Many many centuries ago, when the Catholic church was very antisemitic, the Pope decreed that all Jews should be rounded up and expelled from Italy.
Naturally the Chief Rabbi was deeply shocked by this turn of events, and asked for a meeting with the Pope. The Pope decided to give the Rabbi a chance to put his case on behalf of the Jewish people.
The Chief Rabbi arrived at the Vatican, and was ushered into the Pope’s chambers. Unfortunately, he only spoke Hebrew, and the Pope only spoke Italian. There was no translator. So, the Pope decided to express his feelings using hand signals.
First, he raised three fingers. The Chief Rabbi raised one finger.
Then, the Pope twirled a finger around his head. The Chief Rabbi pointed to the floor.
The Pope produced a chalice of wine and a loaf of bread. The Chief Rabbi pulled an apple from his robes.
At this, the Pope flung up his hands, and left the room. The meeting was over.
In the Pope’s chambers, his cardinals surrounded him. “Il Papa, tell us what happened,” they entreated.
“Well,” said the Pope. "I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. But he held up one finger to remind me that we are all of the one God.
"Then, I pointed all around me to tell him that God is in everything. He pointed to the ground to show that God is also here with us now.
"Finally, I produced bread and wine to illustrate the redemption of sins. But again, he had an answer: he produced an apple, to remind me of original sin.
“Every argument I gave him, he had an answer. He bested me in theological debate about my own religion, and I realised that I have no right to remove such an erudite and learned people from the country. Issue a decree this minute to say that the Jews are instead to be loved as brothers of the Catholics.”
Back at the synagogue, the Rabbis, delighted that they and their people weren’t to be expelled from Italy, surrounded the Chief Rabbi.
“Tell us what happened,” they entreated.
“Well,” said the Chief Rabbi, "at first he held up three fingers to say we’ve got three days to leave the country. I held up one finger to say not one of us is leaving.
“Then, he motioned that he was going to round us all up, so I pointed to the ground to say ‘no, we’re staying right here’.”
“And what happened then?” asked the Rabbis.
“Then we broke for lunch.”