Only A Drink of Water

Posted on Sunday, 8, August, 2021Monday, 27, November, 2023 by Rabbi

A holy rabbi known and respected for his learning and teachings was passing through a village one day. He was very thirsty after traveling along the dusty road as he neared the village. He walked towards the well when he saw a young woman drawing water.

He asked her for some water to drink, but the young woman hesitated, saying, “Holy rabbi, I’m unworthy to give water to you. Please do not ask this of me, for I would only cause you impurity. I am a poor woman who struggles each day to make a living. I am not very learned and might. Heaven forbid, cause shame to you.”

The holy rabbi looked at her with eyes full of compassion and said, “I did not ask you about your learning or status. It is no dishonor to refresh a traveler.” “But you are very holy and I am unworthy”, answered the young woman.

The rabbi asked the young woman to come near and sit for a moment, and began to tell her about a servant who came to a well after a long journey in the desert and asked a young woman, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. (Genesis 24: 17-18) – that was Rebecca giving water to a traveler.”

We learn that once Abraham was in the middle of talking to the Holy One, blessed be He with G‑d when some travelers appeared in the distance. He excused himself and ran off to invite in the guests. (Genesis 18: 1-7) Anyone can speak of holy matters or quote Torah (Scriptures), but one who acts and lives by faith are truly special and are in turn showered with blessings.

The rabbi smiled and continued, “I ask again, can I have a little water to drink? I did not ask you about your learning or social status, but for a drink of water.”

People should live by their beliefs, not by pursuing faith as an academic exercise written solely in the holy books.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Quilt of Life

Posted on Monday, 15, February, 2021Sunday, 5, May, 2024 by Rabbi

The old quilt lay draped over a chair. It’s not a beautiful quilt, and all the fabric appears to be very old. Yet that old quilt is so full of life.

The patches and remnants came from so many people and places. A piece of an apron, a dress worn on a first date, patches from worn out knees, and bits and pieces from many other things. They are odd shapes and sizes. Some nameless shapes are round, others square and some very unusual, long slices of fabric painstakingly sewn with dozens of meticulous stitches. A few tiny patches are smaller than a thumbnail.

Some of the fabric is very plain with dull color, everyday things like shirts or dresses that were taken for granted. Other pieces are bright and cheerful, like snippets of birthdays, holidays, and happy times gone by. A few fancier pieces are satiny smooth with embossing or embroidery; they seem to whisper of weddings, dances, a first kiss…..

They do have an Interesting texture—smooth next to rough denim, seersucker alongside velvet and beautiful silks next to plain old cotton; and all over the quilt hundreds of tiny stitches, almost invisible to the eye, pucker ever so slightly.

That old quilt helps one remember times past and hope for the future. Sometimes one feels sad and miss the friends left behind. “Remember the days of old, consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you; your elders, and they will tell you.” (Deuteronomy 32:7) A study of the old quilt raises many thoughts of the many friends one has had throughout their life. Some felt a bit scratchy and rough like a sturdy piece of wool, but in time they softened or one just became used to them. Others were delicate like silk and needed to be handled with care. Some were colorful and bright and great fun to be with. A few special others felt soft and cozy like flannel, and they knew how to be a comfort during hard times.

Some people leave one with a piece that is bigger than they wanted and others smaller than what one thought they needed. Some were that annoying itchy square in the corner, and others that piece of worn flannel. One leaves pieces with some and they leave their pieces that are kept for some time. All the while each and every piece of the quilt makes up a part of what is in each person. Be okay with the piece left to you. For life is too short to expect from people what they do not have to give, or were not called to give. Quilts are like friends, a great source of comfort.

As one looks closely at the quilt they can see a blessing in each stich. Life is so full of people, places and things and it so easy to become lost in all the different pieces encountered each day. All those scraps and pieces of life can be confusing. When life gives one those pieces and scraps, sew them together and make a quilt.

An old quilt pulled up around oneself offers much needed comfort warmed by memories. Surely, it is a personal masterpiece — this quilt of friendships and life is not nearly finished.

Everyday brings new friends and experiences that grow throughout life. Each person has that special quilt, and that’s because the Holy One, blessed be He has sewn them into our hearts.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Woman’s Faith and her Crying Baby

Posted on Friday, 22, January, 2021 by Rabbi

The righteous live by their faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

A child was born to a certain family, and the baby cried morning and evening – not like other infants but terrible constant screeching. The family took the baby to doctors, to specialists only to be told that they could not find the cause of the nonstop crying and screaming. The parents then went to many rabbis who were skilled in spiritual and mystically potent remedies – but that too did not help. They actually became very discouraged as their son would not eat, drink, or sleep, he was always screeching and crying. It was not long before the sadness of the parents wore heavily upon them.

One day, the mother went to the market and found a page of holy writing on the street. Being a religious woman, although uneducated and illiterate, she bent over, picked it up, and thought to herself, “Perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, will send a healing to my baby through this holy page.”

When she got home, she carefully cleaned off the page, which was covered with dirt, dried it and tenderly folded it. She then gently placed it under the baby’s pillow, with the silent prayer, “Ribbon shel olam – Master of the Universe, I don’t know how to read or write, but I know that this is a page of the holy Torah. May this page bring a holy cure for my son that he heal quickly from his suffering.”

That very night, for the first time in the baby slept soundly and peacefully without any disturbance, without any screeching or crying, so that it amazed everyone. He was quiet for a whole week.

One day, the child’s father asked his wife if she knew what had caused this miracle. She went over to the baby’s crib and took out from under the pillow the folded page of the Torah, which she showed to her husband and said, “Is there any cure in the world better than the words of Hashem? See how great the power of the holy Torah is!”

The husband, who could read and write, looked at the page and turned pale. He began to scream, “What have you done? Do you know what this page is? It’s from the Torah portion Tochachah (the Rebuke, a section of the Torah full of fearsome curses against evildoers Deuteronomy 28:15–69).

Tochechah Rebuke

Look what it says here: ‘G-d will smite you with madness . . . you shall be terrified night and day. . . . In the morning you will say, “Oh that it were night!” And at night you will say, “Oh that it were morning!”’”

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His wife answered calmly, “My dear husband, how could I know what’s written on the page? I can’t read or write. All I knew was that it’s a page from the holy Torah. I thought to myself, ‘In the merit of the Torah and of the divine Names written on this page, may the Holy One, blessed be He send a refuah sheleima (a complete healing) to our son.’ Are we not taught, ‘Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning?’ (Psalm 30:5) So I put the page under the pillow, and you see, it helped.’”

The distraught father looked at his wife (who was about to cry) and slowly smiled and told her:

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Mother’s Journey

Posted on Tuesday, 12, January, 2021Friday, 24, November, 2023 by Rabbi

The young mother began her journey on the path of life. “Is the way long?”, she asked.

“Yes,” answered her Guide, “and the way is hard. You will be old before you reach the end of it. But—” He stopped to smile warmly. “The end will be better than the beginning.

The young mother was so happy, though, that she could not believe anything could be better than these early years. She played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and swam with them in the clear streams. The sun shone on them and life was good, and the young mother cried, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.

Then the darkness of night came, and the storm’s fury with its howling winds, thunder and lightning, and the path was dark and forbidding. The children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close to her, covering them with her mantle. Her children said, “Oh, Mother, we are not afraid when you are near.” The mother said, “This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage.

Then the morning came, and there was a steep hill before them. The children climbed and grew tired. The mother was exhausted, but she kept encouraging her children, “Just a little farther and we will be there.” So the children kept on climbing. When they reached the top, they said, “We could not have done it without you, Mother.” And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked past the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last. My children have learned determination in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I taught them courage, today I have taught them about strength.

With the next day came strange clouds that darkened the earth—clouds of war, discrimination, hatred and fear. The children cast about in the confusion and stumbled every so often. The mother said, “Look up. Lift your eyes past the blackness to the Light.” The children looked up and saw an Everlasting Glory above the strange clouds. It guided them and brought them through the darkness and evil. Their mother always encouraged them to be “be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed,” (Joshua 1:9). That night the mother said, “This is the best day of all, for I have helped my children learn about the Holy One, blessed be He.”

