A Miracle in Baghdad

Posted on Tuesday, 23, April, 2019Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

It was midday when an elderly traveler entered the Jewish quarter of Baghdad. The marketplace, where merchants from many lands sold their fabrics, spices and other wares, seemed strangely empty for such a day. He sighted the grandest building in the section, and determined that must be the great synagogue. He continued his trek towards it until he entered its courtyard and sat down to rest, opening his small sack to take out a few dried figs to refresh his strength. Yet no sooner had he started his lunch that he became aware of a commotion from within the sanctuary. He peeked inside, and beheld a moving spectacle—hundreds of Jewish people fervently chanting Psalms amidst tears and sobs.

“What has happened?” he asked of the first person whose attention he could grasp.

Hurriedly, and in a voice of desperation, the man told him the story as best he could. The Sultan had decreed that the Jewish people of Baghdad must produce a leader who could perform miracles as Moses had done. Since Moses was the leader of the Jewish people in Egypt and he was able to do miracles, the Sultan expected the same from the leader of the Jewish community of Baghdad. If they would not produce such a miracle maker, then all the Jewish people would be expelled from Baghdad. Therefore, all of the Jewish community were fasting and praying to G‑d for salvation.

In his calm and patient disposition, the wise traveler approached yet more Jewish people, until he had finally pieced together the entire story:

The Sultan’s chief adviser, Mustafa hated the Jewish people for no reason. He set out to destroy the Jewish people, or at least have them banished from Baghdad. He had convinced the Sultan that the Jewish people were disloyal, thieves and liars deserving immediate expulsion. At first the Sultan was hesitant to believe Mustafa, however, the Sultan was told about what had happened when the Jewish people left Egypt and what Moses did to Pharaoh. He began to worry that perhaps one of the Jewish leaders of Baghdad would attack him with plagues, and decided he did not want to take any chances. Therefore, he issued a decree that the Jewish community had to produce a leader like Moses, or leave Baghdad immediately.

The wise, elderly traveler sat in contemplation for several moments and then approached one of the rabbis at the front of the synagogue and whispered in his ear. Word spread quickly through the praying community and soon all the leaders of the Jewish Quarter were talking quietly and then suddenly there was a loud clap on the bimah (Torah Reading table) and one of them spoke. “This man who is visiting our town says that he has a plan. He will travel to the Sultan immediately to try and save us. If he is successful we will rejoice, however if he fails, he will tell the Sultan that he acted alone. Meanwhile we will continue to pray for his success!”

The man headed for the palace, pounded on the entrance gate, and said, “I am a Jewish person who can do miracles, and I demand to see the Sultan immediately.” Before long he found himself face to face with the ruler of Baghdad. “So,” said the Sultan, “You claim you can do miracles like Moses. What can you do?”

Dozens of people, from the baker and court jester to the royal guards and advisors stared at the old man with the white beard and piercing eyes. “If you would be so kind,” said he, “I will perform a miracle akin to those which Moses himself did. Before your very eyes, I will cut off a man’s head with a sword, and then put him back together and make him live!”

The Sultan smiled nervously and glanced around not knowing what to think or make of the situation. Perhaps the fellow was completely crazy. Or perhaps he was telling the truth. After all, the he seemed extremely confident and spoke with such conviction. What if he was telling the truth? If he doubted him, then who knows what kind of wrath would be unleashed on the Sultan and his kingdom.

He continued, “There is but one condition. The man whose head I cut off must be truly wise. In fact, he must be the wisest man in the realm. If not, his head will not properly re-attach. Intrigued, the Sultan decided he must see for himself if the old Jewish man was telling the truth. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Mustafa, his chief advisor and the wisest man in the kingdom. Before the Sultan said a word, Mustafa cried out, “No, he is lying! The Jew is an imposter! He can’t really cut someone’s head off and re-attach it.” “That might be true,” said the Sultan, “but what if he is telling the truth and we don’t accommodate him? Surely you don’t want to put the whole kingdom at risk! After all, were you not the one who had advised me to expel the Jewish people lest we be put in danger?”

“Bring the sword immediately,” cried the Sultan, “Mustafa has volunteered!” With that, Mustafa began to tremble and yelled out, “No I admit it. I was both wrong and very foolish. The Jewish people do not have extraordinary powers!” Mustafa ran out of the palace never to be seen again. The Sultan annulled the decree, thanked the old man for coming and said that the Jewish people were welcome to live in Baghdad as long as they desired.

The man returned to the synagogue to share the good news. Immediately, there was unbelievable rejoicing, and a banquet was held in honor of the miracle that the Holy One, blessed be He had done for His people. Then quietly and quickly, the old man slipped out and left the town before anyone could even get his name. Some people say that he was Elijah the Prophet. Some say he was a great mystic. Yet others believe that he was just a Jewish traveler who simply cared about every Jewish person as much as he did about himself.

This story helps explain a very interesting aspect of the Passover observance. Every holiday is marked by mitzvahs. Yet many of these mitzvahs are not equally fulfilled by all. For example, most of us hear the shofar from someone else who blows it, and on Chanukah many have the custom that the head of the household kindles the menorah as a representative of the entire family. Yet, on Passover, everyone must eat his or her own matzah. On Passover, we are all equally significant.

The Yetzias Mitzrayim was the time when our people came together as one. Leaving Egypt united as one people set the stage for the mitzvah that Hillel considered to be the core of the entire Torah: You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) The hero of this story showed that which we all know to be true, that each of us is only complete when we do all that we can to ensure that every single Jewish person is being taken care of as well.

This is why the Passover haggadah begins with an invitation, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.” Our table is only complete when it is open to others!

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)

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know what you think or feel about the stories in a comment or two. Like us on Facebook or tweet us on Twitter

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

Please share this story with others

The Magic Wine Cup – A Passover Story from Morroco

Posted on Monday, 22, April, 2019Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

During the days before Passover, a stranger was seen wandering through the streets of Mogador in the land of Morocco. Even though he was dressed in rags, he did not look like a beggar. From the fringes on the tattered clothes he was wearing it was clear that he was Jewish.

Some of young men watched this stranger as he walked through the busy marketplace. When they returned to the beit medrash (House of Study), they told the holy rabbi about him. The holy rabbi asked them to describe the man in great detail. Then he asked them if the man had looked happy or sad. They told the rabbi that he had looked terribly sad. Indeed, just looking at his face made them sad as well.

Now, Passover is a time to remember the poor, and it was the holy rabbi’s custom to invite the Jewish poor of the city to his seder. So on the eve of Passover he sent his students into the city to bring back all the poor Jewish people they could find. He told them to search especially for the stranger they had told him about, and to be sure that he came back with them.

So the rabbi’s students searched every corner of the city for the poor, who were delighted to learn that they would have a place to celebrate the first seder of Passover. But when the students finally found the stranger, he was sitting alone under a barren tree, and he refused to accompany them to the rabbi’s seder. “For you it is the holiday of Passover,” he said, “but for me it is a time of mourning.” The students did their best to persuade him, but in the end they returned empty-handed.

Now, when they told the holy rabbi that the man had refused their invitation, the rabbi said, “If you can’t convince him to come here, whisper this word in his ear,” and he whispered it to each of his students. So the students returned to the stranger, still sitting under the tree, and they tried once more to invite him to join the rabbi’s seder. Again he refused, but this time one of the students whispered the rabbi’s word into the man’s ear. And as soon as he heard it, the man’s eyes opened wide. He stood up and agreed to accompany them at once.

When that man arrived at the rabbi’s house, he was greeted warmly by the holy rabbi. The man returned the rabbi’s greetings, and then he asked, “How is it, Rabbi, that you knew the name of the ship that brought about my misfortune?”

“Join our seder,” the holy rabbi replied, “and you will understand how it became known to me. For now, please make yourself at home. I will have a bath prepared for you, and my students will give you fresh clothing.”

The man thanked the rabbi, but he was still curious about how he had known his secret.

That night, when everyone was seated at the seder, the holy rabbi introduced the guest and asked him to tell the others his story. This he did. “I was born in the city of Marrakesh,” he said, “and I traveled to Spain and worked there until I had become quite wealthy. After several years, I began to miss my native land of Morocco, and I thought about returning there to raise a family. With all that I had saved, I bought precious jewels.

“There was a widow I had befriended. When she learned I was planning to return to Morocco, where her daughter lives, she asked me to bring her daughter her rightful inheritance, jewels that had belonged to her father. I agreed to do so, and I carried everything in a wooden case. But when a storm sank the ship in which I was traveling, the case was lost at sea. Somehow I managed to grab a plank and reached the shores of this city a few weeks ago. I know that I am fortunate to be alive, but after all these years, I have nothing. Even so, that is not what grieves me the most. Above all, I am heartbroken that I cannot fulfill my mission for the widow.”

Now, when all those seated at the seder heard this story, their hearts went out to the poor man who had suffered such a misfortune. Among them, there was one beautiful young woman who had tears flowing down her face. And when the man saw her grief, he, too, broke down and wept.

The holy rabbi said, “Do not grieve as we celebrate the seder, but watch closely.” He pointed to the kiddush cup, which was filled with wine, and said some mystical words over it that called forth the Angel of the Sea.

The Magic Wine Cup – A Pesach-Passover Story

Just then everyone at the table heard a deep voice say, “Yes, rabbi, holy rabbi what is your command?” The people trembled with fear, for they could not see where the voice was coming from.

Then the rabbi said, “I call upon you, Angel of the Sea, for help in finding what has been lost.”

Suddenly, to everyone’s amazement, the kiddush cup began to grow larger and larger, and the wine in it was transformed into the waves of the sea. One after another the waves rose and fell, and eventually they cast up a small wooden case, which floated on the surface. The guest could hardly contain himself. “Master, that is my case!” he cried.

“Take it out!” said the holy rabbi. So the man reached into the enormous cup, took out the wooden case and set it on the table. At that instant the cup returned to its original size, and the waters in it became wine once more.

As everyone watched in awe, the man opened the case and saw that nothing was missing. He shed tears of joy. Then the holy rabbi said to him, “Now, let me introduce you to the widow’s daughter to whom you were delivering the jewels.” At that, the young woman who had wept at hearing the man’s tale stood up with a radiant smile, and the man almost fainted with surprise. When he had regained his composure, he picked up the wooden case and placed it in her hands, much to the delight of everyone present. Then the holy rabbi smiled and said, “Know that nothing happens by accident. All is foretold by the Holy One, blessed be He, as is your meeting here today, for now I can tell you that I heard a heavenly voice announce that you two are destined to be wed.”

So it was that everyone celebrated that seder with great happiness, and not long after, the blessed couple was wed. From then on, every Passover, when they filled the kiddush cup, they told the story of the holy rabbi and the magic wine cup that had changed their lives.

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)

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

A Sandwich at the Seder

Posted on Sunday, 9, April, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The holy rabbi welcomed everyone and seemed to be able to talk to anyone. He took time to hear what each person had to say. No matter what anyone did, he would always find something positive to say. He believed in treating everyone kindly, no matter how much his patience was tested.

A merchant came to the holy rabbi because his son no longer wanted to follow Jewish customs, traditions or rituals. One year, during the Seder, as the family recited:

And the family was about to make a sandwich of matzah and maror for korech. To everyone’s surprise, the boy pulled from his pocket two slices of bread and some meat, and made himself a sandwich. His father started to cry: “How dare you bring bread to my Seder?”

“I’m hungry after reading the Haggadah, besides what difference does it make if I eat bread or matzah? I’m sure the holy rabbi wouldn’t mind. the boy answered. The father in his anger, jumped up from the table and grabbed his son. “Oh that’s what you think. Let’s go ask him.” The whole family marched to the holy rabbi’s house, the father leading the boy by the ear. “Rabbi,” the man said, “even you would not tolerate what my son just did. He ate bread at our Seder. I have four sons, rabbi, and I don’t have to tell you which one he is.”

Everyone room was shocked; everyone, that is, except for the holy rabbi. He smiled at the boy and asked if it was true.

“Of course, rabbi. I was hungry so I made myself a sandwich.”

“Don’t you know that on Pesach Jewish people don’t eat bread,” asked the holy rabbi. “Well, rabbi,” the boy responded, “to be totally honest, I don’t really believe in all this Seder stuff. What difference could it possibly make if I eat bread or matzah?”

The entire room was silent. Only the boy’s mother could be heard crying in the doorway. “Please come here,” the holy rabbi invited. The boy walked slowly, afraid that this time he had gone too far. As he approached the table, the rabbi hugged him. “Such a fine boy,” he said to the father, “and so honest too,” he added to the mother.

“Come here my boy and have a seat by me at the Seder table”, the holy rabbi instructed as the surprised parents watched. “He’s ready to admit what he did and he’s acting according to his beliefs. Such a fine, honest boy must sit with me at my Seder. I have so much to learn from him! Just one thing though.” The rabbi turned to the boy and said, “There’ll be no sandwiches at this Seder table – unless you make them with matzah.”

The shocked merchant, lost for words, asked, “Why?” The holy rabbi closed his eyes for a moment and answered, “The Torah speaks of four children, including your son. The Holy One, blessed be He spoke to all the Jewish people at Sinai, when He said: ‘I am the L‑rd Your G‑d.’ Those words were inscribed into the depths of the soul. In other words, in spite of your son’s distance, the Torah considers him connected to the Jewish people.”

