To: K-list
Recieved: 1999/07/08 04:15
Subject: [K-list] Story
From: Moshiach
On 1999/07/08 04:15, Moshiach posted thus to the K-list:
A story from Rb. Nachman of Breslov circa 1800
Part 1
THE SOPHISTICATE AND THE SIMPLETON
There were once two homeowners who lived in the same city. They were very,
very wealthy, and they had large mansions. Each one had one son, both of
whom studied in the same school.
<P> One of these sons had deep understanding and was quite sophisticated.
The other one was simple; he was not lacking in intelligence, but had a
straightforward, humble approach, without any sophistication. These two
sons loved each other very much, even though one was sophisticated, while
the other was simple, with a very humble mind. Nevertheless, they loved
each other very much.
<P> In the course of time, the two homeowners began to decline. They went
lower and lower until they lost everything and became poor. The only thing
they managed to keep was their mansions.
<P> Meanwhile the sons were beginning to get older, so their fathers said
to them, "We do not have the means to support you. Do whatever you will be
able to." The Simpleton went and learned the trade of a shoemaker. The
Sophisticate, however, felt that he had deep understanding, and did not
want to occupy himself with such simple work. He made up his mind that he
would go out into the world and see what he could do.
<P> He went to the marketplace and strolled around. He saw a large wagon
with four horses in harness rushing through. He called out to the
merchants, "From where are you?"
<P> "From Warsaw," they replied.
<P> "Where are you heading?"
<P> "To Warsaw."
<P> He asked them, "Maybe you could use a helper?"
<P> They saw that he was bright and diligent, and found this pleasing.
They took him on, and he went with them, serving them very well on the
road. However, he considered himself quite sophisticated, and when they
came to Warsaw, he decided, "Now that I am in Warsaw, why should I be
bound to them? Maybe there is some better place. I will go and see what I
can find."
<P> He went to the marketplace, and began to seek information. He asked
about the people who had brought him there, and at the same time, looked
to see if he could find a better situation. He was told that the people
who had brought him were honest men, and it would be good to stay with
them. However, one might find it difficult, since their business takes
them to very distant places.
<P> He went further, and saw the shop clerks going to market. They seemed
very elegant as they went about their affairs with their hats, and long
pointed shoes, and other elegant mannerisms in dress and bearing. This
refinement appealed to his sense of sophistication and intelligence, and
also does not involve leaving one's home. He went to the men who had
brought him there and thanked them, but told them that he no longer felt
comfortable remaining with them. His work for them along the journey would
be in exchange for having brought him there. He then took a job with a
shopkeeper. It was customary that new employees receive very low wages and
do very hard work. Only then could they be promoted to higher positions.
<P> The employer made him do hard work. He was sent to lords carrying
merchandise. He would strain himself carrying large bolts of cloth under
his arms. The work was burdensome for him. Sometimes he would have to
carry his load up many flights.
<P> The work was very hard for him. Being a philosopher, he made up his
mind, "Why do I need such work? The main reason a man works is so that he
will be able to get married and earn a living. But this is not my concern
now. I will have plenty of time for this in the future. The best thing for
me now would be to travel all over the world. I can go to different lands,
and enjoy the sights." He went to the market, and saw merchants traveling
on a large coach. He asked them where they were going.
<P> "To Lagorna."
<P> "Would you take me there?"
<P> "Sure.
"<P> They took him along and went there. From there they traveled to Italy
and then to Spain. Years passed. Since he had visited so many countries,
he became all the more sophisticated.
<P> Finally, he made up his mind, "Now is the time to set a goal for
myself." He began to philosophize about what sort of occupation to pursue.
He decided that it would be very good to learn the trade of a goldsmith.
It was pleasant, prestigious work, and required great skill. It was also
very lucrative work. With his intelligence and philosophical inclination,
it did not take him many years to master this craft. At the end of a
quarter of a year, he had mastered everything in this craft, and had
become very highly skilled. He was more expert even than the master who
had taught him. Then he began thinking about it. Even though I have this
skill, it is not enough. It might be prestigious now, but at another time,
some other skill might be more prestigious. Therefore, he apprenticed
himself to a gem cutter. As a result of his great intelligence, he
mastered this craft in a relatively short time, in a quarter of a year.
<P> Still, he philosophized about his situation. Although I have mastered
two skills, it is possible that there would come a time when neither one
of them would be valuable. "The best thing would be for me to learn a
profession that is always valuable." Pondering this with his intelligence
and philosophy, he concluded that he should study medicine. This was
something always necessary and important. In order to study medicine, one
had to study Latin and know how to write it. One also had to study
philosophy formally. With his intellect, he mastered all this in a quarter
of a year. He thus became a great physician and philosopher, expert in all
areas of wisdom.
<P> But then the world began to seem like nothing to him. Through his
wisdom, he had become a great craftsman, intellectual and physician, and
everyone in the world seemed like nothing. He made up his mind that the
time had come for him to seek his goal in life and get married. But he
said to himself, "If I marry a woman here, who will know what I have
accomplished? I must return home. Then they will see what I have
accomplished. I left as a young lad, and now I have attained such
greatness."
<P> He therefore headed home. However, he was very miserable along the
way, since he was so sophisticated that he could not find anyone with whom
to speak. He was also very unhappy because he could not find the kind of
lodging he desired, and he suffered greatly.
Now let us set aside the story of the Sophisticate and tell the story of
the Simpleton.
<P> The Simpleton had learned the trade of a shoemaker. Since he was
simple, he had to study very much to master it, and even then he was not
very expert in the craft. He got married and earned a living from his
work. However, he was simple and not expert in his craft, so his
livelihood was very meager and limited.
<P> Since he had limited skill, he had to work constantly, and did not
even have time to eat. Rather, while working, while making a hole with the
awl and drawing the shoemakers thread through, he would bite a piece of
bread and eat. Throughout this, he was always very happy. He was filled
with joy at all times.
<P> He had every type of food, drink and clothing. He would say to his
wife, "My wife, give me something to eat." She would give him a piece of
bread, and he would eat it. Then he would say, "Give me some soup with
groats," and she would cut him another slice of bread. He would eat it and
speak highly of it, saying, "How nice and delicious this soup is!"
<P> He would then ask her for some meat and other good food, and each time
he asked, she would give him a piece of bread. He would enjoy it very much
and praise the food very highly, saying how well prepared and delicious it
was. It was as if he were actually eating the food he had asked for.
Actually, when he ate the bread, he would taste in it any kind of food he
wanted. This was because of his simplicity and great happiness.
<P> Similarly, he would say, "My wife, bring me a drink of beer." She
would bring him some water, but he would praise it and say, "How delicious
this beer is." "Give me some honey wine." She would give him water, and he
would speak highly of it.<P> "Give me some wine" or other beverages. Each
time, she would give him water, but he would enjoy it, and praise the
beverage as if he were actually drinking it.
<P> The same was true of clothing. Between them, the only outer garment he
and his wife had was a sheepskin coat. Whenever he wanted to go to the
market, he would say to his wife, "Give me the sheepskin," and she would
give it to him.
<P> When he wanted to wear a fur coat to visit people, he would say, "My
wife, give me my fur coat." She would give him the sheepskin, but he would
enjoy it and praise it, saying, "What a nice coat this is."
<P> When he needed a caftan to go to synagogue, he would ask her, "My
wife, give me the caftan." She would give him the sheepskin, and he would
praise it, "What a nice, beautiful caftan this is."
<P> Similarly, when he needed a silk coat, she would also give him the
sheepskin. He would enjoy it and praise it, "What a nice, comfortable silk
coat!" This was true no matter what happened. He was always filled with
happiness and joy.
<P> Since he had not completely mastered his trade, when he finished a
shoe, it was usually triangular in shape. But he would take the shoe in
his hand and speak very highly of it, deriving much enjoyment from his
handiwork. He would say, "My wife, what a beautiful, wonderful shoe this
is! How sweet this shoe is! This shoe is as sweet as honey and sugar!"
<P> So she would ask him, "If that's true, why can other shoemakers get
three gulden for a pair of shoes, while you only get a gulden and a half?"
He would then answer, "What do I care about that? That is their work, and
this is my work!"
<P> "Why must we speak about others?" he would continue. "Let us rather
begin to consider how much clear profit I make on this shoe. The leather
costs so much, the glue and thread... so much, and the other things so
much. So much for the tongues. Therefore, I have a clear profit of ten
groschen. As long as I make such a clear profit, what do I care?" He was
thus always filled with joy and happiness.
<P> For most people, he was a joke. Here they had what they wanted,
someone to laugh at, as they desired; because they considered him insane.
People would come to him especially to engage him in conversation so that
they would be able to ridicule him. But the Simpleton would merely say,
"Just don't make a joke of it."
<P> If the other person would assure him that he was not making a joke of
it, the Simpleton would listen to what he had to say and engage in
conversation. He did not probe the other person's motives more deeply to
see if this in itself might be a means of mocking him, since he was a very
simple person, and he avoided such sophisticated ideas. However, if he
saw that the other's intention was clearly to mock him, he would say, "So
what if you prove yourself smarter than I? You will still be a fool. What
am I that it is such a great thing to be smarter than I am? Even if you
are, you will first be a fool."
<P> (All these were the ways of the Simpleton. Now we will return to our
story.)
To be continued
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