The Stone Demon

Posted on Monday, 28, February, 2022Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Once there was a religious man who while clearing his field found a hidden underground room which was closed by a fine and handsome piece of marble. He took the stone and brought it into his house in order to use it.

One day the stone said to him: “If you take me from this place and clean me and polish me and place me in a clean spot within your house, I shall tell you how you can get a lot of money.” So what did the man do? He took the stone and placed it in a clean spot within his house. Then the stone said to him: “Go to the place that I tell you and there you will find your friend who is bringing his donkeys with him loaded with gold and silver. On the way there is a big pit into which he will fall. If you go out to meet him and help him, and he will give you a handsome amount of money.”

The man went to the place of which the stone had told him. There he found his friend in the pit, he helped him out, and his friend gave him a lot money, and the man returned home very cheerfully with the money. On the third day the stone called the man and said to him: “If you light one candle before me, I shall give you much more money than that.”

When the man heard this, he realized that the stone must be a demon that wished to lead him astray. He took his hammer and was about to smash the stone, but a demon came out of it and said to him: “If you do not smash this stone, I shall give you wealth beyond measure.” “Even if you were to give me all the money in the world,” answered the man, “I shall not rest until I smash this stone.”

When the demon saw that the man was G-d-fearing and would not accept his offer, he fled, and the man smashed the stone. And the Holy One, blessed be He gave him his reward. When he dug in his field a year later, he found a great treasure there.

When the sages heard this, they said: “He fulfills the wishes of those who fear Him” (Psalm 145:19).

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 Haunted Lyra: A Jewish Tale from Greece

Posted on Wednesday, 15, December, 2021Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There was a carpenter in the city of Salonika who was called upon by the chevra kadisha to make a coffin for a man who had died. When the coffin was finished, there was one board left over. The carpenter decided that the wood was so fine and beautiful that he would use it to carve a lyra. That night, however, he had a dream in which the dead man for whom he had made the coffin came to him and warned him not to fashion the wood into a musical instrument. The carpenter recalled this dream when he awoke, but paid no attention to it, as he did all dreams.

That day he started to carve the lyra. He worked very slowly, perfecting it over a period of weeks. When he was finished, he saw that the lyra was very well made indeed, and he was proud of himself. He polished the wood and strung the lyra and looked forward to the time that he might play it once he had made a bow. That night the dead man came back to him in a dream and again warned him not to play the lyra. But upon waking, the carpenter again ignored the dream.

That day he carved the bow and polished its wood until it shone like that the lyra. It was late at night when the bow was finished, so he decided not to try it out until the next day. That night the dead man came back to him once again, and said he was warning him for the last time not to play the lyra. But when the carpenter awoke, the first thing he did was to pick up the lyra and run the bow across its strings.

A haunting melody rose up, as if on its own, and no sooner had he played but a single song than the room grew dark, “and there was a thick darkness” (Exodus 10:22). The darkness was twice and twice again thicker than the darkness of any other night. The carpenter ran to the window, opened it in confusion, and peered outside, “”And lo, and dread, a darkness, a great one, fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12).

Suddenly a great force from behind, like invisible hands, shoved him out the window. Before he knew it, the carpenter found himself tumbling down, and an instant later he plunged into something soft and treacherous, like mud. With horror he realized it was quicksand, relentlessly sucking him under the earth. It had already reached his arms when he understood how imminent his danger was, and he thrashed about wildly, but it was too late. The quicksand dragged him under as he drew his last breath.

The son of the carpenter found his father’s body lying on the floor of his workshop, a lyra in his hands. That night the same dead man who had warned his father came to the son in a dream and revealed all that had happened and told him “He that mocks the poor insults his Maker” (Proverbs 17:5).

The very next day the son burned the lyra, and as it went up in flames, he heard the voice of the carpenter crying out as if from a great distance. Then he knew that somewhere his soul was no longer tortured.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Finger: An old Jewish Horror Tale

Posted on Sunday, 22, August, 2021Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The Jewish story that the movie, The Corpse Bride, was based on

One night long ago, in the ancient city of Safed, three young men went out for a walk. Reuven, the eldest, was to be married the next day to a beautiful and wealthy maiden, and his companions laughed and joked and teased their friend. The moon was full that night, and the young men decided to leave the beaten path and walk in the thick forest that surrounded the city.

