בְּעֶרֶב חַג הַפֶּסַח יָצָא אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל מֵהַמִּקְוֶה, וְאָמַר לְזֶה שֶׁהָלַךְ עִמּוֹ: שֶׁבְּזֹאת הַשָּׁנָה יִהְיֶה בְּוַדַּאי בָּאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. On the day before Pesach 5558 (March 31, 1798), the Rebbe emerged from the mikvah and told his attendant, “This year I will definitely be in the Holy Land.”
וּבְחַג הַפֶּסַח אָמַר תּוֹרָה עַל פָּסוּק: "וּשְׁבִילְךָ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים וְעִקְּבוֹתֶיךָ לֹא נוֹדָעוּ" (וְהִקְשָׁה מֵרֵישָׁא לְסֵיפָא וְאָמַר תּוֹרָה עַל זֶה בְּתֵרוּץ קֻשְׁיָא זוֹ). וּמִתּוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה נִתְוַדַּע לְכָל בָּאֵי אֵלָיו – שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי יִסַּע לְאֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל. During Pesach, the Rebbe spoke on the verse, “Your path was in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known” (Psalms 77:20). He pointed out the apparent contradiction between the two parts of this verse and gave a lesson reconciling them. In the course of his words, it became apparent that he had definite plans to travel to the Holy Land.