A king’s son was once walking along a forest path when he reached a clearing filled with many beautiful wonders. The prince stopped to see the rich green bushes, feel the soft moss and watch the colorful butterflies. He became lost in the magnificence around him. Suddenly, a band of highwaymen appeared from nowhere and attacked him. They intended to rob and murder him.
Much to his good fortune, beggar dressed in rags happened to be walking along the wooded trail at that very moment entered the clearing. When he saw the murderous band, he gathered up his courage and in a display of great strength, defeated them and saved the king’s son.
The king, upon hearing of the beggar’s bravery, had him summoned before him. When the beggar arrived, the king thanked him and proclaimed, “As a reward for saving my son, I hereby permit you to spend an entire day in the royal treasury; you may take anything that your heart desires.”
When the gates of the royal treasury were opened for the beggar, he joyously fell upon the massive piles of gold and diamonds, and began to gather all that he could. Then he stopped and sat on a finely carved chair and began to think about what he was doing. Something changed within him.
When evening settled in and the beggar left the royal treasury, he had undergone a complete change. In one day, he had gone from being a penniless beggar to an extraordinarily wealthy man. The next day, this former beggar went into business, and in a short while he became very successful. He had now become one of the wealthiest men in the land, and he left his former life of poverty and deprivation behind.
Every year, the former beggar staged a lavish feast on the day that he had been blessed with the good fortune of entering the royal treasury. He invited all his friends and relatives to the feast, and it was a custom that lasted for many years.
One year in the middle of the feast, the wealthy man turned to his friends and asked, “Which day of my life do you think was the happiest of all for me?”
“It must be this very day,” responded the guests. “This day on which you have made a feast for all of your friends must be the happiest day of your life! After all, on this day your mansion is decorated, your servants surround you, and all of the distinguished individuals in the land hold you in great regard!”
“You are mistaken,” said the wealthy man. “While this day is certainly one of great joy, it is but a remembrance of the day on which I was remade, literally transformed from a lowly beggar in ragged clothing to a man possessing enormous wealth. That day was the happiest of my life.
“I spent that entire day,” he continued, “inside the royal treasury. I felt neither the pangs of hunger nor overwhelming weariness; rather, it was as if my complete being was focused on only one goal a change to myself. The more valuables I amassed, the more I thought I realized that money and riches could indeed help my physical needs, but to enjoy my new found wealth I had to change the way I felt about and saw myself. I have yet to experience a happier day than that one. It is important to remember “that whenever a man does eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all his wealth, it is a gift of G-d.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13)
So it is with people who strive to live what they believe. The Holy One, blessed be He grants each person life as a gift. Throughout life, people can amass as many compassionate and good deeds as their heart desires.
An individual who can view the world with this perspective is truly the most praiseworthy. The only thing that prevents people from gaining such a perspective is our heart which has been dulled by the trivialities of this world.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
