The woman raised her voice and began to accuse the Jewish peddler falsely. “This Jewish peddler came to seduce me. He insulted me and attacked me.” The king and his viceroy heard the cries: “Come here Moslems and see what Jewish peddlers can do!^“ 

Soon people who heard the cries of the woman gathered and attacked the Jewish peddler. Who can tell what might have been the fate of the unfortunate peddler had the king and the viceroy not come forward and suggested: “Leave him alone! Do not kill him, ^“ Some answered, ^“This Jewish peddler is an evildoer and should be burned alive in the market place. Take him to the king for judgment. Let all the Jewish peddlers witness his burning and let them learn from his misdeeds!” The king reminded all present, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deut 16:20) from the king.

The Jewish peddler was led to the king’s palace for trial. In the mean-time he was placed in prison.

On the day of the trial a large crowd of people, men, women and children, gathered to see how the infidel would be tried for having insulted an Arab woman.

The king opened the trial saying: “Tell me all about the matter, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

The woman began, saying that the Jewish peddler had attacked her and wished to violate her.

“Have you any witnesses?” the king asked her.

And the entire multitude shouted: “We are the witnesses! We saw all that came to pass! All that the woman has said is true.”

“I believe you,” the king said. “But tell me, do I see rightly at this moment, camels laden high with merchandise in the hea­vens? Do I see rightly?”

The people stared up into the sky and shouted: “It is true, our lord the king! There are camels laden with merchandise in the heavens.”

^“Count me the camels,^“ the king commanded them.

The entire multitude looked up into the heavens. One shouted five camels, another seven and a third ten. Every man declared a different number.

“It is well,” said the king. “Let it be as you have said.” And then, turning to the Jewish peddler, he said: “Lift up your eyes to the hea­vens and count the camels.”

The Jewish peddler stared into the sky but, of course, could see nothing.

“I believe what you have said, my lord the king,” he said. “I believe that you have seen camels laden with merchandise in the heavens, but I cannot see anything.”

The king turned once again to the multitude. “Look up into the heavens again. See if there are any stars there, though it is the full light of day. I pray you, count them for me!”

All those that were gathered there raised their eyes to the heavens and cried out: “It is true! There are stars in the hea­vens!” And one said “Five stars” and the other “Seven stars” and a third “Ten stars”. Each one of them declared a different number.

Then the king turned again to the Jewish peddler: “You, too, look up in-to the heavens! How many stars can -you see?”

The Jewish peddler did as he was bidden and looked up into the heavens, but he could see nothing.

“My lord the king,” he said. “I believe what you have said. But I am not able to see even a single star.”

The king took out of his pocket the worn penny he had been given by the Jewish peddler, when he was disguised and roaming the mar­ketplace together with his viceroy. “Look at this coin,” he said to the Jewish peddler. “Is it of silver or of copper?”

Said the Jewish peddler: “It is of silver, my lord. It is good silver. It may well have been mine, a coin that I spent.”

^“You are right,^“ said the king. ^“It was yours. This coin you gave in charity to two poor men, just before this incident occurred.” The king continued, “These are the things that you shall do: speak the truth with your neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” (Zech 8:16)

Then the king and his viceroy brought the perjured witnesses to judgment. Each one of them was given many years in the royal prison and the woman who had falsely accused the Jewish peddler they sentenced to death for lying, gossip and dishonor ti Islam and trhe king. The Jewish peddler they found innocent.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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One of the men who studied at the yeshiva of the holy MaHaRaL of Prague was very poor indeed. So poor was he that in his distress he decided to go around by night and see whether any door was open, so that he might go in and steal whatever he found. He made the rounds in this fashion from place to place throughout the night.

Early in the morning when most people were just waking up he would enter the house of study to hear the lessons of the holy rabbi. Indeed, he was the first to enter. He once heard the sage expound on the rule that no man should touch what has been prepared for his neighbors:

“Even if you see that thieves steal the money of their fellows, the Holy One, blessed be He returns to them what they lost in principle and interest. It is true that those who have taken money dishonestly would have obtained the same amount honestly and not by robbery if they had had confidence and faith. Sometimes, if they had been pre­pared to wait and not to take the money unlawfully, they would have benefited from it lawfully and with peace of mind. It is only the effect of their evil inclination that makes it seem to them as if they must steal in order not to perish from hunger.”

