The Will, the Servant and Torah

Posted on Wednesday, 24, July, 2013Thursday, 22, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Once a wealthy merchant traveled to a faraway land and left his son studying Torah (Scriptures) in a small wooden shul in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Before he left on his journey, the wealthy merchant reminded his son:

“This Book of the Torah (Scriptures) shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. (Joshua 1:8) Study well my son.”

The merchant was very successful, but visiting a busy market, he fell sick. Each day he grew weaker and weaker until one day he called for a sofer (scribe) and told him, “write that all with which the Holy One, blessed be He has graced me I leave to my servant, but for my son, out of all the things I have left behind he may select whatever single valuable he desires.” The scribe wrote all that the wealthy merchant instructed him. A short time later the wealthy merchant died.

Once it became known that he was dead, the servant gathered all his property and took the will and came to the Holy City of Jerusalem. There he sought out the wealthy merchant’s son and said to him, “be it known to you that your father has passed away.” “Where is his wealth?” Asked the young man, the servant answered, “You have no share in his wealth for he left it all to me. Your father left you in his will to choose whatever object you desire out all of his belongings.”

When his son heard this, he told his rabbi, a wise and patient teacher:

“I have studied and engaged in the ways of Torah(Scriptures), assuming that if anything befell my father he would leave me his wealth. But now he has left all his wealth to his servant and wrote that I should choose any object I desire”

then the holy rabbi told him, “your father acted wisely. He did what he did in order that the servant should not simply take all his property. Now you to go to the judge’s court and he will tell you, “take whatever object you desire.” Then you place your hand on the servant can say I want this.””

When he did so, both the servant and all his property were the son’s, for whatever the servant has acquired the son had acquired. The wise King Solomon taught, “for to the man whom He considers good he gave wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He gave the affair of collecting and gathering and giving to the good one.” Ecclesiastes (2:26)

The servant smiled and said, “How wise was the merchant to be blessed with such a son. I shall manage his estates while he continues to study the Holy Word.” turning to the wealthy merchant’s son he continued, “I have one more message for you from your father. ‘Study from love and honor will follow’ (Chovos haLevavos) and you will indeed gather much more wealth than your father.’ “

May we all follow in the ways of Torah (Scriptures) and be blessed with wisdom and goodness.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

A Time to Remain Silent

Posted on Saturday, 4, August, 2012Thursday, 22, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The holy rabbi was in the habit of strolling through the streets of the village every night. During his walks he listened as many “lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night” (Num. 14:1) praying from their broken hearts to the Holy One. Blessed be He.

One night after hearing a heartfelt prayer from a small house, the holy rabbi went to the house of a certain bank manager who had left the ways of his father. The banker considered himself a modern man, not someone held back by old and outdated ways.

The holy rabbi knocked on the door and was greeted by a servant, who was a bit confused. The servant could not understand why the holy rabbi would come to the house of the bank manager, but invited him in.

The host received his distinguished guest with all the respect and politeness. The holy rabbi, for his part, took the seat that was offered him and sat for quite some time without saying a word. Considering that it would disrespectful to ask the holy rabbi directly for the purpose of his visit, the host whispered his question to the attendant, but was made none the wiser.

After sometime, the holy rabbi bid the banker farewell, and rose to leave. As a mark of respect, the host accompanied him in silence all the way to his home, but at the last minute, when he was about to leave, his understandable curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to the holy rabbi: “Holy rabbi, pardon my question, but it would hardly have been proper for me to ask when we were in my home, so I am taking the liberty of asking now. Why did you honor me with a visit?”

“I went to your home in order to fulfill a mitzvah,” answered the holy rabbi, “and, thank G‑d, I was able to fulfill it.”

“Which mitzvah?” asked the bank manager.

The holy rabbi explained: “We are taught in the TaNaCh (Scriptures), ‘Who is a mighty one like unto You, O L-rd?’ (Ps. 89:9). Who is like You, mighty in self-restraint? Though You heard the insults and reviling of a scoundrel, yet You kept silent! Gittin 55b-57a; Genesis. Rabbah. 10:7. Our sages teach that ‘Just as it is a mitzvah to say that which will be heard, so is it a mitzvah not to say that which will not be listened to. For there is ‘a time to keep silence, and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

Now if I remain in my house and you remain in yours, what kind of a mitzvah is it that I refrain from telling you ‘that which will not be listened to’?

