In 1583, Emperor Rudolf II of Austria moved his imperial court to Prague and proceeded to transform the city into one filled with astronomers, alchemists, artists, craftsmen, and humanists. He was fascinated with any sort of new knowledge, whether it was in science or the occult. He was also prone to mood swings and wild dreams, and he became unpredictable in his later years. Emperor Rudolf’s relationship with the Jewish community was positive on the whole — he changed laws to allow Jews fair trials and removed restrictions on trade. But he was most fascinated by the chief rabbi of Prague, the Maharal, R’ Yehudah Loewy zt”l, who was known to be well versed in Kabbalistic knowledge and mystical texts.
In Sefer Tzemach Dovid, a work on history by Rav Dovid Ganz zt”l, a talmid of the Maharal, we read the following: “The famous Emperor Rudolf, in his great kindness, invited Hagaon Harav Liva bar Bezalel, and he welcomed him beautifully and spoke to him face to face, as one would talk to his friend. The content and account of what was discussed at the visit are sealed and hidden. This took place in Prague, Sunday, the third of Adar 5352 (1592).”
There is much speculation about that meeting, and the following story is believed by some and discounted by others. It goes as follows: Although the Emperor had never actually met the Maharal, both Jews and non-Jews knew that he was a holy man, and they respected him greatly. The emperor was predisposed to deal kindly with the Jews. However, this upset the courtiers of the emperor, who planned to drive the Rabbi out of Prague and send him and his flock into exile. Knowing that the emperor would not immediately agree to anything of the sort, they enlisted the help of the Empress, who promised to induce the Emperor to carry out the plan. That evening, the Empress handed papers containing the harsh decree to her husband and demanded that he sign them at once. He told her he would “sleep on it” and deal with the papers in the morning.
That night, the emperor had a strange dream. He was waging war but was captured and placed in prison. For many years, the emperor remained in prison, living on bread and water, with no one believing who he was or taking any interest in him. One day, an old Jew passed the prison. The emperor called out to him. The old man stopped and looked at the prisoner behind the bars. “I am the emperor,” the prisoner exclaimed. “Don’t you recognize me?”
“You have changed, Sire,” the old man replied.
“I swear to you that I am Emperor Rudolf. Please get me out of here,” the prisoner begged desperately.
The old man knocked at the prison wall with his cane, and immediately, there appeared a passage in the wall. The emperor walked out and went with the old man to his home. “You cannot return to the palace in this state,” the old man told him, “for no one will recognize you. I will send for a barber and a tailor to groom you and prepare royal robes for you. In the meantime, lie down and rest.”
With tremendous gratitude, the emperor asked, “How can I ever thank you?”
The emperor awoke, and his thoughts turned to his strange dream. “Only the great Rabbi Loewy, whom I’ve heard so much about, could explain the meaning of my dream,” the emperor thought. “Request Chief Rabbi Loewy for an audience immediately!” the emperor called to his Royal Chamberlain. This is the backdrop to that fateful meeting in February.
As soon as the Maharal entered the royal chamber, the emperor recognized him as the old man he had seen in his dream. He was shocked. “Please tell me about my dream,” the emperor said, challenging the Maharal.
Instead, the Maharal smiled and replied, “What do you have under your pillow?”
The emperor now remembered that the Empress had placed a decree against the Jewish community under his pillow, to be ready for his signature first thing in the morning.
Awed by the presence and insight of the Maharal, Emperor Rudolf announced, “I promise you no harm will befall the Jews of Prague.” He sent for the papers and immediately tore them, shredding the cruel decree.
“You spared my brethren much suffering,” the Maharal said cryptically, “but you have spared yourself even greater pain.”
Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, filled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
