Siman 127

(24.) Once he traveled to Medvedivkeh and was delayed on the road and did not arrive for the Sabbath, and was compelled to spend the Sabbath in the village of Halavkyuka close to Medvedivkeh. For the horses became exhausted and could not go, and he was delayed until close to candle-lighting — almost at the time of candle-lighting — to the aforementioned village. And afterwards when he came home here, he told us the entire incident at great length. And he said that at the time the horses were walking close to evening — and he wanted them to run quickly but they would not go — it was to him like one who flees in a dream, where a person feels he needs to flee but cannot flee in any way, as is well known by experience — that this is the way of dreams. Just so it was for him then. And he had very great anguish lest he come to profane the Sabbath, G-d forbid. And it seemed to him at the time of the journey like one who is being led to gehinom — for then certainly the fear is endless — just so this very fear fell upon him from the apprehension of profaning the Sabbath, G-d forbid. And from the general import of his words I understood something of the expression: the immensity of the fear that falls upon a person at the moment when he is being led to gehinom, G-d save us. And it is impossible to depict this in writing — for he repeated his words twice and greatly elaborated on the immense, awesome, endless and boundless fear that falls upon a person at the time he is being led to gehinom, G-d save us. And literally this fear was upon him then because he feared he might come to profane the Sabbath, G-d forbid. And this incident occurred in the winter before Shabbat Shira. And in this there is a complete story — for Rabbainu's delay was not an empty matter, particularly at the time he was traveling for Shabbat Shira. And already his people were gathered there from several towns, and he needed to say his holy and awesome Torah — and to do and accomplish what he did and accomplished through his holy Torah and his dealings with his people. And he said that at every gathering where he needs to say Torah before his people, the very same tumult and fear that is upon all of Israel on the eve of Yom Kippur at dusk when they go to the synagogue — that very fear and tumult falls upon him on that Sabbath or Festival when he needs to say Torah in public. And after this great tumult — that he had already been prepared to come for Shabbat Shira as was his custom for several years — suddenly he was delayed and spent the Sabbath in the village: he and his people who had traveled with him, and several more people who had already come to meet him — they all were compelled to spend the Sabbath in the aforementioned village. And they had nothing to eat or drink — they were compelled to eat grain bread and make Kiddush on the bread, for there was no cup for Kiddush on wine, and there were not even knives or any eating utensils. And he o.b.m. afterwards told the entire order of the Sabbath that was there at great length. After the Sabbath he traveled to Medvedivkeh, and on the second day — which was the fifteenth of Shevat — they made a feast, and he sat then with his people and said then the Torah he had needed to say before them. Fortunate is the one who merits to know even one thing of what passed upon Rabbainu o.b.m. every single time — for in all his experiences there were awesome, wondrous, and mighty secrets.