In the days of Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg, there was a very cruel decree against the Jews of the city. Rav Shmelke decided to go with his Talmid to Vienna to speak with the king, hoping to have the bad decree annulled.
While traveling, they reached a river which they had to cross, but because winter was just ending, the water was filled with large chunks of ice. No boat could be hired to travel across because all the sailors were afraid of crashing into the ice. Rav Shmelke said that he had no time to waste and must get across the river.
One boatman said that if the Rav wanted, he could use his rowboat, but he would have to go himself. Rav Shmelke paid to use the boat, and got in with his student. He stood up in the shaky little boat and started to sing ‘Az Yashir’, the song Bnei Yisroel sang after they crossed the Yam Suf. He sang one line at a time, and his student repeated it after him.
As they sang, an amazing thing happened— the boat started moving on its own, and quickly crossed the river, without even touching one chunk of ice! No one could believe what they saw! When Rav Shmelke reached the king, the king had heard about what happened on the river, and realized that he was dealing with a very special person. The king granted Rav Shmelke’s request and annulled the decree against the Jews, and the Jews were able to live safely! (Sipurei Chassidim, p.184)
Reprinted from the Acharei Shel Pesach 5779 email of Torah U’ Tefilah compiled by Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg.
