The Maggid of Dubno Story

Shlach: Taking Care of Our Own Home Two brothers - orphans - lived in a certain city. They had

VaYeitzei: The Son and the Wallet After Jacob left his home in Beersheba, he vowed to serve God

Yom Kippur: The Princess and the Villager There was once a king whose daughter had reached

Re'eih: The Blessing When Giving Tzedaka "Make every effort to give to [the poor], and do

BaMidbar: Can Israel Be Counted? Rabbi Yonatan (in Yoma 22b) noted a difficulty in the first verse of

Pesach: Both Beautiful and Ugly The Midrash explains the verse, "I am black but comely" (

Vayikra: The Original Contract “I did not speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the

VaYakheil-Pekudei: A Crown for the King A Present for the King The king was scheduled to visit a

Psalm 92: How great are Your acts The psalmist enthused: מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה'; מְאֹד

Behar: The Hen and the Pig "When your brother becomes impoverished and is unable to support

The Work of a Maggid A fellow rabbi once stopped the Maggid. “I listened to your lecture and enjoyed

Nitzavim: The Greatness of Teshuvah The Sages in Sanhedrin 99a taught: "The place occupied by

Elul: The Disfigured Gem The Disfigured Gem There was once a wealthy prince whose prized possession

Re'eih: Creating New Mitzvot "Be careful to observe all that I command you. Do not add to it

VaEtchanan: Serving God with Love "You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with

Tisha B'Av: End of Exile There was once an important minister who had an insolent and

The Maggid's Method To many, it appeared that the Maggid of Dubno invented his wonderful parables

Kedoshim: Three Partners The Three Friends Three friends agreed on a unique plan. Each would travel

Pesach: "This is the Bread of Affliction" In the beginning of the Passover seder, we hold

Rejoicing on Shabbat and Chag The Torah commands us "ושמחת בחגך" - that we should rejoice

Lech Lecha: The Great Treasure God informed Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in a

Noah: Time for Straight Talk When describing the animals that entered Noah's ark, the Torah

Yom Kippur: The Villager and the Silk Shirt A simple villager once visited the big city. It was a

Rosh Hashana: Sounding the Alarm! There was a remote village where the people were simple and

Shoftim: The Humble King The Torah warns the king not to "raise his heart above his brothers,

Eikev: Who May Make a Vow? There were two neighbors, neither of whom was very well-off. One eked out

VaEtchanan: "Nachamu, Nachamu Ami" Two merchants from a small town set off on a long

Mattot Haftara (Three Weeks): Jeremiah's Vision of the Almond Branch The Wealthy Groom and the

Balak: The Blessings of a Blind Prophet Why did Balaam boast of being blind - "'This is the

Chukat: Following the Doctor's Orders Three men became ill with the same dangerous disease. All