Folktales of the Jews, Volume 2: Tales from Eastern Europe

Contents

vii Contents Foreword xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction to Volume 2 xvii A Note on the Commentaries xli Tales of the Supernatural 1. The Three-Day Fair in Balta (IFA 708) 2 2. The Kaddish (IFA 18159) 12 3. The House Vanished with All Its Inhabitants (IFA 7290) 21 4. The Rabbi Who Was Tricked (IFA 779) 26 5. The Demons and Spirits under the Fingernails (IFA 8792) 33 6. The Treasure (IFA 8256) 48 7. The Bottle of Oil from the Holy Land (IFA 4024) 53 Hasidic Tales 8. Rebbe Shmelke’s Matzos (IFA 237) 58 9. The Unforgotten Melody (IFA 5794) 64 10. The Power of a Melody (IFA 5793) 70 11. The Happy Man (IFA 12214) 76 12. How Rothschild Became Wealthy (IFA 18601) 81 13. Why Rebbe LeviYitzh.ak of Berdichev Deviated from His Custom (IFA 7612) 92 14. The Blessing of Elijah the Prophet onYom Kippur (IFA 960) 102 15. Rebbe Pinh.as’l of Korets (IFA 9797) 109 16. The Karliner Rebbe’s Prescription (IFA 7912) 118 17. The Merit of the Third Sabbath Meal (IFA 5361) 123 18. The Apostate Who Made the Tenth for a Minyan (IFA 4936) 133  viii  Contents Holocaust Tales 19. The Fireflies on Rosh Hashanah Night in Lodz Ghetto (IFA 2361) 140 20. The Miracle of the White Doves (IFA 11165) 144 Historical Tales 21. The Exodus on Purim in the Town ofYampol (IFA 3892) 152 22. What Really Caused World War I (IFA 14026) 162 Tales between Jews and Non-Jews 23. The Shofar of the Messiah (IFA 6306) 168 24. The Redemption of Captives (IFA 4813) 186 25. The Long “H.ad Gadya” (IFA 7211) 192 26. The Two Friends (IFA 3222) 202 27. The Gentile Beggar’s Secret (IFA 4541) 207 28. The Boy Who Was Kidnapped and Brought to Russia (IFA 18140) 214 29. The Jew Who Returned to His People (IFA 8915) 221 30. The Boots Made from a Torah Scroll (IFA 8257) 229 31. The Gentile Who Wanted to Screw the Jew (IFA 18136) 236 Moral Tales 32. The Old Couple and Their Children (IFA 3364) 244 33. With the Rebbe’s Power (IFA 19892) 250 34. Gossip Is Worse Than Profaning the Sabbath (IFA 5609) 255 35. The Tailor Who Was Content with His Lot (IFA 8255) 263 36. A Poor Man’s Wisdom Is Scorned (IFA 13498) 269 37. A Change of Place Is a Change of Luck (?) (IFA 14260) 273 38. God Will Help (IFA 18130) 278 39. The Poisoned Cake (IFA 551) 282 40. There Is No Truth in the World (IFA 8004) 288 41. Everyone Prefers His Own Bundle of Troubles (IFA 14460) 306 42. Reb Zusha the Shoemaker (IFA 19949) 313 43. "As Face Answers to Face in Water" (IFA 20439) 317 44. Who Has the Right to Benefit from the Ten Commandments? (IFA 7755) 326 45. The Neighbor in Paradise (IFA 5377) 334 46. A Trial in Heaven (IFA 19585) 338 47. White Flowers, Red Flowers (IFA 18156) 342 Folktales 48. The King’s Three Daughters (IFA 7202) 348 49. A Boy and Girl Who Were Destined for Each Other (IFA 18132) 356 50. The ThreeYoung Men (IFA 6098) 363 51. The Poor Man Who Became Rich (IFA 8021) 372 52. The Stolen Ring (IFA 7812) 381 53. The Money Hidden in the Cemetery (IFA 4032) 387 54. Catch the Thief; or Don’t Put Too Much Trust in a Pious Person (IFA 14962) 398 Humorous Tales 55. I Came From Mád and Returned to Mád (IFA 6814) 404 56. The Jewish Innkeeper (IFA 4815) 410 57. Little Fish, Big Fish (IFA 8889) 418 58. Three Complaints (IFA 8794) 422 59. The Elderly Cantor (IFA 6655) 427 60. What Kind of Congregants I’ve Got! (IFA 13908) 431 61. What Kind of Rabbi We’ve Got in This Town! (IFA 13909) 434 62. Half Is Mine and Half Is Yours (IFA 6976) 437 63. A Visit by Elijah the Prophet (IFA 3955) 446 64. The Emissary From the World to Come (IFA 2826) 452 65. Froyim Greidinger Revives the Dead (IFA 7127) 459 66. The Death of a Wicked Heretic (IFA 21021) 466 67. Who Had It Better? (IFA 21022) 473 68. The Shammes Who Became a Millionaire (IFA 14351) 477 69. I Have No Place to Rest (IFA 18592) 480 70. Stalin Tests His “Friends” (IFA 14263) 483 71. Communism and...