R. Berokah of Khuza lived in the market place of a town called Laft. The prophet Elijah often used to visit him.

On such a visit, one day, the prophet Elijah said to him, "Ask me a question."

He replied, "Dear Prophet, is there anyone in this multitude in the market place of whom you know that he will have a share in the world to come?"

Just then he saw a man dressed in black shoes contrary to Jewish custom, and who, moreover, had no zizit (fringes) in his garments.

Thereupon Elijah said to R. Berokah, "That man there wearing black shoes is the one who will have a share in the world to come."

So R. Berokah ran after him and asked him, "Friend, what is your work?"

The man replied, "I cannot tell you today, come tomorrow and I will tell you."

The next day the man came back and R. Berokah said to him, "Friend, what is your occupation?"

He replied, "I am the warden of the prison house. When a man is put in prison,

I put him by himself, and when a woman is put in prison, I put her by herself, and I place my bed between them to separate them from one another, lest they, Heaven forfend! commit a sin. And if I have a Jewish woman in custody and see that the guards have an eye on her, I risk my life to protect her. Once upon a time a beautiful Jewish girl was put in the prison. She had already been betrothed but was not yet married, and the guards wanted to dishonor her. So I put lees of wine on her skirts and warned the guards not to touch her, or they would become leprous. They listened to me and let her alone."

Then R. Berokah asked him, "Why do you wear black shoes against the Jewish custom? And why have you no zizit on your garments?"

Then he replied, "I will tell you. I go very often to the king's palace and do not want to be known there as a Jew. And when I hear that they intend issuing a hostile decree against the Jews, I run quickly to the rabbis and ask them to pray to God to annul the decree. And I will" also explain to you the reason why I did not tell you in the first place what my occupation was. It is because I had just heard that they intended issuing an evil decree, so I thought to myself, I will go at once and inform the rabbis so that they may have this decree annulled through their prayer. I would like to tell you more about my work, but I have no time."

Whilst they were talking, two brothers came along. "These two have also a share in the world to come," said the prophet Elijah.

R. Berokah went to them also and asked them their occupation.

They replied, "We make people merry. When we see a person grieving, we make him forget his sorrow and become cheerful again. And when we see two people quarreling and in discord, we work long until we make peace between them."