I stood in amazement watching the elderly Hasidic master, the renowned Kabbalah scholar, alone, silent in prayer.  Now reposed within the sanctity of Jerusalem, he appeared holy.  I expected any moment his body would take flight, yet it was my fancy.  In truth, it appeared he may never rise from the collapsed position of prayer he had assumed.  His body was feeble and weak, too near death.  How could I forget when I had least seen him as we ventured away from the Ukraine, bound for pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The wise one possessed an enigmatic esteemed reputation.  During initial travel, the only thing I saw of him was a polite old man, one pleased with silence, the company of his wife and grandson, content amongst others, yet not the focal point.  I knew his reputation, his revered academic accomplishments, the whispers of holy works of miraculous nature, the pension for profound prayer.  I attempted to engage him in subtle, weighty conversation.  He responded with apologies for his poor health, expressing an inability to recall much of anything.  He could not even recall titles of his books.  I thought he was playing a clever game.  I kept my eye on him, yet his rescinded nature remained throughout the trip.  Others knew of his work and teachings, also attempting to engross him in conversation.  Nothing proved successful.  Word spread that his wife begged for everyone to leave him alone.  We all subsisted in effort to bring him forth in conversation.

Resting in a large city upon our way, a startling event transpired.  Word spread of the master’s presence, a miracle and prophesy being attached to him.  A substantial crowd gathered outside our hotel, the boisterous bunch becoming loud in their intent to see the holy man.  Throughout the day, and into the night nothing happen.  The one thing that did happen was his wife going amongst the people weeping, telling them to go away or something awful was going to happen.  She expressed desperate need for the people to disperse.

The following morning as I made my way to breakfast, laughter and a crowd outside the entrance drew my attention.  Investigating, the most startling of sites presented itself.  There was the master covered in his own feces, crawling upon his hands and knees like a dog, barking hysterically at the people mocking him.  His barking only interrupted by efforts of licking the sidewalk.  A gang of ruffians began kicking at the old man, verbally abusing him.  The young toughs ordered the old man to lick their feet.  Remarkably the old man obliged, cleansing the filthy feet with his tongue.  The toughest of the toughs, progressed matters to the grotesque, pissing upon the back of the old man. The entire time, more and more people were gathering, again creating a bustling atmosphere, an intended apotheosis of the religious teacher. Weeping, screaming absurdities, his wife had to be restrained by friends and family.  Finally, one of the family members, a young boy of about fourteen, the grandson, managed to haul his grandfather to his feet and carry him into the hotel.

The pilgrims gathered their luggage departing the hotel that day, leaving the old man, his wife, and grandson behind.  All were disappointed their wise old man had lost his mind.

Now weeks later, his tranquil wife at his side, his reading handsome grandson also, the old man appeared content, serene, at peace in prayer.  Noticing me witnessing, another family member approached.

“Look at him alone with God.  God be so good to me, that I can attain such grace.  They pushed him too far.  The bastards had to try and force him to be a spectacle, to be an entertaining public holy man   They had no idea how far, and willing, he was committed to go in order to advance, to what extremes he would endure in order to diminish his reputation before arriving in the Holy Land,  You know what he said before going out into the street the day of his shame?  His wife came in, suggesting he should say something to the people for they desired to hear him speak.  He paced back and forth in our hotel room, before making a stern announcement: Today this nonsense of my reputation comes to an end”.