Just One Small Blast from the Great Shofar

Posted on Wednesday, 13, September, 2017Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Chacham had a student that was an orphan and he would spend much time with him. They would learn together, walk through the forests and ponder the secrets found in the Holy writings. One year, right after Tisha B’Av, the boy became sick.

Chacham took the shofar on the first day of the month of Elul and tested it to see whether it was in good condition. The student was in the room and the sound of the shofar touched him in such a way that his color began to return to his cheeks.

He asked his beloved teacher for one more blast, and Chacham gladly obliged. From then on, for the remainder of the month of Elul, this became a ritual; Chacham blowing the shofar once each day for his sick student. On the day before Rosh Hashanah, the orphan was there, waiting to hear the shofar, but he was disappointed.

“I am sorry, but today we do not blow the shofar. Tomorrow morning, we will blow the shofar in the shul (synagogue).” Chacham explained.

The student looked at his beloved teacher with tears in his eyes and asked, “I am sick to my very soul and my body is weak. The call of the shofar gives me comfort, strengthens me and makes me feel better. Please just one blast! Just one small blast!”

Chacham was touched by the beseeching voice of his student and slowly brought the shofar to his lips and blew one blast.

On Rosh Hashanah, everyone expected Chacham to blow the shofar. That year, Chacham went up before the aron kodesh (Holy Ark) where the Torah scrolls were, opened it and said: ” Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, I have to repent. It’s written that on the day before Rosh Hashanah one must not blow shofar, yet I did.”

He broke down it tears and called out: “Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, do you know why I transgressed this custom? It was because my young student lay on his sickbed begging and crying that I should only blow one blast of the shofar for him. My heart melted, I couldn’t bear to watch him cry and be in pain, so I blew once for him, though I shouldn’t have.

“Avinu, Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King), how can you stand by and see how millions of Your children are sick to their very souls and crying out to You, Av haRachamim (Father of Mercy), just one small blast! Sound the blast of the great shofar which will herald the final Redemption! Even if the time is not right for it yet, even if the time for Moshiach has yet to arrive, Your children cry out to You. Please just one small sound to rekindle our hope.”

The sounding of the shofar was delayed, and for a long time crying from broken hearts was heard throughout the shul (synagogue…).”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The King, the Forester and Teshuvah

Posted on Wednesday, 13, September, 2017Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

A king was once riding through a forest and was so taken by the beauty and wonder around him that he became lost. He rode on for a very long until he met a forester who recognized the king and offered to escort the king back to the royal palace. Along the way the king and the forester spoke about many things and the king became very fond of the forester. The forester even sang an ancient melody from the oldest wood. The king invited the forester to remain on the royal estate as the chief forester and keeper of the King’s Grove.

Many years passed and the forester served the king as best as he could. Rumours reached the king that the forester may have been rebellious against the king. The king was angry and disappointed, but due to the nature of the reports he received he sentenced the forester to death. Before he was taken out to be executed, the king had the forester brought before him and granted him one last request.

The forester respectfully requested the he be able to wear the clothes he wore the day he met the King when he was lost in the forest, and that be able to sing the ancient melody from the oldest wood.

The king granted the forester’s wish, looked at him and remembered that day they met so many years ago. The king closed his eyes and listened to the ancient melody and his heart was melted. The king’s anger gave way to mercy and he proclaimed “By your life, you have saved yourself,” and called off the execution.

Everyday we say “Hear, O Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One. And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) We must realize that when we say: “And you shall love the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:5), which means that you shall make the name of Heaven beloved…. Great is repentance: it brings healing to the world.” (Yoma 86a)

Throughout the year people may have inadvertently or accidentally sinned while others have deliberately transgressed and rebelled. In any case, like the forester in the story, the arrival of Rosh Hashanah – the Day of Judgment we are fearful indeed. He reminds us that one must “Humble yourself here and you won’t be humbled hereafter.” (Exodus Rabbah 30:19)

So we blow the shofar to recall the shofar blowing that accompanied our original acceptance of the Torah and coronation of G‑d. The sound of the shofar stirs us to seek forgiveness and repentance. This merit stands by us, and G‑d forgives us all our sins and inscribes us in the Book of Life for a year of goodness and hope.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Cry to the King

Posted on Sunday, 10, September, 2017Monday, 19, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There once was a wise king who had a son he loved very much. The king knew that one day his son would ascend the throne and wear the royal crown and so he wanted him to learn about the world and government. He sent his son to learn wisdom and skills from the many lands throughout the world.

