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Weekly Chasidic Story #920(s5775-43 / 26
Tammuz 5775)
Three Horses After Three Days
A principal military chieftan of the First Crusade heard rumors of the knowledge
and wisdom of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki.
Connection: Seasonal -- The 910th yahrzeit of Rashi coincides
with this Shabbat.
Three Horses After Three Days
One of the principal French military chieftains of the First Crusade [1095-1100],
the famous duke of Lower Lotharingia (Lorraine), Godfrey of Bouillon, heard
rumors of the knowledge and wisdom of the rabbi of Troyes (about 25 miles from
Paris), that even the gentiles sought his advice on monetary matters and marital
law, and he used to reply in such an erudite manner that they would record his
judgments in his name in the public record in Paris. This fabulous wise man
was Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, immortalized by the initials of his name
as Rashi.
In 1096, the duke summoned Rashi to his presence to consult with him about his
mission of seizing Jerusalem from the "Ishmaelites," but Rashi refused
to appear. Annoyed, Godfrey went to the rabbi's school,* accompanied by a number
of his cavaliers. He found the gates all opened and the books upon the desks
open, but the great building empty of people. Through the invocation of a holy
Name, Rashi had made himself invisible, while he himself could still see everything.
"Where are you, Solomon?" cried the duke. "Here I am," a
voice answered; "what does my lord demand?" Godfrey not seeing a living
soul repeated his question, and always received the same answer. But not a man
to be seen!
Utterly confounded, he left the building, whereupon he met a disciple of Rashi's.
"Go tell your master," he said, "that he should appear. I swear
he has nothing to fear from me."
Rashi then revealed himself to him. "I see," Godfrey said to him,
"that your wisdom is great. I should like to know whether I shall return
from my expedition victorious, or whether I shall succumb. I have prepared one
hundred thousand horses and two hundred great ships. I intend to capture Jerusalem,
and this is quite feasible because the Ishmaelites are not warriors. And also
Acre, where there are 10,000 cavalry ready to help us. Speak without fear."
"You will capture the Holy City," Rashi replied, "and you will
reign over Jerusalem for three days, but on the fourth day the Moslems will
force you to flee, and when you return only three horses, including your own,
will be left to you."
"It may be," replied Godfrey, irritated and disillusioned in seeing
his future pictured in colors so somber. "But if I return with more horse
than you say, even if only one, I shall wreak frightful vengeance upon you.
I shall throw your body to the dogs, and I shall put to death all the Jews of
France."
The Crusaders took control of Jerusalem, in mid-July 1099. After several more
years of fighting, Godfrey of Bouillon, ephemeral king of Jerusalem, was indeed
forced to flee. He suffered heavy losses of men during the battles, and on the
way back to France, many more died on the ships that were taking them home.
By the time they landed on the shores of France, he was accompanied by the only
three surviving cavaliers, each on his own horse.
Altogether, then, there were four horses, one more than Rashi had predicted.
Remembering the rabbi's prophecy, Godfrey determined to carry out his threat.
But when he entered the city of Troyes where Rashi lived, a large rock loosened
from the gate fell upon one of the riders, killing him and his horse.
The duke was amazed at the miracle, and realized he had no choice but to recognize
that Rashi's forecast to him was exactly correct. He decided to continue on
to see him anyway, but to render him homage, rather than to execute him.
Before he even reached the Rashi's house, though, he was informed that that
the rabbi had already died during the years of fighting. ** This grieved him
greatly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: The primary source is Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (The Chain of Tradition)
by Gedaliah ibn Yahya (1526-1587), of Italy. My version is based on the French
book, "Rashi," by Maurice Leiber, as translated into English
by Adele Szold, and with some minor supplementing from //thefreelibrary.com/Rashi+and+the+First+Crusade
as well as the final endnote.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki [4800 - Thursday, 29 Tammuz, 4865 (1040 - July
1105 C.E.)], immortalized by the initials of his name as Rashi,
was a descendent of the royal family of King David. He is considered one of
the greatest scholars and teachers in the history of Judaism. No Jew who studies
the Torah or the Talmud does so without Rashi, the gentle teacher and unobtrusive
commentator who simplifies, explains and inspires all who study Torah.
Connection: Seasonal -- The 910th yahrzeit of Rashi coincides
with this Thursday.
Editor's notes:
* Some say the visit took place in Worms, where till today a monument marks
the location of Rashi's yeshiva.
** Historically, it would seem to have been a different French nobleman/ military
officer that Rashi was involved with. Geoffrey of Bouillon died in Jerusalem,
five years before Rashi. ***
***Could Godfrey have known Rashi or known of him? The answer is probably yes.
It would not have been difficult for him to travel from Bouillon to Troyes,
a four- or five-day ride, or to have stopped there on his way home from the
Paris military conference in February 1096
.It is not likely that Godfrey
himself directly accosted Rashi, especially with a strong military force. This
would have been most offensive to the Count of Champagne; Troyes was his capital,
and the Jews there enjoyed his protection. Two other possibilities are more
plausible: first, that the Godfrey of the story was Godfrey of Esch-sur-Siire
(Ascha), a noble knight in Bouillon's service known to have served as his envoy.
As a messenger he would be identified with his master and thus easily confused
in the later retelling of the tale. A second choice might be Godfrey of Saint
Omer, who left France with the Count of Champagne in 1104, while Rashi still
lived, and returned in 1108 after Rashi died. He, too, might have been confused
with the more famous Godfrey as time passed.
~~~~~~~~~~~
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