The Royal Secret

AND OTHER STORIES FOR THE SHABBOS TABLE Rav Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Chai, led the Sephardic world with love and devotion and authored over a hundred Torah works. The renowned and revered Torah scholar disseminated Torah through his daily classes and his beloved weekly Shabbos afternoon sermon. Rav Yosef Chaim was a master speaker, and his Shabbos drashos would often stretch on for hours. Thousands would flock to hear his inspiring masterpieces. He would impart timeless lessons and halachic guidance, spun with golden threads of beautiful aggadic interpretation and aflame with religious fervor and inspiration. Interspersed throughout his speeches were riveting and compelling stories and parables, purposely utilized to engage the imagination and drive the lessons home. His tales depicted piety and malevolence, wisdom and folly, tragedy and triumph — and had a hypnotic effect on his large audiences. Despite the lofty and mystical topics that he delved into, he had the unique ability to explain even complex ideas in the simplest of terms. Through beautiful Torah interpretation and a perfectly paired parable, he would inspire the crowds to greater heights of devotion and divine service. This book brings those precious moments to your Shabbos table by sharing the insights and messages conveyed through tale and parable by the great gaon and tzaddik Rav Yosef Chaim. These fascinating stories will captivate all those surrounding your table — young and old — as they are transported to another time and place, from which they will leave with unique inspiration and a renewed appreciation for our Torah heritage. By Rabbi Yosef Mansour