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In the days of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, that holy and magnificent, honorable, and princely rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Hamon of blessed memory, flourished. He was a man who devoted his life to his people and stood in the King’s Gateway facing every enemy and slanderer. He obtained an order from the king that any blood libel made, namely, that the Jewish people put blood in matzah, was not to be brought before any minister or judge but only to the King’s Gateway itself. It was said that the Sultan Suleiman he was a pious and G-d-fearing king because Eliyahu haNovi of blessed memory appeared to him.
The reason for this was that he loved the Jewish people and involved them in state affairs. Indeed, so great was his affection for them that the vizier, who hated the Jewish people, began to envy them, and thought of all kinds of plots in order to do violence to them, endanger their lives and damage the Kehilla. The evil vizier wanted to exterminate all the Jewish people, the young and old, children and women and blot them out from the world. (Esther 3:13) He ordered that a tunnel be built underground from his home to the royal palace and open into the royal bedchamber where the king slept. The tunnel was built as he ordered.
One midnight as the king was lying on his bed, he heard a voice speaking to him like an unearthly spirit from underground, “Suleiman, Suleiman, you cow, how long will you rest like an animal? When will you rise from your sleep? Rise swiftly and go away from where you are and destroy the Jewish people so that the name of Israel will never be remembered anymore and they have no remnant or remains and have no pity for this is what you are commanded.”
When the sultan heard this grievous charge, he trembled very much indeed and said, “Who are you to call upon the king?” Then the voice responded, “Have neither fear nor dread. I am your prophet, who speaks to you, and I do not do all this of my own desire, but Allah has sent me! Do not say in your heart that this is a dream. The words come from Allah, and He wishes you to perform this task speedily, since they are your enemies. This is what you must do to destroy them, in three days time send a host of fearless soldiers to destroy, slay and make an end of them, young and old, babes and women, and let their property be plundered, and all will be well with you, and I shall return to you another time.”
Though the king heard all this, he paid no attention, telling himself that it might be a chance or a dream or some evil spirit that wished to confuse him. So, he turned around and slumbered until daylight. But the next night the false prophet came to him again and repeated what he had said the night before. Then the king grew alarmed and thought, ‘This is a bad matter for the Jewish people, for it brings them evil.” So he sent and summoned his physician, who was the holy Rabbi Moshe, whom the king and queen respected most highly, in order to tell him all that had happened and what was commanded of him regarding the destruction of the Jewish people.
So the holy rabbi Moshe came and bowed down before the sultan and said, “I am ready and prepared to serve my lord.” The sultan said to him, “Know and learn that the King of the universe told me yesterday through our prophet that in three days time you will fall into the hands of your enemies, and those who hate you will overwhelm you and exterminate and destroy you till you are stamped out from the face of the earth, and you will not be able to stand against your foes, for the decree has been passed against you in heaven. Now I wish you to know this and tell me what answer I can give to those who sent the command.”
When Rabbi Moshe heard these words, his heart melted within him and turned to water. He cried a loud and bitter cry and fell at the sultan’s feet and wept and entreated him to make this evil pass away. He said, “Alas, my lord! I pray you, remember how I have gone about before you from my youth until this day with a whole heart and an eager soul, and deliver us, do not abandon us and do not turn your heart toward these words.”
Sadly, the sultan answered, ‘What can I do when I have heard from Behind the Curtain that you have all been caught in this snare. But if you so desire, come tonight and you will hear the voice speaking to me, for it will certainly come and without delay.”
Now on the third night the voice came again and repeated the same things as before. Rabbi Moshe heard this and fell on his face. When the sultan saw that Rabbi Moshe had fallen, he was astonished and confused at the sight and said, ‘Why do you slumber? Get up and leave this place and go to some mountain or valley to save your soul, for you are precious in my eyes, and flee swiftly to the mountains lest you meet your end in the city, for there is nothing more valuable to any man than his soul.” He wished to have a horse brought for him to ride upon it wherever he might desire to go and gave him a pass written and sealed with the king’s seal that no man might dare to do him any harm or injury. So Rabbi Moshe turned his face to the wilderness and rode away, weeping, and bewildered.
As he was riding, a man came toward him and asked, “What is your calling? And where do you come from? What is your country? And who are your people?” Rabbi Moshe answered each question in due order. Then the man asked him, “If you truly have faith in Hashem, why have you abandoned your people and forsaken your responsibility.” Then Rabbi Moshe understood that this must be Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet) of blessed memory. He leaped from the horse and fell at his feet, quivering and shaking and trembling, and he said to him, “Surely my lord is aware of the evil which is going to befall tomorrow. Now how could I stay and see this evil befall my people, and how could I stay to see the destruction of my birthplace?” Then Eliyahu haNovi answered him, “Return to the sultan’s palace and to his chamber, tell him I will be with your mouth and I will teach you what you shall say. (Exodus 4:12) Speak to him and tell him I shall meet him in the royal garden, but I cannot rise in his presence, since he is of impure soul. And let this be the sign that I have sent you. Go and tell him, “This is, indeed, a foul happening, but he can immediately purify himself of his polluted actions by washing and immersion.”
Rabbi Moshe turned about and went to the sultan’s inner chamber, where he bowed himself down. The king was startled to see him and said, “Come in peace!” Then he told him all that had happened, and the command given him by Eliyahu haNovi of blessed memory. At this the king rejoiced very much indeed and changed his garments and purified himself and went to the garden where he bent the knee and prostrated himself before Eliyahu haNovi. And Eliyahu haNovi said to him, “I have been fully informed of all that you do for the Jewish people. May the Holy One, blessed be He repay you for your deeds. But on this occasion, you almost behaved very foolishly, for who has turned his hand against them and come away clean? All this is the plan of your evil vizier, who seeks the kingdom for himself and wishes to destroy you from the very face of the earth. Let this be your test and trial of him. Have all the ground under your bedchamber dug up, and you will find that you will reach his home; for such was his plan and that he did.”
The he did as Eliyahu haNovi told him and he found the tunnel that led to the vizier’s house. So they hanged the vizier at the entry to his home. The incident was written in the records as a memorial and a sign for the rebellious. And it was then that the sultan made a covenant with Eliyahu haNovi of blessed memory according to which the latter came to visit him once in every month. And so it came about.
In every generation there are those who rise up against us to destroy us, but the Holy and Blessed One delivers us from their hands. (Vehi Sheamda the Passover Haggadah)
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