The moonlight cast its light into the darkest parts of the forest, and they passed through it fearlessly. At last they reached the riverbank and rested on large rocks near the shore, while they watched the river below. Here they continued to make merry for they very light hearted.

It was during this time that one of them noticed something strange nearby. It was an object the size of a finger that stuck out of the earth. They got up to examine it, assuming it was a root. But when they came closer, they saw to their amazement that is was indeed a finger that emerged there.

Now on a different night the young men might have felt pity for one buried so near the surface. But filled with high spirits, they joked about it instead. One of them said who among us will put a wedding ring on this finger?” And Reuven, the groom-to-be, quickly replied that it must be he, because he was to be the first one to marry. Then, as his friends looked on in amusement, Reuven took off his ring and slipped it on that finger, pronouncing as he did the words Harai at m’kudeshes li-“You are betrothed to me”-three times, as the law requires. But no sooner did he finish speaking than the finger began to twitch, much to the horror of the young men, who jumped back at the sight.

Suddenly the whole hand reached out from the earth, twitching and grasping. And as they stared at it in horror, frozen in place, the ground began to rumble, as if the earth were about to open. Suddenly the body of a woman, wearing a tattered shroud, rose out of the earth, her dead eyes staring directly into those of Reuven, her arms open as she cried out, “My husband!” in a terrible and terrifying voice. Hearing this, the three friends screamed in horror and took to their heels, running through the forest as fast they could go. But this time the way was dark, for the moon had slipped behind a cloud, and as they ran they tore their clothes on thorns and branches, but never did they stop running or even dare to look back until they had reached their homes in the city. For all the time they ran they heard the unearthly wail of the dead woman close behind. Only when they were safely in their own homes, with the doors locked and the windows shuttered, did they dare breathe a sigh of relief and tend to the many cuts they had acquired in their wild dash through the forest.

The next morning the three friends met together, still pale and shaken. And they agreed to keep the horrible events of the night a secret, for they were deeply ashamed of their jest and its terrible consequences. Then Reuven went to the ritual bath to prepare for the wedding and left his friends alone with their confused thoughts.

Now a great many people had gathered, for Reuven and his bride belonged to two of the most distinguished families in Safed. But just as the ceremony was about to begin, a bloodcurdling shriek came from the back of the crowd, followed by the screams of many others, provoking a panic. For there stood the corpse of a woman wearing only a worm-eaten shroud. Most of the crowd-including the bride and the families of the bride and groom-ran away when they saw her, until none were left there except for Reuven and the rabbi, who had been about to pronounce the wedding vows.

The rabbi, alone among all of those present, retained his composure. He addressed himself to the corpse and said, “Why is it, woman, that you have left your final resting place and returned to the living?” And the corpse replied, in her unearthly voice:

And she held up her hand, on which the ring of the bridegroom could be seen, with his initials engraved on it. Then the rabbi turned to the bridegroom, who was crouched in terror behind him, and asked if what the woman said was true. In a trembling voice the young man told of his walk through the forest with his friends and of the jest they had played when they had found the finger sticking out of the earth. And the rabbi asked, “Did you pronounce the sacred vow three times?” The young man meekly nodded. And the rabbi asked, “Was it done in the presence of two witnesses?” Again Reuven nodded. Then the rabbi looked very grave and said that the rabbinic court would have to be convened to discuss the matter, for in the eyes of the law it appeared that the young man had indeed bound himself to that corpse in matrimony. When the bridegroom heard these terrible words, he fainted dead away and had to be carried off to his home.

In the days that followed, the city of Safed was in an uproar, for who had ever heard of a living man marrying a corpse? And the parents of Reuven begged the rabbi to find a way to free their son from the terrible curse. As for the rabbi, he immersed himself in meditation and in the study of response, searching for a precedent. But there was none; instead one would have to be set. On the day the court was convened, the rabbi called upon the corpse to appear, and she did so, still wearing the worm-eaten shroud in which she had been buried. Under oath she told what young Reuven had done in the forest. Then the rabbi called upon the two friends, who reluctantly confirmed what she said. At last the rabbi called upon the bridegroom, who also confessed that the vow had been made, but pleaded with the court to annul the marriage, for he had never intended for it to happen.

