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GOOD PURIM, PINCHAS

   From Connections, Vol. 1 #1, transcribed by Elana Schecterand Yael M'Sinai [Presumably all material in Connections hasbeen editted a bit -- sa.  Cf. Typescript B16a]


	Once a poor schlepper, Pinchas, came to the KozhnitzerRebbe on Purim. He was feeling downcast, so when he greetedthe Rebbe, he mumbled "Good Purim!" in a very weak voice.
 	The Kozhnitzer answered him: "Pinchas, you are my bestfriend in the whole city. How can you come to me and say`Good Purim' without bringing me a gift?"
 	Pinchas didn't have a single cent. He didn't even havemoney for his feast at home. "Rebbe," he said, "I'd love morethan anything in the world to give you a gift, but I can'tafford a piece of bread."
	"The first thing you must do is to learn how to say,`Good Purim.' You must say it like this, loud and strong:`Good Purim!'"
 	"Good Purim."
	"No, try again, like this. Good Purim!" The Kozhnitzerwas mamash shouting.
	"Good Purim," Pinchas answered, like an ordinary personmight say "Good morning," or "Good day."
	The Kozhnitzer Maggid worked on Pinchas until he got himto shout with a roar "Good Purim, Goood PURIM, GOOOODPURIM!!!"                    
	The Rebbe said, "Now, Pinchas, I'd like you to get me agift for Purim. Go out and bring my shlach manos."
	Pinchasele went out onto the street. He practiced witheverybody he met. "Good Purim! GOOD PURIM!!" He walked intothe grocery store and yelled out: "GOOD PURIM!" withunbelievable force. Everybody laughed. "Listen," he said, "Iknow I owe you money from ten years back, but it's Purim. Howabout a special bottle of wine and some fruit for my rebbe?
	There was something about the way he said it that thegrocer had to give it to him. He brought the wine and thefruit to the Rebbe, who remarked that it was the greatestgift he'd received that Purim.
	After Pinchas left the Rebbe and was heading home, hebegan to think to himself. "I brought such nice gifts for theRebbe, but my own wife and children are home starving. I'dbetter bring thing something too." So he went back to thegrocer. As he entered, he yelled again: "GOOOD PURIM!" Thegrocer looked up. Before he had a chance to think, Pinchassaid, "Listen, I need gifts for my family too. I can't walkhome empty-handed. It's Purim!"
	He was shining, and the grocer forgot everything. Heforgot the bill; he forgot about the money. He opened sacksand gave him fruits and wine, cheese, nuts, and all kinds ofdelicacies for Purim.
	As Pinchas went a little further on his way, thinking ofthe fine feast, he remembered how wretched his family lookedin their rags. He stopped off at the haberdashery, stuck hishead in the door. "GOOD PURIM!"
	"Good Purim."
	"My lovely wife is at home with ten children. It wouldbe nice if I could bring them home something nice to wear forPurim. They could celebrate. What do you think?"
	Pinchas walked out with bags full of clothes forhimself, his children, his wife.
 	And on the way he greeted everyone he met: "Good Purim!Good Purim!" He lit up the whole town with his joy. He wasalmost home, crossing the town square, when he began tothink: "It's Purim. It's great we have a feast and somethingfancy to wear, but Purim's also for children. I should bringthem a few toys, after all these years."
	So he stopped off at the toymaker, threw open the door,stuck in his head. "GOOD PURIM, Moishele! GOOD PURIM! Whatlittle games do you have to make my children smile from oneend of the world to the other?"
	So Pinchas went home and the way things used to be, hewas a real schlepper. He would walk around the house and hiswife would yell at him. And his children would yell at him.In short, his house was really a bad scene.
	But this time, he walked in like a lion. "GOOOOOODPURIM!!!!" he yelled. He wife looked at her husband, andmamash fell in love with him. He was seemed like a differentman.  
 	"It's Purim," Pinchas said, as he put all his bags downon the chair. "We have to celebrate."
	Everybody started running towards the sacks, to tearthem apart, but he held up his hand. "Not so fast! First,line up so I can teach you how to say `GOOD PURIM!'"
	And one by one, Pinchas went down the line, teaching hischildren, just as the Kozhnitzer Maggid had taught him. "GoodPurim! Good Purim!"
	Across town, the Kozhnitzer Maggid looked up in themiddle of his feast and said to his hassidim: "Shh! Be quiet!Can't you hear? All of heaven is listening to Pinchaselteaching his children how to say `Good Purim!'"
	The next morning, Pinchas walked into a rich man andtold him, "Listen, last night I decided I want to be a richman. I want you to give me a loan of ten thousand rubles."But he said it so strong that the rich man trusted him. Hebecame the top holy rich man, top holy beggar in the city.Purim mamash gave him strength.
                                                      
--From a story told by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, "shlita"
 Transcribed by Yael MiSinai
                                               