When the tzaddik, the Shinover Rav, reached the age of sixty-four, he went into self-imposed exile. He decided to undertake the long, arduous journey to the Holy Land, and thereby to warn the kohanim not to defile themselves with ritual impurity by visiting kivrei tzaddikim, a mission he saw as his responsibility as a master of halacha.
The Divrei Yechezkel spent some twelve months on his journey, setting out in the summer of the year תרכ"ט. Before he climbed the gangplank to board the boat in Constantinople, he received a letter from his father, the Divrei Chaim. Knowing his father’s misgivings about his journey, and fearing that the letter contained a missive that would prevent his setting out on the trip (if it contained an outright command that would obligate him because of kibbud av to forgo the journey), he tucked the unopened letter away to be read at some later time.
During the sea journey, he attracted the attention of one of the wealthy seamen who recognized the tzaddik’s holiness and realized that he was a Jew of great stature. He subsequently wrote the Shinover a letter of recommendation that would be useful when he landed as a newcomer in the Holy Land. The rav would be able present the endorsement to those who could help support him and his cause. Secure in these thoughts, he continued his journey with comfortable anticipation. Soon, however, the Shinover felt his tefillos were compromised because of the letter and the false security it brought. He attributed his lack of devotion and concentration in his prayers to his having relied on human help instead of trusting in Hashem alone. These thoughts plagued him until he tossed the seaman’s letter overboard.
A similar incident occurred when one of his wealthy supporters gave him a valuable promissory note which could be cashed against the debt owed for a hefty sum. This too was discarded when the Divrei Yechezkel felt that reliance on the material world interrupted his spiritual devotions. Upon arrival, the tzaddik traveled to our avos in Chevron. While he was there, a letter arrived from Rav Elozor Mendel of Lelov. The emissary who brought the letter was astonished to see that it was written with seemingly no order; it contained just random letters of the alef-bais. But the Shinover Rav read the letter and remarked that if a tzaddik can compose such a wondrous letter, he must meet him in Yerushalayim without delay. The very next day, he left Chevron and set out for Yerushalayim.
That year, a plague was decimating the population, but as soon as the Shinover Rav entered the city’s holy gates, the plague ceased. The Shinover stayed with Rav Elozor Mendel of Lelov in his home and together they visited the great mekubalim and tzaddikim of Yerushalayim-- especially the tzaddik and mechaber of Shemen Sasson on the Zohar.
While he was in Chevron, he greatly wished to daven at Meoras Hamachpela, but the Muslims prevented it. In order to bypass them, the Shinover and the Lelover disguised themselves as Arab Muslims and attempted to blend in to the local crowd and evade detection. It almost worked. They entered the Meora unhindered, but as they came closer to the site of the avos, they were seized with overwhelming fear and awe, and fled.
From Yerushalayim, the Shinover made his way to Tzefas where the Tzaddik and Chassid, Rav Shmuel Heller, a descendant of the Tosafos Yom Tov, served as chief Rav. The Shinover slept near Teveria and continued on his way toward Tzefas. All the city came out to greet him, but waited long hours in anticipation for the arrival of the caravan he was traveling with. When they finally arrived long after expected, they asked the guide what had held them up. He told them how the Shinover Rav stopped by one hills to daven. He was in such a state of dveikus that he remained in prayer for many hours on the site. Rav Shmuel Heller then explained what attraction that hill had had for the Shinover Rav: Tradition has it that hidden on that particular hill is the location where the efer pora -- the ashes of the red heifer used to ritually purify the kohanim for avodas haMikdosh. The story goes that once an Arab dug there and discovered a golden pot filled with ashes. He coveted the treasure and took it home. That night, a magnificent vision appeared to him in his dream. A tall, fearsome-looking Jew ordered him to return the vessel to its proper place:
“This golden pot is full of the holy ashes of the pora aduma. You must rebury it,” the apparition commanded.
The Arab took no heed even after the dream recurred several times. Finally, the Jew warned that the Arab’s children would die one by one as long as the pot remained in his possession. Again, the Arab paid no heed until the last of his children mysteriously died. Then the Arab himself fell sick and with his last ounces of strength, he reburied the ashes and tried to keep the gold pot. Only when he felt he was close to death himself did he reinter the golden pot with the ashes of the pora aduma there on that hill. And that is the spot to which the tzaddik was drawn. He felt its vibrations and this is where he davened!
Another tradition has it that while in Tzefas, the Shinover encountered one of the thirty-six hidden tzaddikim. When he was in the mikvah on erev Shabbos, he noticed someone immersing in a unique manner. He tried to follow him, but the Jew moved quickly and was out of sight before he could speak with him. Even when the Shinover inquired after his address, he discovered that the lamed-vovnik could not be found; the elusive figure had packed up his family and possessions that very day and moved to nearby Biriya! Even when the Divrei Yechezkel attempted to follow him to the Biryia on motzei Shabbos, the hidden tzaddik had run away and the Shinover never found him or discovered who he was.
The Shinover had wanted to travel from Tzefas to Meron for Lag BaOmer. Before the trip, he opened the letter from his father and found that it included a command that he not visit Meron. This turned out to be great hashgocha protis for it was discovered that a bandits lay in wait to capture him during that journey and then ransom him.
In the summer of תר"ל he traveled again to Yerushalayim and stayed there until the date of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh’s yahrzeit, in order to daven at his tziyun.
When he returned to Tzefas, he perceived that from Shomayim he was meant to return to Europe. He traveled to the Yaffo port to board a ship home.
Upon his return, he found a group of Chassidim sitting in discussion. When asked what they were talking about, they admitted to discussing why the Shinover worked so hard to have the sefer, Ohr HaChama printed. This sefer, which the Shinover had discovered in a handwritten manuscript while in Yerushalayim, was written by the Mekubol Rav Avrohom Azulai, chief rav of Chevron and one of the forebears of the Chida.
“Yes,” remarked the tzaddik, “printing that sefer was one achievement of mine during that journey; but my real reasons for going...well, let’s just say that they will be revealed only with the arrival of Moshiach.” (Divrei Yechezkel pp. 10–12)
