“You Shall Remember that You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt”

Posted on Wednesday, 8, April, 2015Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

(Deuteronomy 5:15)

The requirement to recall “that you were a slave in Egypt” enables an individual to avoid feelings of conceit and pride. For “when pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble. (Proverbs 11:2) To what can this be compared?

There once was a king who set out on a hunting trip. As he was exploring the fields in the hope of finding game, he came upon a shepherd in a meadow who was sitting next to his flock of sheep and playing a flute.

The king was delighted by the pleasant tunes that were coming from the flute, and he found himself unable to move from his place. After some time had passed, the shepherd finished his melody. The king approached the shepherd and began to speak with him and discovered that he was very wise.

The king was amazed by the shepherd’s complexity of thought, and he invited him to come with him to his palace. The shepherd agreed and went with the king.

From then on, the shepherd lived in the royal palace, and the king asked his advice regarding all matters. In time, the shepherd rose to become one of the king’s closest advisors.

Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who is able to stand before jealousy (Proverbs 27:4) and the other advisors were jealous and filled with hatred towards the shepherd who was so beloved by the king. They decided to tell terrible stories about him, informing the king that his trusted advisor had stolen from the royal treasury.

The king summoned the shepherd and questioned him, but he managed to convince all those who were present that he was an honest and upright individual. However, the jealous advisors still managed to persuade the king to conduct a search of the shepherd’s quarters, in hopes of finding some evidence of theft.

They all went together to search the shepherd’s quarters, but found nothing more than a modestly furnished home, lacking any luxuriousness whatsoever. They went from room to room finding nothing suspicious, until they came to a room that was sealed by both lock and bolt.

“What is inside this room?” asked the king.

The shepherd fell to his knees and began to plead with the king:

“Your Highness, I beg of you, do not ask me to show you what lies beyond this door! I am embarrassed by what you will find there.”

The shepherd’s pleas only served to strengthen the king’s suspicions, and he demanded that the door be opened.

When the door was opened, they glanced around the room but saw nothing more than the old clothing of a shepherd and a flute. The king and his officers were confused.

“Your Highness,” explained the former shepherd. “from the day that I came to your palace, I have not grown the least bit proud or conceited over the importance that I have achieved. This is due to my daily visits to this room, when I sit here and play my flute, recalling my days as a simple shepherd.”

So it is that remembering “that you were a slave in Egypt” will prevent a Jewish person from becoming arrogant. For whenever he feels himself swelling with pride, he will recall his days as a lowly slave in Egypt and the haughtiness will thus be banished from his heart. “A person’s pride will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Woman of Valour Saves From Death

Posted on Sunday, 31, August, 2014Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Eishes chayil mi yimtza, A Woman of Valor, who can find? (Proverbs 31:10)

There was a holy rabbi who had a beautiful daughter and many wanted to marry her. The rabbi had raised his daughter in all the ways of holiness and wanted her marry a student of holiness. He wished to know who would be his future son-in-law, so he fasted for three days and then went to the mikvah and on the night of rosh chodesh, Elul, he prayed and asked the Holy One, blessed be He to reveal the young man to him. Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet) appeared to him and told him that his son-in-law would be a student of holiness who was destined to die on the first anniversary of his wedding. His wife would remain a widow, and she would have no children, for such was the decree of Heaven.

In the morning the holy rabbi’s heart was full of grief but he kept what had been revealed to him a secret and decided that he would journey to the Holy Land, to the resting places of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and Rachel, to have the decree annulled.

The rabbi with his wife and daughter set out on their long journey. They traveled for a long time and at twilight on the third day, they came to a great forest. They sat down by a shady tree, next to which a spring bubbled forth. After they had eaten they lay down to rest from their strenuous journey.

The holy rabbi rose at midnight to say tikun chatzos, he heard the sound of a weak voice, coming from some distance away. He decided to follow the sound and soon a small light shining through the trees about a bowshot away. The rabbi walked towards the light and found a hut made of woven branches and leaves, lit up within by two lights. The rabbi peered through the branches and saw two men -one a blind old man who lived in eternal darkness, and the other a young man of about twenty, who was very handsome to look at. Both of them were saying the tikun chatzos.

The rabbi stood and watched in awe the two hermits for a short time, before he gathered up his courage and entered the hut.

“Shalom Aleichem (Peace be unto you), my masters,’’ he said.

“Aleichem Shalom (Upon you be peace), our master and teacher,” they answered.

The three of them joined together saying tikun chatzos, and then studied the torah until the morning star rose.

