The Lost Princess, A Tale by Rabbi Nachman of Breslav: Reparation of the Soul and the Power of Yearning

Analyzing Rabbi Nachman’s story The Lost Princess, the article suggests that the search by the tale’s protagonist, the king’s viceroy, for the lost princess is interpretable as an individual’s search for parts of his or her soul that were lost. This search includes three basic stages that everyone must go through in the course of his or her development. At each stage, the person is faced with a challenge that must be met or a conflict that must be resolved. A positive solution of the conflict results in “reparation” and development of the soul.