On one occasion when this man was going about to steal after his manner, he entered the home of a widow by night. He remember the teaching of the holy rabbi, “While forcing the lock, the burglar calls on divine aid.” (Machberos ch 11 (c.1300))  After he had gathered her belongings in order to take them and then recalled the teachings of his wise teacher, he said to himself: “Tonight I want to test the rabbi’s words and see how true they are.” So he did not take a single thing, neither large nor small. But then he stumbled upon a basket in which there were all kinds of fine dainties and a fat fowl. He said to himself: “I have not stolen valuables, at least let me eat what I see here. Why should this night be different?” But then he told himself again: “This time I have already decided not to steal anything. Maybe the rabbi’s words will be fulfilled after all and there will be some easement for me.” He went back to the house of study as usual.

After the prayers were over, the widow came to the rabbi and said to him: “Wise and learned sir, I am a rich woman but have been left alone, for my husband died at heaven’s decree. Now, last night I felt that thieves came to the house and wished to steal; but owing to heaven’s grace they stole nothing and left everything and went away. Now, I entreat you, seek me out a proper man who will be prepared to be my stay and support.” The rabbi told her: “My daughter, have no fear. I know a certain decent man. If you take my counsel, he will be your husband, and the two of you will live in peace.” Then the man was brought before the rabbi who said to him: “See, you have neither wife nor children. Take this woman as your wife.” The man listened to his teacher and betrothed the woman and married her. At the wedding feast she set before them all the fine foods and dainties and the fattened fowl she herself had prepared.

Then the man went to the rabbi  and  told him: “Indeed, it is fit  and proper for you to teach, for the truth is in your mouth. Blessed is the L-rd who allowed me the privilege of sitting before you and hearing your pleasant words, which served me as a shield and buckler.”

And that man repented fully and entirely, and sat every night study­ing with the rabbi, who had foreseen all this, thanks to the Holy Spirit.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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What is the intent of the verse, “In that day you will say, ‘I give thanks to You, O G-d, for you were angry with me, and now Your anger has diminished, and You have comforted me’” (Isaiah 12:1).

It once happened that two merchants agreed to set out on a journey to a faraway city to go to a fair to buy wares to sell in their village. They equipped themselves with all the needs and supplies for the voyage.  Together they made their way to the harbor to board a ship. As they walk through the streets, one of them he stumbled and hurt his foot so badly that he was forced to cancel his trip.

The ship had weighed anchor and unfurled its sails and was ready to set sail and could not wait for the unfortunate merchant to be heal from his wound. So his companion went with all the other merchants, while the merchant who had fallen and became injured remained behind, bitter and angry. He was very angry at his bad luck because he had injured his leg and could not travel with the other merchants. His anger and bitterness of losing all the profit he might have made from the journey to such a point that he complained and freely cursed the ways of heaven.

After some time news came that the ship had sunk in the sea, and all the merchants with in it had drowned. When the injured merchant heard what had happened, he began to give thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He by whose kindness he had fallen and injured his leg. The merchant realized that if he had gone on the ship he would have been lost with all the other merchants. The merchant regretted all the curses and complaints he had made and repented for all the things he had said of heaven. The merchant began to praise and extol the wonders of heaven. That’s why it says in the Book of Isaiah, “Your anger has subsided and You have comforted me.”

What is meant by the verse, “G-d Who alone does wondrous things; blessed is His glorious Name forever” (Psalms 72:18,19)? Even the person for whom the miracle is performed is unaware of the miracle, only G-d knows it.

Nidah 31a

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There was once a great king, who had an only daughter who he loved very much. The princess was skilled with her hands and had a keen mind, she was also very beautiful. when she grew up, the king looked for a worthy young man to be his daughter’s husband. Many noblemen and princes came to seek the hand of the princess, but she turned them away. She could find no one worthy to be her husband. “this one has no feeling for anyone, but himself.” “That one is not charitable.” This one is unkind.” The king became impatient, and swore that the next young man that would come to the gates of the palace would be the princess’ husband.

