Siman 103

(23.) Once there was a certain king, and the king traveled to a certain country and saw there very beautiful buildings called palatsin [palaces]. And the buildings were very pleasing to his eyes. And he traveled home and immediately hired craftsmen to build him palaces as he had seen in the aforementioned country. And they built him those palaces and painted them with very wondrous paintings. And afterwards, when they had built them and painted them, he made a very great feast and sent invitations [gizettin] throughout his country: whoever wishes to see those palaces, let him go and see. And from all the provinces they traveled to see. And from one city two men joined together — one was a Jew and one was a gentile called a shlachtzitz [nobleman] — and they traveled together to see the palaces the king had built. And when they came to the gate of the palaces, they saw that there was painted on the gate of the palace a wondrous path. And on both sides of the path stood springs with water, and over each spring and its waters was appointed one angel. And along the side of the path walked a beggar [bettler], and the beggar was extremely, extremely thirsty for water. And the aforementioned appointees did not want to give him even a little water to drink. And in the middle of the path there drove a nobleman in a slow carriage, and he told the appointee to give him a little water for his hands. And one appointee went and gave it to him. And the other appointee went and gave the aforementioned beggar water to drink. And the appointee who had given water to the nobleman went and poured ash upon the appointee who had given water to the beggar. All of this was seen by the two aforementioned men — that is, the Jew and the nobleman. And the nobleman said about this: "Kepestve!" [an injustice — unfair]. And the Jew gave him a slap on the cheek [called a patch], and there was a gishlayg [brawl] there. Until the king heard of this, and the king sent for them. And at first the king asked the Jew: Why did you strike him? He answered: Because the matter is not kepestve at all. The king asked: How is it not kepestve? And the Jew explained: The appointed angel who was commanded to guard the spring and give water only to worthy people — he gave water to the nobleman because the nobleman is more prominent. And the other appointee transgressed the king's commandment by giving water to the unworthy beggar — and because of this [the first] poured ash on him, so that he should know he has transgressed the king's commandment. That is why I struck the nobleman — because he said it was kepestve, when in truth it was not kepestve at all, but rather absolute justice. And the king greatly praised the Jew and honored him greatly. And this story — those who understand will understand.