HH
Legendary Tales of Ancient Times.
The Seven Beggars:
Second Day
On the second day of the seven-day celebration (at the sheva brochos), the couple (groom-bride) again remembered the second beggar - the deaf one - who had kept them alive by giving them bread. They wept and yearned, "How can the deaf beggar, who kept us alive, be brought here?" Meanwhile, as they were yearning for him, he enters and says, "I am here!" And he fell over their shoulders and kissed them, and said to them, "Today I present to you as a gift, that you should be as I am, that you should live as good a life as I do. For initially I blessed you with this, today I give you my good life, as an outright wedding gift, droshoh gishank [wedding-discourse present]. You think that I am deaf. I am not deaf at all! Only that nothing in the entire world has any worth to me whatsoever - that I should listen to people talking about how they lack it. For each and every voice in the world is only about their lacks. For everybody screams about his deficiency, that is, what he hasn't got. And even all the world's celebrations and happiness are all exclusively on account of lack (that is his deficiencies), the rejoicing over that which he did not have, whereas now he has what he didn't have. But, by me the entire world does not amount to anything whatsoever, that it's needs should enter my ears. For I live such a good life that lacks nothing whatsoever. And I have an attestation about this, from the Land of Wealth that I live a good life." Now, his good life was that he ate bread and drank water. (He told them): "For there is a land that has great wealth - they possess enormous treasures.
"Once, the wealthy people gathered together and each one began to boast about his good life - how he lives such a good life. And each one described the routine and style of his good life. I called out and I said to them (that is the deaf beggar who is telling all this), 'The good life that I live is better than your good life, and this is the proof - if you are living a good life, let's see if you are able to save a certain country. For there is a country where they had a Garden. In that Garden were fruits which had all the tastes that are in the world, and all the scents that are in the world. Also, there in the Garden were all kinds of sights of every color, and all the flowers (kviyatin) that are in the world - everything was there in that Garden. And looking after the Garden was a Gardener (ah grodnik - who took care of the Garden). The residents of the country used to live a good life through the Garden. The Gardener there went lost, and naturally, whatever there is in the Garden must surely wither and die. For the Gardener is no longer there to look after the Garden and to go around taking care of what needs to be done in the Garden. But despite this, they would have been able to live from the Garden's untended growth (that is from the regrowth, that grows in a garden by itself, from that which falls down).
"Then, a cruel and merciless king came up against the country imposing himself on them. He couldn't harm them directly. So, he went and ruined the good life that the country had from the Garden. It is not that he damaged the Garden, rather he left behind in the country three groups of slaves. And he commanded these agents to do what he instructed them. And by doing so there what the king had ordered them, they ruined the sense of taste. For through what they did there, they caused it to happen that whoever wanted to taste anything would taste a rotten carcass. They also ruined the sense of smell, so that all fragrances would stink like galbanum (chelbena). They similarly ruined the sense of vision, for they darkened people's vision, just like when it's cloudy. (All this, the three groups of slave-agents accomplished in the country by carrying out the orders of the cruel king.) Now, if you live a good life, let's see if you can help out that country. (All of this, the deaf beggar said to the Land of Wealth which had bragged that they live a good life.) But I am telling you, if you won't help them out, it will harm you too (this that the vision, taste and smell in that country were ruined - this damage will also reach you).'
"So, these wealthy people got up and went to that country, and I also went with them. And also on the way, each one of them was living his good life, for they had treasures. But as they approached that country, the sense of taste and the other things began to deteriorate by them too. They realized that the sense of taste and the other senses had spoiled. I spoke up to them, 'Just consider - if now, when you have not yet entered the country, the taste, vision and sense of smell have already been damaged by you, what will happen when you enter? And all the more so, how will you be able to help them?' I took my bread and my water and gave it to them. They felt in my bread and water all the tastes (and all the scents etc.), and it was rectified by them that which had been ruined by them (that is, the taste, vision and the smell).
"Now, the residents of that country - that is, the country where the Garden was (where the taste etc. had been ruined) - started to look around in order to repair the country's ruined taste and so forth. They discussed the matter and came to the conclusion, that since there is a Land of Wealth (that is, that very land with whom the beggar had spoken) - it seemed to them (that is, the country where the Garden was, found appealing) that their Gardener who went lost (through whom they had lived a good life), is from the same root as the people of the Land of Wealth who also live a good life. Therefore, they liked the idea that they should send messengers to the Land of Wealth - for they would surely help them! They did this and they sent messengers to the Land of Wealth. The messengers went on their way, and they encountered each other (that is, these messengers met up with the people of that very Land of Wealth on the way, for the Land of Wealth themselves wanted to go to them). They asked the messengers, 'Where are you going to?' They answered, 'We are going to the Land of Wealth, so that they will help us'. They spoke up, 'We ourselves are that rich country, and we are going to you'. I spoke up and said to them (that is, the deaf beggar who is telling all this), 'Actually, you need me! Since you cannot go there to help them (because, when they only so much as came near the state, they themselves were already affected; all the more so when etc.). Therefore, you remain here, and I will go with the messengers to help them.'
"I went with the messengers and arrived at the country. I entered one of the cities and I saw people coming. One of them said a wisecrack (ah vehrtil), and then more people came until a small crowd was formed, and they said vehrtilich (wisecracks), and they laughed. I listened to what they were saying (schmoozing), and heard them speaking obscene language. This one said a quip of foul speech (dirty joke), and that one spoke a little more subtle; this one laughed, and that one had enjoyment and so forth, as the way is. After this, I went further to a different city (of that country). I saw two people fighting with each other about some business transaction. They went to court to get a judgement. The court ruled that this one is meritorious and that one is liable - and they went out from that courthouse. Afterwards, they again argued with each other. They said that they no longer want this court - only they want a different one. So, they chose for themselves another court, and brought their case before that court. Afterwards, one of them again got into a quarrel with someone else, and these two selected yet a different court. And so, they quarreled there on and on, this one with that one and that one with this one, always choosing a different court, until the entire city was full of courts. I watched this and realized that this was because there was no truth in this place. Now, this one tilts the verdict and favors this one (in other words, he flatters him and he decides in his favor). Later the other flatters him (in other words, later the other decides in his favor in return). For they take bribery, and by them there is no truth.
"Afterwards, I saw that they are full of adultery, and there are so many illicit relations there, that it has already become like a completely permissible thing for them. I told them, that on account of this, the taste, the smell and the vision were ruined for them. Because the cruel king had left with them the three squads of slave-agents, so that they should go around and ruin the country. For they went around and spoke obscene language among them, and they brought foul speech into the country. And through obscene language, the result was that the taste was ruined, so that all the tastes had the same flavor as rotten carcass. Likewise, they introduced bribery into the country. Through this their vision was ruined and their eyes became darkened. For so it states [Exodus 23:8, Deut. 16:19]: 'because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise' - in other words, bribery makes the eyes blind. Also, the slave-agents introduced promiscuity into the country, and through this the smell was ruined. For promiscuity causes the smell to be ruined. 'Therefore, you should see to repair the country from these three sins, and you should seek out those people (that is the agents [slaves] who brought the three sins into the country), and you should drive them out. And when you do so - when you will clean the country from the three sins, I tell you that not only will the taste, vision and smell be repaired, but more than this; even the Gardener who was lost from you, you will also be able to find.'
"They did so, and they began to cleanse the country from these three sins, and they sought out the people (that is, those slave-agents). When they would catch someone, they would ask him, 'From where did you come to here?' - until they caught the agents of the cruel king (that is the three groups of slaves), and chased these people away, and they cleaned out the country from these sins.
"Meanwhile, there was a commotion, 'Maybe this lunatic is the Gardener after all? For there is a crazy man going around saying that he is the Gardener, and everyone assumes him to be insane, and people throw stones at him and he gets driven away. But maybe nevertheless he is really the true Gardener?!' They went out and brought him before them (that is, before these ones that sat and rectified the country; and he also, namely the deaf beggar who is telling all this, was there). And I said, 'Of course he is the true Gardener!' (That is, the one whom they had previously said that he is a lunatic). So, you can see that I have an attestation from that Land of Wealth, that I live a good life. For I myself rectified that country (and through him they were even able to seek out the Gardener, and they were able to live a good life again). And now, I am giving you my good life as a gift!" With that there was a very great rejoicing there with a supreme bliss, and they were extremely happy. The first one had given them chayim aruchim - that is, long life. The second had given them chayim tovim - that is good life. And so, all the beggars came afterwards to the wedding, and each one gave them as a wedding-discourse present the same thing that they had previously blessed them - that they should be like themselves. And now, they gave this to them as an absolute gift, droshoh gishank (wedding-discourse present).
