Godfrey of Bouillon
There is a story that took place with Rashi, and Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the terrible First Crusade in the year 1096, which wiped out many Jewish communities, R”L. Though the nearby cities of Speyer, Mainz, and Worms were devastated by the Crusaders, the Jews of Rashi’s city of Troyes were spared from destruction.
When Godfrey was looking to conquer Palestine, he sent messengers asking for an appointment to meet with Rashi, in order to hear the great Tzadik’s thoughts regarding his plan. The fact that Godfrey, who was a vicious enemy of the Jews, would seek such a meeting, was itself remarkable, but Rashi denied him the meeting.
Furious, Godfrey assembled soldiers and burst into Rashi’s Beis Medrash, calling out, “Solomon!” Although he did not see anyone in the Bais Medrash, and even though he saw the books were open, he heard Rashi reply, “What does his Highness want?” Terrified, Godfrey ran outside. Insisting on hearing Rashi’s advice, he called to a student of Rashi and swore that no harm would come to Rashi if he came to meet with him.
When Rashi agreed and met with Godfrey, Godfrey informed him of his plans, including the fact that he had 100,000 horsemen ready to invade Palestine. He told Rashi to give him his honest opinion. Rashi replied that Godfrey would conquer Yerushalayim and that he would rule for three days, and after that, he will be driven out by the Moslems, and return to Troyes with only three horses.
Angered to hear this, Godfrey swore that if this did not happen, he would cut Rashi to pieces and feed him to the dogs! However, Rashi’s prophetic comments came true. Coming back four years later to Troyes, Godfrey remembered the words Rashi said to him. He decided that he would indeed punish Rashi, as he currently had four horsemen with him, not the three that Rashi had predicted.
But when they entered the gates of Troyes, a large stone fell from the top and killed a horse and its rider. There were now three horses entering Troyes with Godfrey. Every aspect of Rashi’s words had now come true!
Reprinted from the Parshas Chukas 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