The days went by, the weeks turned to months and the months passed to years. The mother grew old, until she was very little and bent. Her children had grown tall and strong, and they walked with courage. They remembered the teaching “do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22)

When the way was hard, they helped their mother; when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather. At last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and magnificent gate open on top of the hill.

The mother said, “l have reached the end of my journey. Now I know that the end really is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and they will teach their children after them.

The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.

They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates slowly closed after her. They said, “We can’t see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than just a memory.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Secret of the Yarmulkes

Posted on Thursday, 31, December, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Many years ago in a simple house in the holy city of Jerusalem there lived a Jewish woman. Special people live in Jerusalem and are so steeped in holiness and spirituality that they have few physical needs. Their prayers and actions are an exceptional treasure.

One woman knew how to knit beautiful yarmulkes, and she was able to support her family. How were her yarmulkes different from others that were

sold in the market, so that the mothers of Jerusalem ran to buy hers?

She would knit the yarmulkes with the intent of hiddur mitzvah – to beautify a mitzvah. One may ask why? It says in the Torah, “This is my G-d and I will glorify them. (Exodus 15:2)”

The pious women saw that pious woman’s children were well behaved and succeeded in their Torah studies more than other children. They were truly pious and always tried to please their parents and teachers, and all the other women of course envied her. This was not the bad envy but the good kind, which the rabbis call “envy among scribes” and which leads a person to strive for greater piety. What mother would not want her children to be so sincere and pure like the holy woman’s children?

When the other women would ask her, “Please tell us, what is your secret? How did you succeed so well with your children baruch Hashem (bless G-d)) that they’re so good?” The holy woman would answer humbly, “My children are like all children. Are there any children that don’t sometimes misbehave?”

Possibly, her secret and the secret of her children’s piety and goodness would have remained concealed, except for a particular incident that happened. One of her children was playing with a friend in the common courtyard. The mother of the other boy was sitting nearby, cleaning beans and inspecting them for insects, when she overheard the holy woman’s son say to her son, “Exchange yarmulkes? No! Why should I do that? I don’t want to exchange my yarmulke for one bought in a store, even for a minute!”

“What makes your yarmulke so special that you don’t want to trade with me?” asked the neighbor’s son.

“Of course, my yarmulke’s special!” said the boy innocently, his big eyes flashing. “Do you know what my mother told me when she gave it to me? She said that every yarmulke she makes has many rows of knitting. And for every row she knits, she recites a psalm. And when she finishes knitting the yarmulke, she sheds tears into it and prays, ‘In the merit of the psalms that I recited while knitting, may my children and all Jewish children be pious!’”

The neighbor took in every word that this exceptional boy spoke. In just a few hours, every woman in the Jerusalem neighborhoods knew the holy woman’s secret, and they ran to her to buy her yarmulkes for their children. What mother wouldn’t give her last few coins for her child to be pious?

According to the Jewish tradition, all work should be holy work in the service of G-d. A devout person has divine intentions as he labors. How much more should that be true for people producing religious articles. Religious objects are not like ordinary objects. A yarmulke, for example, has a vibration that affects its wearer. There is a difference between a yarmulke made by a pious person who has prayerful, holy thoughts while making it and a machine-made object or an object created by a person without pious thoughts and motives. Religious people who want the true benefit of a yarmulke, mezuzah, or any other holy item are willing to pay for the careful labor of pious people, for what they create radiates holiness. The holy woman’s yarmulkes were actually holy vessels to transmit her prayers and her tears for the spiritual growth of Jewish children.

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 Special Chanukah Gift

Posted on Sunday, 13, December, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

For this child I prayed; and the L-rd has granted me the petition that I made to him. (I Samuel 1:27)

Chanukah is a time to celebrate the freedom of faith. A war was fought to defend the right just to remain true to Judaism over 2100 years ago. Today we accept the basic story of Chanukah, but have forgotten the many miracles. The wonders and beauty of faith are many times overlooked, but they are present at all times.

On the third day of Hanukkah, there was a bris (circumcision) in the small wooden shul. The rabbi was the sandak—being honored to hold the baby on his lap—and he told a story at the bris:

A woman who was married for fifteen years and was not blessed with children. She went from rabbi to rabbi, from tzaddik to tzaddik, from one to the other to ask for a blessing, for them to pray for her, but still she had no child. She did not know what to do with herself.

She was very careful to light the Shabbos candles every week, welcoming the holiness of the day into her house. There was always food in her kitchen for those less fortunate. Her bright smile hid the pain and sadness that was deep in her heart.

Without children, she had a lot of time, and so she helped wherever she could. One day she discovered a woman who was sick and all alone, who had nobody in the world. She started to visit the sick woman, prepared food for her and talked to her for hours.

After two years, the sick woman left this world, and the woman without children was with her when she died. The dying woman said to her, “There’s no way for me to thank you in this lifetime for all the kindness and love you showed me. I promise you, the moment I go up to heaven and stand before the Holy One Blessed be He, I pray on your behalf that Heaven bless you with a baby.”

“That was almost a year ago and today we are gathered here for such a happy and holy occasion”, the rabbi continued, “The baby we just welcomed into the community is that baby. He is a gift from that woman.”

Al haNissim - Miracles

Al hanissim, v’al hapurkan, v’al hag’vurot v’al hat’tshuot v’al hamilchamot sh’asita lavoteinu bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh.

We thank You for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our fathers (ancestors) in the days of old, at this time.

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 November 28, 2021. 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

Women and Chanukah

Posted on Friday, 11, December, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Many girls and women ask questions about everything about Jewish women and seek answers that are sometimes very elusive. They become frustrated over the apparent the double standards of many religious people. They feel it is hard to assert their individuality in a society with so many demands (how to dress, how to eat, how to communicate, etc.).

Who carried the Jewish tradition from generation to generation? Whose unwritten wisdom upholds it? An automatic first response might be “the Rabbis.” A more complete, more thoughtful answer would be “the women.”

It is hard to define aspects of Jewish tradition—the feel of it, the smells of a special foods and meals, the warmth of a gentle touch, the part that cannot be captured in words, that remain unwritten but enduring —were for generations the domain of Jewish women. Their wisdom finely guided and molded the character of Jewish life. We find this in food, stories and memories.

Women are special in the Jewish community, but many times the girls and women counter that all there is, is chauvinism and foolish limitations. It seems that the prevailing attitudes in our culture have replaced the long history of learning and teaching.

Chanukah is a holiday that is celebrated due to the sacrifices and deeds of women. Many don’t realize that Jewish law establishes that so long as the Chanukah lights burn, woman are exempt from work.

Jewish Women

As we eat the sizzling latkes let us realize that their wisdom has molded and defined the character of Jewish life. We find this throughout our history and teachings. We also find it in the Chanukah story, in the remarkable characters of Chana and Yehudis.

One of the major victories over the Syrian-Greeks came about through the heroism of a woman. Yehudis, daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, spoke to the people in her besieged city to have faith in the Holy One, blessed be H, but the people weakened by starvation and fear wanted to surrender the city. Yehudis left the city under the cover of night and went to the commanding general, Holofrenes, and first fed him cheese dishes which made him thirsty (the source for eating dairy foods on Chanukah). She then brought him wine to quench his thirst. When he became drunk and fell asleep, she beheaded him and hung it from the city walls. When the enemy soldiers saw the head of their decapitated leader, they fled.

The Syrian-Greeks and their supporters, tried to destroy the Jewish way of life by forcing people to abandon their Judaism. Chana had seven sons each were brought before Antiochus and told to bow to him and recognize his god. Each son refused. As the last of her sons was taken to be executed she told him, “My son, go and tell your father Abraham: You bound one son upon the altar; I bound seven children on seven altars.”

The legacy Jewish women represent continues wherever the Jewish tradition is guided, enriched, and uplifted by her daughters, the bearers of Judaism’s enduring legacy.

May your Chanukah lights burn bright and may all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Potato Latke Recipe

1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (3 to 4 potatoes)		1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered		1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg		1 egg, beaten
1 cup oil or chicken shmaltz, or a combination of both		2 tablespoons matzo meal
Applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes well, but do not peel. Cut each potato in half crosswise.
Grate potatoes and onion with a food processor. Grate the potatoes and onion using the shredding disk of a food processor.
Make a cheesecloth tourniquet and squeeze liquid from potato and onion. Transfer the grated potato and onion onto a large triple layer of cheesecloth. Gather the corners and tie around the handle of a wooden spoon. Dangle the bundle over a large bowl, then twist and squeeze the potatoes and onion as hard as you can until no more liquid comes out of the potatoes and onion shreds.
Pour off the liquid, but keep the potato starch. Give the liquid a few minutes to allow the potato starch to settle and then pour off and discard the liquid but leave the potato starch.
Toss the latke ingredients together with your fingers. Add the potatoes, onion, eggs, matzo meal, salt, and pepper to the bowl of starch. Mix with your fingers, making sure that the potato starch breaks up and is evenly distributed with the rest of the ingredients. Set batter aside for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil. Place the oil or schmaltz (or a combination of the two) in a large skillet so that when melted there is a depth of 1/4 inch (for a 10-inch skillet you’ll need 1 cup of melted oil/schmaltz). Heat over medium-high heat until a piece of the latke mixture sizzles immediately.
Form latkes one at a time into a 2-4 inch patty. Using a spoon, slide the latkes into the hot oil. Repeat until the pan is full but the latkes aren’t crowded. Cook until deeply golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat if necessary.
Drain the latkes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain for 2 minutes.
Serve with applesauce if using schmaltz or with sour cream and apple sauce if using just oil.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more Jewish stories with recipes

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

Please share this story with others

The Season of Lights – Chanukah is coming very quickly as it begins at Sundown on November 28, 2021. 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

A Holy Woman’s Prayer for a Wagon Driver

Posted on Wednesday, 2, December, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Chava was a very holy woman and her husband was a well respected teacher in the village. One day, when passed the old wooden shul (synagogue) she saw members of the Chevra Kaddisha (Burial Society) rushing about. Chava was approached by a woman passerby and was asked, “Haven’t you heard, Reb Yankl Balagoleh (the Wagon Driver) passed away?”

Chava was shocked and said “Baruch Dayan haEmes – Blessed is the True Judge – My dear friend, the holy Reb Yankl, is gone!” and she broke out in tears. People around her were surprised: Why was she so emotional? Was Reb Yankl related to her? Or was she close to him because she had spoken to him on occasion?

“Listen, my friends,” Chava responded, when they asked her about it, “and I’ll tell you why I’m so saddened by the death of that dear holy man Reb Yankl.”

People gathered closer to her to hear what she would say. “One day,” Chava began, “I ran out of firewood. I didn’t even have any wood chips to start a fire. My house was freezing cold. So I went to Reb Yankl Balagoleh and asked if he could please bring me a little wood? Without delaying for a minute, he immediately hitched his horse to the wagon, drove off to the forest, and before long brought back a wagonful of wood. I used the wood to warm my house and also the beis medresh (Torah study hall). In his merit, people sat and studied Torah and other holy books in a warm and pleasant place.”

“I remember another time when I had no water in my house on erev Shabbos. I couldn’t cook for Shabbos without water. To whom did I go? To Reb Yankl. When I asked him to please get me some water, he didn’t wait or delay for a moment; he immediately hitched his horse to his wagon and quickly brought a barrelful of water to my house!”

After telling this to the people around her, the holy holy woman lifted her eyes to heaven and said:

Later, when Chava’ husband came to the synagogue, his students told him what wife had said about Reb Yankl. The young man said, “Now you know that my wife has ruach ha-kodesh [the holy spirit], because I tell you, when Reb Yankl died, I heard them saying in the Heavenly Court exactly what she said just now.”

