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

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of the books in this series possible: Lloyd E. Cotsen; The Maurice Amado Foundation; National Endowment for the Humanities; and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. The second volume in a literary landmark Folktales from Eastern Europe presents 71 tales from Ashkenazic culture in the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the second volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five-volume series to be released over the next several years, in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg's classic, Legends of the Jews. The tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives at The University of Haifa, Israel (IFA), a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now. Since the creation of the State of Israel, the IFA has collected more than 20,000 tales from newly arrived immigrants, long-lost stories shared by their families from around the world. The tales come from the major ethno-linguistic communities of the Jewish world and are representative of a wide variety of subjects and motifs, especially rich in Jewish content and context. Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the Ashkenazic culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography. Until the establishment of the IFA, we had had only limited access to the wide range of Jewish folk narratives. Even in Israel, the gathering place of the most wide-ranging cross-section of world Jewry, these folktales have remained largely unknown. Many of the communities no longer exist as cohesive societies in their representative lands; the Holocaust, migration, and changes in living styles have made the continuation of these tales impossible. This series is a monument to a rich but vanishing oral tradition. FoLKTALeS of the Jews, Volume 2: Tales from Eastern Europe......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 16 The Jewish Migration into Eastern Europe......Page 18 The Flowering of Old Yiddish......Page 20 Narrative Anthologies......Page 22 Framed Narratives......Page 24 Tales from the Pale of Settlement......Page 25 Hasidic Contributions......Page 27 Recording Yiddish Folktales......Page 28 Expeditionary Ethnography......Page 29 Central Text Ingathering......Page 31 The Israeli Folktale Archives......Page 32 The Hasidic Narrative Tradition......Page 33 Tales of Comfort and Conflict, Tradition and Ethics, Love and Humor......Page 34 Notes......Page 37 A Note on the Commentaries......Page 42 Notes......Page 43 Tales of the Supernatural......Page 44 1. The Three-Day Fair in Balta......Page 45 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 1 (IFA 708)......Page 49 Notes......Page 52 2. The Kaddish......Page 55 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 2 (IFA 18159)......Page 57 Notes......Page 62 3. The House Vanished with All Its Inhabitants......Page 64 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 3 (IFA 7290)......Page 67 Notes......Page 68 4. The Rabbi Who Was Tricked......Page 69 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 4 (IFA 779)......Page 73 Notes......Page 75 5. The Demons and Spirits under the Fingernails......Page 76 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 5 (IFA 8792)......Page 79 Notes......Page 88 6. The Treasure......Page 91 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 6 (IFA 8256)......Page 93 Notes......Page 95 7. The Bottle of Oil from the Holy Land......Page 96 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 7 (IFA 4024)......Page 97 Notes......Page 98 Hasidic Tales......Page 100 8. Rebbe Shmelke's Matzos......Page 101 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 8 (IFA 237)......Page 104 Notes......Page 106 9. The Unforgotten Melody......Page 107 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 9 (IFA 5794)......Page 111 Notes......Page 112 10. The Power of a Melody......Page 113 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 10 (IFA 5793)......Page 115 Notes......Page 117 11. The Happy Man......Page 119 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 11 (IFA 12214)......Page 121 Notes......Page 123 12. How Rothschild Became Wealthy......Page 124 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 12 (IFA 18601)......Page 127 Notes......Page 133 13. Why Rebbe Levi Yitzḥak of Berdichev Deviated from His Custom......Page 135 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 13 (IFA 7612)......Page 138 Notes......Page 143 14. The Blessing of Elijah the Prophet on Yom Kippur......Page 145 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 14 (IFA 960)......Page 148 Notes......Page 150 15. Rebbe Pinḥas'l of Korets......Page 152 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 15 (IFA 9797)......Page 156 Notes......Page 159 16. The Karliner Rebbe's Prescription......Page 161 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 16 (IFA 7912)......Page 163 Notes......Page 164 17. The Merit of the Third Sabbath Meal......Page 166 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 17 (IFA 5361)......Page 169 Notes......Page 174 18. The Apostate Who Made the Tenth for a Minyan......Page 176 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 18 (IFA 4936)......Page 178 Notes......Page 181 Holocaust Tales......Page 182 19. The Fireflies on Rosh Hashanah Night in Lodz Ghetto......Page 183 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 19 (IFA 2361)......Page 185 Notes......Page 186 20. The Miracle of the White Doves......Page 187 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 20 (IFA 11165)......Page 189 Notes......Page 193 Historical Tales......Page 194 21. The Exodus on Purim in the Town of Yampol......Page 195 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 21 (IFA 3892)......Page 200 Notes......Page 203 22. What Really Caused World War I......Page 205 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 22 (IFA 14026)......Page 207 Notes......Page 208 Tales between Jews and Νon-Jews......Page 210 23. The Shofar of the Messiah......Page 211 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 23 (IFA 6306)......Page 215 Notes......Page 225 24. The Redemption of Captives......Page 229 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 24 (IFA 4813)......Page 232 Notes......Page 234 25. The Long "Ḥad Gadya"......Page 235 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 25 (IFA 7211)......Page 239 Notes......Page 243 26. The Two Friends......Page 245 Notes......Page 248 27. The Gentile Beggar's Secret......Page 250 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 27 (IFA 4541)......Page 253 Notes......Page 255 28. The Boy Who Was Kidnapped and Brought to Russia......Page 257 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 28 (IFA 18140)......Page 259 Notes......Page 262 29. The Jew Who Returned to His People......Page 264 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 29 (IFA 8915)......Page 267 Notes......Page 270 30. The Boots Made from a Torah Scroll......Page 272 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 30 (IFA 8257)......Page 275 Notes......Page 278 31. The Gentile Who Wanted to Screw the Jew......Page 279 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 31 (IFA 18136)......Page 281 Notes......Page 283 Moral Tales......Page 286 32. The Old Couple and Their Children......Page 287 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 32 (IFA 3364)......Page 290 Notes......Page 292 33. With the Rebbe's Power......Page 293 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 33 (IFA 19892)......Page 296 Notes......Page 297 34. Gossip Is Worse Than Profaning the Sabbath......Page 298 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 34 (IFA 5609)......Page 301 Notes......Page 305 35. The Tailor Who Was Content with His Lot......Page 306 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 35 (IFA 8255)......Page 308 Notes......Page 311 36. A Poor Man's Wisdom Is Scorned......Page 312 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 36 (IFA 13498)......Page 314 Notes......Page 315 37. A Change of Place Is a Change of Luck (?)......Page 316 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 37 (IFA 14260)......Page 317 Notes......Page 319 38. God Will Help......Page 321 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 38 (IFA 18130)......Page 323 Notes......Page 324 39. The Poisoned Cake......Page 325 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 39 (IFA 551)......Page 327 Notes......Page 329 40. There Is No Truth in the World......Page 331 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 40 (IFA 8004)......Page 334 Notes......Page 344 41. Everyone Prefers His Own Bundle of Troubles......Page 349 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 41 (IFA 14460)......Page 351 Notes......Page 355 42. Reb Zusha the Shoemaker......Page 356 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 42 (IFA 19949)......Page 358 Notes......Page 359 43. "As Face Answers to Face in Water"......Page 360 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 43 (IFA 20439)......Page 364 Notes......Page 367 44. Who Has the Right to Benefit from the Ten Commandments?......Page 369 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 44 (IFA 7755)......Page 372 Notes......Page 375 45. The Neighbor in Paradise......Page 