story #511 (s5767-50 / 22 Elul 5767)

What You See is What You Get

The Apter Rebbe replied, "In our youth we also saw the secret matters of the heart."

story #510 (s5767-49 / 15 Elul 5767)

A Prosperous Visitor

"I wished to see the holy Baal Shem Tov and receive his blessing, though I am not in need of anything, thank G-d," said the visitor.

story #509 (s5767-48 / 8 Elul 5767)

Behind the Formality

"Jewish law prohibits marriage if the bride or groom had been married beforeto a Jew but not divorced according to Jewish law," explained the young Chabad rabbi.

story #508 (s5767-47 / 1 Elul 5767)

Four Desirable Horses

"Drive to the city of Petersburg where the Czar's palace is," Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liozna told him.

story #507 (s5767-46 / 24 Menachem-Av 5767)

A Sensitive Stomach

Hearing that a Chassidic rebbe, the Divrei Chayim, was visiting the mineral baths in Baden, an irreligious Jew named Marcus decided to pay him a visit.

story #506 (s5767-45 / 17 Menachem-Av 5767)

At Least One Little Prayer, Please

Berel was bitterly disappointed when he learned the Chernobyl Rebbe would not stay in his house this time.

story #505 (s5767-44 / 10 Menachem-Av 5767)

An Ordinary Chasid

"Reb Pesach the merchant was just an ordinary chasid of my grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch."

story #504 (s5767-43 / 3 Menachem-Av 5767)

Jesting in Earnest

Rabbi Shlomo of Radomsk read through the man's note and exclaimed: "What is this I read about your being 'a poor man'?! You had better leave my house at once."

story #503 (s5767-42 / 25 Tamuz 5767)

A Tip to Help My Granddaughter

The Divrei Chaim of Sanz apologized, but told his son that he would not give him any money for the wedding.

story #502 (s5767-41 / 18 Tamuz 5767)

Chirps of a Bird Prophet

The building echoed to the revelry of a wedding party, but the Baal Shem Tov and his companions spent the night quietly in their room.

story #501(s5767-40 / 11 Tamuz 5767)

In Memory of a Happy Jew

We decided to endanger our lives and defy the Nazis to go to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch (who was then in Poland) and ask for his holy blessing.

story #500 (s5767-39 / 3 Tamuz 5767)

Tied Up

"Nonsense," I replied, even though I immediately recalled my dream of the Lubavitcher Rebbe the night before.

story #499 (s5767-38) 27 Sivan 5767

No Holy Books Allowed in the Rebbe's Room!

Rabbi Avraham (the Maggid) of Trisk hardly ate or slept.

story #498 (s5767-37) 20 Sivan 5767

Very VERY Humble

Rabbi Shmuel-Abba of Zichlin sent a sum of money to the Holy Land every three months for the children of Rabbi Moshe of Lelov.

story #497 (s5767-36) 13 Sivan 5767

Secrets for Souls from the "Feminine World"

Rebbetzin Freida Shneuri, the daughter of the Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Chabad, was both brilliant and pious. Her father frequently delivered deep chasidic discourses just for her.

story #496 (s5767-35) 5 Sivan 5767

The Trade

The Baal Shem Tov agreed to grant the blessing, but attached a condition.

story #495 (s5767-34) 28 Iyar 5767

The Embroidered Tablecloth and the Train Ticket

Rabbi Mordechi of Nadvorna told his chasid to purchase a train ticket for the young gentile woman.

story #494 (s5767-33) 21 Iyar 5767

The Pilgrimmage of a Polish-Catholic Nobleman

"Is it because you think I'm a sorcerer that you have come to me," asked Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov.

story #493 (s5767-32) 14 Iyar 5767

From Hebron to Meron

"Upon whom can we rely? Come, let us rely upon Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai!" (Talmud)

story #492 (s5767-31) 7 Iyar 5767

Payment at Last

"Get the entire amount from this man in Vienna," advised the Divrei Chaim; "not one penny less."

story #491 (s5767-30) 30 Nissan 5767

One Month Per Family

Not one of the chasidim thought it proper to trouble the Rebbe Maharash with the current downturn of their income.

story #490 (s5767-29) 23 Nissan 5767

A Kosher Decision

During the meal in honor of the Baal Shem Tov, a question suddenly arose about whether the chicken that had just been served was kosher.

story #489 (s5767-28) 14 Nissan 5767

The Mauthausen Matza Bakery

In his dream, his deceased father and he were visiting the Rebbe of Radomsk, the Shivchei Kohen.

story #488 (s5767-27) 9 Nissan 5767

A Subway Switch

Said Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: "The Lubavitcher Rebbe gave me a new soul."

