(1) [Tales from Former Years]

Tale 13: The Seven Beggars

(2) I'll tell you about being happy! A tale. Once there was a King who had an only son. The King wanted to transfer the kingdom to his son during his lifetime, so he threw a grand party (which they call a "ball"). Now, when the King throws a ball there is certainly great merriment, so especially now that he was transferring the kingdom to his son during his lifetime, there was certainly a very great celebration. And there at the ball were all the royal officers and all the dukes and gentry, and people were very merry at the ball. And the country too was enjoying this — the king's transferring his kingdom to his son in his lifetime — for it is a great honorific event for the King. So a very great celebration took place there, and there were all types of festivities there: song groups, drama groups and so forth, as well as everything useful just for merriment — it was all there at the ball.

(3) And when they had waxed very merry, the King got up and said to his son, "Since I am a stargazer, I see that you will at some time fall from the kingship. Therefore see to it that you have no sadness when you fall from reign; just be happy. And if you will be happy, I will also be happy. Even if you will have sadness I will still be happy that you are not king, since you are not fit to be king if you cannot keep yourself happy. (In other words, if you are the kind of man that you cannot keep yourself happy even when you fall from reign then you aren't fit to be any sort of king). But when you will be happy then I will be extraordinarily happy."

(4) The King's son took over the reign very sharply, appointing his own royal officers, and he had dukes, gentry and soldiers. Now, this son of the King was a clever person and loved wisdom very much, and very great intellectuals accompanied him. And whoever came to him with some sort of wisdom was very esteemed by him, and he would grant them honor and riches for their wisdom. Whatever each one wanted, he gave him: one wanted money — he gave him money; another wanted honor — he gave him honor; anything for wisdom. And because studying was so important to him, they all took to wisdom and the entire country was occupied with philosophies [chokhmoth], because this one desired money — in order to get money for it [being his motive] — and that one desired status and honor. And because all of them were busy only with philosophies, therefore they all forgot there in that country the strategies of war (in other words, how to wage a war), for they were all busy exclusively with philosophies, to such a degree that the smallest person in that country was the greatest sage in another country, while their own wise men were utterly wild scholars. And on account of their philosophies those wise men of the country fell into heresy and drew the son of the King too into their heresy. Albeit the simple folk were not harmed and did not become disbelievers, for there was great depth and subtlety in the sages' wisdom, so the common folk were not able to enter into their wisdoms, therefore it did not harm them. Only the wise men and the King's son became heretics.

(5) And the King's son, because there was good in him, for he was born with goodness and had good character traits, would frequently remind himself, "Where am I in the world? What am I doing?" etc. and would make a very big groan and sigh deeply over it. He would ponder, "What is this? I should be carried away with such things?! What's going on with me? Where am I in this world?" as he kept sighing intensely. Albeit as soon as he began to use his intellect the heretical philosophy became strong again in him. This happened numerous times, that he would still contemplate where he is in the world, what he is doing, etc. as above, with groaning and sighing — but as soon as he began using his intellect the heretical belief became strong in him again, as above.

(6) And the day came to pass — there was a flight in a certain country — everyone fled, and as they were fleeing they went through a forest, losing two children there, a male and a female; someone lost a male and someone lost a female. And they were still little children of four or five years and did not have anything to eat, and they screamed and cried because they had nothing to eat. Meanwhile there came up to them a beggar going along with his sacks (which are called torbes), carrying bread in them, and these children started to nudge him and huddle after him. He gave them bread and they ate. He asked them, "Where have you come here from?" They answered him, "We don't know," for they were little children. And he started going away from them and they asked him to take them with him. He said to them, "This I do not want, that you should go with me." Meanwhile they took a look — the beggar is blind! It was a marvel for them: since he is blind, how does he know how to go? (But in truth this itself is a novelty, that such a question should occur to them, for they were still young children. However, they were clever children; therefore it was a wonder to them.) He blessed them (this blind beggar), "You should be as I am; you should be as old as I," and he left them more bread and went away, and the children understood that the Name/Hashem May He Be Blessed was watching over them and had sent them here a blind beggar to give them food.

(7) Afterwards their bread ran out, and again they started screaming for food. After that it became night and they passed the night there. In the morning they still had nothing to eat so they screamed and cried. Meanwhile again a beggar comes up who is deaf; they started talking to him and he shows them with his hands and says to them, "I don't hear anything whatsoever." And this beggar also gave them bread to eat and started going away from them. They also wanted him to take them with him but he did not want. And he too blessed them, "That you should be as I am!" and also left them bread and went his way.

(8) Later on their bread also ran out and again they screamed as above. Again there came to them a beggar who was tongue-tied (that is, he stammered with his mouth). They began to speak with him and he was mumbling his speech so they didn't know what he was saying — but he did know what they were saying — only they did not know what he was saying, because he was stammering. This beggar also gave them bread to eat, and also started to go away as before and also blessed them that they should be as he, and he went away, all as before.

(9) Then there came again a beggar who had a crooked neck and it transpired as before. Then there came again a beggar who was hunchbacked. Then there came again a beggar without hands. Then there came a beggar without feet. And each one of them gave them bread and blessed them that they should be like him, just as the other beggars.

(10) Afterwards the bread ran out by them yet again and they started walking toward a settlement until they came to a way. They went with that way until they came to a village. They (these children) went into a house, and they had pity on them and gave them bread. They continued into another house and there too they gave them bread, so they kept going around into houses and they saw [things are] good for them and they are being given bread. The children decided between them that they should always be together, and they made themselves large sacks (which are called torbes) and went around to the houses, and went to all happy occasions, to the meal for a bris and to weddings. And they continued further along, going into cities, to the houses; and went to market fairs, and would sit among the beggars in the same way they sit there on the banks of earth with a plate for collecting alms], until these children became famous already among all the beggars, for all of them recognized them and knew of them; that they were the children who had been lost in the forest as mentioned.

(11) One time there was a big fair in a big city, and all the beggars went there, as well as the children too. It came to the mind of the beggars that they should match the children; that they should marry each other. And as soon as they started discussing it, it pleased all of them and they were matched. But how to make them a wedding? They came to the decision, inasmuch as on such and such a day the King would have his birthday feast (which is called a myenines/name day), all the beggars would go there, and from what they would request for themselves there, meat and bread, they would make a wedding. And so it was; all the beggars went to the myenines and requested out for themselves bread and meat and also collected what was left over from the banquet, meat and bread, which is called kolitch [big loaves special for celebrations]. And they went ahead and dug out a big trench which could contain a hundred people and covered it with sticks, earth and trash, and they all went inside and married the children there, setting up a chuppah for them, and they were very, very happy there; and the groom and bride also were extremely happy. Now the groom and bride started recalling the kindnesses the Name/Hashem May He Be Blessed had done for them when they were in the forest, and started crying and greatly yearning, "How can the first beggar, the blind one, be brought here, who brought us bread in the forest?"

(12) And just as they were longing very much for the blind beggar he immediately calls out and says: I am here. I have come to you for the wedding, and I'm presenting you with a derashah geshenk [commonly meaning gifts given to the groom in reward for his pre-chuppah derashah, lecture; but possibly meaning a gift that is free for the seeking, derashah, as per Ps. 24, Deut. 4:29 etc.], that you should be old as I. For previously I had blessed you with this, that you should be as old as I; now I present it to you as a completely free gift, derashah geshenk, that you should live as long as I. You think that I am blind. I am not blind at all, except all the time of the whole world does not come across me as much as an eye blink (thus he appears blind, for he doesn't peek into the world whatsoever, for the entire duration of the world does not amount to the blink of an eye, therefore no sight or any glimpse of the world at all is relevant to him), because I am very old and I am yet entirely young and have not yet begun living at all — but I am still very old. And it is not I alone that say this; on the contrary I have the agreement of the Great Eagle. I will tell you a story. (All this the blind beggar is saying.)

(13) One time there were people traveling on many ships on the sea. A storm wind came and broke the ships, and the people were saved. The people came to a tower; they went up on it and found there all kinds of food, drink, clothing, and whatever one needs. And all good was there, and all the delights in the world. They spoke up and said that each one should tell an old story — what he remembers from his first memory, that is, what he remembers since his memory began. There were old and young there and they honored the the eldest zaken among them to tell first.

(14) He answered and said, "What shall I tell you? I remember back when they cut the apple off the branch." No one at all knew what he was saying, however there were wise men there and they said, "Oowah! — that is a totally old story." Then they honored the second zaken, who was younger than the first, that he should tell. The second one replied, "That there is an old story?!" (expressing wonder) "I remember that story, but I remember back even when the candle was burning." Those who were there replied, "That story there is older yet than the first," and it was a marvel to them that the second one is younger than the first, yet remembers an older story than the first. Then they honored the third zaken, that he should tell. The third one, who was younger yet, spoke up saying, "I remember back even when the construction of the fruit was just beginning; when the fruit was just starting to become a fruit. They answered there, "This is an even older story." Then the fourth spoke up, who was even yet younger, "I remember back even when they were bringing the seed so as to plant the fruit."

(15) The fifth answered, who was even yet younger, "I recall even the sages who thought up and brought out the seed." The sixth, who was even yet younger, called out, "I remember even the taste of the fruit before the taste entered into the fruit." The seventh called out, "I recall even the smell of the fruit before the smell entered the fruit. The eighth answered and said, "I remember even the appearance of the fruit before it went upon the fruit."

(16) And I at the time was just an infant (that is, the blind beggar who is telling all this), and I too was there and I announced, "I remember all these stories — plus I remember absolutely nothing (un ich gidenk gor nisht). They replied, "That is a story completely older than all of them," and it was a great marvel to them that the child remembers more than them all. In the midst of this came a Great Eagle and knocked on the tower and said to them, "Cease being poor! Return to your treasures and use your treasures," and he said to them that they should go out from the tower age by age; whoever is oldest should go out first. He took them all out from the tower, removing the babe first, for truthfully he is, after all, older than all of them, and likewise whoever was younger he brought out first, and the hoariest elder he brought out at the very end, for the one who was younger was in fact older (because the younger he was, the older a story he kept telling), and the most aged elder was younger than all of them.

(17) The Great Eagle replied to them, "I will explain to you all the stories that everyone told. The one who told that he remembers back when they cut the apple off the branch means: he remembers back even when they cropped his navel (that is, even what happened to him immediately as soon as he was born — when they cut his navel cord — even this he remembers); and the second who said that he remembers back even when the candle was burning means: he remembers back even when he was in utero, when a candle burns over one's head (for it says in the Gemara that when a child is in the mother's womb a candle burns over his head etc.); and he who said that he remembers back even when the fruit began to form, it is that he remembers back even when his body began to take form, when the fetus was only beginning to take form; and the one who remembers back when they were bringing the seed to plant the fruit, it means he remembers back even when the droplet was being drawn down [during relations]. And he who remembers the sages bringing out the seed means he remembers back even when the droplet was still in the brain (for the brains emit the droplet); and the one who remembers the taste — it is the nefesh[vital lifeforce]; and the smell — it is the ruach [spirit]; and the appearance — it is the neshamah [uppermost soul]. And the babe said that he remembers "absolutely nothing" because he is greater than all of them and remembers even what he was prior to nefesh, ruach and neshamah; thus he said he recalls absolute nothingness. (In other words he recalls not existing at all; he remembers even what was happening there, which is highest of all.)" And the Great Eagle said to them, "Return to your ships, which are your bodies which have been broken and will be rebuilt; now return to them," and he blessed them. And to me (that is, the blind beggar [who was a babe then] who is telling all this) said the Great Eagle, "You come with me, for you are like me, for you are 'very old and completely young' and haven't at all started to live and are yet nonetheless very old. And I am like that too, for I am very old and still entirely young, etc." It follows I have a testimonial from the Great Eagle that I am very old and completely youthful, etc.

(18) Now I present it to you as a completely free gift, derashah geshenk, that you should be as old as I. There was a great celebration there with great jubilation and they were extremely happy.

(16) So don’t overdo goodness and don’t act the wise man to excess, or you may be dumfounded.

(5) He satisfies you with good things in the prime of life, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(10) Each of them had a human face [at the front]; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right; each of the four had the face of an ox on the left; and each of the four had the face of an eagle [at the back].

And a candle is lit for it [=a fetus in the womb] above its head, and it gazes from one end of the world to the other, as it is stated: “When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3). And do not wonder how one can see from one end of the world to the other, as a person can sleep here, in this location, and see a dream that takes place in a place as distant as Spain [beAspamya].