The king made sure that his son had everything he needed including gold and silver as well as a well provisioned ship. With a pain in his heart, the king watched as the ship faded in the distance.

The prince, being young, lost his fortune as he traveled through many lands. Many years passed and one day the prince realized that he was without any means to take care of his needs. Sadly, he decided to return to his father’s palace and began his long hard journey home. After a long time, he arrived at the courtyard gate to his father’s palace.

In the long time he had traveled, he had forgotten how the language was spoken in his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to the guards. He was tired, confused and hopeless and in his despair he began to cry out in a loud voice. The King, who happened to be walking the battlements, recognized the voice of his beloved son. Hearing the crying of his son, the King went out to him and brought him into the palace, welcoming him with tight embraces and kisses.

We see from this story that: The King is G d. The prince is the Jewish people, who are called the “Children of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10). The King sends a soul down to this world in order “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your G-d (Micah 6:8) and to fulfill the words of Torah and mitzvos.

However, the soul becomes very distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in the long exile it forgets even its own “language.” So it utters a simple cry to its Father in Heaven. This is the blowing of the shofar, a cry from deep within, expressing regret for the past and determination for the future. This cry brings about G d’s mercies, and He demonstrates His abiding affection for His child and forgives him.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tidings of Joy or Sadness?

Posted on Tuesday, 5, September, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There was a certain man who could cast spells in order to know the future. A holy man was approached by the spell caster and he told him: “You may thank the Holy One, blessed be He for his decree regarding you, since I see that you are going to marry a beautiful wife.” “And who is she?” asked the holy man. He answered: “Yaffa.” “Why,” said the holy man, “she is a married woman!” “It is clear to me,” said the spell caster, “that she will wed you.”

“Today,” said the holy man, “is not a day of good tidings, and I shall not say a blessing because of the death of a man who will have to die on my account. For who knows whether I am better than he?” “In that case,” said the soothsayer, “how shall a man wed a widow?” “There is no comparison,” said he, “since in that case her husband has already died. But you tell me this while he is still alive—and I shall always pray that he should have a long life.”

The spell caster was taken aback and asked: “how can you not accept the blessing of a beautiful wife?” The holy man answered: The Holy One, blessed be He said, ‘I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life.’ “(Deuteronomy 30:19) The spell caster looked confused as the holy man continued: “We are commanded ‘You shall not practice divination or soothsaying.’ (Leviticus 19:26) and we are taught ‘They gaze and know not at what they gaze at, they ponder and know not what they ponder.’ (Sotah 12b) instead ‘give your whole heart to the Holy One, blessed be He. Trust not in dreams or omens, inquire not of fortunetellers. Such things show a lack of faith.’ ” (Tochechah, 14^th century)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Prayers in Time of Drought and the Scoffer

Posted on Friday, 25, August, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Special prayers are recited and fast days may even be decreed by the leaders of a Jewish community, in the event of a serious drought. It is particularly important to encourage people who are not so observant of Jewish religious practices to participate in these services, in the hope that they will be moved by the vulnerable position of the community and possibly become more religious. Indeed, the Talmud states that “Any fast day that does not include the sinners is not a fast” (Kerisus 6b)

It once happened that the sun shined bright and the heat touched everyone. It had not rained for a very long time and so water was scarce. In one village, the rabbi proclaimed a fast day. The rabbi tried to urge a non-observant person to join in the community in prayer that the life giving rains should come, but the “modern” Jewish person refused, saying: “You certainly do not think that the prayers of someone like myself will make any difference to G-d.”

The rabbi tried to impress upon him that the prayers of every person are important, and when someone who has wandered away from religious observance turns to G-d, his prayer is very dear to the Holy One, blessed be He.

“I take it from this,” the man answered the rabbi, “that you are suggesting that it is my sinfulness that has aroused the anger of Heaven and caused the drought. How can I be part of a community that accuses me of this! You and your kind are so steeped in superstition that you will never know what the real world is like. This is why I don’t believe in your traditions and mythology!””

