The rabbis’ magic ritual

There is a beautiful Jewish parable:

It happened in a certain village that whenever there was some difficulty the rabbi would go to the forest, there perform a certain ritual magic and pray to God, and always then the village was helped.

Then the rabbi died. He was succeeded by another rabbi. There was some difficulty, so the next rabbi went to the forest; but he didn’t know the exact place so he said to God: I don’t know the exact place where that old man used to do the trick so I will do it anywhere – you are everywhere so that is not the point, you can listen from everywhere. He performed the ritual and the village was helped.

Then he died, and another young man followed. Again there was some difficulty. The man went to the forest and he said to God: I don’t know the place, I don’t know the ritual, but you know all, so what is the point of doing it? I simply say to you: Save my village from this difficulty. And the village was helped.

Then that man died. Then it was another young man, and the village was again in difficulty. The young man never went to the forest, he sat in his chair and he said, Listen! I don’t know the place where those old people used to go, I don’t know the ritual, I don’t know the prayer that they used to say, but I will tell you a story – and I know you love stories – please help my village. And he told a story, and the village was helped.

I love this parable. God is a storyteller, he loves jokes…

Osho, Tao: The Three Treasures – Talks on fragments from Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Vol 3, Ch 2, Q 7 (excerpt)

Series compiled by Shanti
All excerpts of this series can be found in: 1001 Tales