A great Rabbi arrived one Sunday morning in a small rural town. The president of the synagogue asked the Rabbi to help with a local problem.
"All the people here think they are just perfect!" said the President. "Could you preach a sermon that will bring them back to their senses?"
The Rabbi was a gifted speaker, eloquent with words and knowledgeable about the Scripture. He spoke for nearly an hour, convincing everyone that they too were sinners. Finally, the Rabbi was sure he had set everyone straight.
To reaffirm that they were all thinking alike, the Rabbi finally asked: "Is there anyone here who thinks he is perfect?"
Everyone was looking at the floor, thinking quietly. Slowly, one man in the back stood up.
The Rabbi asked the man, "And why do you stand, sir?"
The man said, "I am not perfect, but I am standing in memory of my wife's first husband who was."
