Jewish stories for children of all ages

The mysterious farmer

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok was the Rov of Berditchev, which had many wealthy Jews, and some that were not. Those who needed help were sometimes visited by a mysterious farmer wi

Abdullah, the flying merchant

When the Jews of Tunis go to the Arab market erev Sukkos to buy haddasim for schach, they are shocked to find that the price has been increased from three coins to thirty

Five hundred white roosters

When the cruel pasha of Tsefas orders the Jews to bring him 500 white roosters or suffer a bitter end, they become fearful as it is well known that no white roosters coul

The faithful guarantor

Senor de Pegoto is a wealthy, kindly Jew. When Chassan the Arab visits him and requests a large loan, Senor de Pegoto agrees as long as a guarantor is included. When Chas

Reb Aryeh Leib, the Shpoler Zeide

When Boruch hosts the Holy Baal Shem Tov, he sees a wondrous sight- the Maharal of Prague visits the Baal Shem Tov during Tikkun Chatzos and tells the Baal Shem Tov to in

To ignite a soul

Kalman the shamash lights candles in the shul every afternoon. Boruch the butcher offers to buy this privilege, but Kalman does not desire money. Eventually, on Rabbi Yeh

Barrels of honey

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev faces his very first case as the new Rov of the city. It seems like an open and shut case- property in the possession of orphans cannot

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 6

R. Eliyahu Baal Shem gives R. Avraham Moshe a set of instructions to arouse his great-uncle Moshe to teshuva. When he puts up a mezuzah on the front door of Moshe's house

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 5

Back in Prague, R. Yehudah Aryeh slowly forgets about his brother R. Moshe's sorry state. He sends his grandsons to learn with the Tosfos YomTov, and one of them, Avraham

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 4

After R. Shmuel Tzadok goes away from life, his business affairs are handled by his son R. Yehudah Aryeh while his son R. Moshe learns Torah all day. However, within a fe

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 3

Several weeks later, in Elul, R. Chaim Rappaport visits the Baal Shem Tov in Medzibuzh and hears the underlying story behind his mission to the abandoned estate. 160 year

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 2

Meanwhile, R. Chaim Rappaport must travel to an abandoned estate outside Lvov to learn the first four chapters of Hilchos Brochos. A torrential rain almost prevents the j

The long Baal Shem Tov story, part 1

The Baal Shem Tov sends his talmid Moshe Meshel to deliver two letters, both to residents of Lvov. The first, to the Av Beis Din R. Chaim Rappaport, contains mysterious i

Hershel the fool

When the Count makes a rash threat against the Jews, he soon regrets it and wishes to take back what he said. The local priest offers to help out, as long as he can debat

A letter from the Baal Shem Tov

The Baal Shem Tov offers a brocho to a confident businessman, who turns it down. When the businessman loses his fortune 16 years later, he has a second chance thanks to t

The Baal Shem Tov's mirror

When a fire threatens to destroy a small town, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi extinguishes the fierce flames with a glance. Later, a Russian Army captain who had sent sold

The power of Tehillim

The Rav of Ehrfurt has a dream in which a man dressed in white appears, holding a sefer tehillim and carrying an important message. 

A Polish nobleman returns to his people

Count Vladek is no friend to the Jews, so his fellow nobles are surprised to hear him vote against a new decree. They would be even more surprised to hear that his name w

The Czar sends a spy to the Ruzhiner Rebbe

When the Czar hears that the Ruzhiner Rebbe might not be a loyal subject, he sends a spy to Ruzhin in the hopes of ensnaring the Rebbe into slandering the Czar. But the R

A father's gift is recovered by the Baal Shem Tov

Yaakov Leib is a silversmith, a master craftsman whose works are very valuable. His most precious work is a silver seder plate, intended for his young daughter Miriam's e