מעשה ח - מעשה מרב ובן יחיד

Story 8OfA Rabbi and His Only Son(Summer of 5567)A tale. There was once a rabbi who had no children. Later, he had an only son, and he raised him, and made him a wedding. The son would sit in an attic room and learn [i.e. study], as is the way with the wealthy. He would study and pray constantly, but he felt a deficiency in himself, some sort of lacking, but he did not know what. And he had no taste in his learning and praying. He told this to two young people and they advised that he should travel to a certain tzaddik. Now, this son had done a mitzvah through which he had come to the aspect of the Smaller Luminary.

The only son went and told his father, inasmuch as he feels no taste in his service (in other words, in his serving G-d, that is; praying, learning, and other mitzvos), and he is deficient but he doesn't know of what; therefore he wants to travel to this tzaddik whom they had told him about, as above. His father answered him, "How can you come to travel to him? You are more of a scholar than he, and more pedigreed than he. It doesn't suit you to travel to him. Desist from this way!" To the extent, that the father prevented him from traveling to the tzaddik. The son returned to his learning, and again he felt the deficiency as mentioned above, and again he took counsel with those young people; again they gave him the advice that he should travel to the tzaddik. Again he went to his father, and again his father diverted him and prevented him. Thus it happened several times. And the son kept feeling that he is lacking something, and he greatly wanted to fill his lack (in other words, he should make some sort of correction so that he should not be lacking), but he did not know what the lack is, as mentioned earlier.

He went yet again to his father and implored him a great deal until his father had to travel with him, for the father did not want to let him travel alone, since he was an only son. So the father said to him, "Look, I will go with you. I'll show you that he is nothing at all (in other words, that the tzaddik is nothing)." They harnessed the carriage and set out. The father said to his son, "With this I will make a test: if everything goes orderly, it is from Heaven, and if not, it is not from Heaven that we should travel, and we will return." They set out, and they reached a small bridge, and a horse fell, and the carriage turned over, and they nearly drowned.

His father said to him, "You see that it's not going orderly and the journey is not from Heaven." They returned. Again the son returned to his studies, and again he saw that something is lacking and he does not know what. Again he implored his father, as above, and his father had to travel with him once again. As they were traveling, his father set up again a test as before: if it goes orderly (then etc. as mentioned). As they were traveling, both axles broke. His father said to him, " See that [things are] not going so that we should travel, for is it a natural occurrence that both axles should break? How many times have we traveled with this carriage and such a thing has never happened!" Again they returned.

And the son returned to his learning and so forth as above, and again he felt the deficiency as mentioned earlier, and the young people advised him to make the journey. Again the only son went to his father and again pressed him; once again he had to travel with him. The only son said to the father that, "we should no longer set up such a test, for this is a natural occurrence, that sometimes the horse falls or axles can break - unless it will be something very wild." They traveled and came to an inn to spend the night. They met a merchant there, and they began to talk with him as merchants are wont to, not telling him that they are going there (to a 'Rebbe' - Chassidic Master - lit. one good Jew), for the rabbi was embarrassed to say that he is traveling to the tzaddik. So they were speaking worldly things until in the conversation they began to talk about tzaddikim [yid: Rebbe's]; where tzaddikim are found; he (the merchant) told them that there (in a certain place) there is a tzaddik, and there and there. They began to speak about the tzaddik whom they are traveling to. The merchant answered them, "That person (in an expression of amazement)? He is plainly frivolous [lit. 'light'] (in other words, not at all an earnest Jew)! Just know I am traveling from him; I was there when he did a transgression!" The father spoke up to the only son, "Do you see, my son, what this merchant is telling [us] innocently (in other words, he is not intending or attempting to disparage the tzaddik; only through the conversation he told it)? Behold he's coming from there." They returned home (i.e. the father and the only son). The son died and appeared in a dream to his father, and his father saw him standing in great anger. His father asked him, why are you so angry? He answered him (i.e. the son, who is dead, answered his father in the dream) that he should travel to the tzaddik (whom they had wanted to travel to), and he will tell you why I am angry." He awoke and thought to himself: it's a chance occurrence (in other words, just a dream; not any truth).

Afterwards he dreamed the same thing again and again, he thought it is a false dream, And so it happened three times. He understood that this is no empty matter, and he traveled there (i.e. the rabbi traveled to the tzaddik whom he had previously traveled toward with his son). On the way he again encountered the merchant whom he had previously encountered when he traveled with his son, and the rabbi recognized him, and the rabbi said to the merchant, "Aren't you the one I saw at the inn?" He answered him, "Certainly you saw me!" And opened up his mouth and said to him, "If you want, I'll just devour you now!" He said to him (i.e. the rabbi to the merchant), "What are you talking [about]?" He answered him, "Do you remember when you traveled with your son, and initially a horse fell down on the bridge, and you returned, then the axles broke, then you met me and I told you that he is frivolous? Now that I have dismissed your son - now you may travel.

For your son was an aspect of the Smaller Luminary, and the tzaddik whom he wanted to travel to, is an aspect of the Greater Luminary, and if they both would have gotten together, Messiah would have come. And now that I have dismissed him, you are permitted to go." And in the midst of speaking, he disappeared (in other words, the merchant vanished suddenly while talking) and he didn't have with whom to talk. The rabbi travelled to the tzaddik and cried, "Woe! Woe! What a pity for those who are gone and are no longer to be found!" (Shemos Raba 6:4) (Heb. only: Hashem Yisburach will return our exiled soon, amen). [Notes Following the Story]And the merchant was the same Samech-Mem (Satan) himself, who disguised himself as a merchant and deceived them, and then when he met the rabbi the second time, he himself challenged him for having followed him, for such is the way of the yetzehr hara [evil inclination]; initially he incites a person, and when the person follows him, Heaven forbid, he himself challenges the person afterwards and personally take vengeance upon him for having followed him.

Hashem Yisburach save us from him and return us to the right truth, amen. (The book Siach Sarfay Koadesh (volume 2 article 319) asserts that Rabbi Nussun met the grieving father.) Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman