Reb Shimshon Wertheimer zt'l was a great scholar, and he was also very wealthy and a close confidant to the emperor of Austria. Once, the emperor asked him why Yidden are persecuted more than all other nations of the world. Reb Shimshon replied, "They are being punished because of their hatred of their fellow man and jealousy of one another."
The emperor refused to accept that explanation. He told Reb Shimshon, "I give you three days to think this over. If you don't give me a satisfying answer, I will banish every Jew from Vienna."
That night, Reb Shimshon made a חלום שאלת, and in his dream, he was told, "Don't retract your words because you answered correctly. Yidden suffer in galus because of hatred and jealousy. Soon, the emperor will recognize that you spoke the truth."
It was the beginning of the winter, a good time for hunting. The emperor went with a group of officials to the forest to hunt game. After a few hours, some officers went home, and the emperor and the rest of the crew remained in the forest.
Some more time passed, and it was almost dark when the officials decided it was time to return home. They called for the emperor, and when there was no response, they figured that the emperor must have left earlier with the first group of officials, so they also left the forest.
The emperor was still in the forest. He was so deeply involved in his hobby that he didn’t hear them call him. When it began turning dark, the emperor called for his officials. When no one replied, he understood what happened. He couldn't find his way out of the woods in the darkness, so he wandered around the forest until he came to a river. He spotted lights on the other side of the river, so the emperor understood that there was a village there. Having no choice, the emperor removed his royal clothing, left his horse behind, and swam across the river.
The emperor arrived in the village dripping wet, and there was no sign that he was the king. He knocked at doors, but no one took him in. Some residents shouted, "Demon!" and locked the door.
Cold and exhausted, the emperor decided to look for a mezuzah. "The Yidden are a compassionate nation. They will open their doors for me."
He knocked at a door where there was a mezuzah, and he was invited in. The Jewish couple gave him a warm meal and a coat to wear so that he could warm up. He didn't tell them that he was the king of Austria because he knew they wouldn't believe him.
The wife suspected that their guest was a thief. She told her husband, "Send this man out of the house before he steals everything we own, including the fur coat you lent him." The husband replied that he didn't suspect his guest, but just in case, he would remain awake all night and make sure the guest didn’t steal anything.
In the morning, the emperor asked his host, "How far is Vienna from here, and how much does it cost to get there?"
The host replied, "I can drive you there for four forties (a currency)." The emperor agreed to the price and requested to wear the fur coat during the trip because he was chilled from the previous night’s ordeal. His host agreed to that, as well.
His wife wasn't happy with these arrangements at all. She whispered to her husband, "I'm certain he won't pay you. He will kill you somewhere in the middle of the way and take your coat. Why do you trust him?"
But this Yid wasn't concerned, and he drove the emperor to Vienna. "Where do you want to get off?" he asked the emperor. The emperor said he wanted to be let off at the royal palace.
The Yid replied, "But we may not go there without permission from the emperor. We can get arrested." The passenger replied, "Don't worry. I'm allowed to go there."
The Yid parked his wagon in front of the palace. The emperor jumped out of the wagon and went inside the palace. The Yid was shocked. "My wife was right. He didn't pay me for the trip and ran off with my fur coat."
He turned the wagon around to leave. It was dangerous to be on these grounds without permission. But an armed soldier blocked the way. "The emperor summons you," he said.
The Yid feared the worst as the officer led him into the palace and brought him to the emperor's chamber. The emperor said, "Do you recognize me?"
The king, dressed in his royal clothing, looked very different. "No. I never had the privilege to meet the emperor before," he stammered.
"But I know you," the emperor told him. "I even know what your home looks like." And the emperor described to him what his home looked like.
The Yid was shocked. "Who can compare to the emperor's wisdom!" the Yid replied.
"It isn't wisdom. I'm the person you saved last night. I didn't tell you that I am the king of Austria because I knew you wouldn't believe me, but that is the truth: I'm the king of Austria. I want to reward you because you invited me into your home when no one else wanted to, and you served me a warm meal and lent me a coat to wear. Ask for whatever you want, and I will give it to you."
The Yid stood before the emperor in silence. The emperor figured the Yid didn't understand the offer, so he said, "If you ask for a forest, I will give it to you. If you ask for an entire city, I will give it to you. Just ask what you want, and it will be yours."
The Yid was quiet.
The emperor said, "If you don’t tell me what you want, I will pay you the four forties we agreed on, and that's all. Is there nothing in the world that you desire?"
The Yid replied, "Actually, there is something that I want. I'm a traveling merchant. I go from town to town selling my wares. Recently, someone began coming to the towns I go to, and he sells the same items I sell. He is taking away my parnassah. I request that the king issues an executive order forbidding this man to sell his wares in the towns I go to."
The king said, "Your request is granted, but you must know that your request is foolish. You lost a golden opportunity. You could have asked for so much more, but because of jealousy, all you care about is that your competition shouldn't make money."
The emperor summoned Reb Shimshon Wertheimer and said, "Now I know you are correct. The Jewish people are punished because of their jealousy and hatred."
Rebbe Meir of Premishlan zt'l would tell this story every year before reading the Torah on Shavuos morning. This is because to receive the Torah, we need love and unity. Jealousy and hatred are contrary to the basic tenets of the Torah.