A holy woman like Chava has compassionate eyes that can see the greatness of even a simple person. Reb Yankl was not a Torah scholar, but he was ready to help a needy fellow human without delay. The holy woman, who appreciated the holiness and goodness of a humble wagon driver, called him a “tsaddik (a saint).”

A pious person like Chava does not forget a favor. Judaism cultivates one’s feelings of gratitude and deepens one’s appreciation of goodness. The holy woman remembered Reb Yankl’s kind deeds and pleaded for him before the Heavenly Throne. She was on a spiritual level to be a defending angel for others before the Heavenly Court.

Her holy husband, shared that “If there should be for one of them an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand, one who declares a person upright (Job 33:23) then indeed his holy wife Chava could call to the Heavenly host through her prayer.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

Please share this story with others

The Season of Lights – Chanukah is coming very quickly as it begins at Sundown on December 10, 2020. 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

The Fate of the Flour Woman

Posted on Thursday, 19, November, 2020Thursday, 21, March, 2024 by Rabbi

Once there was a woman who lived in Israel near the sea. Every day, she baked four loaves of bread. She would give three of the loaves to people in need. And she’d keep the fourth one for her family.

One day, after she’d given away three of the loaves of bread, a fourth person came to her door. What could she do? So she gave that person the fourth loaf of bread. And then she realized that she had no more flour in her barrel to bake another bread. So she went off to the store to buy some more. She walked along the seashore, humming to herself. After she had picked up the sack of flour from the store, she put it onto her head to carry it and began to walk back home.

Suddenly, the sky grew dark, and a storm rose up. A great gust of wind whirled around her head and blew the sack of flour off of her head and out to sea. Well, she ran after the sack, shouting, what did I do to deserve this injustice? How will I feed my family? But there really wasn’t anyone around to hear her. So she turned away from the sea and started to walk back home.

But on the way home, she changed directions. And instead of walking home, she walked all the way to Jerusalem, and she went straight to the palace of King Solomon the Wise. When the guards saw how determined she was, they let her right in to see the king. She began to tell the wise King Solomon all about the sack of flour and the gust of wind.

But as she was just about finishing her story, there was a great big commotion as 10 sailors carrying 10 sacks of gold burst into the room. We want to give these sacks of gold to the person who saved our lives, one of them said. King Solomon listened with great interest. How did this person save your lives? the King said.

Well, we are traveling merchants. And we were sailing close to the harbor when our ship began to sink. There was a hole, and we were sinking fast. The ship would have sunk, and we would have drowned. But just as suddenly, the water stopped flooding in.

We examined the hole, and we saw a bag of flour there. The flour had mixed with the water, and it made a dough. And the dough plugged up the hole and stopped the water from flooding our ship. This sack of flour saved us. So we want to reward the person whose sack it is. We were told to come to Jerusalem because you are the wisest king, and you would be able to help us.

A sailor pulled the sack out of his pocket and handed it to the king, who laughed as he turned to the woman. Would you recognize your sack? he asked. Of course, she said. My name is on it. The king examined it. And lo and behold, there was her name.

King Solomon said, of course, it is you who deserves the reward from these grateful sailors. Your sack of flour saved them. Without it, they surely would have drowned. And so she took the gold. She bought a lot more flour and was able to feed everyone in need.

Challah

Flour Woman’s Challah

Makes 2 braided loaves

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water – not hot		2-3teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon yeast or 1 packet of yeast		8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 Jumbo eggs, room temperature add water to make 1cup		4 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1 egg		1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (Optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, mix water and sugar add yeast and let sit
Beat eggs, salt and oil until well blended
Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens.
Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed.
Form dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky.
Divide each half into quarters and roll into long snakes about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the four snakes together firmly and braid. from middle. Pinch ends of the finished braids together.
Grease two baking pans and place finished braid each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush a generous amount over each braid.
Sprinkle with poppy seeds or any other desired topping (optional).
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 30 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

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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Susan and the Fruit Seller

Posted on Tuesday, 27, October, 2020Tuesday, 12, March, 2024 by Rabbi

So many people today search for meaning in the world. Sadly, too many feel betrayed by faith and really question the validity of age old beliefs. In the hopes of finding spirituality or holiness, many turn to mysticism. People become lost in the lofty ideas and practice of the mystical teachings without realizing that everyday life is filled with the light of holiness and meaning. There are times when people open themselves to their souls, to the Holy One, blessed be He and reveal the holiness that surrounds us.

A young woman named Susan was trying to rediscover her faith through intensive study of the Holy books and mysticism. After one class, she listened to a simple story about the importance of greeting people. The discussion centered around the teaching, “Be first to greet everyone, whatever their faith.” (Pirkei Avos 4:15) Who would have thought that greeting another person was such a powerful act of faith that the ancient sages taught, “To welcome another person is to welcome the Shechinah (Divine Presence).” (Mekilta Shemos 18:12) After some thought, Susan shared something that had happened to her earlier that day.

Susan, who is a lawyer, sees that people have very little interaction with one another. They seem to always be preoccupied with their own lives. She decided she did not want to live that way and tried to be open and friendly whenever possible, as part of her spiritual practice. Every day on the way to her office, she would pass a fruit stand, and although she never bought any fruit, she always made it a point to say hello to the fruit seller.

While she on her way to her office earlier that day, she was thinking about her spiritual life and became discouraged, thinking that she had accomplished very little. As she approached the fruit stand, she realized she had forgotten her lunch and decided to buy something.

She selected an orange and then took out her wallet to pay, but the seller said, “Oh, no! I’m not going to take money from you. Every day you say hello to me, and I feel so good, it makes my day. Please take this fruit as a gift.”

Susan was so moved by the man’s gesture but also by the Divine intervention: that the moment when she had felt discouraged about her spiritual life—and thinking she was not making any progress at all — the Holy One, blessed be He had given her a clear sign: “Don’t be discouraged, Susan! You are accomplishing something for yourself and for others!”

She explained that she realized from this incident that it takes very little to make a difference in the world by lifting someone’s else’s spirits— a simple greeting can be so important.

About a week later, Susan was shocked when she went to the fruit stand to buy some fruit for her lunch, but changed her mind at the last minute. But as she walked by, the fruit seller, he had an orange already in a bag and gave it to her with a big smile. She was so touched that she began to cry because that simple gesture touched her so deeply.

Susan was so profoundly touched, that in a world so filled with mistrust and fear, a simple greeting could make a deep impression. She realized that belief and faith is not found in mysticism, but in the everyday living and interactions. A greeting can create moments of giving and taking, of being sincere and open to the world are the very meaning of life.

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 holy rabbi known and respected for his learning and teachings was passing through a village one day. He was very thirsty after traveling along the dusty road as he neared the village. He walked towards the well when he saw a young woman drawing water.

The holy rabbi looked at her with eyes full of compassion and said, “I did not ask you about your learning or status. It is no dishonor to refresh a traveler.” “But you are very holy and I am unworthy”, answered the young woman.

The rabbi smiled and continued, “I ask again, can I have a little water to drink? I did not ask you about your learning or social status, but for a drink of water.”

People should live by their beliefs, not by pursuing faith as an academic exercise written solely in the holy books.

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 old quilt lay draped over a chair. It’s not a beautiful quilt, and all the fabric appears to be very old. Yet that old quilt is so full of life.

They do have an Interesting texture—smooth next to rough denim, seersucker alongside velvet and beautiful silks next to plain old cotton; and all over the quilt hundreds of tiny stitches, almost invisible to the eye, pucker ever so slightly.

An old quilt pulled up around oneself offers much needed comfort warmed by memories. Surely, it is a personal masterpiece — this quilt of friendships and life is not nearly finished.

Everyday brings new friends and experiences that grow throughout life. Each person has that special quilt, and that’s because the Holy One, blessed be He has sewn them into our hearts.

