מח

And behold — in that entire year — which was the year 5581 — I was very occupied with the matter of the press. And even so — at every moment my heart was very greatly aflame for Eretz Yisroel. And after Pesach the press was delayed many many weeks until close to Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av — because I had no paper for the printing. And throughout all that time I was longing and very intensely yearning to leap over mountains and come to Eretz Yisroel. Afterward Hashem Blessed be He helped me — and gave me a counsel: that at the time the press had stopped and I was unable to print the large books I had begun to print — I should now print for the time being on one sheet the book of the Aleph-Beis. And my son — may he live — gave his money for this. And we began to print them. And immediately I hurried to rewrite from the beginning all the names of the Tannaim and the Amoraim — of which at first only a very small amount had been printed. And I began to engage in this. And I had very great toil in this. And immediately when I was engaged in this — in writing the names of the Tzadikim — it was strengthened in my heart that through the merit of this I would merit to come to Eretz Yisroel. (See Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Netilas Yadayim l'Seudah §4 where this matter is well explained.) For truly the remembrance of the names of the Tzadikim is a thing wondrous and awesome in the extreme — and of great benefit for the service of Hashem Blessed be He — as is already explained a little of this. And G-d yet has more words to explain the great awesomeness of the remembrance of the names of the Tzadikim — but here is not its place. And it entered my mind that through my meriting to benefit the multitudes with this merit — to arrange for them together all the names of the Tzadikim and all the names of the Tannaim and Amoraim in all of the Talmud and Sifri and so on and Midrashim and so on — this matter is a segulah to merit Eretz Yisroel in the aspect of "the righteous shall inherit the land" [Psalms 37] — for it is impossible to come to Eretz Yisroel except through the power of the true Tzadikim, and so on. And from then onward I was strengthened more — in stronger longing to travel to Eretz Yisroel. But I saw that immediately then it was impossible to travel to Eretz Yisroel — since I needed to complete the press. And Hashem Blessed be He helped me — and afterward the paper came. And I completed the large books and the small ones by Rosh Hashana 5582 — with the help of Hashem Blessed be He. And I brought the books to Uman — and distributed them to our men of peace. Their eyes saw and they rejoiced. And all of them marveled at the greatness of Hashem's salvation that had helped me to complete the affair of the printing after such mighty obstacles. And we gave thanks to Hashem for His kindness and His wonders that He had wondrously wrought with us and with all of Israel for eternal generations.