הדף מאת: matan hayat
rabbi nachman' sipurey maasiot
The lost princess
[The Rebbe] said: Along the way, I told a story, that everyone who heard had thoughts of repentance. And it is as follows:
There once was a king, who had six sons and one daughter. This daughter was very precious in his eyes. He loved her exceptionally, and took great delight in her. One time, he spoke with her and lost his temper, and the words May the no good one take you! flew from his mouth. In the evening she went to her room, and in the morning, no one knew where she was. And her father was very distraught, and he went everywhere looking for her.
The second to the king stood up, for he saw that the king was very troubled, and asked that he provide him with a servant, a horse, and money for the journey, in order to search for her. He searched for a very long time, until he found her. (And following is the account of his search, until he found her.) He went from place to place, for a very long time, in deserts, fields and forests. And he searched for her a very long time.
As he was crossing a desert, he saw a path to the side, and thought to himself: Seeing that I've been going such a long time in the desert and I cannot find her, I'll try this path maybe I'll come to a settled area. And he went a very long time on that path.
Afterward, he saw a castle, with several soldiers standing guard around it. The castle was very attractive and well-built, and the soldiers were impressively aligned around it. He worried that the soldiers would not allow him to enter. But he said to himself, I will go and try. So he left the horse behind, and approached the castle. And the soldiers did not hinder him. He went from room to room without disturbance, and came to one reception hall, in which the king sat, wearing his crown. And there were a number of guards, and musicians with their instruments standing before him. It was all very pleasant and beautiful, and neither the king nor any of the others inquired about him at all.
And he saw there delicacies and fine foods, and he approached and ate and went to lie down in a corner, to see what would transpire there. He saw that the king ordered for the queen to be brought. They went to bring her, and there ensued a great commotion and joy. The musicians played and sang a great deal, being that they were bringing the queen. They placed a chair for her and sat her next to the king. And she was the above-mentioned princess, and he (the second to the king), saw and recognized her.
After that, the queen gazed about and saw a man lying in a corner, and recognized him. She stood from her chair and went over to him, nudging him, and asked him, Do you recognize me? He answered, Yes, I do. You're the princess who was lost. And he asked her, How did you come to be here? She answered, Because my father blurted out the words The no good one should take you, and here, this place, is no good.
So he told her that her father was very saddened, and that he had been searching for several years. And he asked, How can I get you out of here? She answered, The only possible way to take me out is if you choose a place, and dwell there a full year. And the whole year, you must long to take me out. Any time that you have free, you should only long and request and hope to free me. And do fasts, and on the last day of the year, you should fast and not sleep the entire day. So he went to do this.
On the last day of the year, he fasted, and did not sleep, and rose and began the journey back. And on the way he saw a tree, and on it were growing very attractive apples. And they were tantalizing to his eyes, and he approached and ate from them. Immediately after having eaten, he dropped and fell asleep, and he slept a very long time. His servant would try to wake him, but to no avail. Afterwards, he awoke from his sleep, and asked the servant, Where am I in the world? And the servant told him the story: You were sleeping a very long time, several years. And I survived on the fruit. And he was very pained upon hearing this.
So he returned there and found her. And she revealed her great distress to him. If you had only come on that day, you would have removed me from here, and because of one day, you lost everything. Nevertheless, it is very difficult not to eat, especially on the last day, when the evil inclination is very overpowering. (That is to say, the princess told him that now she would make the conditions more lenient, that from now he would not be expected to fast, for that is a very hard condition to meet.) So now, choose a place again, and dwell there also a year, as before. And on the last day you will be allowed to eat. Only you must not sleep, and must not drink wine, that you should not fall asleep. For the essential thing is not to sleep. So he went and did accordingly.
On the last day, he went there, and saw a spring, with a red appearance and the fragrance of wine. He asked the servant, Did you see that spring, that ought to have water in it, but its color is red, and its scent is of wine? And he went and tasted from the spring. And he immediately fell into a sleep that lasted several years seventy, to be exact. And great numbers of soldiers passed with the equipment that accompanied them. The servant hid himself from the soldiers. After that passed a covered carriage, and in it sat the princess. She stopped by him, descended and sat by him, recognizing who he was. She shook him strongly, but he did not wake. And she started to bemoan, How many immense efforts and travails he has undergone, these many years, in order to free me, and because of one day that he could have freed me, and lost it... And she cried a great deal about this, saying There is great pity for him and for me, that I am here so very long, and cannot leave. After that, she took her handkerchief from off of her head, and wrote upon it with her tears, and laid it by him. And she rose and boarded her carriage, and rode away.
Afterwards, he awoke, and asked the servant, Where am I in the world? So he told him the whole story that many soldiers had passed there, and that there had been a carriage, and a woman who wept upon him and cried out, that there is great pity on him and on her. In the midst of this, he looked around and saw that there was a handkerchief lying next to him. So he asked Where did this come from? The servant explained that she had written upon it with her tears. So he took it and held it up against the sun, and began to see the letters, and he read all that was written there all her mourning and crying, and that she is no longer in the aforementioned castle, and that he should look for a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. There he would find her.
So he left the servant behind, and went to look for her alone. And he went for several years searching, and thought to himself, Certainly a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls would not be found in a settled area. For he was an expert in geography. So he went to the deserts. And he searched for her there many years.
Afterwards, he saw a giant man, far beyond the normal human limits of size. He was carrying a massive tree, the size of which is not found in settled areas. The man asked him, Who are you? He answered, I am a man. The giant was amazed, and exclaimed, I have been in the desert such a long time, and I have never seen a man here. So he told him the whole story, and that he was searching for a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. The giant answered him, Certainly, it does not exist at all. And he discouraged him and said that they had muddled his mind with nonsense, for it surely does not exist. So he started to cry bitterly, for he felt certain that it must exist somewhere. And this giant discouraged him, saying that certainly he had been told nonsense. Yet he (the Second to the King) still said that it must exist.
So the giant said to him, I think it is nonsense. But since you persist, I am appointed over all the animals. I will do this for you: I will call them all. For they traverse the whole world, perhaps one of them will know where is the mountain and the castle. And he called them all, from the smallest to the largest, all the varieties of animals, and asked them. And all of them answered that they had not seen these things.
So he said, You see that they told you nonsense. If you want my advice, turn back, because you certainly will not find it, for it does not exist. And he pleaded passionately with him, saying, But it absolutely must exist!
So the giant said to him, Behold, in this desert also lives my brother, and he is appointed over all the birds. Perhaps they know, since they fly at great heights perhaps they saw this mountain and castle. Go to him and tell him that I sent you to him.
So he went for several years searching for him. And again he found a very large man, as before. He was also carrying a massive tree, as before. And this giant also asked him as had the first. And he told him the whole story, and that his brother had sent him to him. This giant also discouraged him, saying that it certainly did not exist. And he pleaded with him as with the first. Then the giant said to him, See, I am appointed over all the birds; I will call them, perhaps they know. So he called all the birds, and asked them all, from the smallest to the largest, and they answered that they did not know anything about this mountain and castle. So the giant said to him, You see, it certainly does not exist. If you want my advice, turn back, for it simply does not exist. But he pleaded with him, saying It certainly exists!
So the giant said to him, Further ahead in the desert lives my brother, who is appointed over all the winds, and they run over the whole world. Perhaps they know. So he went several more years searching, and found also this giant, and he was also carrying a giant tree. And the giant asked him, as the others had. And he told him the whole story, as before. And the giant discouraged him, as before. And he pleaded with him as well. So the third giant said to him, that for his sake he would call all the winds and ask them. He called them, and all the winds came, and he asked them all, and not one of them knew about the mountain and the castle. So the giant said to him, You see, they told you nonsense. And the Second to the King began to cry bitterly, and said, I know that it exists!
As they were speaking, one more wind came. And the one appointed over them was annoyed with him, saying, Why did you not come with the rest? He answered, I was delayed, for I needed to carry a princess to a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. And the Second to the King was overjoyed.
The one appointed asked the wind, What is expensive there? (That is to say, what things are considered valuable and important there?) He answered him, Everything there is very expensive. So the one appointed over the winds said to the Second to the King, Seeing that you have been searching for her such a long time, and you went through many difficulties. Perhaps now you will be hindered by expenses. Therefore I am giving you this vessel. Every time you reach into it, you will receive money from it. And he commanded the previous wind to take him there. The wind came storming, and brought him there, right to the gate. There were guards posted there, that would not let him enter the city. So he reached into the vessel, took out money and bribed them, and entered the city. And it was a beautiful city.
He approached a man, and rented lodgings, for he would need to stay there some time. For it would need much intelligence and wisdom to free her. And how he freed her, he did not tell, but in the end he freed her.
The lost princess
[The Rebbe] said: Along the way, I told a story, that everyone who heard had thoughts of repentance. And it is as follows:
There once was a king, who had six sons and one daughter. This daughter was very precious in his eyes. He loved her exceptionally, and took great delight in her. One time, he spoke with her and lost his temper, and the words May the no good one take you! flew from his mouth. In the evening she went to her room, and in the morning, no one knew where she was. And her father was very distraught, and he went everywhere looking for her.
The second to the king stood up, for he saw that the king was very troubled, and asked that he provide him with a servant, a horse, and money for the journey, in order to search for her. He searched for a very long time, until he found her. (And following is the account of his search, until he found her.) He went from place to place, for a very long time, in deserts, fields and forests. And he searched for her a very long time.
As he was crossing a desert, he saw a path to the side, and thought to himself: Seeing that I've been going such a long time in the desert and I cannot find her, I'll try this path maybe I'll come to a settled area. And he went a very long time on that path.
Afterward, he saw a castle, with several soldiers standing guard around it. The castle was very attractive and well-built, and the soldiers were impressively aligned around it. He worried that the soldiers would not allow him to enter. But he said to himself, I will go and try. So he left the horse behind, and approached the castle. And the soldiers did not hinder him. He went from room to room without disturbance, and came to one reception hall, in which the king sat, wearing his crown. And there were a number of guards, and musicians with their instruments standing before him. It was all very pleasant and beautiful, and neither the king nor any of the others inquired about him at all.
And he saw there delicacies and fine foods, and he approached and ate and went to lie down in a corner, to see what would transpire there. He saw that the king ordered for the queen to be brought. They went to bring her, and there ensued a great commotion and joy. The musicians played and sang a great deal, being that they were bringing the queen. They placed a chair for her and sat her next to the king. And she was the above-mentioned princess, and he (the second to the king), saw and recognized her.
After that, the queen gazed about and saw a man lying in a corner, and recognized him. She stood from her chair and went over to him, nudging him, and asked him, Do you recognize me? He answered, Yes, I do. You're the princess who was lost. And he asked her, How did you come to be here? She answered, Because my father blurted out the words The no good one should take you, and here, this place, is no good.
So he told her that her father was very saddened, and that he had been searching for several years. And he asked, How can I get you out of here? She answered, The only possible way to take me out is if you choose a place, and dwell there a full year. And the whole year, you must long to take me out. Any time that you have free, you should only long and request and hope to free me. And do fasts, and on the last day of the year, you should fast and not sleep the entire day. So he went to do this.
On the last day of the year, he fasted, and did not sleep, and rose and began the journey back. And on the way he saw a tree, and on it were growing very attractive apples. And they were tantalizing to his eyes, and he approached and ate from them. Immediately after having eaten, he dropped and fell asleep, and he slept a very long time. His servant would try to wake him, but to no avail. Afterwards, he awoke from his sleep, and asked the servant, Where am I in the world? And the servant told him the story: You were sleeping a very long time, several years. And I survived on the fruit. And he was very pained upon hearing this.
So he returned there and found her. And she revealed her great distress to him. If you had only come on that day, you would have removed me from here, and because of one day, you lost everything. Nevertheless, it is very difficult not to eat, especially on the last day, when the evil inclination is very overpowering. (That is to say, the princess told him that now she would make the conditions more lenient, that from now he would not be expected to fast, for that is a very hard condition to meet.) So now, choose a place again, and dwell there also a year, as before. And on the last day you will be allowed to eat. Only you must not sleep, and must not drink wine, that you should not fall asleep. For the essential thing is not to sleep. So he went and did accordingly.
On the last day, he went there, and saw a spring, with a red appearance and the fragrance of wine. He asked the servant, Did you see that spring, that ought to have water in it, but its color is red, and its scent is of wine? And he went and tasted from the spring. And he immediately fell into a sleep that lasted several years seventy, to be exact. And great numbers of soldiers passed with the equipment that accompanied them. The servant hid himself from the soldiers. After that passed a covered carriage, and in it sat the princess. She stopped by him, descended and sat by him, recognizing who he was. She shook him strongly, but he did not wake. And she started to bemoan, How many immense efforts and travails he has undergone, these many years, in order to free me, and because of one day that he could have freed me, and lost it... And she cried a great deal about this, saying There is great pity for him and for me, that I am here so very long, and cannot leave. After that, she took her handkerchief from off of her head, and wrote upon it with her tears, and laid it by him. And she rose and boarded her carriage, and rode away.
Afterwards, he awoke, and asked the servant, Where am I in the world? So he told him the whole story that many soldiers had passed there, and that there had been a carriage, and a woman who wept upon him and cried out, that there is great pity on him and on her. In the midst of this, he looked around and saw that there was a handkerchief lying next to him. So he asked Where did this come from? The servant explained that she had written upon it with her tears. So he took it and held it up against the sun, and began to see the letters, and he read all that was written there all her mourning and crying, and that she is no longer in the aforementioned castle, and that he should look for a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. There he would find her.
So he left the servant behind, and went to look for her alone. And he went for several years searching, and thought to himself, Certainly a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls would not be found in a settled area. For he was an expert in geography. So he went to the deserts. And he searched for her there many years.
Afterwards, he saw a giant man, far beyond the normal human limits of size. He was carrying a massive tree, the size of which is not found in settled areas. The man asked him, Who are you? He answered, I am a man. The giant was amazed, and exclaimed, I have been in the desert such a long time, and I have never seen a man here. So he told him the whole story, and that he was searching for a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. The giant answered him, Certainly, it does not exist at all. And he discouraged him and said that they had muddled his mind with nonsense, for it surely does not exist. So he started to cry bitterly, for he felt certain that it must exist somewhere. And this giant discouraged him, saying that certainly he had been told nonsense. Yet he (the Second to the King) still said that it must exist.
So the giant said to him, I think it is nonsense. But since you persist, I am appointed over all the animals. I will do this for you: I will call them all. For they traverse the whole world, perhaps one of them will know where is the mountain and the castle. And he called them all, from the smallest to the largest, all the varieties of animals, and asked them. And all of them answered that they had not seen these things.
So he said, You see that they told you nonsense. If you want my advice, turn back, because you certainly will not find it, for it does not exist. And he pleaded passionately with him, saying, But it absolutely must exist!
So the giant said to him, Behold, in this desert also lives my brother, and he is appointed over all the birds. Perhaps they know, since they fly at great heights perhaps they saw this mountain and castle. Go to him and tell him that I sent you to him.
So he went for several years searching for him. And again he found a very large man, as before. He was also carrying a massive tree, as before. And this giant also asked him as had the first. And he told him the whole story, and that his brother had sent him to him. This giant also discouraged him, saying that it certainly did not exist. And he pleaded with him as with the first. Then the giant said to him, See, I am appointed over all the birds; I will call them, perhaps they know. So he called all the birds, and asked them all, from the smallest to the largest, and they answered that they did not know anything about this mountain and castle. So the giant said to him, You see, it certainly does not exist. If you want my advice, turn back, for it simply does not exist. But he pleaded with him, saying It certainly exists!
So the giant said to him, Further ahead in the desert lives my brother, who is appointed over all the winds, and they run over the whole world. Perhaps they know. So he went several more years searching, and found also this giant, and he was also carrying a giant tree. And the giant asked him, as the others had. And he told him the whole story, as before. And the giant discouraged him, as before. And he pleaded with him as well. So the third giant said to him, that for his sake he would call all the winds and ask them. He called them, and all the winds came, and he asked them all, and not one of them knew about the mountain and the castle. So the giant said to him, You see, they told you nonsense. And the Second to the King began to cry bitterly, and said, I know that it exists!
As they were speaking, one more wind came. And the one appointed over them was annoyed with him, saying, Why did you not come with the rest? He answered, I was delayed, for I needed to carry a princess to a mountain of gold and a castle of pearls. And the Second to the King was overjoyed.
The one appointed asked the wind, What is expensive there? (That is to say, what things are considered valuable and important there?) He answered him, Everything there is very expensive. So the one appointed over the winds said to the Second to the King, Seeing that you have been searching for her such a long time, and you went through many difficulties. Perhaps now you will be hindered by expenses. Therefore I am giving you this vessel. Every time you reach into it, you will receive money from it. And he commanded the previous wind to take him there. The wind came storming, and brought him there, right to the gate. There were guards posted there, that would not let him enter the city. So he reached into the vessel, took out money and bribed them, and entered the city. And it was a beautiful city.
He approached a man, and rented lodgings, for he would need to stay there some time. For it would need much intelligence and wisdom to free her. And how he freed her, he did not tell, but in the end he freed her.
Tales of Rabbi Nachman
The heart and the spring
For the Truly Gracious Man is in truth a very great man. And I (that is, the speech-impaired who is telling all this) go about gathering up all true generosities and bring them to the Truly Gracious Man. And the root of time's genesis (that is, that there should exist time, for time itself, that is, the very existence of years and days in the world, is itself also created by Hashem Yitbarakh) is solely through true kindnesses. And I go about and gather up all true kindnesses and bring them to the Truly Gracious Man, resulting in time coming into being.
And there is a Mountain, and on the Mountain stands a Stone, and from the Stone emerges a Spring. Now, every thing has a heart, and the entire world also has a heart, and the Heart of the World is a complete structure, with face, hands, feet, etc. but the nail of the foot of the World's Heart is heartier [Yid. hertziker] than the heart of anything else. And the Mountain with the Stone and the Spring stands at one end of the world, while this Heart of the World stands at another end of the world, and the Heart stands facing the Spring, desiring and hoping continuously, exceedingly, that it should come to the Spring, and the longing and desire of the Heart to come to the Spring is just extraordinary. It screams nonstop, the Heart, to come to the Source, and the Source longs for the Heart too.
Now the Heart has two weaknesses (that is, two drowsinesses). One, because the sun hunts it exceedingly and scorches it (because it always yearns and desires to come to the Source), and the second sleepiness the Heart has is due to yearning and desiring, that the Heart constantly yearns and wishes. It continues to pour out its soul for the Source and scream and so forth, as above, so as to come to the Source, for the Heart is always standing facing the Source, and screams "Na! Gevald! [Yid. Please! Woe!], and keeps on yearning most exceedingly for the Source, as mentioned.
However when the Heart needs to rest a bit, so as to draw a little breath [Yid. oyf zoyfn] then comes a Big Bird and spreads its wings above it, shielding it from the sun; then the Heart gets a little rest. But even then while resting it also looks facing the Spring and still longs for it. But since it longs so much for the Source, why does it not go to the Source? Only, as soon as the Heart wants to go close to the Mountain upon which is the Source then it no longer sees the peak; it cannot look at the Spring and as soon as it would not look at the Spring it would expire, for Heart's entire vitality is only from the Source, so when it stands facing the Mountain then it sees the Mountain peak where the Spring is, but immediately as soon as it wants to go to the Mountain the peak no longer appears (for such indeed is the way with a tall mountain; standing from afar the peak is visible, but upon going nearer the peak is no longer visible). Then it can no longer look at the Source and could Mercy save us! expire, and if this Heart Mercy save us! would expire the whole world would be destroyed, for the Heart is the very vitality of every thing, and how can the world endure without the Heart? Therefore the Heart cannot go to the Spring; it only stands facing the Spring, longing and screaming ceaselessly to be able to come to it, as mentioned.
The heart and the spring
For the Truly Gracious Man is in truth a very great man. And I (that is, the speech-impaired who is telling all this) go about gathering up all true generosities and bring them to the Truly Gracious Man. And the root of time's genesis (that is, that there should exist time, for time itself, that is, the very existence of years and days in the world, is itself also created by Hashem Yitbarakh) is solely through true kindnesses. And I go about and gather up all true kindnesses and bring them to the Truly Gracious Man, resulting in time coming into being.
And there is a Mountain, and on the Mountain stands a Stone, and from the Stone emerges a Spring. Now, every thing has a heart, and the entire world also has a heart, and the Heart of the World is a complete structure, with face, hands, feet, etc. but the nail of the foot of the World's Heart is heartier [Yid. hertziker] than the heart of anything else. And the Mountain with the Stone and the Spring stands at one end of the world, while this Heart of the World stands at another end of the world, and the Heart stands facing the Spring, desiring and hoping continuously, exceedingly, that it should come to the Spring, and the longing and desire of the Heart to come to the Spring is just extraordinary. It screams nonstop, the Heart, to come to the Source, and the Source longs for the Heart too.
Now the Heart has two weaknesses (that is, two drowsinesses). One, because the sun hunts it exceedingly and scorches it (because it always yearns and desires to come to the Source), and the second sleepiness the Heart has is due to yearning and desiring, that the Heart constantly yearns and wishes. It continues to pour out its soul for the Source and scream and so forth, as above, so as to come to the Source, for the Heart is always standing facing the Source, and screams "Na! Gevald! [Yid. Please! Woe!], and keeps on yearning most exceedingly for the Source, as mentioned.
However when the Heart needs to rest a bit, so as to draw a little breath [Yid. oyf zoyfn] then comes a Big Bird and spreads its wings above it, shielding it from the sun; then the Heart gets a little rest. But even then while resting it also looks facing the Spring and still longs for it. But since it longs so much for the Source, why does it not go to the Source? Only, as soon as the Heart wants to go close to the Mountain upon which is the Source then it no longer sees the peak; it cannot look at the Spring and as soon as it would not look at the Spring it would expire, for Heart's entire vitality is only from the Source, so when it stands facing the Mountain then it sees the Mountain peak where the Spring is, but immediately as soon as it wants to go to the Mountain the peak no longer appears (for such indeed is the way with a tall mountain; standing from afar the peak is visible, but upon going nearer the peak is no longer visible). Then it can no longer look at the Source and could Mercy save us! expire, and if this Heart Mercy save us! would expire the whole world would be destroyed, for the Heart is the very vitality of every thing, and how can the world endure without the Heart? Therefore the Heart cannot go to the Spring; it only stands facing the Spring, longing and screaming ceaselessly to be able to come to it, as mentioned.