Audio
"The Lost Princess" is the first of Rebbe Nachman's 13 Fables from Ancient Days. As Harav Ginsburgh explains, this story provides the background for the other fables.
To hear the class, click above under audio.
You can find the text of the story in the PDF link above. If you would like to view it on the internet, click here.
In Sichot Haran (The Discourses of Rebbe Nachman, 198), Rebbe Nachman's disciple, Rebbe Nathan wrote a note about this story:
When I [Rebbe Nathan] returned from Berdichev after Chanukah in the winter of 5570 (1810), the Rebbe [Rebbe Nachman] told me that he had a story to tell.
He said, "This tale has only been told once before, before Solomon's Temple was built. The only ones who understand it were: the prophet who told it and the one to whom it was told. Even the other prophets could not fathom it. Although this story has already been told once, it is now a totally new concept. Many things have changed since it was last told. It was told once before in accordance with that time, but now it must be told in accordance with the present.
"This story has removed any questions that I might have had about my life. At first I found it very difficult to understand why we are not respected in this world. But this story answered any question I might have had."
The Rebbe was prepared to tell the story, but events intervened and we were not worthy of hearing it.
Shortly afterwards, the Rebbe told the story The Master of Prayer, the twelfth story in his Sippurey Ma'asiot (Rabbi Nachman's Fables). However, he said that this was not the story he had mentioned earlier. He said that the first story was much more beautiful than The Master of Prayer, awesome and wonderful as the latter may be. Happy is he who is worthy of hearing this story in the Future World.
(This class was given on the 20th of Elul, 5764 in Toronto)
