Yiddish Folktales

by Beatrice Weinreich

  And from that Yom Kippur on, no more dibbuks appeared in Galicia. Mekhele Volakh had driven them away for good.

  * Yom Kippur is a day of personal as well as communal repentance. According to tradition, it is a day of anxiety, because one’s fate for the coming year is then sealed. Tisha b’Av, however, is a day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The implication in this story is that the congregation felt as if a national disaster had just occurred.

  Glossary

  With the exception of holiday names and a few other words which have officially recognized English spellings—e.g., Hasid, rebbe, Torah—Yiddish terms appear in this book in italics and are spelled according to the YIVO transcription of their pronunciation in standard Yiddish. In some cases where the words may also be familiar to readers by another spelling, that spelling is given in parentheses at the beginning of the definition, as is the word’s literal meaning, where pertinent.

  The main principle of the transcription system is that each letter (or fixed combination of two letters in the case of diphthongs and consonant clusters) represents a single sound. Consonants have roughly the same sound as they do in English; vowels, diphthongs, and consonant clusters are pronounced according to the chart below. Note that there are no “silent” letters. Thus, when you see an e at the end of the Yiddish word bime, for example, remember that the word has two syllables and does not rhyme with the English word “dime.” Polysyllabic words in Yiddish are usually accented on the next-to-last syllable. When the stress falls elsewhere in a Yiddish term, it is indicated in the glossary with an accent mark.

  Letter(s) Pronunciation Example

  a as in “tar” kadesh

  e as in “get” gemore

  i as in “hit” in a closed syllable kidesh

  as in “beet” in an open syllable bime

  o between the vowel sounds in “done” and “dawn” mazltov

  u between the vowel sounds in “full” and “sure” mezuze

  ay the vowel sound in “why” mayrev

  ey as in “they” kheyder

  oy as in “boy” moyel

  kh the final sound in the German “ach” khale

  zh like the “z” in “azure” zhupitse

  tsh like the “ch” in “chew” tsholnt

  arendarke A female tenant farmer or innkeeper.

  Ashmodai The king of demons in Jewish demonology (Asmodeus).

  Baal Shem Tov (lit., “Master of the Good Name”) Israel ben Eliezer (1700?–1760), an itinerant healer and preacher from Podolia, who is acknowledged as the founder of the Hasidic movement.

  balemer A platform in a synagogue from which the Torah is read during services.

  balkoyre A reader of the Torah in the synagogue.

  balshém (lit., “master of a name”) An itinerant popular magician-healer who cures the sick, exorcises demons, writes amulets, and performs miracles, using the magical power of divine names.

  barmitsve (Bar Mitzvah, lit., “son of commandment”) A Jewish boy’s coming of age and assumption of religious responsibility at the age of thirteen; the celebration of this occasion, traditionally during the public reading of the Torah in the synagogue.

  besmedresh (lit., “house of study”) A room or house for study and prayer; a small synagogue.

  bime (Heb. bimah) A platform in a synagogue from which the Torah is read during services.

  Bobe Ha A legendary witch; probably related to the Slavic Baba Yaga.

  bobe-mayse (lit., “grandmother-story”) A tall tale, an old wives’ tale.

  bóbetske An elaboration on the word bobe (“grandmother,” “old woman”).

  bris (brith) The ritual circumcision of a Jewish infant boy, which normally takes place eight days after birth; also the festivities accompanying the circumcision ritual.

  Cabala (Yid. kabole) Jewish mystical philosophy; also the texts of Jewish mysticism.

  dáytshmerish (lit., “Germanicized”) Refers to language or behavior imitating West European conventions, sometimes to the affectation of sophisticated manners.

  dibbuk (Yid. dibek) In Jewish lore, an evil spirit or the restless soul of a dead person residing in the body of a living individual; it can be expelled only by magical means.

