וְאָז בָּאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶל הָעִיר, רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל עִם הָאִישׁ הַמְשַׁמֵּשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ הַנַּ"ל. וּבְבוֹאָם אֶל הָעִיר אָמְרוּ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים שֶׁהֵם מְרַגְּלִים, וְנָפַל פַּחַד גָּדוֹל עַל הַסְּפָרַדִּים בְּעַצְמָם. וְתֵכֶף הֵבִיאוּ לָהֶם מַלְבּוּשִׁים שֶׁלָּהֶם, וְהֻכְרְחוּ לְהַלְבִּישׁ עַצְמָם בְּמַלְבּוּשִׁים שֶׁלָּהֶם כְּמִנְהָגָם. The Rebbe and his attendant were brought to the city. As they walked through the streets, some Turks remarked that they looked like spies. The members of the community were highly alarmed. They immediately brought their guests their style of clothing and had them dress like the other Jews of Rhodes.
וְהָיָה רַבֵּנוּ בְּצַעַר גָּדוֹל מֵחֲמַת זֶה וְהָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל שָׂחַק. וְכָעַס עָלָיו רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל וְאָמַר לוֹ: "אֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מֵהַקִּטְרוּג שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ בָּעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן", וְאָמַר אָז דָּבָר נִפְלָא לְהָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל, וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְגַלּוֹת. The Rebbe's attendant took it as a joke, but the Rebbe was very troubled. He told his attendant, “Don’t you know that a great complaint is being directed against us on high?” He then told his attendant some wondrous secrets, but the latter would never reveal them.
וְנִתְקַבֵּל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל לִפְנֵי הַחֲכָמִים, וְהוּטַב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם מְאֹד וְהֶחֱזִיקוּ אוֹתוֹ לְחִדּוּשׁ גָּדוֹל. וְאַחַר־כָּךְ בָּא רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּשִׂמְחָה, וְאָמַר: "בָּרוּךְ ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁזָּכִינוּ לְהַצָּלָה הַזֹּאת". The Rebbe was received by the local rabbis and impressed them as being a very unique person. His mood became very joyful and he said, “Thank God, we were worthy of being rescued this way!”
וְהָיָה שָׁם בְּכָבוֹד גָּדוֹל מְאֹד עַד אַחַר הֶחָג. וְנָתְנוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר בְּעַצְמָם מִכִּיסָם הַמָאתַיִם טָאלֶער הַנַּ"ל, וְלֹא רָצוּ אַחַר־כָּךְ לַחֲזֹר לְקַבְּלָם מֵרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל שָׁם, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ מָעוֹת הַרְבֵּה שָׁם. They stayed in Rhodes until after Pesach, and the Rebbe was treated with great honor. The community paid the two hundred thaler ransom out of their own pockets, and even though the Rebbe had sufficient funds, they would not let him repay them.
וְאַחַר הֶחָג, שָׂכְרוּ לָהֶם סְפִינָה לִסְטַנְבּוּל. וְנָתְנוּ לָהֶם אִגֶּרֶת – אוּלַי ח"ו יִזְדַּמֵּן לָהֶם עוֹד אֵיזֶה סִבָּה – שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ בְּעֶזְרָם בְּכָל עִיר וָעִיר. After the festival, the community booked them passage on a ship to Istanbul. It also provided them with a letter asking all communities along the way to help them if necessary.
וְהָלְכוּ עִם סְפִינָה זוֹ. וְשָׁם הָיוּ גְּרֶעקִין הַרְבֵּה וְהָיָה בָּהֶם עִפּוּשׁ. וְהֵם לֹא יָדְעוּ, אַךְ רָאוּ שֶׁמֵּתִים עַל הַסְּפִינָה. וּבָרוּךְ ה' שֶׁהָיָה רוּחַ סְעָרָה וְנָשָׂא הַסְּפִינָה בִּמְהִירוּת לִקְהִלַּת־קֹדֶשׁ סְטַנְבּוּל. Many Greeks were on their ship, and a plague broke out among them at sea. The Rebbe and his attendant did not know the cause, but they saw people dying all around them. But God was with them, and a strong wind carried the ship rapidly to Istanbul. The high waves and great speed distressed them, but the fact that the ship traveled so quickly saved their lives.
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם יִסּוּרִים מֵחֲמַת זַעֲפַת הַיָּם וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁפָּרְחָה הַסְּפִינָה כָּל־כָּךְ בִּמְהִירוּת, אַךְ אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיָה לָהֶם לְטוֹבָה שֶׁעָבְרוּ בִּמְהִירוּת וּבָאוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לִקְהִלַּת־קֹדֶשׁ סְטַנְבּוּל. וְהָיוּ שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה יָמִים. וְגַם בִּסְטַנְבּוּל הָיָה לָהֶם סַכָּנָה, כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא הֶרְאוּ הַפְּרַשְׂפּוֹרְטִין (דַּרְכּוֹנִים) שָׁם בִּנְסִיעָתָם לְהָתָם, עַל־כֵּן לֹא רָצוּ עַכְשָׁו לְהַנִּיחָם מִשָּׁם. וְהֶעֱמִיסוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עֹל כָּבֵד לִתֵּן סַךְ עָצוּם מְאֹד בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיַּשִּׂיגוּ הַפְּרַשְׂפּוֹרְטִין מֵהַתּוֹגָר. וְהַסַּךְ שֶׁצֻּוּוּ לִתֵּן הָיָה סַךְ עָצוּם מְאֹד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם בִּיכָלְתָּם בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן לְסַלְּקוֹ. The ship arrived in Istanbul after only three days at sea, and they remained there another ten days. But even here, they were not out of danger. They had not shown their passports when they arrived, and now the officials would not let them leave. The only solution was to obtain a passport from the sultan, but the official demanded an exorbitant sum for such a document. The amount was so great, it was absolutely impossible for them to pay it.
וה' יִתְבָּרַךְ חָמַל עֲלֵיהֶם וְהִזְמִין לָהֶם אִישׁ א' שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא הִכִּירוּ אוֹתוֹ וְהָלַךְ לְאֵיזֶה שַׂר מֵהַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים וְגָנַב דַּעְתּוֹ וְאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים כְּלָל כַּמָּה נָתַן לוֹ. וְקִבֵּל קְוִויטְל (פֶּתֶק) לְהַנִּיחַ אוֹתָם מֵהַשַּׁעַר דִּקְהִלַּת קֹדֶשׁ הַנַּ"ל. וְהִזְהִיר אוֹתָם 'לְמַעַן הַשֵּׁם לְהַסְתִּיר הַדָּבָר מְאֹד מְאֹד'. But God was with them, and they happened to meet a total stranger who agreed to help them. He went to a Turkish minister and wheedled what they needed from him. They had no idea how much he paid for it, but the stranger obtained a document allowing them to pass through the gate and leave the city. He cautioned them, “For God’s sake, don’t breathe a word about this.”
וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִמְלְטוּ מִשָּׁם בְּשָׁלוֹם. וְהָלְכוּ עַל הַיָּם מִסְּטַנְבּוּל – לְגַלָּץ. וְהִגִּיעוּ לְאֵיזֶה עִיר עַל אִיֵּי הַיָּם, וְשָׁם לָקְחוּ אוֹתָם לְבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וְהֻכְרְחוּ לִתֵּן אַרְבָּעָה אֲדֻמִּים בְּעַד כָּל נֶפֶשׁ. They escaped Istanbul safely and traveled by sea to Galatz. Along the way, they landed on an island65The only major island in the Black Sea is Serpent’s Island, opposite the mouth of the Danube. It is also called Fidonisi and Zmetnyj. and were held as prisoners. They were freed only after a fine of four rubles had been paid for each passenger.
וּמִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה לֹא אֵרַע לָהֶם שׁוּם דָּבָר, רַק זַעֲפַת הַיָּם הָיָה כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים. וּסְפִינָה אַחַת מְלֵאָה גְּרֶעקִין נִשְׁבָּרָה וְנִטְבְּעָה וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ מֵהֶם כִּי־אִם מְעַט דִּמְעַט. The rest of their voyage was relatively peaceful except for a few storms at sea. They passed a ship filled with Greeks and saw it break up and sink; only a handful of passengers survived.
וַה' בְּרַחֲמָיו הִנְחָם לִמְחוֹז חֶפְצָם וְעָבְרוּ בְּשָׁלוֹם עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ לְגַלָּץ בְּשָׁלוֹם עַל חַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת. God guided them toward their destination, and they arrived safely in Galatz for the festival of Shavuot.