There once was a magician, great and noble and good- hearted, with all the attributes usually given in children’s books. But because he was so goodhearted, he did not know who to share his goodness with. He did not have anyone to
pour his affections on, to play with, to spend time with, to think about.
The magician also needed to feel wanted, for it is very sad to be alone.
What should he do? He thought he would make a stone, just a small one, but beautiful, and perhaps that would be the answer.
"I will stroke the stone and feel there is something constantly by my side, and we will both feel good because it is very sad to be alone." He waved his wand and in an instant there was a stone exactly as he wanted.
He began to stroke the stone, to hug it and talk to it, but the stone did not respond. It remained cold and did nothing in return. Whatever he did to the stone, it remained the same unfeeling object.
This did not suit the magician at all. How can the stone not respond? He tried creating some more stones, then rocks, hills, mountains, land, the Earth, the Moon and the Galaxy. But they were all the same... nothing.
He still felt sad and all alone. In his sadness, he thought that instead of stones, he would make a plant that would blossom beautifully. He would water it, give it some air, some sun, play it some music, and the plant would be happy. Then they would both be content, because it was sad to be alone.
He waved his wand and in an instant there was a plant, exactly as he wanted. He was so happy be began to dance around it, but the plant did not move. It did not dance with him or follow his movements. It only responded to what the magician gave it in the simplest terms.
If he gave it water, it grew; if he did not, it died. It was not enough for such a good-hearted magician who wanted to give with all his heart.
He had to do something more, because it is very sad to be alone. He then created all sorts of plants in all sorts of sizes, fields, forests, orchards, plantations and groves. But they all behaved the same way as the first plant, and again he was alone in his sadness.
The magician thought and thought. What should he do? Create an animal! What sort of animal? A dog? Yes, a cute little dog that would be with him constantly. He would take him for walks and the dog would jump and prance and run along.
When he came home to his palace (or rather, being a magician, his castle), the dog would be so pleased to see him he would run to greet him. They would both be happy, because it is very sad to be alone. He waved his wand and there was a dog, just as he wanted. He began to take care of the dog, fed it, gave it to drink, and stroked it. He even ran with it and washed it and took it for walks.
But a dog’s love is summed up in being next to its owner, wherever he is. The magician was sad to see that a dog cannot reciprocate, even if he plays with him so well and goes everywhere with him. A dog cannot be his true friend, cannot appreciate what he does for it, does not compre- hend his thoughts and desires, and how much effort he makes for it.
But that was what the magician wanted. So he made other creatures: fish, fowl, mammals, all to no avail—none of them understood him. It was very sad to be so alone.
The magician sat and thought. He then realized that in order to have a true friend, he must be someone who would look for the magician, would want him very much, would be like the magician, able to love like him, understand him, resemble him, be his partner. Partner? True friend?
It would have to be something that was close to him, that understood what he gave him and could reciprocate by giving him everything in return. Magicians also want to love and be loved. Then they would both be content, because it is very sad to be alone.
The magician then thought about creating a man. He could be his true friend! He could be like the magician. He would merely need help to be like his creator. Then the two of them would feel good, because it is very sad to be alone.
But in order for them to feel good, man must first feel lonely, and be sad without the magician. The magician waved his wand again and made a man in the distance. The man did not feel there was a magician who had made all the stones, plants, hills, fields and moon, rain, winds, etc. He did not know that he had made an entire world filled with beautiful things, such as computers and football that made him feel good and lacking nothing.
The magician, on the other hand, continued to feel sad that he was alone. The man did not know there was a magician who had made him, loved him, was waiting for him and said that together they would feel good because it is very sad to be alone.
Yet how would a man who feels content, who has everything, even a computer and football, who does not know the magician, want to find him, get acquainted with him, become close to him, love him, be his friend and say, "Come, we will both feel good, because it is very sad to be alone, without you."
One knows only one’s surroundings, and does what everyone else nearby does, speaks as they speak, wants what they want, tries not to offend, asks nicely for presents, a computer, or a football. How can the person possibly know there is a magician who is sad to be alone?
But the magician is goodhearted and constantly looks out for man, and when the time is ripe, he waves his wand and calls to the man’s heart very quietly. Man thinks he is looking for something and does not realize it is the magician who is calling him, saying, "Come, we will both feel good, because it is very sad to be alone without you."
Then, the magician waves his wand again and the man feels his presence. He begins to think of the magician, to think that it will be good together, because it is very sad to be alone, without the magician.
Another wave of the wand and the man feels there is a magic tower full of goodness and might in which the magician waits for him and that only there will they feel good, because it is very sad to be alone.
"But where is this tower? How can I reach it? Which is the way?" he asks himself, puzzled and confused. How can he meet the magician? He keeps feeling the wave of the wand in his heart and he cannot sleep. He constantly sees magicians and mighty towers and cannot even eat.
That is what happens when a person wants something very much and cannot find it, and is sad to be alone. But in order to be like the magician—wise, great, noble, good- hearted, loving and a friend—a wave of the wand is not enough. One must learn to make wonders oneself.
So the magician secretly and subtly, gently and innocu- ously, leads the man to the greatest, oldest magical book, the Book of Zohar, and shows him the way to the mighty tower. The man grasps it so he can swiftly meet the magician, meet his friend, and tell him, "Come, we will feel good together, because it is very sad to be alone."
Yet there is a high wall surrounding the tower, and many guards repel the man, not letting him and the magician be together and feel good. The man despairs, the magician hides
away in the tower behind locked gates, the wall is high, the guards vigilantly repel, nothing can pass.
What will happen...? How can they be together, feel good together because it is sad to be alone?
Every time the man weakens and despairs, he suddenly feels a wave of the wand and he rushes to the walls again to try to circumvent the guards, no matter what! He wants to break into the gates, reach the tower, climb the rungs of the ladder and reach the magician.
And every time he surges forward and moves nearer the tower and the magician, the guards become more vigilant, stronger and arduous, mercilessly flaying him. But with each round the man becomes braver, stronger and wiser. He learns to accomplish all sorts of tricks himself, to invent things only a magician can.
Every time he is pushed back, he wants the magician more, feels his love for him more, and wants more than anything else in the world to be with the magician and see his face, because it will be good to be together. Even if he is given everything in the world, without the magician, he will feel alone.
Then, when he can no longer bear to be without him, the gates of the tower open, and the magician, his magician, rushes towards him and says, "Come, we will be good together, because it is very sad to be alone."
And ever since, they are faithful friends, closely ac- quainted, and there is no finer pleasure than that which is between them, forever into infinity. They feel so good together that they never remember, even occasionally, how sad it was to be alone.
The End.
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