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He extremely denigrated the books of the
naturalists and the philosophers[1], and he said that there isn't any complete abstraction there as there is in
any piece of (the commentary on the Talmud by the) Maharsha
or Maharam Shif and so forth[2] from our holy books, which have in them depth and extremely wondrous and pleasant intellect, but in these
books there is not found this intellect at all. Because they speak just in the
way of self-evident association until they come to
some postulate, but the intellect that there is in our holy Torah
lihavdil (to distinguish between the holy and what is not), it's not
there at all whatsoever.[3]
And he said: Fortunate is someone who
does not know at all from their books[4], (and) just goes with timeemus
(wholesomeness, sincerity) and he has fear
of punishment (yiras hu-oanesh). Because the main devotion in the
beginning[5] is just on account of fear of
punishment[6], and without fear of
punishment it is impossible to begin at all in the service of Hashem. And even
tzadikim need as well[7] fear (of punishment), because
those who serve (Hashem) from love are very, very few[8]. And the main thing is fear
of punishment, because the supernal fear (yiruh eelu-uh) - because He is
great/master and ruler etc., that is, yiras haroamimus (fear of
the exaltedness (of Hashem)), not every person merits to this fear[9], rather, the main devotion is
just through fear of punishment, by most people.
And someone who learns Heaven forbid from
the books of the naturalists and the philosophers, there is infused in his
heart doubt and heresies. Because every person is born with wickedness[10], because the nature of every
person has a tendency for wickedness, that is, for bad desires of this world,
may the Merciful One save us. Just on account of his fear
of punishment, he breaks his desire and enters in the
ways of Hashem. However, when he learns (in/with) those books of chakeeros
(theoretics and postulations of the naturalists) Heaven forbid, then he
discovers for himself doubts and heresies which help his wickedness that he has
in his nature. Therefore, we did not find at all that some person becomes a kosher
and God fearing man through the books of the naturalists, even though there are
found in their words some words about good character and so forth, even still
it is all emptiness, because their losses are greater then their benefits,
because they extremely confuse a person's mind. And see elsewhere about this,
of the great prohibition of studying these books may the Merciful One save us[11].
And he said: fortunate are we that Moshe
Rabbainu r.i.p. chose for us a very good portion, and gave us the Torah, and
opened it with (Genesis 1:1), "In the beginning [of] God creating the
heavens etc.," without any of their chakeeros (theoretics or
analysis) or postulations, he just commanded us to
believe in Hashem Yisburach with faith alone, and therefore it is forbidden for
us to enter in chakeeros (theoretics etc. of naturalism) whatsoever,
Heaven forbid. And even though in the holy Zohar[12] it denigrates fear of
punishment[13],
there are already answers in the books of ethics to explain this[14], because in truth the main
devotion of a Hashem is just through fear of punishment as explained above[15][16].
And he said that these contraptions and
inventions that the philosophers invented with their knowledge, like wondrous
weapons and other devices which are made tactically based on science, and
similarly the rest of the concepts of their inventions
which each and every one of their scholars invented, he said, that it is all
from above, because it was not possible for them to come up with it, just by
their intellect being flared up in that science, that there came to that
scholar inspiration from above. Because when the instance and the time came for
the revelation of that science or tactic in the world, on account of this they
were sent from above into their
intellect this contrivance so that it should be revealed in the world.
