The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to Israel 21

HH

Shivchay Huran

Part 2

21. And in the morning soldiers called brand vach (- the given translation is that it is something similar to border patrol. Vach is Yiddish for guards (-coast guards?), and brand in Yiddish usually means burning, so perhaps it is an elite, attack, or active division, or perhaps the word is frund, which is like front. Subsequently someone learned in Yiddish has suggested that a brandvach would be a fire brigade to prevent or extinguish fires, this seems the most plausible especially in context) bordered the boat. And Rabbainu o.b.m. and the aforementioned man that was with him wanted yet to come and fall before the feet of the captain and plead to him that he should let them return to the shore. However, in the meantime they weighed anchor, and they fled out of fright in the direction which the wind took them, because the war had aroused promptly and their (-its) hubbub was heard profoundly, and they heard there on the boat the tremendous bellowing of the harmatas (-cannons) and the bombs (-the Ukrainian word is provided here, which is similar enough to the English) and other such noises related to war, because their clamor was heard to a very far distance. And the greatness of the danger, and the fright, and the fear that they had then is immeasurable. And both of them together fell bedridden. And they did not even have water to drink because they did not prepare anything for themselves as mentioned previously. And Hashem, in His abundant mercies and kindnesses gave them favor in the eyes of one Ishmaelite who was the kecher (-cook, in Yiddish) by the captain, and he secretly pilfered and gave them one shawl (-cup  (see commentators on Isaiah 40:12), in Yiddish, especially-) of coffee, for each of them, in the morning and in the evening.

And because of their weakness they were laid up on sickbed may the Merciful One save us, and they did not know for themselves where they were, because they were closed off in their room, bedridden. However, this they heard, that there was a storm wind that carried the boat and/but they did not know to where it had carried them. When they heard that the boat had reached some shore, they went out of the rooms to see the place where they had arrived, and they saw that it was not Istanbul. And they asked the aforementioned Ishmaelite, and he said that this country was called "Adal" (- Asia Minor - Western Turkey, is called Anatolia. One of the largest cities on its southern coast of the Mediterranean is Antalya which was originally  "Attaleia," named after its founder Attalos II, king of Pergamon. This name, still in use in Greek, was later evolved in Turkish as Adalia (-In Megillas Esther 9:8 Adalia is listed as one of the ten sons of Haman) and then Antalya. This is probably the Adal referred to here. It is interesting to note that Rabbainu's grandmother, the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov was named Odel as was Rabbainu's oldest daughter (who was approximately 11 years old then). Adal is also a permutation of A.L.D. one of the 72 Divine Names. See also Bava Basra 16b where adli means progression and lifting).

And they (Rabbainu and his companion) had already heard about their practice, that when a Jew came to their hands, the first "mitzvah" by them is to sacrifice him as an offering, so when they heard that this is Adal, they immediately went to their room, and they closed the door after them, and they hid themselves there. And they were beset with great fear. And the boat stood there for three days, and it was possible (that) the captain intended (- t.n. the original allows for either understanding, i.e. a. The captain in fact had intended to carry out this possibility. B. It is possible that the captain entertained carrying out such a possibility) to stay there longer, but (for) suddenly a storm wind arose, and the ropes of the anchor were severed, and the anchor was left in the sea, and the boat went on its own accord from there. And there was a great shouting there between the Ishmaelites: "haman haman (t.n. the translation supplied here by the publisher is: help help. However the closest similar word in any Turkish dialect that I was able to find was "amra (save, rescue)," which doesn't quite cut it. It is in fact strange that the publisher chose to translate it as such when Rabbi Nussun himself immediately supplied the translation as givald which is not a cry for help, at least not directly. There is a word in some Turkish dialects for "bad" - "aman," with slight variations in other Turkish dialects, and this "bad" could very well be the equivalent of the Yiddish exclamation"givald," and it most resembles the word haman presented here. Before finding this word I came across other possibilities, such as "umun," in the Dolgan and Yakut Turkish Dialects with slight variations in the others, which means to forget, and might therefore also imply to be forgotten, lost, and despair (the word for hope is quite similar - umut), and a third more remote possibility is the Karachi verb for fear (with slight variations in the other dialects) - emen. Being that all these possibilities are the same consonants just with different vowels not even very distinctive, chances are that these words convey and insinuate a little of each), i.e. givald (-a Yiddish exclamation of woe or amazement). And the boat was pitched about frantically in the sea the whole night until daybreak, (and) the storm wind subsided, "And they rejoiced because/when they (-strong winds and waves) abated (Psalms 107:26)." However, it didn't take them to their desired destination (-in contradistinction to the verses of the aforementioned Psalms), rather by the storm wind they returned and came close to Akko by approximately a day's worth of travel.

