Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
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אַךְ תֵּכֶף כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁמַע לְאַנְשֵׁי אֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בִּצְפָת וּבִטְבֶרְיָה שֶׁרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל הוּא בְּחֵיפָה, שָׁלְחוּ הַגְּדוֹלִים וְהַצַּדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁם לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל שֶׁיִּסַּע אֲלֵיהֶם.
The people in Safed and Tiberias soon heard that the Rebbe had arrived in Haifa. Their leaders immediately sent word, asking him to visit their communities.
וּבָאוּ אַנְשֵׁי טְבֶרְיָה עַל יוֹם כִּפּוּר אֵלָיו, וְהֵבִיאוּ לוֹ אִגְּרוֹת מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁכֻּלָּם מְבַקְּשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לָבוֹא לִטְבֶרְיָה עַל חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת. וְהוּא לֹא הִשְׁגִּיחַ עַל כָּל זֶה. וְאָמַר לְהָאִישׁ שֶׁהָיָה עִמּוֹ, לִקְנוֹת לוֹ אֶתְרוֹגִים. וְהָלַךְ אֶל הֶחָכָם הַחוֹנֶה שָׁם, וְנָתַן לוֹ עֶשְׂרִים פָּארֶעס וְהָלַךְ אֶל שְׂדֵה יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְהֵבִיא לוֹ שְׁלשָׁה אֶתְרוֹגִים מֻבְחָרִים וְיָפִים מְאֹד.
Emissaries from Tiberias arrived and spent Yom Kippur with the Rebbe. They had letters from all the great tzaddikim living there, requesting the Rebbe to spend Sukkot in Tiberias. The Rebbe, however, ignored the request completely. He told his attendant to buy him etrogim for the Sukkot festival. The attendant went to the chakham of Haifa and gave him twenty paras³⁴ for etrogim. The chakham went to an Arab field and brought him three beautiful, choice etrogim.
footnotes: ³⁴ A unit of Turkish money.
בְּתוֹךְ כָּךְ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב שָׁם בְּחֵיפָה, בָּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֶחָד רַךְ בַּשָּׁנִים וְיָשַׁב אֶצְלוֹ וְדִבֵּר אֵלָיו דִּבּוּרִים הַרְבֵּה וְלֹא יָדַע מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר. וְכֵן הָיָה אֵצֶל כָּל סְעֻדָּה וּסְעֻדָּה, בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה, וְהָיָה מְחַבֵּב אוֹתוֹ מְאֹד.
While the Rebbe was in Haifa, a mysterious event took place. A young Turk came to his lodgings and sat there, speaking to the Rebbe at length. Since he spoke in Turkish, the Rebbe could not understand a word he was saying. The Arab was there for each meal, day and night. From his actions, it seemed that he was very fond of the Rebbe.
וּפַעַם אַחַת בָּא אֵלָיו בִּכְלִי זַיִן בְּכַעַס גָּדוֹל וְהִתְחִיל לִזְעֹק וְלִצְעֹק עָלָיו. וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע מַה הוּא מְדַבֵּר. אַךְ אִשָּׁה אַחַת מִמְּדִינַת וָאלִיחַאי הָיְתָה שָׁם, וְתֵכֶף כְּשֶׁהָלַךְ הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל אָמְרָה אֶל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: "לְמַעַן הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁיִּבְרַח מִבַּיִת זֶה, כִּי זֶה הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר שֶׁהוּא ז"ל יֵלֵךְ עִמּוֹ לִלְחֹם" שֶׁקּוֹרִין 'פֶעכְטִין'.
One day, the Turk came to the Rebbe fully armed and in a state of rage. He began to scream at the Rebbe in Turkish. The Rebbe sat there dumbfounded, not understanding a word he was saying. But a woman from Walachia was in the house and she understood Turkish. As soon as the Turk left, she told the Rebbe, “For God’s sake, flee from this house! This Turk has just challenged you to a duel!”
וְתֵכֶף בָּרַח הוּא ז"ל לְבֵית הֶחָסִיד הַמְפֻרְסָם מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב זְאֵב מִטְשָׁארְנִי אוֹסְטְרְהָא הַנַּ"ל וְהִצְנִיעוּ אוֹתוֹ בְּחַדְרֵי חֲדָרִים.
The Rebbe flew from the house and hid in the home of Rabbi Zev of Charni. They concealed him in an innermost chamber.
וְאַחַר־כָּךְ בָּא הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל הַנַּ"ל עוֹד הַפַּעַם לְבֵית אַכְסַנְיָא שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, וְאָמַר: "הֵיכָן הָאִישׁ הַלָּז? יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵי לֵהּ שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹהֵב אוֹתוֹ מְאֹד, אֲנִי אֶתֵּן לוֹ הַחֲמוֹרִים וְגַם הַסּוּס שֶׁלִּי שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ עִם הַשַּׁיָּרָה לִטְבֶרְיָה וְשׂוּב אֵין לוֹ לְהִתְפַּחֵד מִמֶּנִּי כְּלָל מֵעַתָּה".
The Turk soon returned to the Rebbe’s quarters, looking for him. He said, “Where is the man who was here? Tell him that I am very fond of him. If he wants to go with the caravans to Tiberias, I will give him donkeys. I will even give him my own horse! From now on, he has nothing to fear from me!”
וְכֵן הָיָה, שֶׁבָּא רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל אֶל אַכְסַנְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ, וּבָא הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא דִּבֵּר לוֹ כְּלוּם רַק שָׁתַק וְשָׂחַק. וְאַחַר־כָּךְ חִבֵּב אוֹתוֹ זֶה הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל מְאֹד בְּאַהֲבָה יְתֵרָה.
So it was. The Rebbe returned to his quarters and the Turk came and sat there, not saying a word. He just sat quietly and smiled. Then he began to act friendly to the Rebbe, displaying an unusual degree of affection.
וְעִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁל הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל, הָיָה פְּלִיאָה גְּדוֹלָה. וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ יִסּוּרִים מֵהָאַהֲבָה שֶׁל הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל יוֹתֵר מִן הַשִּׂנְאָה וְהַכַּעַס שֶׁלּוֹ. וּכְפִי הַנִּשְׁמַע מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ, שֶׁהָיָה בְּעִנְיַן מַעֲשֶׂה זוֹ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ עִם הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה, וְכִמְדֻמֶּה שֶׁנִּשְׁמַע מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁזֶּה הַיִּשְׁמָעֵאל הָיָה הַס"מ בְּעַצְמוֹ.
The entire episode was extremely mysterious. The Rebbe said, “I suffered even more from that Turk’s love than from his hatred and anger.” From the Rebbe’s holy words, it appeared that his dealings with that Turk had placed him in great peril. It also seems that we heard the Rebbe say this Turk was the Evil One himself.
וּבָרוּךְ ה' שֶׁנִּצַּל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּשָׁלוֹם בְּחַסְדֵּי ה'.
Whatever the case, God had mercy and protected the Rebbe. He was saved [and left] in peace, thanks to God’s kindness.