Story Tales from Ancient Years From our great and holy master, the true tzadik, light of Israel, the ever-flowing river source of wisdom Rabbi Nachman may the memory of the holy tzadik be a blessing, from Breslov, great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov may the memory of the holy tza- dik be a blessing, author of the books: ‘Li- kutei Moharan’ A Collection of the Teach- ings of Our Master Rabbi Nachman, Book of Traits, and other works. 1 Published by “Kulanu Haverim” התשע”ב end of 2011 Meron - Israel tel. in USA: 845-6944591 nanach.net These stories have been brought to publica- tion by nanach.net and are available for free on nanach.org. Please visit nanach.net for more teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, information, pictures, videos, news from current followers of Rabbi Nachman, and over 10 Gig. of FREE MUSIC. 2 Table of Contents ~ Introduction ............................................................ 8 Story Tales from Anchient Years: 1. The Lost Princess ................................................. 17 2. A King and an Emperor ....................................... 28 3. A Lame Son ......................................................... 51 4. The King Who Decreed Forced Conversion ....... 73 5. The King’s Son Who Was Made of Precious Stones ................................................... 83 6. A Humble King .................................................... 89 7. A Fly and Spider .................................................. 95 8. A Rabbi and His Only Son ................................. 105 9. The Clever One and the Simple one .................. 112 10. The Burgher and the Pauper ............................. 147 11. The King’s Son and the Maid’s Son Who Were Exchanged ............................................... 187 12. The Prayer Leader ............................................ 214 13. The Seven Beggars .......................................... 294 3 Parables: The Imperfect Chandelier ........................... 349 The Pump .................................................... 352 Flesh and Bones ......................................... 356 One Small Step for Man ............................ 357 The Flood .................................................... 362 Ver-da ............................................................. 364 Bitter Herbs ................................................ 366 The Inner Treasure ..................................... 369 The Turkey Prince ...................................... 371 The Tainted Grain ...................................... 373 The Deer ................................................... 374 Harvesting the Grain ................................ 375 Trust ............................................................ 377 Truth and Imitation .................................... 385 The Pox ....................................................... 388 Sarah Esther ............................................. 390 The Letter from the King .............................. 391 Fate ............................................................. 392 The Precious Stone .................................... 403 Captain Pasha ............................................. 406 Saba Yisroel Dov Odesser ........................... 413 Appendix: Second Introduction to the Tales ... 596 Tikun Haklali ............................................. 621 4 Salutation Excite to see the power of your master, who illuminates for us the Torah from the Heavens, to give us life this very day and for all eternity, and in our bondage, our G-d has not abandoned us, and He has pitched upon us kindness in every generation, and he sent us saviors, righteous rab- bis foundations of the world, to show us the way, the early ones already traversed, and His mercy has not been withheld at every time and at every hour, and he has been charitable with us to draw water from the fountains of salvation, primeval words, concepts that are of the hidden core of the world, under wondrous and awesome clothing. Look and understand and see his awesome and wondrous way, an inheritance to us from our holy fathers who were previously in Israel, for this is 5 the way of the supreme holy ones, harvesters of the Divine Field, who lifted their hands and hearts to G-d, to dress and conceal the treasures of the King in the recounting of stories, according to the generation and according to the time, knowledge- able and understanding of the times, to know what Israel is to do, until He rises and saves Zion and returns to build the destructed Temple, as this very time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel what G-d has done. On the Jewish New Years of the year 5567 (which fell out on Saturday and Sunday. 1807) Rabbi Nachman gave over a teaching in which he revealed the concept, source, root, and power of stories from ancient times (this awesome teach- ing is recorded in Likutay Moharan – A Collection of the Teachings of Our Master Rabbi Nachman, Teaching 60. In the summer preceding, Rabbi Nachman had begun to reveal the stories, and had told over the first story of the Loss of a Princess). After giving over this teaching, Rabbi Nach- man made a clever quip (The Life of Our Master Rabbi Nachman, 25): 6 Today I said three things contrary to what the world say: The world says that telling over stories is propi- tious to induce sleep. And I said that telling over stories is propitious to arouse people from sleep. The world says that from talking about things nothing can be born. And I said that the tzadik’s talking about things arouses people from their sleep, which causes barren women to conceive. - Rabbi Nachman expressed his desire that the sto- ries should be published also in the spoken Yid- dish, and he said, that it is possible for it to be very easy for a barren woman to read from them any story and through this she would have a good conception and merit to have children. The world says that the true tzadik of towering stature doesn’t need a lot of money, because why does he need money? And I said that a true tzadik needs all the fortune of the world. 7 Introduction Mah shehayah kvar nikra shemo venod`a shehu adam/[His greatness] in the past, his fame has long since been declared, and it is known that he was a [great] man”. Vezot torat ha’adam/and this is the Torah of a great manof holiness, who merited to complete the image of man, “...ki zeh kol ha’adam/for [he] is the entirety of man”. Is it not his honor, our lord, our master, and our rabbi, crown of our glory, pride of our strength, the holy and the awesome Rav, the major luminary, the upper light, the honorable and holy light, of holy renown, our master the great NACHMAN, mention of the righteous and holy bring blessing, grandson and nephew of the holy and awesome Rav the Godly Baal-Shem-Tov, mention of the righteous and holy bring blessing, whose light Yisrael have already enjoyed in his holy and wonderful compositions which have already come to light. Many are they who have seen and rejoiced, and the upright who have been gladdened; let the truth shoot forth his way. And behold, see what else is in our sack -- wonderful and awesome story tales, which we have been privileged to hear directly from his holy mouth, who balanced, probed and establish many similes, clothing and concealing lofty and awesome perceptions in story tales in very wonderful and awesome ways. Because so was [the custom] long ago in Yisrael, regarding redemption and regarding exchanging, that when they wanted to speak of the hidden things of God, they would talk in the manner of riddles and similes, and they clothed the hidden things of the Torah, the treasuries 8 of the King, in many, many different clothes and garments, as it is conveyed after the tale of the King’s Son and the Maid’s Son [#11 in this book], where Rabeinu z”l said then, that in the early days, when the friends would talk and speak Kabbalah, they would speak in such language, because until Rashbi they would not speak Kabbalah openly etc. And for the most part after several stories he would reveal a little bit, a drop in the sea of some clues where the things reach to, as the things and the clues which he told after each and every story are explained below in their places. And behold, until now the these things were hidden with us, but only because many said to our souls, “Mi yirenu tov/Who can show us anything good?”, because they are many who are with us, fellow believers as us, whose souls have hoped and been consumed to always hear the words of the Living God which came out of the mouth from Rabeinu Hakadosh z”l, and particularly these stories he hold, which they had not yet merited that they reach them, except in handwritten copies via various copiers, through which the errors multiplied greatly and the meaning was spoiled, and therefore their great desire compelled us and their strong hope pressed us, until we were forced to fulfill their wishes and bring them to the printhouse. And also because there was a realization from the mouth of our great Rabbi z”l, that once he revealed his mind that he wanted to print story tales, and he said in these words before several people: “Beda`ati lehadpis sefer ma`asiyot, veyihyeh lema`alah katuv bilshon hakodesh ulematah bilshlon la`az/I have in mind to print a book of story tales, and it should be written above in the holy tongue and below in common tongue.” And he said, “halo mah yuchlu ha`olam ledaber `al zeh, halo `al kol panim hem ma`asiyot na’im lesaper/Really, what can the world say 9 against this, for anyways are they not nice stories to tell?!” etc. Such words were heard from his holy mouth explicitly, and this is what aroused us to bring them to the printhouse. And if we would have indeed known, and had it not been hidden from our eyes, that many arose against him, nevertheless the truth is witness for itself, and we are obligated to do his will, and Hashem will do what is good; the one who hears will hear and who refrains will refrain. And also because, praise God, until now His mercies have have helped us, for his holy compendiums have spread out within the Holy People, in the community and congregation and Yisrael, and his words have been joy and happiness to them, and have been sweet as honey in their mouths.