Translation:Tales of Rabbi Nachman/14
A king once went out hunting. He dressed in regular clothes so that he would feel more comfortable. Suddenly, heavy rain began to fall - literally a flood of rain. All of the ministers scattered for shelter, leaving the king in great danger. He searched until he found a little house in which dwelt a simple villager. The villager took the king in, gave him fresh clothes, and shared his food with him – groats and the like. He heated the oven and let the king sleep on some straw. It was surprisingly pleasant and sweet for the king. He had never experienced such sweetness, since he had been so tired and exhausted.
Meanwhile, the ministers searched for the king until they found him sleeping. They wanted to bring him back to the palace, but he told them, “Since you did not save me, rather each one of you ran to save himself, whereas this man saved me, and I have had such a pleasant experience here, therefore, he will bring me back in his buggy, with these clothes that he has given me, and he will sit next to me when I am on my throne.”
The Rebbe concluded by saying, “There is a tradition that before the Messiah will come, there will be a flood. This will not be a flood of water, but of heresy that will cover the tallest mountains. Even in the Land of Israel, where the waters of Noah’s Flood did not directly fall, the rain waters will splash into it due to the force of the downpour. In other words, heresy will ‘splash’ even into ‘kosher’ hearts, and there will be no way to protect oneself from it. Even all the ‘royal ministers’ will scatter and the very kingdom will shake. Only the simple Jews who recite Psalms with simplicity will survive, and when the Messiah will appear, they will be the ones to place the royal crown on his head.”