Dvar Torah for Parshat VaYechi/10th of Tevet

Based on Rabbi Nachman's Stories #2, The King and the Emperor

In The King and the Emperor, the king's son and the emperor's daughter are engaged to one another. However, before they can marry they are separated. The remainder of the story revolves around the princess' travels and trials. She eventually becomes the ruler of a kingdom and devises a plan for the successful return of her long-lost fiance. At the end of the story, after rewarding those who suffered on account of her, she turns to the prince and says, 'You are my true husband. Come! Let us go home!Ó

On the last Friday of his life this story was read to Reb Noson. Reb Noson was Rebbe Nachman's foremost disciple and transmitter of his teachings and legacy. When Reb Noson heard the last words of the story–'Come! Let us go home!Ó–he asked his followers to repeat them several times. He then said, "It is my time to go home."

The fast of the 10^th of Tevet is observed on account of three tragedies that befell us in this month (Tevet): Ezra the Scribe passed away; the Torah was translated into Greek at the behest of Ptolemy; Nebuchadnezzar's armies laid siege to Jerusalem. It is also the yortzeit (anniversary of one's death) of Reb Noson.

The emperor's daughter and the king's son were destined to marry one another. Yet, throughout their lives, events seemed to conspire against their consummating the union. In the brief time that they are together in her father's home, and throughout the story, it is the princess who takes the initiative to bring the union to fruition.

Throughout her travels, many are the suitors that wish to take the princess for themselves. She must constantly rebuff and outwit them in order to remain true to her one and only. She must even resort to chicanery–and worse–in order to remain faithful. Indeed, she perseveres, despite everything, until she is able to achieve her goal: re-uniting with her prince and marrying him.

This week's events, the fast and the parsha, intimate that we, too, have these trials to deal with. Not only Ezra the Scribe passes away, but Yaakov Avinu (Jacob our Patriarch) as well. Both were educators who taught us by word and example what we need to know to survive in exile, in environments foreign to are true selves. They are taken away from us and we must become them. The Torah is translated into 'GreekÓ, into concepts alien and unfaithful to its true meaning. This is because the translation is done 'at the behest of PtolemyÓ–not for the sake of the Torah, but for selfish motives. Nebuchadnezzar's armies lay siege to Jerusalem-our hearts are surrounded by innumerable hordes who have but one objective: breaking down our defenses and turning our hearts over to a cruel king who wishes us only ill.

Reb Noson, like Yaakov Avinu, lived a life about which he could have said, 'few and crushing have been the days of my sojournÓ (Genesis 47:9). Yet, when on his deathbed Reb Noson was asked how he could be suffering so, he answered, 'Mit gross rachamimÓ (with great compassion). God has orchestrated my entire life, and He has done so with tremendous compassion for me.

Many a time in life we are like the princess-torn away from our soul mate, taken by force to destinations unknown with companions and neighbors with whom we would rather not be. We are coaxed, urged, seduced to take options that seem to promise us the most wonderful of lives, a life married to wealth, or to power, or to fame. And yet we must reject them all, even though we must search for our prince without any promise of ever finding him, without any promise of our life ever coming full circle.

Reb Noson said that he accomplished what he did because he constantly encouraged himself to keep on keeping on. He said that because he was careful not to waste time he could not have done any more than he did. If you and I can do as Reb Noson did, on our own levels, at the end we too will be able to say, 'It's time to go home.Ó

Have an easy fast.