You Shall Honour the Sabbath Day

Posted on Friday, 22, November, 2019Friday, 18, August, 2023 by Rabbi

A wealthy merchant had two sons who lived in a distant city. The first was a rich merchant like his father, while the second was a penniless beggar. The two brothers had not seen their father for many years.

One day, the wealthy son received a letter from his father informing him that his youngest brother was getting married and that his sons join him and the rest of the family for the wedding. The father, in his letter, wrote, “I have a request to make of you, do not be sparing in the slightest; rather, purchase lavish attire in my honor, and come celebrate this joyous wedding with us. You needn’t worry — I will cover all of the expenses.”

Heeding his father’s request, the wealthy son, wife and children all bought beautiful richly embroidered clothing, befitting individuals of their stature. When the day of the wedding arrived, he ordered a magnificent coach to transport them to the celebration.

Prior to setting out, he sent for his poor brother ordering him to rush to his house. The poor brother arrived wearing clothing that was tattered and torn. He wondered why he had been called. “Get up into the coach quickly,” ordered the wealthy brother. “There is no time for explanations. We are going to travel to our father in order to participate in the wedding of our youngest brother.”

When news of his sons’ arrival reached the father’s house, he and his household, all of his servants as well as his many friends, went out to greet them. Adding to the festive atmosphere was a band of musicians, who marched in front of them, playing pleasant and joyous melodies. When the coach arrived, the wealthy son and his family — dressed ever so elegantly — got down from the coach, only to be followed by the poor brother who was barefoot and wearing rags.

“Who is this man?” whispered the shocked townspeople.

The more observant of the crowd were quick to answer, “Don’t you recognize him?” they said. “He is the man’s second son.” The wedding was held in grand style, and after seven days of feasting, the wealthy son approached his father to in order to bid him farewell. “Go in peace,” said the father. “May Hashem grant you a safe journey.”

“But father,” asked the son boldly,” what about the expenses that you promised to cover?”

“Look carefully at what it says in the letter that I sent you,” responded the father.

”I agreed to reimburse you on condition that you purchased beautiful clothing in my honor… Yet you did nothing whatsoever to honor me!” cried the father. “All of the money you spent was solely to enhance your own honor!

For if you were truly concerned with my honor, you would have made sure that your brother was dressed appropriately as well. Just look at the embarrassment and shame you’ve caused me by allowing my son to arrive barefoot and dressed in rags.”

A person should therefore try his utmost to honor and enjoy Shabbos – the Holy Sabbath day. How can it be that a person could sit in his home, dressed in elegant attire and enjoying of delicious delights, while his unfortunate brother sits in his home like a mourner, eating nothing more than just plain bread and simple food?

We learn, “Honor your father and your mother”: I would think that they are to be honored with words. It is, therefore, written (Mishlei/Proverbs 3:9) “Honor the L rd from your wealth.” Just as there, “wealth,” here, too, food, drink, and a new garment are understood.” (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:12) We should strive to serve the Holy One, blessed be He and not exclusively ourselves.

Sadly, this is an indication that the money he spent on his Shabbos delicacies was not for the purpose of delighting in the gifts from the Holy One, blessed be He, but rather, simply to indulge himself. Hashem does not guarantee to reimburse such expenditures.

It is written, “If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you call the Sabbath “delight,” The L-rd’s holy day “honored”. And if you honor it and go not your ways nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains Then you can seek the favor of the L-rd.” (Isaiah 58: 13-14)

May you be blessed by Shabbos with a special sense of holiness that lasts from Shabbos to Shabbos

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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What Was the Donkey Looking For?

Posted on Thursday, 21, November, 2019Tuesday, 28, November, 2023 by Rabbi

The three words, Dan L’Chaf Zechus, mean “judge according to a scale of merit.” Sometimes, this is very difficult because every day, we judge the world around us by our own perceptions. Our sages taught “judge every man favorably” (Pirke Avos 1:6), and “receive every person with a cheerful countenance” (Pirke Avos 1:15) (Chavos haLavavos, Shaar haKnia 18:8)

A gray, long-eared donkey was sauntering through the royal gardens. Jasmine bushes clinging to the fence released a sweet-smelling fragrance, but the donkey snorted at them angrily.

“Who needs you? You block the view to the other side of the garden!”

