A simple man in the village had a daughter who suffered teribly with serious eye trouble and no doctor knew how to cure her. He went several times to the holy rabbi of the village an begged him to help, sadly no help was granted him. It seemed like the gates of heaven were closed to his prayers. Finally, when the girl was stricken blind, the holy rabbi called the man to him and instructed, “Take your daughter to the market in the big city, and when you. get there, listen to the vendors who go about the streets and call out their. wares, each with his own singsong way.The vendor,s cry you like best is the one who can heal your daughter.”

The went into the big city marketplace and listened, soon he discovered the merchant who sang out his wares most to his liking:

“Bagels, Bagels, Bagels

Get your fresh bagels here

Bagels make life worth living

Bagels, Bagels, Bagels

Bagels harness the power of heaven

Bagels are a fresh round of dreams

Bagels, Bagels, Bagels”

He bought a bagel and asked the merchant to bring some to the inn the next day. When the vendor entered the man’s room, the man locked the door. He told the merchant what the holy rabbi said. The vendor’s eyes flashed with anger, and he shouted: “You let me out of here right this minute, or I’ll make a heap of bones of you along with your rabbi.” The simple man opened the door in terror. The merchant disappeared, but the girl was cured. So it is with the mysterious holy people who are hidden – one of the lamed vov (36 hidden saints without whom the world would not exist).

Bagel Recipe

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

• In ½ cup of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture until it all dissolves in the water

• Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.

• Pour 1/3 cup of warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water (the scant 1/2 cup that is remaining), as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.

• On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

• On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

• Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

• Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.

• Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

• After shaping the bagels and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil ad 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and then flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel.

• If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. Alternatively, you can use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels.

• Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

• Cool on a wire rack

Essen Gezunterheit – Eat with health – Enjoy

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)

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

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