Subject:  How the Grinch Stole Shabbat

Oh, the Jews up in Jewville they loved their Shabbat,
from the oldest of old folks to the youngest of tots.
With candles and wine and chocolate chip hallah,
they felt oh so good till way past havdallah.
They all went to shul to hear Rabbi Schulweis
who told them "it's important to treat everyone nice."
And after the service they each took their tallis
and ran to tables for cookies and challahs.

But there was one among them, though he was born yiddish
who didn't like candles or hallah or kiddush.
In fact shabbat made him so angry and blue-ish,
you'd hardly have guessed that he was born Jewish.
Since his bar mitzvah, he grew not an inch.
He was tiny, and hairy,and they called him the grinch.
He lived on a mountaintop far above town
on each shabbat evening he'd say with a frown:

"What's the big deal, with their candles and brachas,
to me, the whole thing is a pain in the tuchas.
I don't feel any different from friday till sunday.
I don't need your shabbat - give me any old monday!
I'll show them, i'll show them; i'll steal their Shabbat!
I'll take all the wine and the candles they've got!"
So he set about building a shabbat-stealing machine.
It was nuclear powered, it was noisy and mean.
He built the world's first shabbat candle blower-outer
that blew out the candles with ucky green powder.

Then one friday night while they welcomed Shabbat
the grinch saw his chance to hatch his ugly plot.
While they all sat in shul, so polished and clean,
the grinch from his mountaintop brought down his machine.
While the cantor sang prayers and the rabbi told fables,
the grinch came down chimneys to attack shabbat tables.
As the Jews in the shul davened louder and louder
the grinch, he rev'ed up his shabbat candle blower-outer.

He snuffed all their candles, he stole all their challahs,
he dumped out their kiddush wine all over their tallis.
There was no one to stop him, they were all still in shul
as he poured all their chicken soup right in the pool.
He ate all their kugel, he ate up their herring
he ate all their desserts without even sharing!
That grinch he stole shabbas from all their mishpochas,
from such terrible things some people get nachas.

He ruined their Shabbos, he didn't think twice
he even stole Shabbos from Rabbi Schulweis.
The grinch stole the shabbos from Jewville's fine Jews
he went up all their streets and down avenues
until he finally arrived at the road by the crevice,
the very last street where they drink manischevitz.
At the end of the block lived little Suzie Le'jew
who couldn't make it to shul, she was home with the flu.
Of all Jewville's Jews little Suzie was smartest,
she studied the longest, she studied the hardest

She knew kiddush and motzee and birkat by heart
She knew shema and amida and the inbetween parts.
That only the cantor and yossi could say
if only the rabbi would let people pray!

Now this little Suzie slept snug in her bed
while candles and challah danced in her head.
When all of a sudden she heard such a clatter
and in through her window came the grinch on a ladder.

Now Suzie in darkness she just couldn't see
"who is this visitor? Who could it be?
She thought maybe zaidy had forgetten his key
or perhaps cousin herschel had dropped in for tea.

So she jumped out of bed, gave a kiss and hug
she whispered, "Good Shabbos" into his hairy mug.
Now the grinch didn't know what hit him that night
everyone he would meet ran away in great fright.

This was the first Shabbos kiss he had got
since he was a kid back in Rabbi Jay's tot shabbat.
At that very moment his heart started to beat
he felt warm and tingly from his head to his feet.

Out of his eyes came flowing the tears
from all of the hugs that he'd missed all these years.
"I've done something awful," the grinch started to cry
"I've done something awful and I don't know why."

"We believe in teshuva," Suzie wisely explained
we believe that your ways can always be changed!"
"but what can I do to earn love in your eyes?
What can I do to apologize?"

"The Jews of our town are forgiving and true
the Jews of our town will learn to love you
but first you must show your words come from the heart
clean up your mess, that's a good start!

Put back the candles and put back the challas
put back the kiddush wine, put back the tallis!
But hurry up, Mr. Grinch it's time to be nervous
'cause here come the Jews home from the service!"

The grinch he moved fast like a mighty tornado
the grinch he moved faster than even sigfredo.
He put back their candles, he put back their challas
he put back the kiddush wine, he cleaned up the tallis.
He set all the tables with gleaming white dishes
he filled all their plates with brisket and knishes.

So the Jews of old Jewville came home singing songs
and they never found out there was anything wrong.
The grinch did tshuva and changed all his ways
he learned to love shabbos all of his days.

All of his meanness and anger and stink
he got rid of all, he needed no shrink.
Instead he had Suzie, his wise little teacher
who taught him that inside the heart of each creature
is God's special light 'cause in God's image we're made
and so there's no reason to ever be afraid.

The grinch loved the torah so much that one day
he signed up to be a rabbi up at the uj.
And so my dear friends this shabbos, let's not miss;
turn around to someone, give a hug and a kiss.
Suzie has taught us that even a grinch
with enough hugs and kisses can turn into a princh.