Golden marigolds bobbed their flowers cheerfully alongside velvety roses, arranged according to soft shades of pink and red. Tulips raised their aristocratic goblets to get their fill of the pleasant sunshine, while birds dipped inside to taste their delicious nectar.

The irritated donkey trampled down the flower beds while hissing through his ugly yellow teeth, “Why must you stand in my way? Why must you sting me with your prickly thorns!”

Leafy elms spread their protective arms, creating a canopy of lovely green shade for all those who, captivated by the beautiful garden, sank at their feet to rest and daydream.

Only the angry donkey swished its tail in annoyance and said, “Why must you hide the sun, you proud ones as if it belongs to you?”

The donkey continued to roam until it came upon a row of garbage pails in the furthest yard. A thick, disgusting smell filled the air, and pesky green flies buzzed in greeting. The donkey pushed aside the pail cover to reveal piles of rotting vegetables, crying gleefully, “Ah, finally, I’ve discovered a pleasant corner in this big stupid garden!”

Are we not sometimes like that brutish, insensitive donkey when we look only for faults and defects in others, when there are so many fine points about them? Sometimes, we search for the little ugly flies among people who are really fragrant with good deeds and fine characters.

Only donkeys — and fools — search among the rubbish heaps of a royal garden.

When we judge others favorably, the picture is reversed. Then we look for roses and tulips even among the thorns — and often find them.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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 Season of Lights – Chanukah is coming very quickly as it begins at Sundown On December 7, 2023.

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.

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

No One Could Understand

Posted on Monday, 18, November, 2019Sunday, 14, January, 2024 by Rabbi

…people without understanding comes to ruin. (Hosea 4:14)

The greatest gift that the Holy One, blessed be He gave to man was the ability to speak and communicate. Yet it is also the undoing of many, though we may speak the same language and believe that certain things need no explanation we still do not understand one another. It is so common in today’s world for people to talk at one another instead of to one another.

A shepherd was once strolling through a meadow behind his wandering sheep. As he walked, he played a merry tune on his flute. In a nearby field, a harvester was cutting sweet clover and loading it upon a wagon to take home for cattle feed. The harvester and the shepherd did not know one another, nor could they communicate, since they spoke different languages. And so each tended to his own business, while casting curious glances at one another from time to time.

Noon came and the sun was at its highest point. The shepherd looked longingly in the distance to see if his daughter was approaching with his lunch, as she did each day at this time. Sadly, there was no one in sight. A long time passed and he began to worry. “I must go home and see if everything is all right,” he said to himself.

He walked towards the harvester in the next field. “Listen here, my friend,” he said, accompanying his words with elaborate gestures to make sure the other understood, “I must go home for a short while and leave the sheep here. I cannot take them with me because it would take too much time to herd them together and get them moving. If I go, I will run both ways and be back in a hurry. Please keep an eye on the sheep. Don’t let them run away. They are resting now. I am sure they will give you no trouble. They are easy creatures to handle.”

The harvester heard the words but did not understand a single one. He interpreted the shepherd’s gestures in a far different manner than intended: “You are harvesting all that hay that grows so plentifully in the field while my sheep lie here where the grass is scant. Won’t you cut some down for them, too?”

This aroused the harvester’s anger. “That is very impudent of you! You sit at your leisure under the tree and expect others to do your work for you under the blazing sun? Go! Begone with you!” and with that, he gave a wave of his hand.

This sign of dismissal was clear to the shepherd. He interpreted it to mean: “Go home, if you must. I will keep an eye on your sheep, since I am here anyway.”

His heart set at ease, the shepherd went home, stayed a while and returned a short while later. How happy he was to see the sheep grazing quietly and contentedly as if he had been there all the while.

“How decent it was of the harvester to look after them,” he thought to himself. “I must give him something in appreciation.” He looked about him and wondered what would be suitable.

His eyes fell upon a little lamb that limped a bit. If he sold it, it would not fetch much. But as a gift . . .

He tied a rope about its neck and began leading it to the adjoining field.

“Good day, my friend,” he said. “I wanted to thank you for the favor you did to me. Here, take this lamb as a sign of my gratitude.” He held the string out to the harvester.

The harvester did not understand a single word, as before, and misunderstood the shepherd’s meaning. He thought he meant: “I asked you to watch my sheep and look what happened! This lamb became lame, thanks to you!”

The harvester was understandably insulted and turned to the shepherd. “How dare you come to me with complaints? Am I to blame? You are the one who left the sheep untended. What do you want from me?”

The shepherd thought that the harvester was dissatisfied with the gift.

He picked up the lamb to show him that it was really a decent gift, indeed. “See,” he gestured, “it is fat and healthy. The only thing wrong with it is its leg. It will make a tasty meal, I am sure!” He again pointed to the broken foot as if to say that that was its only defect.

Seeing the shepherd harping on the broken foot convinced the harvester that the shepherd was again accusing him of being negligent. Fuming, he shouted, “Leave me be, idiot! What business is it of mine?” And he shoved the shepherd backwards.

Shocked by such coarse behavior, the shepherd stepped forward and pushed the harvester. Before long, the two were pummeling one another with heavy blows.

Along came a traveler, hot and dusty from the road. Noticing a horse wandering in the field untethered, he was curious to see if it belonged to anyone, since he wished to ride it a bit. Seeing no one about, he decided to climb on its back for the time being, and ask questions later. He rode on until he came upon the two quarreling men. When they saw the stranger, they ran up to him, grabbed hold of the reins, and asked him to dismount, so that he could resolve their dispute.

The rider, who did not understand either of the two, was sure that they were the owners of the horse demanding an explanation for his having appropriated their animal. Afraid of punishment, he leaped off and ran away.

The remaining two were sure that he had gone off to get help and were afraid of getting into trouble. Both fled as well; the shepherd urging his sheep forward and the harvester shouldering his tools.

The scene returned to its pastoral serenity, with only the horse left to graze upon the delicious clover.

As for the three men, each ran off in different directions, feeling disappointed and frustrated.

The shepherd could not understand why the harvester had been so insulted at the gift he had offered. Had he owed him anything to begin with?

The harvester did not understand why the shepherd blamed him for the sheep’s broken leg, when he had not been to blame.

And the traveler wondered why the two men had attacked him for taking a ride on an untethered horse. He had not meant to steal it!

Each of the three was convinced that he was right. How, then, had such a misunderstanding resulted?

The reason is very simple: Each one interpreted the other’s actions according to his own way of thinking. No one tried to understand what the other was saying. Lack of communication was to blame for this argument.

We do speak the same language as our friends and acquaintances. Nevertheless, we still misinterpret one another’s true meaning and intent.These misunderstandings can often lead to ill feelings, quarrels and even blows.

The most important thing to remember and keep it in mind and you never can miss: Make an effort to really understand, not making your conclusions beforehand.

Such are the thoughts of one devoid of understanding; a senseless and misguided person thinks foolishly. (Sirach 16:23)

(Adapted from the Ben Ish Chai)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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 Beggar King

Posted on Wednesday, 13, November, 2019Wednesday, 10, January, 2024 by Rabbi

Proud King Hagag sat on his magnificent throne, and a holy man reading from the Holy Book, as was his daily custom. The holy man read these words: “for riches do not last forever, nor a crown for all generations” (Proverbs 27:24).

“Cease!” cried the king. “Who wrote those words?”

“They are the words of the Wisest of Kings,” answered the holy man.

“Give me the book,” commanded the king.

With trembling hands, the holy man placed it before his majesty. King Hagag gazed earnestly at the words that had been read, and he frowned. Raising his hand, he tore the page from the book and threw it to the ground.

“I, Hagag, am king,” he said, “and all such passages that offend me shall be torn out.”

He flung the volume angrily from him while the holy man and all his courtiers looked on in astonishment.

“I have heard enough for today,” he said. “Too long have I delayed my hunting. Prepare the horses immediately.”

He came down from the throne, stalked angrily past the trembling figure of the holy man, and went out to hunt. Soon he was galloping across an open plain toward a forest when a wild stag darted across the field. A trumpet sounded and the hunt began. The king urged his horse forward to be the first in the chase. His steed was the swiftest in the whole kingdom.

In his excitement of the chase, the king vanished from the sight of his nobles and attendants. The deer was surprisingly swift and the king could not catch up with it. Coming to a river, the animal plunged in and swam across. Scrambling up the opposite bank its antlers caught in the branch of a tree, and the king, arriving at the river, gave a cry of joy.

“Now I have you,” he said. Springing from his horse and stripping off his clothes, he swam across with nothing but a sword.

As he reached the opposite bank, the deer freed itself from the tree and plunged into a brush. The king, with his sword in his hand, followed quickly, but could not find the deer. Instead, he found, lying on the ground beyond the thicket, a beautiful youth clad in a deerskin. He was panting as if after a long run. The king stood still in surprise and the youth sprang to his feet.

