The Last Journey of Dr. Gevald's Nanach Mobile

HH

On Monday September 2, 2012, I set out from the Swan Lake towards Montreal, at exit 30 of the Thruway, I turned off to get gas, because the car was completely empty. There was no gas there, and some guy told me that the nearest gas was exit 31 - 13 miles away. So without a choice I booked over to exit 31 and I arrived at the pump with the last spurt of gas, so I thought I made it - I put in some gas, and resumed the journey, but I didn't make it very far before the transmission wiped out, just as a shoulder appeared on the side of the road. There was a house in the distance, but I was separated by a fenced hill and the Booulet River. So first I hike off in a different direction and I find a camp site with the burial site of "Zack the best dog in the world". Eventually I headed over to the house, which was not inhabited, but there were some people in trailers behind the house. - The cell phone I have didn't have "minutes" and I tried to add minutes but was unable - the whole night I wasn't able - another bad experience with AT&T. As I approached the house I saw a police car pull up to my car - but I was to far to do anything about it, I tried 911 and got cut off. So this older couple in a trailer let me use their phone, but I couldn't call Canada, and everyone I was calling wasn't answering, finally I got ahold of my cousin MW who tried to help but there wasn't much he could do. Meanwhile I also got through to the police and I told them where I was, they told me to return to the car, after making some plans for what would happen, I headed back to the car, about half way there the police drove off, later the officer complained to me that he wasted a half hour waiting there for me. Another officer told me that he saw me praying there - that must have been Mincha which I did as soon as I was stuck on the shoulder. Back in the Nanach mobile I tried playing around with some prayers, and the car actually moved a few feet, but that was it - today the tow truck guy told me that he examined the transmission and it is completely wiped out, he also thinks that the gas wasn't the whole problem, because there were other tragedies going on as evidenced by leakages of oil. Eventually a policeman came and told me that I should never have left the car, especially since it was very dangerous because there are bears and what not out there, obviously he didn't know about G-d or for That matter - Na Nach. The tow truck guy came and I gave him the car in return for the tow - he left me off at the Essex County Correctional Facility right off of exit 32. Cleaning out the Nanach mobile was a lengthy ordeal, and I also salvaged the stereo. The police were not happy with my being there and told me that they wouldn't give me very much time, they didn't want me using their phone so they directed me to a nearby diner - which was closed, and the adjacent gas station didn't have a phone. There was a guy who pulled up for gas - Li'im, he was very nice and he let me use his phone, and I told him about Nanach. Li'im plays the cello. On the phone I got through to Avi in Montreal, but he couldn't get a car. He got busy calling people, but didn't succeed. Then a Jew from Williamsburg driving a van with his whole family pulls up, he's looking for the house of a Rabbi Lifer - it's supposed to be nearby - but he can't find it. So Liim and I keep at it, and then another Jew from Williamsburg or Monroe pulls up - he's a regular at this gas station, he also heard of Lifer but didn't know his whereabouts. Then a lady cop pulls up, and I tell her you probably came for me - that's what I figured because all my stuff was sitting by their station and I had been gone for some time. She said that she had come to show someone where the gas station was, and she asked me if she could help me in any way. So, nothing to lose, I asked her if she knew where Rabbi Lifer's house was. She said sure - there's only one house here and there's a rabbi there - and it's right there.... Liim is really getting a taste of Nanach now! Then the gas station attendant came out to tell us that he's closing soon at 11:00, and he hears what's going on - and he apologizes to me, saying that he didn't know that I was looking for the rabbi - the house is right there, its open 24 hours a day, with coffee and tea, he's excited about this, as are we all - 2 Chasidishe families in their vans, the Korean (?) gas station attendant and Liim... So Liim has to get going, and B"H he'll be following up on Nanach, and the Chasideshe's drive over to the house - where a third family appeared (I don't remember when they made their appearance, it is possible that they had also been with us the gas station), and I got all my bags from the penitentiary (amazing how earlier I had this discussion with someone about things that cause a person to be incarcerated C"V, as posted recently in nanach.net - and how even in today's time this happens to Nanachs - straight up!) and head over to the Hachnasas Orchim, where I am entertaining the families till about 12:30. The house has a phone and (maybe this is a secret so I won't write it.....). That's the wraps on the first part of the story, B"H there will be a very happy Nanach ending which of course will be a beginning.
Great blessings of Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

The epilogue is that the guy helped me find a ride to Montreal (paying the fare - 2 people actually drove right past) and has since been in contact with me and has given me more more money B"H.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!

