Goodbye & Aishes Chail; The story about “J” is –to the best of my recollection– as follows. R.Yhoshua Ben P’rachia and some of his students (“J” among them) were staying at an inn. The innkeeper went out of her way to serve them. (Probably not charging them.) R. Yhoshua Ben P. commented “How Beautiful is this woman”, when “J” retorted. “:But Her eyes are Oval shaped” (Half closed)????” ??????..Upon which he was reprimanded. “I wasn’t commenting on her physical beauty. I said she’s spiritually beautiful”. Subsequently he tried to apologize but his Rabbi rejected the apology. He then decided to try once again, when R. Yoshua was in middle of Kryias Sh’ma. R. Yoshua was at this point ready to forgive his student for the inappropriate comment. He motioned for him to wait till he’s done with Sh’ma. But “J” mistook it as another sign of rejection. Upon which he (“J”) rebelled against the Jewish Religion. And the rest is history.
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