THE PRAYER OF THE “DEITSCHEL”

There was a G-d fearing, rich man whose sons all went on the proper path. One day in the summer, he assembled his sons and said to them, “My dear sons, since you are adults, I invite you to go off on your own way. Travel wherever you like, learn Torah, and look for a good wife. I will give you a sum of money to cover the expenses of the journey.

“I have just one condition and that is, in exactly five years I want you back here.”

The sons listened and each went to another location to learn Torah.

Yechiel, one of the sons, who was later nicknamed the Deitschel, traveled to Poland where he became a Chassid of the Baal Shem Tov. He married the Baal Shem Tov’s daughter Odel.

The years passed quickly and it was time to return home as their father had instructed.

The Deitschel went to the Baal Shem Tov to take leave and receive his blessing.

“I must return home because of ‘kibud av,’” he said, sounding sorrowful that he had to leave. “Please Rebbe, bless me so that I can return here for Rosh Hashana.”

The Baal Shem Tov blessed him to travel in peace and return in peace but said nothing about Rosh Hashana. The Deitschel repeated his request to be with the Rebbe for Rosh Hashana but got no response.

He understood from this that his request has not been granted. “Who knows where Hashem will lead me?” He took a shofar along with him, just in case he would need it.

After much traveling, he arrived at his father’s house where he was very happy to meet his family.

The excited father made a big meal and invited the entire town to welcome his sons and hear divrei Torah. Crowds of people came and there was an air of excitement.

“My son,” said the father to his oldest son, “please tell us a dvar Torah.”

The son got up and delivered deep divrei Torah. The people listened and enjoyed.

Then the father invited his second and third sons and they also gave their father great nachas with the divrei Torah that they said.

The people listened closely. Just the Deitschel seemed like a simple man who was just busy eating and drinking.

It was the turn of the Deitschel. When his father asked him to say a dvar Torah, he said, “I have nothing to say.”

The disappointed father went on to the younger sons who said divrei Torah as the Deitschel continued eating and drinking. He looked like a simple man but he actually had lofty intentions as he did so.

The special meal ended and the father called the Deitschel to a side room. He said sadly, “You embarrassed me. Not only did you not say divrei Torah like your brothers but you were immersed in your food and drink.” The father’s eyes filled with tears.

Seeing his father’s pain, the son said, “Don’t worry Father, I have accomplished more than my brothers. Make another feast tomorrow and I will show you what I received from my teacher. I am sure you will have great nachas.”

The next day the father made another grand meal. At this meal too, he had each brother, in order, say a dvar Torah.

When the oldest son began to speak, the Deitschel got up and passed his hand over his brother’s face and suddenly, the brother began to stammer. He stopped saying the dvar Torah and began confessing sins that he committed. After a few moments he stopped speaking.

This happened with the second and third brothers and the crowd looked on in wonder and shock. They all realized that the Deitschel was not a simple man.

Then, the Deitschel rose and began talking about the holy Baal Shem and the Chassidic movement. He said divrei Torah so sweetly, ideas they had never heard before, and the father listened and derived much nachas.

A few days went by and the sons all returned to their homes. It was the month of Elul. The Deitschel packed his bags and boarded a ship.

At first, the ship sailed peacefully but then a storm and strong winds moved the ship off course. It was erev Rosh Hashana and the ship stopped near some distant country where no Jew lived.

“It seems the storm was needed to bring me here,” he thought. “Hashem wanted me here on Rosh Hashana and I accept this decree with love.”

The Deitschel got off the ship, rented a small room near the sea and began preparing for Yom Tov. He immersed in the sea and began davening mincha and then maariv, with tears and great cries.

The people of the town slowly gathered and looked on in wonder at the sight. They had never seen anything like it.

The next day, the same scene repeated itself and this time, people saw him holding a horn and blowing strange sounds.

The king was taking a walk near the sea and saw the crowds.

“Why are you standing here?” he asked.

“There is a madman here who came from a long way away and he is crying and shouting.”

The king realized that the man wasn’t crazy and feared that people would hurt him. “Don’t touch him” he warned. “He seems to be a religious man who has some kind of faith.”

Then he asked for the Deitschel to be called to his palace.

On motzoei Rosh Hashana, the Deitschel went to the palace where the king asked him what he was about.

The Deitschel told him about the Jewish people and about Rosh Hashana. The king was impressed and said, “This is a very special nation. Can you send 300 Jews here to live?”

The Deitschel said, “I cannot force anyone to come here. Anyway, if G-d wanted Jews to live here, they would have come here even against their will, in iron chains, but since no Jews live here, it seems G-d does not want them here.”

The king accepted this answer and allowed him to leave. A short time later, the Deitschel boarded the ship.

When he arrived in his town, he went to the Baal Shem Tov who smiled at him and said, “You should know that many sparks of holiness fell in the place you were in. If you hadn’t gone there, Jews would have had to be brought there in iron chains, but since you were there on Rosh Hashana and you prayed with great concentration, all the sparks rose to holiness and until the coming of Moshiach no Jews will live there. ■