The Captain and the Innkeeper

Posted on Wednesday, 9, March, 2022Tuesday, 3, October, 2023 by Rabbi

A captain traveled with a special unit of trained soldiers at the command of the king to accomplish an important task. The road was long, and the sun was setting on the tired soldiers after two days journey. The captain spotted an inn and ordered his unit to stop there.

The innkeeper was delighted to merit the honor to host the captain on the king’s mission. He therefore tried his best to make his valued guests’ stay a pleasant one. In their honor, he set a table filled with good food, and when they had eaten their fill, he prepared comfortable beds that would provide them with a good night’s sleep.

Upon rising in the morning, the captain asked the innkeeper how much he owed for all the services, and the innkeeper requested a great deal of money.

The captain paid the full amount and thanked the innkeeper. He then took his place at the head of his unit and continued his journey, quickly forgetting all about the inn and the innkeeper.

Several days later, he arrived at another inn, and this time as well, was showered with extraordinary hospitality as the innkeeper went well beyond the call of duty. Wanting to please his guests, the innkeeper served them delicious food, fine drink, and provided them with comfortable sleeping arrangements as well.

The next day, the captain approached the innkeeper and requested to pay for his stay. The innkeeper, however, would not hear of it.

“Absolutely not” the innkeeper said to the captain. “It is both a pleasure and an honor that a great individual such as yourself would choose to stay at my inn. The honor you have accorded me will be my full compensation!”

Upon hearing the innkeeper’s heartfelt words, the captain was filled with tremendous affection for the simple man. He then commanded one of his soldiers to go and bring a particularly heavy chest from one of the wagons. Opening the chest, he removed beautiful jewelry and gems and presented them to the innkeeper.

“Here you go, my dear sir,” said the captain. “This is a small portion of the reward that you shall receive for the respect and loyalty that you have shown me. In addition, if you ever need anything from the king, do not hesitate to contact to me”

The captain went on his way, but never forgot the innkeeper and his kindness.

There are two types of servants of the Holy One, blessed be He. The first one serves in order to receive a reward. the Holy One, blessed be He certainly looks upon his Divine service favorably, but he receives only his due reward.

This is not the case, however, with one who serves the Holy One, blessed be He with joy over having merited to serve the King Above All Kings. His reward is many times greater and brings the Holy One, blessed be He much gratification.

The sages taught, “Be not as servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving of reward, but rather, be like servants who serve the master not for the sake of receiving a reward” (Pirkei Avos 1:3)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

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

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Too Much – Part II The Reward

Posted on Tuesday, 31, March, 2020Tuesday, 31, March, 2020 by Rabbi

“There is no time to rest now. I will have the rest of my life for that, but today I must run. What I work for now will be mine to keep forever.”

Yosef jumped up and began again to run, driven to cover more of the lush, green land. Finally, he stood on top of a beautiful hill and realized he was very hot. Straight overhead the warm afternoon sun was beating down upon his head. He had been working very hard all morning, too busy to notice the sun’s steady progress across the sky.

With the sun high in the sky, he realized, “High noon! It’s midday. I’ve got to turn back. Why I’ve already spent half a day on my journey, and I must be back before sundown. It’s time to turn around. I haven’t a moment to lose!”

Yosef looked ahead of him at what was probably the most beautiful sight he had seen yet. A meadow greener than any he had ever seen lay below him. Surrounded by trees of all types, it seemed a magical place, as animals played in the tall grass and birds flew majestically overhead, singing pleasant songs.

“How can I give up this valley?” said Yosef, looking worriedly over his shoulder at the sun high overhead. “I know I have more time than this. After all, I didn’t leave in the morning until the sun had been up for at least a while. I probably still have more time before I must turn back.”

Greed and envy pushed him on, and Yosef continued through what was truly a splendid meadow. Half an hour later, he stood on the other side and saw sights even more beautiful. This time Yosef admonished himself, “No, I must not be persuaded by thoughts of greed and envy. The hour is well past noon, the sun is past the high point in the sky. I must turn back now, otherwise I will never be back before sundown.”

Yosef took the stick he had been carrying, plunged it deep into the ground, and made sure it held fast. The red handkerchief waved in the wind. He had finally marked off his spot.

Yosef knew that it was definitely time to turn around. He took one last, longing look at the valleys and hills ahead of him, but in a panic said, “No, I can’t have it. I already have hundreds of acres, and now I must stop.”

