Why Nobody is Guilty in Chelm! - Another History Lesson From Chelm

Please note: All characters and events appearing in this work are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people or events is hashgacha pratus. Chelm: In Jewish folklore Chelm was a town reputed to be inhabited by fools. Where problems almost always centered on silly solutions. Some of these solutions display foolish wisdom, while others are simply wrong.

This is a story about a pink sweater that Reb Nechemya stole from Yankel. Well, I shouldn't really say that because he was never found guilty. Sure, the evidence was overwhelming, but he was never brought to justice. As a matter of fact, even today, almost no one in Chelm is ever found guilty. Interested in knowing why? Let me tell you the story...

Reb Nechemya was a respected man in Chelm and so when Yankel accused Reb Nechemya of stealing his pink sweater it was difficult to believe it. Reb Nechemya was not the type to steal. In fact, Reb Nechemya ran the entire finance and charity of Chelm, so to accuse him of stealing really made no sense. Yankel was just a child (I should say it happened when he was a child). Now he is a grown man and wants his sweater back. It does seem kind of strange that he waited all these years to speak up. Truthfully he had no choice because as a child no one would believe him. Children tend to have huge imaginations and their “brains are not fully developed”. A child in Chelm is never believed. So Yankel waited until he was 18 and he could stand up for himself. 

"Something is Rotten in the City of Chelm" ~ A History Lesson From Chelm Part III

This post is a continuation from my story:

The Dangers of the New Highway System - A History Lesson From Chelm Part I
As the Big Event Draws Closer The People of Chelm Begin Asking Questions" - A History Lesson From Chelm Part II

"Something is Rotten in the City of Chelm"
A History Lesson From Chelm Part III
By: Dovid Teitelbaum

Please note: All characters and events appearing in this work are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people or events is hashgacha pratus.

To ensure you have a better understanding of the next saga, it's important to give you a better understanding of the internal politics of Chelm and how a once unified city became torn apart. I would also like to fill you in on some other happenings around Chelm so that you might better understand the current predicaments. So let’s forget about the highway for a bit and go back in time.

"As the Big Event Draws Closer The People of Chelm Begin Asking Questions" - A History Lesson From Chelm Part II

This post is a continuation from my story:
The Dangers of the New Highway System - A History Lesson From Chelm Part I

"As the Big Event Draws Closer The People of Chelm Begin Asking Questions" 

A History Lesson From Chelm Part II

By: Dovid Teitelbaum

Please note: All characters and events appearing in this work are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people or events is hashgacha pratus.


As the big day drew nearer things started heating up. Now although the wise men of Chelm were behind this event, not all the people were. It’s not that they didn't care about the dangers of the highway, it's just that the common people had other concerns too. You see, while the great sage was dealing with the highway crisis all the other issues of Chelm got pushed to the side. And there were many issues. The school system was failing. There was alcohol abuse. The local economy was in shambles. And so people felt the large money for the event could be used for better purposes.

But more importantly, there was abuse of children going on in the city and even allegations that some of the wise men were involved. Just like those highway casualties, the stories were buried. The Chelm Press was run by the wise men and they published the stories they felt were important. For some strange reason they focused exclusively on the highway problem. And even though for every highway casualty there were 10x more within the communal system, those stories were never reported.

The Dangers of the New Highway System - A History Lesson From Chelm Part I

Chelm: In Jewish folklore Chelm was a town reputed to be inhabited by fools. Where problems almost always centred on silly solutions. Some of these solutions display foolish wisdom, while others are simply wrong.

By: Dovid Teitelbaum

Please note: All characters and events appearing in this work are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people or events is hashgacha pratus.

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, as  horses and buggies were being replaced by automobiles, the city of Chelm went through a crisis of its own.

You see, the people of Chelm tried to keep themselves apart from the rest of the world. They wanted to live a simple and better life, and they believed that the wise men of Chelm and most importantly the chief sage would solve any problems that they might encounter.

But as the world around them changed, it had an effect even on the people of Chelm. As automobiles became more and more common the wise men realized they had no choice but to instruct the city council to build a highway system of its own. The new highway enabled the people to travel at speeds never before imagined. Beautiful discount malls and exciting parks were built along the highway and everyone was eager to drive on the new highway.