377 Note......Page 380 46. A Trial in Heaven......Page 381 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 46 (IFA 19585)......Page 383 Notes......Page 384 47. White Flowers, Red Flowers......Page 385 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 47 (IFA 18156)......Page 386 Notes......Page 388 Folktales......Page 390 48. The King's Three Daughters......Page 391 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 48 (IFA 7202)......Page 395 Notes......Page 397 49. A Boy and Girl Who Were Destined for Each Other......Page 399 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 49 (IFA 18132)......Page 402 Notes......Page 405 50. The Three Young Men......Page 406 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 50 (IFA 6098)......Page 409 Notes......Page 413 51. The Poor Man Who Became Rich......Page 415 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 51 (IFA 8021)......Page 417 Notes......Page 422 52. The Stolen Ring......Page 424 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 52 (IFA 7812)......Page 425 Notes......Page 428 53. The Money Hidden in the Cemetery......Page 430 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 53 (IFA 4032)......Page 432 Notes......Page 438 54. Catch the Thief; or Don't Put Too Much Trust in a Pious Person......Page 441 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 54 (IFA 14962)......Page 444 Notes......Page 445 Humorous Tales......Page 446 55. I Came from Mád and Returned to Mád......Page 447 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 55 (IFA 6814)......Page 450 Notes......Page 452 56. The Jewish Innkeeper......Page 453 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 56 (IFA 4815)......Page 456 Notes......Page 459 57. Little Fish, Big Fish......Page 461 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 57 (IFA 8889)......Page 462 Notes......Page 463 58. Three Complaints......Page 465 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 58 (IFA 8794)......Page 466 Notes......Page 468 59. The Elderly Cantor......Page 470 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 59 (IFA 6655)......Page 471 Notes......Page 473 60. "What Kind of Congregants I've Got!"......Page 474 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 60 (IFA 13908)......Page 476 61. What Kind of Rabbi We've Got in this Town!......Page 477 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 61 (IFA 13909)......Page 479 Second Version......Page 480 Third Version......Page 481 Hershele the Cantor Ḥazzan......Page 482 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 62 (IFA 6976)......Page 484 Notes......Page 487 63. A Visit by Elijah the Prophet......Page 489 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 63 (IFA 3955)......Page 491 Notes......Page 494 64. The Emissary from the World to Come......Page 495 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 64 (IFA 2826)......Page 496 Notes......Page 500 65. Froyim Greidinger Revives the Dead......Page 502 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 65 (IFA 7127)......Page 504 Notes......Page 507 66. The Death of a Wicked Heretic......Page 509 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 66 (IFA 21021)......Page 510 Notes......Page 513 67. Who Had It Better?......Page 516 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 67 (IFA 21022)......Page 518 Notes......Page 519 68. The Shammes Who Became a Millionaire......Page 520 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 68 (IFA 14351)......Page 521 Notes......Page 522 69. I Have No Place to Rest......Page 523 Notes......Page 525 70. Stalin Tests His "Friends״......Page 526 Notes......Page 527 71. Communism and Religion......Page 529 COMMENTARY FOR TALE 71 (IFA 14264)......Page 530 Notes......Page 531 Abbreviations......Page 532 Narrators......Page 536 Collectors......Page 548 Bibliography......Page 555 Motif Indexes......Page 632 Tale Type Indexes......Page 651 Index......Page 662 25. Rabbi Jacob The Storyteller ; Or The Power Of Repentance -- 26. The Immigration Pangs Of Rabbi Chilibon Franco Of Rhodes -- 27. How The New Immigrant Doychon Torres Got Rid Of The Cheese He Brought With Him Without A Kashrut Certificate -- Moral Tales -- 28. God Loves The Heart -- 29. The Honest Merchant -- 30. The Rich Man Who Avoided Giving Charity But Later Mended His Ways -- 31. The Pregnant King -- 32. The Rich Man And His Two Sons -- Folktales -- 33. Noah's Daughter -- 34. The Angel Who Descended To Put The World In Order -- 35. Satan's Sons -- 36. The Astrologer-king And The Rabbi -- 37. A Bear Makes A Poor Musician Rich But Is Insulted By The Musician's Wife -- 38. An Old Man's Advice Makes A Poor Man Rich -- 39. Half A Friend -- 40. The Man Who Knew All About Animals, Diamonds, And People's Character -- 41. This, Too, Shall Pass -- 42. Letters Form The Angel Of Death -- 43. There Is No Escaping Heaven's Decree -- 44. What Heaven Ordains Must Surely Take Place -- 45. The Rabbi's Son And The King's Daughter -- 46. The King's Wise Daughter -- 47. The Trained Cat And The Rabbi's Wise Daughter. 48. The Rabbi's Son And The Priest -- 49. King Abdul-aziz, The Jewish Builder, And The Wicked Painter -- 50. The Miracle Of Tu Bʼshevat -- 51. The Old Woman And The Wind -- 52. King Solomon's Judgment -- 53. Anything To Find Favor With A Woman -- 54. King Solomon, His Ethiopian Wife, And Her Lover -- 55. The Miser Mohel And The Demon -- 56. The Miraculous Circumcision -- 57. The Disciples' Envy Of The Rabbi's Son -- Humorous Tales -- 58. The Story Of The Baklava -- 59. A Porter Saves Maimonides' Life -- 60. Blinder Than A Blind Man -- A General Note On The Tales Of Djuha -- 61. Djuha Helps His Mother -- 62. Djuha's Face -- 63. Why Djuha Never Got Married -- 64. Djuha Plays Dead -- 65. Camel Seeds -- 66. Djuha Counts The Donkeys -- 67. Djuha And The Mules -- 68. A Recipe For Fish -- 69. A Fair Division -- 70. A Bad Man's Desserts -- 71. The Rabbi And The Priest -- Abbreviations -- Narrators -- Collectors -- Bibliography -- Motif Indexes -- Tale Type Indexes -- General Index. V. 2. Tales From Eastern Europe -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction To Volume 2 -- A Note On The Commentaries -- Tales Of The Supernatural -- 1. The Three-day Fair In Balta -- 2. The Kaddish -- 3. The House Vanished With All Its Inhabitants -- 4. The Rabbi Who Was Tricked -- 5. The Demons And Spirits Under The Fingernails -- 6. The Treasure -- 7. The Bottle Of Oil From The Holy Land -- Hasidic Tales -- 8. Rebbe Shmelke's Matzos -- 9. The Unforgotten Melody -- 10. The Power Of A Melody -- 11. The Happy Man -- 12. How Rothschild Became Wealthy -- 13. Why Rebbe Levi Yitzhak Of Berdichev Deviated From His Custom -- 14. The Blessing Of Elijah The Prophet On Yom Kippur -- 15. Rebbe Pinhasʼl Of Korets -- 16. The Karliner Rebbe's Prescription -- 17. The Merit Of The Third Sabbath Meal -- 18. The Apostate Who Made The Tenth For A Minyan -- Holocaust Tales -- 19. The Fireflies On Rosh Hashanah Night In Lodz Ghetto -- 20. The Miracle Of The White Doves -- Historical Tales -- 21. The Exodus On Purim In The Town Of Yampol -- 22. What Really Caused World War I -- Tales Between Jews And Non-jews -- 23. The Shofar Of The Messiah -- 24. The Redemption Of Captives. 25. The Long Had Gadya -- 26. The Two Friends -- 27. The Gentile Beggar's Secret -- 28. The Boy Who Was Kidnapped And Brought To Russia -- 29. The Jew Who Returned To His People -- 30. The Boots Made From A Torah Scroll -- 31. The Gentile Who Wanted To Screw The Jew -- Moral Tales -- 32. The Old Couple And Their Children -- 33. With The Rebbe's Power -- 34. Gossip Is Worse Than Profaning The Sabbath -- 35. The Tailor Who Was Content With His Lot -- 36. A Poor Man's Wisdom Is Scorned -- 37. A Change Of Place Is A Change Of Luck -- 38. God Will Help -- 39. The Poisoned Cake -- 40. There Is No Truth In The World -- 41. Everyone Prefers His Own Bundle Of Troubles -- 42. Reb Zusha The Shoemaker -- 43. As Face Answers To Face In Water -- 44. Who Has The Right To Benefit From The Ten Commandments? -- 45. The Neighbor In Paradise -- 46. A Trial In Heaven -- 47. White Flowers, Red Flowers. Folktales -- 48. The King's Three Daughters -- 49. A Boy And Girl Who Were Destined For Each Other -- 50. The Three Young Men -- 51. The Poor Man Who Became Rich -- 52. The Stolen Ring -- 53. The Money Hidden In The Cemetery -- 54. Catch The Thief ; Or Don't Put Too Much Trust In A Pious Person -- Humorous Tales -- 55. I Came From Mád And Returned To Mád -- 56. The Jewish Innkeeper -- 57. Little Fish, Big Fish -- 58. Three Complaints -- 59. The Elderly Cantor -- 60. What Kind Of Congregants I've Got! -- 61. What Kind Of Rabbi We've Got In This Town! -- 62. Half Is Mine And Half Is Yours -- 63. A Visit By Elijah The Prophet -- 64. The Emissary From The World To Come -- 65. Froyim Greidinger Revives The Dead -- 66. The Death Of A Wicked Heretic -- 67. Who Had It Better? -- 68. The Shammes Who Became A Millionaire -- 69. I Have No Place To Rest -- 70. Stalin Tests His Friends -- 71. Communism And Religion -- Abbreviations -- Narrators -- Collectors -- Bibliography -- Motif Indexes -- Tale Type Indexes -- General Index. V. 3. Tales From Arab Lands -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction To Volume 3 -- A Note On The Commentaries -- Legends -- 1. The Tenth Man In Hebron -- 2. Reciting Psalms -- 3. The Blood Libel In Constantinople In The Time Of Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov Of Blessed Memory -- 4. Rabbi Ḥayyim Ben Attar And The Ba'al Shem Tov -- 5. Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital -- 6. Rabbi David Alshqar Knows The Time Of His Death -- 7. Rabbi Shelomoh The Lion -- 8. Shalom [shalem] Shabazi As A Healer -- 9. You Shall Not Destroy The Side-growth Of Your Beard -- 10. The Miracle At The Tomb Of Sidu Bu-'aissa U-sliman, Who Was A Jew -- 11. The Holy Book -- 12. The Ba'al Shem Tov Drags Jesus And Mary Down From A Picture -- 13. The Menorah Of Jerba -- 14. The Miracle Of The Myrtle -- 15. The Jewish Fisherman's Song Of The Sea -- Moral Tales -- 16. The Field That The Lion Entered -- 17. Three Old Brothers Solve A Problem -- 18. The Cobbler And The King -- 19. One Should Always Be Happy With His Lot -- 20. Rabbi Shalem [shalom] Shabazi And The Yemenite Imam -- 21. King Solomon And The Craftsman's Wife -- 22. Remember Days Of Old! -- 23. The Complacent Wife -- 24. Seven Daughters And Seven Sons -- 25. Fertility And Changing Place Bring Luck -- 26. Observing The Sabbath -- 27. It Pays To Love God -- 28. The Resurrected Dead Man (righteousness Saves From Death) -- 29. Charity Begins At Home -- 30. Two Loyal Friends -- 31. He Who Finds A Wife Has Found Happiness -- 32. Elijah The Prophet Saves A Jewish Family From Destruction -- Folktales -- 33. The Cruel Loaner And The Clever Princess -- 34. Three Questions -- 35. The Fateful Debate -- 36. They Did Not Ask Him To Ask The Fish For Anything -- 37. Where Is God's Place In Israel? -- 38. The Rabbi's Daughter And The Miraculous Child -- 39. A Story Of A Prince And A Princess -- 40. Smeda Rmeda -- 41. The Rich Man Who Wanted To Marry His Daughter -- 42. A Woman Of Valor Who Can Find? (the Entrapped Lovers) -- 43. The Man Who Never Took An Oath -- 44. The Apple Tree's Daughter -- 45. The Poor Fisherman -- 46. The Faithful Widow -- 47. The Poor Jew Who Went Looking For His Fortune -- 48. Go To The Cemetary -- 49. The Woman Is The Cause Of Everything -- 50. The Man Who Searched For His Luck -- 51. The Blessed One, Or The Lucky Youth -- 52. Two Brothers -- 53. The Clever Brother -- 54. The Poor Man Who Set Out To Earn A Living (elijah The Prophet) -- 55. A Daughter Awaits A Gift From God -- 56. A Story Of A Brave Son -- 57. King Solomon -- 58. The Partnership With Ashmedai -- Humorous Tales -- 59. Cows Do Not Believe Foals -- 60. Abu Katerina -- Abbreviations -- Narrators -- Collectors -- Bibliography -- Motif Indexes -- Tale Type Indexes -- General Index. Edited And With Commentary By Dan Ben-amos; Dov Noy, Consulting Editor ; Ellen Frankel, Series Editor ; Translated By Leonard J. Schramm ; Illustrations By Ira Shander. Map On Lining Papers. Tales Selected From The Israel Folktale Archives Named In Honor Of Dov Noy. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Folktales from Eastern Europe presents 71 tales from Ashkenasic culture in the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the second volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five-volume series to be released over the next several years, in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg's classic, Legends of the Jews. The tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives at The University of Haifa, Israel (IFA), a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now. Since the creation of the State of Israel, the IFA has collected more than 20,000 tales from newly arrived immigrants, long-lost stories shared by their families from around the world. The tales come from the major ethno-linguistic communities of the Jewish world and are representative of a wide variety of subjects and motifs, especially rich in Jewish content and context. Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the Ashkenasic culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography. Until the establishment of the IFA, we had had only limited access to the wide range of Jewish folk narratives. Even in Israel, the gathering place of the most wide-ranging cross-section of world Jewry, these folktales have remained largely unknown. Many of the communities no longer exist as cohesive societies in their representative lands; the Holocaust, migration, and changes in living styles have made the continuation of these tales impossible. This volume and the others to come will be monuments to a rich but vanishing oral tradition. Presents 71 tales from Ashkenazic culture in the most important collection of Jewish folktales. This title includes tales accompanied by commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the Israel Folktale Archives (IFA) collection, and extensive scholarly notes.