Look through that window. There’s a family sitting at a table, drinking wine and reclining like kings!” The king felt a tremendous rage bubbling inside him. His hand strayed to the sword at his side. “I’ll kick down that door myself and slay those insolent people! How dare they stay inside their homes when their king has come to be greeted by them!”

“Better to keep your sword in its sheath and hand me the signet ring upon your finger, Your Majesty.” Mubarak’s greedy eyes glowed as he stared at the gold ring resting on the king’s index finger. “I will travel immediately to the palace and have a royal document written, calling upon all Muslims to slaughter the Jews!”

“Take the ring!” The king tossed his ring through the air. Mubarak leaned forward on his horse and caught it.

Galloping through the night, Mubarak’s heart sang with glee. All the Jews of Istanbul would perish before his eyes and he would request special permission from the king to deal with Nosson the Adviser himself!

“Make way! Make way!” Mubarak screamed at the palace guards as he rode toward them. “Open the gates! I have an important message from the king!”

Leaping off his horse, Mubarak raced through the palace gates and flew up the stairwell to the room where all the royal decrees were written.

“Wake up, you fool!” Mubarak screamed at the elderly man tasked with overseeing the room of official scrolls. “Stop snoring. I need your assistance this instant!”

“That was the best sleep I’ve had since last month, Mubarak,” the elderly man complained as he stared blearily at Mubarak.

“Feast your eyes on this!” Mubarak thrust his finger in front of the man’s face and grinned with satisfaction as the man’s eyes lit up at the sight of the King’s royal signet ring. “That’s right, old man, I’ve been granted tremendous power on this night and I intend to use it to my fullest advantage.”

“W-whatever you need, I will p-provide!”

“Fresh parchment! Quickly! Write everything I dictate to you and do not change a word!”

“I’m ready when you are.”

“Citizens of Constantinople, this is a call to take up arms and unleash havoc upon the Jews of Istanbul. The Jews have disrespected our mighty, gracious, and powerful leader and they must pay the price. Greedy and selfish, the Jews take no interest in displaying even the smallest sign of honor towards our beloved ruler.

“Our King rode together with his entourage through the Jewish Quarter and there were none to greet him! How can we tolerate such dishonor in our midst? Grab your spears, O Muslim brothers, unsheathe your sabers and lay destruction and death upon the Jewish community. Let them cower in fear for their lives and do not hold back from slaying even the women and children!”

Hours earlier, Nosson had been putting the finishing touches on the Seder plate when he realized his golden kos was missing.

“Where is my golden cup?” he asked one of his servants.

“Ah, master’s cup is still in the closet in the guest bedroom. Should I retrieve it?”

“No, our esteemed guest is sleeping there now and I don’t want you to wake him up. I will go myself very quietly and retrieve it.”

Nosson placed his hand on the doorknob where the Baal Shem Tov was sleeping and slowly turned it. Tiptoeing cautiously across the room, he retrieved his cup from the closet and began making his way back out of the room.

Suddenly he saw something on the tzaddik’s face as the holy Baal Shem slept upon his bed. Upon closer inspection he realized that the Baal Shem Tov was crying and tears were falling rapidly from underneath his closed eyes.

Nosson felt his heart skip a beat. He felt frozen in his place. Mesmerized, he watched the tzaddik weep silently in his sleep as holy tears drenched the pillow where his head lay.

“I mustn’t disturb the tzaddik!” Nosson muttered to himself, forcing himself to leave the room quickly.

But just before the door had closed, he saw the Baal Shem Tov’s face suddenly break out in a wide smile. The tears stopped falling and instead a wonderful chuckle emitted from his mouth. It was a most remarkable transformation from sadness to happiness.

Later, as they returned from shul, Nosson asked the Baal Shem Tov to explain what had occurred during the tzaddik’s slumber.

“Now is not the time, Reb Nosson, but soon you will understand everything!”

Nosson did not understand at all, but he believed the Baal Shem Tov, and the rest of their walk through the streets of Constantinople continued without any further mention of the curious incident.

During Hallel, the Baal Shem Tov’s voice rang with joy and thankfulness.

“Osay niflaos! Osay niflaos! For He performs wonders!”

Everyone at the table sensed that something incredible was occurring, but they did not understand why the tzaddik continued repeating the same verse over and over again.

“Osay niflaos! Osay niflaos!”

Now the Baal Shem Tov was singing these words in a most beautiful melody that carried through the window and rang out in the streets. Nosson watched speechlessly as tears of happiness rolled down the tzaddik’s cheeks.

“Osay niflaos! Osay niflaos!”

The beautiful song continued late into the night.

Around dawn, Nosson awoke from his sleep and felt an unexplained urge to travel immediately to the king’s palace. He quickly got dressed and walked briskly until the palace loomed into view over the trees.

Nosson hurried through the palace until he reached the king’s chambers. He sensed at once that something was wrong. The king’s face flashed with anger when he saw him and he rose in an uncontrolled fury from his throne.

“Ha! So only now you show your face?” The king unsheathed his sword and strode towards Nosson.

“Wait!” Nosson cried, raising his arms. “I don’t understand! What happened?”

“The disrespect of your nation knows no bounds!” The king lifted his sword high over his head.

“Finish him off, Father!” The king’s son cried from the doorway. “Be done with the Jew once and for all!”

The king brought the sword down with a terrible cry of rage.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 732)