It intrigued the congregation to see that their rabbi disappeared each week on the eve of the Sabbath. They suspected that he was secretly meeting the Almighty, so they deputed one of their members to follow him.
This is what the man saw: the rabbi disguised himself in peasant clothes and served a paralysed Gentile woman in her cottage, cleaning out the room and preparing a sabbath meal for her.
When the spy got back, the congregation asked, “Where did the rabbi go? Did he ascend to heaven?”
“No,” the man replied. “He went even higher.”
More in The Prayer of the Frog (Volume I) by Anthony de Mello.
Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer and public speaker, De Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West
Image of Canada postage stamp (2021) depicting Hanukah/Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, courtesy: https://jr.co.il/stamps/chanukah-stamps.htm