Chapter Thirteen (פֶּרֶק שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר)

I found written in a book composed by our teacher, the Rav Rabbi Avigdor Kara (מָצָאתִי כָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר שֶׁחִבֵּר מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב הָרַב אַבִּיגְדוֹר קָרָא), on Psalm 150, which is the final psalm in Tehillim, “Praise God in His holy place” (הַלְלוּ־אֵל בְּקָדְשׁוֹ) (Psalms 150:1), and it is in a manuscript that was never printed (וְהוּא בִּכְתָב שֶׁלֹּא נִדְפַּס מֵעוֹלָם). And in truth, it speaks deep matters and wondrous secrets (וּבֶאֱמֶת הוּא מְדַבֵּר עֲמוּקוֹת וְסוֹדוֹת נִפְלָאוֹת). And at the end of the book, he brings a great story, and the greatness of the power of Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms], for the one who recites it every day (וּבְסוֹף הַסֵּפֶר מֵבִיא מַעֲשֶׂה רַב, וּגְדוּלַּת כֹּחַ סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים, לָאוֹמְרוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם). And this is his wording (וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ): I heard from the mouth of my father, my holy teacher, may Hashem avenge his blood (שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּי אַבָּא מוֹרִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ ה׳ יִנְקֹם דָּמוֹ), that in the year 112, two years after the decrees (כִּי בִּשְׁנַת קי״ב שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַגְּזֵרוֹת), there remained one village near Erfurt (נִשְׁאַר כְּפָר אֶחָד סָמוּךְ לְעֶרְפוּרְט), where the enemies had not prevailed (שֶׁלֹּא שָׁלְטוּ בוֹ הָאוֹיְבִים). And in it dwelled a poor and pious man (וְהָיָה מְיוּשָׁב בוֹ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן וְחָסִיד), not very learned, except in the plain meanings of Scripture (לֹא כָּל כָּךְ יוֹדֵעַ, לְבַד פְּשׁוּטֵי הַמִּקְרָא). And he was old, and he passed away at a good old age (וְהָיָה זָקֵן וְנִפְטַר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה). And within thirty days after his passing (וְתוֹךְ ל׳ יוֹם אַחַר פְּטִירָתוֹ), he came in a dream to a certain distinguished and pious sage (בָּא בַּחֲלוֹם לְחָכָם אֶחָד מוּפְלָג וְחָסִיד), who was in Erfurt (שֶׁהָיָה בְּעֶרְפוּרְט). And he appeared to him as standing before him in his burial shrouds, with a small book in his arm (וְנִדְמָה לוֹ שֶׁהָיָה עוֹמֵד לְפָנָיו בְּתַכְרִיכָיו וְסֵפֶר קָטָן בִּזְרוֹעוֹ). Then the pious man said to him, “Are you not the man whom we buried on such-and-such a day, here?” (אָז אָמַר לוֹ הֶחָסִיד, וַהֲלֹא אֵינְךָ הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר קָבַרְנוּ בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי פֹּה). He said to him, “Yes, you have spoken rightly; I am he” (אָמַר לוֹ: כֵּן דִּבַּרְתָּ, אֲנִי הוּא). He said to him, “And what is this book that you have?” (אָמַר לוֹ: וּמַה הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר לָךְ). He said to him, “Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms]” (אָמַר לוֹ: סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים). “And I have come to warn you, that you should warn the inhabitants of that settlement where I used to dwell” (וּבָאתִי לְהַזְהִירְךָ שֶׁתַּזְהִיר אֶת בְּנֵי הַיְּשׁוּב הַהוּא שֶׁהָיִיתִי דָּר בּוֹ), “that they should flee from the city and save their lives, for the evil has been decreed upon them, and they should escape to the other communities” (שֶׁיַּבְרִיחוּ עַצְמָם מִן הָעִיר וְיִמָּלְטוּ עַל נַפְשָׁם כִּי כָּלְתָה עֲלֵיהֶם הָרָעָה וְיִמָּלְטוּ אֶל הַקְּהִילוֹת). “For as long as I was alive, I completed and finished Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms] every day for many years” (כִּי כָּל עוֹד שֶׁהָיִיתִי חַי הִשְׁלַמְתִּי וְגָמַרְתִּי סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים בְּכָל יוֹם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים). “By this merit they prolonged tranquility and were saved until now” (בִּזְכוּת זֶה הֶאֱרִיכוּ שָׁלוָה וְנִצּוֹלוּ עַד הֵנָּה). “And from now on there is no one to protect them” (וּמֵעַתָּה אֵין מִי שֶׁיָּגִין עֲלֵיהֶם). And it was in the morning, and the spirit of the pious man was troubled (וַיְהִי בַּבֹּקֶר וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחַ הֶחָסִיד), and he sent a special messenger there, in writing, to warn them (וְשָׁלַח שָׁלִיחַ מְיֻחָד לְשָׁם, בִּכְתָבוֹ וּלְהַזְהִירָם).

And behold, some of them who feared the words of the pious man fled and were saved (וְהִנֵּה מִקְצָתָם הַיְּרֵאִים דִּבְרֵי הֶחָסִיד, נִמְלְטוּ וְנִצּוֹלוּ). And some of them, who dismissed the calamity and remained there (וּמִקְצָתָם שֶׁנִּתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִן הַפּוּרְעָנוּת וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ שָׁם), did not pay attention to the words of the pious man, until the hand of Hashem and His attribute of judgment struck them (וְלֹא הִשְׁגִּיחוּ בִּדְבַרֵי הֶחָסִיד עַד שֶׁפָּגְעָה בָהֶם יַד ה׳ וּמִדַּת דִּינוֹ). And from that day onward, when my holy father of blessed memory heard this matter (וּמֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא שֶׁשָּׁמַע אָבִי מוֹרִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ ז״ל, הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה), he never refrained from reciting Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms] every week, divided into seven parts (לֹא הָיָה נִמְנָע מֵלוֹמַר סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים בְּכָל שָׁבוּעַ עַל פִּי ז׳ חֲלָקִים). Therefore, do not let your hand slacken from it (עַל כֵּן אַל תַּרְפֶּה יָדְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ). For one who is accustomed to, and well versed in, Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms] (כִּי מִי שֶׁהוּא רָגִיל, וְדַשׁ בּוֹ בְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים), pushes away all kinds of calamities and many evil afflictions (הוּא דּוֹחֶה כָּל מִינֵי פּוּרְעָנוּת וְכַמָּה פְּגָעִים רָעִים), from himself, from his household, from his family, and from all the people of his generation (מֵעָלָיו, וּמֵעַל בְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ, וּמֵעַל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, וּמֵעַל כָּל בְּנֵי דוֹרוֹ). And upon him and upon them, all kinds of abundance, blessings, goodness, and success are bestowed (וּמְגַלְגֵּל עָלָיו וְעֲלֵיהֶם כָּל מִינֵי שֶׁפַע, בְּרָכוֹת וְטוֹבוֹת וְהַצְלָחוֹת). Fortunate is he who merits and brings merit to the many (אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה וּמְזַכֶּה אֶת הָרַבִּים). Until here I found in the aforementioned book of Rabbi Avigdor Kara (עַד כָּאן מָצָאתִי בַּסֵּפֶר הַנַּ״ל דְּרַבִּי אַבִּיגְדוֹר קָרָא), in his work which he composed on the final psalm in Tehillim (בְּסִפְרוֹ שֶׁחִבֵּר עַל מִזְמוֹר אַחֲרוֹן שֶׁבְּתְּהִלִּים), there in the holy community of Regensburg, in the year 5169 (1409 CE) of the sixth millennium (שָׁם בַּקְּהִלָּה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה רֶעגִינְשְׁבוּרג שְׁנַת קס״ט לָאֶלֶף הַשִּׁשִּׁי). And Hashem will command upon us the blessing—life forevermore, Amen (וַיי יְצַוֶּה אִתָּנוּ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם אָמֵן).