The rabbi thought for a moment, stroked his beard and answered the young man: “I’m sorry you feel that way, I could not possibly think that you caused the drought. In fact, we know for a fact that it was people like you who once caused it to rain for forty days and forty nights consecutively.”

The young man laughed and responded: “ How can mouthing a bunch of words and torturing yourself with no food or water make any real changes to the world?”

The rabbi listened and explained: “Fasting and prayer make great changes to everything around us as we are taught, ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood’ (Isaiah 58:6-7) It is through our old traditions that we change the world to a better place physically and spiritually.”

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 Wonderful Healing Leaves: A Tale from Kurdistan Part II

Posted on Wednesday, 2, August, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

In the morning the lad arose early, and the giant said to him: “When you leave here, you must ride on the road for seven days, until you come to a crossroads. On one of the roads it is written ‘A happy journey,’ and on the other, ‘He who follows this path shall not return.’ You must not ponder there, but take the road from which there is no return. Continue to follow this road until it comes to a dead end. This is the first danger. When you come there you must say: ‘What a beautiful path! Had I all the horses of the king I would come and dance here!’ Then the path will continue, so you can pass.

“The next danger,” continued the giant, “is a valley filled with poisonous snakes, through which no man can pass. When you come to it you must say: ‘What a beautiful valley filled with honey! If only someone brought some of this honey to the palace of the king, he would gladly eat it!” Then the snakes will disappear, and you will be able to pass.

“The third danger is a valley filled with blood and all kinds of beasts, through which no man can pass. When you come to it you must say: ‘What tasty butter! Had I the bread of the king, I would spread this tasty butter on it!’ Then the valley will dry up, and you will be able to pass.

“After this,” the giant went on, “you will come to a palace, guarded by a dragon and a viper. If their eyes are open, it means they are sleeping; if their eyes are closed, they are fully awake. Wait until their eyes are open, and then you will be able to pass. From there you must enter the palace, and walk down the corridor until you come to the queen’s door, which is guarded by four lions. If their eyes are open it means they are sleeping; if their eyes are closed, they are awake. Now, the door to the queen’s chamber, which they guard, is made entirely of bells, and when it is opened the sound of the bells wakes the lions. I will give you two packages of cotton with which to muffle the bells. When the eyes of the lions are open, muffle the bells and open the door. There you will find the queen sleeping, for when she sleeps all the beasts sleep with their eyes open, and beside her bed grows the tree with the healing leaves. Fill one bag with the leaves, and also fill your pockets, for they are very precious. Then go to the queen and exchange rings with her. After that, when you return, you must do everything you did before, but in reverse order.”

The lad listened closely to what he had to do, and when the giant had finished telling him, he gratefully thanked him and set off down the road. He acted according to the giant’s instructions, so he was able to continue on the path that ended, and to cross the valley filled with snakes and the one filled with blood and beasts. And when he reached the palace he waited until the eyes of the dragon and the viper were open, which meant that they were asleep, and he entered the palace. So too did he wait for the four lions to open their eyes, meaning that they too were asleep, and he entered the chamber of the queen, who was sleeping on her bed. And beside her bed he found the tree with the wonderful healing leaves, its branches reaching to the ceiling, its roots growing beneath the floor. Then the lad filled a big sack with those leaves and his pockets as well, and exchanged his ring with that of the queen. And on the way back he did everything he had done to get there, but in reverse. So it was that two weeks later he returned with the bag full of leaves and the queen’s ring on his finger, and came to the inn run by the two princes.

Now when the princes saw the sack, they asked the lad what was inside it, and he told them the whole story, although he forgot to mention that he had exchanged rings with the queen. Then the two princes pretended to be very friendly, and invited him to spend the night, and he agreed.

But while the lad slept, the two princes threw a drug into his eyes to blind him, and put him in a sack and left him in a closet in the inn. They themselves took the bag of the healing leaves and set out to return to the palace of the king. And when they arrived the king’s blindness was cured by the healing leaves, and he appointed the two princes to be his ministers, and rewarded each of them with one third of his kingdom.

