Siman 129

(1.) At first, before he traveled to the Land of Israel, he traveled to Kamenitz, as is already explained in the printed book (Shivchai HaRan). And on his journey to Kamenitz he said to Rabbi Shimon: "There is a journey before me and I do not know where to." And Rabbi Shimon laughed: "How does one travel if one does not know where one is going?" He replied to him: "Truly, I do not know." And Rabbi Shimon went and prepared a wagon and horses and all the travel needs and traveled with him. And on his journey with him, Rabbi Shimon asked Rabbainu o.b.m. to travel by way of the village of Volchaivetz. And there he took along yet another man, and one man also traveled with them from there — until they came to Mezhbizh. And they still did not know where they were going. And when he came to Mezhbizh to the house of his holy father and mother of blessed memory, they rejoiced greatly at his coming. His mother of blessed memory answered and said to him: "My son, when will you go to your grandfather the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory" — meaning to his holy grave. He replied to Rabbainu o.b.m.: "If my grandfather wishes to be seen with me, let him come here." Afterwards that night he lay down to sleep, and in the morning his mother arose and came to him and said: "Has your grandfather not already been with you? And when will you go to him" — meaning to his grave. He replied to Rabbainu o.b.m.: "Now I will not be at his grave — on my return, if G-d wills, I will be at his grave." And so it was. And before he came to Mezhbizh, Rabbi Shimon fell ill and came to Mezhbizh with a very severe illness, and Rabbainu o.b.m. was compelled to leave him there in Mezhbizh — and he did not travel with him to Kamenitz. And when Rabbainu o.b.m. went to Rabbi Shimon to take leave of him before traveling to Kamenitz, Rabbi Shimon did not want to let him go until he promised him on his holy word that on his return he would certainly find him alive and in peace. And so it was. And also before he left his home he said to Rabbi Shimon: "Can you travel with me?" — and said to him that on this journey he might be delayed a week, or two, or a month, or a quarter of a year, or half a year, or a full year. And at first Rabbi Shimon of blessed memory was silent — but when he saw he truly wanted to travel, Rabbi Shimon said he would cast everything aside and travel with him — even if he would be delayed for some time. And he traveled with him as mentioned above. And in Mezhbizh when Rabbainu o.b.m. took his leave of him before the journey — at the time Rabbi Shimon was lying bedridden — Rabbi Shimon answered and said to Rabbainu o.b.m.: "When shall I see your face again, for you may be delayed on the road for some time as you said at home that you did not know how long you would be delayed?" He said to him: "I will not be delayed very long — only eight or ten days at most." He asked him: "Did you not say at home that you do not know how long you will be delayed on the road?" He replied: "Truly, at home I did not know — but now I know that I need to travel to Kamenitz, and I will not be delayed very much — only as mentioned — for that night the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory was with me, and then he informed me where to travel — namely to Kamenitz." And he traveled immediately to Kamenitz. And what he did there is hidden from the eye of every living being — and no person in the world has yet come to know it, until the coming of the Redeemer, speedily in our days, Amen.