Holy Challah – a Story, Some Prayers and a Recipe

Posted on Thursday, 20, January, 2022Sunday, 10, September, 2023 by Rabbi

Every Shabbos and Yom Tov (holiday), except Pesach (Passover), Jewish women prepare and bake challahs. It is a a holy task filled with love and tradition. Every ingredient is gathered with the intent of elevating the festival meal to a higher level.

Women through the many generations in their preparations of bread/challah have elevated the Shabbos and Yom Tov tables to the level of the mizbeach (alter) in the Bais haMikdash (Holy Temple). With the destruction of the Bais haMikdash, the altar became the table at which the family gathered to eat its meals. We learn that “In the days of the Temple, the altar served to atone for us; now it is our table that atones for us.” (Chagiga 27a).

So one may ask, how is making challah holy?

Prayers and rituals have come down to us from countless women. Every step in the preparation of challah elevates plain bread into a holy source of spiritual nourishment. The Torah (Scriptures) speaks of the creation of mankind saying, “then the L-rd G-d formed man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) It is important to realize that when the Holy One, blessed be He “formed man from the dust of the earth”, He created people from the physical world. When He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” He created people from elements of the spiritual realm. At this point something truly amazing happened, “and the man became a living being.”

In other words people exist in the physical world and the spiritual world and have the ability to take the mundane everyday stuff from the physical world and elevate it to a spiritual and holy level.

Challah

Challah, Prayers and Meditation

INGREDIENTS

4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting		1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon yeast		3-6 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 teaspoons salt		4 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup lukewarm water		1 egg yolk, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS AND PRAYERS

Before Beginning to prepare the challah say:

Thank you Hashem for all the blessings you have given me and my family. Thank-you for always protecting us and doing what is best for us.

Please Hashem help me prepare this challah with holiness and love.

Pour 4 1/4 cups of flour into a large bowl and say:

Please Hashem help me to separate the good from the bad, help me to get rid of my negative character traits and my Yetzer Hara, help me to focus on the positive and incorporate positive character traits so that I may be an example to my family.

Combine 2 teaspoons of salt with the flour

In a separate bowl wisk together 4 eggs, ½ cup of water and ¼ cup olive oil until well blended.

Add sugar or honey to taste and say:

Please Hashem, help me to have a sweet din(judgement) help me to have Ayin Tova ( a good eye) help me and my family to have a sweet life, to always be able to love. Help me to help others and to do chesed (acts of loving kindness).

Mix well and then add 1 tablespoon of yeast and say:

Help me to have simcha and nachas (happiness and joy) in my home and in my life. Grant us your protection (as yeast in Hebrew is called shimarim which translates to protection) now and always. Please Hashem, allow me to feel joy for others as well. Bless me with an inner peace so I can continue doing mitzvos for those around me.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you have a sticky dough that clings to the bottom of the bowl, (5 to 7 minutes). The dough may seem a bit wet and sticky but have faith—it’s supposed to be.

Dust your hands generously with flour, then scrape the sticky, elastic dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour and knead briefly into a soft, smooth ball. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl, flip it over once so the top is lightly oiled, and then cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it’s puffy and doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours. (see note below)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and dust with flour. It will deflate.

Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a large olive and set aside.

Cut the dough into four even pieces, and then stretch and roll each piece into a rope about 16 – 20-inches long. Lay the ropes parallel to one another (vertically). Pinch them tightly together at the top, and then fan them out. If the ropes shrink a bit, just work them back into their original length.

Begin by taking the strand farthest to the right and weave it toward the left through the other strands using this pattern: over, under, over. Take the strand furthest to the right and repeat the weaving pattern again: over, under, over. Repeat this pattern, always starting with the strand farthest to the right, until the whole loaf is braided. Tuck the ends under to give the loaf a finished look.

Carefully transfer the braided loaf to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover the loaf loosely with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until about 1 1/2 times the size (1 to 2 hours). Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. (Note that the loaf will continue to rise significantly in the oven.)

Take the small piece of challah dough and say:

Baruch ata adonoy eloheinu Melech haOlam asher kideshanu b’mitzvosav v’tzivanu l’hafrish challah.

Blessed are You O L-rd our G-d King of the Universe who has made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to separate challah.

“May it be Your Will, Eternal, our G-d, that the commandment of separating challah be considered as if I had performed it with all its details and ramifications. May my elevation of the challah be comparable to the sacrifice that was offered on the altar, which was acceptable and pleasing. Just as giving the challah to the Kohein in former times served to atone for sins, so may it atone for mine and my family, and make me like a person reborn without sins. May it enable me to observe the holy Sabbath (or Festival of…) with my husband (and our children) and to become imbued with its holiness. May the spiritual influence of the mitzvah of challah enable our children to be constantly sustained by the hands of the Holy One, blessed is He, with His abundant mercy, loving-kindness, and love. Consider the mitzvah of challah as if I have given the tithe. And just as I am fulfilling this mitzvah with all my heart, so may Your compassion be aroused to keep me from sorrow and pain, always.

Wrap it in a piece of foil and set in the oven.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg and brush the beaten egg generously over the risen dough. (Note: If you like, sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds onto the challah before putting it in the oven.) Place the baking sheet atop another baking sheet; this will prevent the bottom crust from browning too much. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the crust is a rich brown color and the internal temperature is between 190°F and 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. Challah is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep for a few days in a sealed plastic bag.

Note: When baking yeast breads, rising times are only a guide; the temperature in your kitchen, the humidity level outdoors, and how you knead the dough will all affect the rising time.

While the Challah is baking add a short prayer:

Ribbono shel olam, Master of the Universe. I beg You that when the (husband or man of the house) says the blessing over these challahs, he has the same holy intentions I have now when I’m kneading and baking them!

Husband and wife are partners in the Jewish spiritual quest of becoming holy. Traditionally, the woman bakes the challahs for Shabbos and Yom Tov, and the man makes the blessing over them at the table. If both have holy intentions, in the baking and the blessing, the bread flies up to heaven as it is eaten.

May your prayers ascend to the highest levels and be answered with joy and happiness

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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Rosh Hashanah Cholent (Stew) – A Story and Recipe

Posted on Thursday, 17, September, 2020Thursday, 21, September, 2023 by Rabbi

The story is told of a simple Jewish innkeeper who kept an inn on a distant crossroads many weeks’ journey from the nearest Jewish community, who one year decided to make the trip to the Jewish community for Rosh Hashanah.

When he entered the shul (synagogue) on Rosh Hashanah morning, it was already packed with worshippers, and the service was well underway. Scarcely knowing which way to hold the Machzor (holiday prayer book), he draped his tallis over his head and stood against the back wall where no one would notice him.

Hours passed. Hunger was beginning to gnaw at his insides, but the impassioned sounds of prayer around him showed no signs of lessening. Visions of the sumptuous holiday meal awaiting him at his lodgings made his eyes water in pain. What was taking so long? Haven’t we prayed enough? Still the service stretched on.

Suddenly, as the chazzan (cantor) reached a particularly stirring passage, the entire congregation burst into tears. Why is everyone weeping? Wondered the innkeeper. Then it dawned on him. Of course! They, too, are hungry. They, too, are thinking of the elusive meal and endless service. With a new surge of self-pity he gave vent to his anguish; a new wail joined the others as he, too, cried from the depths of his heart.

But after a while the crying let up, finally quieting to a sprinkling of exceptionally pious worshippers. The hungry innkeeper’s hopes soared, but the prayers went on and on. Why have they stopped crying? He wondered. Are they no longer hungry?

Then he remembered the cholent. What a cholent he had waiting for him! Everything else his wife had prepared for the holiday meal paled in comparison to that cholent. He fondly remembered the juicy chunk of meat she had put into the cholent when she set it on the fire the previous afternoon. The innkeeper knew one thing about cholent: the longer it cooks, the more enjoyable the cholent. He’d looked under the lid on his way to shul this morning, when the cholent had already been going for many hours. It smelled so good. Give it another few hours, and ahhhh. . . A few hours of aching feet and a hollow stomach are a small price to pay considering what was developing under that lid with each passing minute.

Obviously, that’s what his fellow worshippers are thinking, as well. They, too, have a cholent simmering on their stovetop. No wonder they’ve stopped crying. Let the service go on, he consoled himself, the longer the better.

And on the service went. His stomach felt like raw leather, his knees grew weak with hunger, his head throbbed in pain, his throat burned with suppressed tears. But whenever he felt that he simply could not hold out a moment longer, he thought of his cholent, imagining what was happening to that piece of meat at that very moment: the steady blending of flavors with the potatoes, barley, kishke and spices in the pot. Every minute longer, he kept telling himself, is another minute on the fire for my cholent.

An hour later, the cantor launched into another exceptionally moving piece. As his tremulous voice painted the awesome scene of divine judgment unfolding in the heavens, the entire shul broke down weeping once again. At this point, the dam burst in this simple Jewish innkeeper’s heart, for he well understood what was on his fellow worshippers’ minds. “Enough is enough!” he sobbed. “Never mind the cholent! Hashem forgive everyone for their weaknesses and untoward behavior. It’s been such a long time, shower the world with blessings and let us go home.

At last the service was over and the simple innkeeper joined his wife and enjoyed the Rosh Hashanah cholent.

Rosh Hashanahdike Zisseh Kartofl Cholent

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped		1 cup barley
2-4 cloves garlic, minced		½ tbs coarse black pepper
olive oil (for sautéing)		1.5 lb. boneless shank, flanken or the kosher meat of your choice cut into pieces
2 tbsp. salt		4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 sweet potato, peeled and chopped		2 tbs . paprika
2 tbs honey		1 lb kishka

Directions:

Sauté the onions in oil until golden. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
Add the potatoes, barley and sweet potatoes.
Transfer the meat and onions to a crockpot
In 1 cup of water mix honey and spices. Cover with water.
Wrap the kishka in foil and set on top of cholent
Turn the crockpot onto before Rosh Hashanah begins, set the heat to low. Cook on low heat overnight.
On Rosh Hashanah, remove the crockpot insert from the heating element before you open it and serve.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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Rosh Hashanah Stories

Posted on Friday, 27, September, 2019Friday, 27, September, 2019 by Rabbi

Click the links below to read Rosh Hashanah stories to share with family and friends. Read and enjoy. If you can share a thought comment or like

