Folktales of the Jews, Vol. 1: Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion

769 Pages·2006·41.96 MB·English

by  Dan Ben-Amos

K e
FoL TAL S
of the
T
J e ws
V O L U ME 1
T A L ES F R OM T HE S E P H A R D IC D I S P E R S I ON
The publication of this book is made possible
through these generous gifts:
Lloyd E. Cotsen
In honor of my great-grandparents and my grandparents,
who came out of Eastern Europe
The Maurice Amado Foundation
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Foundation for Jewish Culture
Harold and Geraldine Cramer
David Lerman and Shelley Wallock, celebrating the graduate school, col-
lege, and high school graduations of their children
Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Richmond,
in memory of Rose and Edgar Burton
Gayle and David Smith, in memory of their parents: Judge Edward and Ruth
Rosenwald and Robert Smith and Evelyn Lieberman
*
Dr. D. Walter Cohen
Barry and Carol Nove
*
Rabbi Marc D. Angel • Alan J. Bloch and Nancy M. Berman • Dr. and Mrs. Edward H. Bossen
Ambassador and Mrs. Edward E. Elson · Allan R. Frank · Ellen P. Goodman · Daniel A. Harris
Phyllis M. Holtzman · Charles S. Houser · Jerome Allen Kellner
Mr. and Mrs. A. Leo Levin • Mary M. Pernicone • Rabbi Aaron M. Petuchowski · Denise H. Portner
Jerome J. Shestack • Rabbi and Mrs. Jonathan A. Stein · Dr. Harold and Phyllis Teplitz
E. Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff
*
Emanuel M. Abrams · Mark and Michelle Abramson • Rabbi Richard F. Address · Libby R. Adelman
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford M. Aulor Ellen Barr l.arry Berkin • Stephen A. Bernard Stephen Best
Steven A. Bleier Eugene Borowitz Dr. and Mrs. Jonas Brachfeld Benjamin H. Bruckner
Rabbi Steven D. Burton · Dr. and Mrs. Norman Chassin Nyles Cole · Wendy Fein Cooper
Rabbi Maurice S. Corson · Samuel M. Ehrenhalt · Bella Ruth Ehrenpreis
Jacqueline Koch Ellenson and David Ellenson · Melvin Fastow • Nathan B. Feinslein
Jan Fischer · Rabbi Wayne M. Franklin • The Gendler Family Foundation • Abraham J. Gittelson
Mr. and Mrs. David Goldberg • Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Goldblum · Dr. and Mrs. Martin I. Goldstein
Mr. and Mrs. Alvin A. Gordon • Rabbi Daniel B. Gropper ־ Anne Helfgott • Rabbi Jacob Herber
Rabbi Howard and Joan Herseh • Highland Park Conservative Temple
Muriel W. Horowitz. · Rabbi and Mrs. S. Robert Ichay
Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding of Muhlenberg College
Rabbi and Mrs. Ronald Jacobs · Berton H. and Ellen B. Kaplan · Lewis S. Kapnek · Hazel B. Karp
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kesten · Jeffrey Kichen • Sybil-Frances Kimbrig • Sam and Jessica Kimelman · Neil Kuchinsky
Joan A. Larsen · Rabbi Robert and Ruth Layman • Dr. and Mrs. Michael Leinwand · Dr. Reevan and Natalie Levine
Dr. and Mrs. Joe S. Levy · Mr. Robert and Honorable Roberta K. Levy · Herbert A. Lippitz · Bonnie Lipton
David Litan · Rabbi Joseph Mendelsohn • Cantor Claire G. Metzger · Dr. Randall and Rosebeth Miller
Captain and Mrs. Joseph R. Morgan · Hazzan Diane J. Nathanson · Irving R. Newman
Mr. and Mrs. Reynold F. Paris • Rochelle Pearl · Dr. and Mrs. David M. Pollack · Janet Greenstein Potter
Robert S. Rendell • Lawrence A. Riemer • Dr. and Mrs. Daniel S. Romm • Rabbi Richard B. and Lois S. Safran
Gideon Samet • Mr. and Mrs. Jacob L. Schachter • Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Schork · Bernice Β. Schumer
Rabbi Joel M. Schwab · Martin Schwarzschild • Allen L. Shapiro · Rabbi Marion Shulevitz
Drs. Jeffrey L. and Cynthia G. Silber • Cantor Rhoda Silverman. Temple Emanuel of Baltimore
Norman and Ruth Spack · Horace A. Stern • Mark and Marsha Strauss-Cohn • Mr. and Mrs. Jerome P. Subar
Clergy Discretionary Fund of Temple Israel · Lisbet O. Temple
The Honorable David G. Trager and Ms. Roberta E. Weisbrod · Deborah and Michael Troner • Kenneth Turan
Washington Hebrew Congregation · Seth P. Waxman • Felicia P. Weber • N. William Weinstein
Arthur S. Weinstock • Alvin L. Weiss • Mrs. Simon L. Weker · Kenneth Wishnia
Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlberg · Rabbi David Wölpe

K e
FoL TAL S
of the
T
Jews
V O L U ME 1
T A L ES F R OM T HE S E P H A R D IC D I S P E R S I ON
Edited and with Commentary by
Dan Ben-Amos
Dov Noy, Consulting Editor
Ellen Frankel, Series Editor
Tales Selected from the Israel Folktale Archives Named in Honor of Dov Noy
and
Translated by Leonard J. Schramm
Illustrations by Ira Shander
Τ
2006 · 5767
The Jewish Publication Society
Philadelphia
Copyright © 2006 by The Jewish Publication Society
Commentary © 2006 by Dan Ben-Amos
Illustrations © 2006 by Ira Shander
First edition. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, except
for brief passages in connection with a critical review, without permission in writing from the pub-
lisher:
The Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
www.jewishpub.org
Design and Composition by Pageworks
Manufactured in the United States of America
06 07 08 09 10 1112 1098 76543 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Folktales of the Jews / Dan Ben-Amos, editor; Dov Noy, consulting editor ; Ellen Frankel, series
editor ; translated by Leonard J. Schramm ; illustrations by Ira Shander.
— 1st ed.
v. cm.
"Tales selected from the Israel Folktale Archives named in honor of Dov Noy."
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Contents: I. Tales from the Sephardic dispersion / edited and with
commentary by Dan Ben-Amos.
ISBN 0-8276-0829-2 (alk. paper)
I. Jews—Folklore. 2. Legends. Jewish. 3. Tales. 4. Legends, Jewish
—History and criticism. 5. Tales—History and criticism. 6. Sephardim
—Folklore. I. Ben-Amos, Dan. II. Noy, Dov. III. Frankel, Ellen.
IV. Arkhiyon ha-sipur ha-'amami be-Yisra'el (Haifa, Israel)
GR98.F65 2006
398.2089'924—dc22
Contents
Foreword
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction to Folktales of the Jews xv
Introduction to Volume 1 xxvii
A Note on the Commentaries xli
Legends
1. The Tenth for the Minyan (IFA 16408)
2. The Wedding Attended by the Patriarchs (IFA 6471 )
3. Hebron Purim (IFA 17063)
4. The Miracle of the Torah Scrolls (IFA 15346)
5. The Adventures of Raphael Meyuhas (IFA 15348)
6. A Story about My Great-Grandfather (IFA 8807)
7. The Sanctification of God's Name (IFA 8419)
8. "Our Teacher Moses" and the King of Spain (IFA 13110)
9. Maimonides and the Study of Medicine (IFA 4905)
10. Why Maimonides Is Buried in Tiberias (IFA 549)