Then the court addressed the dead woman and asked her if she would relinquish her claim, but the corpse was adamant that the marriage must be consummated. For while she had lived she had never married and had thus been denied her hour of joy. And she was determined to receive after death what she had been denied in life.

Then the rabbi called upon the parents of the bridegroom, who testified that the betrothal of their son to the daughter of the wealthy man had been made even before the birth of the children. The two couples had vowed that if one had a boy child and one a girl, then they were to be wed. And the parents of the bride confirmed this vow.

Finally, when all the testimony had been taken, the court gathered together to discuss the case, while young Reuven trembled, his eyes avoiding the terrible corpse that also stood waiting among them. At last the court reached a decision, which the rabbi announced. He said, “It is true that in the presence of two witnesses, Reuven unwittingly made a vow of marriage that appears to be valid.” Here the rabbi paused, and the young man and his parents were filled with terror. Then the rabbi continued, “There are, however, other factors that must be considered. First, the wedding vow would deny the betrothal, and it is widely known that one vow may not be permitted to negate an earlier one. Second, the vow of the bridegroom was not made with intention. Finally, there is no precedent for a claim on the living by the dead. Therefore the vows cannot be accepted as valid, because the bride is not from among the living. The marriage is thus declared null and void!”

Now when the rabbi uttered these words, young Reuven fainted again, this time from relief. But the corpse, having lost her chance to wed either in life or in death let forth an ear-shattering shriek which pierced the souls of all those assembled there and filled their hearts with horror. Then she collapsed upon the ground and became again as one of the dead.

When those assembled had at last calmed down, the rabbi gave orders to have the corpse reburied, with proper ritual and at a greater depth, so that such a tragedy would never happen again. And after her burial the rabbi called upon the parents of the true bride to fulfill the vow they had made before their daughter had been born and to complete the wedding ceremony, which had been so terribly interrupted. This was done and at last the wedding of Reuven and his true bride took place.

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 Groom and the Beast – A Jewish Tale from old Cairo

Posted on Tuesday, 10, August, 2021Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There once was a wealthy man and wife who longed, more than anything else, to have a child of their own. Over the years they had tried every known remedy in order to conceive, including potions of every kind, but still the couple was without children. Now the man, who was a merchant, heard from others that there was a wise old man among the Jews, whose name was Elijah, who could help them have a child. And when they had exhausted every other means, the merchant and his wife went to the Jewish Quarter of Cairo and sought out the old man.

They found that Elijah lived in an almost empty hut in the poorest part of the quarter. He possessed nothing except for the robe he wore and a prayer book. The merchant and his wife wondered to themselves how such a poor man could be of help to them. Still, they were desperate, so they told the old man how much they longed to have a child, and they offered to pay him whatever he asked if he could help them. Elijah said, “What do you want, a son or a daughter?” The merchant replied, “More than anything else in the world, I want to have a son of my own.” Then Elijah told them to bring him pen and paper, and when they did, he wrote out an amulet, using holy names. He told them to place that amulet in a cup of wine and for both of them to drink from that cup, and in nine months’ time they would have a son of their own.

Somehow the quiet confidence of Elijah soothed the pair and gave them hope. Then the merchant said, “We will always be grateful if what you have said comes true. Tell me, how can I repay you?” Elijah replied, “Do nothing for now. But when the child is born, make a donation in the charity box of the synagogue on the corner of this street, which serves the poorest Jewish people. That will suffice.” Then the merchant and his wife thanked him many times, and turned to go. But before they left, the old man said, “Wait. There is one more thing that I must tell you.” The merchant and his wife turned back, wondering what it was. And Elijah said, “The son that will be born to you is not destined to be wed. He must remain unmarried all his life. For it is written that on the night he weds, he will be devoured by a beast!”

As they heard this prophecy, the high hopes of the couple were suddenly shaken. They stood silent, but at last the merchant said, “Is there nothing we can do to spare our child this terrible fate?” And the old man answered, “No, I am sorry to say. All that you can do is avoid making any match for him, and when he is old enough to understand, explain that it is his destiny to remain unwed.” And the merchant and his wife assured Elijah that they would heed his warning, and that if indeed they were blessed with a son, they would see to it that he was never betrothed. Then they took their leave, but this time they were much more solemn.

When they returned home the merchant placed the amulet that Elijah had written into a silver goblet and filled it with his finest wine, a bottle that had been saved since he had been born. The merchant and his wife drank from the goblet, one sip at a time, until it was empty. That is when they discovered that the amulet had dissolved into the wine; not a trace of it was to be found. And when the couple saw this, they sensed that the prophecy of the old man would indeed come true, and they would become parents. But they did not think about his admonition.

To their mutual delight the merchant’s wife soon found that she was with child, and at the end of nine months she gave birth to a beautiful boy, and the merchant and his wife felt they had been greatly blessed. The merchant did not forget his promise to Elijah to give money to the synagogue for the poor. He gave them a great donation, enough to sustain them for a full year. But he did not dwell on the warning of the old man, for the time his son would think of marriage was far off.

In the years that followed, the man and his wife raised their son with loving care, for he was more precious to them than anything in the world. From time to time a marriage was proposed for him, for such early betrothals were the custom. The boy’s parents always turned down these offers, giving one excuse or another, but never, of course, the true reason. The day came, however, when the young man himself informed his parents that he wished to be wed. The parents argued long into the night about whether to tell him the prophecy of the old man. In the end they decided not to, and instead made up their minds to see to it that the boy was indeed wed, but under circumstances that would protect him from every danger. Now in his travels the merchant had once come into possession of a small island in a distant sea. That island was uninhabited by man or beast, and the merchant thought it would be the perfect place to have the wedding. Therefore, once the match had been made, the merchant saw to it that a fine mansion was built on that island, surrounded with a large stone wall that would protect his son from every kind of danger. So too did he have guards posted to guard the mansion day and night.

One year later, when the time for the wedding had arrived, the merchant was informed that the mansion was ready. Then the merchant had his finest sailing ship outfitted and brought both families on board, along with the bride and groom and many guests. (Of course the bride and groom were never permitted to glimpse each other, as was the custom.) The voyage was a time of great rejoicing, and the merchant and his wife never dwelt on the prophecy of the old man. For they felt that they had done everything possible to protect their son from danger.

When the ship docked at last on that lovely island, all expressed wonder and delight. The sand of the beaches was pure white, and there were fruit trees of every kind, as well as wild grapes and berries. So too were all the guests astonished at the extravagant mansion. It was constructed of marble, like a palace, and the chamber of the bride and groom was set at the top of a spiral tower. There, the merchant felt sure, his son would be safe.

The wedding festivities continued for three days and nights before the vows were finally said. It was then that the merchant’s son saw his bride for the first time. She was astonishingly beautiful, with raven hair that reached to her waist, and the young man felt himself to be the most fortunate groom in the world. At last he and his bride climbed the stairs to the tower together and stood on the threshold of the bridal chamber. The young man led his bride inside and closed the door. As he gazed at her he was filled with awe at her beauty. He admired especially her hands, with their fine, slender fingers and long nails. He smiled shyly at her, but she seemed afraid to lift her eyes from the floor. When at last she did, the young man was astonished to see a look of wild desire in them unlike anything he had ever seen. When he stepped forward to embrace her, he suddenly heard a low growl. The young man looked around in confusion, wondering where it could have come from. He turned back just in time to see the fangs of the beast as it leaped at him from the very place his bride had been.

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 Sin That Was Sold

Posted on Tuesday, 24, November, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There were two Jewish merchants who were good friends. They used to purchase all kinds of goods, and one of them was a very handsome man indeed. One day they heard that a certain noblewoman had many goods, which she had inherited, to sell. They went to her place to purchase whatever she had. Now she had never seen a Jewish person, and her family had told her only bad things about them. When she asked her servant about these visitors, he laughed at her, saying: “Your family were not honest with you. They are like other men and lack for nothing except that they have no homeland now.” When she heard this, she wished to see the visitors and went to the entrance. There she was very surprised seeing the handsome merchant, whose face seemed to brighten the whole room. So she sent for him and spoke to him, and she was amazed that he could speak her language. She thoroughly enjoyed talking to him, and the flame of desire for him burned within her.

Their business was concluded, the other merchant went to the neighboring villages in order to hire wagons for transporting the goods, while the handsome one with the noblewoman. That night she sent for him to dine with her. He came and enjoyed the food, wine and conversation. The noblewoman told him how she loved him, and gave him all his share of the goods as a gift. With the desires for wealth and for the noblewoman joined, and he could not resist them.

In the morning, his friend returned with the wagons, they loaded up the goods and went their way. While on the road the handsome merchant recalled what he had done and was very ashamed of himself. His friend asked him what was troubling him, but he put him off with various excuses. He wanted to ease the burden of his friend so he insisted on knowing the real reason his friend was troubled and at last, under his pressure the handsome man told the other what had happened. The friend tried to comfort him, but he was not prepared for consolation and wept for what he had done. When his friend saw that he refused to be comforted, he offered to purchase the transgressions from him. They shook hands on the sale and returned home; and the man who had purchased the transgression grew very wealthy and was prosperous in all he did.

In due course the wealthy merchant died; and when he appeared before the Heavenly Court to give a reckoning for his deeds, they included the sin of his friend among his own. The dead man appeared to his friend in a dream and summoned him for trial before a very holy rabbi.

The man was terrified and did not know what to answer; and the dead man appeared in his dreams nightly until he became very sick. Then the sick person begged his family to carry him in his bed to the holy rabbi. They did so, and he told the rabbi of the dreams.

The rabbi said to him: “Have no fear! When he comes to you again, tell him that the Torah ‘is not in heaven’ (Deut. 30:12), and if he wishes for a trial, let him come before me together with you.” The rabbi set a special time for this trial according to the Torah.

When that time came, he sent the synagogue attendant to the grave¬yard to summon the dead merchant. The dead man came together with the living; and a minyan (a group of ten men) gathered in the synagogue.

Then both the dead man and the living stated their arguments. The holy rabbi listened to both ever mindful. The holy rabbi spoke to the living man saying,” A sin’s beginning is sweet, but its end is bitter. (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 2:2) One must always remember that ‘No sin is so light that it may be overlooked; no sin is so heavy that it may not be repented of.’ (Shiras Yisrael, 12c) The matters before us today are indeed great, for the wealthy merchant only wanted to ease his friend’s pain.”

After a moment or two the holy rabbi continued, “Those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies. (Tobit 12:10) For this reason the living man was troubled down to his very core by his sinful behavior.” After listening to the two before him, the holy rabbi found that the words of the living man to be sincere and ruled against the dead merchant.

The holy rabbi concluded that, “Happy is he who repents while still a man (Avodah Zarah 19a) for had the living man carried his own sin, he would have repented it long ago.” The holy rabbi consoled the dead merchant saying that he would perform reparation for his soul and lighten his punishment.

When the rabbi had declared his judgment, the sound of loud weeping was heard; and in the spot where the dead man had stood there now appeared a large cloud of smoke.

Based on Adas Tzadikkim 41-5

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 Haunted Fiddle

Posted on Friday, 30, October, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There was a carpenter in the city of Worms who was called upon to make a coffin. When the coffin was finished, there was one board left over. The carpenter decided to use it to carve a fiddle. That night, however, he had a dream in which the dead man for whom he had made the coffin came to him and warned him not to do so. The carpenter recalled this dream when he awoke, but dismissed it, as he believed “dreams are of no consequence.” (Gittin 52a)

That day he started to carve the fiddle. He proceeded very slowly, per¬fecting it over a period of weeks. When he was finished, he saw that the fiddle was very well made indeed, and he was proud of himself. He polished the wood and strung the fiddle and looked forward to the time that he might play it, once he had made a bow. That night the dead man came back to him in a dream and again warned him not to play the fiddle. But upon waking, the carpenter again dismissed the dream with the thought “the wheat without chaff, a new dream without nonsense.” (Berachos 55a)

That day he carved the bow and polished its wood until it shone like that of the fiddle. It was late at night when the bow was finished, so he decided not to try it out until the next day. That night the dead man came back to him once again, and said he was warning him for the last time not to play the fiddle. When the carpenter awoke, he was reminded that “divinations, soothsayings and dreams are vain.” (Ben Sira 34.5) He quickly picked up the fiddle and ran the bow across its strings. A haunting melody rose up, as if on its own, and no sooner had he played but a single melody than the room grew dark, as if the sun had been blotted out. The carpenter ran to the window, opened it in confusion, and peered outside, but the darkness was so deep he could not see anything.

