R. Jehiel, who was a great sage and a cabalist, had a lamp in his study which he lighted every Friday and which burned the whole week without oil. Soon everybody knew of this remarkable phenomenon, and the king sent for R. Jehiel and asked him whether the story he had heard about the lamp was true. The rabbi denied the story, because he was modest and did not want to boast. Moreover, he was afraid that he would be regarded as a magician.

The king said nothing, pretending to be satisfied, but he had in mind to go and see for himself whether the story was true or not. He consulted his advisers and decided to go on a certain Wednesday night and find out the truth.

Now the people of Paris were hostile to the Jews and there were a number of noblemen who annoyed R. Jehiel and knocked at the door of his study every night.

But the rabbi invented a device to prevent the noblemen from interrupting his studies. He took an iron nail and stuck it in the ground. And when the noblemen came and knocked at the door of his study, the rabbi took a hammer and hit the nail on the head. And so skillfully was the contrivance made that at the same time the person who nocked at the door sank into the ground.

Now when the king came and knocked at his door, the rabbi took the hammer and hit the nail. Thereupon the king sank into the ground up to his waist. Then the king knocked again, and the rabbi, thinking it was one of the noblemen, hit the nail again, whereupon the nail jumped up a considerable distance. The rabbi was very much frightened and thought: "Surely this is none else but the king."

So he quickly opened the door, bowed down before the king and asked his forgiveness, saying that he did not know it was his royal majesty. For as the nail jumped up out of the ground, the king also rose out of the ground.

Now the nobles and servants of the king who saw what had happened to him were afraid that he might sink entirely into the ground, so they asked the rabbi to help him.

The rabbi took the king to the fire, administered to him many rare drugs and finally revived him.

Then the rabbi said to the king: "My king, what is your desire which brought you to my house at night? The king must know that there is a wind passing in front of my house, which causes everyone who desires to do me harm to be swallowed up in the

earth. And if I had not come out quickly you would have been entirely swallowed up."

The king replied: "I was half swallowed up already, and am grateful to you for having saved me. Now I will tell you why I came to you. I heard a great deal about your skill in magic, and that you have a lamp which burns without oil, and I desired to see it."

The rabbi replied: "God forbid that I should practice magic! I merely understand a little of natural properties and something of charms."

And he showed the king the lamp which burned without oil. But it was like martel, which gives illumination like oil.

When the king saw this, he took the rabbi with him to his palace and made him his chief counselor. The rabbi was rich and happy and the king held him in great esteem.

Now the king had many princes and noblemen at his court, who were jealous of R. Jehiel. They went to the king and said to him: "Your majesty, how can you endure the Jew in your palace, who regards you as unclean? If you merely touch a glass of wine, he will not drink it, not to speak of drinking from the same glass with you."

But the king said nothing. One day the king offered the rabbi wine to drink. The rabbi said: "I must not drink at this moment, but I will drink before your eyes, before I leave the table. Give me a little time."

When the time came for the king to wash his hands after the meal, as is customary, the rabbi took the gold basin in which the king had washed his hands and drank the water before the king and his nobles. Then he said in the presence of the nobles: "This I may drink, but not the glass of wine, for the Torah has forbidden it."

When the king saw this, he loved him more than before, because he did not disdain to drink the water in which he had washed his hands.