Then the old man asked the rabbi: “How did you come to be in this forest?”

The rabbi told him that he was traveling to the Holy Land, with his wife and daughter.

The rabbi returned to his wife and daughter and brought them to the hut, and the three of them remained there. The rabbi and the old man studied the torah, the woman cooked and baked, the daughter drew water, and the young man cut wood. Each day the heart and soul of the young man melted as he looked at the holy rabbi’s daughter.

One day the old blind man asked the holy rabbi: “Let your daughter be the bride of my son and it shall be guaranteed that both of us will see our grandchildren after us.”

The rabbi did not wish to reveal his secret to the old man, and a few days later the young couple were married according to the laws of Moses and Israel.

For a whole year the young couple lived happily in the lonely hut in the forest. A few days before the year was out the rabbi revealed to his daughter the dream he had had. He told her that the death of her husband was about to happen and made her swear that she would not reveal the secret to any man.

After she had heard about her father’s dream, the young woman fasted and prayed for three days. “Ribono shel olam, Master of the Universe” she said. “If you have decreed that my husband must die take my life too, for I would rather have death than a life without him.”

On the first anniversary of his marriage the husband went out to the forest, as was his way, to cut wood, but this time his wife followed him. On that day the sun was dark in the heavens and no living thing was to be seen. The winds did not whisper and the birds were silent. At noon, the Angel of Death appeared with a large slaughterer’s knife in his hand. He wielded the knife over the head of the husband who sank dead to the ground.

When the woman saw that her husband was dead, she turned to the Angel and said: “Angel! I insist in the name of the one who sent you that you tell me why you have robbed me of my husband. ‘The days of our years are three score and ten’ (Psalm 90:10), and my husband is only twenty-one.’ “

The Angel of Death replied: “Poor foolish woman! It is the decree of the Creator, and I cannot disobey it. Be it known that ‘he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more’ (Job 7:9)”

“If that is so,” said the woman, “then I will ask you to fulfil my only wish.”

“Whatever you ask me to do, I will do,” said the Angel. “But I cannot restore your husband to life.”

“I do not ask you to restore my husband to life,” said the woman. “But I will ask you to restore the sight of the eyes of my father-in-law.”

“It sall be so,” promised the Angel of Death.

Then she addressed the Angel of Death again: “Promise me, I beg you, that it shall be granted my father-in-law to see a grandson or great-grandson playing by his side.

“It shall be so!” the Angel of Death promised again

Then said the woman: “I am the wife of the son of my father in-law. I am the only one who is capable of giving birth to sons and daughters who will carry on his seed. If you indeed wish to honour your promise then you must restore my husband to life, for my husband had no children, and without his children my father-in-law will have no grandchildren or great-grandchildren. ‘Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world’ (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9). If you rob me of my husband, you rob me and my husband of my children, and my father-in-law of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You will break your promise and in one stroke you will destroy whole worlds.’ “

The Angel of Death was at a loss as to what he should do. He had no choice but to restore the woman’s husband to life. “Let it be know to all the you are indeed an Eishes Chayil, a woman of noble character and wisdom” as he prepared to leave. The moment the Angel of Death rose into the heavens the woman’s husband stood once again on his feet.

The woman and her husband returned to their hut and found the old man reciting the benediction: “Blessed be he who opens the eyes of the blind.” They all rejoiced at the miracles that had been wrought for them and recited the blessing: “Baruch atah Adoshem, m’chaiyay hameisim. (Blessed are You G-d who revives the dead.)”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Trap, Loshon haRa and the Wealthy Merchant

Posted on Sunday, 17, August, 2014Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There was once a very wealthy merchant who liked to feel important, and so he made it a practice inform the authorities about the doings of other people within the community. He often talk badly of others just so he could be seen as important and wise. Everyone was afraid of him and no one dared to cross him, lest he report them to those in power. One day he seemed to have just disappeared.

A group of students gathered together to study with their holy teacher, when he said to them: “Did you know Lavan the merchant?” The students became silent and then one answered the holy rabbi: “It is like what is taught about those who are like him, “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.” (Psalms 69:28) Then the holy rabbi told his students: “Bring me a trap!” They brought him a trap, and the holy rabbi placed it in a corner of the room and a mouse was caught in it at once.