And afterwards, after midday, their arose again a great storm winds, and it carried the boat. And the boat pitched about frantically and recklessly for many consecutive days and nights, "they rose (to the) heavens (and) descended (to the) depths (Psalms 107:26)," and the masters of the boat did not have any aitzuh (-remedy, recourse) how to escape. "And they were smashed/reeled and staggered like a drunk, all their skills smothered (Psalms 107:27)." And on Thursday at 12 o'clock they started to remove water from the boat, from the third level, with pumps ("plumpin") as boat owners do. And the way they do it is to remove the water for fifteen minutes for every elapse of twenty four hours. But now, when they began to pump, they didn't suffice pumping until night time came, and abundant water accumulated on the boat due to the pumping, and the water went also to their room, of Rabbainu o.b.m., and they were not able to lie on the bed there because the waters had risen there, and Rabbainu was forced to ascend to some higher place to lie down, and the man that was with him ascended to a different place, because they did not want to go out to be seen before the Ishmaelites. And the water on the boat went and became more and more plentiful all the time until the Ishmaelites were compelled to do away with the pumps, and they made a bucket brigade, and they drew the water by hand with large vessels. And the storm went on very fiercely. And from the great intensity of the storm wind the waves rose almost to the heart of the sky, and they were like huge mountains and great valleys. And it was like that the whole night as well.

And when it became daylight, the man that was with him o.b.m. came, and Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him that he has severe weakness of heart from the great fear, "Because I see (-understand) in my heart that I am now in great danger, because this is not a simple matter, even though I do not know what they are doing even still the heart sees." And the aforementioned man negated (to him), and said to him: "Do not fear (-respectful plural) because Baruch Hashem everything is in check."

And the aforementioned men went to look in the hamber (-deck, this word is actually found in the Talmud, Kedushin 70b, however in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 221 it says that they prayed in the hamber of the house, and the translation given there is terrace) where they were pumping the water, and he saw that there were already small waves there like on our rivers, because the boat had become laden just with water. Because the method of the boats is to be loaded up with two thirds cargo, and the Ishmaelites had already discarded all the cargo, and the boat remained laden with water alone. And the surplus water in excess of the allotted weight for cargo on the boat, this water they pumped out, and even this they weren't sufficing to pump. It was then that the man saw that it was no longer possible by way of nature to be saved. And he came to the room, and because of the great anguish and fear he was almost not able to speak. And Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him: "What is this? And where is your mouth which said that this isn't anything, and now you yourself are so frightened?!" And he replied, that there is no longer any consideration according to nature to be saved, because the waters are going and accumulating in the boat, and they do not have the ability to pump all of it, because their strength of endurance had deteriorated. Because it was close to twenty four hours that they hadn't eaten, and hadn't drank, and hadn't seen sleep for their eyes.

And the man said to him that he still hadn't prayed. Rabbainu o.b.m. answered him: "You do not need to pray now, just accept the yoke of Heaven with the first verse (-of Shema), and say the first three and last three etc. (-abridgement of the Shemoaneh Esray - eighteen benedictions). And he (Rabbainu) said to him: "Take all the money, to the very last penny, and divide it in two. Half, tie by you on your body, and half, I will tie on my body." 

