The King and the physician

From Torah Tzohar

It is told that there was once a very wise and great physician. The king became angry with him and told him that he should be placed in prison and bound with chains around his neck. They took off his garments and dressed him with sackcloth. He was given only barley bread to eat with a little salt and a jug of water. They placed him
in a pit, in a small cell like a grave. The king then told his prison warden to relay to him what the physician would say.

When the physician was in the dungeon for quite a number of days the king asked his men, "What has this man said?"

"My lord the king," they replied, "most days the man sits and is silent. When he says two words they are said with great wisdom."

After a few days the king told the physician's relatives to visit him in the dungeon to see if he would say something to them. When they went to visit him they said to him, "Master, you are enduring such terrible suffering. You have heavy chains around your neck and feet. You are in a narrow small cell with barely enough food to subsist.
But we see that your face has not changed and you have not become worn out."

The physician replied, "I have made myself a beverage from seven drugs. I drink a little of it each day and it restores my strength."

"Teach us about these seven drugs," they replied. "If we are ever in such a situation we will live and not die."

The physician said, "I will tell you the seven remedies. The first remedy is faith." He said, "This is the faith that I have in G-d that he will liberate me from all this evil. He will bring the king around to release me from this dungeon. The heart of kings and princes is in G-d's Hands. (Proverbs 21:1)

The second remedy is hope. I have hope that G-d will take me out of here.

The third remedy is my knowledge that my sins have caused me all these troubles. Therefore, since it is all my fault, why should I grieve?

The fourth remedy is that I realize that I am obeying the king's command by being here. If he decrees that I die before my time, I will die.

The fifth remedy is my knowledge that G-d will certainly punish me for my sins. He is punishing me for my sins to atone for them in this world so that I will have good reward in the next world. It is thus written, 'Happy is the man whom G-d punishes.' (Psalms 94:12) Why should I not rejoice in these troubles? They are really for my
benefit.

The sixth remedy is praise and thanksgiving which I give to G-d for these troubles. I realize that they could have been much worse. They are now giving me barley bread. It is possible that they could just as easily not have given me anything. They have given me this sackcloth. They could have left me totally naked in this cell. They
could have made my suffering so great that I would be begging for what I have now. Why should I not praise G-d for not making things much worse than they are now?

The seventh remedy is my knowledge that G-d is merciful and compassionate, changing His mind about evil. G-d's help can come in the wink of an eye.

I hope that G-d will quickly take me out of these straits, but as long as I have this beverage and this remedy, why should my face change colour and why should my flesh become weak?"

When the king heard these words and the great wisdom they entailed and the serenity and patience that this physician had had, he was very impressed. The man had not said a single bad word about the king and had not lashed out because of these troubles, but had accepted them with love as atonement for his sins. The king then sent word to take the physician out of the dungeon. He forgave him for his misdeeds and raised him to an even higher position then he had had before.