Welcome to the Daily Holy Story. Rabbi Shimshon Wertheimer was the treasurer to Kaiser Leopold I, who ruled over the Austria-Hungarian Kingdom about 300 years ago. Rabbi Shimshon was called the Kaiser of the Jews, and he was appointed as the Chief Rabbi of Austria-Hungary. In his time, it was great for the Jews, and he did everything to protect the Jewish people with the Kaiser. His great relationship with the Kaiser was very good for the Jews.
One day, the Kaiser turned to Rabbi Shimshon and asked him, “Tell me, Rabbi Shimshon, if you are the chosen nation, and you are the example for all other nations, how come you Jewish people are suffering, and you are not the chosen nation? You are in exile, and you go from place to place, from country to country, over so many centuries.”
Rabbi Shimshon thought a little bit about the question, and with a strong answer he said to the Kaiser, “I’m telling you that the reason we are in exile for a long time is because of one reason.” “And what is that?” the Kaiser asked. “Because of Sinat Chinam (baseless hatred).” The Kaiser didn’t like the answer. It didn’t sit well with him. He asked Rabbi Shimshon to come back with a better answer within three days from now.
Rabbi Shimshon was a great mekubal (Kabbalist), and he used to use holy names of Hashem to find out what he was supposed to do. He asked the heavens what he should answer the Kaiser. The answer came back: nothing other than what he had said. And the Kaiser would find out that his answer was correct.
The weather was beautiful outside that day, and the Kaiser decided to go out hunting. He went out into the forest with his group of friends and officers, riding strong horses. He began to run after his prey, and he didn’t realize that he was separating himself from his group. When evening fell, he realized he was lost in the forest, and he couldn’t find his way back. Totally lost, he didn’t know what to do. He tried to find his way out of the forest and depended on his senses, but he got deeper and deeper into the forest, more and more lost.
All of a sudden, from a distance, he saw a light and wondered if maybe he had reached some civilization. But as he tried to approach that light, there was a roaring river in his way as he tried to get to the other side. The Kaiser was willing to endanger himself just to get out of the forest. He left his mighty horse, took off his royal clothing, and jumped into the river, swimming to the other side, where there was a settlement. Weak, hungry, and wet, he got to the other side.
He got to the other side and started banging on doors. The inhabitants, who were simple Hungarian farmers, were suspicious of him and left him outside, not letting him into their homes. Disappointed, the Kaiser dragged himself to a little hotel. Fortunately, the hotel owner, who was a Jew, opened the door for him. The Kaiser concealed his identity and told him he had almost drowned in the river and was tired and hungry.
The Jew, being a good-hearted person, gave him some vodka, then some hot drinks, then a beautiful meal, and even clean clothing that would fit the Kaiser. Then the Kaiser heard the Jewish wife’s voice warning her husband, “Be careful with this guest. Maybe he’s a crook; maybe he wants to hold you up.” He heard the Jewish man say to his wife, “Shah, I’m saving a man’s life, and we don’t have to suspect him.”
Once again, the Kaiser was bewildered and shocked at the true generosity of the Jew, in comparison to the non-Jews, who shut the door in his face. The evening was over. In the morning, the Kaiser asked the Jewish hotel owner to take him to the capital so that he could pay him back. Once again, the wife of the Jewish hotel owner warned him, “Maybe he’s trying to trap you.” But he didn’t listen to her. He got his horses, and they went on the wagon to the capital.
When they arrived at the palace of the king, the Kaiser asked the Jew to stop at the palace. The Jew was bewildered. He saw the man enter the palace and disappear. Some moments passed, and the guards invited the Jew into the palace. The Jew thought that maybe he had done something wrong. But while thinking that, he found himself in the palace of the Kaiser, right in front of the Kaiser, who was dressed in his royal clothing. Shaking, the Jew looked at the Kaiser. The Kaiser looked at the king and asked him, “Do you know who I am?”
The Jew said, “I never saw you in my life.” The Kaiser laughed and told him, “I was your guest last night in your home, and you revived my life.” The Jew couldn’t believe it. He was now in front of the Kaiser, whom he had hosted. The Kaiser told him, “Ask me for anything you want. All the treasures of the kingdom, you will find. Ask me for anything you want. All the treasures of the kingdom, you will find. Ask me for anything you want. All the treasures of the kingdom, you will find. Kingdom are open before you.”
Confused, the Jew thought for a moment, and then he said, “My honorable Kaiser, Hashem gave me everything I need. I have a wonderful parnasa (livelihood). I don’t need anything. There’s only one thing that bothers me. In the village next to me, there is a man who’s a peddler. Every week, he comes to my village, sells groceries to my customers, and competes with me. I want you to command that Jew not to come to my village.”
The Kaiser was bewildered and shocked by the Jew’s request. He commanded his men to give him a big amount of money and send him away. Right after that, the Kaiser called Rabbi Shimshon Wertheimer. When he arrived, the Kaiser told him, “I understand very well now. The answer you gave me is exact. What a shame it is that there is baseless hatred among such a beautiful nation, this Jewish nation.” He gave a big sigh, and Rabbi Shimshon sighed along with him. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful, wonderful day.