R’ Simcha Bunem of P’shischa was once travelling on the road in a wagon. The road was filled with mud and large puddles of water. After a while, the wagon got stuck in the mud.
The driver got down and tried pushing to loosen the wagon until he was exhausted. He called out to R’ Simcha Bunem, “Please help me!”
“I can’t,” answered R’ Simcha Bunem.
“No,” answered the driver – You can, but you don’t want to!”
From that time on, R’ Simcha Bunem would constantly reprimand himself: “You can, but you don’t want to…”
