Honest!

I was just reading a review, six months old, of a book called Einstein’s Jewish Science. The reviewer suggests that Einstein’s theories reflected a Talmudic bent. In the way one thing depends on another in Einstein's view of the universe, so in the Talmud things operate in relation to each other. The example of a Talmudic discussion given is “The shalt not steal.” Immediately, I was reminded of an experience I had one winter, early on in my religious journey. I had gone into a church in my neighborhood–not the one I thought of as my church, but one in fact closer to my house. The sanctuary was empty except for the dramatic presence of a huge crucifix that overhung the altar and at least seemed to reach into the area over the pews. I did what I had come there to do. I prayed. And left. Except that on my way out, I saw a wallet on the floor and picked it up. The wallet had no ID inside. It did have seven "crisp" hundred dollar bills, and two twenties. Now this was back when $740 was not pocket change. Certainly not to me, who had been unemployed for some months. I went next door to the rectory to turn over the wallet, assuming that someone would inquire about it; but the priest wanted no part of the situation. Not knowing what to do next, I stood there. Finally, he suggested the police station. I went there. There were three policemen behind the desk. I gave them the wallet, filled out a form. One of the policemen said that, if no one claimed the wallet and its contents in thirty days, the money would be mine. As I walked away, I happened to glance back and saw all three policemen in quiet conversation. My intuition buzzed for attention: without a calculator, they were trying to divide 740 by three. I wasn't good at arithmetic either. I smiled to myself, not disappointed in them or in me.