The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to Israel 24-25

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24.

And on the first day of Chol Hamo-ed (-intermediary days of Passover) the man went to the Chacham, and the Chacham instructed him to take surreptitiously all their money and to bring it to the city, in order that they would not steal their money. And he did so. Afterwards the Chacham went with two wealthy men, and they said to the captain: "Give us these two souls." And he replied to them: "What business do you have with these souls? I won (-acquired, got) them from hefker (-abandoned or otherwise ownerless property)!" And he told them all the troubles that they had encountered on the way. And he said: "And not only this that I am telling you, but there was almost no moment without calamity. And these souls, we could already have drowned them at sea or sold to the Ishmaelites, and all their money and possessions would all have been ours without anyone uttering a word or making a peep (in protest) whatsoever. However, what can be done, because their mazal (-luck, fortune) is great to the heart of the heavens, because not only did Hashem Yisburach perform such a miracle for them, that with their mazal the boat suddenly arrived here, but moreover a miracle within a miracle was wrought for them, that Hashem Yisburach diverted/unsettled my heart and dulled my mind so that I took one of them into this city. And now certainly I am no longer permitted even to take their money, just in order that my slaves shouldn't complain, give me 200 thaler, and take them from aboard the boat. And so it was, that they gave him immediately as he said, and they saved them from the hands of the pirates, from death to life, from servitude to redemption.

25.

And then they both came to the city, Rabbainu o.b.m. with the aforementioned man who was his shamish (-attendant). And upon their arrival at the city the Ishmaelites said that they were spies, and great fear fell upon the Sephardim (-the locals) themselves. And immediately they brought them their (style of) clothing, and they were forced to dress themselves in their (-the local Sephardic) dress in their fashion. And Rabbainu had great anguish from this, and the aforementioned man was gleeful, and Rabbainu o.b.m. was angry at him, and said to him: "You do not know of the kitroog (-accusations) that are upon us in supernal world," and he then said a wondrous thing to the aforementioned man, and he (-the man) doesn't want to reveal it.

And Rabbainu was received before the Chachumim, and he was very fine in their eyes, and they held him to be a great novelty. And afterwards Rabbainu o.b.m. himself came with/to happiness and said: "Baruch (-blessed is) Hashem Yisburach that we merited to this salvation. And he was there (accorded) with very great honor until after the holiday. And the people of the city themselves gave from their (own) pockets the 200 thaler mentioned above, and afterwards they did not want to receive them in return from Rabbainu there, even though he had a lot of money there.

And after the holiday they purchased fares for a boat to Istanbul. And they (-the people or Chachumim of Rhodes) gave them a letter (of introduction), perhaps Heaven forbid there would occur to them some induction, that they (-the people of that place wherever it may be) would rise to their aid in every single city. And they went with this boat. And there were many Grekin (-Greeks) there and they harbored an epidemic. And they didn't know, but they saw that people were dying on the boat. And Baruch Hashem (that) there was a storm wind and it carried the boat speedily to the holy community of Istanbul. And even though they suffered from the seething of the sea and from boat's flying so fast, however, even still it was beneficial for them that they traversed quickly and they came on the third day to the holy community of Istanbul, and they were there for ten days.

And also in Istanbul they were in danger because they didn't show their passports there (on the way in) when they traveled there, therefore they did not want to allow them now to leave there. And they levied on them a heavy fine to give an enormous sum to entitle them to attain the passports from the Tugar (-Turkish government as explained previously). And the amount that they ordered to give was a very enormous sum that was not in any way in their ability to discharge. And Hashem Yisburach had mercy on them and summoned for them a man that they did not know (him) and did not recognize (him), and he went to some official of the Ishmaelites and deceived him, and they have no idea how much he gave him. And he received a kvitel (-note, in Yiddish) to allow them out of the gate of the aforementioned holy community. And he warned them, for the sake of Hashem, to conceal the matter very, very well. And through this they escaped from there safely.

