I thought about the rabbi of Chelm a lot while trudging my way through I Know This Much Is True, HBO’s six-part adaptation of Wally Lamb’s 1998 bestselling, Oprah-endorsed novel. The farmer does this, then sees the rabbi one last time to rave about how spacious and peaceful his house feels now. Finally, the rabbi tells the farmer to move all the animals back outside to where he usually keeps them. Things keep getting worse week after week, as the rabbi tells him to also bring in his horse and his cow. The rabbi tells him to now also bring his goat indoors. A week later, the farmer returns complaining that his home is more cramped and noisy than ever. The rabbi tells the farmer to take all his chickens from out of their coop and move them into the house. In the little village of Chelm, a poor farmer goes to see the rabbi to complain that his house is far too small to accommodate himself, his wife, and their children. There’s an old folk tale I heard a lot back in Hebrew school.
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