A king of Poland, induced by a monk who was a wizard, issued a decree that the Jews should either be baptized, killed, or driven away in their clothes. A respite of a year was granted. By lot the beadle was chosen to carry a message to the Children of Moses living beyond the river Sambatyon. He reached the place and was about to be condemned to death for having broken the Sabbath by crossing the river on that day.
All the six days of the week the river had been casting up stones so that no one had been able to pass except on Sabbath when it had been calm and quiet. He, however, told his message and the beadle of the Children of Moses was sent, all being deeply versed in the practical Kabbalah and able to fight the monk wizard. Arrived at the town, the monk asked him whether he knew what he had in his mind and the other told him and added, “Unless the decree is revoked, I will fight and kill you.”
The monk, relying on his sorcery, refused and they had a contest before the king. At last the beadle struck the ground; the monk sank into it down to his ankles. He was then asked by the beadle to advise the king to revoke the decree but he refused. The beadle then struck the ground seven times successively and he sank deeper each time until he was swallowed up. The king, frightened at the sight, revoked the decree.