11. The Merchant and Rabbi Meir Ba'al ha-Nes (IFA 8391 )
12. The Coin from the Collection Box of Rabbi Meir
Ba'al ha-Nes (IFA 9158)
13. Sol Hachuel of Tangier (IFA 14964)
14. The Awesome Tale of Rabbi Kalonymos (IFA 16405)
15. A Blood Libel in Jerusalem (IFA 15347)
16. The Ba'al Shem Τον and the Sorcerer (IFA 863)
17. On Passover (IFA 7000)
18. Hakham Eliyahu Is Born through the Special Virtues of
the Cave of the Prophet Elijah (IFA 2830)
19. The Two Orphans of Istanbul (IFA 17068)
20. Three Hairs from Elijah's Beard (IFA 2420)
21. The Man Who Unintentionally Made His Fortune from
the Devil (IFA 2605)
22. The Gilgul (IFA 2634)
23. The Prince's Gilgul (IFA 2644)
24. A Letter from Morocco to the Western Wall (IFA 556)
25. Rabbi Jacob the Storyteller; or the Power of Repentance (IFA 2623)
26. The Immigration Pangs of Rabbi Chilibon Franco
of Rhodes (IFA 13405)
27. How the New Immigrant Doychon Torres Got Rid of the Cheese He
Brought with Him without a Kashrut Certificate (IFA 13404)
Moral Tales
28. God Loves the Heart (IFA 10089)
29. The Honest Merchant (IFA 6295)
30. The Rich Man Who Avoided Giving Charity but Later Mended
His Ways (IFA 2604)
31. The Pregnant King (IFA 14043)
32. The Rich Man and His Two Sons (IFA 4441 )
Folktales
33. Noah's Daughter (IFA 660)
34. The Angel Who Descended to Put the World in Order (IFA 19910)
35. Satan's Son (IFA 16395)
36. The Astrologer-King and the Rabbi (IFA 10086)
37. A Bear Makes a Poor Musician Rich but Is Insulted by
the Musician's Wife (IFA 1709)
38. An Old Man's Advice Makes a Poor Man Rich (IFA 3576)
39. Haifa Friend (IFA 16403)
40. The Man Who Knew All about Animals, Diamonds, and
People's Character (IFA 6402)
41. This, Too, Shall Pass (IFA 4425)
42. Letters from the Angel of Death (IFA 9704)
43. There Is No Escaping Heaven's Decree (IFA 10084)
44. What Heaven Ordains Must Surely Take Place (IFA 6591 )
45. The Rabbi's Son and the King's Daughter (IFA 4735)
46. The King's Wise Daughter (IFA 12549)
47. The Trained Cat and the Rabbi's Wise Daughter (IFA 7602)
48. The Rabbi's Son and the Priest (IFA 10085)
49. King Abdul-Aziz, the Jewish Builder, and the
Wicked Painter (IFA 3977)
50. The Miracle of Tu b'Shevat (IFA 10103)
51. The Old Woman and the Wind (IFA 10101)
52. King Solomon's Judgment (IFA 11093)
53. Anything to Find Favor with a Woman (IFA 2254)
54. King Solomon, His Ethiopian Wife, and Her Lover (IFA 2666)
55. The Miser Mohel and the Demon (IFA 9182)
56. The Miraculous Circumcision (IFA 10087)
57. The Disciples' Envy of the Rabbi's Son (IFA 4904)
Humorous Tales
58. The Story of the Baklava (IFA 13)
59. A Porter Saves Maimonides' Life (IFA 5503)
60. Blinder Than a Blind Man (IFA 12727)
A General Note on the Tales of Djuha
61. Djuha Helps His Mother (IFA 12729)
62. Djuha's Face (IFA 12548)
63. Why Djuha Never Got Married (IFA 12726)
64. Djuha Plays Dead (IFA 12551)
65. Camel Seeds (IFA 12724)
66. Djuha Counts the Donkeys (IFA 12552)
67. Djuha and the Mules (IFA 8509)
68. A Recipe for Fish (IFA 12716)
69. A Fair Division (IFA 9240)
70. A Bad Man's Desserts (IFA 332)
71. The Rabbi and the Priest (IFA 14039)
Abbreviations 593
Narrators 596
Collectors 604
Bibliography 610
Motif Indexes 676
Tale Type Indexes 703
General Index 716