of Kraków....
of Kraków next to the grave of the renowned Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi Heller, , was a Bohemian rabbi and Talmudist, best-known for writing a commentary on the Mishnah called the Tosafot Yom-Tov...
.
Jewish folktale
According to the general outline of the legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, the richest Jew in Kraków in the 17th century was Yossele the Miser
Miser
A miser, cheapskate, snipe-snout, penny pincher, piker, scrooge, skinflint or tightwad is a person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities...
. He was known by this title because in the community he was reviled for his stinginess and refusal to contribute to tzedakah (charity) despite his great wealth. When the Miser died, the townspeople who long despised him refused to bury his body
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
for several days. Out of scorn, they eventually buried him in the back of the cemetery, an area normally reserved for paupers and other societal outcasts.
Within a week of the Miser's death, strange occurrences began to unfold in the town. All the poor began beseeching the local rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
for money because the weekly allowances they had regularly been receiving from an anonymous benefactor had ceased arriving. Eventually, the rabbi realized that Yossele was the source of these charitable donations and in fact, the notorious miser was a great Tzadik
Tzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
(righteous man).
Immediately, the rabbi commanded the entire town to converge on Yossele's grave and beg for forgiveness. And on the tombstone which read "Yossele the Miser," the rabbi added the word HaTzadik—the Righteous One. According to the story, the rabbi involved was the famed sage Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller
Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi Heller, , was a Bohemian rabbi and Talmudist, best-known for writing a commentary on the Mishnah called the Tosafot Yom-Tov...
, who requested to be buried next to the Holy Miser. This is understood as the reason why the grave of the venerated Rabbi Yom-Tov is found at the back of the Remuh Cemetery
Remuh Cemetery
The Remuh Cemetery, also known as the old Jewish cemetery of Kraków , in Kraków, Poland, is a Jewish cemetery established in 1535. It is located beside the Remuh Synagogue at 40 Szeroka Street in the historic Kazimierz district of Kraków....
next to Yossele today.
The tale underlines one of the highest forms of tzedakah according to the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
— giving anonymously.