A Cry to the King
A Prescription for Life
A Rock and the King’s Greatness
Foundations of the World
Hineni – Different Kinds of Prayer
Horses and Rosh haShanah
How to be Forgiven of Sin
Just One Small Blast from the Great Shofar
Philmont, Horses and Rosh haShanah
Repentance and the Captive Prince
Repentance Out of Love
Rosh haHashanah: Forgiving A Debt
The Deaf Man of the Shul
The Dirty Treasure
The Humble Request of the King’s Son
Forgive! How do I forgive someone who committed these atrocities against me? Lots of people have become dependent on opioids and deeprootsmag.org levitra vardenafil the problem of ED is not only confidence shattering but also this is breaking the couples and destroying families and lives in general. How hip replacement done in India order cheap levitra In India, traditional hip joint replacement, as well as that with minimal invasion total replacement is performed. The super chemical viagra no prescription overnight performs phenomenal by improving male capabilities to attain straightening that matches the levels of intimacy. The main component which is included in tadalafil lowest price 100mg remedy. The King Hears the Cry
The King, the Forester and Teshuvah
The King, the Thief the True Penitant
The Mother’s Prayer Book and a Boy’s Prayer
Where Are the Books That We Wish To Be Inscribed In?
How Much Remorse?

May the stories ignite your spirit and intensify your prayers so that all can be blessed with a year of peace, success, and happiness

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know what you think or feel about the stories in a comment or two. Like us on Facebook or tweet us on Twitter

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Drawing the Wind

Posted on Sunday, 22, September, 2019Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Long ago, on the Spanish island of Majorca, a young boy spent most of each day at the shore, sketching the ships that sailed into the harbor. Shlomo was a wonderful artist, everyone agreed. His drawings seemed so real that people wondered if the waves in his pictures were as wet as they seemed—or the sun as hot.

His father was a great rabbi who really preferred Shlomo to spend his time studying, but Shlomo would always slip away to the shore.

A few days before Rosh haShanah, a ship arrived from the city of Barcelona. Shlomo overheard one of the sailors talking to a local merchant.

“There’s news from Spain that will make every Jew on this island tremble.”

“What is it?” asked the merchant.

“The king and queen have decreed that all the Jewish people in the land must give up their religion and become Christian.”

“And if they refuse?”

“Then they must leave at once,” said the sailor.

“But what if they want to stay?”

“Then they lose their lives.”

Shlomo was frightened. He didn’t want to leave his beautiful island. He ran home to tell the news to his father, Rabbi Shimon ben Tsemach Duran.

“Must we leave, Father?” asked Shlomo.

“I cannot leave, my son,” said his father. “The Jewish community looks to me for guidance. I must stay until they all escape. But you should go, and I will join you later in Algiers.”

“I won’t leave you,” said Shlomo. “You are all I have since Mother died. Surely G-d will protect us.”

Rabbi Shimon hugged his brave son. “Then let us work together and spread the word that everyone must meet in the synagogue.” They hurried through the village, knocking at the doors of every Jewish home and shop.

When everyone had gathered at the house of prayer, Rabbi Shimon told them about the terrible decree.

“Save us!” they cried out in fear.

They hoped their beloved rabbi would work a miracle. For they knew his prayers had once turned back a plague of locusts. Another time, when crops were withering in the fields, his prayers had brought rain.

“You have only three choices,” Rabbi Shimon told the men. “You can es¬cape by sailing to Algiers. You can stay and pretend to convert, but secretly remain a Jew. Or you can defy the king and queen. As for me, I would rather go to my grave than say I am giving up my religion.” Shlomo realized how strong his father was and how he strengthened and comforted his people.

In the days that followed, most of the Jewish people crowded onto ships, taking very little with them. They saw to it that the women and children took the first available ships. Some Jewish people stayed and pretended to convert, in order to save their lives. They were known as Conversos, but in secret they contin¬ued to follow their Jewish ways.

Only a handful of people in the Jewish community openly refused to convert. Among them were Shlomo’s father and Shlomo himself. They planned to leave together, once they were certain that all those who wanted to escape had done so.

By then it was the start of Rosh haShanah. Rabbi Shimon and Shlomo and those few who dared enter the synagogue prayed with great intensity, in hope that their names would be written in the Book of Life. For on Rosh haShanah that decision is said to be made on high. Surely G-d would hear their prayers and guard over them.

All went well the first day, but on the second day of Rosh haShanah, just after the sounding of the shofar, soldiers rushed into the synagogue and dragged them all away. They were cast into a prison cell, where Rabbi Shimon continued to lead the prayers by heart. Shlomo would have been terrified if he hadn’t seen how calm his father remained.

None of them slept that night. Even though Rosh haShanah had ended, they stayed awake, praying. The cell was very dark, with only one high window. But at dawn it let a little sunlight in. When Rabbi Shimon saw it, he said, “Have faith, my brothers. For just as there is a bit of light, so there is hope, and I feel that G-d has heard our prayers and will protect us.”

The guard overheard them and laughed. “You think you have hope. You have just three days to live. Then you die. Let’s see what your G-d does for you then.”

Rabbi Shimon saw how frightened they were. So he turned to Shlomo and said, “Won’t you help us pass the time? Why don’t you draw one of those ships you do so well?”

Shlomo couldn’t believe his ears. His father was asking him to draw? Shlomo felt in his pocket and pulled out his last piece of chalk. When he looked up, he thought he saw a hint of a smile on his father’s face.

Shlomo remembered all the ships he had watched from the shore, and he began to draw the one he thought was the most beautiful on the sunlit wall. The wind he drew filled the great sails, and he added barrels of wine and bushels of wheat.

Shlomo’s father and the other men watched him draw until the sun set and the prison cell was enveloped in darkness. Then they began to pray to G-d to save them. Once again, they prayed all night.

The next day, Shlomo continued to work on his drawing. Little by little he finished every detail of the ship, and then he drew the sea around it. The waves looked as if they might spill right off the wall and splash onto the floor.

The picture seemed finished, but Shlomo didn’t want to stop. His father suggested that he draw the two of them, there on the deck. This Shlomo did, and all the men marveled at the fine resemblances. Then the second day in prison ended, and again they prayed throughout the night.

When the sun rose on the third day, one of the men asked Shlomo to draw him on the ship, too. “For I would like to be with you.” And one by one, the others made the same request. But when darkness fell, Shlomo had not finished drawing the last man.

That night they prayed to G-d with all their hearts, for they knew the execution was set for sunrise the next day. All of the men shook with fear, except for Rabbi Shimon. Shlomo took strength from his father, and he, too, remained unafraid.

As soon as the first light of dawn came through the window, Shlomo took out his chalk and quickly finished drawing the last man.

Just as he drew the final line, he heard keys jangling. The soldiers were coming to unlock the door to their cell. Then Shlomo and all the men would be taken to the courtyard for their execution.

Shlomo turned to his father and saw that he was deep in prayer. And, at that very moment, he heard his father pronounce G-d’s secret name out loud.

Suddenly Shlomo could not hear the guards in the hallway, and when he looked down, he saw that he was standing on the deck of the beautiful ship he had drawn on the prison wall.

His father and all the other men in the picture were with him, safely aboard a real ship floating on a real sea. The sails strained against the wind, just as they had in Shlomo’s drawing, and the ship sped away from danger.

All the Jewish people from the prison cell rejoiced with Shlomo and his father—for they knew they were aboard a ship of miracles, on their way to freedom. They would never forget that Rosh haShanah when G-d had seen fit to save them.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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The Cantonist’s Prayer

Posted on Friday, 21, September, 2018Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The Jewish citizens of Russia were thrust into a state of anxiety in the Fall of 1827 when Tsar Nickolas I signed the “Statute on Conscription Duty”. Tsar Nickolas I was planning to issue many laws intending to make everyone Russian. The laws included a ban on chadarim (Jewish elementary schools). The Jewish community immediately took action by sending a delegation of prominent rabbanim to Petersberg, which included Tam and Chacham.

Everyone hoped to return home to be with their families in time for Yom Kippur, but it was not to be. The meetings seemed to take forever lasting day after day. Tam and Chacham sadly realized that they would be forced to spend the holiest day of the year in the capital city of Russia.

In their search to find a place where they could daven (pray) on Yom Kippur, the Tam and Chacham learned about a group of Cantonists who would be conducting a secret Yom Kippur service and decided to join them.

Cantonists were Jewish soldiers who had been abducted from their homes and drafted into the Russian army at a very young age. The Cantonist soldiers knew very little about Torah and Jewish beliefs and ways of living, relying only on the distant memories from their few short years at home. When they would finally be released from army service at the age of forty-three, many of them would find that their parents had already died, leaving them no where to go or call home. The passage of time had dulled their memory of the Yiddish language, and many would no longer be able to communicate with their any of their relatives.

This group of Cantonists, whose service Tam and Chacham had joined on that memorable Yom Kippur, clung to their Jewish traditions and identity in the face of severe torture. In spite of all the suffering that they continued to bear because of their religion, these Jewish soldiers felt isolated from the Jewish community and completely alone in the world.

Tam and Chacham participated in the outpouring of emotion as they davened the prayers of Yom Kippur in the Cantonist service. Ma’ariv was followed the next day by Shacharis, Mussaf, and Minchah. Finally, it was time for Ne’ilah, the most important prayer of the year. In many communities, it is customary for the most prominent member of the minyan to lead this sacred prayer.

Shortly before Ne’ilah was scheduled to begin, a Cantonist, who was the spokesman for the group, approached Tam and Chacham saying, “Although you are certainly worthy of leading the tefillos, we would like to ask permission for one of our fellow Cantonists to lead the Ne’ilah service in your stead.” Then he turned to the Cantonist who was to serve as chazzan (leader of Jewish prayer) and asked show his back. The man’s back and muscular arms were covered with terrible wounds and gashes.

“Do you see this?” asked the spokesman. “They are whip-marks. As a young boy he resisted. Every morning he was placed on a bench and given at least 100 strokes of a birch, leaving him bleeding and reeling in agony. After each birching, he was sent to the infirmary where he was treated and then soon beaten again. He absorbed the abuse, did not cry out, and did not relent. You must understand that during our friend’s entire time in the army, he never once ate non-kosher food or desecrated the Shabbos. As a result, he sustained many beatings, but he never gave in. Therefore, we request that he be the one to daven Ne’ilah, since we consider him to be our worthy representative.”

Tam and Chacham were totally astounded at the tremendous self-sacrifice of the seemingly simple man standing before them, and of course, they agreed.

The Cantonist chazan began leading the tefillah and chanted ashrei, followed by uva l’Tzion. When it came time for Kaddish, he paused. Walking up to the Aron Kodesh, he began to speak in a powerful voice, baring his heart as a child speaks to his father:

“Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe It is now the holiest time of the year. What do Jewish people throughout the world ask for at this time?” Answering his own question, he continued, “They ask for three crucial things:

Banai – Children Chayei – life

and M’zonei – sustenance.

we Cantonists don’t need to bother You to ask for these things.

Banai – Children: we’ll never have. When we will finally be released from army service, there will be no one to marry us! No Jewish woman will agree to marry us because we know little to nothing of Your Torah. Of course, we can’t marry non-Jewish women either. We know that we will never get married and so unfortunately, we will never be blessed with children.”

With tears filling his eyes, the Cantonist continued,

Chayei – life: what kind of life is this to live, so estranged from the rest of the Jewish People? We don’t desire a long life.

M’zonei – sustenance: sustenance: we don’t need to ask You for food. As soldiers in the Russian army, the tzar supports us and provides us with our needs. So what do we ask for at this auspicious time?”

As tears streamed down his cheeks, the Cantonist cried out:

“There is only one thing that we ask for!” Then, in the traditional tune that is recognized in shuls throughout the world, he called out, “Yisgadal v’yiskadash sh’mei raba – We ask that the Name of Hashem be sanctified and that His name be recognized throughout the world.”

With tears freely flowing, he continued to recite the rest of the Kaddish.

After Yom Kippur, Tam and Chacham learned from that the Cantonist’s moving words what a person should truly pray for. Instead of focusing only on one’s own personal needs, we should pray that the Name of the Holy One blessed be He should be sanctified and that we should constantly bring about a kiddush HaShem in the world.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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ST11 A Rock and the King’s Greatness

Posted on Wednesday, 12, September, 2018Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Can a person be punished for injuring the king if he does not understand the greatness and power of the king?

Listen to the stories and share them

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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The King’s Messengers

Posted on Monday, 25, September, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The king’s messenger summoned a person to come to the palace at once. When the man saw that the messenger was wearing black garments and had an angry look on his face, he was immediately gripped by a feeling of terror, for perhaps he was destined to receive a harsh punishment from the king.

There was a wise man standing nearby who soothed the man’s anxiety:

“What do you have to fear from the messenger?” he said. “He cannot do anything to you without a direct command from the king. Therefore, instead of being fearful and worrying, examine your deeds. If you know that you are free of any transgression, you would do well to hurry to the palace as the king commanded and hear what he has to say”

On another occasion, the king’s messenger summoned a different person to appear before the king. This time, however, the messenger was dressed in bright-colored clothes and was very happy as well as smiling. The man was overjoyed and he began to dance.

A wise man turned to him and said:

“What do you have to dance about? Who really knows if this messenger is the bearer of good news or not? Do not be misled by the happy expression on his face; rather, think about whether you are truly loyal to the king. If you are, then the messenger is bringing you good tidings, but if you have sinned against the king, Heaven forbid, then evil has been determined against you…”

A person should not judge himself according to whether an event which befalls him is good or bad. Rather, he must constantly examine himself in order to know whether he is loyal to the King, or Heaven forbid, has sinned against Him.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more Rosh Hashanah stories see below:

Hineni – Different Kinds of Prayer

How Much Remorse?

Just One Small Blast from the Great Shofar

The King, the Forester and Teshuvah

Foundations of the World

A Prescription for Life

Philmont, Horses and Rosh haShanah

Rosh haHashanah: Forgiving A Debt

The Deaf Man of the Shul

The Dirty Treasure

How to be Forgiven of Sin

Repentance and the Captive Prince

Repentance Out of Love

The Humble Request of the King’s Son

The King, the Thief the True Penitant

A Rock and the King’s Greatness

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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Hineni – Different Kinds of Prayer

Posted on Tuesday, 19, September, 2017Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

During the High Holy Days, the chazzan (cantor) begins the Musaf service with the Hineni prayer (here I am), which is a very moving and private prayer. Serving as the Shaliach Tzibbur (emissary of the congregation), the chazzan, a man of great humility, pleads with the Almighty that he be worthy to represent the people of his congregation and all the people of Israel.

Shaliach Tzibbur literally means the messenger of a congregation in a public prayer, is a Jewish prayer leader in the Synagogue also known as Chazzan (Cantor). It is a weighty responsibility and not everyone is suited to the position.

In a village there lived a very wealthy man who thought that he should be chosen to lead the congregation in prayer because of his importance to everyone in the village. No one in the village was pleased with the idea, but on the other hand they were afraid of what might happen to them if they were to challenge the powerful wealthy man. So they put their troubled heads together and decided to send a delegation to ask the holy rabbi who lived in a nearby town for some advice. The holy rabbi suggested that the wealthy man, the self-appointed prayer leader should come to him for a blessing.

When in due course the self-appointed baal tefillah (prayer leader) of the village came to the holy rabbi to receive his blessing before under¬taking the weighty responsibility of leading his community in prayer, the holy rabbi asked him’ “why should you lead the community in prayer?” The wealthy man took a deep breath and began to explain how he gave a lot of tzedakah (charity), he had built many homes in the village and that he employed most of the villagers.

The holy rabbi listened and then explained, “As you know, the Torah speaks of three kinds of prayer.

There is

‘the prayer of Moshe Rabbeinu’ (Moses our Teacher);

There is

‘the prayer of King David’; and

There is

‘the prayer of a poor man.’

Now Moshe Rabbeinu was indeed ‘slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ (Exodus 4: 10) — but he was the father of the prophets and the teacher of all Israel. King David — why, he is called ‘the sweet singer of Israel.’ (2 Samuel 23:1) And as for the poor man, his heart is humble, and we know from Psalms that ‘a broken and contrite heart, O G-d, You will not despise.’ (Psalm 51:17)

“Now the baalei tefillah of our days who lead their congregations in prayer likewise fall into these same three categories. There are those who are not very musical, but they are righteous — so their prayers are ac¬cepted like ‘the prayer of Moshe.’ Then there are those who are perhaps not quite so righteous, but in their melodiousness they ‘exalt God with their throats’ — so their prayers are accepted like ‘the prayer of David.’ Finally, there are those who are neither righteous nor musical, but since they are poor and their hearts are humble, their prayers are accepted like ‘the prayer of a poor man.’

“Now as for you,” concluded the tzaddik, “we cannot say that you are especially righteous; nor can we say that you are musical; and neither (thank G-d) are you a poor man. So if you want to lead your community in prayer. I will have to pray that you merit to fit into one of these three levels. There is no need for me to explain to you that to ask heaven to make you a tzaddik a sweet singer all of a sudden would be a vain prayer. The only way I can help you, therefore, is by asking heaven to make you poor, and then at least your prayer ‘the prayer of a poor man’…”

The wealthy man thought for sometime about what the holy rabbi had said and became intensely aware of his great pride in the many sins he had committed in his arrogance caused by his great wealth. He began to cry and asked that the holy rabbi tell them how to do teshuvah in order to be forgiven. The wealthy man was at a loss on what to do.

Holy rabbi sensed the sincerity of the wealthy man and with a gentle voice asked him, “do you really want to pray on behalf of the community?”

The wealthy man, in a broken voice, answered, “I am not a particularly holy man like Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher} and I don’t have an exceptionally good singing voice like Dovid haMelech (King David), but I am a man of a poor broken spirit because of the many sins I have committed in my pride and arrogance. If I could, I still would like to lead the prayer on Rosh Hashanah so that I could be heard by the heavenly court.”

The holy rabbi took the wealthy’s man’s hand and in a soothing voice said, “you have a gift that many people do not have is that you are very educated and cannot only say the words of the prayers of the holy and awesome Day of Judgment (Rosh Hashanah), but you can understand them also. Read for me the Hineni.”

The wealthy man took a deep breath and began, “hineni he’oni mimaas” and than he began to cry, “go on” encouraged the holy rabbi and slowly the words came from the wealthy man:

hineni he’oni mimaas – Here am I that am poor in meritorious deeds, trembling and in awe of the One who sits enthroned upon the praises of Israel, standing and pleading before Him on behalf of His people Israel who have sent me, though I am unworthy and unqualified for the task.

Therefore I ask you G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob, L-rd, L-rd, benevolent G-d, compassionate and gracious, G-d of Israel, Omnipotent, fearful and awesome, grant success to the mission which I am undertaking. To stand and plead for mercy for myself and those who sent me.

Please do not hold them to blame for my sins and do not find them guilty of my iniquities, for I am a careless and willful sinner. Let them not feel humiliated by my willful sins. Let them not be ashamed of me and let me not be ashamed of them. Accept my prayer like the prayers of a man advanced in years and experienced in prayer, whose conduct in his youth was unblemished, whose beard is fully grown, whose voice is sweet, and who is friendly with other people.

May you denounce the Adversary, that he may not bring charges against me. They are congregation be cherished by you, and they you cover our transgressions with love. Please transform all suffering and distress, for us and for all Israel, to gladness and joy, to life and peace (for the people who) love truth and peace. May there be no stumbling in my prayer.

May be your will, L-rd, G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac and G-d of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome G-d, exalted G-d, “I will be what I will be,” that all the angels who occupy themselves with our prayers bring my prayer before the throne of your glory and spread it before you for the sake of all the righteous, the pious, the perfect and the upright, and for the sake of your glorious, great and awesome name; for you hear the prayer of your people Israel with mercy.

Blessed are you who hears prayer.

It took the wealthy man over an hour to be able to say the prayer of the shliach tzibbur (leader of the prayers), but it seemed his heart had changed in his sins had been washed away by his tears. A very humble wealthy man turned to the holy rabbi and asked, “Rabbi, holy rabbi can you bless me that when I pray with everyone else that I can truly not feel any urges to ‘take revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love my neighbor as myself’ (Leviticus 19:18), bless me that all of my prayers should come from the inside of me.’ ”

The wealthy man left the holy rabbi that day a different person who came. On the way back to his home he gave away huge amounts of coins to all who needed and prepared himself to pray with the people and not in front of them on Rosh Hashanah that year.

May all of your prayers and the prayers of all the people this Rosh Hashanah ascend to the very throne of mercy and may hush M shower the world with health, happiness and peace. On Yom Kippur may you be sealed for a year of plenty, sweetness and love.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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How Much Remorse?

Posted on Monday, 18, September, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Tam and Chacham were visited by many people as they prepared for Yom haDin – Day of Judgment, another name for Rosh Hashanah. The requests for prayer and blessings from people were steady. Life was hard with uncertain livelihood and the constant barrage of “modern” thought that challenged the age old wisdom. This was the season of hope and people were seeking advice and direction from Tam and Chacham.

An old man came to Tam and Chacham and requested, “I have reached a ripe old age, and thank Baruch Hashem am lacking nothing. Only one thing I want and that is that you should promise me that I will be granted forgiveness for the sins of my youth.”

Chacham thought for a moment and instructed the old man, “The RaMBaM (Maimonides) taught that ‘If a man transgresses, wittingly or unwittingly, any precept of the Torah, whether a positive precept or a negative, and repents and turns away from his wrongdoing, he is obliged to confess his sins to the Holy One, blessed be He. How does a man confess his sins? He says: ‘O G-d! I have sinned, I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed before You by doing such-and–such. Behold now I am sorry for what I have done and am ashamed and I shall never do it again.’ “ (Mishneh Torah: Hilchos. Teshuvah Chapter 1, Law 2)

Chacham continued, “You must light two candles – One for the heart and the other for the soul. Take upon yourself to fast for three days, during which you should pray with a broken heart:

Our G-d and G-d of our ancestors! Let our prayers come before You and do not hide Yourself from our supplication. For neither are we so arrogant nor hardened to say, “We are righteous and have not sinned,” for truly, truly, we have sinned. May it be Your will, O Lord our God, to forgive all our sins, and pardon all our iniquities.” (Ma’ariv l’Yom Kippur Service)

The old man looked at Chacham with tears in his eyes and said, “I will do the best I can to follow your directions, but I am a weak old man and am afraid I will not be able to complete all that you have told me.”

Tam saw the look in the old man’s eyes and asked, “do you truly regret the sins of your youth?”

“I am ashamed of what I did and now wish I could undo my sins. I wish I could ask for forgiveness, but there is no one to ask as many have gone on to the World of Truth.” Answered the old man.

Tam reminded the old man, “Yom Kippur does not forgive transgressions between a man and his fellow — until (or unless) he seeks forgiveness from him” (Mishnah Yoma 8:9), but the first step is to forgive yourself. Only then can you truly express regret and seek forgiveness.”

The old man, his face streaked with tears whispered, “I really regret my foolish acts and wish I could take them back.”

“If you regret the sins of your youth completely, then that secures their forgiveness.” Tam responded.

“And what in your eyes is the required measure of remorse?” asked the old man.

Tam thought for some time and then began, “”Let me tell you a story, there once was a wealthy merchant who was in a rush to arrive at the big fair in the city before all the other merchants, and the wagonloads of goods that he brought with him were very much in demand.

The day he arrived in the city it began to rain. The rain and wind was so bad, that for a number of days no other merchant was able to bring his merchandise to the fair. All the prospective customers therefore milled around his stand. Seeing how intense was the demand, he decided to keep them all waiting for a few days so that the price would rise. And indeed, from day to day the rain fell harder and day by day the price rose higher. Then in the middle of the night the rain stopped. Before dawn the marketplace was clattering with all the wagons that were trundling in from all over the land and the price of his goods dropped instantly.

“Now, then,” concluded Tam. “if you find that your remorse over the sins of your youth is as intense as the regret of that merchant when he realized how much his greed had cost him, then you may be sure that your regret is sufficient to secure you forgiveness.”

The old man asked, “I am really sorry for the pain caused by the sins of my youth, but wonder can I surely be forgiven? How can I be sure that I can be forgiven?”

Tam answered, “As soon as one repents, one is forgiven. (Chagigah 5a) This is why we sing the ancient words:

אבנו מלכנו חננו ועננו כי אין בנו עשים עשה עשה עמנו צדקה וחסד והשענו

Avinu Malkeinu Choneinu Vaaneinu Ki ein Banu Maasim Ase Imanu Tzdaka Vahesed Vehoshieinu

Our Father, our King! be gracious unto us and answer us, for we have no good works of our own; deal with us in charity and kindness, and save us.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more Rosh Hashanah stories see below:

A Prescription for Life

Philmont, Horses and Rosh haShanah

Rosh haHashanah: Forgiving A Debt

The Deaf Man of the Shul

The Dirty Treasure

How to be Forgiven of Sin

Repentance and the Captive Prince

Repentance Out of Love

The Humble Request of the King’s Son

The King, the Thief the True Penitant

A Rock and the King’s Greatness

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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Just One Small Blast from the Great Shofar

Posted on Wednesday, 13, September, 2017Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Chacham had a student that was an orphan and he would spend much time with him. They would learn together, walk through the forests and ponder the secrets found in the Holy writings. One year, right after Tisha B’Av, the boy became sick.

Chacham took the shofar on the first day of the month of Elul and tested it to see whether it was in good condition. The student was in the room and the sound of the shofar touched him in such a way that his color began to return to his cheeks.

He asked his beloved teacher for one more blast, and Chacham gladly obliged. From then on, for the remainder of the month of Elul, this became a ritual; Chacham blowing the shofar once each day for his sick student. On the day before Rosh Hashanah, the orphan was there, waiting to hear the shofar, but he was disappointed.

“I am sorry, but today we do not blow the shofar. Tomorrow morning, we will blow the shofar in the shul (synagogue).” Chacham explained.

The student looked at his beloved teacher with tears in his eyes and asked, “I am sick to my very soul and my body is weak. The call of the shofar gives me comfort, strengthens me and makes me feel better. Please just one blast! Just one small blast!”

Chacham was touched by the beseeching voice of his student and slowly brought the shofar to his lips and blew one blast.

On Rosh Hashanah, everyone expected Chacham to blow the shofar. That year, Chacham went up before the aron kodesh (Holy Ark) where the Torah scrolls were, opened it and said: ” Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, I have to repent. It’s written that on the day before Rosh Hashanah one must not blow shofar, yet I did.”

He broke down it tears and called out: “Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, do you know why I transgressed this custom? It was because my young student lay on his sickbed begging and crying that I should only blow one blast of the shofar for him. My heart melted, I couldn’t bear to watch him cry and be in pain, so I blew once for him, though I shouldn’t have.

“Avinu, Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King), how can you stand by and see how millions of Your children are sick to their very souls and crying out to You, Av haRachamim (Father of Mercy), just one small blast! Sound the blast of the great shofar which will herald the final Redemption! Even if the time is not right for it yet, even if the time for Moshiach has yet to arrive, Your children cry out to You. Please just one small sound to rekindle our hope.”

The sounding of the shofar was delayed, and for a long time crying from broken hearts was heard throughout the shul (synagogue…).”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more Rosh Hashanah stories see below:

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

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Every Shabbos and Yom Tov (holiday), except Pesach (Passover), Jewish women prepare and bake challahs. It is a a holy task filled with love and tradition. Every ingredient is gathered with the intent of elevating the festival meal to a higher level.

So one may ask, how is making challah holy?

In other words people exist in the physical world and the spiritual world and have the ability to take the mundane everyday stuff from the physical world and elevate it to a spiritual and holy level.

Challah, Prayers and Meditation

INGREDIENTS

4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon yeast

3-6 tablespoons sugar or honey

2 teaspoons salt

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS AND PRAYERS

Before Beginning to prepare the challah say:

Thank you Hashem for all the blessings you have given me and my family. Thank-you for always protecting us and doing what is best for us.

Please Hashem help me prepare this challah with holiness and love.

Pour 4 1/4 cups of flour into a large bowl and say:

Please Hashem help me to separate the good from the bad, help me to get rid of my negative character traits and my Yetzer Hara, help me to focus on the positive and incorporate positive character traits so that I may be an example to my family.

Combine 2 teaspoons of salt with the flour

In a separate bowl wisk together 4 eggs, ½ cup of water and ¼ cup olive oil until well blended.

Add sugar or honey to taste and say:

Please Hashem, help me to have a sweet din(judgement) help me to have Ayin Tova ( a good eye) help me and my family to have a sweet life, to always be able to love. Help me to help others and to do chesed (acts of loving kindness).

Mix well and then add 1 tablespoon of yeast and say:

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you have a sticky dough that clings to the bottom of the bowl, (5 to 7 minutes). The dough may seem a bit wet and sticky but have faith—it’s supposed to be.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and dust with flour. It will deflate.

Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a large olive and set aside.

Take the small piece of challah dough and say:

Baruch ata adonoy eloheinu Melech haOlam asher kideshanu b’mitzvosav v’tzivanu l’hafrish challah.

Blessed are You O L-rd our G-d King of the Universe who has made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to separate challah.

Wrap it in a piece of foil and set in the oven.

Note: When baking yeast breads, rising times are only a guide; the temperature in your kitchen, the humidity level outdoors, and how you knead the dough will all affect the rising time.

While the Challah is baking add a short prayer:

Ribbono shel olam, Master of the Universe. I beg You that when the (husband or man of the house) says the blessing over these challahs, he has the same holy intentions I have now when I’m kneading and baking them!

May your prayers ascend to the highest levels and be answered with joy and happiness

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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The story is told of a simple Jewish innkeeper who kept an inn on a distant crossroads many weeks’ journey from the nearest Jewish community, who one year decided to make the trip to the Jewish community for Rosh Hashanah.

But after a while the crying let up, finally quieting to a sprinkling of exceptionally pious worshippers. The hungry innkeeper’s hopes soared, but the prayers went on and on. Why have they stopped crying? He wondered. Are they no longer hungry?

Obviously, that’s what his fellow worshippers are thinking, as well. They, too, have a cholent simmering on their stovetop. No wonder they’ve stopped crying. Let the service go on, he consoled himself, the longer the better.

At last the service was over and the simple innkeeper joined his wife and enjoyed the Rosh Hashanah cholent.

Rosh Hashanahdike Zisseh Kartofl Cholent

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup barley

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tbs coarse black pepper

olive oil (for sautéing)

1.5 lb. boneless shank, flanken or the kosher meat of your choice cut into pieces

2 tbsp. salt

4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

2 tbs . paprika

2 tbs honey

1 lb kishka

Directions:

Sauté the onions in oil until golden. Add the meat and brown on all sides.

Add the potatoes, barley and sweet potatoes.

Transfer the meat and onions to a crockpot

In 1 cup of water mix honey and spices. Cover with water.

Wrap the kishka in foil and set on top of cholent

Turn the crockpot onto before Rosh Hashanah begins, set the heat to low. Cook on low heat overnight.

On Rosh Hashanah, remove the crockpot insert from the heating element before you open it and serve.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know what you think or feel about the stories in a comment or two. Like us on Facebook or tweet us on Twitter

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Click the links below to read Rosh Hashanah stories to share with family and friends. Read and enjoy. If you can share a thought comment or like

May the stories ignite your spirit and intensify your prayers so that all can be blessed with a year of peace, success, and happiness

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know what you think or feel about the stories in a comment or two. Like us on Facebook or tweet us on Twitter

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.