Chayei Moharan
חיי מוהר"ן
Sefaria Community Translation
https://www.sefaria.org
Chayei Moharan
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Torah "Be'Chatzotzrot" (Likutei Moharan 5) was said here in Breslov on Rosh Hashanah 5563 (Monday September 27, 1802). And Rosh Hashanah that year fell on Monday and Tuesday. This was his first Rosh Hashanah living here and [the first] where I was near him. Then it was heard in the world of decrees, that it was desired to be decreed upon the world, wherein we had entered through our great sins, to bring Yisroel to war then, G-d save us. For these were the decrees that, in those days, stemmed from the kingdom of Poland, before the czar of Russia ruled our lands (may his glory be put out). And afterwards, in the beginning of his possession of our lands, this matter quieted down a little; but later it returned and awoken and it was heard in the world they wished to make many decrees that were called "Punktrin". And then Rabbeinu z"l said the Torah "Be'Chatzotzrot". And it began (by saying) that each person must say that 'the entire world was only created for me', etc, and to provide that which is missing in the world, and to pray on its behalf to Hashem Yisbarach, etc., that is, before the decree of judgment, etc. See there, and this is a hint to the decrees, as seen above.
(And see in the Sefer Parparaot the wisdom written there: "And I heard from my father of blessed memory that Rabbeinu z"l hinted to this and it was already after the decree of judgment. But even so, Rabbeinu z"l toiled in this many times during the year, to sweeten the judgment, until, through the achievement of his prayer, the matter was delayed, and the decree did come forth until 16 years after he was hidden from us (i.e., he passed away). There is much about this to relate, and it will be explained in another place". See below, #6. The elders of our group told us that they once heard from Rabbeinu z"l, that he said, in this language: "אִיךְ הָאבּ דָאס אָפּ גִישְׁטוּפְּט אוֹיף עֶטְלִיכֶע אוּן צְוַואנְצִיג יָאהר - I delayed this for twenty-some years". And this was very exact, for from the time of the saying of this Torah mentioned above until the time the decree went out to the community at the end of the year 5587 was 25 years).
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
[Pertaining to] Likutei Moharan Siman 16, “Reb Yochanan Mishto’ei”. He said this Torah on Shabbos morning in the middle of the summer of 5563 (1803 C.E.). On that occasion, a whole group of people came to him out of the blue for that Shabbos, as it was not one of the fixed times for the kibbutz at all (as has been explained elsewhere that the main times for gathering and for the kibbutz were fixed according to his decision at six times a year). At first, he was a little bit annoyed and said that we were making for ourselves Shabbosim; that is, he himself had made and fixed the Shabbosim when we would be with him, and now we had made for ourselves a Shabbos for a Kibbutz. Afterwards he said, “I had wanted to do something about the decrees called ‘Punktin’ ['cantonists'] that are being heard in the World which they desire to decree against Yisroel, chas v’sholom.” That is, he wanted to try hard to sweeten them and to eradicate them. "But when I am by myself, what am I? For I myself am a simple person. Therefore, everyone came together suddenly in order that I can do what I must do about this.” He then said the Torah printed in Siman #160 that concerning Elisha it is written once just Elisha, and once it says ‘Ish Elokim’, ‘The man of G‑d’. It is brought (Zohar Shemos 44a) that when he was alone he was called simply Elisha; but when the bnei haneviyim were with him, he was called Ish Elokim.
He said then Torah twice. On Shabbos eve, he said the Torah “Emtzo’usa d’alma heicha” [“Where is the centre of the World?”] (Likutei Moharan Section 1 Torah 24), which discusses the nine Chambers that do not bond and are unknown and no one can attain them etc. In the morning, at the daytime meal, he said the above-mentioned Torah, namely “Reb Yochanan Mishto’ei”, etc. The Rebbe’s eyes were like two [bright] moons. He said then that there are seventy nations, and they are contained within Esav and Yishmoel. One of them includes thirty‑five nations, and the other one includes thirty-five nations. In the future, two Moshiachs will conquer them – Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid. In addition, there exists a Tzaddik who encompasses both Moshiachs together. He also said many other things then, more than what has been printed. The table got broken from the large crowd who were pressing themselves on him. He got annoyed and said, “Are goyim sitting next to me at the table? Is it already the days of Moshiach when the goyim will come close to the Tsaddikim, as it is written, ‘And all the nations shall stream unto him’ (Isa. 2)?” This verse is relevant to the above Torah, “Reb Yochanan Mishto’ei”; see there. For this was his way, since all his speech was connected to the Torah he was busy with at the time, as is explained elsewhere.
Throughout that year, he was extremely busy in the matter of the ‘Punktin’. He was very troubled by them and said that they are not an empty thing. He had no patience for those who said that for sure the ‘Punktin’ would not actually happen, for how is it possible that Hashem yisborach could do such a thing to Klal Yisroel, chas v’sholom? However, the Rebbe, zichrono livrocho, said many times that this is nonsense. For surely we find that there have already been many harsh decrees against Yisroel, may the Compassionate One protect us from now onwards. He also spoke about this a lot, how we have to be greatly afraid of these gezeiros that are being heard, chas v’sholom. We should not consider them something insignificant, but rather we must very greatly beseech, pray, cry out and request compassion before Hashem yisborach; perhaps He will harken to our prayers and we will merit to annul them. For sure, prayer and supplication always help. See the Sicha relevant to the Torah “Lashemesh som oihel bohem” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah #49) where it is further explained how very much he toiled in those times concerning the ‘Punktin’ that were then being heard. These are the very same decrees that have been promulgated in our days, due to our many sins, sixteen years after his passing. In the merit of his prayer they were delayed until now. If only people would have obeyed him and shocked the earth and its fullness beforehand, involving themselves greatly in Prayers and Supplications to Hashem Yisborach as he had desired, for sure they would have been annulled completely.
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Pertaining to the essay "Patach Rabbi Shimon" (Likutei Moharan #60): After Rabbeinu of blessed memory said this speech he said plainly, "Today I have said three things contrary to what the world says:
1) The world says that telling stories induces sleep; but I said that by story tales we awaken people from their sleep.
2) The world says that from talking words no one conceives [a child]; but I said that by the Tzadik’s telling of words, through which he arouses people from their sleep, conception comes to barren women.
3) The world says that the true Tzadik of towering stature does not need much money, because why should he need money? But I said that there is such a contemplative understanding [of the Torah] for which one needs all the fortune of the world."
[Copyist's note:] I heard from one prominent follower of Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, that he heard from his holy mouth regarding his will being that they print the Story Tales also in the Yiddish language that we speak; and he said at that time that it can easily happen that a woman who is barren would read some story from them and thereby conceive for goodly offspring and be privileged to have children; this is the extent of what I heard. [And there is support for this from what is explained in that aforementioned essay, that via these story tales a barren woman becomes impregnated.]
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Before revealing the matter printed in LM II #68 regarding the tzaddik, that he needs to leave children and students, which pertains to the Torah “Ki merachamam yenahagem” [LM II] #7, he said that there have been many great figures who each accomplished and repaired what they repaired and then it stopped. And his meaning was regarding the illumination with which they lit up the minds of their students, drawing many men to Hashem Yitbarakh, but afterwards their illumination stopped. But we need to do something that will never stop; that these men will make other men, and they will make more men, and thus for ever.
And something similar I had already heard: that it is obligatory that our followers illuminate their friends and students. And each one is obligated to perform some action and illuminate his friend, and his friend his friend. For, the tree has branches, and out of these branches emerge more branches, and so on, etc. And his statement is already recorded elsewhere [LM #229], where he said, “My fire will burn forever without going out.” And he said it in Yiddish in these words, "Mayn fayeril vet shoyn tluen biz Mashiakh vet kumen/ My fire will burn intermittently all the way until Messiah comes!"
And the beginning of that conversation, regarding a son and pupil, began by him entering from his room [of his beit midrash] to the other room, toward his larger house, and he stood by the doorway from where he came out of his room, and found us standing before him, namely I, my friend, and his son in law R' Yoske a”h. And he began to speak with his son in law and said to him, “I heard that you learned today,” and he began to chide him lovingly that he should hold fast to his studies, and he said, “Isn't it good and beautiful to learn first and then afterwards go to the market to trade” etc.
And later he spoke up and said, “Don't I also learn as well? And my learning is a novelty! And he began to speak gloriously of himself, declaring, “I can learn; I can show the biggest lamdan of all of them that he still can't learn at all and doesn't know at all. And conversely, I can show the little ones that they are close to Hashem Yitbarakh and the Torah etc.” And he entered from this conversation to that one, and revealed the whole matter stated there, regarding a son and student, that those who reside above ask specifically, "Ayeh mekom kevodo/Where is the place of his glory?" and conversely those who reside below say, ""Melo khol-ha'aretz kevodo/The whole world is full of His glory;" see there and understand thoroughly. Fortunate is the time and the second when we were privileged to hear this from his holy mouth himself. If we had not come into the world except to hear this, dayenu/it would be enough. And thus regarding each and every utterance that I heard from his holy mouth. “With what shall I come before Hashem, after all he has bestowed on us? What shall I return to Hashem for all his benefits to me?”
