Chasidut · Breslov
Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 32/שבחי הר"ן·
אגַּם תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁבָּא לְשָׁם לִטְבֶרְיָה, שָׁלַח אֵלָיו הָרַב הֶחָסִיד הַמְפֻרְסָם הַגְּבִיר מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב מֹשֶׁה ז"ל (בֶּן הָרַב הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַמְפֻרְסָם מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב מְנַחֵם מֶנְדִּיל זצ"ל וִויטֶפְּסְקֶר) שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְהִתְחַתֵּן עִמּוֹ.
1When the Rebbe first came to Tiberias, the renowned chassid and philanthropist, Rabbi Moshe, son of the holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk,71mentions that his son, Moshe, had a son named Shmuel. Most probably, Shmuel was the one matched with Rebbe Nachman’s daughter, Miriam. sent to the Rebbe, announcing that he would like to make a match between their children.
בוְהֵשִׁיב רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: "הַאֵיךְ יְכוֹלִים לְמָאֵן בְּשִׁדּוּךְ? מִן הַסְּתָם מֵהַשֵּׁם יָצָא הַדָּבָר שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בִּתִּי בָּאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה" וְלֹא דִּבֵּר יוֹתֵר.
2The Rebbe replied, “How can one refuse such a match? It is certainly God’s will that my daughter live in the Holy Land.”
גוּמִיָּד הָלַךְ הַשַּׁדְכָן וְהֵשִׁיב לְהָרַב רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַנַּ"ל שֶׁרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל מְרֻצֶּה. וְתֵכֶף עָשָׂה סְעֻדָּה גְּדוֹלָה.
3The Rebbe said nothing else, and the matchmaker immediately went and told Rabbi Moshe that the Rebbe had agreed. They immediately planned a great feast to celebrate the match.
דוְהָיוּ עַל הַסְּעֻדָּה כָּל גְּדוֹלֵי אֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵן מִמְּדִינַת לִיטָא וְהֵן מִמְּדִינַת פּוֹלִין, כֻּלָּם כְּאֶחָד גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים. וְהָיָה לָהֶם שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה. וּבְתוֹךְ הַסְּעֻדָּה דִּבְּרוּ דִּבְרֵי־תּוֹרָה בֵּינֵיהֶם.
4All the leaders of the Holy Land, from Lithuania and Poland, great and small alike, were assembled at the feast. It was a most joyous gathering, and the meal was accompanied by a flowing conversation covering the length and breadth of the sacred literature.
הוְרֹאשׁ הַמְדַבְּרִים הָיָה זֶה הַגָּדוֹל הַנַּ"ל שֶׁרָצָה שֶׁרַבֵּנוּ יְגַלֶּה לוֹ הַנְּקֻדָּה וְכוּ'. בְּתוֹךְ דִּבְרֵיהֶם נִשְׁכַּח מֵהֶם אֵיזֶה רַשִׁ"י אַיֵּה אֵפוֹא מְקוֹמָהּ?. וְרָצוּ לְהַעֲלוֹתָהּ עַל זִכְרוֹנָם כִּי הָיָה מֻכְרָח לָהֶם מְאֹד לְעִנְיָנָם. וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לָזוּז מִשָּׁם מֵחֲמַת זֶה, וְהָיָה לָהֶם לְפֶלֶא. כִּי כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם סִיֵּם בְּסָמוּךְ כָּל הַשַּׁ"ס וְאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶם יוֹדֵעַ מְקוֹם הָרַשִׁ"י הַנַּ"ל אֵיפֹה הִיא נִשְׁנֵית.
5The leading speaker was the one mentioned earlier, who had asked the Rebbe his intentions in the Holy Land. The conversation led them to a discussion of a quotation from Rashi,72 (1040-1105), leading commentator on the Talmud and Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). but nobody could remember its location. The conversation stopped, frustrated by the lack of this key quotation. Try as they did, no one could recall it. This in itself was a wonder, for here were the foremost sages, each one having recently reviewed the entire Talmud. Still, not one of them could locate this particular quotation.
ווְרַבֵּנוּ הָיָה דּוּמָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ גַּם־כֵּן, אַךְ בִּרְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם צַעַר גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, וְהֵם הִפְצִירוּ בּוֹ עַד בּוֹשׁ, נַעֲנָה וְאָמַר לָהֶם: 'הֲלֹא רַשִׁ"י זוֹ מְקוֹמָהּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת זְבָחִים בְּדַף זֶה עַל רֹאשׁ הָעַמּוּד', וְכֵן הָיָה. וְהָיָה לָהֶם לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה.
6Throughout this discussion, the Rebbe sat quietly as if he had nothing to contribute. But he realized how distressed they were, and when they urged him until he could no longer refuse, he said, “Is it not a quotation from Rashi’s commentary to Zevachim,73.” at the very top of this page?” They realized that this was what they were seeking, and rejoiced immensely.
זוְנִמְשְׁכָה סְעֻדָּה זוֹ מִזְּמַן מִנְחָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד אוֹר הַיּוֹם, וְנַעֲשָׂה הִתְקַשְּׁרוּת בֵּינֵיהֶם.
7 The feast lasted from early noon until dawn the next day, and the match was formalized.
חאַךְ אַחַר כֵּן, כְּשֶׁיָּצָא רַבֵּנוּ מִשָּׁם מֵאֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחוּץ־לָאָרֶץ, נִפְטַר הֶחָתָן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל הָרַב מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַנַּ"ל, וְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל נִשְׁתַּדֵּךְ עִם בִּתּוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה הַכַּלָּה שֶׁל בֶּן הָרַב מוֹרֵנוּ רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַנַּ"ל, עִם כְּבוֹד הַגָּאוֹן הַמְפֻרְסָם הָרַב דִּקְהִלַּת קֹדֶשׁ וָלִיטְשִׁיסְק. וְנִתְגַּלְגֵּל אַחַר־כָּךְ מֵאֵת ה' שֶׁנָּסַע הָרַב הַגָּאוֹן הַנַּ"ל לָאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וְלָקַח אֶת בְּנוֹ חֲתַן רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל עִמּוֹ לְשָׁם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּלְמַד אֶצְלוֹ שָׁם. וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נָסְעָה בַּת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, גַּם כֵּן לְשָׁם.
8Soon after the Rebbe returned home, Rabbi Moshe’s son died. The Rebbe’s daughter [then] married the son of the renowned Rabbi of Volochisk.74, L-15). His son, Rabbi Pinchas, was engaged to Rebbe Nachman’s third daughter, Miriam, in Elul 5560/1800, fifteen months after his return from the Holy Land. They were married four years later, in Cheshvan 5565/1804 (Tzaddik #114, #117). God willed that the Rabbi of Volochisk would then settle in the Holy Land, taking along his son, the Rebbe’s son-in-law, to study with him. Not too long after that, the Rebbe’s daughter also settled there.75 #36; Tzaddik #142; Alim LeTerufah (Jerusalem, 5728), unnumbered letter dated 12 Av 5569).
טוְנִתְקַיְּמוּ דִּבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁמֵּאֵת הַשֵּׁם הוּא שֶׁבִּתּוֹ תִּהְיֶה בָּאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. וְדָבָר אֶחָד מִדְּבָרָיו אָחוֹר לֹא יָשׁוּב רֵיקָם.
9Thus, the Rebbe’s words were fulfilled, for he had said that it was God’s will that his daughter settle in the Holy Land. For not one word that he spoke returned in vain.76blessings, from Isaiah 55:11.