And they went on the sea from Istanbul to Galutz. And they reached some city in the islands of the sea, and there they were taken to the prison, and they were forced to give four adumim for every soul. And from there on forward nothing happened to them, just the seething of the sea occurred some times. And one boat full of Grekin (-Greeks) broke and sank, and there were no survivors except a scant few. And Hashem in His mercies led them to their desired destination, and they traversed safely until they came safely to Galutz for the holiday of Shavuos.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman

The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - The Order of His Voyage to the Land of Israel 13-14

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Shivchay HuRan

Part 2

13. And Rabbainu o.b.m. said, that he got so into the puerility, and got so used to the childish things, so much so that afterwards when he came to the land of Israel and he wanted to discard it, he was forced to force himself with strengths (of his character) to break and to discard the aforementioned childish things, because it was already difficult for him to discard it because of the great regularity - so much he had gotten into the puerility at first. Also afterwards, when he came from the Land of Israel, he was a wondrous novelty in this matter.
And the enormous superlative greatness of his wisdom in this matter (was) - deep, deep, there has not been heard nor has there been seen such as this, because it is known that before one departs from one level to (the next) level, there needs to be a descent before the ascent etc., and then one needs matters of puerility, to be a completely simple person etc.; and he o.b.m., because all his days he did not stand any time on one level, just every time, everyday and every hour, he would ascend always from level to level, therefore his wisdom in these matters was extremely lofty and deep; "deep, deep, who can realize it (Koheles 7:24)."

14. And then, at that time, it was the war of France (the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria ( 1798–1801) by Napoleon Bonaparte), that France went to the land of the Togar (Ottoman Sultan, as explained previously), to Egypt, and to the land of Israel, and so forth, as is well-known, and when the people of Istanbul heard that the aforementioned war is awakening, and the French are on the way on the sea, thence the holy community of Istanbul did not want to allow any Jew to leave the walls of the city and go out to put out to sea, but Rabbainu o.b.m. did not pay attention to this, and he wanted to act with abandon ("mafkeer") of himself, and he said to the man that was with him: "Know, that I wish to endanger myself even in great and enormous dangers, however, I do not wish to abandon your soul (-life); therefore, if you want, take money for expenses, and return peacefully to your home, and I will travel alone in secrecy and in concealment from the people of Istanbul, because myself I abandon, be what may be etc.." And the aforementioned man refused this, and said, "In the place where my master will be, whether for death or for life, there your servant will be;  and where you go I will go as well."

And Hashem Yisburach in His mercy "He turns around inductions (Job 37:12, a very reoccurring theme in the books of the Ramchal)," brought about in His mercy, that after a day or two it was heard: Being that there in Istanbul was staying a Great Sage from Jerusalem, who collected by hand donations for the poor of the holy city of Jerusalem, and he had been planning on staying there for another year, and suddenly he was aroused and said to the people of Istanbul: "Know, that it has been revealed to me, that I must travel immediately to Jerusalem, because I see, that the days are impending ("stirring and coming") for the (-my) departure from the world, and you (-plural), do not fear the French nation, and you have nothing to worry about for an Israelite to go there (-to Israel), because certainly there will not occur to them any harm, with the help of Hashem, and Hashem will guard them with His mercy until they arrive there, because the place of my burial is already inscribed to be in Jerusalem." 
And immediately they heeded his words, and they went and chartered a large boat, and they announced: "Whoever wants to go on the boat - should board." And many men, and women, and children went, both from the sphardic people and from the ashkenazic people, and Rabbainu o.b.m. also traveled with them on this boat to the Holy Land, and Rabbainu o.b.m. spoke with the aforementioned sage from Jerusalem that he should take him to Jerusalem, because he said, that he does not want to be, not in Tsfas (-Safed) and not in Tiberius, and so they resolved secretly between them.

And as they traveled on the sea there was a very great storm wind which is called "a very great afirtineh (-this word was also used earlier in article 9, it is the Turkish word firtina, and can mean a gust, tempest, hurricane, storm etc.)," and the boat was in great danger; "they rise to the heavens, they descend to the depths etc. (Psalms 107:26)," and no one retained in their heart  (conception) that they would be saved from death, and they were all screaming to Hashem; and it was one night like Yom Kippur mamash, with everyone crying, and confessing, and asking for atonement for their souls, and they said slichos ("veniality"- liturgy special for repentance) and other items of prayers and beseechings; but Rabbainu o.b.m. sat silently. And some people started to tell him, why does he remain silent in a time of such a plight, and he did not answer; however, the wife of the Rav of the holy community of Chutin, who was educated, and cried and screamed the whole night, also began to tell him like those, why is he silent - and presumably, he cursed her, and said to her: "If only you (-plural) would also be quiet, it would be good before you; this is the test: if you will be quiet - the sea will be quiet from you as well." And so it was, and they ceased from screaming and they were quiet, then immediately at daybreak - "He stood up the storm making it silent and their waves were quiet/still. And they were happy etc. (Psalms 107:29-)."

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The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - the order of his voyage to the land of Israel - 10-12

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Shivchay HuRan

Part 2

10. The general matter is that these two aforementioned men denigrated him o.b.m. with all types of degradation etc., and he bore it all, and did not want to reveal to them in any way who he was, and he deceived them intentionally and confused them very, very much, until they would degrade him every time for his changing accounts each time. One time he spoke with them, until it seemed clear to them that he was from Lagorna (-a city on the Italian border), and afterwards they saw that it was not so, and they degraded him very, very much; and one time he spoke with them, and it seemed to them that he is the son of the Kamarner, that is, the son of the Maggid of Kamarner, who was in a great quarrel then, as is well known, and afterwards, in middle of the conversation, he o.b.m. began to curse the Kamarner. And they scolded him: "Behold he is your father!" And they saw that they still have not figured him out. And every time he had a different name, and with every name they called him, he answered them and came to them. Suddenly they would let out from their mouth and call: "Yishayuh," in order to test him if he is the son of the Kamarner whose name was Yishayuh, and he of blessed memory came immediately to them, and it seemed to them that certainly he's the son of the Kamarner, and they said to him: "You are certainly the aforementioned's son." And he replied to them and proved to them that he is not his son.

In the meantime they began to speak of the gift that the Kamarner sent to his son, and he o.b.m. began immediately to request and implore there that they should show him his gift, and they saw again that he is his son, and afterwards they spoke with him more, and he (Rabbainu -in the Hebrew there is a typo - they) cursed him, and they were very very shocked/confounded, and they came with great anger, and they degraded him very, very much; and when they asked him: "Why do you say now that your name is such, and afterwards - a different name, and so too with the name of your origins (-place)?" And he answered them likewise, "That every single name is according to the attribute and the Sefirah (-Divine attribute) which it incorporates etc., and I, Baruch Hashem, am replete with all of them.

And everything that transpired in this matter, vast amounts of pages would not suffice to relate it. And he o.b.m. would wake them up sometimes from (their) sleep, and begin speaking with them, until they came to great anger, and they began to curse him more and to degrade him severely. And on the day preceding the holy Shabbos they came from the Mikvah ("house of immersion"), and he o.b.m. was lying on the bunk barefoot, without a belt and without a formal ("top") hat, and he asked them: "Why is it that the whole week my body is light and I do not have heaviness, but now I have very great heaviness, to the extent that I can almost not get up from this spot?" 

And they answered him: "Because every erev (day proceeding) Shabbos Kodesh (-holy) this neshama (-soul) ascends above, and the extra neshama comes down, but by you your neshama went, and the extra neshama you do not merit to receive,  therefore your body remains like a stone."

And he replied to them: "Oy (-woe) upon you! That even on a simple matter like this you do not know what to answer."

And he requested from them that they should receive him for Shabbos by them, but they did not want. And on Shabbos they received the man that was with him, by them for Shabbos, but him they did not want to receive, and he was forced to eat dairy foods, because they did not want to eat meat there; just they (-the two men) had some shoachet (-ritual butcher). And also on Shabbos they had a very great dispute with them, and they wanted to push him out, because he entered by them even though he did not eat with them, and they started to fight with him, until they wanted to push him out, and there was a great commotion there; and also in the morning, it was also like that.

The general matter was, that he o.b.m. acted intentionally, and he allowed himself to be degraded with all types of shaming, and he said to the man that was with him that these degradations would be a great benefit for him on the way there (-to Israel) and on the way back, because the greatness of the enormity of the huge impediments that he had in going to the Land of Israel, is impossible to fathom, or to measure, or to relay, and it was not possible (for Rabbainu) to come to the Land of Israel except through this littleness, as was heard afterwards from his mouth explicitly. And he said, that if he did not have these degradations and the littleness, it would not have been possible for him to come there in anyway; and he said, that he saw that he was forced to remain there in Istanbul, that is, to die there, but this littleness and the shaming saved him, because before one comes to the Land of Israel etc. as mentioned above.

Afterwards Rabbainu o.b.m. ordered the man that was with him, that he should give to the aforementioned men who denigrated him as mentioned above, from their food, and beverages, and various dishes, that they had with them, to give them from everything. And these men traveled to their homes, and they did not want to take a letter from Rabbainu to his home, just from the man that was with him they took a letter, and Rabbainu placed his letter inside the letter of the aforementioned man, and these men wanted to open the letter of the aforementioned man, perhaps they will be able to understand from it some matter of Rabbainu o.b.m., who he is and where he's from, but they were not able to find the letter by them, because it disappeared from them (from) where they placed the letter, and the letter did not come to their hands until they came to the kamer (-inspection room) in Volichai (-a city on the Romanian border), when they found the letter by them, and they saw from the letter, that this had been Rabbainu o.b.m.. They saw and were positively astounded and very confounded (-Psalms 48:6); and that man who degraded him copiously as mentioned above, came to his home and passed away very close to his arrival.

11. And immediately after they (-the two men) embarked from Istanbul, the aforementioned agent came to him (-Rabbainu) and showed him many letters from the tzadikim of the generation which they sent to him with the request that he should help the people that travel from here to there (-Israel), because he is influential in the eyes of the royal ministers.

"Therefore know: If you reveal to me who you (- plural) are and from which family you are - it is fine, but if not - I have the power to do with you bad which you will not be able to amend, and no fortune of monetary bribes will help; and not only will you not travel to the Holy Land, you will also be in jail," and similar words like these.

And when Rabbainu o.b.m. heard this, he immediately told him the truth, that his name Rabbi Nachman, and he is a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov o.b.m. and of Rabbi Nachman of Hordainke o.b.m.. Immediately the aforementioned agent retreated and left him, and on the morrow the agent came with subservience to him, and he said to Rabbainu o.b.m. in an expression of love and fondness: "Rebbe, Hashem is with you! Know, that all the benefits/favors you will receive from me, and your reward is double for this, that you revealed to me the truth, because if you would not have admitted to me, I would have given you over to the jail, and I would have been punished in this world and in the next world; and I request of you (-respectful plural) to receive goodness from me, whether it be with purchasing passage on the boat, or with other things, because I am ready and prepared to serve you."

12. And on the next day he came and said that a boat came from chutz-lu'uretz (-anywhere outside of Israel) with Jews, and they also have a distinct (-highly qualified and experienced) butcher, and there, on that boat, was the Rav the Chusid (-pious) the famous, our teacher the Rav Zi'aiv Wolf may his flame shine, from Tcharney-Austria, and other important people, and they asked about Rabbainu o.b.m., and the man who was with Rabbainu o.b.m. revealed to them the truth, and immediately the aforementioned Rabbi Zi'aiv sent after Rabbainu o.b.m. that he should come to him to his lodging and he will receive him with love to stay with him together, but Rabbainu o.b.m. did not want to go to be by him, because he said: "Here is good before me," because in Istanbul he did all types of puerile things, and he went about barefoot and without a belt and without a formal hat, and he was dressed just in the "inter-shlack" (-inner lining) that he had from some garment, and he would go about in the marketplace in the way of the youth, who run and play in the marketplace, and he waged recreational battles as the youth do, and they would call one person by the name of France, and another - with a different (country's) name, ‎and they waged war, and it was like actual tactical battle, and he would do very many puerile things there in Istanbul.

