Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
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וּמִיָּד אַחַר נְסִיעָתָם מִסְּטַנְבּוּל, בָּא אֵלָיו הַסַּרְסוּר הַנַּ"ל וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ אִגְּרוֹת הַרְבֵּה מִצַּדִּיקֵי דּוֹרֵנוּ שֶׁשָּׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו בַּקָּשָׁתָם לִהְיוֹת לְעֵזֶר לַאֲנָשִׁים הַנּוֹסְעִים מֵהָכָא לְהָתָם [מכאן לשם], כִּי הוּא חָשׁוּב בְּעֵינֵי הַשָּׂרֵי מְלוּכָה.
Soon after these two left Istanbul, the agent to whom they had spoken came to the Rebbe and his attendant. He showed them letters from all the Jewish leaders, asking him to help people traveling through Istanbul. He did this to emphasize his importance in the government.
בְּכֵן תֵּדְעוּ, אִם תְּגַלּוּ לִי מִי אַתֶּם וּמֵאֵיזֶה מִשְׁפָּחָה אַתֶּם הֲרֵי טוֹב. וְאִם לָאו יֵשׁ לְאֵל יָדִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם רָעָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא תּוּכְלוּ כַּפְּרָהּ, וְלֹא יוֹעִיל הוֹן לְשַׁחֵד בְּמָמוֹן. וְלֹא דַּי שֶׁלֹּא תִּסְעוּ לְאֶרֶץ הַקֹּדֶשׁ גַּם תִּהְיוּ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים. וְכַיּוֹצֵא בִּדְבָרִים אֵלֶּה.
He told the Rebbe, “If you tell me about yourself and your family, good! But if not, the power is in my hands to do you evil (Genesis 31:29), and you will not be able to undo it (Isaiah 47:11). Not only will you not be permitted to continue your journey, but you will be imprisoned. Even a fortune in bribes will not help when I get through.”
וְכַאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע זֹאת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, מִיָּד אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱמֶת. שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ רַבִּי נַחְמָן, וְהוּא נֶכֶד לְהַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב ז"ל, וּלְרַבִּי נַחְמָן מֵהָרִידֶענְקֶא ז"ל.
When the Rebbe heard this, he immediately told the truth. He said that he was a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov and a grandson of Rabbi Nachman Horodenker.²⁴
footnotes: ²⁴ Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka (d. 1761) was a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and a member of the latter's household. His son, Rabbi Simcha, was the father of our Rebbe Nachman.
מִיָּד נָסוֹג אָחוֹר הַסַּרְסוּר הַנַּ"ל וְהָלַךְ מֵאִתּוֹ. וּלְיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת בָּא הַסַּרְסוּר בְּהַכְנָעָה אֵלָיו.
The agent’s attitude changed immediately and he left in a completely different mood. When he returned the next day, he was very submissive to the Rebbe.
וְאָמַר לְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל בִּלְשׁוֹן אַהֲבָה וְחִבָּה: "רַבִּי, ה' עִמָּכֶם. תֵּדְעוּ שֶׁכָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת תְּקַבְּלוּ מֵאִתִּי, וּשְׂכַרְכֶם יִהְיֶה כָּפוּל עַל זֶה שֶׁגִּלִּיתֶם לִי הָאֱמֶת. כִּי אִם לֹא הֱיִיתֶם מוֹדִים לִי, הָיִיתִי מוֹסֵר אֶתְכֶם לְבֵית הַסֹּהַר, וְהָיִיתִי נֶעֱנָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וּבִקַּשְׁתִּי אֶתְכֶם לְקַבֵּל טוֹב מֵאִתִּי, הֵן בִּשְׂכִירוּת הַסְּפִינָה, הֵן בִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים כִּי אֲנִי מוּכָן וּמְזֻמָּן לְשָׁרֵת אֶתְכֶם".
He spoke with great friendliness. “Rebbe, may God be with you. I will do everything I can, now that you have told me the truth. Had you not disclosed your identity, I would have imprisoned you, and I would have been punished in this world and the next. But now, please, let me help you. If you need a ship or anything else, I am ready to serve you in any way possible.”