There once was a great king who ruled over a vast kingdom. This king possessed unlimited wealth and power, and had everything a man can have, except that he had no children, and thus had no one to inherit his throne. Now the king longed to have an heir, for the thought that his kingdom would one day fall into the hands of strangers haunted him. So it was that he spent much of his time consulting with doctors and wise men, as well as with every kind of sorcerer and soothsayer.
But none of these was able to help him, and the king and queen despaired of ever having a child of their own.
Then one day, when the king was very desperate, he turned to his ministers and asked them if they could think of anything else that he might do. An evil minister among them spoke up and said: If I may be permitted to speak, my king, I have a proposal which might possibly provide the solution to your dilemma.
The king replied: Yes, yes, speak up. And the evil minister said: It is rumored, my lord, that there are secret sorcerers among the Jews of our kingdom who possess great powers.
They are said to have learned the secrets of King Solomon, who was familiar with the language of the birds and many other mysteries. I propose, O king, that we demand of the Jews that they bring forth one of these sorcerers, and let him beg their God to provide you with an heir, or else let them pay with their lives! Now the truth is that the evil minister did not believe the rumors he had heard about the powers of the secret sorcerers among the Jews, but he hoped to draw disaster upon their heads, as well as to put himself into a position where he might one day inherit the throne. The king was deceived by his proposal, and ordered that the Jews bring forth a wise man, who would intercede on his behalf. He added that if he was not blessed with a child by the end of one year, the Jews of his kingdom would pay with their lives! So it was that the frightened Jews turned to their rabbis, and begged for their help. And the rabbis met with each other, and agreed that they must search for one of the hidden saints among them, one of the Lamed Vav, or thirty-six Just Men, who are the pillars that support the world. For the prayers of such a man would surely be heard. But since these holy men are hidden among the people, no one knows for certain who they are, and therefore no one knew where such a Just Man might be found.
Time passed and the people grew more frightened, and still no hidden saint was identified. Then it happened that on the same night three rabbis in three different cities in that kingdom had an identical dream. In their dream they met with one of the Just Men, who lived in a cave deep in the forest, from which the sound of a nearby waterfall could be heard. And when the dream of these rabbis became known, it was recognized as a miracle, and many of the men organized search parties, and set out to find the hidden saint who lived in a cave somewhere in the forest.
So too did the three rabbis who dreamed the same dream join this search, and traveled together, in hope that they would recognize some detail from their dream. So it was that when they recognized the sound of a waterfall, they remembered the sound of the falling water they had heard inside the cave of the hidden saint. Then they searched very carefully in that area, and at last they discovered a cave.
When the three rabbis entered the cave, they saw it was familiar.
There they found the same old man with a white beard, whom they had met for the first time in their dream. He was seated on a stone ledge, and was intently studying an ancient text, which he read in the light cast by the flames of a fire burning within. When he saw the three rabbis the old man stood up and said: Come in. I have been expecting you, for I met each of you in a dream. I do not know why I have been called upon to perform this task, for I have spent my life alone, in the study of the sacred texts. But I recognize the danger that threatens us, and that there is no other choice. Therefore I will agree to come with you, and to meet with the king, if you will vow never to reveal where this cave is hidden. The rabbis did so, and the old man was brought to the palace of the king, where he was given an audience at once. The king was very surprised by his ragged appearance, for all of the other sorcerers with whom he had consulted were wealthy men. But he accepted that the ways of the Jews might be foreign, and besides, he had no better hope. Then the king told the Just Man that he and his wife, the queen, greatly longed for a child. It was for this that they had sought his assistance. The Just Man assured the king and queen that they would be parents, and he promised them that before the year was out they would indeed be blessed with a child.
And within the year the queen gave birth to a beautiful daughter, who was the apple of everyone's eye. She was exceptionally beautiful, and when she was four years old she already knew how to read and write, as well as how to play the violin.
She also had a great gift for languages, and had already mastered six. Kings traveled to that kingdom to see her, and from a young age the king began to receive marriage offers for her from the rulers of many kingdoms, who wanted to match her with their sons. It was then that the king realized that his daughter was destined to serve as a queen in a foreign realm, while his own kingdom might fall into the hands of strangers. Once more he began to brood. And when the evil minister saw that he still was not satisfied, he again proposed forcing the Jews to come to the king's assistance, for he still hoped to bring down disaster upon them. And the king agreed that this would be done. So it was that the Jews were forced once more to seek out the hidden saint.
Again they turned to the three rabbis who alone knew where his cave was hidden, since they had never broken their vow about its location. But when they came to his cave they found that the Just Man had taken leave of this world, to claim his portion in Paradise.
When they discovered this, the three rabbis at first despaired, for where were they to find another hidden saint? But then they said among themselves: Surely such a holy man must have known that one day we might need his assistance again.
Come, then, let us search in this cave for any clues he might have left us as to where his successor might be found. For they knew that whenever a Just Man leaves this life, there is always another who takes his place, so that the number of them remains at thirty-six at all times.
