We’ve all had days when we have so many things to do, but we just want to stay in bed and put our tasks off for later. This week, Rabbi Leora Kaye tells a story about a rabbi who faced that very same temptation head-on, showing us how we too can push through our temptation and “get up and go early.”

In the early 1900s, an elderly Jewish man named Shmulik prays at his synagogue on Yom Kippur. He suddenly faints, only for a fellow congregant to offer him his kittel (traditional ritual garb) to keep him warm. The grandson of that congregant, Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, reflects on this story and how it connects to being a compassionate, caring, and dedicated person to those we cherish the most.

Every night, a young man takes a walk through the forest. The young man's father wonders, "Why?" After all, the forest doesn't change, so what does this young man get from walking through it? This week, Jerry Kaye explores what it means to find a sense of change in the places we may least expect.

There was a man who, when he said his morning prayers, would add something new to the end every day. "Oh God, there is so much sickness in the world, why don’t you do something?”" Well, why doesn’t God do something? Cantor Ellen Dreskin retells the story.

Rivka is preparing for Yom Kippur when she gets an unexpected visitor. It’s a stranger, who asks her to keep her samovar (a silver pot used for making tea) while she goes on a trip. Rivka agrees, and as soon as the woman leaves, curious things start to happen. How could a tea pot completely change Rivka’s life? Rabbi Mark Kaiserman retells the story. For a written version of this story, read Gabriel's Horn by Eric Kimmel, available from PJ Library.

Years ago, the Chiribim and Chiribam families were enemies--but, the feud had been going on for so long that nobody could even remember how it began! Eventually, the rabbi decided that he would bring the families together and urge them to make peace. He asked both families to meet him in the forest, but after forgetting his glasses, the plan became difficult to carry through. Was the rabbi able to bring the families together? Cantor Rosalie Will retells the story. You can find a written...

The king, who is ready to retire, is holding a contest to find his successor. He gives seeds to all of the young people in the kingdom, and tells them whoever can grow the finest tree, plant, or crop will become king. A young boy with a green thumb knows that he has a real shot at winning, but no matter what he does, he can’t seem to make these plants grow. Can he make it work in time? Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz retells the story.

How do we know if we're always doing our best at what we do? What is the best, and most ethical, way to find out? This week, join Jerry Kaye as he explores this idea through the story of a young woman making a phone call and how we too can keep ourselves most accountable.

All is not always what it seems, as we learn when a man from Pinsk tricks a woman in Minsk with a dancing bear and a very sweet Minchah (afternoon service). Join Rabbi Steven Bob, as he shares the tale of “The Dancing Bear”.

A wealthy man dies at the age of 120. He wasn't a particularly good man, nor a particularly bad one. So, when asked by the heavenly court if he can think of a truly good deed he's done that will outweigh the bad, he recalls one in particular. However, he needs some help from his defending angel attorney to make his deed look better than it actually was. Originally included in the collection Three Times Chai by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, this story compels us to reexamine our own deeds and if they...

A man was told that he could find God at the top of the highest mountain, so he climbed to the peak and waited patiently for God to show up. Join Rabbi Phyllis Sommer as she tells this story about what it truly means to find God in ways we might have never even considered.

Joseph, on his way to a new town, meets a beggar on the train. His beard is tangled, his clothing is tattered, and he appears to be dirty. When the beggar speaks to Joseph, Joseph responds that they probably shouldn’t speak to each other until they arrive at their destination. What happens next? Listen to this story, retold by Rabbi Marc Katz. For a written version of the story, read “Forgiveness” in Three Times Chai by Laney Katz Becker.

A blind old man lived in the country with his wife, and they enjoyed each other’s company and their lives together. One day, while the man was sitting by the river, Elijah saw him there and decided to give him one wish. Unsure of what to wish for, the man took some time to think about it. He asked his wife and his friends for advice, but wasn’t satisfied with their ideas. What did he finally decide? Jerry Kaye retells the story. You can find a written version of this story in Experiencing...

Every year Moshe begs his father for an etrog, and every year, his father says they can’t afford it, until one special Sukkot when they scrimp and save and finally bring home an etrog. But what happens when Moshe can’t resist the pitom and Boris the Beet Borscht Baron from Belarus with very strong hands comes to bless the etrog? As Rabbi Steven Bob reminds us, “Whatever You Do, Don’t Bite Off the pitom”!

Once upon a time a king fell seriously ill, and nobody could figure out how to cure his ailment. Finally, a healer suggested a remedy: if the king could wear the shirt of a person who was absolutely happy, he would be healed. So, a team set out to find a person who was absolutely happy. Did they succeed? Shira Kline, performance and ritual artist and director of worship at Lab/Shul retells the story.

When a scholar boards a ship with a group of merchants, the merchants are confused. What does a scholar have to sell that could compete with their radiant perfume and beautiful scarves? When pirates storm the ship, they find out in this story retold by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. You can find a written version of this story, titled “The Sefer Torah,” in the book Three Times Chai: 54 Rabbis Tell Their Favorite Stories by Laney Katz Becker.

It’s time for the princess to get married, and the king and queen want to make sure that she marries her best match. There are three brothers in the running, and in order to decide which one will marry the princess, the king and queen set up a contest: the brother who gives the princess the greatest gift will become her husband. The brothers travel far and wide, and the oldest finds a magic carpet, the middle brother finds a magic mirror, and the youngest finds a special apple. Which gift is...

This week we revisit a familiar story, The Scratch In The Ruby, previously told by Jerry Kaye, but with a lovely new ending added by Rabbi Leora Kaye. Every year, on the king’s birthday, he brings out his treasured and exceptionally perfect ruby and shows it to his kingdom. One fateful day, this joy is marred when a scratch appears. The king is heartbroken, as no one can fix his ruined ruby, until a young girl teaches the king two lessons – how to see the beauty in imperfections and the...

If somebody left something important at your house, would you give it to anyone else? That’s the question Mrs. Gold asks her daughter to encourage her to learn a life-long lesson. Find out what was left, and why this question contains such a crucial message, in this story retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin.

A lovely stroll in the woods, a simple question from an astute 9 year old, and a little snow, remind us that often times it’s the small things that can make the biggest difference. This week, Rabbi Leora Kaye shares the wonderful tale of Small Things, based on a true story from Alice Meyers

Sometimes, it may feel like we live in a huge world and that coming together and mending our connections is an enormous task that will take forever. However, as Rabbi Phyllis Sommer reminds us with this week’s story, Map of The World, sometimes, all it takes is one very smart class, a new perspective and a little tape.

When a man traveling the world in pursuit of justice walks into a dark forest, he discovers a cottage filled with oil candles, and he’s shown his designated candle. Listen in as Rabbi Fred Reeves shares the magical story of testing one’s moral compass.

Have you ever had a song get stuck in your head, that you just can’t get out? In “Moishe’s Song” Rabbi Rachel Heaps shares the story of Moishe’s melodic malady, and how his son’s love led to a beautiful cure and an important lesson.

Sometimes learning isn’t just about knowing the right answers, but about asking the right questions too. In Rabbi Scott Gellman’s telling of “The Question”, a frustrated student and a wise teacher help us understand the value of seeing “the bigger picture”. You can also find a version of this story in Three Times Chai by Laney Katz Becker

A farmer gifts a Kibbutz gatekeeper with a beautiful bunch of grapes, to thank him for always being so welcoming. Soon, the gift is shared in unexpected ways, and we learn that what goes around, really does come back around. Listen in as Rabbi Phyllis Sommer shares with us the wonderful story of the “Grateful Grapes”.