“But the captain did not realize whom he was speaking to. After telling Rav Shmuel that they would not be arriving for some time, the tzaddik responded that they would be arriving shortly… his words were soon understood as the ship picked up speed, seemingly flying like a bird over the roaring waves, and they arrived in Turkey… that very night!

“Rav Shmuel spent Shabbos in the capital of Turkey, choosing to remain anonymous. No one, not even his hosts, suspected that he was anyone of special stature. When Shabbos ended, there was a commotion in the streets. Apparently, the sultan himself was out inspecting the city, something which did not bode well for the Jews. They all huddled inside their homes, eager for the sultan to pass them by and move on.

“Rav Shmuel ascended to the second story of the house and peered outside, intending to make the special brachah one recites upon seeing a royal personage. But to everyone’s shock, the sultan suddenly stopped in his tracks as he passed the house and demanded that his guards go inside and bring out whomever they found inside.

“The gabbai and the owner of the house hid themselves, trembling in fear, but Rav Shmuel calmly stood still and walked to the sultan’s carriage with the guards on either side of him. It turned out he was not in trouble at all. The sultan said he had seen a pillar of fire descending onto the house as he passed and understood that whoever was inside was an extremely holy man.

“The sultan invited Rav Shmuel into his palace as an honored guest, and Rav Shmuel of course immediately used the opportunity to bring up the dire situation affecting the poor in Eretz Yisrael. The sultan immediately had royal documents drawn up that explicitly forbade the non-Jews to threaten the Jews with eviction. He even gave permission for the Jews to build more Jewish infrastructure in the Holy Land.

“To finalize this incredible visit, the sultan gave Rav Shmuel the entire amount he had needed to collect on his journey for the poor of Eretz Yisrael. Rav Shmuel was free to return home, no longer needing to make the physically and spiritually dangerous journey across the globe. On the way back, more miracles occurred, finally culminating in his safe return. The people simply could not believe that he had come home so quickly. But there were no complaints; after all, he not only had the money he was tasked to collect, he even came bearing royal decrees that would change the entire landscape of the Jewish communities.

“So, you see?” Reuven said with a smile, “we have nothing to be afraid of; Hashem is protecting Rav Shmuel and all of his actions are blessed on High. Rav Shmuel is not just a tzaddik, he is our tzaddik, our protector whose actions are always motivated by his tremendous concern for his Jewish brethren. He will defeat the sorcerer, because he fights not for pride, nor for honor. But the sorcerer fights only for impure motivations.”

The day of the meeting finally arrived, and everyone gathered to witness the event. Rav Shmuel turned to face the sorcerer.

“Take this parchment,” Rav Shmuel handed his student a small paper. “If he casts a spell, and I am unable to respond, focus on the holy Names written here.”

Sure enough, the sorcerer made the first move. He screamed something and then began chanting, turning Rav Shmuel into a dog before the astonished eyes of all present. Immediately, the spell was reversed, however, as Rav Shmuel’s disciple concentrated on the Names written on the parchment.

“Today, everyone will witness that Hashem controls the world!” cried Rav Shmuel.

Saying that, he held up a branch with different Names of Hashem etched upon it. He slammed the branch into the ground, and with each thrust, the sorcerer found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. The wicked rasha began pleading for his life, sobbing and screaming, begging for mercy. But soon, even his head had disappeared beneath the ground.

The sorcerer’s disciples hurried to dig out their master, but yet another miracle occurred. All that was left of this terrible evildoer was a pile of bones!

Once again, Rav Shmuel had protected Klal Yisrael. He truly was “the holy defender.”

THE END

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 893)