  Elyohu Hanovi The prophet Elijah.

  esreg (esroygim) (etrog) A citron; the fruit used in the ritual celebration of Succos.

  farfl (farfel) A type of noodle made by chopping, plucking, or grating raw dough into small bits.

  freylekhs A cheerful dance.

  gabe (gabbai) A trustee or warden of a synagogue or other Jewish public institution; a manager of the affairs of a Hasidic rebbe.

  gaon (Yid. goen) Originally the title of the head of a Jewish rabbinic academy in Babylonia between the seventh and eleventh centuries C.E.; it was later applied to an outstanding rabbinic scholar.

  gehenem (Gehenna) hell; the place, in Jewish tradition, where the souls of the wicked are punished and purified.

  gemore (Gemara) The discussion and interpretation of the Mishnah (q.v.), a part of the Talmud.

  gildn A coin worth fifteen kopecks.

  gilgl (Heb. gilgul) According to Jewish lore, the being (human or animal) into which the soul of a dead person may pass to continue life and atone for sins committed in the previous incarnation.

  gimátrie (gematria) Numerology; the summing up of the numerical equivalents of Hebrew letters and words to provide another level of interpretation. Very common among Cabalists and Hasidic masters.

  golem (Yid. goylem; lit., “shapeless mass”) A creature brought to life by magical means, especially through the use of a divine name. Different Jewish communities have legends about local golems created to protect them against persecutions, specifically against blood-libel accusations. The best-known is connected with the golem created in the sixteenth century by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known as the Maharal of Prague.

  groshn (Ger. groschen; Pol. grosz) A small coin, used in Austria, Germany, and partitioned Poland.

  hakodesh borekh hu (lit., “The Holy One, blessed be He”) A reference to God that appears frequently in liturgy.

  Hasid(im) (Yid. khosid, khsidim) Member of a Jewish religious movement founded in the eighteenth century in Eastern Europe, organized into groupings devoted to particular rebbes and generally stressing pious devotion and ecstasy over rabbinic scholarship.

  haskole (Haskalah) The Jewish Enlightenment movement, which flourished in Eastern Europe in the nineteenth century.

  havdole (Habdalah) The ceremony performed at the close of the Sabbath to distinguish between its holiness and the profaneness of the ensuing weekdays, consisting of prayers and songs, the lighting of a twisted candle, a blessing over wine, and the inhaling of fragrant spices.

  heshayne One of a series of prayers for salvation chanted during processions around the synagogue on Succos; also the willow twigs carried in the procession around the synagogue and beaten against the reading desk of the synagogue on Hoshana Rabba (q.v.).

  hómentash A triangular pastry, usually filled with poppyseeds, prunes or plum preserves, traditionally prepared especially for Purim.

  hore khoyshekh (lit., “mountains of darkness”) A legendary remote place.

  Hoshana Rabba The seventh day of Succos (q.v.).

  kadesh (Kaddish) The prayer chanted before or after certain sections of synagogue worship. It is also recited by mourners, especially by a son for a dead parent; the term can also refer to a male heir responsible for saying the prayer.

  kapelyúshnikl(ekh) (lit., “hat maker”) Little spirit(s) often found around horses.

  kest Room and board provided to a recently married couple by one or both sets of their parents.

  khale (challah, hallah) Bread, usually a braided white loaf, eaten on the Sabbath and on holidays.

  khaper (lit., “catcher”) Refers to kidnappers of young Jewish boys for military service during the time of the cantonists in czarist Russia.

  khazn
A cantor, a leader of prayers in the synagogue.

  kheyder (lit., “room”) A school where Jewish children begin their traditional education, learning the letters of the Jewish alphabet and how to read the Bible and prayer books.

  khupe (huppah) The canopy under which the Jewish marriage ceremony traditionally takes place.

  kidesh (kiddush) The benediction over wine; a Sabbath forenoon celebration in honor of a joyous occasion at which this benediction is said.

  kinder-máysele(kh) A little tale for children.

  kitl The white linen robe worn by pious Jews on solemn occasions.

  kloyz A small synagogue or house of study, frequently restricted to some occupational or social group; the term is used especially by Hasidim.

  kolnidre (Kol Nidre) A prayer recited on Yom Kippur eve.

  lamedvovnik One of the legendary thirty-six ultra-pious men who live concealed in each generation, without whom the world could not continue to exist (from the letters lamed-vov, which have the numerical value of thirty-six).

  lantekh A mischievous hobgoblin.

  lign-máysele(kh) (lit., “little lying tale”) A nonsense tale.

  maged (maggid) A Jewish preacher, often itinerant, whose discourse drew upon biblical texts embellished by rabbinical commentaries and folklore.

  malekh An angel; a divine messenger.

  maskl (maskilim) An adherent of the Jewish Enlightenment movement (haskole), advocating the assimilation of modern Western cultural values into Jewish life.

  matse (matzah) The unleavened bread eaten during Passover.

  mayrev (Ma’ariv) The evening service, recited daily after sunset.

  mayse/máysele A tale, a story; a maysele is a little story.

  mazl (mazel) Luck, personified in some folktales.

  mázltov (mazel tov; lit., “good luck”) An expression of congratulations.

  medresh (midrash) The homiletical interpretation of Scripture; the literature of that interpretation among the early rabbis which contains legends and tales as a supplement to the Biblical narrative.

  melamed A teacher of young children in kheyder (q.v.).

  melave malke (lit., “the ushering out of the queen”) The evening meal marking the conclusion of the Sabbath. This is often an occasion for Hasidim to gather with their rebbe.

  menoyre (menorah) A multi-branched candelabrum. A seven-branched menoyre was erected in the Temple in Jerusalem and remains an important symbol of the Jewish people; a nine-branched menoyre is lit on the holiday of Hanukkah.

  mesoyre A local legend, a memorat.

  mezuze (mezuzah) A small case containing a strip of parchment inscribed with the text of Deuteronomy 6:4–9, which is attached to the doorposts of premises occupied by observant Jews. The mezuze is symbolically kissed by persons entering or leaving.

  mikve (mikvah) Ritual bathhouse; pool for ritual immersion.

  minkhe (Minchah) The afternoon daily prayer, recited at some time between noon and sunset.

  minyen (minyonim) (minyan) Prayer quorum of ten adult males, the minimum required by tradition for certain religious services.

  Mishnah (Yid. mishne) The core of the Oral Law, compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi (ca. 135–217) on the basis of previous collections and codified around the year 200, forming part of the Talmud.

  misnaged (misnagdim) An opponent of Hasidism within Jewish orthodoxy.

  mitsve (mitsvah) A divine commandment, one of the 613 precepts of the Torah; by extension, any good deed.

  moshl (mesholim) An example, an analogy, a parable.

  moyel (mohel) A ritual circumciser.

  Moyshe rabeynu (lit., “Moses, our teacher”) The traditional way of referring to the Biblical Moses.

  múmenyu An affectionate form of mume (aunt); comparable to “auntie” in English.

  musef (Musaf) An extension of the morning prayer, recited on the Sabbath and on holidays.

  muser The literature and traditions of Jewish moral and ascetic theology.

  nign (nigunim) A melody, tune, or song without words. In Hasidic tradition the creation of special nigunim is attributed to Hasidic leaders.

  níle (Neilah) The last prayer recited on Yom Kippur.

  ornkoydesh (Aron Kodesh; lit., “holy ark”) The cabinet located on the eastern wall of a synagogue, in which Torah scrolls are kept.

  parnes A Jewish community leader.

  porets A landowner, a master of an estate.

  Reb The traditional title prefixed to a man’s name; comparable to “Mister” in English.

  rebbe (lit., “my master”) A Hasidic spiritual leader; a rebbe may or may not also be a rov (ordained rabbi, q.v.). A melamed is usually addressed by his young pupils as “Rebbe.”

  reboyne shel oylem “Lord of the Universe.”

  Rosh Hashana (Yid. rosheshone) The Jewish New Year.

  rov A rabbi, the ordained graduate of a rabbinical academy, qualified to serve as the legal and ritual authority of a Jewish community.

  sandek The person who holds a baby boy during the circumcision ceremony. The role of sandek is regarded as an important honor.

  seyder (seder; lit., “order”) The ceremonial meal for the celebration of Passover, during which the story of the Exodus from Egypt is told.

  sfire According to Cabalistic lore, one of the ten aspects or divine emanations in which God’s creative power unfolds.

  shabes (Shabbos) The Sabbath.

  shames (shammas) A sexton in a synagogue; a rebbe’s personal assistant.

  shed (sheydim) A demon, devil, ghost.

