The famous Torah scholar, Rabbi Yonason Eibshitz, was an advisor for the king.

Once, while riding in his coach down the streets of Vienna, the king met his wise advisor and friend. After greeting each other amiably, the king asked the rabbi where he was going.

"I don't know," replied Rabbi Yonason.

The king's eyes flashed with sudden anger. Friend or not, how dare this Jew trifle with His Majesty! The king ordered his guards to have the advisor arrested and imprisoned. However, before the day was over, the king relented. "After all," the king thought to himself, "this is my wise advisor; he couldn’t have meant to slight me. There must be an explanation for his behavior."

The ruler visited the eminent scholar in his cell. "Look here," he scolded, "how dared you address your King so frivolously?"

"I didn’t mean to trifle with you, your Majesty," explained the scholar. "You did not ask me where I was planning to go; you asked me where I was going. I really did not know where I was going. And as must be clear to you by now, I was right. I had planned to go study and pray at the synagogue, and instead I ended up in jail!"