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.
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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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