The Bookworm Beat 12/23/14 — The illustrated edition and Open Thread
I had lunch with a very dear friend of mine today and, as usually happens after a lunch with a good friend, I feel all bubbly and fizzy. He told me a charming story:
A rabbi kept pleading with God to give him a small taste of what Heaven is like. Finally, God yielded and said, while you cannot see Heaven until you’ve died, the Angel Gabriel will soon contact you soon with some information that may help you understand Heaven’s wonders. The rabbi was ecstatic.
A week later, the Angel Gabriel, in all his splendor, appeared in the rabbi’s study.
“Rabbi,” he said. “God has already told you that I cannot actually let you see Heaven for yourself, even for a second. I can, however, tell you what the closest thing on earth is to the joys of Heaven.”
“Yes,” the rabbi practically shouted. “Please, please, satisfy my curiosity and help me understand Heaven.”
Angel Gabriel replied, “For a man, the closest thing to Heaven on earth is a good wife.
And now, the cartoons, with thanks as always to Caped Crusader: