Siman 113

(10.) Afterwards he traveled from Medvedivkeh to the Land of Israel. Upon his return from the Land of Israel, he arranged a match for his daughter Adil with Rabbi Yoske the son of the renowned holy pious Gaon, our teacher the Rav Rabbi Avraham Dov of blessed memory, the Av Beis Din of the holy congregation of Chmelnik. And after his arrival from the Land of Israel he remained in Medvedivkeh for approximately one year and somewhat more. Also, immediately upon his return from the Land of Israel he traveled to the holy congregation of Ladi, to the famous pious Gaon, our teacher the Rav Shneur Zalman, may the memory of the holy and righteous be for a blessing. And he spoke with him at great length about the people of the Land of Israel, for when Rabbainu o.b.m. was in the Land of Israel, they earnestly besought him to remain there. And regarding this matter there are several events to tell of what happened to him during his journey there, during his stay there, and on his return therefrom. He was also at the holy Rabbi of Neskiz for five days before the passing of that Rabbi. And he traveled to him in great haste, for he was eager and rushed in his journey in order to find him while still alive. And so it was — he arrived close to his passing. And the great love and joy of the holy Rabbi mentioned above at the coming of Rabbainu o.b.m. cannot be told or imagined at all. For the aforementioned Rabbi was lying bedridden with a very severe illness, as was well known to all, and for half a year consecutively he had been confined to a room into which no sunlight at all entered, for he could not bear even a ray of sunlight. And he did not stir from his place and could not eat any cooked food — for he could not bear the smell of cooked food. And they were compelled to strain his broth several times before he could eat it. And in his entire house it was forbidden to bring any cooked food, for he could not tolerate the smell and the like, for he was greatly ill with great suffering and a very severe malady. And when Rabbainu o.b.m. came to him, he literally revived him. And immediately when Rabbainu's messenger came and brought him the news that Rabbainu o.b.m. was coming to him, the aforementioned Rabbi was filled with joy and said that he had literally revived him. And afterwards Rabbainu o.b.m. came to him and he received him with very great honor, and with love and affection without measure and worth, and they spoke together at very great length. And it is heard from the man who was there with him that they spoke of visions and the revelations experienced by true tzaddikim, of what they envision and attain etc., and they spoke of the angel Metatron etc. and the like. And afterwards the holy Rabbi commanded that a feast be prepared for him in his house specifically — even though it was forbidden to bring cooked food there as mentioned above. Even so, "love overrides the rule," and he prepared a great feast for him, and Rabbainu o.b.m. sat at the head, and the aforementioned holy Rabbi roused himself and entered the house dressed in his upper garment — a gilded embroidered coat [chalat shel gilden gishtik] — and entered and sat with them at the table in honor of Rabbainu o.b.m. — he who for half a year had not risen from his bed nor entered to sit at a table. And for the honor of the great Rabbi Rabbainu o.b.m. he entered in the midst of his severe illness, for those were the days before his passing. And Rabbainu o.b.m. was there from Friday to the holy Sabbath. And the aforementioned Rabbi urgently requested that he eat by him on the holy Sabbath, and Rabbainu o.b.m. did not wish to — and afterwards he implored him greatly, and it seems that he ate there. And the aforementioned Rabbi sent to Rabbainu o.b.m. a ten-adumin pidyon. And Rabbainu o.b.m. saw that he was compelled to distribute all his money, but this was impossible etc. And he understood that he was compelled to pass on. And Rabbainu o.b.m. returned home before his passing. In Kremintchak I heard from one man who said he heard from his father — who had served the Rabbi of Neskiz at the time when Rabbainu z"l was there — that he also told how the Rabbi of Neskiz treated him with very great honor. And in the extreme weakness mentioned above, he escorted Rabbainu z"l when he left his house to travel on his way. Afterwards when the aforementioned Rabbi returned from the escorting, he answered and said in this language: "Even had I not come into this world except that Rabbi Nachman would cross my threshold — it would have been enough for me" [in Yiddish: "ich zal mer nit bashafen vern nor az R' Nachman zal bai mir iber tretn di shvel iz oich ginug"]. On his return from the aforementioned Rabbi he was also at the renowned pious Rabbi, our teacher Rabbi Tzvi Arye of Aliq. And it is heard from our people that all his dealings with them were regarding visions and revelations, for Rabbainu o.b.m. did not agree with their approach to visions and revelations, and he had great debates with the holy Rabbi of Neskiz — who was famous in this matter — and Rabbainu z"l debated with him much about it. And I do not know the matter of the debates well — but the general principle is that Rabbainu z"l said that one does not see visions in the manner in which they see them. And the Rabbi of Neskiz once sent him a message: "Tell him that before he entered the city I saw the angel Metatron, and I saw him thus and thus." And it seems to me that I heard that the aforementioned holy Rabbi said that he saw Metatron with literal sight, and Rabbainu o.b.m. said that one does not see him in that way. And it seems that once more the aforementioned holy Rabbi argued with Rabbainu o.b.m. himself: "I saw thus and thus," and Rabbainu o.b.m. would not agree with this and told them: "One does not see Metatron thus — I saw him in such and such a way, and that is the true vision of Metatron." And there were several matters regarding this, but I was not present for all of this and did not merit to hear from his holy mouth a single word regarding this matter — I only heard in passing from him that he had been at the Rabbi of Neskiz. And he told me other incidents he heard then about the drawing-close of the aforementioned Rabbi to his primary master, the holy Rabbi, our teacher Rabbi Michl, may the memory of the holy and righteous be for a blessing. And afterwards on his return, when he was at the aforementioned Rabbi of Aliq — who had already heard all the arguments and debates he had had with the Rabbi of Neskiz regarding visions, for the matter was well known and heard in their vicinity — and when Rabbainu o.b.m. came to the aforementioned Rabbi of Aliq for the holy Sabbath, the Rabbi of Aliq also spoke much at every single meal about visions, and said a Torah at each and every Sabbath meal — and all the Torahs and all the stories were all about visions, to make known that he truly sees. And Rabbainu o.b.m. did not agree with this at all and was silent entirely — for before entering the holy Rabbi of Aliq he prayed to Hashem Yisburach and considered how to conduct himself with him etc. Therefore Rabbainu o.b.m. was entirely silent for the entire Sabbath. And afterwards at the close of the Sabbath, Rabbainu o.b.m. entered a room within the house of the aforementioned Rabbi, and the Rabbi our teacher Rabbi Tzvi Arye of blessed memory himself came to him and said: "Do you still not believe me that I see? I will give you a decisive miracle that I truly see" — and he began again to say Torah and to prove to him that he sees. And then Rabbainu o.b.m. replied to him: "Many have desired to expound upon the Work of the Chariot and never once beheld it, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said" [Megillah 24b].