With a great sigh, Yosef began to run home, one firm purpose guiding him, one goal he could not fail to attain: he must be back before sundown. His heart raced, his blood pulsed quickly, and his legs covered the miles in leaps and bounds. Whereas before he was too preoccupied to look at the sun, now he was almost obsessed by it. He checked its progress constantly.

It seemed to Yosef that he was running with even greater speed than in the morning. No longer distracted by the delightful sights he passed, he sprinted across the grass in the hot summer afternoon. He did not even notice how his body was becoming parched and dry. He had not eaten anything all day, but was unaware of the fatigue that overwhelmed his body. He began to stumble and fall often now, and that could not escape his notice.

“What is happening to me? Am I losing my strength? I can’t slow down now!” Yosef continued ahead. He fell again, harder this time. Yosef picked himself up and felt a stab of pain in his leg. “I’ll have time to deal with the pain later,” he assured himself. “I’ll have the best doctors. I’ll have anything that I could possibly desire. Right now I must work harder than I ever have!”

Yosef reached way down into the storehouses of energy and strength that lay deep within him. He began to recognize where he was. It was just a few miles from his final destination. He looked towards the horizon to check if he could see the Euphrates River in the distance. How sweet a sight it would be to see his master, Mr. Parnas, standing just ahead of him!

“He can’t be far off now,” Yosef consoled himself as he squinted to catch sight of him. The sun was setting and it was quite late already, and Yosef was becoming frantic. His mind vividly played out a terrible scenario over and over: his master stood waiting for him as day turned into night and the sun hid itself from the moon; yet Yosef never returned!

Confusion overcame him. “Perhaps I’ve been running in the wrong direction. But that’s impossible. The sun is behind me. I must be going in the right direction. Or am I?”

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Yosef could not take time to stop and decide. He continued to run in desperation, tripping and falling all the while.

At long last Yosef spotted the welcome sight of the Euphrates River off in the distance. He thought he could make out the shape of Mr. Parnas standing there. But how much time was left?

Yosef was aching, every muscle and joint screamed out in pain. His head throbbed and his breathing was erratic as he fought for control. Yosef was in deep trouble. With still a mile or two to go, the sun began to touch the horizon, only minutes left before sundown.

Yosef shrieked, “No, this can’t be happening.” He ran more frenzied than ever towards the little dot on the horizon that stood on the bank of the Euphrates River. Sadly, the inevitable happened, and Yosef fell. Only this time he had not tripped; his body had given out. This time Yosef did not get up. On that very spot, early the next morning, the people gathered for Yosef’s burial.

We learn that “envy, lust and [the desire for] honor can put a man out of the world” (Pirkei Avos 4:21). The chase after material wealth and the respect that we assume comes with being wealthy can actually destroy a person. Some people spend endless amounts of energy wishing and dreaming about how wonderful it would be to be rich. Some actually spend lifetimes in the pursuit of the riches they think will make them happy. However, the truth is that no matter how much a person already has, there is always more to be gotten, and if we always look for more wealth, honour and fame, we will never be satisfied with what we have. If we can learn to see the good in what we already have and appreciate it, then we will be happy and feel wealthy as well. As we are taught, “Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2).” (Pirkei Avos 4:1)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know 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

Too Much – Part I The Promise

Posted on Sunday, 29, March, 2020Tuesday, 20, September, 2022 by Rabbi

Part II The Reward will be posted Tuesday 31 March

All around them was the beauty and splendor of the valley. At their feet stood the mighty Euphrates River, majestically stretching from horizon to horizon. There they stood, Mr. Parnas and his ever faithful servant, Yosef. “Yosef, my dear man, you have served faithfully in my family for many years now. Over the years you have worked hard and long on our behalf. I know that many times you had to set aside your own wants and needs because your help was necessary on the estate.

“Yosef, I know too that the great wealth which this family possesses has at times overwhelmed you. Perhaps it was difficult to continue working to protect our wealth when your family was not gaining equally from your efforts. I believe you quickly chased away the momentary envy that may have crossed your mind.

“That is why I have always trusted you, and that is why I wish to reward you today. Look around you, Yosef. Look at the beautiful fertile land that surrounds you: hills, valleys, lush green meadows. I would like to share this wealth with you, Yosef; however, I want you to earn the land that will be yours. You will determine how much or how little is sufficient and, therefore, will not have cause to question it in the future. Rather the land will be more precious to you, as it will be acquired through your efforts.”

There was a glisten in Yosef’s eyes. He loved Mr. Parnas. Mr. Parnas had always been so kind, and now Yosef realized with a tinge of embarrassment that Mr. Parnas even understood his secret feelings. It was true. Sometimes it was difficult to continue working for what was not his, even though Mr. Parnas would hint at a reward that would come some day.

“Yosef,” continued Mr. Parnas, “we stand here, the two of us alone, at the great Euphrates River. I want you to look north. What do you see?”

“Why, Master, I see beautiful hills and valleys just like you spoke of.”

“And to the south, what do you see there?”

“I see flowing streams and fields, golden with harvest.”

“And east and west?”

“There I see orchards, heavy with fruit, and gardens, well- tended, yielding delicious produce.”

“Yes, Yosef, and you shall have part of all that. We possess thousands and thousands of acres in almost every direction. Today I will share it with you. Here is what I suggest, Yosef. It’s early in the morning now, just after sunrise, and I brought you here with one purpose in mind. I want you to begin walking, or running if you like, but go as far as you want. Every step that you take will be a step that will represent permanent ownership of that land.

“If you travel one half mile north, then all of the land from here, the foot of this river, until one half mile north will be yours; its boundaries east and west will be as far as your eye can see. If you choose to travel further in this short day, then more land will be yours.”

Then Mr. Parnas reached for a little pole which had a red handkerchief tied to the end of it. “This, Yosef,” he said, “is your flag. I want you to take this and run with it and go as far as you desire; and when you reach that place, put the flag in the ground and then come back to me. All that land will be yours.

“But there is one thing, Yosef, I want you to think about before you begin. When you pass through all this beautiful land, I want you to think carefully about how far you want to go. Then just before midday, I want you to put the pole in the ground and come back to me. You have only until sundown to report back to me here, at the foot of this mountain, and tell me where the flag is. Then we will go out the next day and mark off the boundaries, and all the land will be yours. But you must come back before sundown. Do you understand?”

“Yes, of course, Master, I understand.”

“Wait, just one minute,” said Mr. Parnas. And like a loving parent who wants to ensure his child’s success, he repeated, “I want you to take this very seriously. This will affect the rest of your life. Remember, you are to put the flag in the ground and then turn around and come back before sundown! I wish you the best of luck.”

What a moment! Yosef looked all about, almost embarrassed to run. He took a few tentative steps, ever so carefully and slowly at first. Then he turned around again to look at Mr. Parnas who was shooing him on.

Suddenly, Yosef began to sprint. Thirty yards away, Yosef suddenly tripped. He looked back, chuckled at his master, wiped himself off and then continued to run.

Within a short while, Yosef was out of sight. When he reached the top of a large hill, he looked back, but his master was only a dot on the horizon. The beautiful valley that lay ahead of him seemed to stretch on forever.

“I’ve come so far; look what is now mine! How can I ever thank Mr. Parnas,” thought Yosef. “I could stop here and live with my family on this beautiful spot of land forever. There I could plant fields of my own crops, build a beautiful, little house .”

But then a nagging thought crossed Yosef’s mind, a thought that was going to pester and gnaw away at his better judgment. “But there is so much more yet ahead of me. I could be even wealthier,” he reasoned.

Yosef picked up the flag, held it high and decided that he would run a little further. Ahead of him was a whole array of hills. Yosef’s head was spinning with new ideas. “Why at the top of that hill, I could have my lookout tower; that very next hill could be the site of my windmill!” The possibilities seemed endless.

Finally, when it seemed that three quarters of the morning had passed, Yosef stopped to rest at one of the beautiful creeks and took a drink. “One day,” he envisioned, “I will sit here with my children and grandchildren and fish at my creek. It would be nice to own the land on both sides of this creek so that I could build a little summer hideaway for my grandchildren on the other side of the river.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know 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

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
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A captain traveled with a special unit of trained soldiers at the command of the king to accomplish an important task. The road was long, and the sun was setting on the tired soldiers after two days journey. The captain spotted an inn and ordered his unit to stop there.

Upon rising in the morning, the captain asked the innkeeper how much he owed for all the services, and the innkeeper requested a great deal of money.

The captain paid the full amount and thanked the innkeeper. He then took his place at the head of his unit and continued his journey, quickly forgetting all about the inn and the innkeeper.

The next day, the captain approached the innkeeper and requested to pay for his stay. The innkeeper, however, would not hear of it.

“Absolutely not” the innkeeper said to the captain. “It is both a pleasure and an honor that a great individual such as yourself would choose to stay at my inn. The honor you have accorded me will be my full compensation!”

