A flash of inspiration is better than a thousand words.

Author: He Chengwei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Dirty and Clean
There was a person who wanted to study Jews, so he first read the Bible and then delved into various kinds of books. However, since he was not a Jew, he could never fully digest what he read. In the end, he realized that he had to first consult the wise rabbi to understand Jews. One day, he went to find the Jewish wise rabbi. The rabbi said, "Although you want to study Jews, you are not qualified." The person replied, "Whether I am qualified or not, please give me a test to determine!" The rabbi thought it was reasonable and proposed the following question: "Two boys helped clean the chimney at home. After finishing, one came out of the chimney with a face covered in soot, while the other had not a single trace of dirt on his face. Which boy do you think will go wash his face?" The person answered, "Of course, the one with a dirty face will go wash his face." However, the rabbi coldly said, "This shows that you are still not qualified to study Jews." The person retorted, "Then what is the correct answer?" The rabbi then explained: "Two boys came out of the same chimney—one with a clean face and the other with a dirty one. The boy with the dirty face saw the other and thought his own face was also clean. Conversely, the boy with the clean face saw the other and thought his own face was dirty." P4-5