“Rabban Gamliel, the son of Rav Yehuda HaNasi, used to say, ‘...those who work for the community should do so for the sake of Heaven, for then, the merit of their forefathers aids them.’” (Avos, 2:2)
When Rav Ovadia Yosef used to teach the above Mishna, he would illustrate it with the following true story:
It was on the fifteenth of Cheshvan in the year Tav-Pay-Gimmel when the wicked Yusef Pasha was appointed as ruler. He soon came to Jerusalem’s gates, bringing with him woe, trouble, and calamity for the Jewish citizens of the Holy City.
He hatched cruel and wicked plots against the hapless Jews and threw their leaders in prison for fictitious offences, often torturing false confessions out of his victims, then taking hefty bribes from their loved ones, families, and community, in order to agree to release them.
Rav Moshe Meyuchas was the chief leader of the Jewish community of Jerusalem at that time. The wicked Pasha jailed him in iron chains and threatened him with violence and murder if he would not come up with a princely sum of money — 91,000 grush — within three months!
After torturing him, they released him temporarily to attempt to raise the ransom, and the Jewish council met during this time to discuss the situation and devise a rescue plan.
Rav Avraham Yitzchok, author of Zera Avrohom, who was the head of the council then, suggested they send a trustworthy emissary or Shadar to the Diaspora community of Constantinople to help raise funds. They drew lots to decide who would be the shaliach to make the journey, and the lot fell on Rav Raphael Meyuchas Bechor Shmuel, author of Pri Ha'Adama.
He travelled to the port at Yaffo (Jaffa) and was to embark on a ship to Constantinople leaving that day. He boarded the ship in the evening, and five days after setting sail, they arrived in Constantinople.
He met with the Mahari Rozanes, author of Mishna LaMelech on the Rambam, and told him the entire tale of woe and of the troubles of the Jews of Jerusalem at the cruel hands of the wicked Yusef Pasha.
The Rav Mishna LaMelech called Reb Jalibi Zonana, head of the Jewish community of Constantinople, who represented them in all matters before the royal court. Reb Zonana took Rav Meyuchas into his home, fed him, and cared for him to help him recover after his long, wearying journey, then Rav Meyuchas told him, too, his tale of woes. Jalibi sat down on the floor, mourning and weeping for the misery and sufferings of Jerusalem. He soon arose and went before the royal court himself, begging the king to issue a royal edict to have Pasha rescind his evil decrees. After leaving the king’s presence, he appealed to the wealthy citizens of Constantinople, who all donated to his cause, as did Jalibi, himself.
The Rav Meyuchas blessed them and thanked them for all their help. He then left to return to Jerusalem by way of Egypt, which he reached on the fourteenth of Adar. Once in Egypt, he met with their Chief Rav, Rav Avraham HaLevi, author of Ginas Veradim. Together they spoke, and studied words of Torah. On the sixteenth of Adar, Rav Meyuchas left, continuing his journey homeward. After midday, he spotted nine Arab brigands coming toward him from beyond the horizon. Their swords were drawn, and their eyes blazed like red fire with fierceness and murder.
In an instant, they killed Rav Meyuchas’s donkey and demanded all his money! He gave them all he had; they even stripped him bare and stole his cloak and clothing, leaving him in only his breeches and tallis katan, in the hot desert sun.
They pushed him to the ground and one of the thieves struck him a blow on the neck with his sword. Miraculously, his sword blade broke in half. One by one, the nine Arab brigands unwittingly smashed their swords, breaking their blades against Rav Meyuchas! Rav Meyuchas did not feel the blows at all, his neck was stiff as marble. They turned and left him in the desert with no food or water, yet Hashem’s salvation came in the blink of an eye! After they had run some two miles away, each of them, one by one, fell paralyzed, unable to move his limbs!
By this time, they were quite terrified, and each one said to his fellow thief, “We must go back to that Jew to be healed and saved!” Amazingly, when they attempted to go forward, they were paralyzed, but to return in the direction of the Rav, they could move freely. And so, they returned all the stolen money and clothes and begged his forgiveness and mercy. The Rav was amazed to see the brigands crawl back to him, begging and sobbing for mercy and forgiveness. After they had given him back all they had stolen from him, they left. The Rav stood speechless and amazed, thanking Hashem for this miracle, wondering what would happen next!
What did happen next did not disappoint: A giant with a fiery countenance appeared and asked Rav Meyuchas where he was headed. When Rav Meyuchas replied that he was headed for Jerusalem, the Holy City, the giant responded gently that he had nothing to fear, he would help him. In an instant, as if by miracle, they were in Jerusalem, safe and sound!
After these wondrous occurrences, Rav Meyuchas took on a neder, vowing to observe the seventeenth of Adar as a family holiday to commemorate his personal delivery and miraculous salvation. This story is printed in the sefer Pri HaAdama, which was recorded from the handwritten megilla of the miracles Rav Meyuchas recounted, having written them on klaf parchment himself. Afterwards, he was appointed Rishon Letzion, Chief Rabbi, and he served at this post until he passed away.
(Anaf Etz Avos pp. 81—82)
