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Weekly Chasidic Story #1424 (5785-26) 24 Adar 5785 (March 24, 2025) (Next Week) "Raincoats and Umbrellas on a Sunny Dry Day in Tiberias" The Turkish ruler of the city of Tiberias, who was always scheming against the Jewish residents, issued an appalling threat of expulsion. Why this week: Israel needs rain and for a week the weather has been hot, dry and sunny Story in PDF format for more convenient printing.
Raincoats and Umbrellas on a Sunny Dry Day in Tiberias
Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka arrived in Eretz Yisrael in 1764, during a difficult year of drought. The Turkish ruler of the city of Tiverya (Tiberias), who was always scheming against the Jewish residents, issued an appalling declaration. If rain did not fall within three days of his decree, he would expel every last Jew from his city. R' Nachman did not panic. He assured those close to him that, in G-d's goodness, they were going to have the opportunity to sanctify His Name. According to the account written in Tabor Ha'aretz by the Chief Rabbi of Tiberias, R' Moshe Klieres, R' Nachman ordered his fellow Jews to go to the cave where R' Chiya and his sons were buried and to pray there for rain[1]. He went with them. Though the day was sunny and dry, he advised them to bring along rain gear. The left the city and made their way to the cave, protective clothing slung over their arms and some with umbrellas in their hands. A government official caught a glimpse of them at the city gates, and laughed heartily at the raincoats the Jews carried. Spitting in their faces, he declared that if they returned to the city without rain having fallen, he would grind the Rabbi beneath his heels. The Jews, led by R' Nachman, did not answer him, but continued quietly to the cave of R' Chiya and his sons. There, they poured out their hearts in prayer. G-d heard them. Dark clouds filled the sky, and then a heavy rain began to fall -- so heavy that, had the men not carried rain gear, they would not have been able to return to town at all that day. Upon their return to Tiberias, the government official was waiting for them at the city gates. He placed R' Nachman on his shoulders and carried him into the heart of the city, where the people were overcome with joy at the blessed rains that were falling at last. G-d's great Name was sanctified, with Jews and non-Jews together proclaiming, "Who is like You among the gods, and who is like Your people, Israel?" This episode raised the Jews' esteem greatly in the eyes of the populace, and when, some twelve years later, a large influx of Jews arrived in Tiberias under the leadership of R' Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, author of Pri Ha'aretz, and R' Avraham of Kalisk[2], they were received with the greatest respect and welcomed with open arms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Biographic note: Footnotes: [2] The "Chasidic Aliyah" [which preceded the numbered Zionist aliyahs] took place in 1778. Most members settled in Tsfat (Safed), but at a certain point moved down to Tiverya.
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Rabbi
Nachman of Horodenka was among the master scholars who gathered to study
Torah in Brody. After experiencing a dream which he interpreted as a sign for
him to go to the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Nachman became a close disciple and one
of the first supporters of the Besht. In 1764, he moved to the Land of Israel.
At first he lived in Safed, and afterward he settled in Tiberias. He died in
Tiberias in June, 1766, and was buried there.
Yerachmiel
Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor
of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories
to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells
them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.