A Clock for Safed

 

The horses moved southward on the road at a slow trot, maintaining a very casual pace. They were happy to be out on a wide smooth road and had no concerns about the voyage nor the destination. 

The passengers in the wagon each had their own perspective. For Mruczek, it was a grand adventure. There were new sights, sounds, and smells. She was traveling much further than any other cat that she was aware of. The Baal Shem Tov withdrew into a contemplative state. Alexei held the reins, stared at the road ahead of him, and tried to make sense of it all. 

Alexei didn't know how far it was to Safed but he was pretty sure that it was a long arduous trip to the Holy Land. Besides all the other impossible aspects of a voyage to the Holy Land, the Baal Shem Tov said that they would arrive around one hundred and fifty years in the past, and had promised him that they would be home in time for his evening meal. It was already well into the later part of the afternoon, so that was beginning to seem increasingly improbable. “At least we have nice weather for it,” Alexei said to no one in particular as they rolled on. 

Shortly after Alexei noted the good weather, however, the wagon was enveloped in a thickening mist. Before long, he couldn't see anything beyond the wagon. Not even his horses. “I suppose that we should stop here, Reb Yisrael,” Alexei suggested. 

The Baal Shem Tov cleared his throat for emphasis before speaking. “That certainly isn't necessary and neither is it practical. The horses know where they are going. For now you will need to trust their guidance. We are on a tight schedule. There is no time to lose and any delay might put our expedition at great risk.” 

The wagon rolled onward through the pervasive fog. Beyond the edges of the haze, there were lights that weren't lights and sounds that weren't sounds and a whirling of indeterminate space and time. Just as suddenly as the mist had descended, so it lifted. 

The air was warm and the sky was clear. Mountains and valleys were visible in all directions. Lush forests of cypress, pines, wild olive trees, as well as other plants that were most unfamiliar stretched as far as the eye could see. The road that they were on had other travelers dressed in flowing robes, turbans on their heads and sandals on their feet, some with mule carts and others in long caravans of camels, and all leading upward towards a walled city on a mountain top. Roosters just out of view were crowing. 

Mruczek looked all around. Alexei blinked, wiped his eyes and blinked again. The Baal Shem Tov smiled broadly. “That is Safed we are approaching. The year is 1570 according to your calendar, Alexei. We are in the right place and at the right time. Now, we need to stable the horses and then find Rabbi Isaac Luria. That really shouldn't be too difficult. Also, maybe we should have something to eat.”

Just within the city gate Alexei guided the wagon to an inn and arranged for the care of the horses. Alexei and the Baal Shem Tov went on zu fuss to explore the town. The Baal Shem Tov was aided by his walking stick. Mruczek was perched on his shoulder. They soon found their way to a bustling souk where the smell of a variety of food cooking competed for their attention. 

The Baal Shem Tov jabbered with the merchants in Judeo-Arabic, Ladino, Aramaic, and Arabic with equal ease, shifting from one language to another depending on the comfort of whomever he was speaking with. Alexei could only stare and point, unfamiliar with any of the local languages. Mruczek simply hoped that some tasty tidbits would be offered to her before she turned desperate enough to hunt for rodents on her own. Before long though, they each had their satisfying share of the local cuisine. 

Their bellies full, the Baal Shem Tov began to make inquiries concerning the whereabouts of Rabbi Luria. He soon found a local youth that agreed to guide them to the Rabbi's study in exchange for a small coin. They followed the lad through the winding streets and alleyways, past various study halls and synagogues and ultimately to the personal quarters of the great Kabbalist. 

The Baal Shem Tov entered the study in order to converse with the Ari. The two great sages remained in consultation for several hours. Mruczek and Alexei waited outside, in the alleyway near Rabbi Luria's residence, taking in the mysterious city which offered amazement to all of their senses. 

The city of Safed was mostly Jewish at that time of their visit although to Alexei and Mruczek it may certainly have been difficult to tell. The Jews and Arabs of Safed dressed similarly and their common shprakh was Arabic. Safed was a regional trade center as well as a cultural and intellectual focal point. Safed was indeed a wondrous, bustling city for them to behold.

From the vantage point of the alley where they were standing, they watched the steady flow of people living their daily lives. Men, women, and children walked past them on their way to and from the market. Children were working, playing, and going back and forth between schools and homes. Men were conducting business as well as attending the many houses of study and prayer. Women worked in the market and shopped, as well as maintaining homes. Everyone was moving about. 

A few doors down from where Rabbi Luria lived, there was a table in the alley where men sat and played backgammon, or shesh besh as it was called there. They drank cup after cup of aromatic coffee and smoked hashish in a hookah. A few others gathered around to watch the game as well as place bets. 

Along the wall, a small line formed. Alexei watched the activity with curiosity. Mruczek watched Alexei. The man at the front of the line placed a coin on the table, beside the backgammon board. One of the players examined the coin and then slipped it into a hidden pouch within the folds of his flowing robe. A few minutes later, the waiting man was allowed through a curtain that covered a doorway behind the shesh besh table. After a while, the curtain parted and the man left, walking down the alley. 

Again, another man placed a coin beside the backgammon board. This coin also disappeared into the folds of the player's robe and the next man was allowed through the curtained doorway. After a bit, this man exited as well. Another stepped forward as the pattern repeated. Alexei left Mruczek standing where he had been and joined the line along the wall beside the backgammon game. 

When Alexei returned to Mruczek, she couldn't help but notice that he carried the aroma of sweat and perfume. Shortly later the Baal Shem Tov came out of Rabbi Luria's study, meeting Alexei and Mruczek in the alley. The Baal Shem Tov picked Mruczek up and placed her on his shoulder. He looked at Alexei with his piercing eyes for what felt to be an eternity before speaking. 

“We need,” he said, “to retrieve the wagon and bring the clock to Reb Luria as a gift. Then, perhaps we should have a cup of coffee or two before we head home. Is that a coffee house over there?” he asked, looking in the direction of the doorway that Alexei had so recently exited. Then, without waiting for an answer to the question, the Baal Shem Tov began walking in the direction of the inn where the horses were stabled and the wagon was stored. Alexei followed, somewhat sheepishly, behind. 

It took some time to navigate the wagon through the narrow, winding, and crowded streets of Safed. Along the way, Alexei asked the Baal Shem Tov about the Ari, Rabbi Isaac Luria. “This Rabbi Luria,” he started, “he is still a fairly young man, isn't he?”

The Baal Shem Tov was startled, it seemed, by this observation of Alexei. “Yes, I suppose so,” he responded. 

“Well,” continued Alexei as he tried to ponder through the mysteriousness of this stage of the excursion, “will he become important in a decade or so?”

The Baal Shem Tov began to explain. “No, Alexei. Rabbi Luria is already important. He will continue to do very important things over the next year and a half, or so. Then, he will be dead. He will, in fact, be buried in the cemetery that we happen to be passing right now,” he said as he pointed in the direction of the cemetery. “Rabbi Luria will also be important for centuries to come. His grave will be a pilgrimage destination. People will come from around the world to pray at his tomb. I have done so several times myself. It was a great honor to meet Reb Luria.”

Alexei sat perplexed for a while before voicing another question. “Why did we come here today?” he finally asked. 

“We came,” the Baal Shem Tov explained, “to correct a mistake in the treatise that he is now writing. I was reading it recently and I saw a glaring error in his analysis. I came here, at this exact time, to assure that the mistake never happened. Rabbi Luria's writing is incredibly influential. It paves the way for all that needs to unfold. But, he has much to do and so little time. This is why I want him to have this clock.”

“What becomes of this city?” Alexei asked. 

The Baal Shem Tov responded, “Wonderful things and horrible things will happen here. In a few years from now a Hebrew press will be established and important books will be published here. There will be a vibrant Jewish community here for ninety years or so. But, there will be upheaval and warfare and the Jewish community will be nearly destroyed.”

“When peace returns, Safed will again attract Kabbalists and mystical thinkers. Unfortunately, many people will be attracted to a charlatan named Shabtai Zvi who will lead hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Yidden astray.”

Alexei was aghast. “What will we do about it?” he asked. 

“We will go back to our place and time and do whatever we must do. That is all that anyone can do. One cannot change what is meant to be. We will each do our part, in our own way, in our own time. Let's go home.” 

Alexei urged the horses forward. The horses, well cared for and rested, were quite ready for a good run. They set off at a fast pace. The wind blew through, conjuring up a cloud of sand that enveloped the wagon. Both Alexei and the Baal Shem Tov wrapped their heads with scarves to protect their eyes from the sand. Mruczek crawled under the seat and wrapped herself as best she could to protect herself as well. 

When the wind subsided and the sands settled, the road was certainly familiar to Alexei. They were a few versts from his home. Alexei and Mruczek were home in time for their evening meal. The Baal Shem Tov was able to doven Mincha und Maariv at Alexei’s cottage as well. 

For the rest of the story, so far, follow the links here:

1) A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

2) How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

3) Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

4) Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html?m=1

5) Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

6) Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

7) From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

8) The Street Urchin of Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-street-urchin-of-liozna.html?m=1

9) A Clock for Safed

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/a-clock-for-safed.html

The Street Urchin of Liozna

 “Reb Yisrael,” Alexei called out from the front of the wagon. “Where would you like me to take you?”

The Baal Shem Tov answered young Alexei in what seemed to be an uncharacteristically casual and unspecific manner. “Just drive around. Perhaps you can just let the horses decide. Go until you find a band of ruffians, riffraff, and guttersnipes lolling about on a street corner. There, we will stop because I have some business to attend to.”

The wagon drove about without rhyme or purpose through the dingier, unkempt parts of town. Alexei spotted a dozen or so disreputable children on a corner and he asked the Baal Shem Tov if they would serve his purpose, as he brought the wagon to a full stop.

The Baal Shem Tov took his walking stick and slowly climbed down from the wagon. He leaned heavily on the stick for support. He was bent as he approached the disheveled children. To Alexei and Mruczek, the Baal Shem Tov seemed to be much older than before. Slowly he made his way forward. 

The youngest of the children, the four and five year olds, were each accomplished beggars. The older boys had mostly graduated to petty thievery and picking pockets. They were all dressed in rags and none had shoes on their feet. They all gathered around the Holy Man. The Baal Shem Tov had a kind word and a small coin for each of them. When he turned back towards the wagon, the Baal Shem Tov stood erect. His face was shining. He no longer leaned on his staff when he walked back to the wagon and practically jumped into the front seat next to Alexei. Mruczek climbed into his lap. 

Alexei turned and looked at the Baal Shem Tov. A question circulated in his mind about the miraculous transformation that had taken place in his employer's posture. The question almost formed as words before he chose to refrain from asking. Instead, he said “Reb Yisrael, you are looking well. Did you find what you were seeking here?”

The Baal Shem Tov responded, “This was a fortuitous and productive encounter. With these youths, I traded some of my age and wisdom for some of their youthfulness and stamina. Now they are all a bit wiser and I am a bit stronger and healthier. The older of the boys have also committed to stealing less and to be more charitable. So, all told, this was profitable for everyone, the boys, for me, and for the townsfolk of Liozna. I didn't, however, find the person whom I am seeking. For that, we will, it seems, need to search for another gaggle of street urchins.” The Baal Shem Tov waved his hand, signaling to Alexei to continue onward through the streets of Liozna. 

When another group of street boys came into view, Alexei urged the horses to a stop. The Baal Shem Tov disembarked and walked to the cluster of urchins. Once again, the Baal Shem Tov had kind words and small coins for each of the troubled boys.

The last lad that the Baal Shem Tov approached was the smallest of the boys, a child that was barely four years old. He stood somewhat apart from the others. He clutched a filthy blanket in one hand and was sucking on a thumb. Tears were running down his cheeks. 

The Baal Shem Tov knelt on one knee so as to speak with the child. The Baal Shem Tov removed a handkerchief from a pocket and cleaned the boy's face as he spoke with him. After a few minutes, the Baal Shem Tov stood. He looked about at the rundown buildings of the surrounding area until, it seems, he saw what he was looking for. Then, he took the small boy by his tiny hand and the two walked away from the other boys and the wagon as well where Alexei and Mruczek sat. 

Alexei and Mruczek looked in the direction that the Baal Shem Tov and the urchin were walking. The street was desolate and the buildings were bleak, with the exception of one window. From that window a light emitted. This was where they were headed. The closer they got, the brighter the light shone until the Baal Shem Tov and the boy disappeared into the magnificent light and then the light folded into itself and was gone.

Perhaps an hour passed before the Baal Shem Tov re-emerged and walked back alone to the waiting wagon. “Our mission here is accomplished. We can move on,” he informed Alexei. 

“I thought that you said that we were coming to Liozna because a great sage will be born here soon. What of this birth and the sage?” asked Alexei. 

“All is now settled on that account,” the Baal Shem Tov responded. “He will assuredly be born a few decades from now.”

“Decades?” Stuttered Alexei. “But, but, but…”

The Baal Shem Tov calmly explained. “That young boy, I took him to the cheder and presented him to the melamed. I paid his tuition and arranged for the boy, a place to live. He will be a wonderful student and excel in all of his learning. When he has learned what he can from the cheder he will go on to the Gymnasium and then the University where he will study medicine. He will become one of the best doctors in the entire region.”

“But,” asked Alexei, “what does that have to do with the sage?”

The Baal Shem Tov sighed, before continuing. “Years from now there will be a small girl in Liozna who will be very sick. No one will know what to do for her. Her family will be desperate. She will be close to death when she is placed in the care of the doctor that the street urchin will become. He will save her life.”

The Baal Shem Tov sat quietly for a few minutes. “She will grow up. She will marry. She will give birth to a boy who will grow to be a great sage. Our work here, for now, is done. Now, head south. We have much to do in other places and many, many versts to travel, before we can go home.”

For the rest of the story, follow the links here:

1) A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

2) How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

3) Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

4) Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html?m=1

5) Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

6) Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

7) From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

8) The Street Urchin of Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-street-urchin-of-liozna.html

From Moskve to Liozna

 When Alexei brought the wagon to the front of the inn, the Baal Shem Tov climbed into the front seat beside him. Mruczek sat in the Baal Shem Tov’s lap, taking in the sights of the marvelous city. The Baal Shem Tov gave Alexei orders that weaved the wagon through the web of streets, into a rough industrial district until they arrived at the back door and loading dock of a warehouse. 

Here the Baal Shem Tov disembarked. He knocked a coded message on the door. The door opened a crack, and a bearded man stood in the doorway. A hushed dialogue ensued. Then, the door was fully opened and Mruczek and Alexei were able to see a printing press inside the warehouse as well as wooden crates stacked by the door. Several cases were furtively loaded into the back of the cart. The crates were covered with woolen blankets, hiding them from the sight of prying eyes. 

The Baal Shem Tov returned to his position seated next to Alexei in the front of the wagon. Mruczek returned to her position, sitting in his lap. The wagon rolled on through the streets of Moskve. From here, the wagon entered an upscale commercial district with fine shops lining the streets. Well dressed people rode in fashionable droshkies and walked about, looking in the shop windows. 

The Baal Shem Tov’s directions to Alexei brought the wagon to a clock maker's shop. Here, the Baal Shem Tov once again disembarked and entered the shop, leaving Alexei and Mruczek waiting in the wagon. Minutes later, the shopkeeper's assistants carried a tall, elaborately decorative clock out through the door and placed it carefully into the wagon. The clock was quickly wrapped in woolen blankets and further protected with straw. 

The Baal Shem Tov instructed Alexei to follow a broad boulevard that ran nearly due west, and to inform him when they were well clear of Moskve. The Baal Shem Tov and Mruczek rested amongst the piles of straw in the back of the cart. Alexei urged the horses forward, in the direction of the descending sun. When he brought the wagon to a rest in a meadow where he could graze the horses, the afternoon was well advanced. The Baal Shem Tov was snoring contentedly and Mruczek was comfortably resting on the Holy Man's chest and purring. 

“Where are we headed from here, Reb Yisrael?” Alexei asked. 

The Baal Shem Tov answered his young driver, “When the horses are done grazing and harnessed once more, we will continue westward directly to Liozna in Lithuania. We will be there shortly.”

Of course, such a trip is a very long distance, hundreds of versts and many days traveling across frontiers and borders, when traveling by horse drawn-wagon. Alexei, by this point, knew better than to question the Baal Shem Tov’s intentions. With some trepidation and a certain degree of stoicism or perhaps fatalism Alexei prepared the horses and wagon for the next phase of the expedition. The Baal Shem Tov patiently hummed a nigun while petting Mruczek, waiting for Alexei to be finished. 

Alexei climbed into the driver's seat. With some trepidation, he set himself to the impossible task at hand. However, before he could snap the reins to encourage his horses forward, the Baal Shem Tov spoke up. 

“Alexei, there are aspects of the voyages that we will take together that are beyond your capacity to understand. Perhaps they are even dangerous for you to experience. When we crossed the river and flew to Moskve, I recognized that was shocking and disturbing for you. It isn't, I assure you, black magic or witchcraft, chas v'shalom. There is a scientific principle to our leap of distance, the kefitzat haderech as we call it, although it is a complicated Kabbalistic science, one that you are not prepared to comprehend.”

The Baal Shem Tov once again hummed a nigun and sat swaying for a while before he began speaking again. 

“So, young man,” he continued, “I believe that it is in your best interest that we spare you some of the stress. I want you, for now, to turn around and face the back of the wagon, but keep the reins in your hands.” Alexei turned himself towards the back of his wagon. The Baal Shem Tov continued speaking. “Now, take your scarf and wrap it around your head, completely covering your eyes.” Alexei did as he was told. 

With their driver in this position, the horses began to walk, then trots and soon they flew amongst the clouds with the wagon comfortably following, the kefitzat haderech taking place with Alexei protected from further shock. Mruczek, perched herself in the very front of the wagon, overlooking the horses, observing the swirling of space all around. In nearly no measurable time the wagon was approaching the outskirts of Liozna.

The Baal Shem Tov once again spoke to Alexei. “Young man, you can now unwrap your eyes and once again take control of your wagon. You will need to bring it down on the road that is below us.” Alexei pulled on the reins and encouraged the horses towards the ground well below them. It is difficult to say exactly how much the blindfolding helped in reducing his stress. Nonetheless, Alexei calmly landed the vehicle and drove the horses into Liozna. Mruczek returned to the back of the wagon and the Baal Shem Tov’s lap. 

The rest of the story, so far:

1) A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

2) How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

3) Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

4) Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html?m=1

5) Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

6) Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

7) From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

Herring for Breakfast in Moskve

 

When the wagon took flight, my Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother Mruczek climbed into the Baal Shem Tov’s lap. He stroked her, and called her endearing names which soothed her immensely. Alexei did not have the luxury of a comforting lap. Alexei's fright was palatable. He sat upright in the driver's seat, holding the reins tightly, staring with disbelief into the vast open space up ahead as well as below the soaring wagon. 

The clouds and stars swirled. Space and time dissolved. Measurements of distance lost all meaning. The horses moved their legs as if they were running without any resistance. The wagon followed behind, as smoothly as could be imagined. 

After a time, the Baal Shem Tov reached out, tapping Alexei on the shoulder. “Do you see that road down below us, young man?” the Baal Shem Tov asked Alexei. “Let's put the wagon down on the road. That's a little more convenient for the next phase of this voyage.” 

Alexei nodded and gave the horses a signal that encouraged them in the direction of the road. The wagon naturally followed the horses. The horses and the wagon were soon on the road with Alexei once again in control of the vehicle. To the east, there was just the beginning glimmer of daylight. The road they were on was pointed in a northward direction. They were entering the outskirts of Moskve. 

By the time that they truly entered the city of Moskve, the sun was in the sky and morning had begun in earnest. Vendors were preparing their stalls for shoppers, storekeepers were removing shutters and unlocking doors. Students, policemen, nobles, workers, shoppers, and people of all sorts began filling the streets on foot, in droshkies, riding horses, with push carts, all rushing about with the intensity of a bee hive, but without the common purpose of a swarm of bees. Neither Alexei nor Mruczek had ever seen such. The Baal Shem Tov climbed into the front of the wagon, and sat next to Alexei in order to better relay directions. Mruczek sat in his lap, taking in all the sights and sounds of the busy city.

The Baal Shem Tov directed Alexei to an inn and instructed him to have the horses stabled and fed and then find something for himself and the cat to eat. The Baal Shem Tov headed for a nearby shtiebel where he would find a minyan to davan shacharis. He promised to meet back at the inn before midday. 

Alexei did as he was instructed. After assuring that the horses were cared for, Alexei placed Mruczek in a bag which he carried over his shoulder. Alexei found himself a seat on a stool at a counter in the dining hall of the inn. 

Alexei ordered a bottle of vodka and two plates of herring. Mruczek ate all of the fish from her plate and much of the fish from Alexei’s as well. Alexei drank the bottle of vodka by himself. When the Baal Shem Tov returned to the inn, he found Alexei sleeping, his head on the counter next to the empty bottle. Mruczek was sitting on the counter, licking the second plate clean of the remnants of herring, purring contentedly. 

The Baal Shem Tov woke Alexei and told him that it was time to continue on their mission. A bit groggily, Alexei went to retrieve the horses and the wagon. Mruczek and the Baal Shem Tov waited for the wagon in front of the inn, Mruczek perched on the Holy Man's shoulder. 

The rest of the story, so far:

1) A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

2) How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

3) Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

4) Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html?m=1

5) Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

6) Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

7) From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

Alexei's Doubts & The First Great Leap of Faith

 

Alexei had been instructed to proceed due east on the rutted road leaving his village. He held the reins and urged the horses forward in the dark. My Great Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother Mruczek, curled up on an old blanket, on the floorboards. The Baal Shem Tov was praying quite loudly, and fervently, it seemed to Alexei, in a language that was quite unknown to him. 

A couple of hours passed this way and Alexei was becoming increasingly irritated by the irrationality of traveling at night and the uncertainty about the destination or purpose of the voyage. Also, he was none too pleased with the incessant chanting. However, he couldn't even broach any of these subjects with the Baal Shem Tov until he finished his prayers. 

When the wagon became quiet, except for the sounds of the wheels turning, the springs squeaking, and the jolting on the uneven road, Alexei determined that perhaps he could ask his employer what their plans were. 

“Reb Yisrael,” he began, “where are we headed to at this hour and when are we likely to arrive?”

The Baal Shem Tov sighed and took a deep breath. He sighed once more and he cleared his throat. Then, he said nothing at all for so long that Alexei was convinced that there was no answer to his question forthcoming. Then, the Baal Shem Tov cleared his voice once more and began to speak. 

“Alexei, you shouldn't bother yourself with matters that are not of any concern to you. I told you, when I introduced myself to you, that you will need to follow my instructions without questioning. You will learn to trust me. For now, you need to act on that trust even before it is developed. So, this one and only time I will answer your questions. In the future, you will just do what needs to be done.”

A few minutes passed before the Baal Shem Tov continued speaking. “We will go from here directly to Moskve, in the heart of Russia. We will arrive there shortly before sunrise. We will be there for only a few hours, leaving by midday. From there, we will proceed to Liozna, in Lithuania, where a great sage will soon be born. We will have time for a meal there. We will feed and rest the horses in Liozna, as well. From there, we will make a quick stop in Safed, which is in the Holy Land, not very far from Jerusalem, which I presume that you have heard of. We will be arriving in Safed around one hundred and fifty years ago. In Safed we will complete our current mission. We will be back at your cottage, in time for your evening meal tomorrow.”

“But, Reb Yisrael, Moskve is thousands of versts from here!” Alexei exclaimed. Alexei didn't bother even questioning the rest of the impossible itinerary. 

The Baal Shem Tov sighed once more. “Yes, Alexei. But I know a shortcut. So, be quiet so I can meditate. I will let you know when we need to turn off this road.” 

The wagon proceeded, once again in relative silence. Alexei presumed that his employer had lied to him and had no intention of giving a straight answer to any of his questions.

The wagon was moving through a particularly dense forest. Trees crowded the road on both sides, with branches extending overhead, obscuring any view of the night sky. It was very dark, making traveling treacherous. 

They moved forward quite slowly and with caution. It was so quiet that Alexei was listening to the breathing of the horses and hoping against all logic that the horses could see where they were going because he certainly couldn't. Mruczek slept on and off, as cats are inclined to do. Alexei assumed that perhaps the Baal Shem Tov was also sleeping, except for an odd feeling that the Yid may have been watching him. Alexei had serious misgivings about the agreements that he had made with this very demanding employer. 

The pace of the horses had slowed to a crawl when the Baal Shem Tov spoke up. “Here, Alexei, just up on the left, we will find a narrow parting of the trees. There is a pathway just barely wide enough for the wagon. This is where we turn.” Alexei shook his head, bit his tongue, and followed the instructions. 

This pathway was smoother than the road that they had been on and soon widened some as well. The wagon rolled on until they reached a small clearing and a tiny shtetl. 

The Baal Shem Tov told Alexei to stop at the first small house and wait in the wagon for him. He disembarked and knocked on the wooden door. A bearded man opened the door and stepped out. The two men entered into a hushed conversation there, in the middle of the night, in a tiny shtetl, as if this was perfectly normal for both of them. Then, the Baal Shem Tov climbed back into the wagon, signaling that the voyage was to continue with a wave of his hand.

The wagon rolled through the shtetl and the pathway came to a wide rushing river, an abrupt ending at the remains of a bridge that had collapsed long ago. Alexei pulled the wagon to a stop.

“Nu?” said the Baal Shem Tov. “This is where we cross. I didn't tell you to stop.”

Alexei turned and looked directly at the passenger before speaking. The Baal Shem Tov stared back at him with piercing eyes, causing Alexei to doubt his own better judgment. Nonetheless, he spoke up. “Reb Yisrael, the bridge is washed out. We can't cross here.”

The Baal Shem Tov retorted, “We most certainly can. The bridge might very well be washed out for now but it was a perfectly good bridge fifty years ago. We will travel on that bridge. Just get the horses running fast enough and we will be on the other side in no time.”

Alexei opened his mouth but no words came out. He looked at the Baal Shem Tov, who seemed very sure of himself. He looked at the river that seemed deadly, equally sure of itself. He looked back at the Baal Shem Tov, who waved his hand in the direction of the nonexistent bridge. Alexei sighed. He crossed himself before snapping the whip to encourage his horses forward. As the road below the wagon disappeared, the horses and the wagon raised into the starry sky, sailing gracefully over the raging river.

A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html?m=1

Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html

Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

 What plans that the mysterious traveling Yid might have for him were surely beyond Alexei’s imagination. As soon as the Baal Shem Tov was beyond the threshold of the cottage, Alexei began to question if the stranger had ever even been there. The entire incident - a strange Jew inspiring visions, pressing money on him, and eliciting promises of blind loyalty on his part - was frankly surreal. The visitor might have been a spirit or a demon. Alexei might have essentially created the encounter in a dream. 

The money that the Yid gave Alexei, however, was positive proof that the visitor had been of flesh and blood. When Alexei added the money that he had received from the Baal Shem Tov to his inheritance cash, he assuredly thought himself quite wealthy, for a young peasant. By the next day Alexei gave up on the internal debate about what all this strangeness meant, and set off to spend that money. 

Alexei went to the shoemaker and arranged for a very nice pair of boots to be made to fit his feet. Until then, he had always worn cast off shoes that, at best, sort of fit. From there, he went to the tailor and was measured for a suit, a totally new experience for Alexei. Alexei purchased a new hat and coat from a furrier. At the tavern, Alexei bought a pricey bottle of vodka, as well as a pouch of imported tobacco. On the way home, he bought a pregnant sow, in anticipation of tasty suckling pigs. Alexei overpaid for each of these luxuries. 

That evening, Alexei assured that his new sow was comfortable in a pen and then drank himself into a stupor. Mruczek watched with dismay that she would not be receiving any tidbits that evening. She satisfied her hunger with a rat from the rafters instead. Beggars can't be choosers. 

Although Alexei had spent quite a bit of money outfitting himself, the clothes and the boots were indeed comfortable. Alexei carried himself with broader confidence and a bit of swagger when walking through the village. He nodded to the men he encountered along the way, with a sense of equality if not superiority. He looked at peasant girls directly, with admiration, imagining how they each might look underneath their clothes. Any shyness and insecurity of youth on Alexei’s part had been quite banished. 

Days had passed for Alexei as such without concerns of any significance, particularly any concerns about the Baal Shem Tov and the contractual agreements. Therefore, when there was a knock on the cottage door, Alexei was surprised to see a new stranger standing on his threshold and unprepared for what was to unfold. 

The man at the door was immaculately dressed in the latest European style which was beginning to be popular in the urban centers of the Russian Empire. He was clean shaven and wearing spectacles. The man would have looked modern and dapper even in Saint Petersburg. He absolutely looked out of place in the primitive village where Alexei’s cottage stood. “You are Alexei, I presume. I have been sent to educate you,” this stranger said. Alexei opened his door, welcomed the man in, and offered him a cup of tea. 

Alexei also offered his guest some tobacco, which was readily accepted. They both sat at the table, smoking pipes while waiting for the water to heat for the samovar and their tea. 

While they smoked and waited, the guest introduced himself as Sergey and informed Alexei that he had been traveling for days by train, coach, and on foot. Sergey explained that an odd Yid with a peddler’s sack came to his house in Saint Petersburg and hired him. He was paid a year's salary in advance, and instructed to come without delay to this remote village for the sole purpose of educating Alexei. 

Nowadays, schooling is nearly universal and literacy is the norm. In those days, that was not true. Most of the common people lived their lives without ever learning to read. Alexei was of peasant stock and was as unschooled as most. He was a bit intimidated by the thought of learning something as esoteric as reading. But, what could Alexei do but acquiesce, as this was part of the Baal Shem Tov’s plan for him? 

Without delay, Sergey began teaching Alexei the Russian Aleph Beis. Before long, the ah, beh, veh of the mysterious Cyrillic curling script began to develop order and started making sense in the bright young peasant's mind. Sergey was a good teacher and Alexei was a quick learner. 

Many a day, and late into the night by candlelight, Alexei studied. Mruczek would look on. Between meals and catnaps, she also learned to read a bit, which is a very rare accomplishment for a cat. While Sergey was a resident of the cottage, both the peasant lad and the cat absorbed an education. For Mruczek, Sergey was also another source for snacks. 

Alexei was reading a book one evening with Mruczek reading over his shoulder. The Baal Shem Tov entered the cottage, without so much as knocking on the door first. 

The Baal Shem Tov spoke to Alexei, without any formalities or customary niceties. “We need to be on our way, post haste. There is no time for delay. Hitch the horses to the wagon. I have an important meeting early tomorrow and we have many, many versts to travel before sunrise.” 

Alexei set right to the task at hand. Mruczek climbed into the wagon and found herself a spot on the floorboards. The Baal Shem Tov was already sitting in the wagon, wrapped in a wool tallis, waiting as patiently as possible, considering the urgency of the matter, for Alexei to get the wagon rolling down the road. The Baal Shem Tov reached down to give Mruczek a scratch and a knip. Mruczek, for her part, tugged on the fringes of the Baal Shem Tov’s tallis, before settling in for a nap.

 A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html

Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html

Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler

 Alexei was a young man when my Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother Mruczek came to live with him. She was fairly young herself. She was no longer a kitten although not quite a full grown cat. 

In human terms, you could say that she was a teenager. That is, she was around six months old or so at the time. This was shortly before her first pregnancy. So, in practical terms, Mruczek and Alexei were in similar stages of growth and maturity when they came to live together. 

Now, my human translator Yankl suggested that some readers might wonder why Alexei gave my Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother such a masculine name. He could have, after all, called her something feminine such as Mruczka or possibly Kizia i Mruczek as these are common Polish names for female cats. 

Well, truth be told, for one, she was a fairly tough looking and muscular feline. Without a close examination, a casual human observer might readily have mistaken her for a Tom rather than a Queen. 

Of course, Alexei was well aware of mammalian gendering. He would have had no problem differentiating between a stallion and a mare, a bull and a cow, or a boar and a sow. Cats, on the other hand, require far closer examination and Alexei and my Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother had not developed such a relationship that allowed for such close interaction and examination when he began calling her Mruczek. 

My Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother did, however, have an impressive voice, meowing at the cottage threshold. Her voice captured Alexei’s attention and eventually his affection. 

The truth is that what people call us is of hardly any importance. As cats are fond of saying, we don't care what you call us…as long as it's not late for supper. 

The question that I find more intriguing, which, for some reason hadn't crossed Yankl's mind, no offense meant my translator but maybe he isn't all that inquisitive, is this; why did a Wallachian peasant whose Mother Tongue was Romanian give a cat a Polish name? That's always been a mystery for me. 

Of course, as I mentioned before, the mentshn, the Russians, Lithuanians, Poles, Ukrainians, Tatars, Romanians, and even the Yidden, lived in close proximity with one another. A significant amount of exchange and interaction took place even without these various people having a common shprakh. Alexei, as you will soon see, circulated among these mentshn and was, even as a youth, somewhat of a polyglot.

Anyway, my story continues…

Alexei, though young, was both intelligent and clever for a peasant lad. He had been largely on his own from before he had even turned ten. 

Alexei would run off for days or even weeks at a time. There was always plenty of work to do out in the world and he was good at finding himself a position. There were always stables that needed mucking out. For a while he was an assistant for a chronically drunk ferryman. He was a blacksmith's helper for a time. He was the chief pot scrubber and potato peeler at a lumbering encampment. 

Whenever Alexei returned home, no one seemed particularly concerned that he had been gone. He always came back with some newly acquired skills and a few coins in his pocket. After a while, he would head out on a new adventure. 

Alexei certainly wasn't much older than twelve when he joined up with a troupe of entertainers traversing the Russian Empire. He traveled far and wide, caring for the horses as well as training dancing bears. 

Alexei was on the road for several years and by the time he returned to the region of his birth he was nearly an adult. On this occasion, however, he soon learned that his circumstances had been greatly altered. 

A few months earlier Alexei’s mother had become quite ill and had passed away. Alexei's father, Georgi, arranged for her burial and mourned her to the best of his ability, before returning to his routine of working alone in the forest as he had become accustomed to. Georgi was cutting trees alone in the woods when his axe slipped and he injured himself. Georgi dragged his broken body back to the trail where he bled out.

So Alexei learned of the passing of his parents from the villagers upon his return to the region of his birth. The peasants urged him to speak with the village priest who had overseen Georgi's last rites and Alexei's inheritance while he had been gone. 

Alexei went to the church where he found Father Kiril. It was early in the day so the priest was still relatively sober and his vision was still fairly clear. After blinking a few times, he recognized Alexei and managed to remember who he was. Alexei approached Father Kiril, removed his cap, and kissed the priest’s hand. 

Father Kiril invited young Alexei into his office. Father Kiril sat in a plush chair behind a large desk. Alexei sat on a stool on the opposite side of the desk. Father Kiril filled two glasses with vodka, one glass for himself and one for Alexei. Father Kiril placed a large accounting book on the desk and began to speak of the material matters concerning Georgi's estate. 

The priest patiently explained to the boy what resources his father had, how the priest had managed these resources while Alexei was absent, and what was presently due to be transferred to Alexei as his inheritance. It all was a blur for Alexei, and not only because of the vodka. Much of the information was difficult for Alexei to follow because he was illiterate and only had a rudimentary understanding of the simplest of math. 

Alexei came into possession of his family's cottage, a pair of horses, a carriage, several goats, a small flock of chickens, a few ducks, and a small bag of coins. The priest explained to Alexei that it was customary for someone in his position to tithe to the Holy Church. As Alexei was uncertain about the math involved, Father Kiril gracefully offered to help him figure a proper percentage of the coins that would remain with the priest. Then, Father Kiril offered the young man his blessings and walked him to the door. 

So it was that Alexei was committed to the maintenance of a home and the care of the fowl and livestock that came with it. This was a big change for a youth who had traveled the Russian Empire with a circus and dancing bears. 

Alexei wasn't sure what to make of all this domesticity but it certainly, for the moment seemed to be his fate. He fiddled about in and around the family cottage, contemplating his situation. When my Great, Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother Mruczek came meowing at the door of Alexei’s cottage, she certainly could see that the young man needed her assistance. She also smelled chicken roasting, which is always an incentive for a cat to develop a relationship with those of the humankind. 

The following day, while Alexei was busying himself outside of the cottage, a foreign looking, oddly dressed man with a long and bushy beard, carrying a peddler’s sack - in short, a Yid - arrived tsufus, on foot. Alexei offered the traveler a cup of water, which the Yid accepted. The traveler held the cup in his hands and muttered a bracha in what surely sounded cryptic to Alexei, a prayer to the Most High.

This Yid, of course, was the Baal Shem Tov. After he quenched his thirst, he placed a hand on Alexei’s shoulder and proceeded to utter a blessing for the youth. Alexei shuddered. He remembered seeing this odd Yid before. Alexei remembered seeing this traveler talking to his boss while he was shoveling manure. That night, his boss gave him a new blanket and a loaf of bread. Alexei remembered seeing the traveler on the ferry and that he pressed a gold coin into Alexei’s palm as he exited the boat. He remembered seeing him at one of the circus sets in a small, out-of-the-way village where the bear that Alexei was handling performed with particular grace. When the Baal Shem Tov removed his hand from Alexei’s shoulder, the lad fainted. 

When Alexei came to, he was sitting on a chair inside the cottage. The Baal Shem Tov was attending to the lad. A damp cloth was being applied to his forehead. Mruczek was sitting on the floor beside Alexei, watching over him with concern. 

When the Baal Shem Tov felt assured that Alexei would be alright, he spoke to the young man. “I blessed your father Georgi for the service that he provided when he was just a boy. He was prosperous because of the blessing. I have kept an eye on you, over the years, to assure that you were safe and prosperous yourself. Now that you are becoming a man, it is time that you and I enter into a contract.”

The Baal Shem Tov gave Alexei a small pouch of coins of various denominations. He told Alexei that the money should be considered a deposit. 

“This,” continued the BeShT, “is what I expect of you. You will keep your horses healthy and your wagon will be well maintained. You will need to be ready at a moment's notice to travel, any time I come here or send for you, day or night. Wherever I tell you to go and whatever I ask you to do, you will do without questioning. For this, you will be compensated well, in this world and also in the World to Come.”

“In the meantime, young man, until I need you, you must dedicate your time to learning how to read and write. I will be sending you a tutor. He will be here in a couple of days. If you were literate you wouldn't have let that drunk priest steal half of your inheritance!”

“I will be going now,” concluded the Baal Shem Tov, and he headed to the door. Then, he paused and began reaching about among the many pockets of his bulky clothes until he retrieved what he was looking for. He bent over and gave Mruczek a schtickle of herring. Again, the BeShT spoke to Alexei. “And, take good care of this ketsl and she will take care of you.”

With that, the Baal Shem Tov was on his way. Alexei was under contract to be at the BeShT's beck and call. Mruczek, my Great Great (multiplied by a large number) Grandmother was assured a secure forever home. 

And here I must break off the telling of this tale, for now. I am due for a very long cat nap. Tomorrow is another day. 

A Cat and the Baal Shem Tov 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-baal-shem-tov-and-cat.html

How Mruczek - The One Who Purrs - Came to Live with Alexei  

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/how-mruczek-one-who-purrs-came-to-live.html

Alexei's Inheritance, Mruczek the Cat and the Mysterious Traveler 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-inheritance-mruczek-cat-and.html

Alexei and Mruczek Learn to Read

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexei-and-mruczek-learn-to-read.html

Alexei's Doubts & The Great First Leap of Faith 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/alexeis-doubts-great-first-leap-of-faith.html?m=1

Herring for Breakfast in Moskve 

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/03/herring-for-breakfast-in-moskve.html

From Moskve to Liozna

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2026/04/from-moskve-to-liozna.html