Then the rabbis carefully searched through the cave where the hidden saint had made his home. There they found that he had few possessions except for his sacred texts, which were all well worn. But then one of the rabbis noticed a crevice that they had all overlooked, and inside that crevice he found a small, finely crafted silver mirror, engraved with intricate designs and secret symbols. When he looked into that mirror he saw reflected there a man he did not recognize, yet he knew at once who that man must be—the Just Man they were seeking, the one who had taken the place of the hidden saint who had made his home in that cave. He showed the mirror to the other rabbis, who agreed that they must seek out the man reflected there. Together they set out, wandering from village to village, and showing the mirror to whomever they met, until at last they found someone who recognized the man they sought, and directed them to the village in which he made his home. When at last they found him, they told him of the king's order and of their quest. At first he did not seem to believe that he had inherited the mantle of one of the Lamed Vav, but when the rabbis showed him the mirror that reflected his face at all times, and told him how they had found it, he accepted all that they had to say, and agreed to serve as best he could. After that the Just Man prayed for guidance, and his prayers were answered, and he learned in a dream what it was that he should do to bring about the birth of a son for the king.
So it was that this Just Man soon found himself in the presence of the king, as had the hidden saint who had served before him. This time the king was careful to specify his desire for a son, who would serve as the heir to his throne. Then the Just Man agreed that he would strive to fulfill the king's wish, if the king would agree to supply him with one of every kind of precious gem. Nor did the king hesitate, for he said: I would give up half of my kingdom for a son. Then the king ordered that one of every kind of precious gem be gathered, and delivered to the hidden saint. This was done, and then the Just Man crushed each gem, ground it to dust, and mixed it with wine, for that is what he had been told to do in his dream. This wine he poured into the cups of the king and queen, half into one and half into the other. Then the king and queen each drank the potion, and before the Just Man took his leave he said: Before a year is out you will have a son who will be made entirely of precious gems.
He will have the charms and qualities of each of the gems that was mixed into your wine, for each gem has its own special charm. Once more the prophecy proved true, and before the year was out the queen gave birth to a son, and the king was exceedingly pleased, even though the child was not made of gems, but was flesh and blood, like every other child. And just as his sister was, this child was very beautiful and very wise. Before the age of four he could read and write, play many musical instruments, and speak a dozen languages. Kings came from every corner of the earth to see him, and to propose that their daughters might one day be his queen. So it was that the young prince became the center of attention, and his sister became jealous, and her love for him turned to hate. Her one consolation was that he was not made of precious gems, as the Just Man had predicted. Then one day the prince was chopping wood and cut his finger, and when the princess came over to bandage it, she saw a gem gleaming on the inside. Then she was overcome with jealousy, and decided to pretend to be ill, that she too might receive some attention. So she went into her room, and refused to come out of it, even to eat.
Now the king and queen were very concerned about their daughter, and they summoned doctors from all over the kingdom, but they were all unable to cure her mysterious illness.
Then the king called in his sorcerers, and among these there was a wicked one, who had made an alliance with the evil minister.
This sorcerer saw that the princess was only pretending to be ill, and when he confronted her with this fact she confessed that it was true, and revealed her hatred for her brother, the prince.
Then the princess asked the wicked sorcerer if there was any way to cause a person to become ill. And he said that he knew of a way to cause a person to be covered with scabs. Then she asked if another sorcerer could cure this disease, and the sorcerer replied that if the talisman that had caused the disease was concealed in water, the spell could not be broken.
So it was that the princess fell into the trap set for her by the evil minister and the wicked sorcerer. For they had long wanted to find a way to be rid of the young prince, so that the evil minister might fulfill his dream of one day becoming king. Until then they had been afraid to act on their own, but now that the princess could be blamed, they became bolder, and the wicked sorcerer cast a spell on the prince, and caused him to be covered with scabs all over his face and body. Then he gave the talisman that had cast the spell to the princess, who hid it under a rock in a pool outside of the palace. Of course the king sent for all of his doctors, but none of them was able to cure the prince. Then he summoned his sorcerers, but none of their spells had any effect.
Finally the king decreed that the Jews must assist him once more, and find a cure for the prince, or else they would pay with their lives.
So it was that the people turned once again to the Just Man who had already interceded with the Holy One in their behalf. Now the Just Man believed, like the rest of the world, that the prince was merely flesh and blood. For this reason he began to doubt the dream in which he had learned that the prince would be made of precious gems, and was afraid that he would be unable to bring about a cure. Still, because of the danger to the Jews, he went before the king, and sought to undertake a cure.
And through his prayers it was revealed to him that the disease of the prince had been caused by witchcraft. This the Just Man reported to the king, and told him that nothing could be done unless the talisman containing the spell was recovered, and the one who bewitched the prince was cast into the sea. When the king heard this he said: I will give you all of the sorcerers in my kingdom. You can cast them all into the sea. I would do anything to save my son. Now the young princess was present when the king said this, and she became very frightened that her role was about to be revealed. Then she hurried away to be certain that the talisman was safely hidden. And when the Just Man saw her hurry off, he became suspicious, and told the king to have her followed. So it was that a guard followed her to the pool outside the palace.
But when the princess bent over to lift up the stone under which the talisman was hidden, she fell in the water, and began to cry out. This caused a great commotion, and the King and the Just Man hurried outside to see what had happened. But the Just Man told the king not to worry, for the princess would surely be saved by the guard who had followed her, and now the prince would recover. And as soon as the guard pulled the princess to safety, she confessed that she had asked the wicked sorcerer to cast the spell, and revealed where the talisman was hidden. And when the king heard this, he understood that the princess was not to blame, but that she had been led astray, and he forgave her.
Then the king had the wicked sorcerer brought before him, and forced him to confess, and the sorcerer also admitted that the evil minister had put him up to the plan.
So it was that the wicked sorcerer and the evil minister were cast into the sea, and the prince began to recover the same day. The scabs that had afflicted him began to drop away, and as they did it was revealed to the world that he consisted entirely of precious gems. And all those who came to know him found that he possessed the charms and qualities of those very gems.