The Stories of Rabbi Nachman

A King's Son Who Was Made of Precious Stones

There was once a king who had no children. He went and got involved with doctors, so that his kingdom should not be turned over to strangers, but they did not help him. So he decreed on the Jews to pray for him to have children. The Jews sought a tzadik to pray and bring about that the King should have children. They sought and found a hidden tzadik, and they told him to pray for the king to have children. He replied: he knows nothing at all; they informed the king (inasmuch as there was a hidden tzadik there, but he said he knew nothing). The king sent a royal order for him, and they brought him before the king. The king began talking kindly with him, "You know very well that the Jews are in my hands. I can do with them what I will. Therefore I ask you with goodness, pray that I have children." The tzadik ensured the king that the same year he would have a child, and he went home. The queen bore a daughter, and this princess was extremely beautiful. When she was four years old, she knew all the wisdoms and languages, and could play musical instruments. Kings from all the countries would travel to see her, and it was a great joy for the king.
Afterwards, the King very much wanted to have a son so that his kingdom should not pass on to a stranger, so he decreed again on the Jews that they should pray for him to have a son. They searched for the first tzaddik, but they could not find him, for he had already passed away. They continued searching and they found another hidden tzaddik. And they told him that he should give the King a son, and he said that he does not know anything. So they informed the king, and the king said to the tzaddik also as before, "You know very well the Jews are in my hands, etc." The sage (i.e. this tzadik) said to him, "But will you be able to do what I order?" The king said, "Yes." The sage said to him, "I need you to bring all the types of gemstones (lit. good stones), because each gemstone has in it a different segula (ability, charm)." And by the kings there is a book which documents all types of gemstones. The king said, "I will spend half of my kingdom in order to have a son." And the king went and brought him all the types of gemstones. The sage took them, and ground them, and took a goblet of wine and poured them in the wine. And he gave half of the cup of wine to the king to drink, and the other half to the queen. And he told them that they would have a son who would be thoroughly composed of gemstones, and he would have in him all of the segulos of all of the gemstones, and he went home. The queen gave birth to a son, and the king rejoiced very greatly, but the son that was born was not made of gemstones. When the son was four years old, he was extremely handsome, very wise in all the wisdoms, and knew all the languages. Kings traveled to see him. The princess saw that she was no longer so important, and she was jealous of him. Her only consolation was that the tzaddik had said that he would be completely of gemstones; it was good that at least he was not made of gemstones.
Once, the prince was carving wood and he nicked his finger. The princess ran to bandage his finger and she saw a gemstone there. She was extremely jealous of him, and she made herself sick. Many doctors came but were unable to heal her at all. Sorcerers were called. There was a sorcerer there, to whom she disclosed the truth, that she had made herself sick because of her brother, as mentioned. And she asked the sorcerer if it was possible to perform a spell on a man to make him leprous. He said, "Yes." She said to the sorcerer, "What if he asks another sorcerer to annul the spell so that he will be healed?" The sorcerer said, "If the sorcery is thrown into the water, it can no longer be annulled." She did so, and threw the sorcery into the water. The prince became very leprous. He had leprosy on his nose, on his face, and on the rest of his body. The King got involved with doctors and with sorcerers, but they were of no avail. So the king decreed on the Jews to pray. The Jews sought the tzaddik (who had prayed for the king to have a son, as mentioned), and brought him before the king. Now, this tzaddik would always pray before Hashem Yisburach, inasmuch as he had promised the king that his son would be completely made of gemstones, and it had not been fulfilled. And he complained to the Creator (the Most High; G-d), "Have I done this for the sake of honor? I have done this only for Your honor, and now, it has not been fulfilled the way I said." And the tzadik came to the king. The tzaddik prayed (namely, for the leprosy of the prince to be healed), but to no avail. He was informed that it was sorcery.
Now, this tzaddik was higher than all sorcery. The tzaddik came and informed the king that it was sorcery, and that the sorcery had been thrown into the water, so the prince could
not be healed except by throwing the sorcerer who performed the spell into the water. The king said, "I give you all the sorcerers to throw into the water so that my son will be healed." The princess was afraid, so she went to the water to pull the sorcery out of the water, for she knew where it was. She fell into the water. A great tumult erupted over the princess's falling into the water. The tzadik came and said that the prince would be healed. And he was healed, the leprosy withered up and fell off, and his entire skin peeled off. And he was entirely of gemstones, as the tzaddik had said.
[See Conversations of Rabbi Nachman item # 147 regarding the events surrounding this story which suggests that this story houses the secret of the Divine Name of 42 letters]

The Stories of Rabbi Nachman A King's Son Who Was Made of Precious Stones There was once a king who had no children. He went and got involved with doctors, so that his kingdom should not be turned over to strangers, but they did not help him. So he decreed on the Jews to pray for him to have children. The Jews sought a tzadik to pray and bring about that the King should have children. They sought and found a hidden tzadik, and they told him to pray for the king to have children. He replied: he knows nothing at all; they informed the king (inasmuch as there was a hidden tzadik there, but he said he knew nothing). The king sent a royal order for him, and they brought him before the king. The king began talking kindly with him, "You know very well that the Jews are in my hands. I can do with them what I will. Therefore I ask you with goodness, pray that I have children." The tzadik ensured the king that the same year he would have a child, and he went home. The queen bore a daughter, and this princess was extremely beautiful. When she was four years old, she knew all the wisdoms and languages, and could play musical instruments. Kings from all the countries would travel to see her, and it was a great joy for the king. Afterwards, the King very much wanted to have a son so that his kingdom should not pass on to a stranger, so he decreed again on the Jews that they should pray for him to have a son. They searched for the first tzaddik, but they could not find him, for he had already passed away. They continued searching and they found another hidden tzaddik. And they told him that he should give the King a son, and he said that he does not know anything. So they informed the king, and the king said to the tzaddik also as before, "You know very well the Jews are in my hands, etc." The sage (i.e. this tzadik) said to him, "But will you be able to do what I order?" The king said, "Yes." The sage said to him, "I need you to bring all the types of gemstones (lit. good stones), because each gemstone has in it a different segula (ability, charm)." And by the kings there is a book which documents all types of gemstones. The king said, "I will spend half of my kingdom in order to have a son." And the king went and brought him all the types of gemstones. The sage took them, and ground them, and took a goblet of wine and poured them in the wine. And he gave half of the cup of wine to the king to drink, and the other half to the queen. And he told them that they would have a son who would be thoroughly composed of gemstones, and he would have in him all of the segulos of all of the gemstones, and he went home. The queen gave birth to a son, and the king rejoiced very greatly, but the son that was born was not made of gemstones. When the son was four years old, he was extremely handsome, very wise in all the wisdoms, and knew all the languages. Kings traveled to see him. The princess saw that she was no longer so important, and she was jealous of him. Her only consolation was that the tzaddik had said that he would be completely of gemstones; it was good that at least he was not made of gemstones. Once, the prince was carving wood and he nicked his finger. The princess ran to bandage his finger and she saw a gemstone there. She was extremely jealous of him, and she made herself sick. Many doctors came but were unable to heal her at all. Sorcerers were called. There was a sorcerer there, to whom she disclosed the truth, that she had made herself sick because of her brother, as mentioned. And she asked the sorcerer if it was possible to perform a spell on a man to make him leprous. He said, "Yes." She said to the sorcerer, "What if he asks another sorcerer to annul the spell so that he will be healed?" The sorcerer said, "If the sorcery is thrown into the water, it can no longer be annulled." She did so, and threw the sorcery into the water. The prince became very leprous. He had leprosy on his nose, on his face, and on the rest of his body. The King got involved with doctors and with sorcerers, but they were of no avail. So the king decreed on the Jews to pray. The Jews sought the tzaddik (who had prayed for the king to have a son, as mentioned), and brought him before the king. Now, this tzaddik would always pray before Hashem Yisburach, inasmuch as he had promised the king that his son would be completely made of gemstones, and it had not been fulfilled. And he complained to the Creator (the Most High; G-d), "Have I done this for the sake of honor? I have done this only for Your honor, and now, it has not been fulfilled the way I said." And the tzadik came to the king. The tzaddik prayed (namely, for the leprosy of the prince to be healed), but to no avail. He was informed that it was sorcery. Now, this tzaddik was higher than all sorcery. The tzaddik came and informed the king that it was sorcery, and that the sorcery had been thrown into the water, so the prince could not be healed except by throwing the sorcerer who performed the spell into the water. The king said, "I give you all the sorcerers to throw into the water so that my son will be healed." The princess was afraid, so she went to the water to pull the sorcery out of the water, for she knew where it was. She fell into the water. A great tumult erupted over the princess's falling into the water. The tzadik came and said that the prince would be healed. And he was healed, the leprosy withered up and fell off, and his entire skin peeled off. And he was entirely of gemstones, as the tzaddik had said. [See Conversations of Rabbi Nachman item # 147 regarding the events surrounding this story which suggests that this story houses the secret of the Divine Name of 42 letters]