And the man asked him: "Why (do) this, behold the fish of the sea can swallow us without the money?"

He replied (to him): "Do so as I tell you. Israel was upon (-in) the sea and they didn't drown, whereas we are still in a boat etc.." 

And he did what he did. And he told the man to dress himself, and to gird himself with a belt over his tulep (-fancy overcoat with fine fur on the inside, and the fur rolled over onto the collar), and he did so as well, like someone prepared to embark on a journey.

And the man asked him, and said to him: "I don't even know how to pray even the prayer set/arranged by the Anshay (-men of) Kinnesses Hagedoaluh (-the Great Assembly - that is the standard daily prayers), certainly (not) now at this dire time. But kivoad Torusoa (-he who is honorable by virtue of his Torah) knows how to pray for the general and the particular, why do you (-respectful plural) not pray now?"

And he replied: "That now because of small moachin (-consciousness and acumen) I am distant from Hashem Yisburach. However, my recourse is faithful, because there is no alternative due to the great danger, that we are now in such terrible enormous danger, Hashem Yisburach knows that all the days of my life I never yet would have used the merit of my fathers, just due to necessity I am forced to request from Hashem Yisburach that He do this (-bring salvation) for the sake of the merit of my elder (-great grandfather) Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov o.b.m. and the merit of my grandmother Odel, and the merit of my grandfather Rabbi Nachman of Hordainke." And more than this he did not make further mention.

And afterwards they saw from a distance the likes of a large very dark cloud, and there fell upon them more great fear, because sometimes when a cloud gathers and connects to all water from the sea, the likes of a valley would be made there (-a waterspout), and when the boat descends there (then) it drowns there. And the remedy for this is to shoot with guns and harmatas (-cannons) like in war, in order to break up the clouds (-there was a commonly held belief among sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries that shooting a broadside cannon volley dispersed waterspouts). But they did not have spare time for this because they needed to pump the water from the boat as mentioned above, and the troubles were pitted against each other like a wasp to a scorpion (c.f. Talmud Chagiga 5a, the treatment for a bee sting is with heat, whereas the treatment for that of a scorpion is with cooling, therefore one who Gf is stung by both will be caught in conflicting troubles partnered against him). However, with the mercy of Hashem, due to the force of the storm wind the boat went with great speed, and the boat flew mamash like an arrow from a bow, and the boat came to that aforementioned place (-the waterspout) where the cloud drinks from. And it was like a gateway there surrounded by mountains, and the boat passed through from there safely.

And in the interim, Hashem enlightened their eyes, and they found the hole through which the water was entering the boat, and they slaughtered a goat, and they took its hide and fixed the boat, and they were saved safely from these great and terrible dangers. And this was on erev (-the day preceding) Shabbos Kodesh (-holy). And they had great happiness, and Rabbainu o.b.m. said then (Psalms 107 which is customarly said before the mincha (afternoon) services preceding Shabbos, this Psalm speaks of the four types of dangers one who is saved from them is required to give special thanks to Hashem, and it details some of the dangers of going out to sea, and how those who do so witness the greatness of Hashem), "Hoadoo (-give gratitude) LaHashem (-to Gd)" with great joy. From there they went by way of very many places. And their eating on the boat was just what the aforementioned kecher (-cook) gave them out of pity from their "magazine," "soochares" (-the Russian word for hardtack - сухарь) and worms were crawling on them. And they would go and beg and stretch out their hands humbly everyday like a pauper in the doorway, and he would give them from these hardtacks, and they ate this alone.

And when they brought to mind that it was close to Passover they had great distress, because they worried what they would do on Passover, because it is impossible to fast all the days of Passover. And after an hour or two they came to a big city which stands on a mountain of stones in the middle of the sea, and the Ishmaelites bought there many fruit, and for them they gave for one thaler many carobs which are called "bucksirin" (-to this day this is a popular name for carobs - bokser, Bocks-horn is the medieval German word for the fruit of the carob tree), approximately a chetvert (-this is a Russian measure (which means a quarter), which is enormous, and impossible to be the referent here even if it was considerably smaller back then it would still not be feasible, unless it is referring to the liquid measure which is approximately 1.537 liters or 93.75 cubic inches. The Hebrew publisher says the weight referred to here is approximately 3 kilograms), and Rabbainu o.b.m. said, "For the time being this is also very good, because it is possible to live the eight days of Passover with Carobs alone, however, if only Hashem Yisburach would merit us to fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzo and four cups (of wine).

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman

The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to the Land of Israel 20

HH

Shivchay HuRan

Part 2

20. And when he heard this, he sent the messenger to Akko (-Acre) to purchase passage on a boat from Regaz (-Ragosa, Present day Crotia. - Between the 14th century and 1808, Dubrovnik, the capital of the Republic of Ragosa, ruled itself as a free state, although it was a vassal from 1382 to 1804 of the Ottoman Empire and paid an annual tribute to its sultan. 

With the help of skilled diplomacy, Dubrovnik merchants traveled lands freely and on the sea the city had a huge fleet of merchant ships (argosy) that traveled all over the world. From these travels they founded some settlements, from India to America, and brought parts of their culture and flora home with them. One of its keys to success was not conquering, but trading and sailing under a white flag with the word Latin: Libertas (freedom) prominently featured on it.

Many Jews from Spain and Portugal moved there in the 16th century), which is at peace with all the nations. That is, there is a country Regaz (-Ragosa) which maintains peace with all the kings, and when that boat unfurls its flag (then) it is not taken into the "plen" (-captivity - in Russian). Because the way of the battleships is to snatch at sea a boat with the people on board into the "plen" (-captivity), that is, into captivity, but when the aforementioned boat from the Republic of Regaz (-Ragosa) unfurls its flag, then they do not take them into the "plen" (-captivity). So it was that they purchased for him (passage on) such a boat.

And when the rav the tzadik, our teacher Rav Avrohom mentioned above, heard that Rabbainu o.b.m. wants to conduct travels to his home, he sent a special messenger to him with his letter and a general letter (t.n. these seem to be letters of introduction to aid Rabbainu in his travels), and he o.b.m. hustled himself immensely, and he did not want to wait for the letter of the Rav the gaon of the community of Shipeetuvkeh, and he embarked from there on erev (-day preceding) Shabbos Kodesh (-holy) of the Torah reading of the portion of Zachor (-remember- what Amulaik ambushed Israel etc., read on the Shabbos preceding Purim), and they went the whole night until three hours before kabulas (-the receiving - taking in - of) Shabbos; then they came to the coast of Akko (-Acre). And they sent the temsilci (-agent - in Turkish) (to arrange) that he should take them on board the boat, and he came with the reply that it was impossible in any way to take them, because the boat was already full of people, too many had boarded it, and Rabbainu and the man that was with him were forced to enter the city of Akko (-Acre) to spend there Shabbos of the reading of the Torah portion Zachor.

And they went to the wealthy man that they had a letter for him from the aforementioned Rav the Kalisker, and they were guests by him. And there a very, very great fright fell upon them, because there were approximately 15,000 or more, Ishmaelite soldiers with all their accessories for waging war, and they closed the door of the city's wall. And on Shabbos in the morning during the prayer the temsilci (-agent) came, and said that, "it is no longer possible to find any boat of Ragosa, just boats of Ishmaelite merchants that go to Istanbul with merchandise. And even though there is a fear of going with them, from the danger of the soldiers that were prevalent then on the sea that would take (whoever they could) into the "plen," that is - into captivity, even still it is better to enter this danger than to be here. Because the command had come that after two or three days there will be the battle, and probably they would kill many from the city, and why do you need this calamity. Therefore may his eminence by virtue of the honor of his Torah (m.c.t. - maalas kivoad Toarusoa) permit me to purchase (a fare on) a boat for you (plural - respectfully) on Shabbos, because peekuach nefesh (-saving life) doacheh (pushes away - precedes the obligations of) Shabbos," and so it was, and the temsilci (-agent) went and purchased (fare on) a boat for them, and gave an adrof (adrof/adroif translated loosely as down payment, is earnest money (money given by a buyer to a seller to bind a contract), the term adrof is found in halachic responsa such as Yishuot Malko) of one gold dinar.

And in the meantime many, more boats came with soldiers from England, also to Akko (-Acre), and the fear there grew more and more. And there was great cramping in the city, because the place was inadequate to contain such a vast population. And there was great fear there on that Shabbos (and all the members of the household where Rabbainu was staying, they all spread out their hands (in prayer)). However, even still Rabbainu o.b.m. and the man who was with him had a small consolation, that which they had already bought (fare on) a boat for them. Also they were dismayed for not having prepared for themselves at all any food or drink to take on the boat because the arrangement had been so sudden as mentioned above. And they reminded themselves of how upon their boarding the boat from chutz-lu'uretz (-outside Israel) to Israel they had on the boat all the necessary provisions ("kol toov") for four to five months as is customary for sea travelers, whereas now they did not have anything.

On Sunday morning Rabbainu o.b.m. sent the man that was with him to go with the temsilci (-agent) to buy provisions to take on the boat as is customary. But he did not find what to buy in the marketplace, and he returned to the lodgings. And Rabbainu o.b.m. was standing then wrapped in Talis and Tefilin and did not speak with him at all. And the aforementioned man, fell asleep from the great plight and fear, and Rabbainu did not know that he was in the house. In the interim the great uproar occurred there, because the ordinance had came from the Pasha, that he will give an allowance of just two hours, whoever does not know how to wage war should see to escape by sea, because no gate was open to leave the city just by way of the sea. And whoever is found inside the city after two hours they will slaughter him there. Because the Ishmaelites of the city wanted to make room inside the city so that they would not be so congested from so many people, before they wanted to slaughter those found there to make room for them so that they would not be so cramped. And there was a great ruckus there, and a great shouting in the city, and very great dread and terror, and during the great commotion Rabbainu o.b.m. fled  from there towards the sea, and he did not look at all for the aforementioned man that was with him (and) who had fallen asleep as mentioned previously.

Afterwards the aforementioned man woke up and saw that Rabbainu was not in the house, and he waited protractedly, and afterwards he went to the courtyard and saw and heard (that) men, and women, and children screaming and  crying extremely bitterly, and their outcry rose to the Heavens. And the lady of the house, when she saw the man that was with Rabbainu o.b.m., she came to him and said to him: "Oy vavoy (-woe), I pity your (-respectful plural) youth that you (-plural) will be killed here, we at any rate received goodness here, now we need to accept as well what is decreed upon this place, but upon you it is a tremendous pity, because you will be lost here from your family etc.," and similar words like these.

And great trepidation fell upon him to the extent that he didn't have the ability to move/feel with - his fingers. And he asked her about Rabbainu, and she answered: "I think he fled to the sea." And when he heard this, he wanted to take the chest with the money and their stuff, because Rabbainu o.b.m. fled there alone without anything. But the man was unable to carry the chest by himself, and Hashem summoned for him some Frank (-Sephardic Jew) and he gave him the chest with the stuff, and he fled with him to the sea.

And because of the great pandemonium that was in the city, (every)one almost stabbed their (adjacent) friend with their knife, and it was not possible to go about in the city. However, with Hashem's mercy, there was an induction from Hashem so that in that hour (-time) the Ishmaelites stood on the roof of the wall and made an announcement of some good tiding. And many people gathered by them. And because of this there was way to pass through the city to go to the sea.

And when the aforementioned men came to the sea he saw many boats, but he did not see Rabbainu there, and he was asking and searching ardently, with search after search (-very meticulously), until he found Rabbainu o.b.m. who was sitting on a boat, and the boat was full of Ishmaelites, and Rabbainu o.b.m. sat in the middle. And when they met up together, Rabbainu o.b.m. with his aforementioned man, there was great joy between them, because originally they had very, very great distress because they didn't know from one another. And first they were sitting on the small boat which is called "barkas"  (- баркас - this is the Russian word for longboat, the largest boat carried by a merchant sailing vessel), afterwards they went with this boat until they came to the big boat which is called "okrent" (-okręt is the Polish word for ship) which was standing near Haifa.

And they saw that the boat was surrounded with harmatas (-this is the Ukrainian word for cannon - гармата, it is also a word historically associated with weapons, such as the Persian scythed-harmata chariot), and it was a marvel to them. However, they said (-thought) in their hearts that because it is a time of war, therefore also the merchant's ship goes as well with harmatas (-cannons). But in reality, this boat was a battleship with soldiers and weapons. And certainly it was a very great and enormous danger to join up together with them, particularly with Ishmaelite soldiers who are savages (Genesis 16:12), and particularly to set out to sea with them. But when Rabbainu o.b.m. fled, in the enormous chaos he didn't ascertain to board the boat that they had paid for him, because he did not know where it was, and in the bedlam he boarded this boat, and he did not know at all that it was a battleship.

And the Ishmaelites took them, and brought them into the big ship, and gave them a special (-their own private) room. And they also gave the aforementioned man that was with Rabbainu o.b.m. a loaded gun, and they couldn't ask them anything because they did not know the language. And they did not have any food or beverages on the boat. And after two or three hours into the night they closed the door to the room and they lay down to sleep. And they didn't eat anything because they didn't have what to eat as mentioned previously.

And then after an hour or two someone open the door and said to them in the language of the gentiles in our country (-Russian): "What are you doing here? Behold this is a battleship, and you will be lost/obliterated here, Heaven forbid. Behold you see that the boat is fully surrounded with loaded harmatas (-cannons)." And they awakened from their sleep, and they grabbed him by his garment, and it was a garment of givant (-the early editors translate this to be simple cloth. Perhaps it is gabardine, which the dictionary says was most commonly worn by Jews, and its etymology comes from the Spanish word bearing the exact likeness of the word in case: gabán - meaning an overcoat), however, they did not see his form/appearance. And they asked him that he should help them, that he should allow them to leave the boat to the shore of the Land of Israel, because they already saw that they are in danger closer to death than life. Because they saw that the koylin (-кулі - the Ukrainian word for bullets) were flying near the boat, therefore they said, it is better to remain in the Holy Land so that their bones would remain there in the Holy Land, because they saw that it would be difficult to escape from the carnage. And he said that they would need to give him some amount of thaler (-a silver coin used as currency throughout Europe) for this, and he said that he would go to the captain.

So the aforementioned man went to open the chest to get the thaler, and waited a bit, and went to the captain, and stretched out his hand to give the money to the captain, because he thought that the person that spoke with them in the gentile tongue had already requested on their behalf from the captain for this, that he should allow them to go. But the captain screamed at him a vehement screaming, and did not listen to him at all. And afterwards they were searching for this person that spoke with them in the gentile tongue, and they searched, search after search (-meticulously), but they did not find any person that could speak the  Russian language, just, everyone were Ishmaelites and arabs. And then there fell upon them great fright, and they were gripped with great trepidation to the extent that they were not able to rest in bed because of the body tremors from the great fright, because then they understood that they were on a battleship which is called krig (-war in Yiddish) shif (-ship in Yiddish), and it is a danger huge beyond measure. And they still do not know who it was that spoke with them in Russian (language) and apprised them that it was a battleship.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman