A Chassid and a Misnaged were sitting next to each other in front of an open Gemorah, shteiging together in chavrusa. Suddenly, the chassid looks over at the Misnaged and shouts excitedly “Do you see this???? Chazal bring down about R’ Yonason ben Uziel, that when he sat and learned,, any bird that flew over him burst into flames.'”
The Misnaged, apparently not impressed, responded, “So Nuuu, whats your point?”
The Chassid repeats again even more excitingly the inyan about R’ Yonasan…., “They said about Yonason ben Uziel, that when he sat and learned, any bird that flew over him burst into flames.”
Sitting stone-faced, the Misnaged responds, “Soooo……”
Exasperated at his chavrusa’s indifference, the Chassid explains, “Can you imagine the deveykus of this tzaddik?? He learned with such intensity and kavanah that a pillar of fire shot up out of the sefer before him and incinerated the birds flying over him! You are not impressed with this??”
The Misnaged finally responds, “Why would I be impressed with this?? What I really want to know whose birds they were and how the damages owed by R’ Yonasan to the owner would be determined?
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