Yosef Ben Yoezer had a son who disappointed him by diverging from the path of Torah, so he decided to make sure that his wealth would be put to good use. He took a great chest of gold and brought it to the Beit HaMikdash.
“I am dedicating this chest of gold to the temple of the Almighty,” declared Yosef.
The son, upon learning this, left his father’s home and took himself a wife. One day, retuning from the market place where he had bought a fish, he was startled as his wife, opening the fish, called out: “Look what is in the fish!”
Rushing over to the table, the son saw a precious diamond, magnificent in its sparkling beauty, inside the fish.
“What a magnificent diamond!” exclaimed the wife.
“Yes, think of how much the king will pay when I bring it to him.”
At these words, the wife suddenly stopped and said, “You cannot go to the king with the diamond, for I am afraid that when you ask for the money he will say to himself: Who is this subject of mine who dares to extract such a great sum from me?
“I am afraid that he will pay only a small sum for the magnificent diamond.”
“You are right,” exclaimed the husband, “but if we do not sell it to the king what shall we do with it?”
“I have a good idea,” said the wife, “go to the Beit HaMikdash and say to the Kohanim: “Here is a magnificent diamond for the Kohen Gadol.”
Going to the Bais HaMikdash, Yosef Ben Yoezer’s son showed the magnificent diamond to the Kohanim. They were stunned by its brilliance and beauty and could hardly speak.
“What do you want for this magnificent gem?”
“I leave it to you to set the price.”
“Such a jewel,” they said, “is worth no less than 13 chests filled with shekels of gold!”
“However,” they continued, “seven of them are available, the other six are not yet in the treasury.”
The son then said, “The seven I will take and the six I will consecrate.”
It was then recorded, “Yosef Ben Yoezer brought in one but his son brought in six.”
Others (also in praise) say, “Yosef Ben Yoezer brought in one but his son took away seven.”