It so happened that the next man to come to the palace gates was a simple peasant, so the king, true to his word married off his daughter to the peasant. The bridegroom took his bride to his village, where he set up his home. To the peasant, the princess was just a wife, and he treated her as he had always thought he would treat his wife. She worked hard, until her pretty face and hands became rough from work. The villagers often made fun of her and insulted her.

The poor princess was very unhappy. She began writing to her father every day telling him of her bitter lot. The king felt sorry for his beloved daughter, and sent word to her that on he would come soon to visit her. Before long, everyone in the village knew that the king was coming to visit his daughter, and grand preparations were made. Everybody came to the house of the king’s son-in-law to help scrub and clean up the place, and decorate it. The king’s daughter was now treated with great respect. No more hard back-breaking work for her She was given a beautiful clothes and her hair was made up. Everybody was very friendly and respectful to her.

The time came when the king’s messenger came into the village, announcing that the king was approaching the village. Everybody turned out to greet the king. “Long live the King!” “Long live the Princess!” they shouted, as they accompanied the king and his daughter into the decorated and colorful village. The king entered the home of his son-in-law and found it clean and spotless, and decorated with banners and flowers.

He saw the great honor and respect that his daughter enjoyed and he was pleased. He wondered why his daughter had been sending him such alarming letters. Father and daughter spent a happy day together, and the king then prepared to take his leave. The princess embraced her father and cried bitterly, “O’ father, dear father, don’t leave me here. Take me with you. Please, take me back home.”

“But my dear daughter,” the king replied, “you seem to be happy here; the way they seem to treat you here, I am sure no princess has enjoyed more honor and affection.”

“Father dear father, all Your commandments are faithful: They persecute me wrongfully; help me. (Ps. 119:86)” the princess cried, “all this honor and affection they showed me today is for your benefit. They heard you were coming, so they made a big fuss about me. But the moment you leave, they will begin to treat me as before, insult me, and make me very unhappy.”

The king called his son-in-law to his side, and asked him, “Is this the way to treat my daughter? Don’t you know that she is a princess?”

The husband’s eyes were filled with tears as he replied, “Your Majesty, I know she is a princess and she is very wise because it is written in Scripture, And the L-rd G-d built the rib (Gen. 2:22) which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the woman more understanding (va’yiben – binah)  than the man. (Niddah 45b) What can I do? I am a poor man, I must work very hard for a living. I am unable to give her the kind of life she really deserves. Besides, I live in a village, among people full of wickedness and envy. They do not appreciate your daughter’s qualities, and take every opportunity to insult her.

“But you are a great king. Since you found it wise to take me for a son-in-law, take me away from here. Lift me up in position. Give me an estate worthy of your daughter and of the king’s son-in-law, and I will then be able to give your daughter the kind of life she really deserves…”

We are taught that “women have greater faith than men” (Sifre, Num. 133)  and that “Israel’s deliverance was in reward for righteous women” (Sota 11b). Everyday blessings shower down upon the world from the Heavens due to the wisdom and faith of women.

It is hard to define the many aspects of Jewish faith and tradition—the feel of it, the smells of a Shabbos or yom tov meal, the warmth of a gentle touch, the part that cannot be captured in words, that remain unwritten but enduring —were for generations the domain of Jewish women. Their wisdom finely guided and molded the character of Jewish life.

Let us pray that every woman can draw inspiration from the great women of Scriptures;

From Eve the hope to choose life and nurture it;

From Sarah the faith to follow a dream into wilderness and to believe the impossible is possible;

From Rebecca the wisdom to preserve and protect the ways of righteousness;

From Leah endurance and perseverance in the face of loneliness;

From Rachel the compassion and love and protection from shame;

From Yocheved and Miriam  the courage to defy death to rescue the next generation;

From Deborah the grace and self-esteem that enabled her to lead her generation;

And from Ruth the courage to to love the L-rd with all her heart, all her soul and all her might.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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The king was overjoyed with this young shepherd and said to him:

“I am your king! From now on you’ll be my best friend. We’ll find some other shepherd to look after your sheep, and you will come with me to my palace. You will be my dearest companion and we shall be friends forever!”

When the king and the shepherd arrived at the palace, the king ordered royal robes for the shepherd and gave him the most honored place in the king’s court, next to the king himself.

Not long afterward, the shepherd, sad to say, offended the king. Sternly the king ordered him to leave his presence and return three days later for trial.

Now the shepherd realized how wicked he had been, and how ungrateful for all that the king had done for him. Not only had he not appreciated the king’s friendship and all the favors he had showered on him, but he had actually offended the king by his conduct. He felt that the king would have every reason to punish him severely.

The day of the trial arrived.

The shepherd put away his royal garments, put on the shepherd clothing he wore when he first met the king. He also took his flute with him.

Entering the king’s court, the remorseful shepherd fell on his knees before the king, saying:

“0 great and merciful king! I have no words to defend my wicked conduct. What can I possibly say to explain my inexcusable behavior toward my king who has been so good and kind to me? But, since I cannot find the right words, may it please the king to allow me to play on my flute’?”

The king nodded, and the shepherd began to play the tune which he played when he met the king for the first time. And he played it so well, and with such feeling, that the king was deeply moved. It reminded him of that day when he had felt so sad because most of his people throughout his kingdom seemed not to know, nor care, about their king, as he had discovered. Then he met this young shepherd who was the only one who gave him a feeling of joy and pride in being king… .

Filled with this heartwarming feeling, the king said:

“I forgive you, and we shall remain the best of friends as before!”

The power of prayer is beyond the understanding of many. Yet the ebb and flow of the words, melodies and devotion of the prayers can open one’s eyes to the wonder and magnificence of creation. The colors of the world come alive and a peek into the mysteries of the devine is possible.

Unfortunately too many people prayer from rote. The same old words with no feeling, no spark, just merely words on a page. One should offer their prayers and meditations not as a commandment of expectation of men learned by rote, for only prayers the express one’s own heart and mind can bring one close to the Holy One, blessed be He.

The Talmud teaches in Berachos 16b  that  R. Elazar, at the conclusion of his Shemoneh Esrei, used to recite the following:

May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d, that our   lot should be one of love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship; that our territory should be filled with students; and that our end should be successful, so that at the end we should indeed see the things we hoped for all our lives, and set our share in Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), and set us aright with good friends and the right inclination in Your world. And may we get up in the morning and find our hearts yearning to fear Your name, and may our wants and desires come before You for the good.

Rav, upon completing the Shemoneh Esrei, used to add the following:

May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d, to grant us long life, a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life in which there is fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame nor humiliation, a life of wealth and honor, a life in which we will have love of Torah and fear of heaven, a life in which our heartfelt requests will be fulfilled for the good.

May all of our prayers be acceptable and bring strength of spirit, brotherhood, peace and blessing from the King above all Kings

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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There was once a poor man who was regularly supported by the generous gifts of a wealthy man. One day, the poor man went to the wealthy man’s house in order to receive his everyday portion. His desires got the best of him, and he wanted a fine coat he saw in the house. Everyday he wanted the coat more and more until one day he stole the coat from the weralthy man who had taken care of his needs.

When the wealthy man realized that his fine coat was stolen by the poor man, he grew angry and clearly told the poor man that from that day on, he was no longer welcome in his home ever again. The wealthy man was so angry and disappointed that he told the poor man that the usual gifts were canceled indefinitely!

Without the wealthy man’s assistance, the situation in the poor man’s home worsened each day, until he was no longer able to provide bread for his children. Left with no other choice, the poor man decided to take action.

He knew that each day the wealthy man would walk through the forest that was near the town. One day, the poor man went to the forest before the time of the wealthy man’s walk. He looked around and found a small cave; he then hid inside and waited.

When he heard the wealthy man coming, he yelled loudly, “Please save me! Please take pity on me!”

“Who are you?” asked the wealthy man. “Approach me and I will help you to the best of my ability.”

“This I cannot do,” answered the poor man, “for I am embarrassed to show my face before you.”

The wealthy man repeated his request several times, but the poor man refused to leave his hiding place.

“I am ashamed,” said the poor man. “I am unable to leave this cave and face you, for I stole a coat from your home, and I am wearing it…”

Every day people stand in prayer and say, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O L-rd!” (Ps. 130:1)   People conceal themselves in hiding places and cry out, “O L-rd, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Ps. 130:2) So often, people are ashamed and humiliated to appear before You, our L-rd, King of all Kings. Please listen to our prayers because we are ashamed. One of the principles of repentance is to pursue deeds of kindness and truth (Torah study), as it is written: ” By true love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the L-RD one turns away from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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“May  the words of  my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O L-rd, my Rock and Redeemer.”  Psalms (19:15).

It is told that a holy rabbi once had a valuable gem to sell. A merchant came to him while he was praying, as he was saying the Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), and the merchant said to him, “I am willing to buy your valuable gem for 500 dinars.” The rabbi did not answer him because he was praying “with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his might.” Deuteronomy 6:5). When the rabbi did not respond, the merchant supposed that he did not want to sell him the gem at that price, so he added, “let me have it for a thousand dinars.”

After the holy rabbi had finished praying to the Holy One, blessed be He, the rabbi told the merchant, “take the gem for the five hundred dinars you offered, for that was the price at which I intended let you have it.”

Based on Makkos 29a

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There was peace between Sultan Muhammad, king of the Turks, and his father-in-law Demetrius, king of the Morea. Sultan Muhammad sent many gifts of precious stones and pearls as befits a king to Demetrius his father-in-law because of his love for his daughter. Then Demetrius sent back to his son-in-law a certain fine golden chest that was closed and doubly sealed with his seals. He ordered his messenger that nobody was to open the chest except the king himself. King Demitrius sent the Sultan Muhammad a certain letter, saying, “Thank you, indeed. Your kindness and goodness has reached me and restored my soul; and now let my lord receive this blessing from your servant. So says Demetrius, who seeks your peace and well-being.”

The sultan was astonished at this closed and sealed golden chest and said to himself, “Maybe it contains precious stones and jewels which are few in number but of high quality and value.” So he opened the chest and in it he found one small taffeta.

The sultan “was furious, his anger boiling inside” (Esther 1:12) at this gift and he exclaimed to his people, “Do you see how this unbelieving wretch repays me, mocking me and sending me this single herb!” In his anger, he showed the taffeta to all his ministers and attendants and they were astonished but feared to say anything. The sultan ordered his people, “Prepare food and swords, for in seven days’ time we shall go to war against him, since he considers that I am worthless.”

The following day the holy rabbi of Canstantinople was seated and learning, as was his custom when the sultan sent for him and told him what had happened and showed him the herb. The sage inspected it with his wondrous wisdom and saw that this matter was of the Holy One, blessed be He. The holy rabbi realized that “the king’s anger is a messenger of death; the wise will calm him. (Proverbs 16:14) The wise man took a deep breath and explained to the sultan, “My lord sultan, listen to me, for you are a wise man and a mighty ruler. He has not sent you this without reason. What have your ministers and attendants said of it?”

“They have said nothing and looked not into this matter,” said the king.

Then the holy rabbi explained, “This small amount here is worth more than all the silver and gold and precious stones and pearls in the world. For my lord the sultan has sent him money, but he has sent my lord some­thing that can deliver you from evil. For when my lord goes to hunt or in some place where there are wild and savage beasts, take the taffeta with you. As soon as any evil beast smells it, they will fall apart limb from limb. And the way to test it is to take it to a place where there are evil beasts.”

So a man whom the king held to be his enemy went and slept with it beneath him in a dangerous place. When he and the others who were with him woke up in the morning, they found that the wild beasts were scattered limb from limb.

When the sultan saw the wisdom of the rabbi, he gave praises to the Holy One, blessed be He. The sultan learned that “one who is slow to anger has great understanding.” (Proverbs 14:29)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches her hands to the needy.

Proverbs 31:20

The wife of a holy rabbi once gave a beautiful piece of cloth to a tailor so that he might sew her a dress. When the tailor finished the dress, he carried it to the holy rabbi’s wife, set it down and sighed deeply.

“What’s the matter?” the the holy woman asked. “Why are you so unhappy with the dress? It is truly beautiful and a credit to your skills”

In great pain, the tailor answered, “My daughter has become engaged to a fine young man. One day, seeing me sewing such a beautiful dress, the young man thought that it was for his bride. Learning that it would not be hers has filled him with sorrow.”

The holy woman was filled with care and kindness that she picked up the dress and handed it to the tailor. “This is a present for your daughter, the kallah (bride), for are we not taught, ‘Lift up your eyes round about and see; all these gather together and come to you. As I live, says the L-rd, you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament and bind them on yourself like a bride. (Isaiah 49:18) ‘” she said warmly.

The tailor was speechless and gathered up the dress and thanked the holy woman for her gift. He was about to leave when the holy woman called him back as she took out her purse and handed the tailor 5 gold coins.

The confused tailor looked at her and asked, “What is this? You have graciously given my daughter this beautiful dress and her heart will be filled with joy.” The holy woman looked at the surprised tailor and answered, “You worked hard for a full week making this fine dress for me, and not for your daughter. With tired eyes and strained fingers you worked hard so that you might earn a little money for your family. Now I ask you, what will you and your family eat? Just because I gave you a gift for your daughter, does that mean that you should not be paid a fair wage for your work.?”

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There was a holy rabbi who lived in the city of Damascus. He was a righteous man, perfect in his faith, and so well versed in all the seven wisdoms that there was no one to compare with him in that generation except a certain Ishmaelite sheikh who had a complete knowledge of the six wisdoms. The Ishmaelite surpassed the wise rabbi in one way: Anyone who had a sick person in his family used to go to the sheikh and beg him to pray for the sick. The sheikh would pray alone for about half an hour and would then say: “This one will live and that one die.” When the holy rabbi heard this, he was astonished and asked: “Can this Ishmaelite sheikh really be more holy and pure than I am, for the Books of Life and Death to be revealed to him? Do I not serve the L-rd and engage in His Holy Word and commandments all day long? Why could not I be like this Ishmaelite?”

So the rabbi called the beadle of the community and charged him: “Go to the sheikh and tell him: The rabbi has heard of your good name and wishes to visit and greet you, if you will permit him.” Now this Ishmaelite was greater than all the princes, and all the great princes used to send him gifts so that they would merit seeing him; they would come and prostrate themselves before him to obtain his blessing, while he never emerged from his palace and never showed himself to the ordinary people at all.

The beadle of the community went to the sheikh and repeated all that the rabbi had said to him, and the sheikh replied: “I have also heard what a wise man your holy rabbi is and wish to see him. Go and tell him that he may certainly come without delay.”

The beadle went back to the holy rabbi and told him the words of the sheikh; and he left to see the sheikh.

As soon as the sheikh saw him, he saw a new friend. The sheikh welcomed the rabbi with much honor and courtesy, gave him a seat and asked about his health. As they spoke, the sheikh asked the rabbi: “I have heard that you are a wise man, do you know anything about mystical wisdom?” The rabbi answered: “The Holy One, blessed be He has granted me a little of that knowledge.” The sheikh and the rabbi shared much wisdom and grew close to one another. They would meet once every week.

When the rabbi visited the sheikh they would speak of matters of wisdom until the sheikh realized that the rabbi was fully versed in all the seven branches of wisdom. Then he requested the rabbi to teach him that branch which he did not know. The rabbi answered: “I shall teach you if you teach me another branch of wisdom.” And the sheikh asked: “Which one is that?”

The rabbi answered: “I refer to your ability to pray for the sick so that the Books of Life and Death are open to you. That is a branch of knowledge I do not possess. If you instruct me concerning this, then I shall teach you the branch of knowledge that is hidden from you.”

The sheikh sadly replied, “You ask something very difficult and I cannot possibly reveal this to any creature in the world.” “Nor is it possible that I can reveal the wisdom and knowledge that is hidden to you” responded the rabbi. “Be it as you say, but it will be too difficult for you, and I fear that you will not be able to perform it” added the sheikh. The rabbi thought for a moment and assured the sheikh, “I am prepared to undertake even the most difficult task, and I shall do whatever you tell me.”

“Very well go home, and prepare yourself for a fast of two consecutive days. While you are fasting, immerse yourself every morning and evening and be very cautious in your deeds and in the meal that follows take care not to eat meat or drink wine. After you have eaten, go and immerse yourself again and put on white linen” instructed the sheikh.

When the rabbi heard the words of the sheikh, he eagerly replied: “I shall do what you say.” “Then go in peace, and come back on the third day and I shall tell you this great secret.”  The rabbi went home and did all the sheikh had told him. He immersed himself and put on white garments; he did this during the two days of his fasting. He continued to fast on the third night, too. After he finished praying next morning, he went to the sheikh, who hurried to meet him and said: “Enter, blessed of the L-rd, for from your face it is clear that you have done all I told you.” “I am still fasting,” said the rabbi. “You are doing well,” said the sheikh, “and now come with me and I shall show you this secret.”

So the rabbi followed the sheikh to a certain chamber, the key of which he never entrusted to anybody. The sheikh opened the door and both entered together, closing the door behind them so that no other person might approach. In the room there was another doorway by which they entered into a most beautiful orchard. In the middle was a cistern full of fresh water which came from the rivers Abana and Pharpar (see II Kings 5:12). Beside this pool was a bench on which were prepared two robes, one for the rabbi and the other for the sheikh. The sheikh said to the rabbi: “Let us take off our clothes and immerse ourselves before we approach the hallowed place.” So they took off their clothes and both immersed themselves within the pool. Then they changed their clothes and went together to the far end of the orchard, the rabbi wondering all the while what would happen. When he raised his eyes, he saw a most beautifully constructed building with pure silver doors on which all kinds of fine drawings, the like of which is not to be found in royal palaces. When the sheikh went to open the doors of this building, he told the rabbi: “Take care to enter this house in fear and trembling, and whatever you see me do, do the same.” Then he opened the door, and the rabbi saw a magnificent hall and facing it a small and most beautiful shrine, in front of which was a curtain embroid­ered with wondrous jewels and pearls. The sheikh entered the hall trembling and prostrated himself seven times towards the shrine. The rabbi trembled exceedingly and wondered whether there could be some idol or other pagan object of worship there. He closed his eyes, and said the words of the Psalm (16:8): “I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

Then he too prostrated himself as the sheikh had done, and a great awe descended on him.

And the sheikh said to him in a low voice and a broken heart: “Approach this shrine and open it, and there you will find what you seek.” The rabbi at once approached and opened the doors of the shrine, which were made of purest gold and encrusted with precious stones. Within the shrine he saw a most perfect and most beautiful tablet on which was engraved the shape of the Menorah in a very beautiful fashion. Above it was written in Hebrew: “I have set the Lord always before me!” And the letters of the Name of the L-rd were very large indeed. When the rabbi saw this, he rejoiced very much because he had not prostrated himself for no purpose. He stepped backwards and prostrated himself, and they both went out together.

Then the rabbi said to the sheikh: “You told me that I would find what I am seeking there, yet nothing more was revealed to me than what I saw.” The sheikh answered: “Brother, you should know that those large letters which you saw are Name of that One who spoke and the world came about. When somebody comes to entreat me to pray for a sick person in his home, I immerse myself and in fear and trembling I enter this building you have seen. There I pray before the shrine, and after the prayer is over I open its door. If I see that the letters of the Holy Name are bright and shining, I know that the person will live. But if I see cloud and mist around the Name, I know that he must die. Now consider my affection for you, my brother, if I have revealed to you what I have never revealed to any other man.”

When the rabbi returned home he wept bitterly, saying: “Woe unto us for every day we pray, yet Ishmaelite knows that the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.  This sheikh has achieved all this great honor, yet he fears and dreads the hour when he enters into the presence of the Holy Name. Alas, as for us, what shall we answer and say, since we ought to do far more than this and indeed be filled with trembling when we utter the Name of the L-rd.”

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, O L-rd, my Rock, and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14)

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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