The Secret Generosity of Yossele the Holy Miser

Year: Around 1630. Location: Krakow, Poland. Situation: A desecrated grave

Almost everyone has heard the Jewish tale of Yossele the Holy Miser, or, as some claim is an entirely different story, 'Israel the Holy Gentile.'

Here's the story: There was a man named Yossele in Krakow during the time of the holy genius known for Tosefot Yom Tov. This man was famously stingy, refusing to donate even a penny to charity, despite the rabbis' and community leaders' persistent appeals. Yossele stood firm, not giving a penny for charity or communal benefit.

As his time approached to leave this world, the community leaders thought they'd finally collect a generous donation. The burial society explained that for a respectable burial plot fitting his wealth, he'd have to part with a substantial sum for charity. Yossele immediately refused the offer, stating he was content with a simple grave and headstone, like any ordinary Jew in Krakow. He promptly paid the standard burial fee.

The leaders were frustrated—how could Yossele, even in death, hold onto his money? Was he planning to take it to the grave?

Yossele passed away a few days later. Angered, the leaders buried him in a simple grave at the edge of the cemetery, as if he were an outcast.

However, the next day revealed the truth. Within a week of his burial, crowds of poor and needy people came to the community house asking for food or money to survive Shabbat. When asked why they hadn't come before, they replied, "Yossele was the one who fed and supported us." Realizing their mistake, the leaders were shocked.

The leaders quickly gathered the city and announced that the infamous miser was, in fact, a secret benefactor who sustained dozens daily, and he had just one condition: anonymity.

After consulting the community's rabbis, the leaders sought forgiveness at Yossele's grave, engraving "Yossele the Holy Miser" beside his name. In another version, he was called Israel, inscribed as "Israel the Gentile," and when the truth emerged, they added "Israel the Holy Gentile." Though it seems unlikely a Jew would be labeled a 'gentile,' this warm story resonated too deeply to be ignored. Another account tells of town benefactors ceasing donations, revealing Yossele was behind their giving. All agree on the touching end: the town’s rabbi, Tosefot Yom Tov, requested to be buried beside Yossele, and so it was.

This would be the tale's end, yet it takes an unexpected turn:

Rabbi David Shochat, a popular American Jewish lecturer, was invited to a religious conference at a U.S. university nearly 40 years ago. During his talk, he shared this remarkable Jewish story. A priest approached him repeatedly, asking to hear it again. When Rabbi Shochat pressed for a reason, the priest confessed his Jewish heritage. His mother frequently recounted the tale, claiming descent from Yossele. Initially skeptical, Rabbi Shochat was persuaded by the priest's insistence.

They parted amicably. Years later, an elderly man approached Rabbi Shochat at the Western Wall, reminding him of the priest, adding that he had since returned to Judaism. Rabbi Shochat, surprised, shared how he’d recently discovered his own descent from Tosefot Yom Tov, noting the divine twist: the priest's return to Judaism via Tosefot Yom Tov's descendant, sparked by Yossele's story.

A final mystery lingers: next to Tosefot Yom Tov's grave in Krakow, Yossele the Holy Miser's grave is nowhere to be found.