The perfect gift
A Jewish mother had three sons. When they grew up, all three became successful businessmen and made a great deal of money. Their mother, meanwhile, had grown old and continued living alone in a small house.
One day, the brothers decided it was time to give her something special.
The oldest son said, “I bought Mom a huge house with forty rooms, a full staff, and a doorman. She deserves to spend her later years surrounded by luxury.”
The middle son said, “That’s nice, but I bought Mom a beautiful luxury car and hired a private driver. Now she can travel anywhere she wants in comfort.”
The youngest son smiled.
“I’ve outdone both of you. You don’t even know what Mom loves most. More than anything, she loves reading the Torah. But she’s getting older, and her eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
“So I found an extraordinary parrot. Twenty rabbis spent twelve years teaching it the entire Torah. All Mom has to do is say the name of a chapter, and the bird will recite it from memory.”
The brothers agreed that this was clearly the most thoughtful gift of all.
A few weeks later, they visited their mother and asked how she liked everything.
The oldest son said, “Mom, what do you think of the house? Has it made your life easier?”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” she replied. “It’s a beautiful house, but what do I need forty rooms for? I spend all my time in just one of them.”
Then the middle son asked, “And what about the car and driver?”
“Thank you, darling. The car is lovely, but where am I supposed to go at my age? I don’t have many errands anymore, and my eyesight is too poor to enjoy the scenery.”
Finally, she turned to the youngest son and smiled.
“But you, my dear, truly understood what your mother needed. That chicken you sent made the most wonderful soup.”