The King’s Golden Shoes

A rhyming rendition of an amusing tale about the Wise Men of Chelm, that shows how paying excessive attention to appearance and status symbols can lead to absurd situations. The story, illustrated by Shai Charka, introduces young children to the “Wisdom of Chelm,” one of the most celebrated examples of Jewish folklore, and explores how to bestow honor—and how to receive it.

Dear Parents,

Jewish folklore features many tales of the wise men of Chelm, set against the background of life in the town of Chelm in Poland, some 200 years ago. These tales were passed on orally, with multiple versions of the same tale, and were collected and anthologized by Shalom Aleichem, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and other authors. The wise men of Chelm are fools who concoct absurd solutions to the problems facing their community. Isaac Bashevis Singer ended his chronicles of Chelm with this statement: “The whole world is one great Chelm.” Perhaps the Chelm stories are so beloved and amusing precisely because each of us, at times, behaves in ways that aren’t rational or sensible.

“Whosoever pursues honor, honor flees from him” (Mesilat Yesharim 26)

 

The story of the king of Chelm’s golden shoes explores with a mixture of humor and irony the ways in which we bestow and receive honor, and raises broader questions regarding the issue of honor.  Why is the king not treated with the honor his title deserves? What happens to a person or society that gets caught up in the external trappings of honor? Jewish tradition addresses the issue of honor in great depth. Numerous sources admonish us that to chase after honor makes a person behave contemptibly, and that one should be more careful of others’ honor and less preoccupied with one’s own.

Age Group: PRESCHOOL