Samuel the Pious once acted as Hazzan in Speyer on the Day of Atonement. There came into the synagogue a wicked man, who was the counselor of the duke. When he saw the pious man praying with so much devotion, he bethought himself and said to his companions in the synagogue: "I cannot allow him to go on, I must do some shameful thing to the reader, for he is praying very earnestly and is always lifting his eyes heavenward and praying to his God with great devotion."

Thereupon the wicked man spat in the reader's face, hoping to confuse him in his prayer, but the pious man did not allow himself to be confused and continued praying.

When the wicked man saw that he could not confuse the Hasid, he was filled with regret at having spat in the pious man's face and said to his servants: "I have done a great wrong in having insulted the Jew so grievously, for I see that he is a holy man and his singing is so sweet and pleasant, I fear I have committed a great sin."

And he grieved much over what he had done.

The next day, after the Day of Atonement, the wicked man went to the pious one and asked him why he had been praying so devoutly the day before.

The pious man replied: "Why do you ask me? You have offered me such an insult as I have never experienced from any man before in all my life, not to speak of your contemptuous behavior generally in the synagogue yesterday, and that too on such a holy day as we had. For yesterday was the day which God Almighty has appointed for us to spend wholly in the synagogue, the day when God forgives our sins, as is written in our holy Scriptures. I laughed in my heart at your insults, for I have faith in my

Almighty God and know that He will forgive our sins because of the insults which you have offered me and the great misfortunes which we suffer at your hands all the time and receive without complaint. This is why I prayed with such joy and devotion."

When the pious man had finished his long discourse, the wicked man was so stounded and frightened that he could not speak. Then he asked the pious man to forgive him, for he had acted thoughtlessly, and to pray to God for his sake to forgive him, saying that he would never do such a thing again as long as he lived, nay he would try all his life to deserve well of the Jews, be it in words or in deeds, and the pious man himself would feel it.

The pious man listened to his words without answering, and the wicked man left.

On the third day the wicked man came back and pleaded more earnestly than before. He improved in his conduct from day to day and whatever he heard about the Jews in the house of the duke he interpreted in their favor.

He pleaded so long and so earnestly that the pious man said to him: "Truly, you have committed a great sin in having insulted me as you have done, but seeing that the thing has caused you great regret and that you promise never to do any such thing again and to treat the Jews well, I will pray to God that He should forgive your sin, for nothing is better than the will not to do wrong."

Thus the pious man prayed to God, blessed be He, on behalf of the wicked man. Later on he came to the pious man and embraced Judaism and was known henceforth as the righteous proselyte. All his money he gave away in charity to poor Jews.