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The Damaged Diamond

A Parable

By Pesach and Chana Burston

Once there was a great and powerful king, who ruled many lands. His most precious treasure was a diamond—the most flawless diamond in the world.

One day, at a royal party, the king flaunted his diamond, passing it from guest to guest as it rested on a soft velvet pillow. Suddenly, the diamond fell and became deeply scratched.

The king summoned his jewelers to correct the blemish. However, they informed him that they could not remove the blemish without cutting the surface, thus reducing the diamond’s value.

Finally, a craftsman appeared and assured the king that he could fix the diamond without reducing its value. The self-confidence this artist displayed convinced the king to entrust the diamond’s repair to him.

The scratch had become the stem of an exquisite rose Several days later, the artist returned with the diamond. The king was astonished to see that the ugly scratch had disappeared. In its place, a beautiful rose was engraved.

The scratch had become the stem of an exquisite flower.
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By Pesach and Chana Burston   More articles...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author
About the artist: Sarah Kranz has been illustrating magazines, webzines and books (including five children’s books) since graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design, Milan, in 1996. Her clients have included The New York Times and Money Marketing Magazine of London

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: June 15, 2011
another mashel
Here is another example of the same type:

"When an oyster gets an irratation, it creates a pearl"!!!!

It doesn't complain and kwetch, it builds and brings to purpose to it's sufferilng and beauty to the world.

I know a magnificient coulpe who have a
family blessed with many children. Then they had triplets and one of them had an extremely severe case of cerebral palsy.
Not being able to get help here they traveled all over the world with him until they found a doctor who could alleviate part of his suffering.

And then what did they do? They got him
to donate the equipment to a hospital in Israel to help others, and then they opened a school for C.P. kids.

They turned their extreme suffering and pain into a pearl. May G-d protect us all
that we will never have such a nisiyon(trial)
but if we do, chalila, may we pass with
flying colors.
Posted By Shoshanah, Jerusalem , Israel

Posted: May 16, 2011
Is this story found in the Talmud? Midrash?
Is this story found in the Talmud? Midrash? It is so beautiful.
Posted By Anonymous, jerusalem, israel

Posted: Sep 23, 2009
Brilliant
What a powerful Story. I'd love to see more like this.
Posted By Nechemia, Peabody, MA
via jewishpeabody.com

Posted: Sep 23, 2009
life's journey
The diamond is the hardest substance in the temporal realm. It is a closed, hardened and unyielding substance. The flawless nature, and value, of the diamond is due to it's unchangeability. Life's journey is the opposite...to have a life filled with beauty we must open our hearts and minds. We must be willing to yield to new ideas. A closed heart is the very opposite to beauty and value.
Perhaps, when the jeweller converted the scratch into a rose he was showing that something that hard cannot be valued. The value is in the potential. Like life's journey our potential is our true value.
Posted By Jeff G., San Diego, CA/USA

Posted: Nov 10, 2008
Transformation
I think that it all boils down to attitude.
If we allow ourselves to look beyond the imperfections in our lives, and look at what
"can be," we allow ourselves to be content with what actually is.
There is definitely a peace in this.
Posted By Beth Mize, Gainesville, Ga. USA

Posted: July 14, 2006
the scratch had become...
The scratch did not become anything, it was transformed by the work and skill and insight of the artist. This is a matter of inner work - the ability to see damage, and negative attributes as potential for beauty and positive expression is more than perspective, it is a fundamental transformation of what, why & how you think about every detail of every event.
Communicating the beauty of life in a cactus needle seems crazy unless you have no water, at that point the cactus needle means you have potential for life. The artist saw not the affect of the scratch on the diamond, he saw the diamond and the scratch as independent elements related by their position, not one inflicted upon the other.
Posted By Reb Yehonaton

Posted: July 13, 2006
The Diamond
And so too in our lives, a scratch can become the stem of something beautiful!

HURRICANE KATRINA did a lot of destruction and beauty came out of it as well. Many of us still do not have our kitchens back to order since the hurricane but, we all meet at shul every Friday night for a wonderful Shabbos dinner! None of us have to spend Shabbos alone.
Posted By Jane Tavlin, Metiaire, LA

Posted: July 12, 2006
lemons and lemonade
If life hands you lemons, and you make lemonade, then don't you practice some form of judo or aikido? Aren't matters of perspective always in our heads?
Posted By Mark Cameron, Walsenburg, Colorado



 


Teshuvah: The Art of Return
The Best Kept Secret in the World
Where is Life's “Undo” Function?
Vistas
Voicemail
A Voice from Heaven
How to Change the Past
G‑d's Business
Forgiveness
The Tenth Jew
A Pound of Candles
A Tzaddik's Repentance
Movement
The Damaged Diamond

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