Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 22

וְגֹדֶל עֹצֶם הַסַּכָּנוֹת שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם בַּחֲזִירָתָם, אִי־אֶפְשָׁר לְסַפֵּר. כִּי הָיוּ עַל הַסְּפִינָה הַזּוֹ שֶׁל מִלְחָמָה שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלֵאָה יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים. וְהֵם הָיוּ רַק שְׁנֵי יְהוּדִים לְבַד. וְדֶרֶךְ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים, בִּפְרָט אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה, לִתְפֹּס יְהוּדִים וּלְמָכְרָם בְּמֶרְחַקִּים לַעֲבָדִים. וְהָיָה לְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל פַּחַד גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה. Even after overcoming these threats, the Rebbe and his attendant were still in indescribable danger. They were two Jews alone on a warship filled with Turkish troops. These Turks would think nothing of selling two Jews as slaves in some faraway place. The very thought filled the Rebbe’s heart with dread.

וְאָמַר: שֶׁהִתְחִיל לַחֲשֹׁב בְּעַצְמוֹ; מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה אִם יוֹלִיכוּ אוֹתוֹ לְאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם עַל הַיָּם שֶׁאֵין שָׁם יְהוּדִי וְיִמְכְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ שָׁם?, וּמִי יֵדַע מִזֶּה? וְהָיָה לוֹ צַעַר גָּדוֹל, אֵיךְ יוּכַל לְקַיֵּם שָׁם אֶת מִצְווֹת הַתּוֹרָה? He began to think about it. What would he do if he were sold as a slave in a faraway place where there were no Jews? What if nobody knew about it? How would he keep the commandments of the Torah? This particular worry bothered him the most.

וְהִתְחִיל לַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, עַד שֶׁזָּכָה שֶׁבָּא עַל הַשָּׂגָה: שֶׁיּוּכַל לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל ח"ו לְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְווֹת. כִּי הִשִּׂיג אֶת הָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל אֲבוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, שֶׁקִּיְּמוּ כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ אֶת הַמִּצְווֹת כִּפְשׁוּטָן. כְּמוֹ יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ שֶׁקִּיֵּם מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין עַל־יְדֵי הַמַּקְלוֹת אֲשֶׁר פִּצֵּל כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, עַד שֶׁהִשִּׂיג אֵיךְ לְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה אָנוּס שָׁם בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיִּמְכְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ ח"ו. The Rebbe pondered the possibilities again and again. Finally, he was worthy of realizing that he could serve God even if he were unable to actually keep the commandments. He comprehended the devotion of the Patriarchs who lived before God even gave the Torah. They also kept all the commandments, even though they often did so only in a symbolic manner. Thus Jacob fulfilled the commandment of tefilin through the sticks he peeled while watching Laban’s sheep.⁵⁷Genesis 30:37. See Zohar (Sisrei Torah) I, 162b.

The Rebbe thought along these lines until he understood how he could keep all the commandments in this manner. He could continue to serve God even if he were sold as a slave in the most distant land.⁵⁸Cf. Tzaddik #39; Parparaot LeChokhmah II, 78; Be’ibey HaNachal II, 78. Also see Likutey Moharan I, 54.

וְתֵכֶף כְּשֶׁזָּכָה לְהַשָּׂגָה זוֹ, עֲזָרוֹ ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ וּבָאָה הַסְּפִינָה וְהִגִּיעָה אוֹר לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן לִכְרָךְ גָּדוֹל שֶׁעוֹמֵד עַל אִי הַיָּם וְשָׁם עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלקִים 'וּשְָׂהּ רַאדִישׁ' (רוּדוּס), וְהִכִּירוּ שֶׁזֶּה עִיר שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהָיָה לָהֶם שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה, כִּי יוּכְלוּ לִקְנוֹת כָּאן מַצּוֹת לְפֶסַח וְאַרְבַּע כּוֹסוֹת. No sooner had the Rebbe arrived at this conclusion than they sighted land. It was the night before Pesach when they arrived at the island city of Rhodes, a great city unto God. They knew that this city had a thriving Jewish community. Here they would be able to buy matzot for Pesach and wine for the Four Cups.

אַךְ זֶּה לֹא עָלָה עַל דַּעְתָּם שֶׁהַקַּפִּיטָן וְהַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים יַנִּיחוּ אוֹתָם לִכָּנֵס לָעִיר הַזֹּאת, כִּי רָאוּ וְהֵבִינוּ שֶׁהַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים רוֹצִים לְתָפְסָם וּלְגָזְלָם וְאֶפְשָׁר יִמְכְּרוּ אוֹתָם בְּעַצְמָם וְכַּנַּ"ל. The Rebbe and his attendant were overjoyed by this prospect alone. They never imagined that the captain or the sailors would actually let them go into the city. Everything seemed to indicate that the Turks were going to imprison them, rob them of all their possessions, and perhaps even sell them as slaves.