While once walking with a guest, the rav of the Latvian community of Dvinsk, Rav Meir Simcha Hacohen, was asked who owned a magnificent mansion they had just passed.

The reply was that he was the most expert lawyer in the country.

“Are you not the greatest expert in your profession?” asked the guest. “Why is it that you don’t own such a beautiful home?”

The rav, who was considered one of the great Torah scholars of his generation, modestly replied:

“It is the conflicts among Jews which supply the income for lawyers while my livelihood depends on their good deeds. We all know which there are more of!”

The Chafetz Chaim once wished to offer a blessing for a lawyer who was very helpful to the Jewish community. This is what he told him:

“I cannot bless you to win every case, for justice may be on the side of the party you do not represent. I will therefore bless you that every party that is indeed in the right should hire you as his lawyer.”

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