Afterwards the plague fell, may the Merciful One save us, in this "chan" i.e. courtyard, and he was forced to flee from there. And he was forced to enter the lodging of the aforementioned Rabbi Zi'aiv, and he (R.Z.) made for him a great feast, and the aforementioned Rav, Rabbi Zi'aiv accorded him very, very great immeasurable respect, and Rabbainu o.b.m. did many things then that were against the desire of the aforementioned Rabbi Zi'aiv, but even still (Beraishis Rabah 55:11)- "love distorts (-disregards) the line (-manner of course)," and because of his enormous love he did not pay any attention to this, even though it was great wonderments in his eyes, because every time Rabbi Zi'aiv would pray before the lectern (-lead the service) on Shabbos, as is the way of the famous rabbis, Rabbainu o.b.m. would eat at that time, because he would pray earlier, so that when Rabbi Zi'aiv was praying, he o.b.m. would eat his meal.

And so it was on the night of Shabbos, and on Shabbos morning, and by the third meal of Shabbos, and when Rabbi Zi'aiv sat down for the third meal, Rabbainu had already blessed the grace after meals (-birchas hamazoan), and ordered the man that was with him that he should see you whether there were stars (-nightfall, the end of Shabbos, is officially determined by the visibility of three medium sized stars. However, in all probability Rabbainu would have been accustomed to end Shabbos 72 minutes after sunset, which in Israel is much later than the appearance of three stars. So this instance is cited by many as a precedence to not having to keep the full 72 minutes), and he immediately prayed arvis (-night prayer) and made havdala (-ritual separation between Shabbos and the weekdays), and he took the pipe and entered into the house of Rabbi Zi'aiv, and he (R.Z.) had recently began the third meal, as is the way of the famous rabbis (-to begin the third meal late (this is also somewhat based on their keeping Shabbos at least 72 minutes after sunset)). And immediately when Rabbainu entered there without a formal hat and without a belt and the pipe in his hand, the aforementioned Rabbi Zi'aiv immediately received him with great honor, and promptly blessed the grace after meals, and prayed arvis, and made havdala, and spoke with Rabbainu o.b.m. almost the entire night, and there was great love between them. And Rabbainu o.b.m. did all types of puerile things there as mentioned above, and there, he was by the grave of Rabbi Naftoli o.b.m. (Katz, author of Smichas Chachumim and many other works including poetry and songs, a huge kabalist and holy saint).

And everything that transpired over him in Istanbul physically and spiritually, many folios would be insufficient to tell it over, and according to what can be understood from his words, he was in enormous and dire danger there, and he thought that for certain he would remain there, that is, he would pass away there, however, Hashem Yisburach did with him many miracles, and he traversed over everything, and the aforementioned puerility availed him tremendously. Also when he came from the grave of Rabbi Naftoli, he fell suddenly to the ground, and he lay that way for many hours, and afterwards they placed him on the bed, and he lay there the whole night until midday of the morrow, and he lay as if he had died, until Hashem Yisburach helped him, (so) that he got up from his bed and returned to his strength. And he had great dangerous, many and enormous, and unlimited impediments there at all times and at every moment, and he said, that the aforementioned degradations and the puerility availed him tremendously as mentioned above.

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The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - The Order of His Voyage to the Land of Israel 8-9

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Shivchay HuRan

Part 2

8. And on the 18th of Eyar (Lag BuOmer, Friday, 4 May, 1798) he embarked from his house, from the holy community of Medvedivkuh to the city Nicoalayev, and there was a boat there for wheat, and he traveled with that boat by way of Odessa, because previously the fundraisers and other people feared traveling by way of Odessa, because they said, that the sea (-the Black Sea) is dangerous in that way, and he in his great wisdom understood immediately that it was better for many reasons to travel by boat from Odessa, because it shortens considerably the distance that there is from our country to Galutz (-name of the coastal city in Romania), (and) also one is saved from the danger that there is when traveling from Galutz, for there is great danger when descending from the River Tuna (-Danube) unto the sea, as is well-known, therefore he did not pay any attention to what the world says, and he traveled from Nicoalayev by way of Odessa to Istanbul.

