Folktales of the Jews, Vol. 2: Tales from Eastern Europe

667 Pages·2007·36.68 MB·English

by  Dan Ben-Amos

K e
FoL TAL S
of the
T
J e ws
V O L U ME 2
TALES FROM E A S T E RN E U R O PE
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 TepIit7.
Ε. Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff
*
Emanuel M. Abrams · Mark and Michelle Abramson ׳ Rabbi Richard F. Address • Libby R. Adelman
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford M. Autor • Ellen Barr • Larry 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 F.llenson · Melvin Fastow • Nathan B. Feinstein
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 Hersch · 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. Schüttler
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 2
T A L ES FROM E A S T E RN E U R O PE
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,
The University of Haifa
and
Translated by Leonard J. Schramm
Illustrations by Ira Shander
Τ
2007 · 5768
The Jewish Publication Society
Philadelphia
JPS is a nonprofit educational association and the oldest and foremost publisher of
Judaica in English in North America. The mission of JPS is to enhance Jewish culture by
promoting the dissemination of religious and secular works, in the United States and
abroad, to all individuals and institutions interested in past and contemporary Jewish life.
Copyright © 2007 by The Jewish Publication Society
Commentary © 2007 by Dan Ben-Amos
Illustrations © 2007 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
07 08 09 10 II 12 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: 1. Tales from the Sephardic dispersion / edited and with
commentary by Dan Ben-Amos.
ISBN 978-0-8276-0829-0 (volume 1)
ISBN 978-0-8276-0830-6 (volume 2)
l.Jews—Folklore. 2. Legends. Jewish. 3. Tales. 4. Legends, Jewish
—History and criticism. 5. Tales—History and criticism. 6. Sephardim
—Folklore. I. Noy, Dov. II. Frankel, Ellen. III. Ben-Amos, Dan.
IV. Arkhiyon ha-sipur ha-'amami be-Yisra'el (Haifa. Israel)
GR98.F65 2006
398.2089'924—dc22
2006014753
JPS books are available at discounts for bulk purchases for reading groups, special sales, and fundrais-
ing purchases. Custom editions, including personalized covers, can be created in larger quantities for
special needs. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or at this address:
2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
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 (1FA 708) 2
2. The Kaddish(1FA 18159) 12
3. The House Vanished with All Its Inhabitants (1FA 7290) 21
4. The Rabbi Who Was Tricked (1FA 779) 26
5. The Demons and Spirits under the Fingernails (1FA 8792) 33
6. The Treasure (1FA 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 Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev Deviated
from His Custom (IFA 7612) 92
14. The Blessing of Elijah the Prophet on Yom Kippur (IFA 960) 102
15. Rebbe Pinhas'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
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 of Yampol (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 "Had 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 Three Young 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 Mad 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 Religion (IFA 14264) 486
Abbreviations 489
Narrators 493
Collectors 505
Bibliography 512
Motif Indexes 589
Tale Type Indexes 608
General Index 619