story #487 (s5767-26) 2 Nissan 5767

Fatal Whitewash

He told the Divrei Chaim that the doctor said whitewashing his house for Pesach would hasten his tenant's death.

story #486 (s5767-25) 24 Adar 5767

The Naked Squire

The priest told the Squire that the only possible solution was to banish Rabbi Elimelech from Lizensk.

story #485 (s5767-24) 17 Adar 5767

The Waker and the Big Black Dog

Rabbi Sholom Yerushalmi inherited the pre-dawn job from Rabbi Berel Vikar.

story #484 (s5767-23) 10 Adar 5767

Purim In Persia Again

In the Teharan synagogue were ancient manuscripts from before the time of Esther and Mordechai.

story #483 (s5767-22 / 3 Adar 5767)

Sarah's Sacrifice

The young squire told his father that he intended to marry the Jewish innkeeper's beautiful daughter.

story #482 (s5767-21 / 26 Shevat 5767)

A Moving Story

"Dear Ascent: The story behind my court case reads like one of your stories. If you'd like to have it, let me know."

story #481 (s5767-20 / 19 Shevat 5767)

Golden Forgiveness

When his wife heard what he intended, she was horrified. She urged him to go to the Seer of Lublin for advice.

story #480 (s5767-19 / 12 Shevat 5767)

The Early Fig Tragedy

The Arab residents of Safed plotted against Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz.

story #479 (s5767-18 / 4 Shevat 5767)

Baba Sali, the Gaon of Vilna and the Baal Shem Tov

When Baba Sali first moved to Israel, in 1964, he lived in Yavneh.

story #478 (s5767-17 / 27 Tevet 5767)

The Holy Slop Bucket

"Why do you cry?" asked Rebbe Zusha of his brother, Rebbe Elimelech.

story #477 (s5767-16 / 20 Tevet 5767)

A Fatal Delay

Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl agreed to adjucate the court case with the deceased.

story #476 (s5767-15 / 13 Tevet 5767)

High Fashion

"Your young men dress like bums," complained the lawyer to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

story #475 (s5767-14 / 6 Tevet 5767)

Ellis Island Aggravations

A broken survivor of the Nazi inferno showed up at the door of the Kopischnitzer Rebbe, crying hysterically.

story #474 (s5767-13 / 29 Kislev 5767)

Eighteen Gold Rubles for Tea

At the"tea party," Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl spoke words of Torah that delighted the souls of his chasidim.

story #473 (s5767-12 / 22 Kislev 5767)

A Ransom of One Million Dollars

During the summer of 1984, Ze'ev was abducted by a band of professional kidnappers.

story #472 (s5767-11 / 15 Kislev 5767)

Say it with a Smile

In the course of his cross-examination, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Chabad was asked twenty-two questions.

story #471 (s5767-10 / 8 Kislev 5767)

An Odd Stipulation

The Jews assured the young nobleman that the Rebbe's son and successor, Rabbi Dovber Shneuri, was also a holy person.

story #470 (s5767-09 / 1 Kislev 5767)

A Profitable Business Deal

The Apter Rebbe told him to take up the first offer of a transaction that came his way.

story #469 (s5767-08 / 24 Cheshvan 5767)

The Seven-Day Wonder

The wild-looking young man was given the place of honor next to the Baal Shem Tov.

story #468 (s5767-07 / 17 Cheshvan 5767)

Speak Up!

"Why did you not mention this until now?" asked the Seer of Lublin.

story #467 (s5767-06 / 10 Cheshvan 5767)

Dipping Together

The Tzemach Tzedek requested that the wagon driver join him for breakfast the next day.

story #466 (s5767-05 / 3 Cheshvan 5767)

The Rebbe and the Emperor

Rabbi Nachman of Brezlav had a dream: in it an old man told him to go to Tiberias.

story #465 (s5767-04 / 26 Tishrei 5767)

Saved by the Wedding

Oddly, instead of blessing him, the Baal Tanya advised his chasid to consult Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev.

story #464 (s5767-03 / 19 Tishrei 5767)

The Kabbalah of Tobacco

On Hoshana Rabba, the Baal Shem Tov would tell what had been decreed for the coming year.

story #463 (s5767-02 / 12 Tishrei 5767)

Fifty Years Later

One exceptionally cold night, the youth refused to sleep in the sukkah with the father of the Divrei Chayim.

story #462 (s5767-01 / 5 Tishrei 5767)

Elevating a Tank

"With the Intifada violence, I knew that there were only two ways to reach Netzarim: by tank, or by helicopter."