In nineteenth-century Europe, in the city of Shpole, Russia there were some young peasant Jews who banded together to form a group of professional thieves! The leader of this group was a slight, athletic young man who was known as "Yosse'le Ganav" (Yosse'le the Thief).

It once happened that the group set its eyes upon the valuable gems and ornaments which were found in the local church. The thieves figured out that the only way they could possibly succeed at stealing this fortune was for one of them to climb up one of the church walls, and enter through a small window near the top of the building's steeple - a job, of course, for Yosse'le Ganav.

They waited for the end of the month when the moon disappears from view. The thieves then made their way to the church grounds in the blackness of night. As Yosse'le began his ascent, the others huddled near the wall to await Yosse'le's signal that the loot was on its way down.

Yosse'le reached the window at the top of the steeple. He pried it opened with ease and climbed inside. Meanwhile, the night watchman had come to investigate a report of suspicious noises heard around the building. As soon as the thieves saw him coming, they scattered in all directions. Yosse'le, unaware of what was transpiring outside, was busy gathering the loot. When he had gathered everything together, he spread out a large tablecloth and piled the valuables onto it. Then he tied the ends of the tablecloth together so that it served as a sack, slung it over his shoulder, and climbed back up to the window to make his escape.

Yosse'le called out a signal and waited for his comrades to respond with a signal of their own before he let the sack fall to the ground below. When there was no response, he signaled again... and again. Realizing that something was wrong, he began to plan his next move but did not get very far. Soon, Yosse'le found himself face to face with the watchman and a furious priest, who ordered that the Jew be cast into a dungeon.

A few days later, Yosse'le was brought before a panel of judges for sentencing. The chief judge pronounced the verdict: For daring to break into the church, the Jew would be burned alive in the city square, in the presence of the city's entire gentile population.

However, the judge continued, there was a way by which Yosse'le could save himself. If he were to publicly convert to their religion, then not only would his life be spared, but he would also be granted lavish gifts so that he would have no need to steal ever again.

Yosse'le needed no time to think it over. Drawing himself up to his full height, he declared for all to hear, "I may be a thief, may have done plenty of wrong in my life, but never will anyone convince me to forsake my religion! Torture me if you wish - it will not make any difference. Do you think that I am out of my mind, to be willing to exchange the living G-d for some lifeless statues? I am a Jew and I will always remain a Jew."

Yosse'le was violently thrown back into his prison cell.

The next day at around noon, he was brought in chains to the city square where stands which had been hastily erected were filled to capacity. The gentiles watched gleefully as Yosse'le was brought to stand next to a vat of boiling tar.

The priest turned to Yosse'le and told him that he could still "repent" and live. "Stop wasting your time," Yosse'le replied. "I told you already that I will never forsake my religion!"

The priest gave the signal and two guards lifted Yosse'le up into the air. Yosse'le's hands were slowly dipped into the boiling tar. He could not help but cry out in agony. "You still have a chance," the priest announced. "Promise to convert and you will live, and a doctor will be called to heal your hands."

"I TOLD YOU ALREADY," Yosse'le shouted. "I AM A JEW AND I WILL ALWAYS BE A JEW! LET ME DIE AND SANCTIFY THE NAME OF THE LIVING G-D!"

That night, Yosse'le's remains were handed over to the Jewish community of Shpole. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery near the famed tzaddik known as the Shpole Zeide. A simple tombstone atop his grave bore the inscription, "Here lies the martyr, Yosse'le Ganav."