  Shevuos (Shabuoth; Yid. shvues) An early-summer holiday celebrating the gathering of the first fruits and the giving of the Torah to the Jews.

  shoyfer (shofar) The ram’s horn blown in synagogues on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

  shoykhet (shochet) A ritual slaughterer, who kills and inspects cattle and poultry according to rabbinical principles of ritual purity.

  shretele(kh) A small, kindly, elf-like creature.

  shtetl(ekh) A small town; a market town.

  shtibl(ekh) A small Hasidic house of prayer.

  shtrayml The fur-trimmed hat worn by Hasidim on festive occasions.

  shul A synagogue.

  Succos (Sukkoth; Yid. súkes; lit., “tabernacles”) An autumn harvest festival during which one lives in a temporary shelter, a súke, for a week. The holiday also commemorates the Israelites’ wandering in the desert following the Exodus.

  talis (tallith) A prayer shawl with fringes at the corners, traditionally worn by men during morning prayers.

  Talmud The comprehensive designation for the mishne and the gemore (q.v.). There are two versions, the Babylonian and Jerusalem compilations, completed in the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., respectively. The Talmud contains both law and legend.

  tfiln (tefillin) Small boxes (phylacteries) containing Biblical texts (Exodus 13:1–10, 13:11–16; and Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21) written on parchment, which are strapped to the arm and forehead during weekday morning prayers by observant male adults.

  Tisha b’Av (Yid. tíshebov; lit., “the ninth day of the month of Av”) A day of fasting and mourning, observed in late summer, commemorating the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem.

  Torah (Yid. toyre) The Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses; the scroll on which these first five books of the Bible are written. The term refers also to Jewish law in general and to the traditional study of sacred Jewish texts.

  tsadek (tsadikim) An especially pious, righteous, or spiritually pure man. A Hasidic leader (rebbe) is also often referred to as a tsadek.

  tsholnt (cholent) A stew, usually containing meat and beans together with potatoes or barley, prepared on Fridays and, in view of the prohibition against cooking on the Sabbath, kept warm overnight to be served as the main meal on Saturday afternoons.

  Vilna Gaon (Yid. Vilner goen; lit., “Sage of Vilna”) Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (17 20–1797), rabbinic scholar and teacher, leader of the misnagdim, the orthodox opponents of
the Hasidic movement.

  vunder-mayse (lit., “wonder-tale”) A fairy tale.

  yeshive (yeshivah) A rabbinical academy, an institution of higher Talmudic learning.

  yeshuvnik A Jewish villager.

  yeytser-hore Lust, temptation, the inclination to evil; sometimes personified.

  Yom Kippur (Yid. yonkiper) The Day of Atonement, observed ten days after the beginning of the Jewish year, when the fate of each Jew for the coming year is believed to be judged. The day is spent fasting and reciting prayers for the forgiveness of both communal and individual transgressions.

  yortsayt The anniversary of a person’s death.

  zeyde A grandfather; an old man.

  zhúpitse A caftan; a long outer coat worn by adult Jewish men, especially in the Hasidic community.

  zloty A gold coin, equivalent to thirty groshn; used in Poland.

  Annotations to the Tales

  (Tales are listed by number, as in the table of contents.)

  The annotations list the archival or published source of each tale, and, when known, the names of the storyteller and collector, as well as the date and place the story was recorded. The reader will also find biographical data about historical personages that appear in the legends, and short comments on selected tales.

  Some of the pious tales and legends have a complex history in Jewish sources, going back to the literature of the Talmud and Midrashim, which, in turn, had their roots in oral tradition. Other tales have parallels in early Yiddish printed works such as the sixteenth-century Mayse-bukh, or the seventeenth-century memoirs of Glikl of Hamlen. At the other end of the time scale, we find retellings of some folktales in works of modern Yiddish and Hebrew literature. A number of such literary parallels to our stories are given in the annotations.

  Folklorists Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson (The Types of the Folktale, 1961) devised a system for classifying fairy tales and other fictional tales, and I have indicated, where applicable, a story’s international tale-type number according to their widely used index. Unfortunately, there is as yet no satisfactory index to legends (stories that purport to be true) to match the one available for fictional tales.