Gemini:
That is an incredibly rich and detailed passage from Rebbe Nachman's famous tale, "The Story of the Seven Beggars" (specifically, the part narrated by the Deaf Beggar). It explicitly contains the allegorical elements you were seeking.
📜 The Section from "The Story of the Seven Beggars"
The specific section detailing the king, the slaves, the ruined morals, and the gardener is a parable told by the Deaf Beggar to the people of the Land of Wealth.
Key Narrative Sequence:
* The Kingdom: A country had a Garden (Gan) that was the source of its good life, providing all tastes, scents, and sights. It was cared for by a Gardener (großnik), who then went lost.
* The Attack: A cruel and merciless king could not attack directly, so he sought to ruin the country's good life by corrupting its senses.
* The Agents of Ruin (The Slaves): The king left behind three groups of slaves (agents) who carried out his orders:
* They introduced obscene language (foul speech/wisecracks), which ruined the sense of taste (everything tasted like a rotten carcass).
* They introduced bribery (corruption in the courts), which ruined the sense of vision (darkened vision, "bribery blinds the eyes of the wise").
* They introduced promiscuity/adultery (illicit relations), which ruined the sense of smell (all fragrances stank like galbanum).
* The Restoration: The Deaf Beggar guided the residents: they must cleanse the country from these three sins (foul speech, bribery, promiscuity) and drive out the slave-agents. Upon cleansing, not only were the senses repaired, but they were also able to find the lost Gardener.
🌍 Allegorical Explanation: The Story and Modern Migration
The story is a powerful allegory. To interpret it in the context of modern migration, we must first understand its internal, spiritual meaning and then see how it is applied (or misapplied) to external, political situations.
A. The Core Spiritual Allegory (Original Meaning)
In Breslov Hasidism, the core interpretation is spiritual and personal:
| Allegorical Element | Spiritual/Moral Meaning |
|---|---|
| The Country | The individual soul or the community of Israel. |
| The Garden | The Torah and the Good Life lived through spiritual senses and joy. |
| The Lost Gardener | The Tzaddik (righteous leader, like Rebbe Nachman himself) or the loss of simple faith and guidance. |
| The Cruel King | The Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) or forces of spiritual opposition. |
| The Three Slave-Agents | Three Cardinal Sins that destroy spiritual perception (Taste, Sight, Smell). These sins are not people, but actions or moral deficiencies that have "invaded" the soul. |
The key takeaway is that the quality of life is ruined by internal moral failings (the actions of the slaves), and restoration comes from internal purification (cleansing the sins and driving out the tendencies).
B. Applying the Allegory to Modern Migration
When this parable is used to discuss modern migration, the internal, spiritual meanings are externalized and applied to political/social groups. This interpretation is highly polemical, but it is the framework requested:
| Allegorical Element | Externalized Interpretation (Anti-Migration View) |
|---|---|
| The Country | The Nation State (e.g., the West, a specific European nation, or Israel). |
| The Garden/Good Life | The Native Culture, National Identity, and Social Standards of the host country. |
| The Cruel King | Globalism, Elites, or Liberal Policies that facilitate uncontrolled borders. |
| The Slave-Agents | Migrants or new immigrant groups. The argument is that these groups introduce the "three sins" (or equivalent social ills): Crime (Taste), Corruption/Bribery (Vision), and Immorality (Smell), thereby ruining the host nation's "senses" or core values. |
| The Expulsion | The political necessity of mass deportation, aggressive border control, and strict assimilation mandates to "cleanse" the nation and restore national pride and quality of life. |
How the Argument Functions:
* Blame Externalized: The story is used to shift the blame for national woes (like rising crime, loss of cultural identity, or political corruption) away from internal issues and squarely onto the migrant group (the slaves/agents).
* Moral Justification for Expulsion: Since the "slaves" are defined as the source of "moral ruin," their expulsion is framed as a moral necessity—an act of "purification" led by the "Gardener" (a strong, righteous leader) to save the "Garden" (the nation).
* The Warning: The Deaf Beggar's warning to the wealthy people ("it will harm you too") is cited as a warning that no country is safe from the "moral corruption" brought by these outsiders unless it takes decisive action.
In summary, the narrative is converted from a spiritual teaching about personal Tikkun (repair) to a political mandate for national Tikkun through ethnic or cultural purification.
Great blessings of Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Meuman!
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