"It is of utmost importance that you be very pure. Many cannot prepare themselves properly. Are you prepared to do this?”

Damascus, 17th Century

The sheik shook his head and wagged his finger at Rav Moshe.
"You must know that I can never reveal such a great secret to you. I am forbidden to reveal it. For many generations, this secret has been passed down in my family from father to son. We allow no one outside of our immediate family to know of it. I’m sorry, but I cannot speak anymore about this.”
Rav Moshe was not impressed by the sheik’s words. Softly but firmly, he pressed the sheik to tell him the truth. Back and forth they argued, but the tzaddik prevailed in the end.
“Fine, I will tell you, but on one condition.” The sheik paused, his breath turning shallow. “You must undergo two days of fasting and when you finally break your fast, do not have meat or wine. On the third day, immerse in a natural spring of water, don your finest garments, and return to me. During the two days of fasting, remain secluded from other people and immerse yourself in holy things. You must prepare yourself for what will happen on the third day. I cannot stress enough that it is of utmost importance that you be very pure. Many cannot prepare themselves properly. Are you prepared to do this?”
“Yes,” Rav Moshe replied. “I will see you again in three days.”
Rav Moshe left the sheik’s house, secluded himself in the back of a shul, and began his period of fasting. As he sat there, a man called Akiva the Storyteller entered the front of the shul and sat down with a group of young children. As the children eagerly surrounded Akiva, the storyteller began to speak.
“Listen closely, my children, as I tell you of the great wisdom of the wisest man who ever lived, Shlomo Hamelech. The nations of the world think that through their scrolls and teachings they can attain great wisdom about the world, but the truth is that all wisdom is contained in the Torah, and one who truly understands the Torah understands everything. Come closer now, and let me tell you how Shlomo Hamelech used his great wisdom to outsmart an African king.”
And this is the famous story about Shlomo Hamelech that Akiva told: