Located by Yitz Grossman.
A Portuguese Marrano, who had settled in Tzefas, listened carefully to the Rabbi’s lecture about the lechem hapanim, which used to be offered in the Beis Hamikdash every Shabbos. In his lecture, the rabbi sighed and said with anguish that now, due to our many sins, we do not have the Beis Hamikdash and we do not offer lechem hapanim. This Marrano, who had not learned Torah and was very naive in his service of Hashem, heard this, went home and innocently told his wife that every Friday she should prepare for him two loaves of bread sifted thirteen times. He requested that she kneads the dough in purity and bake it well in the oven, because it was his desire to offer the bread before the aron kodesh, and perhaps Hashem would accept the loaves which he would set before Him.
His wife baked him the loaves, and every Friday he would stand before the aron kodesh in the shul and daven and plead with Hashem to accept his offering. He would offer his supplication like a son entreating his father, after which he would set the two loaves down and leave.
The shamash would come every Friday and remove the two loaves, without inquiring where they came from. After maariv, this G-d-fearing Jew would run to the aron kodesh, and since he wouldn’t find the loaves, he would be elated and full of joy, and he would go home and tell his wife, “Praise and thanks to Hashem, may He be blessed, for He has accepted the bread. For Hashem’s honor, don’t be lax in making the loaves next week and be very careful, because we do not have any means of honoring Him other than with these loaves And so we are obligated to give Him pleasure through them.” This custom of the Marrano couple continued for a long time.
One Friday, the rabbi who had given the lecture about the lechem hapanim lingered in the shul. At the same time, this man came into the shul, as he did every Friday, with the two freshly-baked loaves. He approached the aron kodesh, and began to pour out his heart in prayers and supplications, without noticing that the rav was present in the shul. He was filled with such enthusiasm and happiness as he brought this gift before Hashem that he didn’t pay attention to anything else.
The rabbi kept quiet, and saw and heard everything the man said and did, and it angered him greatly. He called to him and rebuked him: “You fool! Does Hashem eat and drink? Of course it is only the shamash who takes these loaves, and you are foolish enough to think that Hashem is the one who accepts them.”
The rabbi continued to rebuke the man until the shamash came as usual to take the loaves. The rabbi called the shamash over and he admitted that he was the one who removed the two loaves every week. Upon hearing this, the poor simple Jew began to cry and asked the rabbi to forgive him, since he had erred in understanding his lecture. Although he thought he had been doing a mitzvah, he now understood that he was really doing an aveirah.
Immediately after this, a special messenger came to the rabbi from the holy Ari, and told him: “Go home and leave a will for your household, because tomorrow, at the time when you are scheduled to give your lecture, you will die, for this decree has already been set.” Upon hearing these dreadful tidings, the rabbi was frightened and went to the holy Ari to ask him what had happened. The Arizal replied: “I have heard that your sin was that you have put a stop to Hashem’s pleasure. From the day that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Hashem never experienced pleasure as he did when the Marrano in his innocence would bring the two loaves of bread and offer them to His aron kodesh with the conviction that Hashem accepted them from him. Because you stopped him from bringing the loaves, death has been decreed upon you, and there is no way to avert this decree.”
The rabbi went home and left a will for his family. On Shabbos, when it was time for him to give his lecture, he died, just as the holy Ari had foretold.
His wife baked him the loaves, and every Friday he would stand before the aron kodesh in the shul and daven and plead with Hashem to accept his offering. He would offer his supplication like a son entreating his father, after which he would set the two loaves down and leave.
The shamash would come every Friday and remove the two loaves, without inquiring where they came from. After maariv, this G-d-fearing Jew would run to the aron kodesh, and since he wouldn’t find the loaves, he would be elated and full of joy, and he would go home and tell his wife, “Praise and thanks to Hashem, may He be blessed, for He has accepted the bread. For Hashem’s honor, don’t be lax in making the loaves next week and be very careful, because we do not have any means of honoring Him other than with these loaves And so we are obligated to give Him pleasure through them.” This custom of the Marrano couple continued for a long time.
One Friday, the rabbi who had given the lecture about the lechem hapanim lingered in the shul. At the same time, this man came into the shul, as he did every Friday, with the two freshly-baked loaves. He approached the aron kodesh, and began to pour out his heart in prayers and supplications, without noticing that the rav was present in the shul. He was filled with such enthusiasm and happiness as he brought this gift before Hashem that he didn’t pay attention to anything else.
The rabbi kept quiet, and saw and heard everything the man said and did, and it angered him greatly. He called to him and rebuked him: “You fool! Does Hashem eat and drink? Of course it is only the shamash who takes these loaves, and you are foolish enough to think that Hashem is the one who accepts them.”
The rabbi continued to rebuke the man until the shamash came as usual to take the loaves. The rabbi called the shamash over and he admitted that he was the one who removed the two loaves every week. Upon hearing this, the poor simple Jew began to cry and asked the rabbi to forgive him, since he had erred in understanding his lecture. Although he thought he had been doing a mitzvah, he now understood that he was really doing an aveirah.
Immediately after this, a special messenger came to the rabbi from the holy Ari, and told him: “Go home and leave a will for your household, because tomorrow, at the time when you are scheduled to give your lecture, you will die, for this decree has already been set.” Upon hearing these dreadful tidings, the rabbi was frightened and went to the holy Ari to ask him what had happened. The Arizal replied: “I have heard that your sin was that you have put a stop to Hashem’s pleasure. From the day that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Hashem never experienced pleasure as he did when the Marrano in his innocence would bring the two loaves of bread and offer them to His aron kodesh with the conviction that Hashem accepted them from him. Because you stopped him from bringing the loaves, death has been decreed upon you, and there is no way to avert this decree.”
The rabbi went home and left a will for his family. On Shabbos, when it was time for him to give his lecture, he died, just as the holy Ari had foretold.