“We learn in our holy writings that a Jewish person cannot lose their Jewishness. (Sanhedrin 44a) Regardless of the degree of his disengagement from Judaism, the Jewish spark lives on within him.”

In today’s day and age, there is almost no such thing as a renegade Jewish person! Those who do not observe Jewish practices and the like, cannot be faulted, since many of them never really experienced Judaism. In the past, there were those who had a choice and chose to rebel…. But too many children were never told about Jewish traditions and rituals in such a manner that would translate into observance. They cannot be blamed for their disinterest…

The yetzias Mitzraim (Egyptian Exodus) was incomplete. It will only be fully realized in the time of Moshiach (Messiah), a time that will be ushered in by uniting all Jewish people — including those who seem most distant—and revealing their inherent connection to the Holy One, blessed be He, their inner “wise child.”

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know what you think or feel about the stories in a comment or two. Like us on Facebook or tweet us on Twitter If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

Please share this story with others

The First Question and the Captive Prince

Posted on Sunday, 9, April, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Passover is coming fast. It is a time filled with questions and the reading of the Haggadah. Too many times within the questions and the retelling of the journey from slavery to freedom we become lost in the yearly ritual.

The prominence of science and technology has weakened faith throughout the community. Sadly, this has led to many to go through the motions of faith by conducting rituals by rote.

During this season of Pesach (Passover) maybe we need to ask, “What is the first question in the Torah (Scriptures)?

Before man was created, there were no questions. The first occurs in the Garden of Eden. The man and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. G-d calls out to them, “Ayecha?” “Where are you?” (Genesis 3.9)

How can that be? Does G-d not know where the man and Eve are? For centuries, the Jewish people have recognized that this question has a deeper meaning. G-d is not seeking to find the man and Eve. That is why they do not answer, “We are over here!” Instead, it is a question of spiritual geography. The man, understanding the importance of G-d’s question, and answers that he was frightened, so he has been hiding.

Man has seen, enjoyed and explored the wonders and mysteries of creation, yet still questions faith. People become lost as they question everything, many times using science and technology to define “what is real(ality).” It is easy for many to separate the “religious” from the “spiritual” to those who are simply “unbelievers.”

It is hard to understand, but easy to accept and follow what others say, and so we come back to that first question, “Where are you?” This simple question leads to many many more. “I have not lived according to my religion so I can’t be special or holy” “Why should I believe in this religious stuff that has so many rules and restrictions?” “It too hard to believe in something that cannot be proven?”

It once happened that there was a king had two strong and brave sons. The sons loved their father very much and tried to honour him in all they did. One day the kingdom was attacked by a powerful enemy that wanted to destroy the king and prey on the people and lands of the kingdom.

The king went into battle with his sons to stop this powerful enemy. His two sons were commanders in the army. Each son led his soldiers into battle and fought with much strength and bravery, but the enemy was able to surround one of the sons. The battle raged on, but at the end he was taken captive by the enemy.

The enemy commander ordered, “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water.” (1 Kings 22:27) The king’s son suffered in the enemy prison, starving and deprived. He asked many times, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison?“ (Jeremiah 37:18) But he never received an answer. After being in the enemy prison for a full year, he finally succeeded in digging a tunnel so that he could escape.

The prince journeyed at night, crossing over rivers and lakes, and trekking through forests and over mountains. After a while, he finally returned to his father’s home. How great was the happiness and joy in the king’s palace upon the prince’s return. Large celebrations were held in his honor, and the king sat him to his right and showered him with gifts. Without a doubt, this son’s joy is ten times greater than a son who had never left his father’s home.

This is the identical happiness that a person feels when they rediscover and explore their faith in our Father in Heaven. A person’s joy is ten times greater than one who has never questioned their beliefs and faith, for only once a person has returned and strengthens themselves in faith can they truly perceive the taste of “captivity.”

The RaMbaM (Rabbeinu Mosheh ben Maimon – Maimonides) wrote, “The Children of Israel believed in our teacher Moses not because of the miracles he performed. If one believes in something because of miracles, he may suspect that they were performed through sleight of hand or sorcery. All the miracles that Moses did in the desert were performed for the needs of the moment, not in order to prove his prophecy to them” (Yesodei HaTorah 8:1).

The question ““Where are you?” is not only the first question; it is also the eternal question. At each moment in our lives, this question is addressed to us: Where are you? Where are you spiritually? Where are you morally? What have you done with your life, and what are you doing with it now? Are you proud of your conduct in the garden?

We say at the beginning of the Seder:

This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat.

As we become more and more involved with the trends of society, we are afflicted by the urges to abandon our traditions and beliefs. Too many have been lost and enslaved by the impulse to blindly follow others or assimilation. Let’s invite those at the Seder who are hungry for spirituality and searching for meaning to their beliefs to “come and eat” because “today we are slaves” to all types of distractions and confusion, but “next year may we be free men” able to grow in faith.

The first question is a single word, whose echoes are endless. “Ayecha?”

Where are you?

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

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

Burning the Chametz

Posted on Monday, 3, April, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Holy Rabbi once asked, “how do you burn the chametz? With the fire of your heart, with the fire of serving the Holy One, blessed be He.” And the fire goes one burning all through Pesach.

The holy Rabbi continued, “I once learned how to serve Holy One, blessed be He from the knights that serve the king, especially in the cold winter. I was once passing by a training camp filled with squires and young knights when I saw a number of the young knights beating one of their own as a punishment. I asked them, ‘what terrible thing did this knight do that he deserved such punishment?’ One of the young knights stepped forward and answered, ‘last night he was standing guard, and in the morning we found him half frozen.’ I thought this was strange and said that the knight who stood guard should be given honor and respect, since despite the cold he stood by his post. The young knights laughed and said, ‘you don’t understand! If you’re really serving the king, everything you do gets done with so much fire, it keeps you warm.’ “

We learn that “The soul of man is a lamp of G‑d” (Proverbs 20:27). In today’s society that is dominated by science and technology it is easy to forget that man is a very complex mixture of heaven and earth, spirit and matter, fire and wick. Like the lamp, man, too, is comprised of three elements which determine the direction of his actions. The candle’s wick, flame and oil resemble man – mind body and soul – the very source of Torah and its mitzvos.

As we prepare for Pesach/Passover would look forward to conducting the Seder. Just as Passover represents freedom – of body and soul – so it is today that we must remember that slavery is more than just physical bondage. The lessons and messages we share at the Passover Seder remind us of yesterday and today and prepares us for tomorrow. The stories eternal, just as the Jewish spirit has endured through the ages.

As we look into the holiday candles and see the flames dance as we recite the story of the leaving of Egypt we become the everlasting light. We know this because it is written in the Torah, “A continuous fire shall remain on the altar; it shall not be extinguished” (Lev. 6:9).

As we gather around the Seder table that is filled with meaning and holiness let us allow it to fill our hearts to strive to the beauty and wonder that happened so many years ago and is still happening today to give us the strength to turn away from the glowing screens of cell phones and computers and focus when the fires of our souls there ignited during the Passover Seder. Let us allow ourselves to remember the miracles that brought us from Egypt to this very day and remember that the “… Fire will renew the righteous….(Saadia Gaon, Emmunos v’Deos 9:3)

So on Pesach we are really serving the Holy One, blessed be He, once we found the chametz and burned it in our hearts on fire.

Chag Kasher V’Sameach

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)

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

Matzah and Shalom Bayis (Peace in the Family)

Posted on Tuesday, 19, April, 2016Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The rabbi’s wife was busy in the kitchen with all the last-minute preparations for the Seder, when there was a knock at the door. A young girl who was helping in the rabbi’s house prepare for the Seder, as Pesach (Passover) was always special with the holy rabbi, answered the knock at the door. Someone had come to the home of the holy rabbi with a request for matzah for the seder. Seeing a stack of matzos wrapped up in a napkin, the young girl who opened the door innocently gave them away and hurried back to work. Puffing and steaming, the rabbi’s wife came along soon after and saw that the matzos had vanished. She was shocked, these were none other than the select matzos which had been baked that same day with holy intentions, and with all manner of careful precautions against chametz, were baked for the holy rabbi’s Seder, it was too late to undo. She felt her heart sag within her. How could she tell her husband of the mishap and cause him spiritual anguish? There was only one thing to do. She took a bundle of plain, ordinary matzos, deftly wrapped them up in the very same napkin, and pretended to know nothing of the whole affair. That same evening, her husband conducted the Seder with the ordinary matzos.

Soon after the festival was over, the holy rabbi was visited by a couple seeking a divorce.

“What makes you want to divorce your wife?” he asked the husband.

The young man answered that his wife had refused his request to cook for him during Pesach in separate utensils without shruyah — for it is the custom of certain pious folk to avoid allowing even baked matzah to come in contact with water throughout the festival.

Hearing this, the holy rabbi called for his wife and said, “Tell me the whole truth, please. What kind of matzos were placed before me at the Seder table?”

