Laying the "foundation stone" for the Tzemach Tzedek's shul [Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe] was cause for great joy and celebration. The Chasidim set up rows of tables and benches and made a farbrengen, or gathering, in honor of the happy event. When the Tzemach Tzedek arrived he turned to his followers with a question: "Which would you prefer? Would you like to hear a Chasidic discourse or would you prefer that I tell you a story?" The Chasidim all chose to hear the story.

The Tzemach Tzedek began:

There was once a man by the name of Reb Yaakov, who was a Chasid of the holy Ruzhiner Rebbe (Rabbi Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin, great- grandson of the Maggid of Mezritch).

Reb Yaakov was an innkeeper who leased an inn from a Jewish tax collector, also named Reb Yaakov. This Reb Yaakov was a very honest and G-d fearing man, who, in turn, rented the inn from its true owner, the poritz, who owned all the local properties and rented them out to various individuals. The innkeeper was a very poor man and had not been able to pay his rent for a very long time. After a long period of grace, the tax collector sent notice to Reb Yaakov that he would be evicted is he did not come up with the money. Reb Yaakov went to his rebbe, the holy Ruzhiner, for advice.

The Ruzhiner begged the tax collector to have pity on the poor innkeeper and his hungry children, and to free him from his formidable debt. Being a straight and honest individual, the tax collector agreed. He not only waived the money he owed , but even lowered the future rent, stipulating only that he pay on time in the future, as he too had bills to pay.

Unfortunately things continued to go badly and the innkeeper received another eviction notice. Again the innkeeper ran to the Ruzhiner for help and the Ruzhiner pleaded with the tax collector. Once more the rent was forgiven, but to no avail. The tax collector found himself again in the same position, paying the poritz the monthly rent from his own pocket. He had stretched as far as he could go and he decided that he had no choice but to actually evict his impoverished tenant.

The familiar scene played itself out a third time, as the innkeeper traveled to Ruzhin and the Ruzhiner called for Reb Yaakov the tax collector. This time, however, the Ruzhiner was unable to get him to budge.

"I've done all that is humanly possible," he answered the Ruzhiner's pleas. "I forgave him his debts not once, but twice. More than this I'm not willing to concede. It's my money that's involved here, not the Rebbe's!" he stormed.

The hapless tenant and his family were evicted.

It was not until many years later, when Reb Yaakov the tax collector passed away and his soul ascended on high to the World of Truth, that his moment of reckoning came. The prosecuting angels insisted that Reb Yaakov be found guilty for evicting a poor Jewish man and his family from their home and preventing him from earning a living, however meager.

"What did I do that was so terrible!" answered Reb Yaakov in his own defense. "How many times did I waive all his debts and allow him to take as long as he wanted to pay the rent? Not only that, but I lowered the amount several times as well. What else could I have possibly done? Was I supposed to throw away all my own money for his sake?" he complained.

"Furthermore," he testified, "What do you know about money? You angels have no conception of money and cannot understand its value to those of us down below. You therefore cannot properly judge my case. I demand to be judged by a court of people who once lived on earth and are familiar with such matters," he said.

A heavenly court was quickly convened, consisting of the BaCh (Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, great Polish scholar; 1561-1640) and the Beit Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo, codifier of the Shulchan Aruch; 1488-1575). After hearing both sides of the case, they too found him culpable.

"The only reason I was found guilty is because these two Tzadikim have been absent from the physical world for such a long time that they forgot what money is," Reb Yaakov insisted in his own defense. "I demand that my case be judged by people who at this moment inhabit the physical realm!"

The Tzemach Tzedek paused at this point in the story. "What do you think?" he asked the group of Chasidim who were listening attentively.

No one dared open his mouth. The Rebbe's question was met with a protracted silence.

"I believe that Reb Yaakov is correct," continued the Tzemach Tzedek. "What do you think?"

The Rebbe then pronounced: "Gerecht, gerecht, gerecht (not guilty, not guilty, not guilty)."

Those present then realized that the Tzemach Tzedek had just vindicated Reb Yaakov the tax collector up in heaven and decided the case in his favor.