When the founder of Hasidic
Judaism, the great Rabbi Israel Shem Tov, saw misfortune threatening the Jews,
it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he
would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished
and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple, the celebrated Maggid of
Mezritch, had occasion for the same reason to intercede with heaven, he would
go to the same place in the forest and say, "Master of the Universe,
listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the
prayer." Again the miracle would be accomplished.
Still later, Rabbi
Moshe-Leib of Sassov, in order to save his people once more, would go into the
forest and say, "I do not know how to light the fire. I do not know the
prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient." It was
sufficient, and the miracle was accomplished.
Then it fell to Rabbi
Israel of Rizhin to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in
his hands, he spoke to God, "I am unable to light the fire and I do not
know the prayer and I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is
to tell the story, and this must be sufficient."
And it was sufficient.
For God made man because he
loves stories.
- Martin Buber, Tales of
the Hasidim
Comments