The two men were invited to the palace to see the king. Each prepared for the special meeting.

When the special day came, the first man came to the palace; but as soon as he entered the hall outside of the throne room he froze, amazed. A wealthy man himself, he truly appreciated the fine artwork, sculptures and tapestries which surrounded him.  For hours the wealthy man stood, marveling at the beautiful paintings, statues and fine wall hangings. All the beauty and wonders filled the rich-man’s soul with a sense of awe. For hours he stood, and the king… he never did quite see the king.

The second man also arrived at the same entrance hall, but he was a simple farmer unaccustomed to wealth and finery. His impoverished taste failed to appreciate what so fascinated the wealthy man. Much to the wealthy man’s disappointment, the poor man met the king right away.

Every day people have the opportunity to approach the King. Many try, but few succeed as many are distracted by the finery and sophistication. A great man once said: “I pray with the mind of a child.” A child’s perception of the Holy One, blessed be He is in a way, truer and purer than the accomplished scholar’s or mystic’s deepest understanding of the Divine attributes and manifestations.

The person who approaches G‑d through prayer with an eye to the “experience” of this or spirituality, can lose sight of what the point of it all is. Only by recognizing our basic spiritual illiteracy can we truly relate to the all-encompassing concept of the Holy One, blessed be He,

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)

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