The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to Israel 22-23

HH

Shivchay Haran

Part 2

22. And the utter enormity of the dangers that they had on their return is impossible to relate, because they were on this battleship which was full of Ishmaelites, and they were just two Jews alone. And the way of the Ishmaelites, especially men of war, is to grab Jews and sell them in distant places as slaves, and Rabbainu o.b.m. had great fear of this.

And he (Rabbainu) said that he started to think to himself what he would do if they took him to some place on the sea where there is no Jew and they would sell him there, and who would know from this? And he was greatly distressed, how would he be able to fulfill there the Commandments of the Torah? And he began to contemplate this in his mind, until he merited to come to the hasaga (-conception, attainment) that he could serve Hashem Yisburach even when he would be unable Heaven forbid to fulfill the mitzvahs. Because he attained conception of the devotion of the Forefathers of the World that they had before the giving of the Torah, that they fulfilled all the mitzvos even though they did not do the mitzvos in their simple plain form, like our forefather Jacob who fulfilled the mitzva of Tefilin by means of the rods which he pealed, as is known (Zohar Va'yaitzay 162:), until he attained conception of how to fulfill all the mitzvos in this way when he would be incapacitated in the place where they would sell him Heaven forbid (see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 142).

And immediately when he merited to this conception, Hashem Yisburach helped him, and the boat came and arrived on Ohr (-the light, in this case referring to the night when we search for chumetz by candle light, see the beginning of Tractate Pesachim at length, and Likutay Moharan volume 2, Torah-teaching 83 why this specific night is called light) of the fourteenth of (the month of) Nissan (the day preceding Passover) at a large city that stands on an island in the sea, where there is a "prominent large city (Jonah 3:3)" by the name of Rhodes (-largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece), and they recognized that this was a city of (-where there were) Israel (-Jews). And they had great joy, because they could buy here matzos for Passover and (wine for the) four cups.

However, they did not conceive that the captain and the Ishmaelites would allow them to enter this city, because they saw and understood that the Ishmaelites desired to grab them and kidnap them, and possibly they themselves would sell them as mentioned above.

23. And in the morning, which was erev (-day preceding) Pesach, the captain traveled with some of the Ishmaelites on the small boat into the city. And they came before him and they requested from him bread to eat, and they spoke to him with gestures, and he replied to them with gestures and told them that there were Jews here and you (-plural) can buy bread for yourselves. And Hashem Yisburach in His mercies, Whom in His hands are the hearts of kings and aristocrats (Proverbs 21:1), diverted/unsettled his heart and confused his mind until he let out of his mouth without equanimity, and said that he would take one of them in order to buy bread for them.

And promptly the man who was with Rabbainu traveled with him. And he came to the city, and one of his (-the Captain's) Ishmaelites followed him (-the man) to guard him that he should not ran away. And his way to the city was also extremely dangerous, because it was time of great war, and they could easily have grabbed him (under suspicion) that he is one of the spies, because it was recognizable on him that he was not from their country but from a very distant country. However, in the kindnesses of Hashem he passed all the guards of the gates, and they did not do anything to him, until he came to the chief Chacham (-Sefardic title for Rabbi, meaning wise man or sage) and he (the man) told him what happened to them, and that they were trapped in a battleship. However, he himself did not know what to relate, because they themselves did not know the intentions of the captain what he wanted to do with them, however, in general he told him that they were just about in captivity Heaven forbid, and they were in danger. And by him (the man) this hour (-the time he spent speaking with the Chacham) was (-felt like) lengthy like many hours. And the Chacham desired to hear stories of the war and so forth, and he (-the Chacham) said time and again: "Do not fear." But he (-the man) was greatly distressed.

And he (-the man) had intended to buy matzos and wine, and to return himself to the boat. However, Hashem Yisburach sent to him in his thoughts, being that when they were in the lodgings in Tiberias they heard of Rabbi Tzvi Horker, that his wife was from a Franken (-Sephardic) family and that she has great lineage, and he (-someone in Tiberias) said that she has a brother in Rhodes, a great sage and tzadik. And this came to his mind, however, he did not know his name, he knew just the name of the wife of the aforementioned Rabbi Tzvi. And promptly and immediately he asked about this Chacham that has a sister in Tiberias. And immediately they sent (/him) to the aforementioned Chacham, and the man of Rabbainu o.b.m. came to him. And they already had told the Chacham everything that they had heard from the mouth of the man in the house of the first Chacham mentioned above.  And immediately upon his arrival by this Chacham, he (-the Chacham) said to him: "There is nothing to fear, and stories you will tell me G-d willing at the (Passover) Seder."

And he (-Rabbainu's man) had great bafflement/incredulity in his heart, because it did not occur to him that the salvation would be so fast so that he would merit to be here for the Seder. And this Chacham said to him: "Know that we already precluded this captain with the boat until he allows you to leave from the boat, and money will be needed to be given to him as much as he wants, and 'it is good to give thanks to Hashem (Psalms 92:2)' who saved you, and did wondrous miracles and wonders with you that you merited to come here, and that the captain's mind would be confused and he would allow you to enter the city. Because this captain is an infamous pirate and he is rooted in his evil, because his lineage is from the five lords of the Philistines (Joshua 13:3 and throughout Scriptures), for so he signs his name. And presently there isn't time to hear stories. Come with me to the doctor (-barber surgeon) to give you a haircut in honor of the holiday." And so it was, they took him immediately and they gave him a haircut, and bathed him, and gave him coffee to drink.

