Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman
In 1922, Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser, a Breslover Hasid, claimed to have received a (note) addressed to him from Rebbe Nachman, although the latter had died in 1810. The seventh line of this is signed , which became Rabbi Odesser's personal meditation and song. Before he died, he taught this phrase to a group of devotees who formed the movement. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein may have been referring to the in his endorsement of Odesser's book distribution ambition, stating that he saw a "wondrous secret document which he possesses". History of the phrase. The phrase  was "revealed" and taught by Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser, a well known Breslov figure who was born in 1888 in Tiberias. Odesser was among the first Breslover Hasidim in Israel, having learned about the movement from Rabbi Yisroel Halpern when he was a young yeshiva student. When he was 33 years old, Odesser was overcome with weakness and hunger on the Fast of Tammuz. He decided to eat. But immediately after eating, he felt great sorrow at having succumbed to his own physical temptations. After five continuous days of prayer, a powerful thought came to him: "Go into your room !" He obeyed the inner voice, went to the bookcase, and randomly opened a book. In the book was a piece of paper that he would later call "The Letter from Heaven." The paper, written in Hebrew, with one line in Yiddish, is translated as follows: Odesser believed the letter to be a message of consolation, directly from Rebbe Nachman's spirit to himself here on earth. Since his name did not appear in the as the recipient, Odesser said that this was reason for every person to consider the addressed to himself or herself personally. Odesser adopted as his personal  meditation and song, and became so totally identified with it that he later said, "I am !" (This quote appears on Odesser's tombstone in Jerusalem.) Authenticity of the. Some Breslover Hasidim, especially prevalent among followers of competing charismatic leaders, do not use (some groups actually oppose it). Some deny its authenticity. The following are some of the diverse opinions: Although is based on the name of Rebbe Nachman, it was unknown in his day. However, he did say that repeating one word over and over was an effective form of meditation (). His own personal phrase was (Master of the Universe ) which he pronounced with the Yiddish intonation as: . Many Breslover Hasidim today still prefer this phrase, although it refers to God, not the Zaddik. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. In the early 1980s, Rabbi Odesser met with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who had seen the and wished to meet its owner. At the meeting, Rabbi Feinstein asked Rabbi Odesser for a blessing, and Rabbi Feinstein also called in his wife to get a blessing from Rabbi Odesser. Rabbi Feinstein gave Rabbi Odesser the following approbation: Those who doubt the authenticity of the downplay Rabbi Feinstein's approbation by saying that he was known  for his loving kindness and his desire to help people. They say that all Rabbi Feinstein wrote was that the was wondrous, but he didn't verify its authenticity. Pronunciation and meaning of the phrase. During his lifetime, Rebbe Nachman spoke of a "Song of Redemption" that would be revealed before the coming of the Jewish Messiah. This song would be in a "single, double, triple, quadruple" form. (). The phrase has such a structure (keeping in mind that Hebrew often omits the vowels) and is based on the Rebbe's name, "Nachman": The phrase is pronounced with a soft A  sound as in "ah" and a guttural KH sound as in German "ach." It is usually accented as follows: Speakers of Yiddish have also noted that can mean "now to," which would loosely translate the phrase as "Now to Nachman from Uman," that is, traveling to the Rebbe on pilgrimage to his gravesite or in one's heart. Popularity of the phrase today. Whatever the origins of this phrase, it is now very popular among a subgroup group of Breslover Hasidim who follow Rabbi Odesser, who are colloquially known as the "Na Nachs". The name has been incorporated into both  traditional and contemporary Jewish music, appeared on bumper stickers, billboards and public graffiti throughout Israel, and is used on jewellery and amulets. Among some groups of Sephardic Jewish youth in Israel, it has become a sort of rallying cry for returning to traditional Judaism, although not necessarily to mainstream Breslov. More recently, some people have begun to wear the words of the phrase crocheted on large, white yarmulkes with a little tassel on top. (These hats are a modification of a traditional white yarmulke that has been worn in Jerusalem for centuries. That style, in turn, apparently evolved from the  medieval Jewish hat with the ball on top — hence the tassel.) When Rabbi Odesser was still alive, some of his followers were already wearing large white yarmulkes, but without the phrase on them. Today, the make this crocheted yarmulke part of their uniform attire. yarmulkes in other colors are also appearing on the market and are a popular item for Purim. Although the Rebbe Nachman had many followers and is still considered as such by a large majority of religious in Israel, "Breslov Chassidism" has not a charismatic and inspired guide arise as a leader equal to him. Bibliography. The  following books were written on the and the meaning of its words: