“This storm is clearly Divine! Tell me, how can we escape this?”
1798
Shortly before Rebbe Nachman finally left Istanbul, he had another brush with death. He had traveled to the gravesite of a special tzaddik and relative of his who was buried in Istanbul, Rebbe Naftali of Posen. After visiting the tzaddik’s kever, Rebbe Nachman suddenly fell deathly ill and collapsed. He hovered between life and death, but by a tremendous miracle, he recovered.
Then frightening news struck Istanbul. The French army had invaded the sultan’s lands in Egypt and Palestine. The French navy were patrolling the seas around Istanbul, terrorizing ships sailing through the treacherous Mediterranean.
A man on horseback galloped through the streets, delivering a chilling message from the Jewish leaders in Istanbul.
“No one is permitted to leave the city under any circumstances! Whoever does so is risking their very life, and we will not permit that. Lie low, stay put, and wait for further instructions.”
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