קיח

On Tuesday mentioned above — toward evening — we passed by some Ishmaelite towns. Toward evening they lowered the anchor and stopped the ship close to one city. And I do not know the reason. And the ship stood only that night in its place. In the morning — on Wednesday — at the time we were preparing to pray — they pulled the anchors again and went again. And praised be G-d — also this day the wind was going in our direction with the help of Hashem Blessed be He. On that Wednesday — Parshas Bechukosai — we came close to certain towns where there were large fortresses. And they lowered and removed some sails so that the ship would go slowly. And they also lowered the small boat. And the captain commanded me to give him our tickets. And I understood that there the Ishmaelite rulers sat to guard the land — and they needed to be informed when traveling — and to show the tickets. And the captain sailed to the shore. And afterward — Ishmaelite lords came onto our ship. And I sat below. And also Rabbi Yehuda Eliezer came below. And we saw through the cabin chimney that Ishmaelites were going about on our ship. And we did not wish to go up. But one of them came down to us and began to ask us something. And we could not answer him. And he immediately went back up. Afterward the captain called us to go up. And an official was sitting there. And we stood before him. And he said nothing at all to us — only took our tickets from the captain's hand and wrote under them as was customary. Afterward the Ishmaelites went down from our ship. And among them was one Israelite — but we did not recognize him as an Israelite — for it was difficult to distinguish between Israel and Ishmaelite — G-d forbid. But he himself began to speak with us in the holy tongue — took our hands — and said: "Shalom — and Yaakov went on his way" — (this was how they customarily blessed one going on the road). And we also said to him shalom with love. And they parted and went on their way. Afterward they spread the sails again and we went on our road. Praised be G-d — the wind was going in our direction. Praised be G-d.