Nachman stared in astonishment at the sight of the broken idol lying in a heap of rubble at the bottom of the city walls
A chassid and his illustrious rebbe emerged from the mikveh building and stood outside. The rebbe turned and stared at his chassid with piercing eyes.
“This year I will certainly be in Eretz Yisrael.”
These words, spoken by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, were the beginning of an incredible journey filled with tremendous danger and would become one of the most inspiring pilgrimages to Eretz Yisrael ever recorded. The great chassidic rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, needed to reach the holy shores of Eretz Yisrael, and he was willing to travel through fire and water to get there. So much depended upon it.
The journey to Eretz Yisrael in those days meant risking danger from threats at sea and foreign lands, including endless warfare in the ocean, Jew-hating sailors and soldiers, and storms. There were no first-class cabins, only a tiny room at the bottom of a ship that was totally unlike the sturdy, dependable ships we travel in today. The ships often carried coarse, thieving soldiers going out to wage war with enemy forces. Most of these men would not think twice about killing a weaponless passenger in order to steal their few belongings.
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