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
The tale of the Burgher [#10], he told after they first talked in his presence regarding a document written with golden letters [and such a document is mentioned in the tale], and this was after Purim 569; before Purim he told the story of the Clever Man and the Simple Man [#9].
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Pertaining to the Alef-Beit [aka Sefer haMidot], regarding medicine, [something] which is recorded elsewhere: He said he had [a section] in the Alef-Beit, letter Reish, on refuah/medicine, where all the remedies were written, and there was no illness in the world that did not have a remedy written there. However, he did not want to publish it, and he burned it.
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132
Chapter 133
Chapter 134
Chapter 135
Chapter 136
Chapter 137
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141
Chapter 142
Chapter 143
Chapter 144
Chapter 145
Chapter 146
Chapter 147
Chapter 148
Chapter 149
Chapter 150
Chapter 151
Chapter 152
Chapter 153
Chapter 154
Chapter 155
Chapter 156
Chapter 157
Chapter 158
Chapter 159
Chapter 160
Chapter 161
Chapter 162
Chapter 163
Chapter 164
Chapter 165
Chapter 166
Chapter 167
Chapter 168
Chapter 169
Chapter 170
Chapter 171
Chapter 172
Chapter 173
Chapter 174
Chapter 175
Chapter 176
Chapter 177
Chapter 178
Chapter 179
Chapter 180
Chapter 181
Chapter 182
Chapter 183
Chapter 184
Chapter 185
Chapter 186
Chapter 187
Chapter 188
Chapter 189
Chapter 190
Chapter 191
Chapter 192
Chapter 193
Chapter 194
Chapter 195
Chapter 196
Chapter 197
Chapter 198
Chapter 199
Chapter 200
Chapter 201
Chapter 202
Chapter 203
Chapter 204
Chapter 205
Chapter 206
Chapter 207
Chapter 208
Chapter 209
Chapter 210
Chapter 211
Chapter 212
Chapter 213
Chapter 214
Chapter 215
Chapter 216
Chapter 217
Chapter 218
Chapter 219
Chapter 220
Chapter 221
Chapter 222
Chapter 223
Chapter 224
Chapter 225
Chapter 226
Chapter 227
Chapter 228
Chapter 229
Chapter 230
Chapter 231
Chapter 232
Chapter 233
Chapter 234
Chapter 235
Chapter 236
Chapter 237
Chapter 238
Chapter 239
Chapter 240
Chapter 241
Chapter 242
Chapter 243
Chapter 244
Chapter 245
Chapter 246
Chapter 247
Chapter 248
Chapter 249
Chapter 250
Chapter 251
Chapter 252
Chapter 253
Chapter 254
Chapter 255
Chapter 256
Chapter 257
Chapter 258
Chapter 259
Chapter 260
Chapter 261
Chapter 262
Chapter 263
Chapter 264
Chapter 265
Chapter 266
Chapter 267
Chapter 268
Chapter 269
Chapter 270
Chapter 271
Chapter 272
Chapter 273
Chapter 274
Chapter 275
Chapter 276
Chapter 277
Chapter 278
Chapter 279
Chapter 280
Chapter 281
Chapter 282
Chapter 283
Chapter 284
Chapter 285
Chapter 286
Chapter 287
Chapter 288
Chapter 289
Chapter 290
Chapter 291
Chapter 292
Chapter 293
Chapter 294
Chapter 295
Chapter 296
Chapter 297
Chapter 298
Chapter 299
Chapter 300
Chapter 301
Chapter 302
Chapter 303
Chapter 304
Chapter 305
Chapter 306
Chapter 307
Chapter 308
Chapter 309
Chapter 310
Chapter 311
Chapter 312
Chapter 313
Chapter 314
Chapter 315
Chapter 316
Chapter 317
Chapter 318
Chapter 319
Chapter 320
Chapter 321
Chapter 322
Chapter 323
Chapter 324
Chapter 325
Chapter 326
Chapter 327
Chapter 328
Chapter 329
Chapter 330
Chapter 331
Chapter 332
Chapter 333
Chapter 334
Chapter 335
Chapter 336
Chapter 337
Chapter 338
Chapter 339
Chapter 340
Chapter 341
Chapter 342
Chapter 343
Chapter 344
Chapter 345
Chapter 346
Chapter 347
Chapter 348
Chapter 349
Chapter 350
Chapter 351
Chapter 352
Chapter 353
Chapter 354
Chapter 355
Chapter 356
Chapter 357
Chapter 358
Chapter 359
Chapter 360
Chapter 361
Chapter 362
Chapter 363
Chapter 364
Chapter 365
Chapter 366
Chapter 367
Chapter 368
Chapter 369
Chapter 370
Chapter 371
Chapter 372
Chapter 373
Chapter 374
Chapter 375
Chapter 376
Chapter 377
Chapter 378
Chapter 379
Chapter 380
Chapter 381
Chapter 382
Chapter 383
Chapter 384
Chapter 385
Chapter 386
Chapter 387
Chapter 388
Chapter 389
Chapter 390
Chapter 391
Chapter 392
Chapter 393
Chapter 394
Chapter 395
Chapter 396
Chapter 397
Chapter 398
Chapter 399
Chapter 400
Chapter 401
Chapter 402
Chapter 403
He said, "My Rosh Hashanah is above everything. And what has been a wonder to me is that if my followers believe me then why are not all of my followers heedful that they should all be [present] on Rosh Hashanah; no man should be missing! For, my whole thing is Rosh Hashanah." And he ordered to make an announcement that whoever turns to his sound and follows him should be at Rosh Hashanah by him, no man missing. And whoever is privileged to be at Rosh Hashanah is entitled to be very, very happy; "Ikhlu [ma`adanim] ushthu mamthakim... ki chedhvath Hashem hi ma`uzekhem/Eat [delicacies] and drink the sweet... for the joy of Hashem is your strength" [Neh. 8:10] — this refers to Rosh Hashanah.
Chapter 404
Chapter 405
Chapter 406
Chapter 407
From philosophical books etc. he told us many times and absolutely forbade us to even look at them at all. He elaborated on the severity of this prohibition because these books confuse one's religious views with alien views that do not agree at all with the views of our Holy Torah. [The authors of these philosophical books] also do not believe in demons whereas all the words of the Talmudic Sages say the opposite. Specifically, now that we've merited the [revelation of] the Zohar, the books of the Arizal and the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory and similar works which are all established on Ruach Hakodesh and inspire a person very much in worship of God one who wishes to have pity on himself will distance himself greatly from the philosophy books that some of the authorities of old wrote such as certain commentaries printed in the Mikraot Gedolot which investigate things philosophically and similar things which need not be specified. He said also that one shouldn't study the book Akedat Yitzchak. He said this despite the fact that the book is [philosophically] kosher on the grounds that he brings the words and questions of the philosophers. So too the [first chapter of]Chovot Halevavot [entitled] The Gate of Unity, The Book of Principles [Sefer Haikarim] and Maimonides's Treatise on Logic and Guide for the Perplexed. All other similar works are all absolutely forbidden to learn because they damage and confuse the holy faith. Praiseworthy is he who knows nothing of them and walks in simple uprightness for [philosophical speculation] is not the portion of Jacob etc. and he said that according to their small words the Holy one-blessed be he cannot change the creation even a little even a fly etc. All this is confusion engendered by the views of their wisdom [i.e by the views of the philosophers.] He said furthermore that it is written furthermore in their books, "Can God make a triangle a square?" Our Rebbe of blessed memory said, "I believe that God, blessed be he, can indeed make a triangle a square because the ways of God are hidden." He already explained this many times yet failed it necessary to emphasize and reteach this warning so many times due to the severity of the prohibition of this stumbling block relating to our holy faith. Our Rebbe would repeat this warning endlessly. Everytime he spoke from these books he emphasized repeatedly the absolute prohibition to learn these books of philosophy. He cautioned us to distance ourselves very much from them and not to even look into them at all. It needn't even be said that one must definitely distance oneself from the compositions of our latter-day philosophers if one wishes to save his soul from the well of destruction so his entire world isn't absolutely destroyed, God forbid. Our Rebbe, of blessed memory, was wont to praise God for sending us the faithful one of his house, our master Moses of blessed memory, who took us out of confusion and gave us the Torah and commanded us to believe in God without any philosophical inquiry and to fulfill all the words of the Torah and their commandments in their simple sense. Praiseworthy is he who walks in simplicity etc. (Furthermore, Maimonides in his law code brings some philosophical queries like in Laws of the Foundations of the Torah and Laws of Human Dispositions and in the beginning of Laws of Idolatry one should also flee from them and not look at them at all. One must also flee from any place where he spoke about philosophy.)
Chapter 408
Chapter 409
Chapter 410
Chapter 411
Chapter 412
Chapter 413
Chapter 414
Chapter 415
Chapter 416
Chapter 417
Chapter 418
Chapter 419
Chapter 420
Chapter 421
Chapter 422
Chapter 423
Chapter 424
Chapter 425
Chapter 426
Chapter 427
Chapter 428
Chapter 429
Chapter 430
Chapter 431
Chapter 432
Chapter 433
Chapter 434
Chapter 435
Chapter 436
Chapter 437
Chapter 438
Chapter 439
Chapter 440
Chapter 441
Chapter 442
Chapter 443
Chapter 444
Chapter 445
Chapter 446
Chapter 447
Chapter 448
Chapter 449
Chapter 450
Chapter 451
Chapter 452
Chapter 453
Chapter 454
Chapter 455
Chapter 456
Chapter 457
Chapter 458
Chapter 459
Chapter 460
Chapter 461
Chapter 462
Chapter 463
Chapter 464
Chapter 465
Chapter 466
Chapter 467
Chapter 468
Chapter 469
Chapter 470
Chapter 471
Chapter 472
Chapter 473
Chapter 474
Chapter 475
Chapter 476
Chapter 477
Chapter 478
Chapter 479
Chapter 480
Chapter 481
Chapter 482
Chapter 483
Chapter 484
Chapter 485
Chapter 486
Chapter 487
Chapter 488
Chapter 489
Chapter 490
Chapter 491
Chapter 492
Chapter 493
Chapter 494
Chapter 495
Chapter 496
Chapter 497
Chapter 498
Chapter 499
Chapter 500
Chapter 501
Chapter 502
Chapter 503
Chapter 504
Chapter 505
Chapter 506
Chapter 507
Chapter 508
Chapter 509
Chapter 510
Chapter 511
Chapter 512
Chapter 513
Chapter 514
Chapter 515
Chapter 516
Chapter 517
Chapter 518
Chapter 519
Chapter 520
Chapter 521
Chapter 522
Chapter 523
Chapter 524
Chapter 525
Chapter 526
Chapter 527
Chapter 528
Chapter 529
Chapter 530
Chapter 531
Chapter 532
Chapter 533
Chapter 534
Chapter 535
Chapter 536
Chapter 537
Chapter 538
Chapter 539
Chapter 540
Chapter 541
Chapter 542
Chapter 543
When he spoke about trying to bring people closer to God he made light of those who only try to work with simple people—the poor and needy, the ignorant and so on. The main effort should go into working with people of influence. Such people are very hard to bring closer, and if one succeeds with them it is a great merit for him. To bring these great souls closer to God is a major achievement. The simple, ordinary people will then automatically follow, for they are inevitably influenced by those on a higher level than themselves who have found their way to the truth, to God.
I asked him who is considered on a higher level. He answered impatiently, as if I had asked something very obvious, “Whoever is more learned is more important; whoever is wealthier is more important; whoever has a better lineage is more important.” The implication was that anyone who is distinguished whether by his own wealth, his learning or lineage surely has a greater, higher soul, and likewise a stronger yetzer hara. He also has a larger number of souls under him. This is why the main effort should go into working with the leaders of the younger generation in a given place—the children of the wealthy and those with a high caliber in learning. Then the simple people will automatically come closer to God.
The Rebbe himself would not try to work with old people, only with the young; see the Aleph-Bet Book, Teshuvah B4: “It is easier to get the young to return to God than the old.” One old man told me that once when he was with the Rebbe for Shavuot in Zaslov, he said to him, “Rebbe, bring me closer to you.” The Rebbe answered him, “I cannot bring old people closer.” Then the Rebbe smiled and said, “Tell me, is it really true that I can’t? Of course I can bring old people closer as well!” Even so this old man was never as strongly attached to the Rebbe as the young people (see Likutey Moharan I, 206 on the difference between those of tender years and the old). We have seen and heard about several cases showing the difficulties of bringing old people closer.
Chapter 544
The Rebbe said: When a person is close to a true tzaddik for many years, and attends to his needs and listens to what he says, he may hear all kinds of remarks and conversations and stories that seem to him to have no relevance to him nor anything to offer him in the way of spiritual guidance. With the passage of time, however, he may eventually come to realize how to derive the most valuable spiritual guidance from all the different things he heard long before. He will then see how every word he heard even many years earlier has the greater relevance to him, and he will be able to derive inspiration from every single one. He will finally understand and say, “So this is what my teacher was hinting to me then.” With each new situation he finds himself in, it will dawn on him how everything he heard long ago contained all kinds of wonderful hints and guidance if he just thinks carefully about everything he heard.
The Rebbe illustrated his point with a story about a certain well-known tzaddik whose household included someone who was very simple—what they call a prostik. This man attended the tzaddik constantly and heard a great deal from him, but he understood nothing and did not see any relevance in what he heard. Nevertheless, he had great faith in the tzaddik and his holy words even without understanding their true meaning. He would just stand there and attend to the tzaddik’s needs with complete sincerity.
After many years the tzaddik died. The man then started remembering all kinds of things he had heard. In every situation he found himself remembering something the tzaddik had said, and would say to himself, “So this was what the tzaddik meant—what he said on such and such an occasion was a hint.” With each new development he understood in retrospect what the tzaddik had meant and what he had been hinting at all those years before. Now he understood! This man became deeply pious and God-fearing, and he was accorded great respect in the town of the tzaddik. He became the leader of all the sincerely religious people there and they all followed him.
Chapter 545
Once, I had been complaining to him about my problems and I said to him bitterly, "I am worn out from my crying, my throat is hoarse, my eyes are spent from hoping for my G-d" (Ps. 69:4). And he raised his hand and said gently, "If so, what is there to do?" (In other words, it is forbidden to question the ways of G-d, and G-d is surely righteous). Afterwards he answered and said to me, "If Kind David a"h said "I am worn out from my crying, my throat is hoarse", surely he meant it literally: he had already cried out so much that he was physically exhausted and his throat was literally hoarse. But you, thank G-d, still have your strength.
Chapter 546
On the subject of wars between nations and needless bloodshed, the Rebbe said, “Many of the misguided follies which people in previous eras believed in, such as primitive cults like child-sacrifice to Molekh (Leviticus 20:2) and so on, have now disappeared. But so far, the pursuit of war—misguided error that it is—has not been abolished.” The Rebbe had contempt for the scientists who developed new weapons, saying, “What great sages they must be to figure out how to make a wonderful weapon that can kill thousands of people at once! Is there anything more foolish than to kill so many people for nothing!”
Chapter 547
When fires broke out here in Breslov once on a Shabbat and once on Yom Kippur, the Rebbe wanted us to follow the most lenient rulings as regards rescuing property and not to adopt the more stringent views at all. (Needless to say, the leniencies had to be halakhically acceptable: what he wanted us to avoid were unnecessary stringencies.) After Yom Kippur he raised this subject again and said that there were many halakhic responsa which gave very lenient rulings in this regard, and he said it was not right to adopt the more stringent views. He said, “I have long known that there are some people who will abandon much of their devotions, indeed almost everything, because of one stringency. How much effort people put into acquiring wealth and possessions! They neglect their Torah study, their prayers and devotions and go out traveling for days on end to make money! Should they abandon everything for the sake of one stringency and then have to go out a second time and neglect their devotions all over again in order to make up the loss?”
The Rebbe said that when he himself took money with him on a journey he was most particular to put it safely away in his inside breast pocket directly over his heart. He would check to make sure that there were not any tears or holes in the pocket. Even after all these precautions he would keep on feeling his pocket throughout the journey to see that the money was still there. There were a number of occasions when some of the Rebbe’s followers lost sums of money while traveling and they came to him to complain. But the Rebbe took them to task for this and told them off for not being careful enough and not looking after their money properly.
Chapter 548
Once when I was alone with the Rebbe he said to me, “Elijah’s heart welled up inside him and he called God, ‘Cause of all causes and Means of all means.’” The Rebbe added in Yiddish, “He is der veigenish, the Path”—but I do not know exactly what he meant.
Chapter 549
I was told that on one occasion the Rebbe spoke a great deal about the verse, “Buy the truth but do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). He asked: If the verse says not to sell the truth, then from whom should one buy it? Is it logical that the verse should say first, “Buy the truth” and then say, “but do not sell it”? If the verse says that no one should sell the truth, then whom should one buy it from? He spoke about this at length, but I did not hear what he said.
Chapter 550
Someone told me that the Rebbe said, “When one repeats a lie twice it becomes the truth”—that is, it becomes like the truth for the person who repeats it, by virtue of his having repeated it twice.
He also said, “Sometimes a person lies in bed, making up untruths about his friend. He imagines his friend spoke against him or deliberately wronged him in some way.
“He starts to get agitated and angry with his friend. Before long he is burning with anger against him—all for no reason, because he himself imagined it all. In actual fact his friend is quite innocent.”
Chapter 551
Once he spoke about why at times the true tzaddikim are unable to accomplish what they want with their prayers, for, “There are times when He listens and times when He does not listen” (Zohar II, 105b).
Chapter 552
People often get depressed, especially when praying, because of various doubts and worries that come into their minds about something they think they did wrong or because of their sins. In this connection the Rebbe told me a story about the Baal Shem Tov. Once the Baal Shem Tov stood up to pray, but he found it impossible to pray because he was disturbed by his thoughts. He was worrying about the fact that he used to light his pipe with a candle made of forbidden fat—which apparently meant that he was guilty of transgressing the prohibition of forbidden fat. Because of this he could not pray. The more he wanted to pray and to push this thought out of his mind, the more impossible he found it. Each time he kept on worrying that he had transgressed the prohibition of forbidden fat. It was impossible for him to even begin to pray. What did the Baal Shem Tov do? He jumped up and made an oath that he would always light his pipe with a candle made of forbidden fat. And so he did—for it is a well-known fact that the Baal Shem Tov used to light his pipe with a candle made of forbidden fat.
Chapter 553
Once I spoke to the Rebbe about the Chassid from Amsterdam, a well-known figure in Brody, who had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I saw him in Kremenetz after his return from Israel, and I told the Rebbe I heard him say that he had already slain his yetzer hara. “What need is there to talk about his slaying the yetzer hara,” the Rebbe retorted, “seeing as he fasted as much as he did?” The Chassid from Amsterdam fasted a great deal. I heard from my father-in-law that he fasted from Shabbat to Shabbat a hundred and six times in succession.
Editor’s note: The implication of this is that the Rebbe wanted to instill in his followers perfect faith in our sages. He wanted them to have such perfect faith that they would never have any doubts about them at all. They would know and believe that all the words of the sages are “true, righteous and faithful.”
I heard that once they discussed with the Rebbe how Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the Rav of Berdichov, did not want to go to the mikvah on the morning of Shavuot until he was shown the Chariot that Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 1). This surprised people greatly. “And why should this be so amazing in your eyes?” the Rebbe retorted. “Was not Ezekiel also a human being?” There were other occasions when the Rebbe used extravagant terms in praise of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. I heard the Rebbe say of him that were it not for the fact that he lived in Berdichov his devotions would have taken him to the level of the Maggid of Mezeritch—and according to another version, to that of the Baal Shem Tov. I also heard from one of the Rebbe’s closest followers that the Rebbe said to him shortly after Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s death that he was unique in his generation.
Once they were telling the Rebbe about a certain tzaddik who had said of the Maggid of Mezeritch that with his every glance he saw all Seven Shepherds. The Rebbe said, “About the Maggid one can believe everything.” This is not the place to go into the other things the Rebbe said in praise of the Maggid—many of which were in any case forgotten.
Chapter 554
Chapter 555
Chapter 556
Chapter 557
It was said of the Baal Shem Tov that he learned all the names for all the remedies in each of the seventy languages from the Biblical section enumerating the twenty-four impure birds (Leviticus 11:13-21). I seem to remember that the Rebbe also said this of the Baal Shem Tov.
Chapter 558
I heard once from the Rebbe’s holy mouth about mar’in, nightmares, may God save us. He said, “The kelipot of the wasted seed of a person go to her [Lilith] and this causes the mar’in.” We once heard him say that the greatest of all religious devotions is still easier than the efforts involved in making a living and acquiring worldly possessions. We see for ourselves how much effort a merchant puts into traveling to a fair or a market in time for market-day. As soon as Shabbat ends he has to start getting busy. First he must find a wagon. Then he has to expend a lot of energy hurriedly loading his wares onto the wagon. After this he has to travel through the night, driving sleep from his eyes and breaking his whole body through having to sit on top of a loaded wagon. This is besides all the other rigors of travel. After this he has to stand on his feet for the whole day in the freezing cold… All this effort, discomfort and hardship for a maybe—maybe he will make a profit, or maybe he will lose everything, including his expenses, which is what usually happens. To make a living in this world people go to such lengths and suffer such hardship—and all for a maybe, the chance of a small profit. On the other hand, the greatest possible religious devotion is prayer. And yet, when we get up to pray, we pray and then we [succeed in] completing the prayer!
Chapter 559
I understood from a comment the Rebbe made that with each step a person takes in going from place to place he comes each time into different worlds.
Chapter 560
I heard from our master, our teacher and our Rabbi, may his memory be for a blessing, that each individual has “something in front of him” and “something behind him,” each one according to his level. [It is forbidden for a person to speculate what is beyond Creation and what is prior to Creation (Chagigah 11b). [Note: Rebbe Nachman is indicating that these limits vary with each individual.]
Chapter 561
I heard him say that each day has its own blessing.
Chapter 562
I heard from the Rebbe that the time for giving charity for the Land of Israel is in the month of Adar. The Rebbe said that the main reason people fall is because of pride. In actual fact, there is no such thing as a fall, because God is present in every place, for “the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). But when a person has pride, God then says, “I and he cannot both dwell in the world” (Erachin 15b). This shows that all falls come about because of pride. (Hilchos Shechitah, Halacha 3, Likutei Halachos)
Chapter 563
I heard from the Rebbe that in the days of Abraham the Shekhinah, Divine Presence, was called by the name of Sarah; in the days of Isaac by the name of Rebecca; and in the days of Jacob by the names of Rachel and Leah. (Likutei Halachos Basar v'Chalav, Halachah 2). And such is brought in the Holy Zohar (Breishit 112)
Chapter 564
Faith is the last in the chain of all the spiritual qualities. Yet it is precisely through faith that one attains all other levels, for faith is “the stone that the builders rejected,” which “became the cornerstone” (Psalms 118:22). Along the same lines, the Rebbe said after teaching the lesson "כִּי מְרַחֲמֵם יְנַהֲגֵם" in Likutey Moharan II, 7 that faith is the last level, yet through faith one can rise to all levels and attain Desire, which is higher than everything else. See there in the Sichos that follow Sippurei Maasiyot (Sichos HaR"an 32) (Likutei Halachos Nedarim, Halachah 4, Ot 16)
Chapter 565
There was one extraordinary occasion when the Rebbe spoke in awesome terms about the greatness of the Creator. He spoke in a way that is impossible to describe in writing. Then immediately afterwards he began to give encouragement, saying that even if a person experiences a tremendous fall, each one in his own way, he should still strengthen himself and never ever despair, because God’s greatness is exalted even beyond the Torah, and there is a place where everything can be corrected. For teshuvah, repentance, is beyond the Torah. “But how can we achieve this?” I asked. “It is possible to come to it,” he replied, so long as you never despair or give up crying out, praying and pleading. The only thing is to cry out, to pray, to plead…never ever tire of it. Eventually you will rise up from where you have fallen. The essence of teshuvah is to cry out to God.”
Chapter 566
“Perfect truth and faith are things which each individual understands according to his personal capacity”—so I heard from him directly.
Chapter 567
The Rebbe once said something that implied that the basic term for holy action is tzedakah, charity.
Chapter 568
The main source of hope stems from the concept of “above time” which the tzaddikim, who are the embodiment of the Mashiach, attain. This I understood from what he said shortly before his death, about how he was now going with his lesson on the verse, “I have this day given birth to you” (Psalms 2:7), which refers to this concept. To explain this in writing is quite impossible. From what he said, however, I understood that he was referring to the tremendous effort he was making to bring great numbers of people close to God. As yet he had not had the success he wanted: the opposition and the obstacles, physical and spiritual, were getting more and more powerful and widespread, both in general and in each individual case. Things had reached a point where the strength to resist was faltering. Many had stumbled and fallen as a result. This was the connection in which he said he revived himself with the concept of “I have this day given birth to you.” The idea is that God will help us to overcome everything, and in the end the truth will be revealed; we will all return to God in truth, and the former days will fall away. For all time will cease to be: everything will be merged in the concept of “above time,” and there all will be set right.
Chapter 569
I heard from the Rebbe that when one formulates original Torah ideas it is very beneficial to one’s [departed] father and mother. The Rebbe told me he had been speaking with someone who was complaining bitterly to him about how terrible his behavior was. This man wanted very much to draw closer to God and change his behavior for the better. But each time he tried, the temptations grew stronger and stronger. The days had turned into years and he had still not managed to extricate himself from his bad ways. But each time he would try even harder to control himself and he was always struggling to get closer to God. As the man complained how terribly he behaved, the Rebbe answered with great wisdom, saying in a tone of sincerity and simplicity, “Then I have no one to speak to, because everything is totally bad.” At this the man got excited and said to the Rebbe, “But I do try to fight back at times and get closer to what I should be as a Jew.” “Only the slightest bit,” answered the Rebbe. He then told the man to make it a practice to go with the teaching of Azamra! (Likutey Moharan I, 282). I understood the Rebbe to mean that this was precisely how he revived this man. He had already fallen so low in his own estimation that it was not possible to revive him with anything. It was only when the Rebbe told him that he was totally bad that he was startled and became excited. It was then that he started feeling a little of the holiness of the good points still inside him. Then the Rebbe told him to go with the lesson of Azamra!.