“Here you go, my dear sir,” said the captain. “This is a small por­tion of the reward that you shall receive for the respect and loyalty that you have shown me. In addition, if you ever need anything from the king, do not hesitate to contact to me”

The captain went on his way, but never forgot the innkeeper and his kindness.

There are two types of servants of the Holy One, blessed be He. The first one serves in order to receive a re­ward. the Holy One, blessed be He certainly looks upon his Divine service favorably, but he receives only his due reward.

This is not the case, however, with one who serves the Holy One, blessed be He with joy over having merited to serve the King Above All Kings. His reward is many times greater and brings the Holy One, blessed be He much gratification.

The sages taught, “Be not as servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving of reward, but rather, be like servants who serve the master not for the sake of receiving a reward” (Pirkei Avos 1:3)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know 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

“There is no time to rest now. I will have the rest of my life for that, but today I must run. What I work for now will be mine to keep forever.”

With the sun high in the sky, he realized, “High noon! It’s midday. I’ve got to turn back. Why I’ve already spent half a day on my journey, and I must be back before sundown. It’s time to turn around. I haven’t a moment to lose!”

“How can I give up this valley?” said Yosef, looking worriedly over his shoulder at the sun high overhead. “I know I have more time than this. After all, I didn’t leave in the morning until the sun had been up for at least a while. I probably still have more time before I must turn back.”

Yosef took the stick he had been carrying, plunged it deep into the ground, and made sure it held fast. The red handkerchief waved in the wind. He had finally marked off his spot.

Yosef knew that it was definitely time to turn around. He took one last, longing look at the valleys and hills ahead of him, but in a panic said, “No, I can’t have it. I already have hundreds of acres, and now I must stop.”

Confusion overcame him. “Perhaps I’ve been running in the wrong direction. But that’s impossible. The sun is behind me. I must be going in the right direction. Or am I?”

Yosef could not take time to stop and decide. He continued to run in desperation, tripping and falling all the while.

At long last Yosef spotted the welcome sight of the Euphrates River off in the distance. He thought he could make out the shape of Mr. Parnas standing there. But how much time was left?

Yosef was aching, every muscle and joint screamed out in pain. His head throbbed and his breathing was erratic as he fought for control. Yosef was in deep trouble. With still a mile or two to go, the sun began to touch the horizon, only minutes left before sundown.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know 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

Part II The Reward will be posted Tuesday 31 March

“Yosef,” continued Mr. Parnas, “we stand here, the two of us alone, at the great Euphrates River. I want you to look north. What do you see?”

“Why, Master, I see beautiful hills and valleys just like you spoke of.”

“And to the south, what do you see there?”

“I see flowing streams and fields, golden with harvest.”

“And east and west?”

“There I see orchards, heavy with fruit, and gardens, well- tended, yielding delicious produce.”

“If you travel one half mile north, then all of the land from here, the foot of this river, until one half mile north will be yours; its boundaries east and west will be as far as your eye can see. If you choose to travel further in this short day, then more land will be yours.”

“Yes, of course, Master, I understand.”

What a moment! Yosef looked all about, almost embarrassed to run. He took a few tentative steps, ever so carefully and slowly at first. Then he turned around again to look at Mr. Parnas who was shooing him on.

Suddenly, Yosef began to sprint. Thirty yards away, Yosef suddenly tripped. He looked back, chuckled at his master, wiped himself off and then continued to run.

Within a short while, Yosef was out of sight. When he reached the top of a large hill, he looked back, but his master was only a dot on the horizon. The beautiful valley that lay ahead of him seemed to stretch on forever.

“I’ve come so far; look what is now mine! How can I ever thank Mr. Parnas,” thought Yosef. “I could stop here and live with my family on this beautiful spot of land forever. There I could plant fields of my own crops, build a beautiful, little house .”

But then a nagging thought crossed Yosef’s mind, a thought that was going to pester and gnaw away at his better judgment. “But there is so much more yet ahead of me. I could be even wealthier,” he reasoned.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

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

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

Please share this story with family and friends and let us know 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

“Here you go, my dear sir,” said the captain. “This is a small portion of the reward that you shall receive for the respect and loyalty that you have shown me. In addition, if you ever need anything from the king, do not hesitate to contact to me”

There are two types of servants of the Holy One, blessed be He. The first one serves in order to receive a reward. the Holy One, blessed be He certainly looks upon his Divine service favorably, but he receives only his due reward.