Tzvi Fishman, director of “Rabbi Nachman’s Stories explains that on a simple level “Hindyk” talks about children rebelling against the framework they were brought up in. They distance from the education they received and from their parents’ and educators’ hopes for them. In such a situation these parents and educators can find themselves at a loss about what to do and how to relate to the child properly. Do you comment to him or meet him where he’s at, accept him for who he is, appreciate his good qualities and patiently strengthen the bonds of love and trust? Building that trust will help the child deal with his stormy emotions and conflicts, both inside him and outside of him.
“On a deeper level the king symbolizes the Jewish nation going into exile, down ‘under the table’ like the turkey in the story,” says Fishman. “He wanders and grabs at the crumbs of foreign nations, adopts their ways and in becoming like them, at the same time turns into a turkey instead of the son of the king. How can we again become the princes at the King’s (G-d’s) table in our holy land? As a nation, how do we deal with those still under the table? Should we oppose them or should we meet them where they are, understand their mindset and motives and then help expand their horizons, showing by example a more enlightened and intelligent way of living?”
According to Kabbalah, the prince symbolizes the “Shechinah”, the “Divine Presence” going ‘under the table’ cast from the Royal palace. On a universal level, the prince is all of mankind that because of Adam’s sin was exiled from the Garden of Eden. Who will repair the world and bring mankind back to the Garden of Eden? The nations are the king’s wise men and magicians that all try to heal the prince. But only the wise Jew ultimately succeeds in bringing the prince back from lowliness and exile to the King’s table and repairing the world.
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