The Old Harp - Tales from the Past

The famed "Seer of Lublin" (Chassidic master Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, 1745?-1815) would sometimes interrupt his prayers to take a pinch of tobacco. One of his disciples noticed that and found it disrepectful. So the "Seer" told the following story:

A king heard an old harp player in the street and summoned him to the palace. There he played and the king loved his melodies, but it was annoying that the old man had to interrupt his songs frequently to tune his rickety instrument. When the king made a remark about that, the harp player answered him:

"Your majesty, I'm sure that my lord the king has lavishly outfitted chamber orchestras with new expensive instruments. But if it pleases my lord the king to listen to the tunes of an old man, his majesty will have to put up with the limitations and peculiarities of my art and of my tools."

The chassid understood.

By Shoshannah Brombacher

Text and image by chassidic artist Shoshannah Brombacher. To view or purchase Ms. Brombacher's art, click here.

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July 3, 2005

To Shoshannah Brombacher

Thank you for responding. I liked your description of the parent / little girl (very much), and I liked the thought that the service of the little girl with all its imperfections was what was wanted by the parent.

But in "The Old Harp" the King is annoyed with the imperfect service. And when He makes a remark about what annoys Him, He is then INFORMED -- so it reads -- that if He wants what the old harp player has to offer, He has to put up with things.

Helga Hudspeth

June 21, 2005

answer to Helga

Dear Helga,
You make a very valid point! HaShem does not have to put up with anything. But He chooses to deal with imperfect humans, although He has His ministering angels to serve Him too. You could compare it to a parent who prefers his or her little daughter to bring them a cup of coffee with all the risks of spilling or coffee that's too strong or too weak rather than have a butler who does anything in a perfect way but without the love and feelings of your sweet little child with his overful cup and non matching saucer with a soggy cooky. I think it's a matter of choice rather than of options, and we should say Barukh haShem for that.

Shoshannah Brombacher
New York, NY

May 22, 2005

???

I thought -- one does not say to G-d that He has to put up with anything at all.

I hope I've misunderstood. I hope that someone, be it author or editor or another person who reads this, will post something that will help me understand...

Helga Hudspeth