Suddenly a great force from behind, like invisible hands, shoved him out the window. Before he knew it, the carpenter found himself tumbling down, and an instant later he plunged into something soft and treacherous, like mud. With horror he realized it was quicksand, relentlessly sucking him under the earth. It had already reached his arms when he understood how imminent was his danger, and he thrashed about wildly, but it was too late. The quicksand dragged him under as he drew his last breath.

The son of the carpenter found his father’s body lying on the floor of his workshop, a fiddle in his hands. That night the same dead man who had warned his father came to the son in a dream and revealed all that had happened. The very next day the son burned the fiddle. And as it went up in flames, he heard the voice of the carpenter crying out as if from a great distance. Then he knew that somewhere his soul was still being tortured.

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 Rabbi Who Was Turned into a Werewolf

Posted on Friday, 3, July, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Part IV The Curse is Broken and Justice

When the king arrived home, he held a great banquet and invited all the lords of the realm. As he sat at the table, merry and joyous, he sent for the wolf. Coming in, the wolf was so happy that he wagged his tail appreciatively, for he knew the king had gone out to get the ring. The wolf licked the king’s hand and curled up at his feet. When the king saw this, he took the ring from his bag and showed it to the wolf. The king then took the ring and put it on the wolf’s paw. Suddenly a naked man stood before them.

When the king saw him, he quickly threw his royal cape over him to cover his nakedness. The lords of the realm were terrified. The king explained, “Don’t be afraid! The man standing before you was the werewolf.”

Now the man leaped up in great joy and made a request to the king, “Dear king, I beg you, give me permission to go home again, for I haven’t been there for three or four years. Do me the great favor and let me go.”

The king looked at his faithful friend and answered,

So the rabbi took his leave of the king and went home. The king wanted to give him many presents, but the rabbi responded, “Your Majesty, you have seen for yourself that I have enough wealth at home. I really don’t need any money. You’ve treated me honourably and have returned to me my special ring. Truthfully, without it, I would have been destined to remain a werewolf for the rest of my life.”

The rabbi took some food for the journey and started out to return home. Along the way, he once again gathered some students and bought them fine clothes of black velvet, and they came to his home town. On a quiet night in his camp site, he quietly requested:

News spread quickly through the town that the rabbi was returning with some students, all finely dressed. The whole community happily welcomed the rabbi.

They wanted to know where he had been for so long, but the rabbi would only say, “It is better if you didn’t ask. I have returned to my home and the adventures of the last three or four years are not important.”

The rabbi acted as if he didn’t know what had happened to his wife, although he fully realized she was in the stable. Still, upon coming home, he ask his servants, “Where is my wife? I don’t see her anywhere! She won’t be able to meet students I’ve brought back with me.”

His servants said, “Dear Rabbi, please don’t be alarmed, and we’ll tell you what we know.”

The rabbi answered, “Please tell me whatever news you may have,”

So they began, “Dear Rabbi, as soon as we heard that you were coming, we ran to tell your wife the wonderful news. But we couldn’t find her anywhere. And we don’t even know what’s become of her.”

The rabbi wasn’t the least bit concerned and he continued as though he knew nothing, saying, “I think that if she may have left on a long journey and she’ll return after some time.”

The rabbi resumed his practice of distributing money to the poor, re-opened the yeshiva (Jewish religious school), and helped the less fortunate. Everyone was very happy.

A short time later, he gave a large banquet and invited the entire town. Sitting there in high spirits, he announced, “Friends, since the Holy One, blessed be He helped me to return home safe and sound, I pledge to build a beautiful Beis haMidrash (House of Study) where people can gather to study and pray. The bricks we need for the construction will be hauled by the donkey in the stable.”

This donkey was his wife, but no one knew she was transformed because of her many evil deeds. The people blessed their beloved rabbi, May the Holy One, blessed be He help you and enable you to carry out your wish in peace and health.”

