Jewish stories for children of all ages

The poor woodchopper was poor no more

When a thief in the night steals the woodchopper's horse and cart, his family worries about how they will earn their living, but the woodchopper knows that Hashem has many ways to provide for us all.

Naftoli’s inheritance

Zevulun sends his son Naftoli to faraway Yerushalayim to learn, which unfortunately is too much for Zevulun to bear. His will seems to favor his faithful servant Samura, but Naftoli's teacher helps Zevulun's true intent come to pass.

The two silver coins

Avraham is wealthy in Torah and good deeds but not in anything else, so when a stranger offers him a loan of two silver coins he gladly accepts and soon learns that the test of wealth is harder than the test of poverty r"l. 

A message from the governor

The governor sends DovBer an urgent request for merchandise on Shabbos, and when DovBer declines he gets a big surprise after Shabbos ends.

The door faced east

When the Alter Rebbe sends his messenger Rabbi Zalman Zesmer to raise money for needy people, he issues a strict warning not to spend the night in a house whose door faces east. When Rabbi Zesmer forgets to abide by this warning, his journey takes an interesting turn.

Be careful what you wish for

A poor woodchopper is granted two wishes, and he's grateful to have a second chance when his first wish doesn't turn out as well as he had hoped.

Eliyahu’s blessing fulfilled

A mysterious stranger offers to help a poor man in an extraordinary way, and when the poor man accepts the offer he receives a blessing for himself and his descendants.

Shimshon changes his ways

When the Rabbi rebukes Shimshon for his marketplace thievery, the Rabbi's attendant overhears Shimshon utter a threat against the Rabbi, but the Rabbi knows how to deal with Shimshon properly and everyone learns an important lesson in self-control and Ahavas Yisroel.

The two merchants

Two merchants travel throughout Russia, earning a lot of money but straying farther away from yiddishkeit until one day they stop at a kretchme and the owner and his sons help them learn that money isn't everything.

The Kaddish

A yeshiva bochur gives his last coin to have a share in the mitzvah of redeeming captives, and then accepts a coin to say kaddish for someone, but little does he know he's really helping himself and the other bochurim.