Chasidut · Breslov
Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 15/שבחי הר"ן·
אוְאַחַר יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם, נִשְׁאֲרָה הַסְּפִינָה בְּלִי מַיִם שֶׁרְאוּיִין לִשְׁתִיָּה. כִּי פָּסְקוּ אֶצְלָם הַמַּיִם שֶׁל שְׁתִיָּה שֶׁהָיָה עַל הַסְּפִינָה. וְלֹא נִשְׁאַר לָהֶם, כִּי־אִם כְּלִי אַחַת שֶׁל מַיִם סְרוּחִים וַעֲכוּרִים וְתוֹלָעִים הָיוּ מְרַחֲשִׁין בָּהֶם. וְאֵלּוּ הַמַּיִם חִלְּקוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי הַסְּפִינָה בַּמִּדָּה, לָאִישׁ 'אַקִי' (מִדָּה קְטַנָּה) אַחַת. וְהָיָה לָהֶם סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה מֵהַצִּמָּאוֹן יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַסַּכָּנוֹת.
1After a day or two, the ship found itself without drinking water. All the water had been used up except for one barrel of putrid, bad-smelling water that was crawling with worms. This water was carefully rationed to the passengers, one measure to each person. The danger of thirst grew more serious than all previous perils.
בוַאֲזַי הִתְפַּלְּלוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטַף מִקִּירוֹת לִבָּם. וְנִתְעוֹרֵר עוֹד הַפַּעַם רוּחַ־סְעָרָה גְּדוֹלָה, וְהֵבִיא הַסְּפִינָה אַחַר שְׁנֵי מֵעֵת־לְעֵת לָאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה לִסְפַר יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, לְעִיר־הַקֹּדֶשׁ יָפוֹ.
2All the passengers, men, women and children, began to pray from the depths of their hearts (see “His Wisdom” #39). Suddenly a great wind began to blow, sweeping the ship along. Within two days, they sighted land. They had arrived at Jaffa, the port of entry to Jerusalem.
גוְרָצָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל לֵירֵד שָׁם מֵהַסְּפִינָה, לָלֶכֶת אֶל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִם הֶחָכָם הַנַּ"ל, בְּצַוְתָּא חֲדָא כַּנַּ"ל. וּמֵאֵת ה' הָיְתָה סִבָּה, וְלֹא הִנִּיחוּהוּ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס אֲלֵיהֶם, כִּי הִסַתַּכְּלוּ עַל מַלְבּוּשָׁיו וְעַל תֹּאַר פָּנָיו שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פֵּאוֹת אֲרֻכִּים כַּנָּהוּג בִּמְדִינָתֵנוּ, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְשׁוֹנָם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁהוּא בְּוַדַּאי אֶחָד מֵהַמְרַגְּלִים שֶׁל הַצָּרְפַת. וְלֹא הוֹעִילוּ שׁוּם פִּיּוּס וּבַקָּשׁוֹת. וְנִשְׁאַר רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל עַל הַסְּפִינָה.
3The Rebbe wanted to leave the ship immediately and accompany the sage to Jerusalem. But God willed otherwise (cf. I Kings 12:15), and the Turks would not let him enter the country. They saw his strange clothing and long peyot. This, together with his inability to speak their language, convinced them that he was a French spy. Neither persuasion nor pleading availed, and the Rebbe was constrained to remain on shipboard.
דוְהָיָה בְּדַעַת הַקַּפִּיטָן לְהִתְעַכֵּב שָׁם עִם הַסְּפִינָה לִהְיוֹת עוֹמֵד לָפוּשׁ אֵיזֶה יָמִים. וְאָז הָיָה שְׁנֵי יָמִים קֹדֶם רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה.
4It was two days before Rosh HaShanah, and the captain intended to remain in Jaffa for at least several more days.
האַךְ הַסְּפִינָה לֹא יָכְלָה לַעֲמֹד שָׁם מֵחֲמַת גַּלֵּי הַיָּם שֶׁרָצוּ לְהָפְכָהּ, וְלֹא הוֹעִיל שׁוּם עֵצָה וְתַחְבּוּלָה לָזֶה. וְהָיָה הַדָּבָר לְפֶלֶא גָּדוֹל בְּעֵינֵי הַקַּפִּיטָן. וְשָׁאַל: "מַה זֶּה, וְעַל מַה זֶּה?" וְהֵשִׁיבוּ הַחֲכָמִים שֶׁל הַסְּפָרַדִּים: שֶׁקַּבָּלָה בְּיָדָם אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ, שֶׁבְּזֶה הַמָּקוֹם נִשְׁלַךְ יוֹנָה בֶּן אֲמִתִּי הַנָּבִיא. וְלֹא יָכְלָה הַסְּפִינָה לַעֲמֹד שָׁם אוֹתָהּ הַלַּיְלָה וְהֻכְרְחוּ לָזוּז עִם הַסְּפִינָה מִשָּׁם.
5Soon a heavy surf arose, rocking the ship so much that it almost capsized. The captain was helpless and soon realized that he could not remain there. He was very surprised at this, and inquired. The old Sephardic sages told him they had a tradition from father to son that this was the place where Jonah had been cast into the sea. They were forced to lift anchor, for the ship could not remain there for the night.
ווְהָלְכוּ מִשָּׁם. וּבָאוּ בָּעֶרֶב לֵיל "זְכוֹר בְּרִית" לְעִיר־הַקֹּדֶשׁ חֵיפָה. וְעָמְדוּ אֵצֶל הַר הַכַּרְמֶל נֶגֶד מְעָרַת אֵלִיָּהוּ.
6They left Jaffa and arrived in Haifa on the eve of Zakhor Brit,31 which are recited on that day. the day before Rosh HaShanah. The ship rested at the foot of Mount Carmel, near the Cave of Elijah.
זוּבְאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר אָמְרוּ כָּל הָעָם סְלִיחוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה. וְאַחַר־כָּךְ הִתְפַּלְּלוּ תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ הָלְכוּ כֻּלָּם לְעִיר־הַקֹּדֶשׁ חֵיפָה אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטַף.
7In the early morning, all the people on the ship said Selichot with great joy. Then they prayed the morning service. After their prayers, everyone disembarked in Haifa.
חוְאָז נִכְנַס רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ ז"ל לָאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וּבָא אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נִכְסַף אֵלָיו, וְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק אֵלָיו בְּהִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת וְכִסּוּפִין וְגַעְגּוּעִים גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד מְאֹד, וּמָסַר נַפְשׁוֹ אֲלָפִים וְרִבְבוֹת פְּעָמִים בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה, וְהִשְׁלִיךְ נַפְשׁוֹ מִנֶּגֶד עֲבוּר זֶה.
8It was then that the Rebbe first set foot on the Holy Land.32 He had come to the place for which he yearned. He had thirsted for this moment with the greatest longing. For this he had risked his life thousands of times, literally casting his soul aside (Judges 9:17).
טוְגֹדֶל עֹצֶם הַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ הָרֶגַע שֶׁנִּכְנַס וְעָמַד עַל אַדְמַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, אִי־אֶפְשָׁר לְשַׁעֵר בַּמֹּחַ. אִלּוּ כָּל הַיַּמִּים דְּיוֹ וְכוּ' לֹא יַסְפִּיקוּ לְבָאֵר אֶפֶס קָצֶה מִזֶּה.
9He set foot on the Holy Land! He was actually standing there! The tremendous joy that he experienced at that instant is beyond all imagination. If all the seas were ink (Shabbat 11a), it would not describe it in the least.
יכִּי תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד הִשִּׂיג מַה שֶּׁהִשִּׂיג. כִּי אָמַר: שֶׁתֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁהָלַךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּעַל מִיָּד מַה שֶׁרָצָה לְהַשִּׂיג.
10In that instant, the Rebbe attained everything. He later said, “The moment I walked four steps in the Holy Land,33 111a. I achieved my goal.”
יאוְאַחַר חֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם הָלְכוּ לַמִּקְוֶה, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ לְבֵית־הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְנִתְמַהְמְהוּ עַד הַלַּיְלָה.
11That afternoon, the Rebbe went to the mikvah. Then he went to the synagogue and remained there until after the evening prayers.
יבוּכְשֶׁבָּא רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל לְבֵיתוֹ, אֶל הָאַכְסַנְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ, הָיָה לוֹ שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה וַעֲצוּמָה עַד מְאֹד. וּבְכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע אָמַר לְהָאִישׁ שֶׁהָיָה עִמּוֹ: "אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁזָּכִיתָ לְכָךְ, לִהְיוֹת עִמִּי כָּאן".
12When he returned to his lodgings, the Rebbe was overflowing with joy. Every minute, he looked at his attendant and exclaimed, “You are so fortunate that you were worthy to be here with me!”
יגוְצִוָּה לוֹ לִקְרוֹת וּלְהַזְכִּיר לְפָנָיו מֵהַצֶּעטִיל כָּל הַנִּרְשָׁמִים שָׁם, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל הַנִּלְוִים אֵלָיו שֶׁנָּתְנוּ לוֹ צֶעטְלִיךְ מִשְּׁמוֹתֵיהֶם. וְאָכְלוּ שָׁם סְעֻדַּת הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁל רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה, וְהַכֹּל בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד אַחַר הַסְּעֻדָּה עַד שֶׁשָּׁכְבוּ שָׁם לִישֹׁן.
13Then the Rebbe told his attendant to read all the missives they had brought along. All the Rebbe’s followers had given him slips containing their names so that he would pray for them in the Holy Land. The entire household shared the Rebbe’s joy throughout the Rosh HaShanah meal. This joyous mood continued until they finally went to bed.
ידוּבַבֹּקֶר הָלְכוּ לְבֵית־הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְאַחַר שֶׁבָּאוּ מִבֵּית־הַכְּנֶסֶת נִתְעוֹרֵר בּוֹ דְּאָגָה וְלֵב נִשְׁבָּר מְאֹד בְּלִי־עֵרֶךְ, וְלֹא דִּבֵּר מְאוּמָה עִם שׁוּם בֶּן אָדָם.
14On the morning of Rosh HaShanah, they went to the synagogue again. When they returned to their lodgings, the Rebbe’s mood changed to one of immeasurable concern and brokenheartedness (see “His Wisdom” #41, #42, #45). He would not speak to a soul for the rest of the holiday (cf. “His Wisdom” #21).