I just find this situation so interesting/ironic. Godfrey de Bouillion the commander of one of the Crusader's armies, who plans to slay all Jews he falls into, seeks the blessing of a Jewish Rabbi. First off, why would this Rabbi bless him? Secondly, the way his prophecy haunts Godfrey and his decision making is quite telling. Rashi (the rabbi) tells him that he will conquer Jerusalem but only be king for three days, and after this he will only have three men left when he returns. This prophecy is fulfilled as Godfrey become King of Jerusalem for 3 days, but then he decides he can no longer be king. Thus, he fulfilled this portion of the prophecy. However, when he proceed back to Europe his men began to drop, but when he enter Worms (where Rashi lived) he still had 4 horsemen. This would not last long, as a giant rock fell on one of his horsemen and he was left with three. This greatly humbled Godfrey and he gave credit to Rashi.
(Stone falls on Godfrey's horseman: Image from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends. Pg. 201)
I like this story because it shows two men of very contrasting characters. Rashi is a humble servant of God and does not make rash decisions out of place. Whereas, Godfrey is attempting to follow the commands of the church, but also makes decisions that are of his own interest. I also appreciate how Godfrey in the end realizes he is a broken man (this can be difficult for someone of his stature to do) and gave praise to Rashi. I think if I were to retell this story, I would use animals in my retelling. Maybe characters from the Lion King...we shall see.
Bibliography. "King for Three Days" from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa (1919). Web Source.
No comments:
Post a Comment