And he (-the second Chacham) asked him, "Who is the second person?" 

And he (Rabbainu's man) said to him, "Have you heard of the Baal Shem Tov?"

And he replied, "Yes," because the books of the gaon (prodigy especially in Torah) the chusid (-pious) the Av (-father, that is Head justice of the) Bais Din (Jewish court) of the holy community (of the city) of Polnoah (-Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoah za.tza.l., from the greatest and most important rabbis of his generation. Originally he was an opponent (misnaged) to the Baal Shem Tov, but after, he drew close to him and was from his greatest disciples. He wrote what is reputed to  be the first book based on the  chasidus of the Baal Shem Tov, Toldos Yaakov Yosef in 5540-1780, and other books. He passed away roughly in the  year 5542-1782), were to be found there. And he (Rabbainu's man) said to him that, "he (-Rabbainu) is his (-the Baal Shem Tov's great) grandson, and he is also the grandson of Rabbi Nachman Hordainker, and of his own right he is a sage as you shall see with your (own) eyes." And this was doubly joyous for the Chacham, because he said, even to redeem simple people is a great mitzvah and especially that Hashem summoned for him to redeem such a great man, and with such prominent lineage from holy stock. And he (-the Chacham) hurried himself with some more men to travel to him (-Rabbainu).

However, in the meantime it happened that some Ishmaelites offended/struck each other, and they quarreled one another until many Ishmaelites were killed between them in the marketplace. And immediately upon hearing this, the aforementioned Chacham with all his men fled to his courtyard, and also the aforementioned man of Rabbainu they took with them as well, and they closed themselves securely shut (-as in Joshua 6:1), and they did not go outside for approximately some hours, and they were not able to travel to him because the day had already declined (-as in Jeremiah 6:4).

And the Chacham spoke up and said to him: "Know that from my youth I am engaged in Torah (study), and devotion (-of Hashem), and mitzvos, and good deeds, and it can be presumed that I have reward for this, besides for the portion in the future world that I have together with all of Israel. (All of) this I give to you as collateral, if Heaven forbid I do not endeavor and do my utmost to get you (-plural) out - let entirely everything be lost. And my intention is not to boast before you, just so that you believe me that I am not abandoning you Heaven forbid, however, there is no time to engage in this today. Therefore, take with you matzos, both shemura matza, and other matzos if you will want to eat, and from the most choice good wine, and vegetables, and other articles that are related to the Seder. And the aforementioned man traveled by himself and returned to the large boat where Rabbainu o.b.m. was alone.

And upon his arrival at the large boat which stood far from the city, immediately when Rabbainu heard his voice (/noise of his arrival) he rejoiced immensely with great joy, and he ran up to him, and said to him: "Baruch (-blessed is) Hashem that I see you alive, because I said (-thought) maybe they drowned you at sea and they will also drown me at sea, but now Baruch Hashem who gives strength to the weary, because I did not have any more strength to endure the suffering until you came, for I said (-thought) I would die until you came." Because Rabbainu o.b.m. had extremely pining eyes (-as in Deuteronomy 28:65) during all those hours that the man parted from him, and he remained alone on the boat, and he stood and waited expectantly, and his eyes pined the whole day for his arrival. And they prayed, and arranged the Seder properly, and they ate and drank, and the man told him all the things mentioned above, and he rejoiced with great happiness.

And on the first day of Passover the order came that they should take the boat to the city and tie it to the dock. And they were there on the boat for the second night as well, and on the second day the man that was with Rabbainu o.b.m. went to the city to the synagogue to pray, and after he left the synagogue he went with the Chacham to his house to eat the feast of the holiday, and they ate and drank. And during the feast the Chacham said Torah (-holy teachings), what he himself had been michadesh (-brought to light), and also in the name of others, and also from the tzadikim of our generation that are in our country. And he asked the aforementioned man that he should say Torah as well from Rabbainu o.b.m., and he (Rabbainu's man) said something in his (Rabbainu's) name, and he (-the Chacham) had very great satisfaction, and he said (Bava Metzia 83b, 84b - said upon great satisfaction of being vindicated on his deduction), "Rejoice my innards etc.."

And after the feast he returned to the boat, and the gabbai (-sexton) followed him and carried delicacies for Rabbainu o.b.m.. and when the aforementioned man  arrived on the boat his face had the appearance of someone who is sad and depressed. And when Rabbainu o.b.m. saw him it seemed to him that it must be that the situation had reversed, and who knows what the day will bring, and he was not able to eat, out of distress. And in reality this was because the Chacham had forced him to drink a lot of wine and was intoxicated, and because of this his face looked drawn when he came to Rabbainu. And Rabbainu asked him, but he didn't answer anything. Just afterwards, the man went to sleep for some hours, and afterwards he got up from the sleep gleefully, and he said to Rabbainu, "You (-respectful plural) didn't know that they intoxicated me, because they forced me to drink too much because of his joy." And he recounted everything to him, how the Chacham treated him, and he (Rabbainu) rejoiced and was gratified. And then he (Rabbainu) ate his feast.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman