Gershom ben Judah, who was known as Rabbenu Gershom, "the Light of the Exile," lived in France many years ago. After he had devoted himself to Torah study for some years, he became a goldsmith, and settled down in Constantinople, which was, then, one of the greatest cities in the world.
One day, a devastating fire broke out, destroying much of the city. To add to the calamity, a terrible plague followed and decimated the survivors. Like many Jewish scholars of his time, Rabbenu Gershom had studied medicine. He now used his knowledge to alleviate the suffering of the people of Constantinople. The king's daughter also fell ill, and Rabbenu Gershom was summoned. Although the princess was hopelessly ill, G-d gave Rabbenu Gershom the skill to save her. After that, Rabbenu Gershom became a close confidant of the king.
One day, Rabbenu Gershom told King Basil the tale of Solomon's wondrous throne of gold. The king became obsessed with the desire to have just such a throne and asked Rabbenu Gershom to undertake the project. His protests made no impression on the king, and he had no choice but to begin the project. Since the king's treasury didn't contain so much gold, the throne was to be fashioned from silver. The project took several years, and when it was finally completed a huge celebration was arranged. Notables from near and far were assembled to watch the king ascend the throne. But Basil became so confused by the mechanical movements, that he asked Rabbenu Gershom to precede him.
The awed assembly had never seen such a spectacle. Six silver steps led to the throne. On each step were two different animals cast of silver. As Rabbenu Gershom ascended each step, a huge eagle of silver brought the crown and held it over his head. When he was thus seated, with the crown over his head, the courtiers and guests, who had been too overcome with awe to utter a sound, broke into wild cheers and applause.
John, the king's evil, Jew-hating minister, was green with envy. Day and night he schemed for a way to ruin the rabbi, until one day he got an idea. He asked the king, "Sire, how do you know that Rabbenu Gershom has not stolen any silver from the state treasury? Let us weigh the throne and ascertain the truth." Basil agreed, but there was one great obstacle. The throne was so heavy that no scale could weigh it without dismantling it, and that the king wouldn't do.
Rabbenu Gershom had two wives (this was permissible in his time). His second wife knew that only he knew how to weigh the throne. She tormented him until she coaxed the secret from him: "One must take a boat, and mark the water-line on the hull. Then place the throne in the boat, and mark the new water-line. When the throne is removed, fill the boat with as many stones as are required to reach the second water-line. Then, when you weigh the stones, you will know the weight of the throne." She hurried to the palace with the information.
When the throne was weighed, silver was found missing, and Rabbenu Gershom was charged with theft and condemned to death unless he agreed to convert to Christianity. When he refused he was imprisoned on an isolated island and left to starve to death. The next day, from high in the tower where he was imprisoned, he heard the voice of this first wife crying out to him, "I have come to die with you."
"Thank G-d you have come -- but not to die. We will yet live happily, for you will help me escape. Listen carefully. Find a woodworm and a beetle. Then get some silk thread, cord, and rope. Tie the silk thread around the beetle; then tie the cord to the silk thread; and tie the rope to the cord. Let the worm crawl up the side of the tower and the beetle will pursue it, bringing the rope up to me."
About a week later, John awoke from a restless sleep, thinking of Rabbenu Gershom. "I will travel to the desert and make sure he's dead." Armed with the keys, John climbed the stairs and opened the cell. To his amazement, it was empty! In his excitement, John allowed the door to slam, forgetting the key outside. He pushed and banged the door, but to no avail. There, in the prison he had prepared for Rabbenu Gershom, John was now fated to perish of starvation. Rabbenu Gershom was sailing closer and closer to his native land.
In Mainz he opened the first yeshiva in the Rhine area. Rabbenu Gershom, with his wisdom and love of Torah, G-d and man, was a beacon of light in those dark years of the diaspora and for all generations thereafter.
Adapted from Talks and Tales.
