The crowds dispersed. The action was over, and people started to go home. It was getting dark.
The Ger Tzedek was killed on the second day of Shavuos. By now, Yom Tov was over. Baruch looked around and saw trash, broken glass, and garbage from the crowd. Then it happened! Baruch began to spin! The familiar time travel feeling had never felt so good! Baruch spun, and finally landed. But he wasn’t in Mr.Shpeiter’s house.
He was in front of a white, Israeli home. A car pulled up, and out climbed a regal looking Yid. He looked like the Rishon L’Tzion, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, in his flowing golden robes and blue turban. A man called, “Ah, Rav Eliyahu! The Baba Sali is waiting for you!” Baruch stood in shock. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and the Baba Sali! He turned to follow the group into the house, but something caught his eye. A piece of paper! Baruch picked it up. On it was the letter Chaf. Something strange was going on… but right now, there were other things on his mind. Baruch shoved the note in his pocket and ran inside.
Rav Eliyahu was telling the gabbai of the Baba Sali, “You know I am in aveilut, the year of mourning. I told Baba Sali I couldn’t come, even to his Seudat Hodaah (a meal to thank Hashem after being saved from danger). But a Yid must listen to his Rebbi.” The gabbai nodded and ushered Rav Eliyahu to the dais.
And then he saw him. Baruch could not take his eyes off the holy Baba Sali! The Baba Sali led a festive seudah. There was food and drink, and the Baba Sali kept pouring l’chaims from the same bottle of Arak, again and again and again!
After Birkat HaMazon, Rav Eliyahu got up to leave. “Rav Mordechai, stay!” said the Baba Sali. “Rebbi, I’m in aveilut! An avel can’t join large public gatherings! Now that the seudah is over, I believe I must leave!“ The Baba Sali ignored him, and motioned to the seat next to him. Rav Eliyahu, confused, took his seat. The Baba Sali began to talk with Rav Eliyahu on a sugya, and before long, they were deep in conversation. Then suddenly, three police officers came charging into the room.
The room went quiet. “Rav Eliyahu!” One officer exclaimed. The Rav stood up. “Is everything okay, officer?”
“Everything is more than okay! We’re so happy you’re here and safe! The Rav is a dayan, a judge, correct?” Rav Eliyahu nodded. “Last week, the Rav paskened in a way that someone, who’s now in our police car, didn’t like. He was so angry that he went to both the other dayanim on the Rav’s Beit Din, broke their windows, caused a lot of trouble, and even badly hurt them! His next stop was the Rav’s house. The other dayanim called us, and we met the criminal at the Rav’s house, who was looking around for you!”
Rav Eliyahu turned to the Baba Sali, who didn’t look surprised in the least. “I told you it was a Seudat Hodaah! I never told you what it was for!”
Baruch smiled, shocked by the neis he had just seen, brought about by listening to our Rabbonim. He waited for the spinning to happen… but nothing happened. Again. There were worse places to be stuck… But what was happening?
To be continued…
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 38.