Two Merchants, Silver and the Witness of the Tree

Posted on Thursday, 4, January, 2018Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There were once two merchants whose names were Yosef and Chanan. Now Yosef was a very simple and hard-working man who was always saying Psalms and greeted everyone with a good word and a smile. Chanan was very knowledgeable in the ways of buying and selling and was always trying to get more wealth. Yosef and Chanan were friends and frequently traveled together and often shared space at the markets.

One day, after the market closed, the two merchants took to the road. When they stopped for the night they counted their profits and discovered they had between them over 1000 silver coins. When they arrived at the next market Yosef suggested they divide the profits equally.

Chanan thought for a moment and answered his friend, “there are many in the market who would try to take our money and then we will have nothing. Let us hide the money under a tree and if we need money we can get it and divide it equally.”

The two merchants found a large oak tree, dug a hole and buried their bag of silver coins. The very next day, while Yosef was in the marketplace Chanan came and took the money from the hiding place.

A few days past and Yosef decided that it was time to divide the money. He found Chanan the two of them went to the oak tree in the forest. They dug beneath the tree and found nothing.

Chanan became very angry and said, “is this the way friends treat one another? Return the money and we will go our separate ways and never speak of this again.”

Yosef was shocked and confused. “I have not been to this place since we buried our profits.”

Chanan became even angrier and demanded they go to the holy rabbi of the village for justice. The holy rabbi listened to Chanan as he presented his account of the situation and asked, “are there any witnesses to the truth of what you are saying?”

Chanan thought for a moment and answered the holy rabbi, “the oak tree under which we buried the silver shall be the witness.” Chanan looking very serious continued, “let us ask the old oak tree who stole the silver.”

The holy rabbi was surprised at the words of Chanan, but agreed to go with the two merchants to the old oak tree in the forest.

That night Chanan went to see one of his close friends and persuaded him to hide in a hollow of the oak tree. “When the rabbi asks, who stole the money?” He told his friend to respond, “Yosef took it in the darkness of night.”

The next day the two merchants and the holy rabbi went into the forest. They went to the old oak tree where they had hidden the money. The rabbi walked around the tree three times then asked, “tell us if you can, who stole the bag of silver coins?”

A voice came from inside the tree, “Yosef came in the night and took the money.”

The holy rabbi was wise and asked Chanan if there were any other witnesses. Chanan thought for a moment and answered the moon is also a witness for no case can be determined without two witnesses let us ask the moon what it had seen. The holy rabbi was again surprised by Chanan’s answer.

The holy rabbi lifted his arms toward the moon and said, It is written, “The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment” (Isa. 51:6). I remind you that before asking for justice from you, we should ask for justice for ourselves, for it is said, “The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed” (Isa. 24:23). Tell us if you can, who stole the bag of silver coins.”

The holy rabbi and the two merchants waited quietly for the moon to bear witness of what happened that night to the silver coins hidden beneath the old oak tree. The wind whispered, but the moon remained silent.

The rabbi saw some men who were working in the forest and asked them to set the tree on fire. The flames began to climb up the trunk of the tree when a voice cried out, “let me out! Let me out! I don’t want to burn to death!”

They dragged a man out of the hollow of the old oak tree. He was singed and very afraid, but he confessed that it was his friend Chanan who had stolen the money.

Yosef was given all of the money and Chanan was punished by his own words, his own trickery and the judgment of the holy rabbi.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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New Year’s Day – Rosh Hashanah and Blessings

Posted on Thursday, 28, December, 2017Sunday, 31, December, 2023 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. Many men were gathered around tables studying the holy words of Torah.

Suddenly, the door to the holy rabbi’s private study 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 (the Jewish New Year), 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 (Peace be unto you)” the student answered: “Aleichem Shalom (Unto you peace).” 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 all the peoples of 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)

And May the tales you live in the coming year be filled with blessings

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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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The Blanket Made By Zadie

Posted on Thursday, 14, December, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Itzik the Schneider was a tailor and everything he sewed was filled with love and faith. When his ainikle (grandson) was born, he sewed a very special blanket that kept the baby warm. As the boy grew, the blanket began to tatter and tear, so zadie took his scissors, needle and thread and made his grandson a coat out of that worn out old blanket.

The coat kept the boy warm as he went to school and played with his friends. The boy loved the coat so much, he was hardly without it. Little boys grow but not coats, and one the coat no longer fit the boy. Again, zadie took his scissors, needle and thread and cut down his grandson’s coat into a vest. The boy loved the vest and wore it almost everywhere, but one day as he was working on a special project for his zadie (grandfather), some paint and glue splattered onto the vest. The vest was ruined and the boy was very upset. Zadie, however, looked at the vest and then to his grandson, told him to not worry, and took the vest, the scissors, needle and some thread and made a wonderful tie for his grandson. The boy wore the tie to school and many special occasions, he loved the tie very much. The boy was visiting his zadie (grandfather) for a holiday and as they sat and ate, zadie was telling stories and singing songs something terrible happened, the tie became stained with soup and food. The boy was very sad, Zadie looked at the tie and smiled.

After the holiday he took the tie, his scissors, needle and a little thread and made a handkerchief for his grandson. The boy used his special handkerchief until it became tattered and worn. The boy was very gloomy, so zadie took the handkerchief, his scissors, needle and some thread and made small cloth covered button. The boy was very happy and he wore it, button every single day and then…. One day, the button fell off. He looked everywhere but could not find the button that his zadie made for him with needle, some thread and a lot of love. He sat down and cried for a very long time. He found it hard to think or even meet with his friends but then…. One day, he took a pen in his hand and some paper and began to draw and write.

He remembered the blanket, the coat, the vest, the tie, the handkerchief, the cloth covered button, and all the good times he enjoyed with each of these items. He drew pictures and wrote stories about each thing and shared them with his friends. He soon began to understand that while the past can no longer be the present he can always remember.

The same is true for each of us when we suffer a loss. The sadness that we experience is very real but with time, and sometimes a lot of it, we can begin to appreciate new things about ourselves, our families, our friends, and our community. This does not mean that the person has been erased, it means that we remember and will never forget them because those memories are forever.

May the memories of all your loved ones be a source of strength and blessing

and

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more free resources for addressing death, mourning and grieving, visit Shalom Counseling

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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A Chanukah Gift of Stories

Posted on Thursday, 7, December, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

What does a storyteller give as gifts for Chanukah?

Stories of course.

The Season of Lights – Chanukah begins at sundown tonight (December 2, 2018). Most people in the Jewish communities throughout the world can rattle off a list of Chanukah traditions such as lighting the menorah each night; playing dreidel games; eating foods cooked in oil (latkes and Sufganiot); and exchanging gifts.

The age-old tradition of telling stories in the glow of the Chanukah menorah is fading as people turn to their cell phone, computers and social media. The stories carry messages of greatness, nobility, and wisdom while at the same time raising the hopes for a better tomorrow.

Please read and enjoy the stories below aboutChanukah. Share them with others, comment, join in a discussion, or just “like” the stories and tell us which are your favorites.

Chanukah during the Holocaust, 20th Century Miracle – An Article from 1981

Chanukah and Passover are celbrations of freedom. What do they have in common?Chanukah – Egypt – Passover: Is There a Connection

The Jewish people have fought throughout history for faith, Chanuka and the Fighters

Chanukah is a celebration of Jewish Women, Chanukah: The Dedication of Jewish women

The flame of faith burns bright on Chanukah, The Chanukah Flame of Faith

Dreidel is more than just a game, The Mystery of the Dreidel

a short Chanukah story about growth and self improvement, A short Chanukah story, Can One Fix a Spirit on Chanukah

There is more to see than just the menorah, Chanukah Lights and the Blessings of Sight, allows one to see others in a special light.

The lights of the menorah warms people to their very soul and brings about Shalom Bayis, Torah and the Menorah of Peace

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 these gifts of wonderful stories with others and start or join a discussion on the Story Tour Blog about the stories.

The Story Tour Blog has grown to over 300 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 that would make a special gift for Chanukah

ORDER YOURS TODAY

Story Tour: The Journey Begins

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 Powdered Gem

Posted on Thursday, 30, November, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Once there was a king who was known for his wisdom and kindness and he had a son. He loved his son and hoped that he would grow in knowledge and strength, so he sent him off to faraway lands to learn about the many ways people see and understand the world around them. The prince studied the nature of foreign plants and art of making powders and potions to heal. He discovered several different ways of speech and communication in the many lands he traveled through. After a few years the prince returned to his father.

The king was proud of his son and was sure that he would grow into a fine leader. One day, the prince told his father he wasn’t feeling well and took to his bed. As the days went by the prince became so sick he stopped eating. The king called for the doctors and they told him the prince had fallen gravely ill, and that they were unable to find a cure for his illness. The king sent messengers throughout the kingdom offering great reward if someone could cure his son.

One day a man from a faraway land came to the palace and claimed to know a cure for the prince’s illness. He described a certain precious stone which, if one would grind it to the finest of powders, mix it with a fine wine, and give it to the prince to drink —he would be cured.

The gem needed for the cure was very rare, and could not be found anywhere in the kingdom and beyond. Only one of the needed precious stones was to be found in the center of the royal crown. Removing this gem would mean destroying the ancient crown. The crown had been the symbol of the royal family for over 50 generations and it was the king’s most precious possession.

The king’s ministers were happy to discover the gem, but they were distressed that they would have to destroy the royal crown to provide it to be ground up for the cure for the prince. Sadly, informed the king that the precious stone for the prince’s cure had been found.

The king was happy to receive such good news and commanded that the precious stone be removed from the royal crown and be ground to a fine powder to prepare the cure for his son. The king then ordered that the cure be made as quickly as possible.

As the cure was being prepared, terrible news that the prince’s condition had worsened and that his breathing was slow, his heart beat hardly heard that his lips were sealed shut. The prince was so sick that he could take anything, not even liquids, into his mouth. The nobles and royal physicians in the palace were certain that, under the circumstances, the king would surely direct that the stone not be ground, so that the honor and splendor of the royal crown could be preserved.

Everyone was shocked when the king commanded them to hurry and crush the gem and to prepare the medicine without delay, and then to pour it into the mouth of the prince.

“Destroy the crown, grind the stone to powder, make the medicine”, the king said frantically, “Who knows? Hopefully a single drop will enter the mouth of my son, and he will be healed.”

The king in his wisdom realized that “No crown carries such royalty as that of humility” (Rokeach, 13^th Cent) and that the Holy One, blessed be He “created medicines out of the earth, and let not discerning man reject them. (ben Sira 38:4)

In a world of choices one can become very confused and distracted by many things. It is very hard to focus on what is important, but in all circumstances one should “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

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 Story Tour Blog has grown to over 300 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 that would make a special gift for Chanukah

ORDER YOURS TODAY

Story Tour: The Journey Begins

is available from the publisher, Xlibris

or from

Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion, and Amazon

The Wealthy Man Gets Cold Feet

Posted on Thursday, 16, November, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Tam and Chacham traveled the streets of the village collecting funds to help the many people suffering from the cold winter. Snow had made many roads impassable and life was very difficult.

In the village lived a very wealthy man. Every time Tam and Chacham came to his door to collect funds for the poor, the wealthy man would invite them in, offer them tea and talk about his business. When Tam and Chacham started talking about the plight of the poor people in the winter, the wealthy man would brush the off telling them that poor people like to complain and exaggerate — it wasn’t all as bad as they thought. Any way, he had no cash in the house at the moment, and couldn’t give anything at that time, asking if they could come back another time? The wealthy man escorted Tam and Chacham to the door, go back to his warm and comfortable room and settle down in his favorite chair near the fireplace, very pleased with himself.

Tam and Chacham were not very happy that the wealthy man could so easily dismiss the hardships and needs of those less fortunate. The poor had no money for food or for wood for their stoves, and they were cold and hungry. After much thought, Tam had an idea.

One evening Tam knocked on the wealthy man’s door. It was a cold and miserable night; snow and sleet blew through the deserted streets. The wealthy man asked Tam into his warm house, as usual. But Tam refused. “No,” he said, “I won’t be long.” And then he asked about the wealthy man’s health and after the health of his family, and asked him about his business, and spoke about the affairs of the community for a long time. The wealthy man could not send Tam away, of course; he had opened the door for him himself. The biting air was blowing fiercely and he was getting quite uncomfortable. He had come to the door in his slippers and yarmulke, dressed in a thin shirt and his house pants.

Tam, wearing a warm coat with a fur lining, his large fur lined cap covering his ears and heavy winter boots encasing his feet and legs, talked on and on. He didn’t want to come into the wealthy man’s house, kept telling the wealthy man that he only had one more thing to say and the he’d be on his way. The wealthy man’s toes grew stiff with the icy cold wind.

