You can't fool me!

R’ Chaim Shaul Brook was a great chosid, a beloved mashpia, and a very wise man. In his youth, he had a good friend who learned together with him in Yeshiva. When they reached adulthood (just as with the 2 friends in the earlier story) their ways parted, and while R’ Chaim Shaul grew into a prominent chosid, his friend joined the camps of the misnagdim. Being an exceptional individual, he rose in their ranks, to the point of becoming one of their gedolim, and being treated with great reverence and awe wherever he went.

Once R’ Chaim Shaul was farbrenging, in honor of Yud Tes Kislev, when his former colleague (who held R’ Shoul in great esteem even after they went separate ways) came to join the farbrengen. He came with the accompaniment of a few of his talmidim, who were escorting the “gadol” on his trip.

As soon as the guest arrived, R’ Shaul proceeded to relate the following story:

Once there was a young dog that got separated from his clan, and became lost in the forest. Hungry and alone, the dog expended great effort to rejoin his family, but to no avail. Presently, he came across a large group of bears, and, seeing no other alternative, he tried to attach himself to them. Unfortunately (for the dog), there was one practice in the animal kingdom that stood in his way. You see, when bears meet each other, they greet by kissing one another on the face. Dogs, on the other hand, tend to greet by kissing, well, somewhere else. Thus it came to be that, as much as our poor dog tried to infiltrate the ranks of the bears, his kiss gave him away, and he was continuously shunned.

Finally, one old bear took pity on the hapless hound, and took him under his wing, training him how to greet like an authentic bear. The dog was a good student, and progressed rapidly, until his humble origins were all but forgotten. He rose in the ranks of the bear tribe, until, eventually, he became their leader. All the other bears would meet him, and invariably pay their respects with a reverent kiss to his cheek.

One day, as the dog-turned-bear was strolling through the forest, and being paid homage by all the members of his tribe, he encountered none other than his mentor, the old bear who had taken pity on him so long ago, and saved him from loneliness and starvation. The dog was happy to see his old savior, and instinctively turned his cheek towards him to be kissed.

Said the bear (and R’ Shaul Brook finished his story as he turned to his former colleague): “Mir kenst du nisht oisnarren, ich hob dir doch oisgelernt, ich ken dir un veis ver du bist, du bist doch a hunt, kush mir  in . . .” [Me you can’t fool, I’m the one who taught you, I know exactly who you are, you’re nothing but a dog, kiss me in my . . .]!