A disciple was overcome with despair and came to his teacher, Baal Shem Tov, the great sage. "No matter how hard I try," he said, "I feel distant from God. My prayers feel hollow. The good deeds I do—they don't uplift me. I feel like I'm trapped … [Read more...]
Parable: Wise and Foolish Builders
Two men were each building a house. The foolish builder would build his house without thinking about what kind of foundation there was. He might have liked the way the building site looked. Perhaps he decided to ignore the warnings of people who … [Read more...]
Parable: What Are You Doing?
A man enters a construction site and sees three men cutting stone. He approaches the first man and says, "Tell me, what are you doing?" The man answered, "I'm cutting stone." He then asks the second man, "What are you doing?" He answers, … [Read more...]
Parable: True Value
Before he died, a father said to his son, “Here is a watch my grandfather gave me. It is over 200 years old. Before I give it to you, go to the jewelry store in the city. Tell them I want to sell it, and see how much they offer you.” The son went … [Read more...]
Parable: Build Me a House
There is a story about a man who had been a contractor for many years. He had a daughter who was about to marry a young man who was also a contractor just starting out in business. The father wanted to give his daughter's fiancé a break. He went … [Read more...]
Parable: How Far We Have Come
My grandfather died in the Holocaust. I can imagine the conversation I would have with my grandfather today. Grandson: "Things are so terrible now. The world is against us Jews. The terrorists want to kill us. They attacked the state of … [Read more...]
Story: Magic Bank Account
Imagine this: Your bank deposits $86,400 into your private account each morning for your personal use. However, there are rules. 1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you. 2. You may not simply … [Read more...]
Parable: of the Black Pebble
Once upon a time, in a small village, a farmer found himself in the unfortunate position of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, an old and unattractive man, had his eye on the farmer's beautiful daughter, so he made … [Read more...]
Story: Home is Where the Heart is
A soldier's little girl, whose father was being moved to a distant post, sat at the airport among her family's meager belongings. The girl was sleepy. She leaned against the packs and duffel bags. A lady came by, stopped, and patted her on the … [Read more...]
Parable: One Request
There was an old man who lived with his wife in the countryside. They were very poor people, childless, and both were blind. One day, an angel came to the old man and said, "God sees how righteous and pious you are. He sent me to offer you one … [Read more...]
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