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  1. The Story of the Turkey-Prince

    Once the king's son went mad. He thought he was a turkey. He felt compelled to sit under the table without any clothes on, pulling at bits of bread and bones like a turkey. None of the doctors could do anything to help him or cure him, and they gave up in despair. The king was very sad...

    Until a Wise Man came and said "I can cure him."

    What did the Wise Man do? He took off all his clothes, and sat down naked under the table next to the king's son, and also pulled at crumbs and bones.

    The Prince asked him, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

    "And what are you doing here?" he replied.

    "I am a turkey," said the Prince.

    "Well I'm also a turkey," said the Wise Man.

    The two of them sat there together like this for some time, until they were used to one another.

    Then the Wise Man gave a sign, and they threw them shirts. The Wise Man-Turkey said to the king's son, "Do you think a turkey can't wear a shirt? You can wear a shirt and still be a turkey." The two of them put on shirts.

    After a while he gave another sign and they threw them some trousers. Again the Wise Man said, "Do you think if you wear trousers you can't be a turkey?" They put on the trousers.

    One by one they put on the rest of their clothes in the same way.

    Afterwards, the Wise Man gave a sign and they put down human food from the table. The Wise Man said to the Prince, "Do you think if you eat good food you can't be a turkey any more? You can eat this food and still be a turkey." They ate.

    Then he said to him, "Do you think a turkey has to sit under the table? You can be a turkey and sit up at the table."

    This was how the Wise Man dealt with the Prince, until in the end he cured him completely.

    Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

     

  2. בראשית ל״ז:כ״ג-כ״ה

    (כג) וַֽיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (כד) וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם׃ (כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ ...

    Genesis 37:23-25

    (23) And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; (24) and they took him, and cast him into the pit—and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. (25) And they sat down to eat bread...

  3. אמר רב חסדא: נפשו של אדם מתאבלת עליו כל שבעה, שנאמרונפשו עליו תאבל. וכתיב יבויעש לאביו אבל שבעת ימים. אמר רב יהודה: מת שאין לו מנחמין הולכין עשרה בני אדם ויושבין במקומו. ההוא דשכיבבשבבותיה דרב יהודה לא היו לו מנחמין,כל יומא הוה דבר רב יהודה בי עשרה, ויתבי בדוכתיה. לאחר שבעה ימים איתחזי ליה בחילמיה דרב יהודה, ואמר ליה: תנוח דעתך שהנחת את דעתי

    Shabbat 152a-b

    A certain man died in the neighborhood of Rabbi Yehudah. As there were no mourners to be comforted, Rabbi Yehudah assembled ten men every day and they sat in his place. After seven days, the deceased appeared to Rabbi Yehudah in a dream and said to him, ‘May your mind be at rest, for you have set my mind at rest

  4. דברים י׳:ט״ז

    (טז) וּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עָרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד׃

    Deuteronomy 10:16

    (16) Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

  5. דברים י״א:י״ג

    (יג) וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־ה' אֱלֹֽקיכֶם֙ וּלְעָבְד֔וֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃

    Deuteronomy 11:13

    (13) And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love Hashem your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

  6. רש"י על דברים י״א:י״ג:ה׳

    (ה) ולעבדו בכל לבבכם. עבודה שהיא בלב וזו היא תפלה, שהתפלה קרויה עבודה, שנאמר (דניאל ו, יז) אלהך די אנת פלח לה בתדירא

    Rashi on Deuteronomy 11:13:5

    and to serve Him with all your heart: i.e. with a service of the heart, and that is prayer, for prayer is called service, as it is said, “your God, Whom you serve regularly” (Dan. 6:17). 

  7. דברים י׳:כ׳

    (כ) אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ תִּירָ֖א אֹת֣וֹ תַעֲבֹ֑ד וּב֣וֹ תִדְבָּ֔ק וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ תִּשָּׁבֵֽעַ׃

    Deuteronomy 10:20

    (20) Thou shalt fear Hashem thy God; Him shalt thou serve; and to Him shalt thou cleave, and by His name shalt thou swear.

  8. לקוטי מוהר׳׳ן II:25

    ההתבודדות הוא מעלה עליונה וגדולה מן הכל, ..., להתבודד לבדו באיזה חדר או בשדה, ולפרש שיחתו בינו לבין קונו,בטענות ואמתלאות, בדברי חן וריצוי ופיוס, לבקש ולהתחנן מלפניו ית', שיקרבו אליו לעבודתו באמת....והנהגה זו, הוא גדולה במעלה מאד מאד. והוא דרך ועצה טובה מאד, להתקרב אליו ית'

    Likutey Moharan II:25

    Secluded meditation is the highest spiritual practice of all...To meditate in seclusion in a room or field, expressing oneself before one's creator well focused thoughts, but in a graceful and appeasing way, requesting of God to bring one truly closer to His service. ...The importance of this practice is exceedingly great, and it is an excellent method of coming closer to God.