Suddenly the wealthy man understood. “Oh, Tam!” he cried. “Those poor people with no warm clothes or firewood for winter . . . I never knew. I never imagined it could be like this. This is terrible. It is horrible. I never knew, honestly! Something must be done!” He went into the house and returned with a purse full of gold coins. He wanted to go back to his fireplace as soon as he could. He needed hot tea. Tam thanked him and gave him a blessing that he should always be so generous. He too was cold after that long talk, but he didn’t mind. The poor people would have a good winter this year.

The wealthy man changed his ways that night. He became a regular contributor to the funds collected by Tam and Chacham for the poor, for poor brides, for poor students, for Passover money and for many other causes. He had learned a good lesson that night.

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)

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A Mess and Shalom Bayis

Posted on Wednesday, 8, November, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Jewish people from the time of antiquity have held an ideal standard for Jewish family life that is expressed in the term shalom bayis – Peace in the Home. Shalom bayis implies completeness, wholeness, and fulfillment. In this way, the traditional Jewish marriage is characterized by peace, nurturing, respect, and chesed (loving-kindness), through which a married couple becomes complete. It is believed that The Holy One, blessed be He’s presence dwells in a pure and loving home. (Sotah 17a)

A husband once came to a holy rabbi and told him that he was very angry at his wife and they had been arguing terribly. The holy rabbi thoughtfully asked the young man: “What had your wife done to get you so upset?”

“Every time I come home from work or learning,” the young man began, “I find the floor littered with things like toys, clothing, socks, you name it. These things belong in closets and drawers, not on the floor.”

The young man explained that he had always been an orderly person, and the mess was very annoying to him. “No matter what I tell my wife, it doesn’t help,” he said in frustration.

The holy rabbi thought for a moment or two and then answered the young man:

“Unfortunately, I have to tell you that you are like the people who complained about the manna in the desert. About people like you the Holy One, blessed be He cries, ‘See, you who come into the world, what My children complain about.’ The reason your house is a mess, with objects strewn all over the floor, is because the Holy One, blessed be He granted you children. Go into the home of a couple that does not yet have children, and you will see that everything is clean and in order. Everything is in its proper place. If the floor is washed once at the beginning of the week, it stays clean until the end of the week.”

“If your house is a mess, it’s because of the great chesed (loving-kindness) and mercy that the Holy One, blessed be He did for you. And that’s what you’re complaining about?”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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Speech, Wisdom and Protection

Posted on Thursday, 2, November, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

A holy rabbi was teaching a lesson to his students when an angry, vulgar and ignorant person insulted him in front of everyone. The holy rabbi did not answer or respond, but calmly went on with his studies as though nothing had occurred.

Many were quick to praise him for his remarkable restraint remembering, “He who hears himself cursed and remains silent is a saintly man.” (Midrash Tehillim 16:11). Others attributed the holy rabbi’s actions because one should “let yourself be cursed, rather than curse” (Sanhedrin 49a). The holy rabbi, however, attributed his control to a higher source than his own inner strength, explaining:

“Our Sages teach that silence acts as a ‘protective zone’ for wisdom. They are referring here to keeping quiet when unjustly attacked, as they state that ‘one who hears himself insulted and does not retaliate, is considered beloved by G-d’ (Shabbos 88b).’ ”

“It is written that ‘a safeguarding fence around wisdom is silence.’ (Pirke Avos 3:13), the holy rabbi continued, “then what does wisdom itself consist of?

“It must be,” he finished off, half-jokingly, “that wisdom itself is not to consider oneself slighted in the least when the assailant is someone who is not qualified to make such critical remarks.”

It wouldn’t hurt for all of us to maintain such wisdom, and to protect it with a sprinkle of silence.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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Tzedakah Magic

Posted on Tuesday, 31, October, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Tam and Chacham were collecting tzedakah to provide for the needs of the less fortunate in the community. Everywhere they went they were welcomed and people gave what they could. The need was great and the money they collected was small.

Jewish people give tzedakah, which means “righteousness” and “justice.” When a Jewish person contributes their money, time and resources to the needy, they are not being benevolent, generous or “charitable.” Giving tzedakah is the merely following the teachings of the TaNaCh (Scriptures) where it says:

“If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community…do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. (Deuteronomy 15:7) Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of G-d will not be turned away from you. (Tobit 4:7) Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, (Proverbs 28:27)”

There lived in a grand house a very wealthy merchant who refused to contribute to the community charities. Everyone knew he would not contribute to any community cause, so nobody even tried to collect charity from him. Chacham insisted on going door to door collecting what they may, but Tam insisted on going to the home of the wealthy merchant.

They knocked on the fine wooden door and were greeted by the wealthy merchant. He welcomed the guests into his house and offered them some food and drink while discussing holy matters. Chacham began to explain the importance of tzedakah with the wealthy merchant, but he dismissed him saying, “The poor like to complain, they have nothing better to do.”

Chacham became angry, but Tam steered the conversation to the subject of the Egyptian sorcerers and magicians described in the Torah (Scriptures), who were able to imitate some of Moses’s miracles. The rich man revealed that he was modern thinking about all of this, and doubted that anyone could perform either magic or miracles.

“Why do you say that?” Tam asked casually, ignoring the disrespect to the Torah. “Even I can perform miracles. I will gladly do so right now, but only if you donate one-hundred golden coins to charity.” The wealthy merchant accepted the challenge.

“Very well,” Tam said, adjusting his tone to the event. “I will now show you that if you place four piles of twenty-five golden coins on the corners of this table, I will utter only one word, and the money will find its way into the bowl at the center.” The wealthy merchant was trembling with anticipation as he placed the four piles of golden coins on the four corners of the table. “Chacham” Tam called to his companion, who promptly picked up the four piles of golden coins and put them into the bowl. “Well, there you have it! It is just as I said,” Tam confirmed.

“That is not fair!” the wealthy man howled in protest. “There was no miracle involved in this.”

“No miracle?” Tam mocked, good-naturedly. “You think that getting one-hundred gold coins for charity out of you is not a miracle?”

Everyone had a hearty laugh, and the wealthy merchant was left without ill feelings.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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The Silent Princess – Tale of the Magic Jewel, the Flying Carpet and the Powerful Potion

Posted on Monday, 23, October, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

The second evening, when the four of them sat together, the prince and the princess and the two witnesses, the prince said to the witnesses: “Tell us a tale to while away the time, for tomorrow I shall die.”

The witnesses said: “We will not speak, for we are only witnesses, and our job is to listen and remain silent.”

“In that case,” said the prince, “will you reply if I ask you something?” “Perhaps . . .” they replied.

Then the prince said: “Three companions climbed together to the top of a mountain. One of them had a magic jewel through which he could see to the ends of the earth. Another had a flying carpet, and the third had a potion with which to revive the dead.

“The one with the magic jewel looked through it and saw in a faraway land a great crowd following a coffin to a grave site. And when he told his companions what he saw, the one with the flying carpet said: ‘Get on the carpet quickly and we will attend the funeral, for it must have been a great man who has died.’

“The three friends sat down on the magic carpet, and in the wink of an eye it carried them where they wanted to go. And after they joined the procession, they asked the mourners who had died and why there was such sorrow. The mourners told them that the king’s fair and lovely daughter had died while still very young. And when the three heard this, they made their way to the king and said: ‘We can revive your daughter, sire.’ The grieving king replied: ‘Whoever can revive my daughter shall have her for a bride.’

“Then the one with the magic potion stood near the girl’s body and sprinkled the potion on her, and all at once she began to breathe. But after she had been revived, and embraced her father and mother amid great rejoicing, the three men began to argue over her.

“The one with the magic jewel said: `If it were not for me, the princess would have been buried and not have been revived, for it is I who saw the funeral procession. Since she was saved because of me, she belongs to me.’

“The owner of the flying carpet said: ‘If it were not for my magic carpet, which carried us a great distance as fast as lightning, we would not have arrived in time to revive the girl. Therefore she should be my bride.’

“Then the one who had brought the magic potion said: ‘If it were not for my potion, the princess would now be in her grave, so I have a greater right to her than either of you.'”

Then the prince who had told this story asked the witnesses for their decision, but they said: “It is a difficult matter which we cannot decide by ourselves. Tomorrow we will ask the judges for their verdict.”

“But I am to be hanged at dawn,” said the prince, “and I will go to my grave without knowing your answer.”

Here the princess intervened and said: “I will reply to your question. I believe that the man who revived the princess with his magic potion should receive her as his bride, for without his potion she could not have been revived.”

Then the prince thanked the princess, and agreed that she was correct.

The next day, at dawn, the executioner again arrived and began to drag the prince away, but the witnesses stopped him and said: “The princess spoke to the young man, and he does not deserve to die.”

Now when the king heard the witnesses, he did not believe his ears: “It can’t be that my daughter has finally spoken after having remained silent for so long. But since I have some doubt about it, let us have a third and final test, this time in the presence of three reliable witnesses.”

Part 3 of 4

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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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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