“I am the deer,” he said. “I am a messenger and I have lured you to this spot, proud king, to teach you a lesson for your words this morning.”

Before King Hagag could recover from his surprise, the youth ran back to the river and swam across. Quickly he dressed himself in the king’s clothes and mounted the horse just as the other hunters came up. They thought the messenger was King Hagag and they halted before him.

“Let us return,” said the messenger. “The deer has crossed the river and has escaped.”

King Hagag from behind a tree on the opposite side watched them ride away and then flung himself on the ground and wept bitterly. There he lay until a woodcutter found him.

“What do you here?” asked the man.

“I am King Hagag,” answered the king.

“You are a fool,” said the woodcutter. “You are a lazy good-for-nothing to say such things. Come, carry my bundle of sticks and I will give you food and an old garment.”

Unsuccessfully the king protested. The woodcutter only laughed the more, and at last, losing patience, he beat him and drove him away. Tired and hungry, and clad only in the rags that the woodcutter had given him, King Hagag reached the palace late at night.

“I am King Hagag,” he said to the guards, but told him to go away. The king spent a terrible sleepless night in the streets of the city. The next morning, he was glad to accept some bread and milk offered to him by a poor old woman who took pity on him. He stood at a street corner not knowing what to do. Little children teased him; others took him for a beggar and offered him money. Later in the day, he saw the messenger ride through the streets on his horse. All the people bowed down before him and cried, “Long live the king!”

“Woe is me,” cried Hagag, in his unhappiness. “I am punished for my sin in scoffing at the words of the Holy Book.”

He saw that it would be useless for him to go to the palace again, and he went into the fields and tried to earn his bread as a laborer. He was not used to work, however, and but for the kindness of the very poorest he would have died of starvation. He wandered miserably from place to place until he fell in with some blind beggars who had been deserted by their guide. Joyfully he accepted their offer to take the guide’s place.

Months rolled by, and one morning the royal heralds went forth and announced that “Good King Hagag” would give a feast in one week and all the beggars in the land were invited to attend.

From all over the kingdom, beggars came to enjoy the feast, and Hagag stood among them, with his blind companions, in the courtyard of the palace waiting for his majesty to appear. He knew the palace well, and he hung his head and wept.

“His majesty will speak to each one of you who are his guests today,” cried a herald, and one by one they passed into the palace and stood before the throne. When it came to Hagag’s turn, he trembled so much that he had to be supported by the guards.

The messenger on the throne and Hagag looked long at each other.

“Are you a beggar also?” said the messenger.

“No, gracious majesty,” answered Hagag with bent head. “I have sinned seriously and have been punished. I am but the servant of a troop of blind beggars to whom I act as guide.”

The messenger king signed to his courtiers that he desired to be left alone with Hagag. Then he said, “Hagag, I know you. I see that you have repented. It is well. Now you can take your rightful place upon the throne.”

“Gracious majesty,” said Hagag, “I have learned humility and wisdom. The throne is not for me. The blind beggars need me. Let me remain in their service.”

“It cannot be,” said the messenger. “I see that you truly regret you past actions. Your lesson is learned and my task is done. I will see that the blind beggars lack nothing.”

With his own hands he placed the royal robes on Hagag and himself donned those of the beggar. When the courtiers returned they saw no difference. King Hagag sat on the throne again, and nowhere in the whole world was there a king who ruled more wisely or showed more kindness and sympathy to all his subjects.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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A Beshert’s Forest: Part II The Underground Kingdom

Posted on Monday, 11, November, 2019Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

When the robbers awoke in the morning, Chaim Dovid watched them drink the wine. Then, one after another, they began to choke from the poison, and soon they all lay dead.

Now Chaim Dovid carefully lowered himself from the tree and checked every one of the robbers and they were all dead. Then he looked for something to eat. In one of the robbers’ bags he found a loaf of bread, but the others were crammed with stolen riches of every kind. Chaim Dovid emptied bag after bag onto the ground and was amazed at all they had carried away. But when he shook out the last bag, he found it had a false bottom. He took a knife and cut it open, and a shining object came tumbling out—a round, glowing jewel. He held it up and turned it around, but try as he might, Chaim Dovid could not see the source of the light inside it. Surely, he thought, that was a priceless treasure. He recognized that such a precious object could only be owned by a king.

Now this student cared little for material goods. His concerns were those of the spirit. He would not have minded leaving all the gold and silver behind, but he could not abandon that glowing jewel, so he put it into his own bag. Then he buried the robbers and said a prayer over their souls, for surely they had found terrible punishments for their evil deeds. He then packed his bag and went on his way, going in the direction the robbers had come from, in the hope that he would find a city or town of some kind. He prayed and thanked to G-d for letting him survive that dangerous night.

Little by little, the faint path he followed became well worn, and that, in turn, led him to a wide road. Soon he reached the gates of that underground city.

There Chaim Dovid saw that the people of the city were dressed for mourning, and he asked a young man passing by what had happened. “Two tragedies have struck our kingdom at the same time. First, our king died without leaving any heir except for his daughter, the princess. And second, the king’s enchanted jewel was stolen by thieves. Now this glow¬ing jewel has always revealed who will succeed the king. But now no one knows where it is. Even so, the princess has declared that she will marry whoever brings that glowing jewel to her, for the jewel has always suc¬ceeded in reaching the one who was destined to be king. For it is guided by the hand of fate.”

Now Chaim Dovid shivered when he heard this, for he was carrying the glowing jewel in his pack. He took his leave of the young man and set off for the palace. when he reached the royal palace, he asked to see the princess, saying that he had news of the glowing jewel.

When the guards heard this, they took him to the princess at once, and he was overwhelmed by her great beauty and by the wisdom and radiance of her eyes. “Tell me,” she said, “what you know about the jewel?” Chaim Dovid was speechless, but he pulled the jewel out of his pack and gave it to her. The princess looked at him with amazement and said, “Then it is you who is destined to be my husband, and you who are destined to rule. But how did you come into possession of the jewel?”

So, the young man told her of his night in the forest and all that he had witnessed. He offered to lead guards to that very place, to confirm his account and to recover the other items the robbers had stolen. This was done, and the guards confirmed everything he had said. So it was that the wedding soon took place, and the young man, who had been a poor student, now found himself a great king in that underground country.

Now the young man ruled using the principles of the rabbis, as he had learned in his studies of the Talmud, and the kingdom flourished. So too did the young man fall in love with the princess, now his queen. Together they had three children, two boys and a girl, and he loved all of them as much as life itself.

Then one day there was a sudden storm that grew into a great tor¬rent. A great wave washed through the palace and carried the king out an open window and away from that world forever. The current carried him further and further downstream, and suddenly thrust him into a great whirlpool. As he was pulled down, the young man was certain that his life had come to an end. Then, all at once, he found himself standing in a mikveh. Then he recalled having descended the stairs in search of the mikveh just before reaching the underground forest. Now he looked up and saw a short stairway nearby, with no more than ten steps. He climbed out, greatly confused, and stumbled back to the home of the holy rabbi. The moment the rabbi opened the door, Chaim Dovid burst into tears and asked the rabbi how long he had been gone. “Why, no more than an hour,” holy rabbi answered. Then Chaim Dovid told the rabbi of all the years that he had lived through since he had gone into the mikveh, and he poured out his heart and begged the rabbi to explain how such things had happened to him. For it seemed to him that the world had been turned upside down.

The holy rabbi said, “Let me first introduce you to my daughter, and then I will explain.” He called forth his daughter, and when Chaim Dovid saw her, he almost fainted. For she was the very princess he had wed in the underground city! The rabbi saw that the young man was overwhelmed, and he quickly said: “Listen carefully to what I tell you. I learned from a heavenly voice that it was you who were destined to marry my daughter. And when you arrived here, I recognized you at once. That is why I sent you to the mikveh, for in this way you traveled the path of your own des-tiny, and now you can understand that you are indeed destined for my daughter.”

So it was that the young man married the daughter of the holy rabbi, and they loved each other as if they had already been married in another life. They had three children, two boys and a girl, who were identical to the children he had when he was king. Chaim Dovid loved all of them with all his heart and thanked G-d for restoring his family to him. He always held them dear to him, for he remembered well how quickly they had been lost.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Beshert’s Forest: Part I The Journey to the Forest

Posted on Sunday, 10, November, 2019Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

On the eve of the Yahrzeit (third anniversary) of his father’s death, Chaim Dovid dreamed that his father came to him and told him to go to a faraway town. The next morning Chaim Dovid was amazed how real his father had seemed to him in the dream. He thought for a long time about the strange message: to go to a place where he didn’t know anyone. Chaim Dovid wondered if he could leave the safe halls of study because of a dream. Surely his teachers would forbid him to go because of a dream.