More travel adventures

HH

The flight from Kiev to Israel was 11 am, so I ordered a taxi in Uman for 5:30 – the trip is 3 hours. There were delays and I only arrived at the airport at about 9:15. After replacing my Nanach rings after passing security I soon realized that I somehow lost one, may HY replace it speedily (this is apparently a מקום מיועד לפורעניות – a place of misfortune – because previously I had lost some cable by the security, but B”H I retrieved it). On the way I had done an online check in, but I still had a bag to give them, so I was waiting in the line, up ahead there were problems they were charging someone for his baggage and for overweight and he wasn't giving in so easily, and meanwhile people had found ways around the side, and I remained stuck till about 10:25 when my plane had already started boarding. So I step up and the lady tells me that I have to pay $60 for a bag, and I try telling her that the UKRAINIAN AIR website states explicitly that the first bag is free – but to no avail. Meanwhile it is already 10:35, and the guy behind me is extremely jittery and begging me to just let him go. So I give her my credit card to pay the 60, but in the Ukraine they need you to key in your code, and I haven't used it in years, I try something, but it didn't work, I open my laptop dig into a file, find some more codes, no go. Meanwhile the lady had printed out a boarding pass for me – either based on my online check in, or figuring that my credit card was going to go through. So now she hands me my credit card and my passport and boarding pass – it's 10:40, and I ask her what to do, and she just shrugs helplessly. So I strengthen myself with the power of the holy petek, and I proceeded to security where they stop me and say no you can't take this – B”H from my vast experience and faith, I knew that they were just referring to the cart, so I left the cart behind and barreled down to the gate with my knapsack, laptop, suitcase, and bag of food. At the gate I had to pass by two more inspections, and I proceeded to the plane, where once again I was stopped, and they asked me to wait outside with my suitcase, but B”H they just put in the cabin, and I picked it up from the conveyor belt.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Adventures of travelling to Uman for Rosh Hashana 77

HH
Checked in a bag 25.5 kilo inside was 16 kilo of the booklet  Rabbi Nachman of Breslov; Who He Was & What He Said - 300 copies, 2.5 kilo overweight, BH they didn't say anything - at the exact same time they told the person next to me that they must reduce the weight of their suitcase and take things out. Also they let me by with a bag of about half a box of the booklet besides for my carry-on and laptop. BH. So I was inviting and encouraging everyone to come to Uman. After I passed customs there was another official who I invited to Uman and she asked but you're going to Berlin (I was very early for my flight and probably all those there were going to Berlin) - so the lady from the customs opens up her cubical and sticks out her head and says, "no, he's going to Uman!" NNNNM!

El Al made the check in in a terminal 1, which is an added schlep, but it turned out for the best because the WiFi there is much much faster and I was able to upload probably over 20 Gig. (of private Nanach videos for those who merit), BH.

On the flight the girl who was supposed to sit next to me decided to find another seat even against the flight attendants first wishes, as I watched amused and laughed hard enough for mlthe benefit of perhaps the entire airplane, and they replaced her with a young professor of economics from the Golan who told me that he was in Uman two years ago and that he was a big fan, and he was very pro inculcating Rabbainu into the education system.

On the way to Uman, a first timer said that they thought it was a six hour drive, and we laughed - it's only three, then a tire busted (-this was our tikun chatzoas) and we had to put on a spare and proceeded at 70-80 kph. It took us probably around 4.5 hours.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman

Adventures on the Arizal's Hilula

HH

5^th of Av, was really heavy, thought I'd have to lie half dead till after Tisha Bu”av, so I opened up a book from R' Shimshon Ostropoler, who's hillula was just a few days back and I had downloaded it then, and I read an amazing pshat on ובני ישראל יוצאים ביד רמה the medrash says from here we learn that Pharoa made for them a PRIMA (pyramid?!?!?! - the given translation is a mask, shield) from all mazikin (things that harm), so he explains how in the world the medrash deduces this from the verse, in his inimitable fashion revealing Divine Names and numerical values etc.. see there. Bottom line, that even after reading this amazing Torah I didn't gain the drive to get up. But as I was stuck, contemplating do I go to the Arizal or is it better for me to stay put, because obviously I need the rest etc., and who can decide, even a tzaddik won't tell a person to have meseeras nefesh…. But B”H ultimately the holy petek stood up for me, and I said that this is the Arizal, and it could be all this heaviness is just an impediment to keep from him, and even if it isn't related, certainly it is well worthy to get to the Arizal, and to have trust that this will quash all the disturbances. So I slowly got on my feet and started walking, without any real plan of how to get there, and as I walked I got the determination that I'd pay whatever it costs with money that I don't really have, and with that I got to the bus stop, only to learn that the bus to Tsfas doesn't go from there. So I kept walking almost aimlessly trusting in HY that I was walking to the tzaddik, doing my part, and B”H I'd make it. On my lifeless walk I was looking out for signs to Tzfas, and the first sign I see says “PRIMA -→” and I got a little flush, and a new energy, still kind of lethargic, but now I mamash knew that I was going out of the dejection (mitzrai'im – confines, constraints) with a high hand, with protection… B”H. NNNNM.

Eventually I got to the main road, and very quickly got one ride from a guy who was mamash thirsting to hear about Nanach, and then from an old man and his daughter {in merit of the little Nanach sticker they had on the dashboard…} who went so slow that one time on an incline the car just stopped, completely, and as everyone waited for him, he took his time to slowly decide to give a touch of gas, B”H.

In Tsfas where they dropped me off Gavriel picked me up and brought me to the Arizal, and gave me the new Likutay Nanach that we just printed, 1 copy for Y.E. and another also sold, and 3 still for sale. At the Arizal B”H there was great joy singing Nanach, and showing everyone for 100 shekel they can buy Likutay Nanach. One Charaidee actually asked about it, and when I told him some amazing Nanach Torahs he gave me a few shekel, and came back I think twice to give me more. B”H he said it that way it is: If he had come only to hear from me about the Petek it would have been very well worth it. B”H. NNNNM!

Going back B”H I also got rides pretty quickly, and I had the guy drop me off at Rami Levi so I can buy internet, even though it was slightly after closing time, they were still busy with an arab family – the young boy was looking at me with such intense hate B”H. A few days ago I called up my own carrier asking for extra bandwidth because they were at fault for my shortage, and as I explained this over and over again to the girl on the line, who already knew everything I was telling her, but now got to hear it with constant mention of Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman and encouragement not to despair etc, never despair, there is no despair! Until she eventually tells me – previously she had mentioned her first name, but now after hearing so much Nanach she was forced to tell me: agav (by the way- as an aside) my name is “so and so Nachman”… Gevald! NNNNM! In the end the only solution she had would cost 150 shekel. So now I got a ride all the way to Rami Levi, and their solution costs 75 shekel, and they want my decision very fast because they are past closing time and want to get out of there. So looking desperately for a holy book to consult, I realized why not go for the freshly printed Likutay Nanach, and they are astounded what are you doing, and I tell them, I want to see what Nanach has to advise, and they are incredulous. So they watch as I open up the Likutay Nanach, and I see it is talking there about Torah 6 of Likutay Moharan, and I see distinctly the concept of “hamtain” waiting – so I tell them, the message I'm getting is to hold off – B”H on Monday I'm back to full coverage, so I just have to wait till after the nine days, when the machmeerim don't use internet anyways (or maybe I'm confusing that with drugs). So one of them says – without knowing or seeing – it also says “laasoas” - to do, and I say, “Where?” So they take the holy book and look and look and actually find the word there “laasoas!!!!” Now I'm in a turmoil, and they are already into it. So I tell them it looks to me to go after the “hamtain” and they are like, maybe you should do it, like it says. And I tell them the message might be that if you guys do teshuva I should do it, you guys have to come to Uman, so one of them says he'll go to Thailand, and there was no talking sense into him. Finally they say, you should do it, come back and do it, now we are closing, come back and do it (that is what it says there “laasoas teshuva….” - they of course didn't realize this). They were thrilled by this little escapade they took pictures of the page with my finger pointing to the words. So B”H by doing the hamtain then and there, I was pushed into doing the complete hamtain, and will probably be without internet until after Tisha Bu'av.

On the way back from Rami Levi, I decided a bus wasn't good enough, and trecked to the road through a large field, where I decided to make a little feast in honor of my newly published book, and it was then that I realized I was mamash fulfilling “the King is in the Field!” which is now, B”H. When I got to the road after a few minutes a guy stopped for me saying that he wasn't going very far because he was turning in right away, and it turned out that he was going mamash to a house right above the holy tombs of Rabbi Akiva and Ramchal, and now B”H he is that much closer to actually wearing a Nanach beanie.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Trip to Saba for Chag Hapetek

HH

On the bus to Jerusalem, half way there, my comfortable empty neighboring seat was taken up by a soldier, I gave him a nice smile, but I was thinking "great" there goes that... Turns out that this Rosh Hashana Yinon made it to Uman and was privileged to hook up with Moshe Ofir and Sharon Knafo, and he was still in "oaroat" (lights.- on  a high..). He also showed me an app. moovit or something like that, might be helpful. Anyway he was very inspired and glad to learn that it was-is Chag Hapetek, and has renewed yearning to make it to Uman again for Rosh Hashana.

