“The best definition of God is that all things are really possible”. – Soren Kierkegaard
Walter Benjamin tells this Hasidic story of wonder. In a small village, the locals were sitting together in a shabby inn one Sabbath. They were all Jews and village residents, with the exception of one person no one knew who was squatting in a dark corner at the back of the room. He was dressed in shabby clothes and many thought he must be a beggar. All sorts of things were being discussed. And it was then suggested that everyone should tell the group what wish he would make if one were granted to him. One man wanted money; another wished for a son-in-law; a third dreamed of a new carpenter’s bench; so everyone took a turn. After they had finished, only the ‘beggar’ in the dark corner remained. Reluctantly and hesitantly he answered the question this way, “I wish I were a powerful king reigning over a big country. Then, some night while I was asleep in my palace, an enemy would invade my country, and by dawn his horsemen would penetrate my castle and meet no resistance. Roused from my sleep, I wouldn’t have time to even dress and I would have to flee in my night shirt. Rushing over hill and dale and through forests day and night, I would finally arrive safely right here at this inn and in this dark corner. This is my wish.” The others exchanged uncomprehending glances. One asked, “And what good would this wish have done for you?” The man answered, “I’d have this shirt.”
Walter Benjamin tells this Hasidic story of wonder. In a small village, the locals were sitting together in a shabby inn one Sabbath. They were all Jews and village residents, with the exception of one person no one knew who was squatting in a dark corner at the back of the room. He was dressed in shabby clothes and many thought he must be a beggar. All sorts of things were being discussed. And it was then suggested that everyone should tell the group what wish he would make if one were granted to him. One man wanted money; another wished for a son-in-law; a third dreamed of a new carpenter’s bench; so everyone took a turn. After they had finished, only the ‘beggar’ in the dark corner remained. Reluctantly and hesitantly he answered the question this way, “I wish I were a powerful king reigning over a big country. Then, some night while I was asleep in my palace, an enemy would invade my country, and by dawn his horsemen would penetrate my castle and meet no resistance. Roused from my sleep, I wouldn’t have time to even dress and I would have to flee in my night shirt. Rushing over hill and dale and through forests day and night, I would finally arrive safely right here at this inn and in this dark corner. This is my wish.” The others exchanged uncomprehending glances. One asked, “And what good would this wish have done for you?” The man answered, “I’d have this shirt.”