All day Chaim Dovid strongly felt his father’s presence and realized how intensely he missed him. The next night he had the dream again. It was a little different in that his father told him to see the holy rabbi in a faraway town for Rosh Hodesh, the celebration of the new month. Chaim Dovid knew that he had to decide whether to act on the dream or not.

The problem resolved itself the third night, when the dream was repeated, except that this time Chaim Dovid’s father told him to go to the faraway town for Rosh Chodesh and seek out the holy rabbi who lived there.

Chaim Dovid decided that he must travel to the faraway town, no matter what. His father convinced him that he must go. He wrote a letter to teachers explaining that he had left the halls of study to claim an inheritance in in a faraway town. This, he reasoned, would be more acceptable to him than his father’s command in a dream.

Chaim Dovid took a carriage to the faraway town. In the carriage were two merchants. As Chaim Dovid listened, they spoke about the holy rabbi. “It is said,” said one merchant, “that the holy rabbi understood the written and hidden mysteries and wonders of the Torah (Scriptures).” “That is very true,” said the other, “for I myself have heard of a man who came to the holy rabbi when he was full of doubts about G-d and faith. When he knocked on the door, the holy rabbi opened it and said: ‘Young man, I myself know what you are thinking. And if I know, should not G-d know?’ ” And Chaim Dovid wondered what kind of man he had been sent to, who could read the thoughts of men.

Chaim Dovid arrived only a few hours before the eve of Rosh Chodesh, the Feast of the New Moon. The holy rabbi greeted him and welcomed him to use the mikveh (ritual bath) before Rosh Hodesh. A servant showed him to the mikveh in a shed behind the holy rabbi’s house. The young man walked to the small shed and stepped inside. He saw a stairway, but from the top of the stairs he could not see the water below. Instead, he heard a deep whisper, like the wind rustling through trees. How strange, he thought to himself, that this whispering should come from within the mikveh.

Curious to see for himself, Chaim Dovid slowly walked down the stairs. Surprisingly, the stairway was very long, much longer than he expected. After a few moments. He found that he could see the top of the stairs nor the bottom from where he stood. He feared that something strange was taking place, as if he were descending from one world into another. Surely, he thought, no stairway could be this long.

With each step along the way, the whispering from below grew louder. Soon he could make out a lot of forest sounds — owls calling out, wolves howling, and the gurgling of a stream. Chaim Dovid was afraid and uncertain and wanted to turn back, but he willed himself to continue on. He hoped that he was almost there.

At last Chaim Dovid reached the bottom of the long stairs, but he found no sign of a mikveh. Instead, he found himself standing in a dense forest. He was confused and wanted to turn back. But when he turned around, the stairs were gone. There was no sign of them at all. How would he ever return to the world above?

With no other choice, Chaim Dovid looked around and saw that it was growing dark. He knew it was unsafe to stay where he was and looked for a tree to safely spend the night. He found one in a nearby clearing and pulled himself up into the branches. He was comfortable, but he knew he must not fall asleep or he might fall to the ground.

When it was completely dark, a band of robbers came into that clearing and made a campfire not far from the very tree into which Chaim Dovid had climbed. He was well hidden in the branches, but he was terrified that the robbers would find him and everything he had and then kill him. The robbers gathered around a fire and bragged about their adventures, how many men they had killed, and who among them was the strongest and most skilled. They shared stories half the night, until they fell into a drunken sleep. When they were asleep at last, Chaim Dovid was very tired. He would have loved to sleep himself, but he knew that his life depended on remaining awake.

From his perch in the tree, Chaim Dovid saw a snake slither toward the branch where the robbers left their wineskin hung, still open. The snake slid inside the wineskin and stayed there a long time. The snake spit up the wine, mixed with its own poison, crawled out of the wineskin and disappeared into the forest.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Read Part II tomorrow

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Power of Speech and the Joy of Shabbos

Posted on Friday, 8, November, 2019Friday, 27, October, 2023 by Rabbi

“B’asara maamaros nivra haolam – With ten utterances the world was created. (Avos 5:1) “And G-d completed on the seventh day His work that He did, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work that He did. (Genesis 2:2),” King David explains that “By the word of the L-rd the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6) everything was created. Since words an be work, on Shabbos (the Sabbath Day) we must be careful which words we speak and how many of them.

Thinking about work or business is permissible, however, keeping to the spirit of Shabbos, as a holy day, it is discouraged and forbidden. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 306:8) teaches, “It is permitted to think about one’s weekday affairs; however, in order to enjoy Shabbos (the Sabbath Day), it is a religious precept/commandment not to think about them at all and it should be as if all of one’s work is done.”

There was once a very righteous man who owned a vineyard. His vineyard was protected on all sides by a wall. One Shabbos afternoon, when the man was taking a little walk, he noticed that a hole was broken in one spot. He became very worried. “If wild animals or passersby get into the vineyard and eat up my grapes,” he thought, “I will no longer earn money from selling grapes. I will have to fix the wall immediately after Shabbos.” In order to save time he decided, “I will go on Shabbos to someone who knows about building walls to find out exactly how to fix the hole. The sooner wall will be repaired, the safer my grapes will be. If I know exactly how to do it, I will be able to start as soon as Shabbos is over.”

When he came home after talking to the wall builder, he was calm at first, but soon he began to feel sorry for his actions.

“What have I done,” he exclaimed! “I made a terrible mistake; I’m afraid I violated Shabbos, ruined the holiness and spirituality. During Shabbos, we are not allowed to even talk about forbidden work that we plan to do after Shabbos. The Holy One, blessed be He wants us to imagine that all work is done. We should not worry about future work at all.” He was so sorry that he had discussed the wall repair on Shabbos. He decided that he must repent. But how?

The righteous man thought “I want to show the Holy One, blessed be He that I am really sorry that I talked about the repair on Shabbos. Therefore, I won’t fix the wall even after Shabbos is over. I will always leave it broken just as it is now.”

He was, in fact, allowed to repair the wall after Shabbos, but since he was such a religious person, he didn’t want to benefit from words that were forbidden on Shabbos.

The Holy One, blessed be He rewarded the man by performing a miracle for him. A large bush began to grow in front of the exact spot where the wall was broken. The bush completely blocked the hole in the wall. This bush was a special kind called a Tzlaf (Caper) bush. The Tzlaf bush grows a delicious kind of fruit. Both the leaves and the fruit are edible. There was always plenty of fruit on the bush because the Holy One, blessed be He made the fruit of the Tzlaf bush grow and regrow very quickly.

This amazing bush also provided the righteous man with a good income. He was able to sell its fruits which kept growing all the time. From then on, he was able to learn Torah without worrying about money. This was his reward for treating Shabbos with holiness and sincerely regretting his actions.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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I Want That One

Posted on Wednesday, 6, November, 2019Monday, 6, November, 2023 by Rabbi

Avigdor was a local farmer who was well-known in the village for the fine vegetables he brought to market. He was always accompanied by his dog, whom all the children wanted to pet. Avigdor was always friendly and was well-liked by everyone.

One day he came to the village and set a blanket-covered basket in front of his cart of fresh vegetables. Above the basket, he placed a sign that said the puppies were for sale. He started to set out his vegetables for sale when he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to see a little boy with a big grin and something in his hand.

“Avigdor,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.” “Well,” Avigdor started, “these puppies are kind of expensive. Are you sure you can afford to buy one?”.

The boy dropped his head for a moment, then looked back up at Avigdor and said, “I’ve got thirty-nine kopecks. Is that enough to take a look?”

Sure,” said the Avigdor, and with that he gently pulled back the blanket and the boy saw four little balls of fur. The little boy’s eyes danced with delight.

Then he noticed, in the corner under the blanket a little ball of fur peeking out at him. This one a lot smaller than the others. It began to hobble as it walked. It was clearly the runt of the litter.

The little boy pressed his face close to the tiny puppy and cried out, “I want that one,” pointing to the runt.

The Avigdor knelt down and said, “My sweet boy, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you the way you would like.”

With that the boy reached down and slowly pulled up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking up at Avigdor, he said, “You see, Avigdor, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

We learn, “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.” (Leviticus 19:14) Stumbling blocks come in many forms, and many times people are ignored or mistreated because of their handicaps and disabilities. Little do people remember, “do not despise any man, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no man that has not his hour, and there is no thing that has not its place. (Pirke Avos 4.3)

After the creation of people, the Holy One, blessed be He “saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) The Hebrew term used is tov me’od and the word me’od has the same letters as adam (man). Every person is tov me’od – very good

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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Filling the Little Opening

Posted on Monday, 4, November, 2019Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Yosef was a successful business man. He had a very fine home, a beautiful wife and a great fortune. Life was good and he gave a lot to charity.

