Prince or Turkey – The Wisdom of Reb Nachman

(Published in The Outreach, March 2004)
The Outreach is the newsletter of Valley Outreach Synagogue, Reseda, California
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Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chasidim, taught his followers through parables and tales. He himself fell into periods of deep despair and learned and taught that every ascent is preceded by a descent. One of his celebrated tales concerned a prince and a turkey.

The prince was convinced that he was a turkey. So he sat beneath the table naked, pecking at some bones or crumbs.

The king was worried and he called upon the royal physicians who gave up on the prince.

A sage volunteered to help. The sage undressed and sat under the same table with the prince. Now the prince had company. "Who are you?" asked the prince, "And what are you doing here?"

And the other said "And you, what are you doing here?"

"I am a turkey". "Me too" said the sage. So they sat together for quite a while. Then after a number of days the sage signaled the king's servants to throw him two shirts.

The sage put his shirt on and said to the prince "What makes you think that a turkey can't wear a shirt?" So the prince put on a shirt. And so it was with the pants. "What makes you think that a turkey can't wear pants?" The prince emulated the sage until they both were completely dressed.

"What makes you think that you can't eat what you want?" And he ordered a meal. And the sage continued "What makes you think that you can't sit at a table?" So the prince sat at a table. The king was rejoiced, the prince returned to his former self.

What does the parable mean? Why on earth am I writing about it in our New Year’s edition of the Outreach?

Like so many stories from our tradition, this funny tale teaches me that every milestone, secular or religious, grants us new opportunities to define our lives; to reinstate our identities. Somewhere along the path of time we may have dropped our garments, forgotten our own values and even reduced ourselves to living moments of animal existence. Yet, Judaism asks us to hear the counsel of the sage. It challenges us to elevate ourselves; to live with purpose and character.

The story could easily have been curtailed with a simple God-given miracle. Had the author allowed God to reinstate the prince to his table miraculously, the story would have taught us to pray fervently and above all, to trust in God to lift us out of our woes and turmoil. Rather, the story puts the onus on us. Are there sages among us who can lend compassion and guidance? Certainly. They may be any number of people in our lives. However, it is we who must make the journey back to living well. It is up to us to choose; turkey or prince.

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year,

Cantor Ron Li-Paz