צט

On Monday — the second of Rosh Chodesh Iyyar — in the morning — a somewhat strong wind began. And they spread all the sails and added sails. And they tied the second ship that had been going alongside — to our ship. And the two ships went together in peace. But I began to feel distress of the mind. And I gradually became weak. And it was very heavy upon me to pray. And I completed the prayer with great difficulty. And after the prayer I asked the German-speaking scribe mentioned above — where was it better to sit — inside the cabin or on the ship? For I informed him that sea-sickness had come upon me. He answered: certainly on the ship deck it is better. And I went up to the ship deck with weakened strength. And there too I had no rest. And I had no strength to stand. And I lay in some place. And I could not eat or drink. And the small amount of coffee I drank — I afterward vomited. And the vomiting was for my good. And I lay most of the entire day very weak. And Rabbi Yehuda Eliezer at first did not feel it so much — and ate what he had cooked for the morning meal. Afterward after midday he also began to feel it and became weak. And the captain asked us several times: how are you? And we informed him that we were ill from sea-sickness. And he encouraged us not to fear from this at all — for afterward strength would be added to us through this. And all of Monday I could not eat or drink. And afterward in the middle of the day I vomited again — only some hours after midday it eased somewhat for me. But then the illness became heavier on Rabbi Yehuda Eliezer. And even so everything was in kindness — for the illness did not weigh upon us as we had heard others describe who were on the sea for the first time. And afterward we prayed Mincha and Maariv on the ship deck — for we did not wish to go down to the cabin. And between Mincha and Maariv the captain spoke with us much. And told us that he had been in America and in many places and countries. And he greatly disparaged [such and such] and told of their beliefs and the divisions among the believing nations, and so on. And several other matters. And after Maariv we went down to the cabin. And we found placed on the table — prepared for us — four oranges and one lemon. And we gave thanks to Hashem Blessed be He who feeds the entire world with His goodness — who had provided our needs on the sea — granting us favor in the eyes of that lord — and provided for us everything we lacked. How shall we come before Hashem — for all that He has bestowed upon us at every moment and every instant. And behold — we had great fear from the night's sleep after such weakness. And in particular since the ship was traveling even at night. And we feared we might become more weakened — Heaven forbid. But through Hashem's kindness — we slept all night. And we arose in the morning — on Tuesday. And there was a great change for the good. And we felt the illness and the weakness only slightly — only very little. And we ate and drank a little. Praised be Hashem who helped me until here.

Yimay Moharnat – Eretz Yisroel – §§84–148