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Forty Days and Forty Nights
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He was a noted scholar who had accomplished much in his Torah-study career.
Now he had discovered in an obscure tome of Kabbala that if a suitable person
were to pass forty days and forty nights without uttering a single unnecessary
word, he would merit the exalted spiritual state of ruach hakodesh
("Divine Inspiration").
Excited, he decided to attempt it. He spent as much of the time as he could
studying Torah, and avoided social contact as much as he was able. The required
time period passed without mishap, and he uttered a deep sigh of relief. But
then he became short of breath again, as he began to tremble in anticipation of
the blessed revelation.
After the Evening Prayer, he isolated himself in his room and waited...and
waited. And waited.
He couldn't understand. What had gone wrong? He knew with certainty that he
hadn't failed the requirement. Perhaps he had miscounted the days?
But another day and night went by, and another, and another, and still the
blessed bestowal did not happen. How could this possibly be?  | | " ...Was this any way for a spiritual leader to live, a chasidic rebbe no less?" | | |
He decided to journey to consult the chasidic rebbe he had heard so
much about, Rabbi Yisrael of Rhyzhin. When he arrived at the Rebbe's court, he
was astonished at what he saw. The Rebbe lived in extraordinary luxury! Home,
furnishings, clothing and appurtenances were all made of the most expensive
materials and were of a quality fit for the highest level of aristocratic
decadence. Was this any way for a spiritual leader to live, a chasidic
rebbe no less?
He wondered if he had made a mistake in coming, and, as the days passed, he
became convinced of it. How could a person who lived in such luxury possibly
have anything to tell him about Divine Inspiration? He decided to leave for home
without even speaking to the so-called holy master. | | " He paused, and then patted one of the horses on the head three times..." | | |
As he passed by the Rhyzhiner Rebbe's house, he saw the Rebbe emerge. Four
magnificent white steeds had been harnessed to a carriage worthy of royalty. As
the Rebbe was about to mount to his seat, he paused, and then patted one of the
horses on the head three times.
This was too much for the frustrated scholar to bear. He dashed over to the
Rebbe and challenged, "Explain to me, please, exalted sir, what spiritual work
is a chasidic master engaged in when he is petting a horse?"
The Rhyzhiner Rebbe gazed at him a moment before answering kindly, "Ah, but
you do not understand. This special horse just completed forty days and nights
without uttering an unnecessary word!"
[Based on oral sources and Sippurei Chassidim, Torah #12, and
first published in Kfar Chabad Magazine - English.]
Editor's note:
A variant of this story has the man consulting the Baal Shem Tov, who
asks him, "During the forty days and nights, did you pray all the daily prayers?
Did you recite Psalms?"
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