Then the holy rabbi spoke to the mouse as his students watched, asking: “What did you think when you used to inform on people and betray them causing the wealth of so many good and upright people to be lost? One’s words must be words of honor and not words of shame, as it is said: ‘On that day you shall not be put to shame because of all your deeds…’ (Zepaniah 3:11) We are taught shaming another in public is like shedding blood. (Bava Metzia 58b)’ ” The mouse cried before him and begged him to pray to the Holy One, blessed be He so that he might be delivered from his sufferings and enter Gehenna. “Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away (Proverbs 6:33) One who says evil things about others has no portion in the World to Come. Go away, for you are not worthy even to enter Gehenna.” answered the rabbi. With that said, he opened the trap, and the mouse fled.

And when the students saw this, they were amazed.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Envious Man and the Covetous Man

Posted on Thursday, 7, August, 2014Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. (Job 5:2)

There were two men, one covetous and the other envious. And they hated one another and complained of their Maker who knew their ill nature. Greatly they complained and sadly they cried. The covetous man would say: “See how bitter and bad are all the works of G-d who brings the mighty low. Why am I so poor and needy when he has made that greedy man, my enemy and neighbor, rich, who dwells not far from me. My heart aches and longs to be in his place!” The envious man in his hatred would say: “G-d will not turn your way nor will He listen to you, and if ever you were to try to be a leader set on high, so surely I would die!” Now the Angel of the L-rd found them, and as soon as he saw them, he summoned them and said: “Why is it that you wish to make such demands? Surely you should be ashamed to speak against your Creator and argue like this before Him, both of you! I have been sent to you this day to give each one of you a message and grant a wish. This is what I give you. Whatever each of you may request, in a moment he gets, but his friend shall have double of the same.”

They heard the words of the heavenly messenger and said: “We are your servants indeed and you will be our master. Be kind toward us now, for you have consoled us.” And after they had spoken, the angel went away wherever the spirit bore him, and no eye ever saw him and all his traces were unknown. Then they saw and understood that he was an angel of the L-rd and had spoken words of truth.

The covetous man wanted twice as much and was as poisoned by his desires and said: “You ask!” But the envious man said to him: “How shall I ask anything when you will double what I desire and take the first-born’s double share though you are the last, and you will have the advantage. How can I set out to better your fate and cause you to have more? If you speak properly, then speak up before me!”

The covetous man felt a fury at heart and turned on him with anger and hit him with a high hand, saying: “You ask at once, and I shall gain after you, for if not I shall destroy you and slay you here and now!” Now when the other saw his hope was lost, he entreated him, saying: “Good sir, please let me be, and I shall ask the first and you shall obtain double afterwards, as long as there is peace between you and me.” The covetous man moved away.

Then envious man began to pray: “0 L-rd, Hear the words of your servant and pay the reverse of Your kindness, so that he may receive what he deserves. Blind me in just one eye but two eyes of my foe, and break one of my arms but give him twice before I go!” And so it came about and darkness dread fell on them both for they became blind, and finally the second received all this twofold, for his prayer was fulfilled.

For he looked at the other and behold both his eyes were dark, while his hands both hung helpless from his sleeves. And both of them remained that way in shame and reproach, and they lost all their covetousness and envy and hatred.

Each person is blessed with certain gifts, but resentment leads him to act foolishly, and envy for what others have slays hope and blessings.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Rabbi, the Cook and the Garden of Eden

Posted on Tuesday, 11, February, 2014Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

It is not study that is so important as much as deeds done.

It is told that Rabbi Shimon once prayed that the Holy One, blessed be He show him his place in Eden. One night in a dream he saw that he would be seated next to a cook. This surprised him, and he thought to himself, “I have occupied myself in the study of Torah day and night, yet my place is beside a cook.” After the dream, he decided: “I will go and find this cook and ask him what he has done so special.”

He searched for some time and found that the cook was a very wealthy man. He became a guest of the cook and stayed with him for eight days, and the cook showed him great honor. Rabbi Shimon asked the cook to walk with him in the field outside of the village and asked him: “Please tell me what you have been doing that is so special.”

The cook thought for a moment and then slowly answered, “Rabbi, I am just a simple man who by reason of my many sins have studied very little Torah. All my life I have been a cook. At one time I was very poor but by the blessings of Heaven, I have grown wealthy. Every Friday since I began cooking, I have distributed meat, challah and wine to the poor at my expense and I give a great deal in charity. I try to follow the teaching of ‘Sanctifying the Sabbath with food, drink, clean clothes and pleasure. (Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:1)’ “Rabbi Shimon listened and then asked, “Please tell me whether you have done anything more than that.”

Then the cook thought for a moment and reluctantly shared: “Please understand that I am the tax collector for this city. When a ship comes, I collect a tax on any goods in the hold of the ship. Once a ship came here, and I collected the tax.”

“After the captain paid the tax, he came to me and said: ‘If you wish to purchase what is in the hold on my ship, I’ll sell it to you.’ “

“Tell me what it is” I said to him.

“I shall not tell you,” the captain answered, “until you have bought it and paid for it. And if you do not buy it, I shall not sell it at all.”

“In that case,” I replied, “tell me how much it is, and I shall decide.”

“Ten thousand in gold,” the captain told me; and I told him: “Show me the goods, and I shall pay it.”

“I shall only give it,” the captain answered “if you give me twenty thousand in gold.”

“Show me your merchandise and I shall pay.”

“I shall not give it to you unless I you pay me forty thousand in gold.”

“When I saw that he was raising the price all the time, I decided that it must be something very, very valuable, so I agreed to pay him the gold. The captain ordered, ‘you must pay me in full before I will show you what is in the hold of my ship.’ I paid him in good gold.’ “

“Immediately he brought out from the ship’s lower hold two hundred Jewish souls whom he had captured, and said to me: ‘If you had not purchased them today, I would have slain them and flung them into the sea.’ Now he handed them over to me, and I brought them to my home. I fed them and gave them to drink and provided them clean clothes. I also assisted those who were single to wed one another.”

Among the refugees was a very beautiful young girl, and I took pity on her and gave her to my son, and he was betrothed to her. I invited all my townsfolk to the wedding feast. When the guests sat down to eat, I stood among them and saw that a young man who had been among the captives was crying. ‘Why are you crying?’ I asked, but he did not wish to tell me. Finally, I led him to a room away from everyone else, and there he told me that the day they had been taken captive was the very day on which he should have wedded that beautiful young girl. ‘If you are prepared to divorce her,’ said I to him, ‘I shall pay you a hundred pieces of silver.’ ‘My lord,’ said he to me, ‘I desire her more than all the silver and gold in the world, but what can I do if your son stands under the bridal canopy with her.’ “

“At this, I went to my son and told him: ‘Divorce her.’ My son looked at me and said, ‘Father I understand not your reasons, but I respect your wisdom and I shall do as you ask.’ I gave her to that young man and I made them wealthy according to the way of our people that ‘when you let him go free, you shall not let him go empty, and you shall furnish them liberally.’ (Deuteronomy 15:13). This is the thing I have done.’ “

Then Rabbi Shimon said to him: “Blessed be the One who sees all hidden things who has favored me to be seated beside you in Eden!”

So let a man engage in Torah (Scripture) and good deeds at all times, and practice charity. For money is not his but belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the Prophet Haggai said: “The silver is Mine, the gold is Mine, says the Lord” (2:8). And it is also written in the Book of Psalms: “For God judges; this one He brings down, and that one He lifts up” (75:8).

Happy is he who performs a good deed, that may tip the scale for him and the world. (Kiddushin 40b)

(based on Tanchuma, Mavo 68)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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To Give Tzedakah or Loans

Posted on Tuesday, 7, January, 2014Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Once there was a holy rabbi who had many, many students. His students learned much from their teacher, but could not understand why their beloved teacher disappeared every Thursday night. No matter how many people wanted to see him, he was nowhere to be found. None of his students or other rabbis in the community had any idea where he had gone.

One Thursday afternoon some of his students decided to try to find out what was going on and what their holy teacher was doing. The students hid in some bushes outside of the synagogue hoping to see their holy teacher. When he left on his secret business, after waiting for several hours, they saw the holy rabbi come out and hurried away. The curious students followed him.

The holy rabbi moved quickly through the streets and the students were always not far behind. Soon he entered one of the poorest areas of the town. He was immediately surrounded by so many needy people asking for tzedakah (charity). The students watched the holy rabbi’s actions and noticed that he didn’t just give some money to a better and then walk on, he stopped by each poor person and said: “my friend I would be so happy to help you, but I really can’t give you any charity. I can only give you this money as a loan.”

The beggar looked at him in surprise. “Alone? Rabbi, holy rabbi you would really give me alone?”

The holy rabbi would look at the poor man in front of him and smile as he answered: “yes, of course. Would you accept a loan for me? I have so much faith in you, I know you’ll be able to pay me back.”

With a peaceful face each beggar would happily accept some rubles as a loan, and the holy rabbi would go on his way.

After watching the holy rabbi do this for a while, the students decided they had seen enough. They went back to the synagogue and gathered around the table where they learned holy lessons from the rabbi and waited for him. When the holy rabbi finally returned very late that night, they confronted him with what they have learned:

“Holy teacher, we have to admit we followed you tonight and saw that you were doing. But really, how could you tell all those poor people. You were giving them loans? You know full well they’ll never be able to repay you. Why didn’t you just give them some tzedakah (charity) and let it go at that.”

“Why? I’ll tell you why! It’s not just that those beggars don’t have any money. They’ve also lost all of their hope, all of their faith that their lives can ever be better. They’re so broken, and too many are in despair.”

“Do you know what that means to them. When I, the holy rabbi, offer them a loan? It means that I believe in them… Even though they fallen to the lowest place, I have faith that they can get back on their feet again”

“Listen to me! I’ve taught you a lot of Torah. But this is the most important thing I’ll ever tell you. It’s not enough to hand a beggar a few coins. You have to give them back their self-respect, to show them that you believe in them, even if-especially if-they no longer believe in themselves.”

The holy rabbi paused for a moment or two and then continued: “Are we not taught: ‘who gives the poor money is blessed six-fold, who gives him morale is blessed seven-fold.’ (Baba Basra 9b) May each and every person who gives the poor a means to strengthen themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually be blessed.’ ”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Money, Listening and Justice

Posted on Monday, 6, January, 2014Tuesday, 17, October, 2023 by Rabbi

Two men came before the holy rabbi to resolve a monetary dispute. The non-Jewish man claimed that the Jewish man had borrowed money from him, but the Jewish man denied that he owed the other man anything. The holy rabbi sensed that the non-Jewish man was truthful.

The holy rabbi listened to both men and after hearing the arguments of both sides, he told them that he had to leave for a little while, and asked them to discuss the matter between themselves in the meantime.

The arbitration was held in the local synagogue, and the two men thought that the rabbi they asked to judge the merits of their dispute had left the synagogue.

The holy rabbi had not left; he had gone up to the women’s section, and was listening to every word the two men were saying.

A heated argument erupted between them, and holy rabbi heard the non-Jewish man talking at the Jewish man as ‘He fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was ashamed.’ (2 Kings 8:11) “Aren’t you ashamed? You know very well that you borrowed money from me, and how can you claim that you don’t owe me anything?”

“It’s true that I borrowed money from you, “the Jewish man responded, “but I’m under a lot of financial stress right now, and I don’t have the money to pay back.”

The holy rabbi went back down into the synagogue and ruled in favor of the non-Jewish man, reprimanding the Jewish man for his shameful behavior he said: “To rob a non-Jewish person is more dreadful than to rob a Jewish person, for such actions involves also the desecration of G-d’s Holy Name.”

Later, he explained that he had derived this strategy of leaving the two men alone and listening in to their conversation from the verse,

“Listen among your brethren and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger who is with him” (Deuteronomy 1:16) which implies that in order to judge fairly, a judge has to listen to what the litigants say to each other.

As the men were leaving the holy rabbi and the synagogue the non-Jewish man was remarked:

“Happy are those who maintain justice, and he who does righteousness at all times. (Psalm 106: 3) and let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24).” in such holy places through such holy people.”

The simple meaning of the verse is that a judge has to listen to both sides equally, and not give preferential treatment to one side.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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New Year’s Day – Rosh haShanah and Blessings

Posted on Tuesday, 17, December, 2013Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The snow and wind blew while sounds of celebration were heard from outside the wooden synagogue. It was the eve of the secular New Year’s. Many men were gathered around tables studying the holy words of Torah.

Suddenly the door to the holy rabbi’s private room opened and the holy rabbi himself came out and greeted everyone:

“L’Shana Tovah Tikasevu v’Techasemu!” (May you all be inscribed and sealed for a good year!)

With that the holy rabbi went back into his room and closed the door. Everyone who was studying the holy words of Torah were very surprised. Surely the holy rabbi knew that this was not Rosh haShanah, but the secular New Year? Why then did he extend such a greeting.

Some time later, the door opened and the holy rabbi again greeted the men studying the holy words of Torah. Hours passed and the holy rabbi offered the greeting a third time.

Puzzled by the holy rabbi’s behavior, the men went to one of the holy rabbi’s students and asked him to go to his master’s room and ask about the meaning of his strange actions through the night.

The student went and knocked on the door of his teacher, the holy rabbi and entered. The holy rabbi looked up from his studies and greeted his student: “Shalom Aleichem” the student answered: “Aleichem Shalom.” The Rabbi continued: “what brings you to my study at such a late hour?”

The student looked at his teacher, cleared his throat and asked: “many have been studying Torah tonight and you greeted them as though it was Rosh haShanah. This seems a little out of the ordinary. What is the holy reason for your greetings, this night of all times?”

The holy rabbi thought for a moment, smiled and explained:

“Last Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment for all the Jewish people and the world, the Jewish people prayed with intensity in their synagogues. Their prayers and the sounds of the shofar ascended to the heavens. Moved by the waves of heartfelt pleas, the Holy One, blessed be He, left his Throne of Justice to ascend the Throne of Mercy. There he wrote a decree which stated that the coming year would be a year of health and happiness for all Jewish people and peoples of the world.

When Yom Kippur, the fearful Day of Atonement, came and He saw how all of the Jewish people fasted and wept and poured out their hearts in prayer as “all are judged on Rosh haShanah and the verdicts is sealed on the Day of Atonement.” (Rosh haShanah 16a) The Holy One, blessed be He lifted the pen to sign the decree of blessings for all of the people in the world.

At that moment, the Dark Accusing One approached to protest: “yes, O L-rd, on Yom Kippur they fast and have remorse, dressed in white as the angels in heaven. What of all the rest of the year when they are filled with sins and wickedness?”

The decree was not signed.

When the Jewish people gathered together boards and scraps of wood to build succas for the holiday of Succos (the Feast of Tabernacles), prepared to eat and sleep in the succas, the defending angel appealed:

“Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe, You see these succas which even the poorest of Your children are building with so much joy, according to Your command “You shall dwell in booths for seven days” (Leviticus 23:42) and in the days of old “on the Festival of Tabernacles Israel would offer up seventy bullocks, one for each of the seventy nations of the world, and prayed that they might live in peace.” (Pisikta Kahana 175b). Have You heard them pray, ufros aleinu succas sh’lomecha (spread over us the shelter of Your peace). Please sign the decree now.

And so it would have been, had not the Dark Accusing One not objected: “yes, for the boards, which are here today and gone tomorrow. But for themselves – for their homes, their businesses, their entertainment – they erect strong buildings of brick and stone and glass that last forever!”

Then came Simchas Torah, the Jewish people embraced the Torah and danced with it in their synagogues in boundless joy. Again, the Defending Angel argued that the Holy One, blessed be He, should sign the decree: “See, oh G-d, how your children are happy with Your Holy Word, the Torah!”

The Dark Accusing One intervened: “yes, for one night they dance merrily with your Torah, their heads turned and their spirits lifted by a drop of schnapps. But in a more sober mood when their minds are clear, do they fulfill the mitzvahs, which are written in the Torah?”

The decree was not signed.

Every window was filled with light during Chanukah. It seemed as though the light of the first day touched every soul. The words of the morning prayer, “v’chol ayin lecha tetzapeh” (every eye longs for you) were realized.

The Defending Angel argued that the Holy One, blessed be He, should sign the decree:

“Look, and see how Your children are bringing Your holy light into the world. For indeed ‘the spirit of man is the candle of the L-rd.’ ” (Proverbs 20:27)

The dark accusing one interjected: “true, they kindle lights and may touch the soul with holiness, but are they honest and holy in the marketplace or with other people?”

The decree was not signed.

And so it is that the judgment written in favor of the Jewish people and all the peoples of the world on Rosh haShanah has remained unsigned all these many weeks until tonight. For when the New Year began and with it started all of the drunkenness, the shouting and brawls that usually occur on that night, the Defending Angel approached G-d and said: “O Lord, see how they begin the New Year tonight. Listen to the screams and noise as well as the sounds of discord, look at the shamelessness and the corruption – and remember how Your children began the New Year on Rosh haShanah, with prayer, with repentance, and with holiness.”

To this, the Dark Accusing One could not say single word.

And so it was that, after some four months of delay, the Holy One, blessed be He, at last signed the good decree for the Jewish people and the world.

“Therefore,” the holy rabbi concluded, “I greet you tonight with L’Shana Tovah Tikasevu v’Techasemu!,” (May you all be inscribed and sealed for a good year!)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Chanukah Lights and the Blessings of Sight

Posted on Saturday, 23, November, 2013Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Chanukah is the Festival of Lights and it hold a lot of power. When one sees somebody else’s light we see hope and promise and this leads to Berachos (blessings), and this leads to hope that people will see blessings over each other lights. About Chanukah, it says “mitzvahs ner Chanukah ish u’beiso” (Succah 46a) — the mitzvah of the light of Hanukkah is for a man in his whole household.

Chanukah is all about the eyes. When you want to visualize someone you are thinking about, you don’t think of their back or their arms or legs. You visualize their face, because their face is the most important thing. In today’s society with all of the distractions people’s faces become lost in the crowd. Many times the essence of a person becomes lost.

It was a cold wintery night and the winds were blowing the snow about when a someone came to see the very holy rabbi. This person looked so crude, his clothes was tattered and he smelled. He didn’t even have a human face. The holy rabbi’s young son answered the knock at the door. He didn’t even want to let the man into the house, but he did, and he decided, “I’ll keep the door a little bit open to hear what my father says.”

So this unkempt man spoke to the holy rabbi, who quickly realizes that this person is the one of the crudest people in the world. So he says to the crude man: “My dear friend, your soul needs a lot of fixing. I’ll tell you something very simple. Everyday slowly say the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and I want you to promise me that every day for a few minutes you’ll forget the whole world and just think about what you can do for another person. Think if you can do one favor for another person and please come back next year.”

One year to the day later, there was a knock on the door of the holy rabbi’s house. The holy rabbi’s young son answered the knock at the door. The man at the door was shining from the top of his hat to the bottoms of his shoes. He really had changed and had a different face.

What part of a person shines, or stands apart from everything else? It’s not the arms or legs, it’s the face. In the small light of the Chanukah candle we see each person’s face and the beauty within.

May we all be blessed to see the beauty of the world around us and may the small lights of Chanukah shine bright with blessings for all.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Mystery of the Dreidel

Posted on Thursday, 21, November, 2013Thursday, 22, September, 2022 by Rabbi

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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(Deuteronomy 5:15)

The requirement to recall “that you were a slave in Egypt” enables an individual to avoid feelings of conceit and pride. For “when pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble. (Proverbs 11:2) To what can this be compared?

There once was a king who set out on a hunting trip. As he was exploring the fields in the hope of finding game, he came upon a shepherd in a meadow who was sitting next to his flock of sheep and playing a flute.

The king was delighted by the pleasant tunes that were coming from the flute, and he found himself unable to move from his place. After some time had passed, the shepherd finished his melody. The king approached the shepherd and began to speak with him and discovered that he was very wise.

The king was amazed by the shepherd’s complexity of thought, and he invited him to come with him to his palace. The shepherd agreed and went with the king.

From then on, the shepherd lived in the royal palace, and the king asked his advice regarding all matters. In time, the shepherd rose to become one of the king’s closest advisors.

They all went together to search the shepherd’s quarters, but found nothing more than a modestly furnished home, lacking any luxuriousness whatsoever. They went from room to room finding nothing suspicious, until they came to a room that was sealed by both lock and bolt.

“What is inside this room?” asked the king.

The shepherd fell to his knees and began to plead with the king:

“Your Highness, I beg of you, do not ask me to show you what lies beyond this door! I am embarrassed by what you will find there.”

The shepherd’s pleas only served to strengthen the king’s suspicions, and he demanded that the door be opened.

When the door was opened, they glanced around the room but saw nothing more than the old clothing of a shepherd and a flute. The king and his officers were confused.

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)

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Eishes chayil mi yimtza, A Woman of Valor, who can find? (Proverbs 31:10)

In the morning the holy rabbi’s heart was full of grief but he kept what had been revealed to him a secret and decided that he would journey to the Holy Land, to the resting places of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and Rachel, to have the decree annulled.

The rabbi stood and watched in awe the two hermits for a short time, before he gathered up his courage and entered the hut.

“Shalom Aleichem (Peace be unto you), my masters,’’ he said.

“Aleichem Shalom (Upon you be peace), our master and teacher,” they answered.

The three of them joined together saying tikun chatzos, and then studied the torah until the morning star rose.

Then the old man asked the rabbi: “How did you come to be in this forest?”

The rabbi told him that he was traveling to the Holy Land, with his wife and daughter.

One day the old blind man asked the holy rabbi: “Let your daughter be the bride of my son and it shall be guaranteed that both of us will see our grandchildren after us.”

The rabbi did not wish to reveal his secret to the old man, and a few days later the young couple were married according to the laws of Moses and Israel.

After she had heard about her father’s dream, the young woman fasted and prayed for three days. “Ribono shel olam, Master of the Universe” she said. “If you have decreed that my husband must die take my life too, for I would rather have death than a life without him.”

When the woman saw that her husband was dead, she turned to the Angel and said: “Angel! I insist in the name of the one who sent you that you tell me why you have robbed me of my husband. ‘The days of our years are three score and ten’ (Psalm 90:10), and my husband is only twenty-one.’ “

The Angel of Death replied: “Poor foolish woman! It is the decree of the Creator, and I cannot disobey it. Be it known that ‘he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more’ (Job 7:9)”

“If that is so,” said the woman, “then I will ask you to fulfil my only wish.”

“Whatever you ask me to do, I will do,” said the Angel. “But I cannot restore your husband to life.”

“I do not ask you to restore my husband to life,” said the woman. “But I will ask you to restore the sight of the eyes of my father-in-law.”

“It sall be so,” promised the Angel of Death.

Then she addressed the Angel of Death again: “Promise me, I beg you, that it shall be granted my father-in-law to see a grandson or great-grandson playing by his side.

“It shall be so!” the Angel of Death promised again

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)

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And when the students saw this, they were amazed.

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)

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Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. (Job 5:2)

For he looked at the other and behold both his eyes were dark, while his hands both hung helpless from his sleeves. And both of them re­mained that way in shame and reproach, and they lost all their covetousness and envy and hatred.

Each person is blessed with certain gifts, but resentment leads him to act foolishly, and envy for what others have slays hope and 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)

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It is not study that is so important as much as deeds done.

Then the cook thought for a moment and reluctantly shared: “Please understand that I am the tax collector for this city. When a ship comes, I collect a tax on any goods in the hold of the ship. Once a ship came here, and I collected the tax.”

“After the captain paid the tax, he came to me and said: ‘If you wish to purchase what is in the hold on my ship, I’ll sell it to you.’ “

“Tell me what it is” I said to him.

“I shall not tell you,” the captain answered, “until you have bought it and paid for it. And if you do not buy it, I shall not sell it at all.”

“In that case,” I replied, “tell me how much it is, and I shall decide.”

“Ten thousand in gold,” the captain told me; and I told him: “Show me the goods, and I shall pay it.”

“I shall only give it,” the captain answered “if you give me twenty thousand in gold.”

“Show me your merchandise and I shall pay.”

“I shall not give it to you unless I you pay me forty thousand in gold.”

“When I saw that he was raising the price all the time, I decided that it must be something very, very valuable, so I agreed to pay him the gold. The captain ordered, ‘you must pay me in full before I will show you what is in the hold of my ship.’ I paid him in good gold.’ “

Then Rabbi Shimon said to him: “Blessed be the One who sees all hidden things who has favored me to be seated beside you in Eden!”

Happy is he who performs a good deed, that may tip the scale for him and the world. (Kiddushin 40b)

(based on Tanchuma, Mavo 68)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The beggar looked at him in surprise. “Alone? Rabbi, holy rabbi you would really give me alone?”

The holy rabbi would look at the poor man in front of him and smile as he answered: “yes, of course. Would you accept a loan for me? I have so much faith in you, I know you’ll be able to pay me back.”

With a peaceful face each beggar would happily accept some rubles as a loan, and the holy rabbi would go on his way.

“Why? I’ll tell you why! It’s not just that those beggars don’t have any money. They’ve also lost all of their hope, all of their faith that their lives can ever be better. They’re so broken, and too many are in despair.”

“Do you know what that means to them. When I, the holy rabbi, offer them a loan? It means that I believe in them… Even though they fallen to the lowest place, I have faith that they can get back on their feet again”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Two men came before the holy rabbi to resolve a monetary dispute. The non-Jewish man claimed that the Jewish man had bor­rowed money from him, but the Jewish man denied that he owed the other man any­thing. The holy rabbi sensed that the non-Jewish man was truthful.

The holy rabbi listened to both men and after hearing the arguments of both sides, he told them that he had to leave for a little while, and asked them to discuss the matter between themselves in the meantime.

The arbitration was held in the local synagogue, and the two men thought that the rabbi they asked to judge the merits of their dispute had left the synagogue.

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For he looked at the other and behold both his eyes were dark, while his hands both hung helpless from his sleeves. And both of them remained that way in shame and reproach, and they lost all their covetousness and envy and hatred.

Two men came before the holy rabbi to resolve a monetary dispute. The non-Jewish man claimed that the Jewish man had borrowed money from him, but the Jewish man denied that he owed the other man anything. The holy rabbi sensed that the non-Jewish man was truthful.

The holy rabbi had not left; he had gone up to the women’s section, and was listening to every word the two men were saying.