The Fishbone and Divine Justice

A long time ago, an old man was hungry. He went to a pond and with great difficulty caught a fish, thinking that this would satisfy his hunger.

Just then, a young boy came along and, to tease the old man, snatched the fish from his hand and began running after him.

The old man lacked the strength to chase the young boy and snatch the fish from him. He said, "Give me my fish, I'm very hungry."

But the boy didn't listen and continued to tease him even more. Defeated, the old man looked up with tears in his eyes, said something, and moved on.

Just then, a fishbone pricked the boy's hand. He threw the fish away, groaning in pain, and went home.

The boy applies medicine to the wound, but it doesn't heal. Several days later, the wound still doesn't heal. The boy goes to a doctor. The doctor says, "The poison has spread to your thumb and it needs to be amputated." The boy's thumb is amputated, but the wound doesn't heal, the wound doesn't heal, and the pain subsides. The boy remains deeply distressed.

A few days later, the boy goes to another doctor. That doctor also says, "The wound has become very serious and the toe must be amputated to prevent the poison from spreading to other parts of the body." The boy's toe is amputated.

As the boy returns home after having his toe amputated, he sees the same old man on the way. He runs to him, apologizes, and asks, "Answer one question of mine. What did you say to yourself that day when you looked up and saw this thing happen to me?"

The old man laughed at first, then became serious and said, "I only told God this, 'I am helpless, I cannot do anything to the person who has wronged me. Now I hand him over to you, I want justice.' Look, this is what the sigh that came from a true heart has done to you."

"Deed definitely returns; in God's court, one gets what one deserves; hand for hand, eye for eye, deception for deception; no one can escape deed."

"We free ourselves by completely handing over to God/Nature every person who has wronged us."

Three best lessons from the story

1. Actions have consequences — wrongdoing often returns to the doer.  

2. True surrender (handing a grievance to a higher power) is powerful and freeing.  

3. Patience and non-retaliation preserve personal integrity but do not prevent natural justice.

Three life-management tips from the story

1. Let go of grudges—release emotional burden by trusting a fair outcome rather than seeking immediate revenge.  

2. Practice patience—avoid impulsive retaliation; give time for consequences to unfold.  

3. Maintain personal responsibility—focus on your conduct even when others wrong you.

Business-management tips from the story

1. Don’t engage in petty retaliation—preserve reputation and resources by responding calmly to provocation.  

2. Implement fair accountability—ensure systems that let consequences follow actions (clear policies, transparent enforcement).  

3. Delegate escalation—when conflicts exceed your capacity, escalate to impartial arbitration rather than personal vendettas.

Three inspirational points

1. Surrender can be an act of strength, not weakness.  

2. Faith in justice—trust that fairness can prevail without your aggression.  

3. Integrity matters—holding to your principles shapes outcomes in the long run.

Three self-help tips from the story

1. Use mindful breathing or a short prayer to release anger instead of reacting.  

2. Reframe harm as a test of character—ask “What should I do to stay true to myself?” before acting.  

3. Seek support or mediation rather than taking matters into your own hands when hurt.

Read more : -  Neve Zohar: Life in the World’s Lowest Village