Lifelong Lessons Of Gluckel's Life Lessons

Like all good mothers, Gluckel of Hameln wanted nothing but to provide for her children and teach them lifelong lessons. She began to write her book after her beloved husband passed away, leaving her with their twelve children and his prospering business as a merchant to manage. Distraught, Gluckel wrote at night when she couldn’t sleep, with hopes that her words would stay with her children throughout their lives. Over the years, Gluckel wrote when she felt it necessary, collecting seven short books within her autobiography, each conveying its own concept. The book as a whole, however, is based on three main lessons Gluckel wanted to instill into her children: there is no point in questioning God’s actions, the only solution to a man’s misery is to
Jewish merchants were faced with discrimination during their travels throughout Europe, Gluckel being one of the many merchants who embarked on their journeys at the height of such intolerance. Gluckel was the daughter of Beile and Yehuda Leib, a prosperous merchant of the area. Unlike many Jewish women during this time, she was fortunate enough to have been educated on both secular and religious topics as a child, which prepared her for the future. She met Chaim at the age of twelve, marrying him two years later when she was fourteen. Together, they raised twelve kids during which his job as a merchant prospered. After the death of her husband, Gluckel was left with Chaim’s job as well as the responsibility of their children. On nights when she couldn’t sleep, she began writing down her thoughts addressed to her children. In her writings, Gluckel provides them with her family’s history as well as guidance for their future. After many years, Gluckel married a wealthy merchant who eventually lost both his and her money, leaving Gluckel widowed, ill,