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 righteous live by their faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

That very night, for the first time in the baby slept soundly and peacefully without any dis­turbance, without any screeching or crying, so that it amazed everyone. He was quiet for a whole week.

The husband, who could read and write, looked at the page and turned pale. He began to scream, “What have you done? Do you know what this page is? It’s from the Torah portion Tochachah (the Rebuke, a section of the Torah full of fearsome curses against evildoers Deuteronomy 28:15–69).

Look what it says here: ‘G-d will smite you with madness . . . you shall be terrified night and day. . . . In the morning you will say, “Oh that it were night!” And at night you will say, “Oh that it were morning!”’”

The distraught father looked at his wife (who was about to cry) and slowly smiled and told her:

Faith is the summit of the Torah (Mibhar haPeninim # 123 c.1050). How great is the power of faith that turns the harsh judgment of Heaven to mercy and turns curses into blessings!”

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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The young mother began her journey on the path of life. “Is the way long?”, she asked.

“Yes,” answered her Guide, “and the way is hard. You will be old before you reach the end of it. But—” He stopped to smile warmly. “The end will be better than the beginning.

The days went by, the weeks turned to months and the months passed to years. The mother grew old, until she was very little and bent. Her children had grown tall and strong, and they walked with courage. They remembered the teaching “do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22)

When the way was hard, they helped their mother; when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather. At last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and magnificent gate open on top of the hill.

The mother said, “l have reached the end of my journey. Now I know that the end really is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and they will teach their children after them.

The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.

They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates slowly closed after her. They said, “We can’t see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than just a memory.

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

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

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Many years ago in a simple house in the holy city of Jerusalem there lived a Jewish woman. Special people live in Jerusalem and are so steeped in holiness and spirituality that they have few physical needs. Their prayers and actions are an exceptional treasure.

One woman knew how to knit beautiful yarmulkes, and she was able to support her family. How were her yarmulkes different from others that were

sold in the market, so that the mothers of Jerusalem ran to buy hers?

She would knit the yarmulkes with the intent of hiddur mitzvah – to beautify a mitzvah. One may ask why? It says in the Torah, “This is my G-d and I will glorify them. (Exodus 15:2)”

“What makes your yarmulke so special that you don’t want to trade with me?” asked the neighbor’s son.

The neighbor took in every word that this exceptional boy spoke. In just a few hours, every woman in the Jerusalem neighborhoods knew the holy woman’s secret, and they ran to her to buy her yarmulkes for their children. What mother wouldn’t give her last few coins for her child to be pious?

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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For this child I prayed; and the L-rd has granted me the petition that I made to him. (I Samuel 1:27)

On the third day of Hanukkah, there was a bris (circumcision) in the small wooden shul. The rabbi was the sandak—being honored to hold the baby on his lap—and he told a story at the bris:

A woman who was married for fifteen years and was not blessed with children. She went from rabbi to rabbi, from tzaddik to tzaddik, from one to the other to ask for a blessing, for them to pray for her, but still she had no child. She did not know what to do with herself.

She was very careful to light the Shabbos candles every week, welcoming the holiness of the day into her house. There was always food in her kitchen for those less fortunate. Her bright smile hid the pain and sadness that was deep in her heart.

Without children, she had a lot of time, and so she helped wherever she could. One day she discovered a woman who was sick and all alone, who had nobody in the world. She started to visit the sick woman, prepared food for her and talked to her for hours.

“That was almost a year ago and today we are gathered here for such a happy and holy occasion”, the rabbi continued, “The baby we just welcomed into the community is that baby. He is a gift from that woman.”

Al hanissim, v’al hapurkan, v’al hag’vurot v’al hat’tshuot v’al hamilchamot sh’asita lavoteinu bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh.

We thank You for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our fathers (ancestors) in the days of old, at this time.

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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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

That very night, for the first time in the baby slept soundly and peacefully without any disturbance, without any screeching or crying, so that it amazed everyone. He was quiet for a whole week.