Meanwhile, the donkey had been eating a lot and gotten fat. Sadly, in front of people, she had no sense of modesty, she coupled openly others in the stable. When the rabbi made her haul bricks on her back, she became very lean and muscular. When the rabbi saw that she didn’t want to move, so he kicked her in the ribs saying, “The Holy One, blessed be He hates ‘a heart that devises wicked plans and feet that hurry to run to evil’ (Proverbs 6:18). Your plans have come full circle ‘as you have done, it shall be done to you’ (Obadiah 1:15). You shall work doing good until you ‘mend your ways and your actions’ (Jeremiah 7:3).”

After the construction of the synagogue was built, the rabbi gave another great banquet, inviting all his wife’s family. When they were all happy, the rabbi told them the entire story, everything that had happened to him, the terrible troubles his wife had caused him, until the Holy One, blessed be He had helped him recovered his human form and return to his home. He further explained, “That’s why she was turned into a donkey, and that’s is how she’ll remain for the rest of her days.”

When her family heard this, they were shocked and felt pity for her. They pleaded with the rabbi to forgive her, assuring him she would never do it again. But the wrongs she had done to the poor and the students of the village caused the rabbi to question whether he could ever trust her.

Not long after that, the rabbi passed away, leaving his children a vast wealth. Upon his death, the wishing-ring vanished and his wife remained a donkey as long as she lived.

It was believed that the rabbi was from the lost tribe of Benjamin. For you see the Torah describes Benjamin as not just like a “ravenous wolf” (Genesis 49:27), but also capable of turning into a wolf itself. But the truth is only known to the Holy One, blessed be He.

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 Jewish Werewolf Story

Posted on Wednesday, 20, May, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

He was an orphan who spent a great deal of time in the forest. It seemed impossible for the elders of the village to convince him to stay and study in the Beis Medresh (House of Study). So they decided to put the orphan’s great love of the forest to good use and assigned him the task of leading the children through the forest each day to school. This work changed the boy from a solitary young man to one who joyously led the children, singing along the wooded paths. The songs they sang from their hearts drifted into the highest heavens and were heard by the Holy One, blessed be He.

The Evil One, who leads many astray, grew afraid that the innocent and pure singing of the orphan and the children might free Moshiach (the Messiah) from the chains that hold him back. So he felt he had to bring the singing to an end.

So the Evil One decided to take possession of a woodcutter who made his home in the forest. Now this man had called upon the Evil One to witness his sins many times, for he was not even ashamed of all the terrible things he had done. So the Evil One called down the evil spirit of a sorcerer, whose soul was the darkest of the dark, to take possession of the sinful woodcutter. The Evil One put into the mind of the woodcutter a single thought: to bring to an end the pure song of the children who accompanied the orphan along the forest paths.

This sorcerer, who now possessed the woodcutter’s body, knew a spell that turned a man into a werewolf. So three days before the rising of the full moon, the sorcerer said the words of that spell, knowing that on the night the moon was full he would turn into a beast.

Now the orphan led the children to school shortly after sunrise, and they returned home in the late afternoon. During the winter it had already grown dark when they started to walk home. It was that on the night of a full moon the orphan led the children through the snowy forest. When suddenly, out of nowhere, the most terrible beast imaginable leapt out at them, howling in an unearthly voice, and frightening all the children. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the werewolf dashed off into the dark woods, and the children, one and all, started crying. Even the orphan was shaken, but still he gave thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He for having saved them from that terrible wolf. He also calmed the children and led them home.

Now many of the children were so upset that they were afraid to go to school the next day, or the next, just as the Evil One had hoped. In fact, a few of them started having nightmares of the worst kind. They cried out in their sleep and shed many tears. Many of their parents decided that they themselves must lead the children through the forest, for they thought the task too dangerous for the young orphan.

The orphan was very sad about this, for he knew that the singing of the children was the purest form of prayer. He grew angry that such a beast should be in that forest, driving out those who would walk along the wooded paths. He hoped he could find this wolf’s den, so that hunters might be able to get rid of the fearsome beast. When the orphan returned to the place where they had seen the beast, he found the huge wolf tracks and followed them through the forest. Suddenly, the wolf tracks disappeared, and in their place he saw the tracks of a man.

The orphan was much amazed by this. He realized that the wolf must be supernatural — a werewolf. He grew even more angry that something so evil should be in the forest. Then the orphan followed the tracks until they led him to the hut of the woodcutter. The orphan knew that woodcutter was not a pious man, but he had never imagined that he was a werewolf.

