The source seems to be R' Sholom Schwadron Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz says he heard this parable from R' Schwadron himself. In [this blog post][1] he writes: > There’s a great story I remember from when I was in Yeshiva, back in > the day a million years ago, when the great Maggid, Reb Shalom > Shwadron came to speak to us. He told a story of how he was once > walking through a beautiful field on a gorgeous day. The sun was > shining so bright, he was surrounded by flowers and trees, he could > even hear the birds chirping all around him. Suddenly though he felt > someone punch him in the chest. He looked around and no one was there. > Hmmm that seemed strange. A second later though he felt another punch > in his chest. This time though he heard himself mumble words. > > Selach lanu Hashem ki chatanu, mechal lanu ki fasashanu- forgive me > Hashem for we have sinned. And then it hit him- excuse the pun- he had > hit himself for he was in middle of Shemona Esrei and just started > daydreaming. The parable is also quoted in an article on Page 8 of [this publication][2] with the following source: > (Heard from Rabbi Moshe Grossman in the name of Rabbi Sholom Schwadron > zt”l) [This Hebrew website][3] also attributes the parable to R' Schwadron providing a specific location of this market/fair. > הגאון רבי שלום שבדרון זצ"ל נהג לספר על יהודי שהסתובב בשוק מחנה יהודה > כאשר הוא תר אחר דוכן בו מוכרים תפוזים... ופתאום - בום! הוא קיבל אגרוף > בחזה... ולאחר כמה שניות שוב פעם אגרוף בחזה! כאשר הוא ניסה לבדוק מי מכה > אותו באמצע השוק הוא תפס כי הוא עצמו מכה על חזהו - בברכת סלח לנו [1]: https://holylandinsights.blogspot.com/2024/09/guilt-free-responsibility-parshat.html [2]: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.flipdocs.com/books/10002264/648715/648715.pdf [3]: https://shofar.tv/articles/15011