Story Tour

A person had three friends. One friend was truly beloved, a second was also loved, but the third was often taken for granted. One day the man lost everything he owned. The king commanded him to appear before him immediately. The poor man was very frightened, wondering why the king would want to speak to him. In fear, he called upon each of his three friends to go with him to the king.

First, he turned to his closet friend, and was extremely disappointed when this friend said it would be impossible to go with him to visit the king.

He then turned to his second friend. “Will you go with me to the king?” This friend said, “I can go with you only up to the gates of the palace, but that is as far as I can go.”

Extremely sad, the man then turned to her third friend, the one to whom he had taken for granted. This friend said with assurance, “I will accompany you, but first I will go directly to the palace myself and plead for you with the king.”

The first friend reflects a person’s wealth, which cannot accompany you to the grave, as it is written, “Riches profit not in the day of reckoning.”  The second friend represents a person’s relatives, who can only follow you to the grave site, as it is written, “No person can redeem his brother from death.” The third and last friend represents the good deeds of a person’s life. These never desert you and even precede you to plead your cause before the King of all Kings, as it is written, “And your righteousness shall go before you.”

Adapted from Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer

Tonight will be the first day of religious services of the season at Philmont. It is going to be a wonderful summer filled with adventure and discovery. May we all collect many memories and hopes. Everything is ready in the Jewish chapel and the Ner Tamid (Everlating Light) is lit for the next 3 months and I look forward to speaking to many of the children of Ishmael, Esau and Jacob throughout the summer.

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Shavuous is coming tonight. We celebrate the receiving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments and many will learn throughout the night in preparation for this awesome holiday. On Shavuous we read the Megillas Ruth that tells the beautiful story of the conversion of the Moabite princess to Judaism. 

Learning carries its own seduction. Ruth learned from her mother-in-law and found beauty in the Jewish way of life that when asked to leave by her mother-in-law, Naomi, she responded:

“Do not ask me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; where you live, I shall live; your people are my people; and your G-d is my G-d; where you die, I will die, and there be buried. In this way may G-d do to me – and more! – if anything but death separates me from you.”

Ruth 1:16-18 

There was another convert many years later, Onkelos, who became famous for his learning; his translation of the Torah into Aramaic is found in many printed texts of the Torah to this day. Converting to Judaism was considered an insult to the Roman authorities, and soldiers were sent to carry Onkelos back to Rome. Upon hearing his reasons for changing his life and becoming Jewish. Each group of soldiers, after speaking to Onkelos, decided to stay and study the tradition. 

One of the great frustrations of modern Jewish education is that it is often so academic, so dry and without feeling, that it fails to ignite the minds and imaginations of our children. Unlike the soldiers sent after Onkelos, our children come upon an unexciting, predigested Judaism, and it fails to inspire them. 

The obstacles are many: Parents do not always support Jewish education, teachers are ill trained and lacking deep subject matter knowledge, stu­dents looking for answers find only set uninspiring lessons. But we should let nothing stand in the way of igniting our minds and the minds of our children with an education of depth and texture. Judaism is not merely a religion, it is a way of life, full of wonder, mystery and warmth. It is an ancient, multifaceted, deep, anguished, joyous encounter with G-d. It embraces religion, culture, community, land, and history. Only if we teach it as such will it be worth learning.

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Its a new season and Philmont is being staffed for the adventures that follow. Some will discover that the stories of the Philmont Rebbe, a maggid of day gone by will guide them on their treks. 

People of all ages enjoy stories more than any other form of entertainment. They laugh, cry, smile, and sigh as they enjoy age-old lessons and tales of communities throughout the world. They can travel through time with but a whisper.  

The Jewish storytelling rabbi (maggid), in days gone by, would travel from community to community to strengthen the heart and soul of Jewish people. The stories told of greatness, nobility, and wisdom while at the same time raising the hopes for a better tomorrow. 

One such maggid is Rabbi Rachmiel (Rock)  Tobesman who has shared and taught people from childhood through the golden years in many areas of the United States. He has been invited to teach educators and community leaders how to use the power of storytelling to improve the quality of services to the people of all backgrounds. As a traditional spiritual storyteller, Rachmiel Tobesman touches the heart and soul with stories long forgotten.

This maggid shares stories that contain wondrous, lofty, and healing messages that each person understands in their own way. The stories told by this maggid will arouse the heart and elevate spirituality so one can see the holy Sparks in every day deeds. If a person looks at the maggid and his stories with an open mind and heart, they will understand their messages and begin the process of healing on their spiritual journey.     

 The plain, simple meaning of the maggid’s stories strongly motivates a person toward the Holy One, Blessed be He. All the stories consist of mysteries, wonder, beauty, honor and spirituality, aside from their secret meanings, they have a great power to uplift everyone and help them on their spiritual journey

The Palm Beach Sun Times observed that

“Rabbi Tobesman weaves stories and spreads magic as the medieval wizard cast spells…. Everyone felt the wonder and excitement as he told stories long forgotten…. His stories kept everyone spell bound from young to old.”

He is the former Storyteller-in-Residence at the Walter’s Art Museum and was one of the featured storytellers at the CAJE (Coalition for Advancements in Jewish Education) conferences in  Maryland, Georgia, Washington, Ohio and New York. He has presented at the annual conferences of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), in Florida, Missouri and Washington, DC. He combines the skills of educator and maggid (spiritual storyteller) to touch the heart of all who listen. The St. Louis Jewish Times reported that

“Rabbi. Tobesman teaches through stories and tells Jewish stories in the tradition of the Breslover Chasidim. He stirs the memory and sparks the heart and soul of everyone.”

The plain, simple meaning of the spiritual storyteller’s stories strongly motivate a person toward the Holy One, blessed be He.  All the stories consist of mysteries, wonder, beauty, honor and spirituality, aside from their secret meanings, they have a great power to uplift everyone and help them on their spiritual journey.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Once upon a time a Roman came to Rabbi Shammai and said to him,”How many Laws (Torahs) do the Jewish people have?”

Rabbi Shammai answered him,”We have only two. One which has been given to us in writing and another which has been given to us by word of mouth.” 

The Roman replied, “I believe in the written law and in what is recorded in it, but I do not believe in that which has been handed down as oral, nor in what is contained in it. Now accept me as a convert on condition that you teach me the written law.” Rabbi Shammai became angry and drove the Roman away from his school. 

The Roman went from the School of Rabbi Shammai to the School of Rabbi Hillel and asked him the same question as he had asked Rabbi Shammai. Rabbi Hillel accepted him as a convert and began to teach him. The first day he taught him alef, bet, gimmel, dalet. And the Roman repeated after the rabbi exactly as he had told him. The next day Rabbi Hillel taught him again and turned the names around and said, dalet, gimmel, bet, alef.  

Then the Roman said to Hillel, “Dear Rabbi, yester­day you taught me differently. ” Then Hillel said to him, “Just as you rely upon my word, so you must rely on the Law, which is also handed down by word of mouth, and on everything that  is contained within it.” 

Based on B. Shab 31a 

Jewish people are challenged everyday because our lifestyle is what we believe in. So many times it is heard, “there are too many laws and rules. Its too hard to be religious.” 

Sadly, many follow the ways of our teachers and rabbis (May the be a blessing) out of a sense of duty. Their actions become mechanical and by rote. Their service becomes stale and devoid of emotion. 

The laws, rituals, and traditions of the Jewish people makes our lives whole, filled with beauty and wonder. The written and oral Torah has taken us beyond a mere religion to a lifestyle filled with warmth, magnificence, mystery and peace. 

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The tale is told that Alexander the Great went to a country where there are only women and wished to make war with them. They said to him:

“Why do you wish to make war with us? If you defeat us, you will gain no honor and people will say that he killed women; while if we defeat you, everybody will say: Alas for that king who was defeated by women!” 

“Please let me have some bread,” he asked them. So they brought him gold bread on a gold table. “Do the people here eat bread of gold?” he asked them. And they an­swered him: “Was there no bread in your city that you have to come and eat our bread?” 

“I have come,” said he to them, “not because of your wealth but because of your laws.” “In that case,” said they to him “enter and come with us!” He did so. While they were seated, a case was brought before them by two persons, one of whom sold the other a certain ruin in which he found something. The purchaser said: “I did not buy this find!” But the vendor insisted: “I sold you the ruin with whatever was in it.” 

“Have you a son?” the judge asked one of them. “I have,” said he. Then she asked the other: “Have you a daughter?” “Yes,” he answered. Then she told them: “Go and arrange for them to marry and in that way you will share the treasure between you!” 

When Alexander departed from there, he wrote on the panels of the gate:

“I, Alexander, was a fool until I came here and learned wisdom and good counsel from the women.” 

Sources:  Bereishis Rabbah 33:1, Tanchuma, Emor 9, Vayikrah Rabbah 37:1, Midrash haGadol, Gen. 6:7

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