A holy rabbi was feeling tired and run down so he decided to follow the advice of his doctor and went to a seaside spa. A grandson of a famous rabbi was living there. He had been caught in the net cast by the Maskilim (the Enlightened modernizers of Judaism) and had strayed from the path of his fathers. When the holy rabbi heard about him, he sent for him and invited him to come to and visit him in his home. He promised that all his expenses would be taken care of, and the young man agreed.

He had sat at the rabbi’s table only a short time when he completely repented his past misdeeds. One day, however, the holy rabbi noticed that the young man was looking depressed, and asked: “My son, what is troubling you? If it is your sins, remember- that the turning makes up for everything.”

The young man answered: “Why should I not be troubled? After repenting I keep returning to sin over and over again as a dog return to his bone – and how can I know whether my repentance is still accepted?”

The holy rabbi touched his arm and said: “Have you ever wondered why we read in the shemoneh esrei the prayer S’lach Lanu: “‘Forgive us our Father for we have sinned, pardon us our King for we have willfully transgressed, for You pardon and forgive. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who is gracious and ever willing to forgive.’ Would it not be enough to write: `You forgive .and pardon? But just as it is man’s way and impulse to sin and sin again and again, so it is G-d’s way and his divine compulsion to forgive and pardon again and again.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

The Season of Lights – Chanukah is coming very quickly as it begins at Sundown On December 18, 2022.

Most people in the Jewish communities throughout the world can rattle off a list of Chanukah traditions such as lighting the menorah each night; playing dreidel games; eating foods cooked in oil (latkes and Sufganiot); and exchanging gifts.

An age old tradition is telling stories in the glow of the Chanukah menorah. The stories tell of greatness, nobility, and wisdom while at the same time raising the hopes for a better tomorrow.

The very backdrop to the spiritual stories is attractive to its readers allowing one to peek into the beliefs, and lifestyles of a vanishing age of a faraway world and reminding them that the messages are eternal – just as strong today as they were yesterday.

The book, Story Tour: The Journey Begins will remind readers of forgotten stories of faith that strengthen and reaffirm hope for a better world.

The Story Tour Blog has grown to over 600 short stories about faith. Many visitors to the Story Tour Blog have requested that the stories be gathered together into a book. 72 (4 times Chai) of these special tales are now available in the storybook, Story Tour: The Journey Begins, that would make a special gift for Chanukah.

Buy a copy of Story Tour: The Journey Begins as a gift for someone special today. Story Tour: The Journey Begins is available from the publisher, Xlibris, Booksamillion, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon

ORDER YOURS TODAY

Story Tour: The Journey Begins is available from:

the publisher, Xlibris

Barnes & Noble

Booksamillion

and

Amazon