Why Did the Billionaire Order Ice Cream for Everyone Except One?

In the 'Shabbat Kodesh Supplement' of 'Yated Ne'eman', the following wonderful story is brought: A luxurious restaurant. Everything is shiny. Sparkling. Even the food. A feast for the eyes. A delight to the palate. 'This world' at its finest...

A non-Jew sits, sinks into the menu, drooling all over. Orders an expensive dish. Waits for the food to be ready, and suddenly loses his appetite.

And what happened? He noticed a Jew sitting at the nearby table, smiling. And he - an Israel-hater, anti-Semitic. How can it taste good to eat and drink while a smile is spread across a Jew's face?!

If he could, he would sink his teeth into him and bite like a donkey - but that is not 'elegant'. The gentile gets clever and calls the waiter: ''Give everyone in the restaurant a treat of ice cream on my account!" - "Wow, that's fifty dollars per serving - multiplied by thirty-five!" "No. It's multiplied by thirty-four - because you skip the Jew!"

The waiter does as requested, but the Jew continues to smile. He thought the Jew would blush, 'pack up' and flee - but nothing.

"Waiter! Serve thirty-four bottles of good wine here!" - "That's a hundred dollars a bottle!" - "No matter, just skip the Jew".

Skipping the Jew, yet he smiles even more. Indeed - a stiff-necked people...

"Waiter! Serve thirty-four main courses here!" - "That's a hundred seventy-five dollars per dish!" "No matter - as long as you skip the Jew".

And the Jew beams with happiness. Just makes you explode!

He feels obligated to solve the mystery. He is forced to turn to the Jew and ask: "Tell me, why are you so happy? You were insulted with ice cream, shamed with wine, disrespected with the main course - and you keep smiling?"

"The restaurant is simply mine," replies the Jew and... continues to smile.

Rabbi Hezekiah Mishkovsky, spiritual director at 'Orchot Torah' Yeshiva, describes the story in his unique way and clarifies the moral, which relates to everyone's life.

"Joseph the righteous was pursued - and he smiles, stripped of the 'coat of many colors' - and smiles. Thrown into the pit - and smiles. Sold to the Ishmaelites - and smiles. Sold to the Midianites - and smiles. Sold to the Egyptians - and smiles. Thrown into prison - and smiles.

"From what strength was he not broken? What sustained him?" cries Rabbi Mishkovsky and answers: "The pure faith that everything is for the best! The confidence that each blow positions a great salvation! The knowledge that... the restaurant is mine!"

He continues and endures until he is appointed 'Viceroy of Egypt' - and then everyone already sees and knows how each stage in the pursuits and troubles were steps on which he climbed to the throne!"