It is said, “The world is like a water-wheel the buckets ascend full and descend empty. Who is rich today may not be so tomorrow.” (Exodus Rabbah 31:14)

oon the clouds of misfortune gathered and Yosef lost his business, fortune, wife, and his fine home. Throughout his hardship he held strongly onto his faith — the only thing he had left.

One day he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a synagogue. One of them was working hard chiseling a triangular piece of stone. “What are you going to do with that?” asked Yosef. The workman said, “See that little opening away up there near the top of the menorah? Well, I’m shaping this down here, so it will fit in up there.”

Tears filled the eyes of Yosef as he walked away, for it seemed that the Holy One, blessed be He had spoken through the workman to explain his trouble through which he was passing, “I’m shaping you down here, so you’ll fit in up there.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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Bentching Shabbos Licht Saves a Family

Posted on Friday, 1, November, 2019Friday, 25, August, 2023 by Rabbi

Bentching licht, kindling the Holy Lights before Shabbos, brings a healing into the world. The Holy One, blessed be He gave to our holy mothers and sisters the mitzvah of bringing the light of Shabbos into the home and community. Each week as the wicks are carefully prepared the anticipation of Shabbos kodesh (the Holy Sabbath) spreads throughout the house. Such little lights truly make a difference. You may ask, “Isn’t Shabbos itself such a great light? Isn’t Shabbos, as the Talmud says, a torch? Why do you need a little candle?” But you see, you are asking with the mind of six days of the week. Shabbos is indeed a great light, but the little candle, the little fire is so precious, so precious before G-d.

When our women and girls kindle lights, at that one moment, there’s no wall between them and the Holy One, blessed be He. There is no wall between them and their husbands, brothers and their children. There is no wall between them and all of the people. There is no wall between them and the whole world. What a holy moment….

You know, sadly enough, today we’re living in a different world. Sadly enough, so many marriages break up, so many hearts are broken, so many windows are just knocked out. Not so long ago this hardly ever happened.

One day the holy rabbi was told that the wife of one of his students had moved back to her parents. He was so heartbroken, he called the woman and this is what he said, “I want you to know, your husband loves you so much. He is up all night in the synagogue, reciting the Psalms and praying that you should come back to him, because he loves you so much. So I’m begging you, please, please, please, go back to your husband who loves you.

The young woman with a tear in her eye answered, “Rabbi, holy rabbi, let it be clear to you, I didn’t leave my husband because I don’t love him. I love him so much it causes be so much pain to be away from him. Sadly, the Holy One, blessed be He didn’t bless us yet with children, and a house without children is more destroyed than the Holy Temple. A house without laughter, without crying of children, is so lonely, so empty. I couldn’t bare it anymore, so I went back to my parents’ home. Holy rabbi if you want me to go back to my husband, bless me with children.” She was a very clever woman, so added said, “Holy rabbi, if you bless me with children, bless me to have a son like you.”

The holy rabbi just smiled and he said to her, “I’ll be so happy to bless you to have a son like me, but you have to promise me something: If you will be a mother like my mother, then you will have children like me.”

One Friday she was crying so much, and I guess she bent over the candles, and her tears fell on the candles. When she opened her eyes, it was already Shabbos. There were no more candles. The tears extinguished the fire. My mother said, “Ribbono shel olam (Master of the World), Heiligeh Tatteh in Himmel (Holy Father in Heaven), I can’t live without the light of Shabbos. Master of the World, Master of the World, Master of the World, how can I have Shabbos without my Shabbosdike licht (Shabbos light)? But it’s already Shabbos, so I’m begging You, Master of the World, please You, You Master of the World, rekindle my light, rekindle my Shabbosdike Licht.”

The holy rabbi said to the woman, “I swear to you, I saw a hand coming down from Heaven and kindling the lights of Shabbos.”

The holy rabbi gave his blessing to the young woman and she went home to her husband. Each Friday night as the sun was setting the young woman would welcome the heiligeh Shabbos (holy Sabbath) with prayers from her heart and one Shabbos before the year was over crying was heard from her home – a child was born.

A Gut’n Shabbos – Good Shabbos – Shabbat Shalom

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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