Wise...and Not So Wise: Ten Tales from the Rabbis - Hardcover

Gershator, Phillis; Ginsburg, Alexa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0827607555 ISBN 13: 9780827607552

Publisher: Jewish Pubn Society, 2004

Synopsis

Retells five tales from the Talmud and three tales from the Midrash, presenting moral lessons featuring Roman emperors, flying rabbis, cows that keep the Sabbath, and fish that swallow hats.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Now in Paperback!

A 2005 National Jewish Book Award Finalist

Ages 6 and up

From the Back Cover:

Wise and Not So Wise Ten Tales From the Rabbis

Phillis Gershator

From "The Observant Cow," pictured on the front cover ... The fellow ran to fetch the cow’s former owner. "Look here," he said, "there is something wrong with the cow you sold me. She refuses to move. She’s lazy and good-for-nothing. I want my money back!"

The Jew saw that the observant cow did not want to work on the Sabbath, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Dear Cow, when you worked for me, we did celebrate the Sabbath. But now that you work for a non-Jew, you can no longer observe God’s day. So please, be a good cow and do as he wishes. Get up now and pull the plow."

The cow obeyed.

The cow’s new owner was amazed. "Are you a wizard?"

"No," said the Jew. "The cow used to celebrate the Sabbath to honor the seventh day, just as God commanded. I merely told her that you were now her master and that even though you do not observe God’s commandment, she must do as you wish."

The man listened carefully and asked himself, "If a cow does as God commands, how can I, made in the image of God, do any less?"

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Pubn Society
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0827607555
• ISBN 13: 9780827607552
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 95