The orphan hid himself in the woods and watched the woodcutter for many days. Once in a while, the man left his hut, but the orphan never saw him cutting wood. Yet smoke was always seen rising up from the roof. The orphan wondered how this was possible, for the hut was too small to store much firewood. One day as he watched, a flock of birds happened to fly above the hut, and those passing through that smoke fell dead to the ground, one after another. This surprised the orphan, so he crept up and touched one of the fallen birds. Then he pulled his fingers back in horror, for the bird had been burned to a cinder in a single instant. That was when he realized that the fire, too, was unnatural. And he shuddered at the thought of the evil source of those flames.

Now three weeks had passed since the attack of the werewolf, and during that time the orphan had not been seen at the Beis Medresh (House of Study) even once. The rabbis again began to worry about him, and they asked the parents of the children to give the orphan another chance. He was delighted when he learned that the parents were again willing to let him guide their children along the forest path.

Once the orphan knew that the wolf was actually a werewolf, he knew that the beast posed a danger to them only on the night of the full moon. He decided that he would rid the forest of this evil. So, three days before the full moon rose, the orphan had a dream he would never forget. In the dream an old man came to him who said his name was Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet). He revealed secrets of how the evil beast could be defeated once and for all. When the orphan awoke, he remembered every detail of this dream and he was sure that he would succeed, for that is what the Holy One, blessed be He wanted.

On the day of the full moon, the orphan led the children to school as usual, shortly after sunrise. That day he sang with more feeling than the children had ever heard, and when they joined in, their song reached to the highest heavens, sailing above even the prayers offered up that day. The angels gathered those songs together and wove them into a garland for the Holy One to wear as he sat on his Throne of Glory.

After the orphan had brought the children to school, he himself returned to the forest. He went to the very place where the wolf had attacked them, and built a fire. He waited until the fire had burned down, and when all that remained of it were embers, he banked them with ashes, leaving little holes for air. Then he returned to the House of Study in time to lead the children home. Once again, they sang in the sweetest voices ever heard. The Evil One shuddered at their purity and swore to silence their song forever.

Now the orphan and the children arrived at that place in the forest just be¬fore dark, and he quickly uncovered the embers and fanned them into a great blaze, warming them on that cold night and casting a great light. Then the orphan told the children to stand by the fire, and he used his walking stick to draw a circle around them in the snow. As he did, he whispered some words that the confused children could barely make out. Then he turned to the children and told them that no matter what happened, they were not to run outside that circle, for within it no harm would come to them. After that he began to sing, and the children, despite their fear, sang with him.

By then it had grown dark, and the full moon was seen rising in the sky. As soon as it shone upon them, the children heard the most terrible howling from the forest. One and all they began to cry out in fear, for they recognized the howling of the werewolf. The orphan told them not to be afraid, for Heaven would protect them as long as they remained within that circle. When the children saw how calm the orphan was, they stopped crying, though they still shivered with fear.

Then the orphan took his walking stick and put the end of it into the fire. Now he was very fond of that staff, and the children were stunned, for they could not imagine him burning it. But the staff did not burst into flame. Its end just glowed brightly when the orphan lifted it up. At that very moment they heard the sound of branches breaking nearby, accompanied by another terrible howl, this time so close that the children started to scream. That is when the orphan suddenly swung his walking stick around and around, so that it seemed as if a burning circle hovered there. When the terrible were¬wolf leaped toward them, he was surrounded by that glowing circle. It grew smaller as the wolf passed through it, and those who dared to open their eyes saw a great miracle take place: for as the wolf passed in one side and out the other, he turned into the woodcutter. And although this happened quickly, several students later insisted that they had seen a half-man, half-wolf, suspended in that flaming circle, before the body of the woodcutter crashed to the ground and began to smoke. Before long it burned to ashes, and then even the ashes disappeared. And Israel knew that somewhere that evil soul was being punished for what it had done and that it was burning in the fires of brimstone.

So the orphan gathered the children together and led them back home beneath the light of the full moon, which seemed to cast a path before them. The Evil One knew the bitterness of defeat and in the palaces of heaven there was great celebration.

When the people found out how the orphan saved their children, they wanted to thank him. But that night he disappeared, for that is the way of the Lamed vov (the Hidden Ones)

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

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