In the morning he told his family and servants that he must go on a journey. He ordered them to harness his carriage and dressed himself and said farewell to them and made his way to the forest. When he came there, he ordered his driver to wait for him; and he went into the forest where he found the dead man waiting. There the dead man ordered him to take off his fine garments, and instead he gave him patched and tattered old clothes to wear. His face also changed at once and became seamed and wrinkled, so that he seemed like a poor man who had been making the rounds of the houses for a very long time.

Then the dead man ordered him to go back to the city and study Torah in all the Houses of Study. He further instructed him not to tell anybody who he was. When he was hungry, he was not to take any food from any man but must go to his own home and beg for food there. He must sleep upon the ground and live and suffer for days and months until a year had passed. Then the man from the other world stopped speaking and vanished.

The rich man walked out of the forest and began walking, while his driver waited for him all day long. When he saw that he did not return, he searched the forest but did not find him; he returned home and told what had happened. They searched everywhere for the master of the palace but did not find him, so they thought he must have fallen at the hand of robbers. And they grieved him bitterly.

The rich man in his patched garments did everything the dead man told him to do. He spent his time in a House of Study, learning. When he became hungry, he went to his home, but he heard the outcry of the household on his account and wished to turn back. Yet a hidden force pushed him to the doorway. Shamefully, he asked for food, but the servant woman abused him, saying: “Don’t you know that here we give nothing to the poor? And besides, we are all distressed because our master is lost.”

The wealthy man greatly pained, because he could not say who he was and in addition he was suffering the pangs of hunger. Then he began to beg and plead for some bread; and after cursing him and abusing him, they gave him a few crusts on which he lived for several days.

Word spread in the city that a strange poor man had come there and was sitting and studying all the time, and took no food from anybody and requested food only from the home of the missing wealthy man; even though he received it only after suffering and abuse. They thought that he must be mad, and began to throw dust and earth after him. He spent the whole year in this poverty and accepted it in full regret, repentance so distressing that those who read about it must wonder and be aston­ished.

When the year was over he went back to the forest where the dead man was waiting for him. “Great is repentance, it cancels heavenly decrees (Song of Songs Rabbah 8:6),” said the dead man, “that you have merited to pass through this great test of yours. Now remove those disgraceful garments and put on your ex­pensive clothes which I have hidden until this time.” When the rich man did so and put on the rich clothes, his face began to shine. The dead man in­structed him to take the shameful clothes home with him, too; and he ended his words and vanished never to be seen again.

The rich man returned home a changed man. His family rejoiced at his returned and asked where he had been the past year. The rich man remained quiet and told them that all would become clear at the right time. His family and servants told him how a crazy man had come while he was away, always asking for food, and all that had happened to the fellow.

Then the rich man told his household to prepare a great feast of thanksgiving since they had thought that he was among the dead, and he had returned. He requested that everyone in the community especially the poor attend the meal. In the middle of the celebration, while all the guests were in good cheer, he slipped out of the great hall, took off his fine clothes and put on the torn rags and tatters, and appeared like that before them all. At first his household thought that this must be the same crazy man who used to visit them, and then they noticed that the rich man had vanished again. They began to worry once more, perhaps the crazy man had something to do with his disappearance.

Then the rich man revealed himself and told all those who had gathered there what had happened to him. A silence fell upon the feast as the rich man shared, “Give alms from your possessions, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. Indeed, almsgiving, for all who practice it, is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.” (Tobit 4:7-11)

His tale and lesson served to bring about a true blessing of the Holy Name. All the people there became com­pletely repentant, and after that he kept open house for the poor and the needy, day and night.

This story is found recorded on paper with an iron pen in an ancient register of a certain great city before G-d.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Listen to more stories told by the Master Storyteller, Rabbi Rachmiel Tobesman – The Treasures of the King, the Princess and the Peat Digger, Seven Jewish stories, on iTunes and Amazon or Coins, Candles and Faith, eight stories of faith on iTunes and Amazon