“In order to fulfill the mitzvah properly, one obviously must go to the house of the man who will not listen, and once there refrain from speaking to him. And that is exactly what I did.”

“Perhaps, Holy rabbi,” said the bank manager, “you would be so good as to tell me what this thing is? Who knows, perhaps I will listen?”

“I’m afraid not,” said the holy rabbi. “I am certain that you will not.”

“Why do you believe that I will not listen to what you have to say?” asked the banker.

The holy rabbi answered: “You have said you are a modern man and not bound by the old ways of our beliefs. We are taught that ‘the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. (Amos 5:13).

The longer the holy rabbi refused, the greater grew the curiosity of the banker to know his secret, and he continued to press him to reveal “that which would not be listened to.”

“Very well,” said the holy rabbi at length. “A certain penniless widow owes your bank a great deal of money for the mortgage of her house. Within a few days your bank is going to sell her house by public sale, and she will be out on the street with nowhere to go. I had wanted to ask you to overlook her debt, but didn’t—because of the mitzvah of ‘not saying.’”

“Be realistic rabbi,” the bank manager answered in amazement. “Surely you realize that the debt is not owed to me personally, but to the bank, and I am only its manager, not its owner, and the debt runs to several hundred, and if so…”

The holy rabbi interrupted him: “It’s exactly as I said all along—that you would not want to hear. Even if I could ‘give you counsel, you will not listen to me.’ “(Jeremiah 38:15)

With that, the holy rabbi ended the conversation and entered his house.

The bank manager also went home—but the holy rabbi’s words found their way into his heart and gave him no rest. He remembered back many many years when he began in business and his father advised him to always remember that “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow” (Deut. 10:18). The banker paid all the money owed by the widow to save her house out of his very own pocket.

While thinking of his father, who left for the World of Truth many years earlier, the banker began to explore the ways of faith and became an observant man.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Listen to more stories told by the Master Storyteller, Rabbi Rachmiel Tobesman – The Treasures of the King, the Princess and the Peat Digger, Seven Jewish stories, on iTunes and Amazon or Coins, Candles and Faith, eight stories of faith on iTunes and Amazon

A True and Righteous Judgment

Posted on Tuesday, 8, May, 2012Wednesday, 9, August, 2023 by Rabbi

The ancient kings used to put on plain, dirty, mended clothes, to disguise themselves from their subjects, and would then go forth to see what was being done in their country. As the ancient law taught, “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour.” (Leviticus 19:15)

Once, the king of Marrakesh and his viceroy went forth, disguised in torn and tattered garments. It was night, and they went to the marketplace to ask for alms from the Moslems who frequented the place. But no man gave them anything. They met one Jewish peddler, whose merchandise was old clothes, boots, and bottles, and he gave them one old coin. They had barely had time to thank him for his kindness when they heard an Arab woman say: “Jewish peddler! Come here! I have something to sell you!”

The Jewish peddler went to her, and immediately the woman tried to seduce him. “This we may not do for it is forbidden by the Torah (Scriptures) we live by and isn’t it forbidden by the Koran!” The woman let out a loud cry, and the Jewish peddler ran away.

The woman raised her voice and began to accuse the Jewish peddler falsely. “This Jewish peddler came to seduce me. He insulted me and attacked me.” The king and his viceroy heard the cries: “Come here Moslems and see what Jewish peddlers can do!^“

Soon people who heard the cries of the woman gathered and attacked the Jewish peddler. Who can tell what might have been the fate of the unfortunate peddler had the king and the viceroy not come forward and suggested: “Leave him alone! Do not kill him, ^“ Some answered, ^“This Jewish peddler is an evildoer and should be burned alive in the market place. Take him to the king for judgment. Let all the Jewish peddlers witness his burning and let them learn from his misdeeds!” The king reminded all present, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20) from the king.

The Jewish peddler was led to the king’s palace for trial. In the mean-time he was placed in prison.

On the day of the trial a large crowd of people, men, women and children, gathered to see how the infidel would be tried for having insulted an Arab woman.

The king opened the trial saying: “Tell me all about the matter, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

The woman began, saying that the Jewish peddler had attacked her and wished to violate her.

“Have you any witnesses?” the king asked her.

And the entire multitude shouted: “We are the witnesses! We saw all that came to pass! All that the woman has said is true.”

“I believe you,” the king said. “But tell me, do I see rightly at this moment, camels laden high with merchandise in the heavens? Do I see rightly?”

The people stared up into the sky and shouted: “It is true, our lord the king! There are camels laden with merchandise in the heavens.”

^“Count me the camels,^“ the king commanded them.

The entire multitude looked up into the heavens. One shouted five camels, another seven and a third ten. Every man declared a different number.

“It is well,” said the king. “Let it be as you have said.” And then, turning to the Jewish peddler, he said: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens and count the camels.”

The Jewish peddler stared into the sky but, of course, could see nothing.

“I believe what you have said, my lord the king,” he said. “I believe that you have seen camels laden with merchandise in the heavens, but I cannot see anything.”

The king turned once again to the multitude. “Look up into the heavens again. See if there are any stars there, though it is the full light of day. I pray you, count them for me!”

All those that were gathered there raised their eyes to the heavens and cried out: “It is true! There are stars in the heavens!” And one said “Five stars” and the other “Seven stars” and a third “Ten stars”. Each one of them declared a different number.

Then the king turned again to the Jewish peddler: “You, too, look up in-to the heavens! How many stars can -you see?”

The Jewish peddler did as he was bidden and looked up into the heavens, but he could see nothing.

“My lord the king,” he said. “I believe what you have said. But I am not able to see even a single star.”

The king took out of his pocket the worn penny he had been given by the Jewish peddler, when he was disguised and roaming the marketplace together with his viceroy. “Look at this coin,” he said to the Jewish peddler. “Is it of silver or of copper?”

Said the Jewish peddler: “It is of silver, my lord. It is good silver. It may well have been mine, a coin that I spent.”

^“You are right,^“ said the king. ^“It was yours. This coin you gave in charity to two poor men, just before this incident occurred.” The king continued, “These are the things that you shall do: speak the truth with your neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” (Zech 8:16)

Then the king and his viceroy brought the perjured witnesses to judgment. Each one of them was given many years in the royal prison and the woman who had falsely accused the Jewish peddler they sentenced to death for lying, gossip and dishonor ti Islam and trhe king. The Jewish peddler they found innocent.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

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Listening and Justice

Posted on Monday, 17, October, 2011Friday, 21, March, 2025 by Rabbi

Listen to the cases between one person and another, and judge righteously between every man and stranger among you. (Deuteronomy 1:16)

Everything is written in the Holy Scriptures, and a person who bases his conduct and lifestyle on its teachings is fortunate.

There once were two merchants, one Jewish and one not, and they came before the village rabbi to settle a monetary dispute. The non-Jewish merchant claimed that the Jewish merchant had borrowed money from him, but the Jewish merchant denied that he owed him anything. The holy rabbi sensed that the non-Jewish merchant was truthful.

After hearing both sides’ arguments, he told them he had to leave for a few minutes and asked them to discuss the matter between themselves in the meantime.

Both merchants had gone to the local synagogue, and both thought that the holy rabbi had left.

But in truth, the holy rabbi had not left. He had gone up into the women’s section and was listening to every word both of the merchants were saying.

A heated argument erupted between them, and the holy rabbi heard the non-Jewish merchant shouting at the Jewish merchant, “Are you not ashamed of yourself? You know very well that you borrowed the 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 merchant responded, “but I am under a lot of financial stress right now, and I don’t have the money to pay you back.”

Justice

The holy rabbi went back down into the synagogue and ruled in favor of the non-Jewish merchant, rebuking the Jewish merchant for his contemptible behavior.

Later, he explained that he had derived the strategy of leaving the merchants alone and listening to their conversation from the direction of, “Hear the cases between one person and another and judge righteously between every man and stranger among you, (Deuteronomy 1:16) implies that in order to judge fairly, a judge has to listen to what both sides say to each other.

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. For we learn to “Execute truth, justice, and peace within your gates” (Zech. 8:16)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know your thoughts or feelings 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.

Once a wealthy merchant traveled to a faraway land and left his son studying Torah (Scriptures) in a small wooden shul in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Before he left on his journey, the wealthy merchant reminded his son:

“This Book of the Torah (Scriptures) shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. (Joshua 1:8) Study well my son.”

When his son heard this, he told his rabbi, a wise and patient teacher:

“I have studied and engaged in the ways of Torah(Scriptures), assuming that if anything befell my father he would leave me his wealth. But now he has left all his wealth to his servant and wrote that I should choose any object I desire”

May we all follow in the ways of Torah (Scriptures) and be blessed with wisdom and goodness.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

The holy rabbi was in the habit of strolling through the streets of the village every night. During his walks he listened as many “lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night” (Num. 14:1) praying from their broken hearts to the Holy One. Blessed be He.

One night after hearing a heartfelt prayer from a small house, the holy rabbi went to the house of a certain bank manager who had left the ways of his father. The banker considered himself a modern man, not someone held back by old and outdated ways.

The holy rabbi knocked on the door and was greeted by a servant, who was a bit confused. The servant could not understand why the holy rabbi would come to the house of the bank manager, but invited him in.

“I went to your home in order to fulfill a mitzvah,” answered the holy rabbi, “and, thank G‑d, I was able to fulfill it.”

“Which mitzvah?” asked the bank manager.

Now if I remain in my house and you remain in yours, what kind of a mitzvah is it that I refrain from telling you ‘that which will not be listened to’?

“In order to fulfill the mitzvah properly, one obviously must go to the house of the man who will not listen, and once there refrain from speaking to him. And that is exactly what I did.”

“Perhaps, Holy rabbi,” said the bank manager, “you would be so good as to tell me what this thing is? Who knows, perhaps I will listen?”

“I’m afraid not,” said the holy rabbi. “I am certain that you will not.”

“Why do you believe that I will not listen to what you have to say?” asked the banker.

The holy rabbi answered: “You have said you are a modern man and not bound by the old ways of our beliefs. We are taught that ‘the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. (Amos 5:13).

The longer the holy rabbi refused, the greater grew the curiosity of the banker to know his secret, and he continued to press him to reveal “that which would not be listened to.”

“Be realistic rabbi,” the bank manager answered in amazement. “Surely you realize that the debt is not owed to me personally, but to the bank, and I am only its manager, not its owner, and the debt runs to several hundred, and if so…”

The holy rabbi interrupted him: “It’s exactly as I said all along—that you would not want to hear. Even if I could ‘give you counsel, you will not listen to me.’ “(Jeremiah 38:15)

With that, the holy rabbi ended the conversation and entered his house.

While thinking of his father, who left for the World of Truth many years earlier, the banker began to explore the ways of faith and became an observant man.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Listen to more stories told by the Master Storyteller, Rabbi Rachmiel Tobesman – The Treasures of the King, the Princess and the Peat Digger, Seven Jewish stories, on iTunes and Amazon or Coins, Candles and Faith, eight stories of faith on iTunes and Amazon

The Jewish peddler went to her, and immediately the woman tried to seduce him. “This we may not do for it is forbidden by the Torah (Scriptures) we live by and isn’t it forbidden by the Koran!” The woman let out a loud cry, and the Jewish peddler ran away.

The woman raised her voice and began to accuse the Jewish peddler falsely. “This Jewish peddler came to seduce me. He insulted me and attacked me.” The king and his viceroy heard the cries: “Come here Moslems and see what Jewish peddlers can do!“

The Jewish peddler was led to the king’s palace for trial. In the mean-time he was placed in prison.

On the day of the trial a large crowd of people, men, women and children, gathered to see how the infidel would be tried for having insulted an Arab woman.

The king opened the trial saying: “Tell me all about the matter, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

The woman began, saying that the Jewish peddler had attacked her and wished to violate her.

“Have you any witnesses?” the king asked her.

And the entire multitude shouted: “We are the witnesses! We saw all that came to pass! All that the woman has said is true.”

“I believe you,” the king said. “But tell me, do I see rightly at this moment, camels laden high with merchandise in the hea­vens? Do I see rightly?”

The people stared up into the sky and shouted: “It is true, our lord the king! There are camels laden with merchandise in the heavens.”

“Count me the camels,“ the king commanded them.

The entire multitude looked up into the heavens. One shouted five camels, another seven and a third ten. Every man declared a different number.

“It is well,” said the king. “Let it be as you have said.” And then, turning to the Jewish peddler, he said: “Lift up your eyes to the hea­vens and count the camels.”

The Jewish peddler stared into the sky but, of course, could see nothing.

“I believe what you have said, my lord the king,” he said. “I believe that you have seen camels laden with merchandise in the heavens, but I cannot see anything.”

The king turned once again to the multitude. “Look up into the heavens again. See if there are any stars there, though it is the full light of day. I pray you, count them for me!”

All those that were gathered there raised their eyes to the heavens and cried out: “It is true! There are stars in the hea­vens!” And one said “Five stars” and the other “Seven stars” and a third “Ten stars”. Each one of them declared a different number.

Then the king turned again to the Jewish peddler: “You, too, look up in-to the heavens! How many stars can -you see?”

The Jewish peddler did as he was bidden and looked up into the heavens, but he could see nothing.

“My lord the king,” he said. “I believe what you have said. But I am not able to see even a single star.”

The king took out of his pocket the worn penny he had been given by the Jewish peddler, when he was disguised and roaming the mar­ketplace together with his viceroy. “Look at this coin,” he said to the Jewish peddler. “Is it of silver or of copper?”

Said the Jewish peddler: “It is of silver, my lord. It is good silver. It may well have been mine, a coin that I spent.”

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.

Please share this story with others

Listen to the cases between one person and another, and judge righteously between every man and stranger among you. (Deuteronomy 1:16)

Everything is written in the Holy Scriptures, and a person who bases his conduct and lifestyle on its teachings is fortunate.

After hearing both sides’ arguments, he told them he had to leave for a few minutes and asked them to discuss the matter between themselves in the meantime.

Both merchants had gone to the local synagogue, and both thought that the holy rabbi had left.

But in truth, the holy rabbi had not left. He had gone up into the women’s section and was listening to every word both of the merchants were saying.

A heated argument erupted between them, and the holy rabbi heard the non-Jewish merchant shouting at the Jewish merchant, “Are you not ashamed of yourself? You know very well that you borrowed the 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 merchant responded, “but I am under a lot of financial stress right now, and I don’t have the money to pay you back.”

The holy rabbi went back down into the synagogue and ruled in favor of the non-Jewish merchant, rebuking the Jewish merchant for his contemptible behavior.

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. For we learn to “Execute truth, justice, and peace within your gates” (Zech. 8:16)

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 your thoughts or feelings 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 woman raised her voice and began to accuse the Jewish peddler falsely. “This Jewish peddler came to seduce me. He insulted me and attacked me.” The king and his viceroy heard the cries: “Come here Moslems and see what Jewish peddlers can do!^“

“I believe you,” the king said. “But tell me, do I see rightly at this moment, camels laden high with merchandise in the heavens? Do I see rightly?”

^“Count me the camels,^“ the king commanded them.

“It is well,” said the king. “Let it be as you have said.” And then, turning to the Jewish peddler, he said: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens and count the camels.”

All those that were gathered there raised their eyes to the heavens and cried out: “It is true! There are stars in the heavens!” And one said “Five stars” and the other “Seven stars” and a third “Ten stars”. Each one of them declared a different number.

The king took out of his pocket the worn penny he had been given by the Jewish peddler, when he was disguised and roaming the marketplace together with his viceroy. “Look at this coin,” he said to the Jewish peddler. “Is it of silver or of copper?”