Falling in Love: Part Forty One: For all Those Looking to Call in the One: A Story of Reincarnation and Soul Mates: Marc Gafni

Dedicated to Katherine and her holy work:

The Scholar and the Onion Sellers Daughter

One day the Baal Shem Tov, as he was wont to do, stopped for a visit in a small village market. He came upon an old woman. With one hand she begged from the crowd, with the other she clutched a young boy whose face shone with light.

As the Baal Shem approached, the woman looked up at him with imploring eyes. “Please, Master, make me happy, take my son into your house, raise him as your own. Please, there could be no greater joy to me than having a learned son. This one joy, please.” The Baal Shem felt the woman’s pain and saw the great light that radiated from the child. He lifted the child from her arms and agreed to raise him as his own.

When the boy reached 18, all the matchmakers came knocking on the Baal Shem’s door, trying to make matches with the most sought-after daughters of the town. For everyone had heard that the young man was a great scholar, a soaring soul. But for some strange reason the Baal Shem refused every one of their offers, respectable as they may have been.

The Baal Shem had an offer of his own to make.

He set out for the outskirts of the town, to where a poor onion-peddler lived with his daughter. Now the daughter was a plain but peaceful girl who planted the onions that her father sold in town. Imagine their surprise when the Baal Shem appeared, seeking out the daughter as a match for his prodigal adopted son. With great joy the match was made and the wedding promptly arranged.

Come the wedding night, the townspeople came by the hordes to see who this onion-seller’s daughter was that she should merit such a husband. All were surprised by her plain appearance and simple ways. Finally someone mustered the nerve to ask, ‘Why did the Baal Shem choose this girl from all the rest?’ Hearing this, the Master, his face aglow with delight, threw back a L’Chayim and called out:

“Gather around! I would like to tell you a story of souls.

“There was once a Rabbi who was really a prince. Or perhaps he was a prince who was really a Rabbi. He was born the son of a King who had taught him to pursue the wisdom of the world. And so that is what the prince did. He traveled, gathering wisdom and returning to the palace only to set out again on his next quest. Along the way he met a Rabbi, and was so taken by his wisdom that he stayed, and learned with him, finally converting and becoming a great teacher himself. Since conversion was against the law of the land he masked his true identity and never returned to the palace again.

“Little did he know though, the palace would return to him. Sure enough, one day the Archbishop of the kingdom came to town. The Rabbi/Prince happened to be in the market place as the Archbishop’s entourage passed by. The Archbishop noticed a strangely familiar face in the crowd. Looking closer he realized it was the long lost son of the King, who was supposedly killed in his travels. Astounded, the Archbishop ordered that the Rabbi/Prince be brought to his chamber.

“As the Prince sat face to face with the Archbishop he could not help but tell the truth of his tale. When he finished, the Archbishop — with a twinkle in his eye – replied, ‘You know that if you go back to your father you have two choices – convert or be killed. But I would like to give you a third choice. You do not know it, but my grandparents were Moranno Jews, forced into conversion many years ago. I grew up a devout Christian and have achieved a great status in her ranks. But, I must admit, a part of me would like to stay here with you. Since I can not do that I would like to leave a part of me with you. That is, I will not reveal you if and only if you promise to marry my daughter.’ The Prince, considering his three options, agreed to the plan and married the Archbishop’s daughter.

“Years went by of harmony between the couple, and the Rabbi/Prince became a great Kabbalist. He learned the secrets of soul ascension, and nightly would travel to higher and higher levels of heaven. One night he finally arrived at the gates of Eden, reserved only for the Illumined Righteous. He was just about to enter when an angel came to block his way, explaining, ‘You may hold the keys to these gates…but two things still obstruct your path. One, you brought your father great grief. Two, you were forced into marrying someone you yourself did not choose. Before you are allowed to enter this portal, you must pass through the revolving door of death and birth in order to return to earthly life to correct these things.’

“He stepped up to the revolving door which would deliver him to death and rebirth, but suddenly remembered his love for his wife. Quickly, he devised a plan. Descending back into the world he came to his wife. ‘I have an offer for you.’ With this he told her of his heavenly ascent and the obstacles that barred his entrance to the garden of the Righteous. How he would like to pass on to the next life to perfect himself, but did not want to leave her behind. So they decided to die together, promising in the next life to return again as husband and wife.

“And so it was he fulfilled his past faults. He chose his wife even before he came to this world. And he made his mother happy by becoming a learned man. Just so, the Archbishop’s daughter was born to the onion-seller in order to be re-united with her soul mate. We are all witness to the awesome coming together of two destined souls. Souls who came to this world to restore and heal the hurts of their far past. So rejoice, rejoice, as you behold such a miracle as this!!!”

And rejoice they did. What did it matter she was an onion sellers daughter? They were soul mates who had journeyed through death and rebirth to become united again.

May every one of you, holy and beautiful people merit to call in the one by calling in the ONE.

marc gafni
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