Meanwhile, when the lad awoke and found himself in a sack, he did not give up hope, but struggled until he had managed to free himself. But when he did, he discovered he was blind, and he was deeply grieved. Then he remembered the healing leaves he had kept in his pockets, and took some of them and rubbed them against his eyes, and his sight was restored. After that he returned to his wife, the king’s youngest daughter, and said to her: “I have brought the healing leaves.” But to his surprise she laughed at him and said: “The two princes brought them back long before you, and the king has regained his sight.” And the lad understood that his long quest had all been in vain.

Now it happened that when the queen of the Land of No Return awoke from her sleep, she saw that her ring had disappeared, replaced by another, and that many leaves were missing from the tree. She immediately unrolled her flying carpet, and searched high and low for whoever had taken her ring and the leaves. After searching in many places, she heard of the king who had been cured of his blindness, and when she arrived at the palace she threatened to send the dragon to destroy the city if she was not told how the cure had come to pass. Then the princes came forward and showed the leaves to her in the presence of the king. She said: “Tell me where you got them from.” And they replied: “We found a forest and picked the leaves off a tree.” “They are lying!” hissed the queen. “Beat them!”

Just then the lad arrived at the palace and told the queen how he had obtained the leaves, and showed her the ones he still had left, which he had carried in his pockets. Then the lad showed the queen her ring, and she knew that he was telling the truth. But she wanted to know how the princes had returned with the leaves before him, and so the lad told her all that had happened, and all the trouble that they had caused him. After that the lad gave back the ring to the queen, and she got on her flying carpet and returned to her kingdom. And the king, who had heard all that the lad had said, now understood what had really taken place. He banished the two princes and invited his youngest daughter and her husband to live in the palace, where the young man soon became his most trusted minister, and they all lived happily ever after.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Wonderful Healing Leaves: A Tale from Kurdistan Part I

Posted on Wednesday, 26, July, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had three daughters. The king wanted his daughters to marry wealthy princes, and in the case of his first daughter and his second, they did. But the youngest princess fell in love with a poor man, and wanted to marry him. The king and queen opposed the marriage, but the princess went ahead and secretly married her beloved. And when this became known to the king, he was furious, and banished his daughter from the palace. Thereafter she lived happily but in poverty with her husband, whom she loved.

One day it happened that the king awoke and found that he had somehow become blind. He summoned doctors from all corners of the kingdom, but none of them could restore his sight. Then a doctor came from a distant city, who said he had heard that there was a special tree in the Land of No Return whose leaves could heal blindness. But, the doctor added, no one who had gone there to obtain those leaves had ever returned.

Even though the way to the tree of the healing leaves appeared to be fraught with danger, it was the king’s last hope. So he called on the two princes who were married to his daughters, and asked them to set out on the journey, and promised that if they succeeded they would each receive one third of his kingdom on their return. But he warned them not to come back empty-handed, or it would cost them their lives. Of course, the princes could not refuse to undertake such a journey, so after they had equipped themselves with speedy horses and many provisions, they set out on the quest for the healing leaves.

Meanwhile, when the king’s youngest daughter, who was married to the poor man, found out about her father’s blindness and the quest for the healing leaves, she asked her mother, the queen, to permit her husband also to join the search, on the same conditions as those set for the two princes. The queen took pity on her, and gave the poor lad a lame horse and meager provisions, and two weeks after the two princes had already departed, he too set out on the quest.

Now after the two princes had ridden for seven days, they reached the province that bordered the Land of No Return. There the princes were told: “Many are those who have tried to reach the area where the healing leaves can be found, but none of them has ever returned. It is said that the way to the tree on which the leaves grow is guarded by a dragon and a viper, who destroy all those who come within their reach.”

When the two princes heard this, they became frightened, and they did not want to continue the quest. But they knew they could not return empty-handed, or it would cost them their lives. Therefore they decided to stay at the place they had reached, and together they opened an inn there.

Two weeks later the lad who was married to the youngest princess arrived at their inn. He did not recognize them, nor did they recognize him, for they had never met. He stayed there that night, and in the morning he went about asking if anyone knew the way to the Land of No Return. So it was that he spoke to the same people who had warned the two princes. But the young man was not afraid, nor would he abandon the quest. And when the people saw that he was determined to go there, they told him that the only one who knew how to reach the tree of the healing leaves was a giant who lived in the valley below. But that giant himself was very terrible, and ate all those who came within his reach.

Still the lad was not afraid, and he mounted his horse and traveled to the valley that very day, and rode until he reached a house that was as high as a mountain. Another man would have been overcome with terror to see how high was the door of that house, but not the husband of the youngest daughter of the king. Without hesitation he approached the door and knocked on it. Then the wife of the giant opened the door, and when she saw it was a man, she told him to leave at once, for his life was in danger. But the lad insisted that he must talk to the giant, in order to find out how to reach the Land of No Return. And when she saw that he was determined to stay, she allowed him to come in and fed him and then hid him under the bed.

Before long the giant returned home, and as soon as he entered he declared: “Surely my nose does not deceive me—for I can smell the blood of a man even a mile away.” The giant’s wife tried to convince him that no man was foolish enough to come there, but the giant kept insisting it must be so, and at last she revealed that the lad was hidden under the bed. Then the lad came out, stood before the giant, and said: “Sir giant, you are my host and I am in your power. You can do with me whatever you like. But first let me tell you my story.” And the giant was amazed at his bravery and said: “Go on and tell me the tale.”

Then the lad told the giant about the blindness of the king, and how he had come in search of the healing leaves. And when the giant saw that he was willing to go to the Land of No Return, even though no one had ever come back from there, he said to him: “Since you do not tremble before me, and are not afraid to risk your life by entering the Land of No Return, I shall not kill you, for you are the first man I have met who is not a coward.” Then the giant invited the lad to eat and sleep in his home, and so it was that the lad spent the night there as his guest.

Watch for part II of the story soon

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Tzaddik of the Forest

Posted on Sunday, 23, July, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

In the holy city of Sfas (Safed) there lived a holy rabbi who was said to know all of the revealed and hidden Torah, all the holy writings, and the Zohar by heart. A wealthy and educated merchant in Sfas owned a large orchard, several fields, and two ancient forests. Now this wealthy merchant had a beautiful he had great difficulty in finding a worthy groom for her. No one was a fine enough scholar. Then it happened that he heard of the holy rabbi, and he was determined that such a learned man would be his son-in-law. With the help of a shadchan (a person who arranges marriages) the betrothal was made.

So it was that the holy rabbi met both his bride and his father-in-law for the first time on the day he was married. Under the chupah (wedding canopy) the holy rabbi took the hand of his bride and said, “And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy.” (Hosea 2:19) The love between the holy rabbi and his bride was a deep one, which had been ordained in heaven.

Every day after the morning prayers, the holy rabbi rode a horse into one of the forests, and he was not seen again until the sun was about to set and it was time for the afternoon prayers. What he did in that forest was a mystery. The wealthy merchant saw that the holy rabbi treated his daughter well and that she always appeared to be happy, so he never questioned his ways of his son-in-law.

Now the wealthy merchant hired two Jewish men to serve as the foresters of the two ancient forests he owned. Each had a cabin in one of the forests, and there they watched for those who sought to poach, illegally hunt or cut down the trees. They would walk through the forests as they patrolled for trespassers. One day, one of the foresters saw a horse tied to a tree and when he went closer, he saw the merchant’s son-in-law lowering himself into the dark, putrid insect-infested waters. What kind of mikveh (ritual bath) was this?

The holy rabbi spent a long time in those waters, and when he came out of the water, he dressed, untied the horse, and rode out of the forest. Then the forester came out of hiding and saw, to his amazement, that those waters had turned completely pure. He bent down and drank from them, and the waters were clear and sweet. And he realized that he had witnessed a miracle of one of the hidden saints.

So it was that the forester secretly observed the holy rabbi as he made his way through the forest, and he saw many other kinds of miracles take place. Whatever barren tree he sat beneath soon had blossoms appear on it, and whatever path he walked on had flowers spring up overnight. All of nature welcomed his presence as if he were an angel. He quietly went on his way hidden from the eyes of people, healing whatever was sick or dying with a power that seemed to spring from his very being. The holy rabbi searched for the scattered sparks in that holy forest, so that he could gather them so he could repair the world.

Now that forester was childless, and when he told his wife about the miracles he had witnessed in the forest, and then told her husband that the holy rabbi was a tzaddik nistar (righteous hidden holy man). She begged him to go to the hidden tzaddik and ask for his blessing so they could have a child of their own. One day, when he could not hold himself back any longer, the forester approached the holy rabbi and said, “I know that you are a tzaddik nistar, who hides his ways from the world. There is only one thing I would ask of you, and if you help me, I promise never to reveal your secret. All I ask is that you pray for my wife and me to have a son.” The tzaddik saw that his secret had been discovered, and he blessed the forester, “Ribonno shel Olam, Master of the Universe look down on the sadness of your children, and remember them, and grant them a child.” He then promised the man that within a year he and his wife would be blessed with a baby boy. At the end of the year the forester’s wife gave birth to a healthy son.

The forester was overjoyed at the birth of his son and kept his word and never revealed the secret of the holy rabbi. Then one day his friend forester, who watched over the other ancient forest, came to visit him. This forester’s life had been tragic, for each of his sons had died before reaching the eighth day. He said: “I see that G-d has blessed you and you have had a son. May there be many more blessings. Tell me, was there anything you did to make this possible? Perhaps you can help me so that I can be blessed as well.”

Now the forester had no intention of breaking his promise, but at the same time he wanted to help his friend, the other forester. He thought for some time and answered: “I will help you on one condition—that you not ask any questions but do whatever I tell you to do.” The other forester quickly agreed to these terms, and the first one explained: “What we have to do is to switch places, so that you will patrol my forest, and I will patrol yours. Then everything will be all right.”

So it was that the foresters switched places, and after a while the second forester observed the ways of the holy rabbi, who brought miracles to pass wherever he went. When he saw these miracles, the forester understood why the other had advised him to switch places. One day he slowly approached the tzaddik of the forest and told him of the disaster that had haunted the birth of every one of his sons, and he asked for his blessing, that his future sons would live.

The tzaddik was silent for a long time, and at last he said: “Do you remember that when you were young you went with some friends to swim in the river and to wash in its waters? There was a large tree near the shore of that river, and at the bottom of the trunk, near the roots, there was engraved the image of a hand. And you had the urge to laugh and play around. So you took a ring and placed it on the finger of the hand and said Haray at mekudeshes….Behold you are consecrated to me, the wedding vows.”

The forester grew pale when he heard this, for he himself had forgotten about that foolish thing. He lowered his eyes and admitted that it was true, and the holy rabbi explained: “At that moment an evil spirit that lived in that place was wed to you. And since you married someone else, this evil spirit comes and kills your sons because you betrayed her and didn’t fulfill the wedding vow”

The forester was staggered by these words, and he said: “I remember that day as if it were yesterday. Afterward I was ashamed of what I had done, and I put it out of my mind until now. Please, tell me, what must I do in order to free myself of that evil spirit?”

The holy rabbi told the forester that he had to say a special teffilah (prayer):

The holy rabbi continued, “I will write the get, the bill of divorce, for you, and you must take it to the same place, and put the get into the hand engraved there, and you must say: ‘The holy rabbi commands you to divorce me.’ “

The forester went there, found the place where the hand was engraved, and he did as the holy rabbi told him to do, and at last he was freed of that spirit. And the sons who were born to him after that all thrived.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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A Journey to the Tree of Life

Posted on Wednesday, 12, July, 2017Thursday, 1, February, 2024 by Rabbi

The holy rabbi would go out into the forest by himself each day. What he did there was a great mystery to his students. One morning, the holy rabbi asked three of his students if they would like to go with him into the forest. All three of them eagerly agreed to go.

The students climbed onto the wagon, and the holy rabbi himself served as the driver. Never once did he crack the whip, but the horses responded to his presence by racing forward, and it seemed to the students that the hooves of the horses and the wheels of the wagon never touched the ground.

After some time they arrived at a beautiful forest that none of the students had ever seen. Without saying a word, the holy rabbi dismounted, unhitched the horses from the wagon, and motioned for the students to follow. Now they wondered why he did not rack-up, (secure horses to a fixed object by means of a halter and lead rope) the horses to nearby trees, and one of the students asked the holy rabbi if he wanted him to do it for him, and the holy rabbi answered: “It is not necessary to tie up the horses here, but if you are worried about them wandering off, you could stay here with them until we return.” The student did not want to miss any lesson from his teacher and did not want to left behind.

Never had the students seen a forest like this. The trees were so ancient that some of them were so wide that their span was wider than all of them together and so high that they seemed to reach into heaven. When one of the students tried to see the top branches of an especially tall and magnificent tree, he saw a nest high in its branches and a golden bird of such great beauty flying into the nest. The student stood rooted in that place, marveling at the sight of the shining golden bird. He hoped to learn secret words of holiness as it is written, “for a bird of the air may carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. (Ecclesiastes 10:20) Meanwhile the other students continued into the forest, leaving their companion behind.

A little further on they came to a still, clear pond filled with the deepest blue water. The students saw the holy rabbi lean over and peer into the pond, and they wondered what holy things he saw. They each decided to look into the pond as did their holy teacher. What they saw was not their images, but a divine presence that seemed to gaze back at them from beneath the waters. Now the students were greatly amazed at what they saw and raised their eyes to ask the holy rabbi to explain the images they saw, but when they did, they saw that he had already left the pond, and one student hurried off to catch up with him. The other student remained staring at that angel, for he understood that it was his own guardian angel he was seeing, and he could not tear himself away from the remarkable sight.

Further in the forest they came to trees that seemed to be shimmering as if they were on fire, yet they were not consumed. The last student wanted to stop to explore this strange sight, but the holy rabbi barely paused to glance at the trees and continued on his way. The last student, remembering well the vision of Moses at the burning bush, (Exodus 3:2) remained behind, trying to understand the mystery of that fire, and he did not notice that the holy rabbi had left him behind.

In this way hours or days passed, and the three students were lost in the mysteries of that forest. Then, all at once, they found themselves back at the Beis haMidrash – House of Study, where they had started their journey. They could not understand how they had gotten there, and when they looked to the holy rabbi for an explanation, he said: “When Moses left Egypt he knew that some of the Children of Israel would never reach the Promised Land. And, indeed, some of them crossed the Red Sea but were no longer present at the giving of the Torah, and some who were present both when the sea was crossed and the Torah was received did not reach the Promised Land. So it is that I brought you with me into Paradise where “there is a tree of life for those who do His will.” (4 Maccabees 18:16). Sadly the further we went, the fewer were those who followed. When I came to the Tree of Life, I found that all of you had lingered behind.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The Bird of Happiness: A Tale from Kurdistan

Posted on Thursday, 29, June, 2017Wednesday, 21, September, 2022 by Rabbi

There once was a special light that shown when the Holy One, blessed be He created the world that was so bright that could not be used to light the day, because it would hide the light of the sun. (Genesis Rabbah 3:6). It disappeared when Adam and Eve left the Garden. G-d took a piece of this light, put it in a stone and gave it to Adam and Eve to light the darkness. The stone was passed from generation to generation. Noah used this stone to light the inside of the ark. (Genesis 6:16, Sanhedrin 108b). It was passed down to Abraham who had a precious stone hung round his neck which brought immediate healing to any sick person who looked on it. . (Baba Basra 16b) He passed it on to Isaac who gave it to Jacob who handed it on to Joseph. Joseph used it for his dream interpretations. Moses recovered it from the bones of Joseph and placed it in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). (Baba Basra 16b, Leviticus. R. 11; Genesis. Rabbah 31:11). The tzohar passed from the holy and righteous and made it to the wise King Solomon, who used it to light the inside of the Beis haMikdash (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem. When the Holy Temple was destroyed it disappeared.

Binyāme was born in the desert and learned the ways of the shifting sands. His parents had been slaves, but they had run away to find a place where they could be free. Each morning they would thank the Holy One, blessed be He “shelo asani aved” (who has not made me a slave)(Menuchos 43b) Every day they searched for food and water, while the sun beat down on their backs, and sand blew in their faces. Still, Binyāme never lost hope, for his mother would say:

Every night, when they stopped to rest, Binyāme’s father would teach him what it meant to be Jewish. They had no books, but his father remembered the holy teachings and the stories he had learned as a boy. He taught his son that he should “You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Binyāme took all his father’s teachings to heart and let them be his guide.

So it was that they wandered for many years, and still the desert stretched endlessly before them. Then one night, Binyāme had a strange and powerful dream. In the dream he was traveling with his parents when the world suddenly grew dark “a darkness that can be felt.” (Exodus 10:21). Binyāme’s parents said, “Quickly, Binyāme, crouch down and cover yourself with a blanket. A sandstorm is coming!” And as soon as he did he heard the roar of the wind as sand started swirling around him and beating down on the blanket, and the sandstorm lasted for many hours. At last the storm passed, and Binyāme and his parents threw off the blankets and discovered that their food had been scattered and their water was swallowed by the storm, and, even worse, their footprints were lost by the sand and wind. They could no longer tell where they had come from or where they should go.

Just when everything looked hopeless, Binyāme saw something on the horizon. At first it was only a speck, but soon he saw that it was a beautiful white bird. That bird came closer and closer, and just as it flew over Binyāme, it dropped something from its beak and in the dream, and Binyāme caught it! At that moment Binyāme woke up and discovered that he was clutching something in his right hand—a glowing stone. Binyāme jumped up and showed it to his parents.

Binyāme hung the glowing stone from a leather thong around his neck, and it proved to be a wonderful guide. For when they were traveling in the right direction, the stone would glow, but when they were going in the wrong direction, it remained dark. In this way the glowing stone guided them to every oasis, where pools of fresh water were surrounded by trees bearing sweet fruit. Each time they came to such an oasis, they said a prayer of thanks.

So it was that after years of wandering through shifting sands and blazing sun, Binyāme and his parents finally came to the walls of a great city—the first city that Binyāme had ever seen. As they passed through the gates, they were surprised to see a huge crowd had gathered in the streets. Binyāme wondered about this, because his father had told him that in cities people live in houses.

Then Binyāme’s father asked why everyone was standing the streets. The man said, “Three days ago our king died. And it is the custom in our city to let the will of heaven decide who will be our next king. So on the third day after the king’s death, the rare Bird of Happiness is released and circles above the city, and whoever the bird lands on is chosen to be the next king of the city. The bird is about to be released. That is why everyone is standing in the street.”

Just then there was a great shout from the crowd, and Binyāme looked up and saw a white bird soaring on high and circling above the city, and there was something strangely familiar about that bird. It spiraled lower and lower, while Binyāme’s glowing jewel glowed more brightly than ever before. And suddenly the bird swooped down and landed on Binyāme’s shoulder! There was a great shout from the crowd, and all at once Binyāme was picked up and carried off, while his parents ran after them, crying, “That’s our son. Where are you taking him?”

The crowd brought Binyāme to the king’s palace, where he was placed on the king’s throne, with the Bird of Happiness still perched on his shoulder. Everyone bowed low before him, and they declared that he, Binyāme, the poor boy wandering in the desert, the son of slaves, was their king. At first Binyāme thought it must all be a dream, but then he felt the tugging of the bird’s talons in his hair, and he knew that it must be real.

Three days later there was a great coronation, and Binyāme was officially crowned king of the great city. After that Binyāme and his parents lived in the palace. No longer did they wonder what they would eat or drink or where they would sleep at night. As king of the great city, every important question was brought before Binyāme to decide. Now while Binyāme had never gone to school or even seen a book, he let the Ten Commandments be his guide in deciding what was right and what was wrong, and he found that they served him very well. Plus, he had the secret assistance of the glowing stone. For whenever the answer to a question was yes, the stone would glow brightly. But if the answer was no, it would remain dark.

At first the nobles of the great city were worried that the fate of the city was being entrusted to such a young boy. But as they listened to his decisions, they came to realize that he was very wise. There was only one thing they wondered about. The young king had asked that a simple shack be built out of branches next to the palace. There he spent an hour each day—but no one knew what he did.

Finally, the king’s minister could not contain his curiosity, and he asked the young king about his strange actions. Binyāme said,

When the minister heard this, he knew that Heaven had truly blessed them with a wise young king. After that he served Binyāme faithfully for many years, and in this way Binyāme became a great king. Every day Binyāme and his parents thanked the Holy One, blessed be He for all their blessings — and especially for the Bird of Happiness.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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