The Rabbi and the Only Son
Our new series “The Journey” is Rabbi Erez Moshe Doron’s elaboration of Rebbe Nachman’s famous tale “The Rabbi and the Only Son.” This week, we present the original tale.
Part 1 of “The Journey,” by Erez Moshe Doron: an elaboration of Rebbe Nachman’s famous tale of “The Rabbi and the Only Son”
There is a story about a Rabbi who had no children. After many years of anticipation a son was born to him. The Rabbi raised his only son, and even arranged for him to marry. This son would sit in an elevated gallery and study, as was the custom among wealthy gentlemen in those times. Although he studied and prayed with perseverance, he felt within himself some sort of deficiency, but he was not able to define it or to successfully understand what it was.
Since he did not feel any taste for study and prayer, and sorrow started to fill his life, he went to pour out his heart to two of his young friends. They advised him to journey to a particular holy man who would guide and help him.
(The Rabbi’s son had accomplished a mitzvah by which he had attained a spiritual level called “the minor lamp,” which is characterized by the moon. This will be explained later).
The son went to tell his father about his feeling that something was missing in his worship and that he wanted to journey to the holy man. His father answered him, “How could you think about such a journey. You are a greater sage than him, and your ancestry is more important than his. It is not seemly that you should journey to him. Abandon this useless idea.” His father spoke to him in this way until he prevented the son from making the journey.
The son returned to his routine of study, but the feeling that something was missing returned to trouble him as before. Once again he sought advice from his friends, and a second time they advised him to travel to the holy man. He went back to his father, but as on the previous occasion his father once again turned his heart and blocked his intention to journey. These events were repeated several times. All the while the son felt that he was lacking something. Although he did not know what it was, he yearned to fill the emptiness that he was feeling.
Once the son returned to his father to insist until the father was forced to agree. However, he made a condition with his son that they would travel together because he did not want his only son to journey alone. “I will travel with you,” the father said, “but I will show you that this holy man whom you want to seek advice from is not for real, and he is not even a holy man at all.”
When they harnessed the coach to travel, the father said further, “Let us make a test like this. If everything goes smoothly, then our journey is favored by heaven. But if not, then it is a sign that it is not in heaven’s favor and we will return.”
They began to travel until the father and son came to a small bridge. One of the horses fell down, the coach overturned and they were nearly drowned. The father said to him, “You see. It is not going smoothly for us. The journey is not in heaven’s favor.” They returned.
The son returned to his studies, but the feeling of deficiency, that he was missing something and he did not know what, also returned. He returned to compel his father who was forced to journey with him a second time. While they were traveling the father once again set up a test as he had done the first time. If everything goes smoothly….
It happened that while they were traveling on the journey two axles of the coach broke. The father said to his son, “You see. It is not necessary that we make this journey. Is it natural that two axles should break at the same time? We have traveled in this coach many times, and nothing like this has ever happened.” And so they returned home.
The son returned to his studies, and the feeling of deficiency returned. He returned to his father to insist until his father was forced once again to accede to his son’s request. However, this time the son asked that they journey without any conditions or tests. It happens at times that a horse falls down or an axle breaks. Only if something very extraordinary occurred would they turn back.
They journeyed, and they came to an inn along the way where they wanted to sleep. While they were sitting in the inn they met a merchant with whom they began a conversation. It was the usual conversation of merchants. They did not reveal where they were heading because the Rabbi was embarrassed to say that he was journeying to the holy man. They were talking about what was happening in the world until the conversation turned to the subject of holy men, where they were and what were their deeds.
The merchant told them that in a certain place there is a particular holy man, and in another place another holy man, etc. They began to speak about the holy man to whom they were journeying. The merchant said to them, “That one…! He is not a holy man at all.
I am just now traveling from him, and when I was there I saw him sin.”
The father said to his son, “Do you not see, my son, what this merchant has told us on his own, without any prodding. He is just coming from there….”
They returned to their home. A short while afterwards the son died.
The son came to the father in a dream. The father saw that his son was very angry, and he asked him, “Why are you so angry?”
The son answered him, “Journey to that holy man whom I wanted to reach. He will tell you the reason for my anger.”
The father awoke from his sleep and said to himself, “Certainly, this is just an occurrence.” Afterwards, he dreamed the same dream, but he still said that it was a false dream. The third time he finally understood that there was something to it, so he made the journey.
Along the way he met the merchant whom he had met previously when he journeyed with his son. He recognized him and said, “Are you not the one whom I saw in the inn?”
The merchant answered him, “Certainly it was me who you saw.” He opened his mouth and said, “If you want, I will swallow you.”
The Rabbi said, “What are you talking about?”
The merchant answered, “Do you remember? When you first journeyed with your son the horse fell down on the bridge. Afterwards, the axles broke. Then you met me, and I told you that he is not a holy man at all. Since I have taken your son from the world, you have permission to make the journey. Your son had attained the level of “the small lamp,” and the holy man he wanted to reach is the level of “the great lamp.” If they had come together, then messiah would have come.” Even while he was talking he disappeared, and there was no one with whom to speak.
The Rabbi journeyed to the holy man and cried out, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who are lost and cannot be found anymore.”
End of Rebbe Nachman’s original tale. Next week, G-d willing, we’ll begin Rabbi Doron’s superb elaboration.
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With sincere gratitude to www.levhadvarim.com
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