For many years, the couple wasn’t blessed with children. Each year the woman would come to the Baal Shem Tov and plead with him to bless her with children. Eventually, the Baal Shem Tov promised her that she would merit to embrace a son. Indeed, within a year the son was born. The parents’ joy was all the greater because the child was endowed with exceptional grace and wisdom and developed rapidly. Two years later, the couple came to the Baal Shem Tov to receive his blessing that they merit to raise him properly. The Baal Shem Tov embraced the child and kissed him on the head.
The happy parents returned home. Yet, the child suddenly fell ill and soon passed away. The tragedy was unbearable, and the parents returned to the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov shared in their sorrow, and told the following story:
The Decree
Many years ago, there lived a powerful king. However, one thing marred his happiness. He had no children. One of the king’s advisers suggested: “You must issue a decree that if within a year you do not merit a child, all the Jews will be expelled from their homes and their possessions confiscated. When the Jews pray and cry out, their G-d will respond. After you issue this decree, surely they will pray for you, and their prayer will be answered.”
The king followed the adviser’s counsel and announced the new decree. Wherever the king’s word reached, it was a great trouble for the Jews, and much prayer and fasting were instituted.
Indeed, G-d heard their prayers, and the joyful news spread throughout the kingdom: the king and queen embraced a son. The Baal Shem Tov paused in his story for a moment, then continued: When it was decreed in Heaven that a son would be born to the king, the souls refused to descend to be born to someone who had issued such a severe decree against the Jews. Only one elevated soul submitted itself to fulfill the decree. This was the soul of the king’s son.
A Unique Son
The child was wise, beloved by all, and naturally eager for knowledge. His father entrusted him to the finest teachers, but they could not keep pace with his rapid understanding. He became so learned that his teachers could no longer instruct him. Thus, the king summoned the chief priest, whom he considered a remarkable sage, to teach his son, promising him a fine house in the palace courtyard and a generous salary from the king. The priest accepted the offer but imposed one condition:
“Every day I will pause the lessons for two hours, during which I will be alone and engage in sacred work. During these hours, no one may enter my room.”
From then on, the boy devoted himself to an intense and comprehensive program of study under the priest’s close supervision. One day, his curiosity grew, and he decided to sneak into the priest’s room. He hid and watched the priest lock the door carefully, then take a bag from the closet, wrap himself in a tallit, and don tefillin.
The boy’s heart pounded. He could not contain himself, came out of hiding, and exclaimed, “you are Jewish! Why did you hide this from me?!” The priest turned pale, fear evident in his eyes. “Promise me that you will reveal nothing of what you have seen,” he pleaded.
The Plan
The boy’s response was surprising, “my dear teacher, for a long time I have been interested in the Jewish faith. Please, teach me Torah.”
From then on, the priest and the prince spent many hours studying Torah together. Once, at the conclusion of a lesson, the prince expressed his desire to convert and become a Jew. The priest tried to dissuade him, but the boy was determined. Seeing that the boy was resolute, the priest devised a detailed plan. The boy informed his father that he had learned enough from the priest and now wished to travel to another country to acquire more knowledge. The king was saddened, but out of love for his son, he consented and provided him with a large sum of money to support himself in the foreign land.
The king’s carriage took the prince to the border, and from there the prince continued on his own. He arrived in a distant city and was warmly received by the local Jewish community. Once he felt secure, he approached the Rabbi and, with his help, converted properly according to Jewish law. The king’s son devoted all his time to serving G-d and advancing in Torah and prayer. Many years later, he passed away, and no one knew anything about him except for his extraordinary righteousness and status as a righteous convert (ger tzedek).
The Revelation
The Baal Shem Tov concluded his story and said: “when the prince’s soul ascended to Heaven, they wanted to elevate it to a high and wondrous world. But then one accuser claimed that only one born to a Jewish mother and absorbed Judaism with her milk, could reach such a high level. In Heaven they agreed that the soul would descend again and be born to a Jewish mother, to be raised for two years...”
The Baal Shem Tov raised his eyes to the child’s parents and asked, “do you now understand what a lofty soul your son’s soul was?”
After a long silence, the parents asked what they should do now. The Baal Shem Tov instructed the father to serve as the synagogue caretaker, gather the children for amen, and lift the little ones to kiss the Torah scroll. He instructed the mother to help women in childbirth, especially poor women. Two years later, the couple was blessed with a son, who became known as one of the great chassidic leaders: Rabbi Aharon of Karlin.
