Treasure Far and Near
From Tales From Reb Nachman (Artscroll /
Mesorah)
Retold for children and illustrated by
Dovid Sears
A Jewish villager
once dreamed about a treasure. In his dream the treasure was near a bridge in
the city of Vienna. The very next morning, the villager packed his knapsack
with his talis and tefillin, some clothes and a bit of food. Then
he began the long, long walk to Vienna.
For many days and
nights he trudged through forests and fields, valleys and towns.
When he arrived at
last, the soldiers who guarded the city wouldn't let him near the bridge. So
day after day, he stood by the side of the road, trying to think of what to do.
One afternoon, a
soldier walked up to him and asked, "Why are you standing here?"
The villager was
silent for a moment. Perhaps we could be partners, he thought. After all, half
a treasure is better than none! So he told the soldier about his dream.
"Only a Jew
cares about dreams!" he laughed. "For three nights in a row, I
dreamed that in a certain village there was a certain Jew - and he named the
man's village and his name - who had a treasure buried in his cellar. But do
you think I believe in such foolish things?"
The villager simply
thanked the soldier and began the long journey home. For many days and nights
he trudged through forests and fields, valleys and towns. Finally, he came to
his own little house. Without even sitting down for a cup of hot tea, the man
went down to his cellar and started digging. Sure enough, he uncovered a huge
treasure. He was able to live comfortably and do many good deeds for the rest
of his days.
Later, when people
asked him about his long journey, he said, "I really had the treasure all
along. But to find it, I had to go to Vienna!"
***
In our desire to
come closer to Hashem, the treasure
we are searching for is inside of ourselves. But most of us can't find it
alone. First we must go to a Torah sage who can show us how to discover it.
© 1987 Mesorah Publications