Then I was waiting by the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem for the 54 to take me to Har Hamenuchas, and I was Nanaching everyone, finally settling down to shmooze with a guy from the old city who remembered the last time we shmoozed six years ago, B"H.... He told me that he saw on the electric sign that the 54 was coming any minute, and we continued speaking for much longer, and he said that it wasn't showing anymore and I called egged and they told me that the bus was already long gone. Obviously this shmooze was more important, and I proceeded on foot (that was the last bus for the day), and Nanached everyone on the way, and some israeli bochurim. Finally right before the entrance to Jerusalem, I got two american bochurim (laufer and florence) from Ner Moshe, and gave them a full braiwashing session for maybe a half hour, all in the merit of being passed up by the 54. Then I Nanached everyone by the trampiade (where they hitch-tramp) and got a ride fairly quickly. Made it to Saba, had the holy tomb for myself for a few minutes (there was a guy manning the books on the road above) before a bunch of Nanach came. And Yaakov Sarusi from Petek Tikva drove me back to bus station, and I left him with a nice stash of Peteks and handful of the booklet Letter from Heaven in Hebrew.

BH today I hope to make it to R' Meir Bal Hanais - the place of the miracle of the receiving of the holy Petek.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman.

Travelling Nanach Style

HH

Just when I thought I have seen it all, Rabbainu showed me that I am just getting my feet wet. First I tried to barge into the gates section showing just my boarding card as a pdf on my phone, I completely forgot that you need to first run that through the computer and get a printout, they weren't so happy about that. So I went in line, and I was very excited, I had a wad of holy peteks in my hand, and an open sefer of the Ramchal, holy of holies, and I couldn't stop from prancing about in delight. The guy probably realized that I was high, he just couldn't figure out the Nanach part, he asked me if I had received anything and I told them I had a nifty stash of the holy petek with me, he asked me if i had bought them or got them as a present, I told him the Nanach's have them around and so i helped myself, but I would have been glad to pay, whatever it would cost, it's very well worth it. So he asks me where they are in my bag. So I tell him everywhere, I stash them everywhere, and he's mulling this over, and asking more and more of these sorts of questions and I realize I have an opportunity of inoculating Nanach into this dude, and he's having great difficulty, so he goes to the superviser for a consultation, but she's in middle of briefing a bunch of the regulars, so he has to wait, meanwhile about 200 people are waiting while I dance about with my stash. He came back for some more give and take, and got an earfull of Nanach, and went back to wait on his supervisor some more. Finally she comes over, and starts the whole thing from the beginning, this time I'm already warmed up, (why were you in Israel? Because I'm Nanach - pointing to all my Nanach ornaments- and Rabbainu is all about the Holy Land, in fact....) and she gets to know about how I was originally charedi, and then Rabbainu had mercy on me and I was brainwashed (I told her that in Hebrew that is Shteefas moach), and so on and on it went, until I got her giggling, and I did a little bout of my roudy laughter, and continued educating her about my life as a Nanach, inviting her to Uman, and to find me a shidduch. They kept looking over my passport and I was praying and dancing, and reassuring myself in the merit of NNNNM and the blessings of my holy friends. It was really gevald - somewhere in the middle Hazamir revealed himself in the long line watching the show, and gave a holler - I wanted to introduce him to the supervisor, possibly as a character witness, but the situation didn't present itself. It was a pretty crazy ordeal with security, B"H, unfortunately we can't video these things. So all the times she's getting surprised, like with the fact that I was originally chareidi, and a bunch of other things, and as we're wrapping things up, she says so now you're going home, and I figure that she's catching on that Rabbainu is home, and I say, forsure, Rabbainu is home, and then she finds out I'm going to Uman - the whole time she thought - I don't know how i was going home! Surprise surprise, it was just hilarious. B"H. Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Later going through the real customs, I got a guy who was a very big fellow, and he was in middle of some transaction with a friend, when I popped in, and his face was full of puzzlement, baffeled, really strange. He saw my brand new passport, and asked me in wonderment how I entered the country, so I revealed to him, that I had an old passport, then he's asking me for a students visa, and things are looking bleak, and I realize i'm not even holding my wad, so I quickly dig into my pockets and came out with a wad which I shuffled in front of his face shining Saba and the Petek at him, and after a few more little bits - there's some more great parts which I can't write right now, B"H he let me through, no problems....

