A Journey of Love: Chapter 8
| August 26, 2020He 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.
*****
A surge of strength jolted through Rebbe Nachman and he began climbing across the top of the wall until he was no longer above the fearsome waters. He managed to climb down to dry ground and one can only imagine the gratitude toward Hashem that filled his heart in that incredible moment. He was safe from the plague and a devastating fall!
When Rebbe Nachman arrived in Tzfas, he learned another tidbit of bad news. The French were preparing to invade Acre. The Rebbe and his attendant immediately arranged to leave Acre on a neutral ship.
In the end, when the Rebbe and his attendant finally boarded the supposed “merchant” ship, they were shocked to discover huge cannons on board. In the confusion, they had boarded the wrong ship and were now sailing aboard a Turkish warship!
When the Turkish soldiers led the Rebbe and his attendant to their room, they handed the attendant a loaded gun. Clearly, they were expected to go to war and help the Turks!
Loud booms filled the air, and the Rebbe and his attendant could see cannons flying toward their ship. They tried unsuccessfully to bribe the captain to let them return to land, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Away the ship sailed, leaving Eretz Yisrael to disappear over the horizon. When they finally docked at the next stop, they heard a terrifying report. The custom of the Turks in this region was that if any Jew were found, they would be slaughtered as a human offering!
The Rebbe and his attendant fled to their cabin and locked the door. They hid there for three days straight.
Then a miracle occurred. Huge winds began blowing across the sea, snapping the ropes that anchored the ship to the dock. For days their ship was blown like a paper bag across the raging seas. A hole in the ship led to further woes, forcing everyone to toss vital foods and supplies overboard.
Starvation began to set in, and the situation was dire.
“I have never used the zechus of my ancestors before, but now I have no choice!” Rebbe Nachman declared. “I call out to Hashem in the zechus of the Baal Shem Tov, my mother Adil, and my grandfather, Rebbe Nachman Horedenker!”
*****
The Rebbe’s prayers were just in time. Screams filled the ship as the soldiers spotted an enormous whirlpool directly in front of them. If the ship was pulled into the deadly vortex, there would be zero chance of survival.
At that moment, Hashem once again caused a giant wind to slam against the ship, sending it hurtling forward at startling speeds. As the ship passed the whirlpool, the top of the whirlpool sealed itself, allowing the ship to cross it safely.
Immediately following this, another miracle occurred. The Turks finally discovered the place of the devastating leak and managed to cover it.
Finally, the ship docked at an island. The captain told the Rebbe and his attendant that there was a Jewish community on this island, but he would only allow one of them to leave the ship.
The Rebbe’s attendant left the ship to locate the Jewish community. He knew Pesach was around the corner, and it was of utmost importance to find supplies so he and his Rebbe could fulfill the mitzvos.
In a story that itself could fill volumes, for so many miracles occurred just then, the Rebbe’s attendant found himself being invited as the guest of a prestigious chacham, the brother of Rebbe Tzvi Horker’s wife, whom the Rebbe and the attendant had just met in Eretz Yisrael!
*****
Rebbe Nachman was stuck on the ship until Chol Hamoed, whereupon the Jewish community paid the captain of the ship for his release. Again, the story from this point until he finally arrived home safely would involve many more chapters, but for today, my dear readers, this will suffice.
We now conclude the holy Rebbe Nachman’s journey of ahavas Hashem, a journey born from his unquenchable thirst for HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The Rebbe always taught until his very last day that every Jew can become a tzaddik, if they are only willing to put in the effort and want it badly enough.
We also can follow in Rebbe Nachman’s footsteps, wherever we journey in life. Remember to talk to Hashem, at all times, about all things. Never despair, no matter how low you have fallen. Be happy that you are a Jew; very few others share this amazing privilege! And thirst for a closer connection with Hashem, so that all of your journeys should bring you one step closer to Avinu she’baShamayim.
May this story be l’illui nishmas Rav Aryeh Kaplan, whose notes and translations of this famous story in his book, Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom, (Breslov Research Institute) were of great aid.
(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 825)
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