Midrash Stories

The poor farmer was thunderstruck and mortified. He ran back to the Chofetz Chaim and fell on his knees before the tzaddik, his eyes filled with tears.

But the furious merchant would not listen to his word and slapped him across the face – twice! Rav Avraham Abush suffered the blows in silence, refusing to use his name or prestige to protect himself.

But the people understood Yisro’s real reason for wishing to step down and they grew angry.

Rav Nathan immediately thought that this would be a wonderful opportunity to meet some political figures who might be able to help him free the Benjamin Bainash.

Four ladders led up to each candlestick, and four youths from a family of Kohanim went up, holding in their hands 24-log jars of oil, which they poured into the bowls.

Rabi Yochanan immediately dismounted from the mule, wrapped himself in his tallis and sat down on a stone beneath an olive tree.

He would often ask: “Why is it that all the tractates of the Talmud begin with page two and not page one?”

One day, the great sage Choni HaMagel pondered the meaning of Tehillim 26, “A song of ascent, when Hashem returned the captives of Tzyon, we were like them in that dream.”

All day they prayed; all day they fasted. It was to no avail. The skies remained as before, the rain locked in and the land still thirsty.

The bidding reached the sum of 500 rubles. When the bidding stopped at this figure the shammos announced an anonymous bid to top it.

G-d gave Daniel and his companions knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and to Daniel, especially he gave understanding of all visions and dreams.

“With either of these two plans you can keep the Children of Israel in Egypt forever.”

“I have never understood this comment of Rashi. Why in the same context does Rashi explain ‘brothers’ to mean ‘sons’ and then ‘comrades’?

When the Almighty saw the man’s struggles, He took pity on him and told Eliyahu Hanavi to give him four zuzim (coins).

How is it possible that the two contradictory events, happiness and tragedy, evoke the same reaction?

The first question the king asked was, “What shall a king do to make his rule successful so that he can reign all of his life in peace and happiness?”

Rav Yosef Shmuel looked at the guests and said, “I am very sorry, but I am hired to do the holy work of teaching children Torah. I am not allowed to waste even a moment from this work. This evening, when I have finished, I will be glad to see you and talk with you.”

The people looked at each other in amazement. What did he mean? Why was this Rosh Hashanah so special?

Why does your G-d grow angry at the idolaters? Is it not more logical for Him to pour out His wrath upon the idols themselves?

Not only did Rav Avraham give tzedakah himself, but he also sought to get others to give as well.

Yehudis understood that her only hope lay in her willingness to risk her very life.

Encouraged by those words, the judges ordered the slave to stand trial for murder.

Although Daniel was the chief minister in Bavel, he could not eradicate the custom practiced in many provinces of worshipping idols. In the capital city there was a statue of Baal and more and more people began to worship it. Even the king was beginning to believe in its power.

If the earthly court decreed that today is Rosh Hashanah, Hashem commands the angels to call the heavenly court into session.

The question bothered him very much and he decided to go to the town square where all the poor were gathered and ask them.

When his students saw the mule, they decided to clean it and smooth it for their teacher.

By the time Yonason was four years old he already knew Sefer Bereshis by heart.

A childless man once pleaded to the Almighty, “Creator of the world! Please send me a son so that I may teach him the Torah.” The Almighty heard the prayer and sent him a son whom the father named Shaul. When Shaul was old enough his father began to teach him Torah and, thus, they continued for many years.

Entering the city he visited the cattle market and saw two parei adumah untouched by any harness.

The agent, watching his behavior, thought to himself, “Could this man, who appears so poor, have so much oil to sell? Surely the people in town were making fun of me.”