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Adventures of trip to Rabbainu for Rosh Chodesh Nissan 75

HH
The flight was leaving 6:45 am, so I went to Rosh HuAyin for the night where a friend was supposedly offering to take me to the airport. B"H got some sleep and was up for avodas Hashem but the mikva was closed and wouldn't be opening in time, so I found another mikva but it was only going to be open at 4. Meanwhile the friend said that because this was going to be the day of the elections, he was really tied up, so only if before 5 am I was stuck I should try to get to the airport myself. So I was very undecided whether to start hitching right away and forgo the mikva, B"H I got the mikva at 3:30 and then tried to hitch, after some time I realized that I wasn't standing in the best place, there were very few cars on the road, and I tried to find a better place, and all to soon it was already 5 am. So I called my friend and he said he was on his way, but after 20 minutes or so I didn't hear from him, so I called and woke him up and he said that now he was coming, but after 20 minutes or so I didn't hear from him so I called and woke him up, and this happened again. In my mind I was already coming to terms with losing the flight and trusting that all was for the best, and also trying to be strong in my faith that I HY would pull me through. More troubling was that if i missed the flight I would probably bear a grudge against this friend... One taxi wanted 150 shekel and another 130 (after I finally got a hold of them) and I had 40 shekel, and they don't take credit cards. At 5:50 my friend picked my up we got to the airport at about 6:05 when the plane was already boarding. So I ran straight to the boarding because I had done online check in, but they turned me back because I still had to get a printout and basic security, so I ran back to the check in counter, and they tell me that the flight is closed, and I see that there is a breslover already there trying to convince them to let him on. Then one of the managers who saw me running up says, you know what let them both in, but we're closing the plane on time, so it's up them to get there (about 18 minutes) -- and this in merit of the fact that we didn't have luggage just carry-on (because every bag costs like $20-40), So I run to do the intense El Al basic security, and sure enough the lady manages to trip me up, but B"H lets me go, and I proceed to run to the security check, where I have to take out my laptop from my tightly packed bag and from there on I am a flying mass of articles, because there's no time to put things together. While I'm waiting for the metal detector, I realized that I have a sitting trapped audience and I give them a full presentation about how they all have to vote today for Kulunu Chaverim Nanach Peh Tzadik, only one of the attendants gave a fight to the show, and she said, excuse me not here.... but with the utter momentum of the joy of my show I saw out of the corner of my eye, that even this attendant had to turn her face to the side and hide her laughter before trying to stop me again. They were so caught off guard, they didn't even stop me from taking in a full bottle of water, this I realized with full appreciation when I finally got to rest in my seat on the plane and thank G-d I had the water. So I got to the gate, got my ticket stub and proceeded to the plane, when I realized that I forgot to give the sales pitch to the final attendants, so I ran back, and informed them that they were all expected to vote for Rabbainu today at the elections, so one of the ladies asks me with a huge smile on her face, what about me, so I told here that I don't have voting rights, and that's exactly why they all have to vote Peh Tzadi, because if Rabbainu makes it to the Knesset maybe I'll just have to make aliya as well. Walking onto the plane I was laughing ardently with great gratitude for actually making it on the flight. So one of the chasidim says, now I know I'm on the right plane....

Miracles of the Nanach Political Party

HH

When the Nanach went to register the party in the Knesset last week, they went early, but the Knesset didn't allow them in saying that they should come back tomorrow. This was because they wanted to facilitate Cachalon to register first (because he was taking the name of the Nanach party "Kulunu"). So the Nanach were about to give up. Then they get a call from Sharon that Nachman Yitzchok is on the way and they should get his documents, so Moshe Ofir went out and he was blowing his bubbles and all the press jumped on the action and he entertained them. In the meantime this served as a huge diversion, as Maor went and got the documents and entered the Knesset passing the entry point where it is forbidden to be simply removed... The security was pretty upset (they were overheard on their radios - "two in pajamas going up..."), they kicked out Moshe Ofir completely and Nachman Yitzchok remained outside, but Maor remained on the IN, and registered the party!!! With the amazing video that I already posted here! Only afterwards Cachalon showed up, too late...

Na Nach  Nachma Nachman MeUman!!!