Rabbi at the Races

Send to me by a devoted reader of and commentator on this blog; my grandmother.

A fellow goes to the races for the first time and decides to look over the race horses in the paddock before placing his first bet. While there he sees a rabbi standing beside a horse due to run in the first race. The Rabbi is rocking back and forth in prayer.

He notes the number on the horse and for the heck of it puts a two dollar bet to win on the horse. It comes in paying 9-1. Collecting his money he goes down to the paddock and sees the Rabbi praying over another horse, this one due to run in the next race. He puts all his winnings on that horse to win and again he wins.

By the end of the eighth race his winnings total over five thousand. He decides the ninth will be his last race. He checks which horse the Rabbi is praying over and places all his money on that horse.

This time things are different. The horse the Rabbi was praying over trailed the field, ending up dead last
and all the man's winnings are lost.

He spots the Rabbi, runs up to him, and says, " Rabbi, I do not understand. I watched you pray over horses and I bet and won on every horse you prayed over. That is except on the ninth race. I lost all my money on the horse you were praying over.

The Rabbi looks at the fellow and says, "Tell me, are you Jewish?"

The man responds, "Yes. I am Jewish. I am a member of a reform synagogue."

The rabbi responds, “That’s the trouble with the reformed. They do not know the difference between a Brocha and Kaddish."