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Tale
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of a
A
tale. There was once a rabbi who had no children. Later, he had an only son,
and he raised him, and made him a wedding. The son would sit in an attic room
and learn [i.e. study], as is the way with the wealthy. He would study and pray
constantly, but he felt a deficiency in himself, some sort of lacking, but he
did not know what. And he had no taste in his learning and praying. He told
this to two young people and they advised that he should travel to a certain
tzaddik. Now, this son had done a mitzvah through which he had come to the
aspect of the Smaller Luminary. The only son went and told his father, inasmuch
as he feels no taste in his service (in other words, in his serving G-d, that
is; praying, learning, and other mitzvos), and he is deficient but he doesn't
know of what; therefore he wants to travel to this tzaddik whom they had told
him about, as above. His father answered him, "How can you come to travel
to him? You are more of a scholar than he, and more pedigreed than he. It
doesn't suit you to travel to him. Desist from this way!" To the extent,
that the father prevented him from traveling to the tzaddik.
The
son returned to his learning, and again he felt the deficiency as mentioned
above, and again he took counsel with those young people; again they gave him
the advice that he should travel to the tzaddik. Again he went to his father,
and again his father diverted him and prevented him. Thus it happened several
times. And the son kept feeling that he is lacking something, and he greatly
wanted to fill his lack (in other words, he should make some sort of correction
so that he should not be lacking), but he did not know what the lack is, as
mentioned earlier. He went yet again to his father and implored him a great
deal until his father had to travel with him, for the father did not want to
let him travel alone, since he was an only son. So the father said to him,
"Look, I will go with you. I'll show you that he is nothing at (all in
other words, that the tzaddik is nothing)." They harnessed the carriage
and set out. The father said to his son, "With this I will make a test: if
everything goes orderly, it is from Heaven, and if not, it is not from Heaven
that we should travel, and we will return." They set out, and they reached
a small bridge, and a horse fell, and the carriage turned over, and they nearly
drowned. His father said to him, "You see that it's not going orderly and
the journey is not from Heaven." They returned. Again the son returned to
his studies, and again he saw that something is lacking and he does not know
what. Again he implored his father, as above, and his father had to once again
travel with him. As they were traveling, his father again set up a test as
before: if it goes orderly (then etc. as mentioned). As they were traveling,
both axles broke. His father said to him, " See that [things are] not
going so that we should travel, for is it a natural occurrence that both axles
should break? How many times have we traveled with this carriage and such a
thing has never happened!" Again they returned. And the son returned to
his learning and so forth as above, and again he felt the deficiency as
mentioned earlier, and the young people advised him to make the journey. Again
the only son went to his father and again pressed him; once again he had to
travel with him. The only son said to the father: that we should no longer set
up such a test, for this is a natural occurrence, that sometimes the horse
falls or axles can break - unless it will be something very wild.
They
traveled and came to an inn to spend the night. They met a merchant there, and
they began to talk with him as merchants are wont to, not telling him that they
are going there (to a 'Rebbe' - Chassidic Master - lit. one good Jew), for the
rabbi was embarrassed to say that he is traveling to the tzaddik. So they were
speaking worldly things until in the conversation they began to talk about tzaddikim
[yid: Rebbe's]; where tzaddikim are found; he (the merchant) told them that
there (in a certain place) there is a tzaddik, and there and there. They began
to speak about the tzaddik whom they are traveling to. The merchant answered
them, "That person (in an expression of amazement)? He is plainly
frivolous [lit. 'light'] (in other words, not at all an earnest Jew)! Just know
I am traveling from him; I was there when he did a transgression!" The
father spoke up to the only son, "Do you see, my son, what this merchant
is telling [us] innocently (in other words, he is not intending trash-talk, to
speak evil of the tzaddik; only through the conversation he told it)? Behold
he's coming from there." They returned home (i.e. the father and the only
son).
The
son died and appeared in a dream to his father, and his father saw him standing
in great anger. His father asked him, why are you so angry? He answered him
(i.e. the son, who is dead, answered his father in the dream) that he should
travel to the tzaddik (whom they had wanted to travel to), and he will tell you
why I am angry." He awoke and thought to himself: it's a chance occurrence
(in other words, just a dream; not any truth). Afterwards he dreamed the same
thing again and again, he thought it is a false dream, and so it happened three
times. He understood that this is no empty matter, and he traveled there (i.e.
the rabbi traveled to the tzaddik whom he had previously traveled toward with
his son). On the way he again encountered the merchant whom he had previously
encountered when he traveled with his son, and the rabbi recognized him, and
the rabbi said to the merchant, "Aren't you the one I saw at the
inn?" He answered him, "Certainly you saw me!" And opened up his
mouth and said to him, "If you want, I'll just devour you now!" He
said to him (i.e. the rabbi to the merchant), "What are you talking
[about]?" He answered him, "Do you remember when you traveled with
your son, and initially a horse fell down on the bridge, and you you returned,
then the axles broke, then you met me and I told you that he is frivolous? Now
that I have dismissed your son - now you may travel. For your son was an aspect
of the Smaller Luminary, and the tzaddik whom he wanted to travel to, is an
aspect of the Greater Luminary, and if they both would have gotten together,
Messiah would have come. And now that I have dismissed him, you are permitted to
go." And in the midst of speaking, he disappeared (in other words, the
merchant vanished suddenly while talking) and he didn't have with whom to talk.
The rabbi travelled to the tzaddik and cried, "Woe! Woe! What a pity for
those who are gone and are no longer to be found!" (Heb. only: Hashem
Yisburach will return our exiled soon, amen).
[Notes
Following the Story]
And
the merchant was the same Samech-Mem (Satan) himself, who disguised
himself as a merchant and deceived them, and then when he met the Rabbi the
second time, he himself challenged him for having followed him, for such is the
way of the yetzer hara [evil inclination]; initially he incites a
person, and when the person follows him, Heaven forbid, he himself challenges
the person afterwards and personally take vengeance upon him for having
followed him. Hashem Yisburach save us from him and return us to the right
truth, amen.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
Rabbi Nachman's Legendary Tales
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