“I have just found my lost heirloom,” said the Jew to the perplexed king. “I used the word ‘heirloom’ as an allegory to the intelligence that I had inherited from my ancestors. Momentarily I had lost it when I didn’t have the proper answer for you, but now you gave me the answer.
“This world is similar to a newly built house. We are constantly improving it. We Jews, possessing the Holy Torah, are the real owners. But we now stand in the lowest position while the heathen, the workers led by their foremen, the kings, are now on top. When this house will be completed, when G-d will complete the allotted span of this world, then we will enter the true World and we will sit at the top while the heathen will stand at the door.”
The king was very impressed with this wise answer and he acknowledged the superior arguments of Abarbanel as he sent the Jewish peddler away richer with many talents of gold.