A STORY

The town had one matzah factory and two communities, one devoutly Hasidic, the other Misnagdic to the core. Each year, the two communities sent representatives to the town matzah factory to bake matzohs. The two groups never mixed, and never talked. Every man stayed on his own side of the factory.

Each year the Misnagdim contingent came with sifrei halacha. As they baked, they poured over the books making sure that their matzah was prepared to the highest standards of the law.

On the other side of the factory worked the Hasidm, singing and dancing, filling their corner of the factory with music, as they worked, and, in their view, filling their matzah with holiness.

One year, a misnagdic man wandered over to the other side of the factory, and proposed a matzah exchange. "For years," he said,” we’ve watched you sing and dance as you bake. We’re curious about your matzah and perhaps, you would like to sample ours?"

The Hasidim agreed, and, for the first time in the little town's history, the groups accepted boxes of matzoh from each other.

The misnagdic man who had proposed the exchange was thrilled. He ran to his yeshiva, found his Rosh Yeshiva, and told him of the wonderful sharing, the beautiful exchange of matzahs that had occured at the factory. "Isn't it wonderful?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," replied the Rosh Yeshiva. "It is about time those Hasidim had kosher matzahs."