9. And he ordered the man that was with him to buy a lot of paper and ink, and immediately upon their arrival on the boat he began to write Torah (-his own holy insights). And he warned the aforementioned man that he should not read at all from his writings, and the man was forced to give him his word, and then he (-Rabbainu) trusted him, and gave him the key to the chest. And on their way out from Odessa, very many people escorted them there with great honor, and many wagons rode after him, and they accompanied him with song, beverages, and very great joy. 

And upon their arrival at the boat, and they put out to the Black Sea, immediately in the first twenty-four hours there was a huge "partina," that is, a stormwind, until the waves leaped upon the boat, and they were forced to be in a tightly sealed room because of the water, that they shouldn't come upon them, and there was lightning, and thunder, and immeasurably strong winds, and there was great fear from the din of the thunder, and the rain, and the crashing waves, and because of (the) fear it was not possible to sleep at night etc..

And after four days they came to Istanbul and they stayed by the shore, because they did not know which house to enter, because they couldn't differentiate between Ishmaelite and Jew, they couldn't ask because they did not know their language. And when they saw there that they are staying by the shore, they went and found a man who was a translator, who knew our language as well, and he was the interpreter between them, and promptly they rented a good lodging in the section called Galeetuh. And when they went in there, after an hour or two, he said, that he does not want to stay there. And the interpreter asked him: "Perhaps it is good before you to be in Istanbul proper, that is, in the Royal City where the residence of the Togar is (-The Jews originally called Turkey after the name of the grandson of Yefes son of Noach - Togarmah (Genesis 19:3) brother of Ashkenaz. Later this was redacted to Togar, and hence the Ottoman Sultan is referred to as The Togar)," and there no married couple was allowed to go (there), except for males alone. And he replied, that there it is certainly good before him. And he (-interpreter) reveal to him, that there is a "sha.du.r." (shiloochuh - messenger i.e. a fundraiser, dirabunun - of the rabbis) from the Land of Israel, and with them (-perhaps a mistake and should be: him) another two men from our country, that were in the land of Israel, and now they were returning to their homes, and they were traveling from the land of Israel to outside of Israel; and when he heard this, he o.b.m. said to the aforementioned man that was with him: "I am warning you, not to reveal me whatsoever, and do not say at all who I am, if they ask about me."

And they went out from there to the aforementioned city, and upon arriving there, immediately one of the two aforementioned men that were traveling from the Land of Israel to their homes, recognized the man that was traveling with Rabbainu o.b.m., and he asked him: "What are you doing here?"

He replied (to him): "I am traveling with this youngster to the Holy Land."

And he asked him: "Who is he?"

And he replied (to him): "He has a passport from the Consulate (-the official) of the Ki.yr.u. (Kaiser, may his eminence be raised) of Austria." 

And he did not want to reveal to him who he (Rabbainu) himself was, like Rabbainu o.b.m. had warned him as mentioned before. And it entered their hearts regarding Rabbainu o.b.m. that he's traveling from the consulate to oppose the famous chasid (-very pious) holy luminary, our teacher Avrohom Kalisker o.b.m. and his company (-Rabbi Avrohom was the main disciple of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitipesk, and he declared the newly published book of the Tanya, of the first Lubavitch Rebbe Shneur Zalman, unfit to be printed and necessitating gineezuh - respectful disposal of holy worn out or faulty items, the author threatened in retaliation to withhold all the charity for the Holy Land collected in Russia and Europe which he was appointed over and would normally send to R.A.K. who was in charge of distributing the funds in Israel),  and they entered (further) into this error until they had great proofs for this, according to their mistake, and it seemed to them as if he o.b.m. was sent by many people in order to oppose him (R.A.K.).

And they began to probe by the aforementioned man who was with Rabbainu o.b.m. if he has a letter (-of introduction), and he replied that he does not. And they asked him: "What is his intention with this trip to the land of Israel?" And he replied, that he does not know his intention. And they did not want to rely upon the aforementioned man anymore, and they said, that also he is tricking them, and they said: "Even though we knew you in the past to be a kosher man, but now we no longer know if you are still holding to your sincerity. And they asked him: "Did you ask your Rebbe, Rabbi Nachman of Medvedivkuh (-Rabbainu) whether to travel with this man?" He said to them, "Yes." However, they already did not rely on his words anymore as mentioned above, because it seemed clear to them regarding Rabbainu o.b.m. as if he was a man of deception Heaven forbid, and he is traveling to oppose the people of the land of Israel.

And they went to him o.b.m. in person to probe by him who he is, and from where he is, and from what family - but he did not want to reveal anything. And they spoke to him with their cunning and they wanted to probe by him in many ways in order to extract from him some word to understand from him through this who he is, and he replied to them on all the questions with his wisdom, and they couldn't extrapolate anything, and he confused them very, very much, and deceived them and warped their minds, until they couldn't get any bearing on him whatsoever to understand from him not a thing nor a half a thing.

And every time he made himself appear to them as someone else. For example, when they asked him if he was a Cohen (-from the progeny of Aaron the Priest), he replied, "Yes." Afterwards, on the next day, they asked him suddenly if he was a Yisroel (-that is from the other tribes of Israel who are not priests), (and) he replied, "Yes." They asked him, "Yesterday you said, that you are a Cohen, and now you say that you are a Yisroel (?)." And he replied, "Cohen  - this is the attribute of kindness, and Yisroel - a different attribute, and Baruch (-blessed is- used in thanking) Hashem I have in me this attribute and also this attribute." And they said to him, "It is apparent that you are certainly from the antagonists, and you don't want to reveal it."

And they began to hate him in the acme of hatred, and they degraded him with all types of degradation, and they cursed him with searing invective immeasurably and incalculably for many days, and most of the shaming was from one of the two aforementioned men, and he o.b.m. began to request of them, and said to them, "This you should know, that's certainly I will not reveal the main intention of my voyage to the Land of Israel, because from my heart to my mouth I did/will not reveal (-Tikunay Zohar 21 page 50b), and even still 'how good and how pleasant is the dwelling of brothers even in unison (Psalms 133:1),' even though one does not know the main intent of his friend." 

And they replied to him, "If you reveal to us your intent, certainly you will be afforded very great benefit."

And he replied to them: "I don't want to receive benefit from you, and I will not reveal to you my main intention in anyway, on the contrary, you can receive benefit from me, if you desire."

They replied to him: "It is apparent from your words, that you speak in the dialect of the greatly renown, like Rabbi Baruch (-of Mezhbizh, the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, and the uncle of Rabbainu), and Rabbi Shalom (-of Provisht, son of R' Avrohom Malach, son of the Maggid of Mezritch), and Rabbi Nachman (-Rabbainu), etc., whose way is to speak grandiosely in third person (/hidden meaning), however, certainly you are not one of them, because it is apparent that you are certainly from the opposers of the aforementioned tzadik (-R.A.K.)."

And they told him that before he arrives in the Land of Israel there will be a letter there in the Land of Israel that he is from the opposers and the spies, so that he cannot trick them. They also went to the agent of the boats, and he was from the men of Poland, and he married a woman of the Franks (-Sephardim), and his mother-in-law was a regular visitor ("exited and entered") in the house of the Togar (-Sultan), and this man was an important personage there; and these aforementioned men went to this agent, and requested of him, and they said to him: "For the sake of Hashem, do not allow this man to travel there, because he is from the opposers, and he wants to make a banishment there Heaven forbid, and if you can do him some evil, your reward will be twofold from Heaven." And Rabbainu o.b.m. and the man who was with him did not know about this.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman