A Little WisdomTalmud stories for everyday life
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101 · 4 panels

Before the Next Toast

Jin sets down his glass, and a voice the group had missed finally comes through.

Inspired by a source · Creative adaptationNo sign-up · All stories free
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They had finished their project together that evening. Amid the laughter, Ara noticed an untouched drink.
Jin

How about one more toast?

They had finished their project together that evening. Amid the laughter, Ara noticed an untouched drink.

Ara leaned slightly toward Jin. He turned to listen with his glass still in hand.
Ara

Jin, I think they were about to say something earlier.

Ara leaned slightly toward Jin. He turned to listen with his glass still in hand.

Jin set his glass on the table. He and Ara gave their colleague time to answer.
Jin

Hold on a second. If you'd like, you can tell us what you were going to say.

Jin set his glass on the table. He and Ara gave their colleague time to answer.

This time, one voice came through. Jin and Ara listened and nodded.
Colleague

You all made room for me on my first day. I wanted to thank you for that.

This time, one voice came through. Jin and Ara listened and nodded.

A thought from the Talmud

When the guests at his son's wedding grew very merry, Rav Ashi broke a white glass cup. The mood turned somber.

The source idea in our own words · Not a direct quotation

Berakhot 31a:2 · Read the source ↗

A lesson for today

On the evening they finished a project together, Jin was about to make another toast. He listened to Ara and set down his glass. Given a moment, their colleague recalled how everyone had made room for them on the first day. Hearing that brought Jin back to what they were celebrating. In this comic, leaving room for someone to speak in their own words is one way to keep a celebration going.

A modern interpretation for this story

A question to take with you

Before I offer the next toast, whose story would I like to hear a little more of?

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About the source and this adaptation

In Berakhot 31a:2, Rav Ashi breaks a white glass cup when he sees how merry the sages have become at his son's wedding. They grow somber. We group the similar episode involving Mar son of Ravina in 30b:25–31a:1 with this one. Rav Hamnuna Zuti's wedding song follows in 31a:3. The wisdom line paraphrases 31a:2. The modern project celebration, its characters, and the act of setting down an intact glass to listen are AI-assisted fiction.

Read the source ↗

AI-generated artwork · Creative adaptation

For your next little pause

The Light Over the Table →