אות - קעב

I heard from people that he said to Rabbi Shimon (349) at the time when he came from beyond the border — where he had been distanced for some years without seeing Rabbainu o.b.m. — approximately three years and more — because of the event that occurred in Medvedevka where Rabbainu o.b.m. was displeased with him etc. And I am not well acquainted with that event. And because of this Rabbainu said once: I want to send you [what is called "far shiken"] beyond the river "Dan." And Hashem Yisburach arranged circumstances that very close after that, it was arranged that Rabbi Shimon traveled to those regions near the aforementioned river Dan — which is approximately a hundred parsa'os and more from Medvedevka. For there is the main region of Russia as is known, and Jews are found there only one in a thousand. And particularly some years before (350). And Rabbi Shimon traveled there for a while. And Hashem Yisburach arranged that the words of Rabbainu o.b.m. were fulfilled, and Rabbi Shimon was compelled to remain there several years. And what Rabbi Shimon went through in those years — tens of thousands of pages would not suffice to tell. For he lived among the gentiles for several years etc. And Rabbi Shimon had many trials there. And in the meantime during those years while Rabbi Shimon was there, in the meantime Rabbainu o.b.m. left Zlatipola and established his residence here in Breslov. And he lived here approximately two or three years. And afterward Rabbi Shimon came here. And Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him: Know — that just as there was a difference with me from the day of my birth until the day you went from me, so too there is a difference now between the day you went from me and today. Meaning: he had ascended from level to level and from there and beyond higher and higher — above high — and in those years he had been transformed through so many levels, that there is a difference with him between that time and now, as the difference that existed between the day of his birth to that time. And whoever has a brain in his head can understand a little from the greatness of Rabbainu o.b.m. from this matter. For at the time when Rabbi Shimon went from him, Rabbainu o.b.m. had already been in the Land of Israel. And all that had occurred to Rabbainu o.b.m. before this — and all the greatnesses and awesomeness and wonders of wonders that he merited to attain in awesome attainments that had not been heard or seen in the world before he was in the Land of Israel etc. — and afterward all the troubles and ordeals etc. that befell him before he was in the Land of Israel until he merited to come there and return from there in peace etc. — and he attained there what he attained etc. And he said that all that he knew before the Land of Israel is as nothing literally. And he was very very ashamed of his ways of Torah and attainment that he had known before the Land of Israel etc. And afterward he went higher and higher at every time without measure and reckoning — as is understood a little from the stories of earlier times. And after all these things, when Rabbi Shimon was separated from him three or more years, he said there is a difference in his attainment between the time when Rabbi Shimon went from him and now — as the difference between the day of his birth and the day Rabbi Shimon went from him. See and behold and understand. 349. RAK: Rabbi Shimon was distanced to there for some years. 350. RAK: Until approximately the year 5560 the entire region was completely closed to Jews. Afterward a few Jews settled there, but they were expelled in the year 5564 by a government law.