The rabbi’s wife was afraid to speak up, so she held her peace.

“Do tell me, please,” he reassured her; “have no fear.”

The rabbi’s wife mumbled the truth: “Ordinary matzos, because I did not want to cause you any anguish …” And she proceeded to tell the whole story.

The holy rabbi then turned to the over-zealous young husband standing before him, “Look here, my son,” he said. “On the first night of Pesach I ate plain, ordinary matzah and pretended not to know nor sense the difference, in order that I should not be brought to expressing hard feelings or harsh words, God forbid — and you want to divorce your wife because of shruyah, the way she cooks?!”

The tzaddik then restored harmony between them, and they left him in peace.

As Jewish people all over the world gather for their Seders may they offer up heartfelt prayers for peace

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

The rabbi adds stories to the Story Tour Blog with the hope of strengthening faith and understanding through the many readers and communities. Due to rising expenses and the need to work longer hours and harder, his stories have become less frequent.

What was originally started as a way to share old and forgotten tales of faith costing almost nothing and representing a few hours a week of time commitment evolved into a project demanding a lot of time and expense. The highest cost is the time cost – working on this site many hours a week. This is all very good, and we’re delighted at the steady growth in popularity of the Story Tour Blog, but please don’t let us become victims of our own ‘success’!

No income from the Story Tour Blog has been realized, but expenses have grown such as web-hosting, software and other web-based development costs. Our goal is to raise $5000.00 which would allow us to improve the Story Tour Blog. If you feel you’ve received some value, or would like to help support the site’s ongoing presence, please share. Any donation would be much appreciated and will help to keep the site online and growing.

You can simply send a donation securely and instantly by clicking the link below

Stories Should Never Come To An End Page

The Beggar’s Seder

Posted on Monday, 18, April, 2016Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

This story was posted on the Story Tour Blog in April 2009, we dusted it off and removed the chometz and have it ready for Passover this year. Enjoy and share with others, or even at your Seder table.

Pesach (Passover) was approaching quickly and everyone was preparing for the holiday. Once two Jewish beggars were traveling together. One beggar told the other to go to the shul (synagogue), and the Jewish householders would have pity on him and invite him to a Passover Seder.

And so it was, both beggars were invited to seders. The evening started with Kiddush (the blessing over wine), and the one beggar thought to himself:

“Good wine means good food.”

As the seder continued to karpas, the beggar was given a green vegetable and thought:

“Wine now a piece of salad, this is going to be a great meal.”

The seder progressed as there was much discussion until it came to the part of matzah. The beggar was given a piece of matzah, and thought,

“Thank goodness the meal is about to begin.”

After eating the matzah, the beggar was given a piece of maror (bitter herb – horseradish) which burned his mouth and made his eyes water. He jumped up from the table and ran out the door.

“How was your Seder?” asked one beggar to the other. The unhappy beggar then told him what had happened. They gave me 2 cups of wine, a sprig of parsley, a dried cracker (matzah) and hot stuff. It was torture so got up and left!”

“Fool!” replied the one beggar to the other. “If you had waited just a little longer, you would have had a fine meal, as I had.”

The same is true when we want to come close to G-d. After all the effort to begin, we are given a little bitterness. This bitterness is needed to purify the body. But we might think that this bitterness is all there is to serving G-d, so we run away from it. This is a mistake. If we would only wait just a short while — if we would allow ourselves to be purified – then we would experience every joy and delight in the world in our closeness to G-d.

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) Please share this story with family and friends and leave us a comment or two.

The Story Tour Blog has grown to over 250 short stories about faith. Many visitors to the Story Tour Blog have requested that the stories be gathered together into a book. 72 of these special tales are now available in the new book

Story Tour: The Journey Begins

This special book of stories would be a nice Pesach/Afikomen Gift Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Click here for the the new book, Story Tour: The Journey Begins filled with 72 stories from the Story Tour Blog

The Simple Seder is the Greater Seder

Posted on Sunday, 17, April, 2016Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

One Passover, after the conclusion of the Seder, the holy Rebbe of Berditchev felt very satisfied. He had fulfilled all the Passover mitzvos carefully and carried out all the mystic intentions associated with them. As he reviewed his behavior, his thoughts were interrupted by a heavenly voice:

“Don’t be so proud of your Seder. In your city, there is a poor Jewish water carrier whose Seder far surpassed yours.”

Disturbed and curious, the Rebbe dispatched some of his students to bring the water carrier to him. Despite the lateness of the hour, the students set out to fulfill their teacher’s request. Unfortunately, the water carrier was not a known person in the village and none of the students were sure where he lived.

After a considerable search, the students located the water carrier’s home and knocked at the door. Somewhat astonished to see the Rebbe’s attendants arrive at her home so late at night, the water carrier’s wife opened the door.

When the students asked to see her husband, she shyly answered “He can’t speak to you now.”

“But the Rebbe wants to see him,” they insisted.

Realizing that they would not take no for an answer, she pointed to their bedroom. “There he is, lying on the bed. He’s stone drunk. What could the Rebbe want from him?”

Without pausing to answer, the students approached the sleeping water carrier and tried to wake him. Unable to rouse him, they were forced to carry him to the Rebbe. In the holy rabbi’s presence, the water carrier began to come to his senses. When the Rebbe looked him in the eye, he began to cry continuously.

With soothing words, the Rebbe gently calmed his guest. When he regained his composure, the holy rabbi asked him: “Tell me about your Seder.”

Again the water carrier burst into tears. After calming him once more, the Rebbe assured him there was no need to worry. His Seder had found favor in G-d’s eyes and he, the holy rabbi, wanted to learn from it.

Stuttering, his words interrupted by occasional sobs, the water carrier began to tell his story:

“There’s one custom which I have adopted that I follow loyally. Each morning after prayers, I take a little vodka and say l’chayim to to the Holy One, blessed be He.

“This morning, after following my daily custom, it occurred to me that since I wouldn’t be able to drink alcohol for the next eight days, I should say I’chayim for the entire holiday. Without thinking much longer, I downed eight more l’chayims. My head became groggy and I went to sleep.

“I slept very soundly without realizing how the hours passed by. At nightfall, my wife tried to wake me to go to shul, but I couldn’t get out of bed. When everybody was coming home, she tried to wake me again, but I just turned to the other side.

“She waited a little longer, then, came to wake me a third time. Shaking me with all her strength, she cried: “Husband! It’s Pesach! What about the seder? All the Jewish people are celebrating the holiday. What about us?'”

“I felt terrible. She was almost crying. Summoning whatever strength I could, I stumbled to the table and began to speak: “I am a simple person and my father was a simple person. I can’t read Hebrew and don’t know what we’re supposed to say now, but I know one thing about Passover. Our ancestors were slaves to the Egyptians and G-d took them out of exile. We’re in exile again now. May G-d redeem us very soon.”

“Afterwards, I noticed that my wife had prepared matzos, wine, eggs, and some vegetables on the table. I drank the wine, ate the food, and went back to bed. That was my Seder.”

The holy Rebbe of Berditchev again assured the water carrier that his Seder had been accepted by G-d and asked his students to take him home. When they returned, he told them: “The few words he said, he said with all his heart, and therefore. G-d appreciated his Seder.”

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) Please share this story with family and friends and leave us a comment or two.

The Story Tour Blog has grown to over 250 short stories about faith. Many visitors to the Story Tour Blog have requested that the stories be gathered together into a book. 72 of these special tales are now available in the new book

Story Tour: The Journey Begins

This special book of stories would be a nice Pesach/Afikomen Gift Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Click here for the the new book, Story Tour: The Journey Begins filled with 72 stories from the Story Tour Blog

Passover, Smugglers and Guards

Posted on Sunday, 17, April, 2016Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

This story was originally posted in 2009, so we dusted it off and polished it just a little.

Passover is one of the most celebrated holidays among the Jewish people. Every year they clean their homes and remove unleavened products, chometz. As they celebrate the Seder, the story of the leaving of Egypt and slavery is told as family and friends enjoy fellowship, prayer and good food in the service of the Holy One, blessed be He.

no-chometz

It was late in the afternoon before the beginning of Passover, and the holy rabbi was wandering through the streets of the Jewish quarter when he came upon some smugglers. From one he quietly asked how much for some tobacco, from another he inquired about the availability of smuggled brocades and imported embroideries. No matter what item he wanted, it was available for the right price.

When he asked if the smugglers could get him some bread or whiskey, they became upset and one stepped forward and said: “Rabbi, are you trying to insult me? The Passover Seder will be starting in just a few hours and no Jewish person would have even a speck of chametz left in his home or business.”

Not one merchant was able to come up with even a crumb of bread or drop of alcohol. No matter the price offered, not one merchant was willing or able to come up with even a crumb of bread or drop of alcohol. The town had removed its chometz and was ready to fullfill the religious requirements of the Seder meals and the Passover holiday.

Thrilled with the results of his failed quest, the rabbi looked up to heaven and declared: “Ribbono shel olam (Master of the Universe), look down with pride at Your people! The Czar has border guards and tax-commissioners dedicated to his commands. The law-enforcement and justice systems are devoted to tracking down and punishing smugglers and black-marketers and yet anything one could possibly want is freely available. Compare this with the faith and devotion of Your children. It has been over 3000 years since you commanded us to observe Passover. No police, no guards, no soldiers, no jail-and yet every Jewish person keeps your laws to the utmost!

“Mi K’amcha Yisrael – Who is like Your nation, Israel?”

Matzah Kosher

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) Please share this story with family and friends and leave us a comment or two.

The Story Tour Blog has grown to over 250 short stories about faith. Many visitors to the Story Tour Blog have requested that the stories be gathered together into a book. 72 of these special tales are now available in the new book

Story Tour: The Journey Begins

This special book of stories would be a nice Pesach/Afikomen Gift Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Click here for the the new book, Story Tour: The Journey Begins filled with 72 stories from the Story Tour Blog

Will I be Able to Ask the Mah Nishtanah?

Posted on Thursday, 14, April, 2016Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The storm clouds spread across the skies as the bloodthirsty hordes burst into the city and surrounded the bishops tower. Standing above the barred door a strong voice was heard, “the people in this tower or under my protection. Go on and shed not innocent blood!”

The armed mob responded, “hand them over! They are cursed and deserve to die!”

The bishop’s voice boomed, “what have they done, but practice their beliefs? All they ask is for peace.”

“We shall give them the peace of the grave” came a response as a mailed fist urged the crowd forward.

In the lowest level of the tower there was a single cell, in it sat the last Jewish family of York, with one Jewish child. Until a time of peace comes there won’t be another Seder such as this.

The young boy takes a deep breath and begins, “Taty, ich fregen…, Father I ask, why do we suffer so much more than everyone else in the world?” This question travels one into the world to the other that ascends to the very heavens. The lone child in the lowest level of the tower in York is asking the King of all Kings the deepest of all questions. His father slowly begins to answer, “Avadim hayinu, we were slaves….”, Sadly the story is so long and has no end until the time of peace comes.

The young boy continues, “Taty, can I ask one more question of my own? Will you answer my questions at next year’s Seder? Will I be alive to ask the Mah Nishtanah? Will any Jewish voice be heard anywhere in the world to ask the Mah Nishtanah?” Silence fell in the heavens as the young boy asked Mah Nishtanah, but when he asked his own question, tears flowed freely throughout the heavens.

With a deep breath and a strong voice, the young boy’s father answered, “Ki v’sheim kodshechah nishbato lo, by Your Holy Name You promised to him shelo yichbeh neiro l’olam va’ed, that his light would never go out.

The father spoke to his son, “I don’t know if you will ask the Mah Nishtanah next year. I don’t know if I will be here to answer your questions. There is one thing I am sure of the, there will always be at least one holy child to ask the Mah Nishtanah, because the Holy One. blessed be He promised us there would always be a young voice to be heard.”

Mah-Nishtanah-from-the-Srajevo-Haggadah2

When the rabbis of old originally asked Mah Nishtanah (Talmud Yerushalmi, Pesachim, 60b; Talmud Bavli, Pesachim, 116a) it was during the time of the Romans and their brutality, the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach. As the armies marched across Europe during the Crusades and countless thousands of people suffered terribly the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach. When the Black Death swept through the land and the Jewish communities were blamed, the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach. When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the fateful papers authorizing the Inquisition and expulsion, the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach. When Bogdan Chelminicki and his hordes massacred and destroyed whole Jewish communities, the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach. In the hopeless ghettos of Lodz, Bialystok, Częstochowa and Warsaw where death and destruction were common, the Mah Nishtanah was asked and the Jewish people patiently waited for Moshiach.

The question is raised, “When will the Messiah come? Today, if you listen to his voice.” (Sanhedrin 98a). The secret is hidden from man, but it is also revealed to him, because the coming of the Messiah depends not only on God’s grace but also on man’s deeds. Our task is to bend our will to God’s will in order that we might heal those breaches that separate the man from his fellow man and that rammed a man within himself.

Until that day comes lets us say with a full heart, “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah (Moshiach), and though he may tarry, still I await him every day.” (Maimonides, 13 principles of faith).

The Mah Nishtanah will be said at every Seder now and in the time of Moshiach – the Messiah.

May your Seder welcome Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet) and may he bring us

good tidings that we should be worthy of receiving the Messiah in our own lifetime.

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)

If the stories are not shared they will be lost.

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

Please share this story with others