He looked upward and screamed out to Hashem from the very depths of his heart and soul, “RIBBONO SHEL OLAM! HELP!”

Rebbe Nachman was not scared by the legends surrounding the burial place of the “Holy Child.” The burial place was a deep cave and rumor had it a huge snake guarded the entrance. A tall tree stood next to the cave and Rebbe Nachman fearlessly climbed down the roots of the tree into the dark cave. There was no snake, after all, and from that day on, people were comfortable davening at this holy site.

Shortly after this, a plague broke out in Teveria. There were no vaccines, and plagues back then spread like wildfire.

In order to stem the spread of the plague, every single entranceway into the city was sealed off. Trapped in this terrifying situation, Rebbe Nachman decided he must do everything within his power to escape.

He managed to find a cave that led out of the city, but when he emerged from the darkness, he found himself facing a huge, towering wall blocking his way forward. To go back was simply not an option anymore, so he proceeded to climb upward.

Higher and higher he rose, using every ounce of his energy to climb. Finally, he reached the top, but to his horror, he lost his footing. He hung from his fingers, his legs dangling, as the sea raged on the other side of the wall. If he fell from this height, it would mean certain death.

*****

Now, do you remember how, as a child, Rebbe Nachman would take a small raft and wander off by himself in the river, totally at Hashem’s mercy? He would scream, cry, plead, and do everything in his power to put all of his trust and faith in Hashem.

Rebbe Nachman would spend countless hours in seclusion, just himself and Hashem, breaking his own desires, his own ego, and making himself a completely devoted servant whose only desire was to do the Will of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

And these exercises in emunah worked.

So, as he hung from this wall, seconds from dying, he did not panic or lose his mind. He looked upward and screamed out to Hashem from the very depths of his heart and soul.

“RIBBONO SHEL OLAM! HELP!”

It was this type of scream that the Rebbe would encourage all of his followers to use when they were faced with any trouble in life, however small: a scream of pleading filled with total trust that Hashem is in control and that He is listening and that He can save you in the blink of an eye.

And indeed, that is exactly what happened.