Chapter Ten (פֶּרֶק עֲשִׂירִי)

And furthermore I will inform you, sons of the Living God (וְעוֹד אוֹדִיעַ לָכֶם בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים), what took place in Chevron, a wondrous event on Yom Kippur (מַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּחֶבְרוֹן דָּבָר פֶּלֶא בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים). Know that in Chevron there are not always ten men to pray with a congregation (תֵּדַע שֶׁבְּחֶבְרוֹן לֹא יֵשׁ תָּמִיד עֲשָׂרָה שֶׁיִּתְפַּלְּלוּ בְּצִבּוּר). Only on Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim they gather there from the villages (רַק בְּשַׁבָּתוֹת וּבְיָמִים טוֹבִים יִתְקַבְּצוּ לְשָׁם מִן הַכְּפָרִים), and they pray with a minyan or more (וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים בַּעֲשָׂרָה וְיוֹתֵר). But all the inhabitants of Chevron are among the Chasidei Elyon [Pious Ones of the Most High] (אֲבָל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי חֶבְרוֹן הֵם מֵחֲסִידֵי עֶלְיוֹן). And it came to pass on the eve of Yom Kippur that there were only nine men in Chevron (וַיְהִי בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לֹא הָיוּ בְּחֶבְרוֹן רַק תִּשְׁעָה אֲנָשִׁים). And they waited for the men of the villages to come (וְהִמְתִּינוּ עַל בְּנֵי הַכְּפָרִים שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ), but not one of them came (וְלֹא בָּאוּ אֶחָד מֵהֶם), for they had all gone to Jerusalem, may she be built and established (כִּי הָלְכוּ כֻּלָּם לִירוּשָׁלַיִם ע״ה תּוּב״ב), which is nearby, a journey of a quarter of a day (שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ מַהֲלַךְ רְבִיעִי יוֹם). And they were in great distress that they would have to pray on Yom Kippur without a minyan (וְהָיוּ בְּצַעַר גָּדוֹל שֶׁיִּתְפַּלְּלוּ בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים בְּיָחִידִים). And they wept bitterly (וּבָכוּ הַרְבֵּה בְּכִי). And the sun had already declined (וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כְּבָר נָטָה), and the day was far spent (וְהַיּוֹם יָרַד מְאֹד). And it came to pass that they lifted up their eyes, and behold, an old man was coming from afar (וַיְהִי הֵם נָשְׂאוּ אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ זָקֵן בָּא מֵרָחוֹק). And they rejoiced before him with great joy (וְשָׂמְחוּ נֶגְדּוֹ שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה). And when he came to them, they set before him the Seudah haMafseket [Pre-Fast Meal] to eat (וּכְשֶׁבָּא אֲלֵיהֶם נָתְנוּ לְפָנָיו לֶאֱכוֹל סְעוּדָה הַמַּפְסֶקֶת). And he blessed them and said that he had already eaten on the way (וּבֵרַךְ אוֹתָם וְאָמַר שֶׁכְּבָר אָכַל בַּדֶּרֶךְ). And thus they prayed on the holy day (וּבְכֵן הִתְפַּלְּלוּ בַּיּוֹם הַקָּדוֹשׁ). And they honored the man with great honor (וְכִבְּדוּ אֶת הָאִישׁ כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל). And at the conclusion of Yom Kippur they began disputing with one another (וּבְמוֹצָאֵי יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הִתְחִילוּ מִדְּיָנִים זֶה עִם זֶה), for each one wished to bring the guest to his own house (כִּי כָּל אֶחָד רָצָה לְהָבִיא אֶת הָאוֹרֵחַ לְבֵיתוֹ). And they settled the matter by lot (וְנִתְפַּשְּׁרוּ בְּגוֹרָל), and the lot fell upon the Chazzan [Cantor], who was a pious man (וְנָפַל הַגּוֹרָל עַל הַחַזָּן שֶׁהָיָה אִישׁ חָסִיד), and he would relate wondrous things through dreams and visions of the night (וְהִגִּיד נִפְלָאוֹת בַּחֲלוֹמוֹת וְחֶזְיוֹנֵי לַיְלָה). And the Chazzan went to his house, and the guest after him (וַיֵּלֶךְ הַחַזָּן לְבֵיתוֹ וְהָאוֹרֵחַ אַחֲרָיו). And when he came near his house, the Chazzan turned behind him, to honor the guest by allowing him to enter his house first (וּכְשֶׁהִגִּיעַ סָמוּךְ לְבֵיתוֹ פָּנָה הַחַזָּן לַאֲחוֹרָיו לִכְבוֹד הָאוֹרֵחַ לָלֶכֶת רִאשׁוֹן לְבֵיתוֹ). And he looked, and behold, he was not there (וַיִּרְא וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ). And they searched for him, but did not find him anywhere in their courtyard (וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא מְצָאֻהוּ בְּכָל הֶחָצֵר שֶׁלָּהֶם). And they were all in great distress (וְהָיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּצַעַר גָּדוֹל), for they thought that he had departed on his way during the night because he did not wish to benefit from them (כִּי חָשְׁבוּ שֶׁהָלַךְ בַלַּיְלָה לְדַרְכּוֹ כִּי לֹא רָצָה לֵיהָנוֹת מֵהֶם). And that night the old man came to the Chazzan in a dream (וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה בָּא הַזָּקֵן בַּחֲלוֹם לַחַזָּן), and said to him that he was Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him (וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁהוּא הָיָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה), who had come to them to complete the minyan (שֶׁבָּא אֲלֵיהֶם לְהַשְׁלִים הַמִּנְיָן). For he had seen them in great distress that they should not pray without a minyan (כִּי רָאָה אוֹתָם בְּצַעַר גָּדוֹל שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּלְּלוּ בְּיָחִידִים). And they rejoiced with great joy (וְשָׂמְחוּ שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה), and they blessed the Great Hand, for He had wrought wondrously (וּבֵרֲכוּ אֶת יָדִי הַגָּדוֹל כִּי הִפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת). Amen, and so may it be His will (אָמֵן וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן).