Yalkut Me’am Lo’eiz relates the following story:
Rabenu Meshulim was the doctor of the king in one of the Western countries. One day, the king said to him, “It seems to me that your ancestors were ingrates. Hashem did so much for them. He gave them mann from Heaven that tasted like the best foods in the world. But they still complained about not having peasant food like cucumbers, onions and garlic.”
Rabenu Meshulim replied, “Your majesty, I will give you an explanation tomorrow.”
He then went to the king’s royal chef and said, “I know that at the end of a meal, the king like to eat a bit of garlic. From now on, don’t give him that piece of garlic. I am his doctor and I know that garlic is not healthy for him.”
The next day, the king was not served his garlic, which made him very angry. When he asked the chef where it was, he was told that the doctor had ordered him not to serve it. The king then called in Rabenu Meshulim and asked him to explain himself.
Rabenu Meshulim said, “Listen to what you are saying. You weren’t served garlic one time and you are so angry. When the Jews were in Egypt, they ate garlic every day. In the desert, they had no garlic for 40 years. Is it any wonder that they complained?”
The king accepted this answer and said, “I see that your Torah is true.”
