Hanukkah Rap: If You’re a Macabee
December 11, 2025
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Rabbi Mark Novak Hanukkah Rap: If You’re a Macabee Then You’re a Hammer
Rabbi Mark Novak Hanukkah Rap: If You’re a Macabee Then You’re a Hammer
Adapated from Eli Wiesel z’l in The Gates of the Forest
Rabbi Jack Moline told us this story under the chuppah at our wedding, adapted for us from Sefer Tanchuma
A well known folk tale with a sweet ending inspired by R’ Zalman Schacter-Shalomi tz’l
Story of the Japanese King Solomon, we learned this story form Joel ben Izzy
Adapted from I.L.Peretz’s story originally written in Yiddish
A Swiss border guard stops the same traveler month after month, always suspicious of what he carries. Each time, he searches carefully — but something still doesn’t sit right.
A Cherokee elder teaches his grandson a powerful lesson about the inner struggle between good and evil, revealing that the outcome depends on which side we choose to nurture.
The king, a devoted chess player, challenged a traveling sage to a game. The sage accepted, asking for a seemingly modest reward. What unfolded next left the king facing a lesson he never expected.
R’ Zalman tz’l teaches that a good maisa – a good story – is one where the heart surprises the mind.
Please feel free to use these stories in your teaching and in your holy conversations. I welcome your gentle comments.
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