Could Anything Be Worse?: A Yiddish Tale

A man asks for help from his rabbi about his crowded house. In this version, as the house becomes less crowded, the illustrations show the family preparing for Shabbos. At the end, when the family is enjoying their home's roomy quiet, they are also seen beginning to celebrate Shabbat. Just as nothing has changed physically for the man, but psychologically his house is no longer crowded; similarly, Shabbos is a change in how we interact with the world, not an actual change in the world or time.

A man asks for help from his rabbi about his crowded house. In this version, as the house becomes less crowded, the illustrations show the family preparing for Shabbos. At the end, when the family is enjoying their home's roomy quiet, they are also seen beginning to celebrate Shabbat. Just as nothing has changed physically for the man, but psychologically his house is no longer crowded; similarly, Shabbos is a change in how we interact with the world, not in the world or time.

Convinced nothing could be worse than the noise and confusion of his home, a man consults his rabbi who has some very wise advice.