Drops for the Crown Prince

It is told that the Maggid of Mezritch fell gravely ill, and his talmidim sent a pidyon nefesh to Rav Pinchas of Koritz, begging him to pray. Rav Pinchas prayed with all his strength, but felt as though something were blocking every request. He travelled to Mezritch to find out what it was.

At the door he met the young Rav Shneur Zalman, who told him the Maggid was resting. Rav Pinchas went on into the beis medrash and found pages of the Maggid's Chassidic teachings lying scattered on the floor. He lifted them with reverence and kissed them, then turned back in anger. "Now I understand," he said. "The deepest secrets of Torah are being spread out in the open, and this has brought harsh judgments that hold back my prayers."

Rav Shneur Zalman answered with a parable. A king who had waited long for a son stored the rarest medicines from every land, in case the child ever needed them. One day the prince fainted, and his jaws were clamped shut. The king commanded that the most precious potion be poured at his lips, even though most of it would run onto the floor. The servants hesitated to waste it. "My only care is my son," cried the king. "If a single drop gets through, he may live."

So it is with the Torah, he explained. It is the king's gift to his beloved son, Klal Yisroel, and if only a little reaches a heart, it is worth any spilling. Rav Pinchas replied that he had been given new life, and that the judgments were sweetened. The Maggid, it is told, recovered.