Rebbe's Corner
Prince Bubba and the Age of Accountability There was once a young man named Bubba. Here is the story of how Bubba became a born again prince.
Bubba's father was King of the realm and he loved his son more than anything else in his kingdom. Bubba adored his father as well, and he just loved crawling up in his daddy's lap. He craved the attention and the feeling that as long as he was there nothing bad could ever happen to him.
In time Bubba grew a little too big to sit in his daddy's lap. He was growing up and the age of his accountability was at hand.
One day Bubba's father said to him, "My son, you are becoming a mensch (a man). Soon you will have your bar mitzvah. You now have my permission to go forth into the kingdom and experience your inheritance as my son.
Bubba left the throne room and the king summoned two of his servant angels. To them he said: Don't let my son out of your sight. You are to watch out for him. Don't let anything happen to him. I am going to be watching you and holding you accountable for his well being. I will have your heads if you fail to protect him!
Leaving the castle Bubba felt truly independent for the first time in his life. Now this sense of freedom was good. Soon young Bubba was running around the kingdom, having a wonderful time. He just loved running.
One day while Bubba was out running down a road he tripped and felt himself start to spin out of control. Suddenly an unseen hand grabbed him just in time and he didn't even hit the ground. "Wow!" he thought, "This is alright, this is good. Oh how I love my father, I can't do anything wrong even if I want to, he protects me!" And on he ran.
Then one day as the age of Bubba's accountability drew closer the king summoned his two angels again. He ordered them to back off a little bit, to withhold a bit of their protect from Bubba. "Let's see what Bubba can do," the king told the angels. "He feels like he grew another inch. The time has come for him to become a man."
Bubba was running along the road one morning thinking about great his life was and what he had accomplished. "Just look at all this freedom I have!" He is just having a wonderful time out under the clear blue sky. Not a care in the world.
Everything was going great for Bubba, but just then the Adversary saw that his protectors were not following him. The Adversary grinned mischievously and thought, "I think I might just put my foot out there and trip young Bubba!"
As Bubba was rounding a curve he tripped and fell face first into the dust. Sitting up he realized that his nose was bleeding. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before and Bubba was afraid. That was new as well!
The prince got up crying and hurried back to his daddy. The king comforted his beloved son and explained that perhaps he fell because he wasn't paying enough attention to what he was doing. "You must be careful to exercise your freedom responsibly."
That was a new idea Bubba had never considered before. He promised his daddy, "I am going to be more careful from now on. I don't want this to happen again."
Returning to the road he started walking around the kingdom. He considered that running was still a fine thing to do, as long one was careful. So Bubba began to run as before. The wind was in his hair and everything was wonderful.
As Bubba ran the exhilaration he felt mounted and he forgot all about what he had learned about being careful. In time he got a little sloppy and hit that foot again. Once again Bubba fell hard onto his face. He was mad and he wanted to hit somebody! Someone had tripped him and he wanted revenge! But looking around there was no one to hit. No one to blame besides himself. Had God removed His protection from him? As he contemplated this Bubba considered that maybe his brothers and sisters had stopped praying for him. Maybe his daddy no longer loved him. He didn't know what to do and he felt truly alone for the first time in his life.
Bubba started to think to himself, "Oh boy I must be a horrible person. I guess I am not really a prince after all. Otherwise my father would be protecting me."
But had Bubba listened to the inner Ruach HaKodesh instead of to his own fears he would have heard the Father say "get up Bubba! I am with you always!" But Bubba just sat there crying and feeling sorry for himself.
Finally he got back onto his feet and started running again. But he fell down two or three more times. Every time he fell he became more and more certain that his dad had turned his back on him. "Looks like I'm going to have to start taking care of myself!" he thought. "Maybe its God's fault I keep tripping. Maybe He doesn't love me anymore." So he got mad at God.
As he ran on Bubba thought about this. "Maybe its not God's fault. He always showed me loving kindness. So, if its not my Father who is tripping me, who is?" And he ran on, thinking in the vein and not tripping as he ran. "Who would want me to fall down and hurt myself?" Then it occurred to him: The Adversary!
Bubba started watching out for sign of the Adversary as he ran around the kingdom. Up ahead he saw him! The Adversary was standing there with a malevolent grin on his face, his foot sticking out. Bubba showed no indication that he saw the Adversary, but as he approached him he leaped over the outstretched foot like a gazelle and ran along unmolested. The Adversary frowned. His attempt to trip the young prince had been thwarted!
Bubba was now ecstatic! He raised his arms in the air triumphantly and yelled back over his shoulder, "I didn't fall or miss a step you demon! You can't trip me me up anymore!"
Just then, as Bubba was looking back he tripped and fell to the ground with splat! Two adversaries were looking down at him with mocking glee! One of them bowed sarcastically, "Your majesty."
Bubba got back on his feet and started running around again.
Another foot appeared and again Bubba leaped over it while maintaining his concentration on the road ahead. Another foot appeared and again he hurtled it successfully. The Adversary saw that he could not make Bubba fall anymore. Bubba, realizing how easy it is to fall, maintained his attention. He had become a true prince of the Kingdom.
Bubba has grown up spiritually. Within his awareness he heard a small still voice saying, "Well done Bubba! Way to go son. I'm so proud of you!"
But the Adversary does not give up so easily. He kept his eyes on the Prince looking for a new way to trip him!
Bubba was now ready to face anything on his own. He went out again and now the Adversary called out for his whole army of demons, hoping to make Bubba trip and give in to them. What they did not know was that Bubba has eternal life in him because he is a true son of the Father.
A whole pack of demons advanced on Bubba. They no longer used subtlety with him. Now they threw him down to the ground and put chains on him. They shoved Bubba's face in the mud. He doesn't know what to do but his faith in his Father held even though the demons were all over him. They bit him, kicked him, abused him in so many ways.
But Bubba listened the inner voice of his father saying, "Bubba get up, you can do this son! Stand up and fight! Grown up time is here.
In the power of the Spirit Bubba got up with the roar of the Lion of Judah and those chains broke and fell away. In righteous indignation he started swinging his fists and the demons went flying away. Bubba looked up and saw his Father standing there. His Father smiled and said, "I am very proud of you my son. By My Spirit you have have defeated the Adversary. Here, take this beautiful robe for your back, this ring for your finger and these sandals for your feet."
Bubba bowed before the king and his father placed the golden crown on salvation on his head.
Temple Beth HaShem Home Page Beliefs Upcoming Events About Us Shop Israel Donations Contact Us
