The royal kitchens in the Czar's palace were humming with activity. The chefs had been ordered to prepare a lavish meal to be served at the reception honoring the visiting king, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, the Czar's relative. On the menu was a favorite delicacy--stuffed derma. A tender calf was selected and the preparation of the dish was meticulously supervised.
The chef's efforts were crowned with success, and the visiting Kaiser could not praise the dish enough. "I would like the recipe for that extraordinary cuisine," Kaiser Wilhelm told the Czar. "My mouth is watering just at the thought of my cooks serving this dish."
The Czar ordered the chief chef to prepare a detailed list of ingredients and instructions. Kaiser Wilhelm left Russia still singing the praises of the delicious meal. Upon his arrival in Germany, he immediately summoned his chef. "Here is an outstanding recipe," he said, handing him the paper. "I would like you to prepare this dish for dinner." The chef took great pains to follow the instructions, and soon the dish was ready to be served. The Kaiser sat in eager anticipation as the doors of the kitchen flew open. However, as the stuffed derma was set on the table, he could not conceal his displeasure. "Goodness me!" he exclaimed, bringing his hand to his nose. "What an unpleasant stench coming from the food!" The platter was quickly removed from the table.
Quite disappointed, Kaiser Wilhelm wrote to the Czar, demanding to know why his chefs could not produce that same delicacy, despite their strict adherence to the recipe. The Czar called for his chef, asking, "Do you have any idea why those cooks were unsuccessful?"
The chef knitted his brow for a moment, then suddenly he burst out laughing. "It's quite simple. I hadn't included in my instructions, that the intestines be turned inside out and washed thoroughly before being spiced and stuffed. That seemed to be so obvious, unnecessary to mention. Evidently, it wasn't so obvious to the German chefs."
Thus, we must know that a true teshuva--repentence is achieved only by "turning one's heart inside out" and cleansing it of all one's sins.
(From My Father's Shabbos Table, Rabbi Y. Chitrick)