Because certainly the primeval scholars who preceded them also analysed this as
well, and why didn't they come up with this contrivance and invention? Just the
reality is that it is all from above, and when the time comes for this thing to
be revealed, then his intellect flares up, then that scholar comes up with that
contrivance, because it was sent to him from above from the place that reached
out to him. (Because certainly they do not receive by ways of holiness, just by
ways of the other side (realms of evil), and this is obvious/basic).[17]
And also lihavdil (to distinguish
between the holy and what is not) those that say interpretations and novelties
on the Talmud, the commentary of Rashi,
and Tosfos, if it would not have been sent to them from above, from the
heavens, it would be completely impossible for them to come up with the
novelty. Just in reality everything is from above. (And everyone receives from
the place that they receive, and see elsewhere about this[18]. Because certainly there is
in this matter thousands and myriads of levels from where each and everyone
receives the illumination and inspiration in his intellect, and from what place
they present him with the novelty or the knowledge, however, the general
principle is that all types of novelties that the scholars come up with, be it
in holiness, like interpretations and homilies and so forth, be it lihavdil
(to distinguish between the holy and what is not) in matters of their sciences,
everything is presented to them and sent to them in their intellect from above,
to each and every one from the place that is befitting to him, as explained
above.
[1] Rashi in Tractate Shabbos (end of
116a) on the word philosopher, writes: heretic.
[2] Interestingly, both the examples
given by Rabbainu, are famous for their commentaries on both the analytical
portions of the Talmud and the aggadic lore.
[3]
From the time of the Rishonim,
the sciences and all the secular disciplines were termed: cheetzoaneyoas –
external, for they are all completely based on analyzing the empirical values,
whereas the holy Torah is the actual inner living wisdom of creation. There is
a very profound and simple parable to understand this. A rock was launched into
a pool of water causing ripples to cascade out etc.. No one saw the rock, they
just saw the ripples and commotion it caused. Scientists studying the ripples can
come up with all types of formulae and postulations, and based upon these they can
often accurately predict the course of the ripples and how to navigate them
etc., but they basically miss the boat at really understanding what really
takes place. The rock in the parable is faith, like King David said in Psalms
(104), “all that He does is with faith,” and the Torah is the wisdom of this
rock, directly keying into the real workings and creative power of the world.
This
is a very large subject and I elaborated BH in the introduction to Likutay
Nanach.
[4]
The Tshuvas HuRosh (Klal 25),
brought down in the holy Shluh (tractate Shevuos), prides himself of not
knowing these wisdoms which only confuse etc. see there.
However, it should be noted that Rabbainu
revealed elsewhere that very greatest of tzadikim are proficient even in these
wisdoms, see e.g. Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 64 and The Life of Our Leader
Rabbi Nachman 412, that specifically the very great Tzadik has to study them,
and see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 172, that to understand anything Rabbainu
revealed in his Burned Book it is necessary to be proficient in all the seven
wisdoms, and see Koachvay Ohr (translated into English and published in The Stories
of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and Saba Yisroel) the story of the Book of Eylim by Rabbi Yosef
of Kandia. Also in the Story of Ancient Times, of the Clever Man and the Simple
Man, the Governor suggests that the Simple Man learn all the wisdoms, and he
says why not, see there.
[5]
Scriptures are replete with
verses attesting that Fear of Heaven comes first (see e.g. the beginning of
Proverbs), and there are many follow up teachings of our Sages (see e.g. Ethics
of Our Fathers 3:9, and Tractate Shabbos 31b), however there are those that try
to justify their pursuit of external knowledge as a means of attaining the
highest fear of G-d, by gaining insight and awareness of His awesome workings (like Rabbainu
revealed in his first Torah of Likutay Moharan, that first the evil inclination
dresses the sin with the appearance of being a mitzva), and this is a terrible mistake that Rabbainu
set to correct here, making it clear that, first of all everyone must start
with the simple fear of punishment, and second of all, most people will really
only be living with this fear and not achieve the higher fear of awe, and that
is fine, so there is no justification to sacrifice and endanger oneself to
losing all fear of Hashem by studying the empty sciences.
[6]
In the Life of Our Leader Rabbi
Nachman 442, Rabbi Nachman instructed one of his greatest disciples in the practice
of speaking to one’s limbs, there too the main message to the limbs is along
the lines of the practical fear of punishment and their future decomposition
and so forth, with no mention of trying to instill in them the higher fear of awe.
[7] “As well”, can be read with what
precedes it: Even tzadikim as well etc. i.e. not just regular people, or with
the continuation: Even tzadikim need fear of punishment as well, i.e. in
addition to their righteous characteristics they also need fear of punishment.
[8]
The inference here is NOT that
there are tzadikim that serve Hashem only with love and no fear, because the
Torah commands many times that everyone must fear Hashem. There are however
tzadikim that don’t need to come on to the lower fear of punishment, their fear
of Hashem is out of awe of His exaltedness, and this fear is considered an
aspect of love of Hashem (see the beginning of Aruch Hashulchan), this is what
is meant here that there are a few tzadikim that only serve with love.
[9]
In The Life of Our Leader
Rabbi Nachman 442, a follower of Rabbainu heeded his advice to speak to his
limbs about the fear of punishment and the ultimate purpose of the world, until
eventually the limbs would feel how it would be in the grave and afterwards,
until he would begin to faint. This was achieved by the fear of punishment, and
not many at all can achieve that, so certainly the exalted fear of awe is not
something attained by many.
[10]
See Genesis 8:21, “Because the
inclination of the heart of man is evil from his youth <meeni-ooruv>,”
and the Medrash Rabba (Noach 34:10, cited in Rashi) deduces from this word
<meeni-ooruv> that as soon as the baby stirs in the womb to be born it is
imbued with the evil inclination. There are some conflicting opinions when
exactly this happens. The Jerusalem Talmud (Brachos 3:5) sets a rule that a minor
from the time he can eat a certain amount of food is already beset with bad
thoughts. The nature of this evil and its parameters are analyzed and discussed
at great length by many commentaries.
[11]
The Life of Our Leader Rabbi
Nachman 407-425. Rabbi Nussun wrote prolifically about this, including very
harsh prayers to eradicate all who study and teach these things. Many of his expositions
were collected and published in a book entitled “Machneya <quash> Zaidim
<malicious sinners>.” Other great tzadikim also wrote books about this.
[12] Introduction of the Zohar, pg. 11b.
[13]
In the famous prayer of the holy
SheLaH (acronym of the book: Shnay Loochoas Habris) for parents to say on
behalf children, the prayer specifically asks for Fear of Awe and NOT to have
fear of punishment! The
Ramchal in Yichud Ha-Yeeruh goes so far as to say, that it is almost
appropriate to say that it is better not to have any fear at all than to just
have fear of punishment, however ultimately a person must have fear of Hashem,
even if it is just of punishment. The Ramchal explains this in his inimitable
fashion, laying down awesome foundations, see there. BH this will be expounded upon in
the coming footnotes.
[14]
To this day I haven’t found
anywhere directly addressing this problem and providing a resolution. Rabbi
Aryeh Kaplan in his footnotes here cites two places, as if to say they answer
the question, it took many years until I was able to get a hold of these
commentaries, only to be disappointed. The first source he provides is Ohr
Yisroel, the notes of the Kuzhnitzer Maggid on the Tikunay Zohar, there (pg.
15a of the pgs. of the TZ) the Maggid asks, if fear of punishment is so lowly, how
come it is so important to know the punishments (as they are written in the Torah
and expounded upon at great length and detail by the Sages)? He answers that one
must fear Hashem lest he causes Divine wrath to incur the punishments. Thus,
the Maggid clearly retains the simple understanding of the Zohar. The second
source RAK brings is the commentary Mikor Chessed on the Sefer Chasidim (13:9) there
he explains how fear of punishment which is rooted in belief in the Torah, is
needed to merit to Torah, and only through Torah one can come to the higher
fear of awe. Perhaps this can be seen as a resolution, because it asserts that one
can only start with fear of punishment, and thus ultimately it alone is a
requisite, and it alone is all important. However, this falls short of
satisfactorily resolving the Zohar’s severe stance against fear of punishment.
In Likutay Halachos (Orach Chaim 1, Washing
Hands 6:99) Rabbi Nussun brings this teaching of Rabbainu and writes, “Even
though it is written in the holy books that it is necessary to have specifically
fear of awe etc., however, in reality if only <halivaye> we would merit to
be saved from what we need to be saved through fear of punishment, and so we
heard from many great tzadikim that the main thing is fear of punishment.” From
this it doesn’t look like Rabbi Nussun found a satisfactory answer, and just relied
upon Rabbainu that fear of punishment was the main thing.
A further look at the Zohar will put everything
in perspective.
The Ramchal wrote a little treatise called Yichud
HaYeeruh (today it is published in the back of his work Kitzur Hakavanoas) which
is based on this excerpt of the Zohar. The Ramchal reveals the huge secret of
the power of the fear of awe which is a gateway to awesome revelations of the
Divine, so much so that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai cried before revealing it to
his holy chevra (-group), he said, “Woe if I don’t say it. If I say it then the
wicked can know how to serve their Master, if I don’t say it the chevra will
lose this word.” This is utterly astounding! Why would Rabbi Shimon not want to
have the wicked know how to serve Hashem?! The Ramchal explains (pg. 308) that it
is not desirable for the wicked to just grasp this lofty way, because a person
should merit to this by virtue of the purity of his deeds. The question screams
out, does not this very Zohar propound that all of the service of Hashem begins
only with the fear of Hashem, and that fear should be fear of awe, so shouldn’t
the wicked also be entitled to know this very basic precept?! One might finagle
out of this question, but the most apparent answer is: no, even after all that
the Zohar denigrates fear of punishment and promotes the fear of awe, this is
only something special for those meritorious, but for most people Hashem primarily
wants for them to purify their deeds. Thus, the Zohar which at first glance
seemed to be completely contrary to Rabbainu’s teaching, this very Zohar absolutely
vindicates it! This is also exactly what Rabbi Nussun wrote, that it is true,
fear of awe is greatly extolled, but for us, if only we can merit to be saved
from what we need to be saved from….”
The only question that remains is one more of disappointment,
after the Zohar revealed that the importance and superiority of fear of awe,
how could Rabbainu just leave us with the basic fear of punishment which the
Zohar denigrates, even though it is true and in order, we would expect for
Rabbainu to pull us through to the top as he always does.
The answer is that everything in its proper
place. Here Rabbainu had to make it extremely clear as to the primary nature of
the fear of Heaven (at the very same time he warned against external wisdom,
this itself already will propel a person to seek the higher fear of Hashem, because
the conception of external wisdom is true only in the paradigm of fear of
punishment, one who seeks real wisdom of the Torah will be forced to aim for
the higher fear of awe, see this at length in Yichud HaYeeruh), elsewhere
Rabbainu himself taught (Likutay Moharan 15 and 154) how one has to raise all
the fallen fear (fear of anything other than Hashem, which is the root of all
fear, and when it is fallen it dresses itself in all types of things which
people then fear) until ultimately he will achieve the supernal fear of awe.
Furthermore, Rabbainu made it very clear (article 48) that to be a truly kosher
person one needs to have the determination and conviction to serve Hashem irregardless
of any reward or punishment, see there. Furthermore, Rabbainu revealed )Likutay Moharan II, Torah-teaching 4) the way of
ratzon (-Will), which is the root even, of all fear. Thus we see Rabbainu didn’t hold back from revealing
and guiding everyone to the highest aspirations, just everything in its right
place.
In addition, the denigration of the fear of
punishment according to the Zohar has a lot to do with the inability to
progress from it to true fear of Hashem (see this at length in Yichud HaYeeruh).
However, the Baal Shem Tov already revealed in a letter to his son, a method how
one can do so, by viewing the punishment as messenger and reminder. Rabbainu
himself concretized (Likutay Moharan 87) that fear of punishment is in fact a
prerequisite and a stepping stone to attaining fear of awe, because true faith
in G-d is only be virtue of having a meaningful awareness of Divine
retribution, the strength of a persons fear of the punishment meted out by
Hashem is the determining factor of how much that person really believes in G-d’s
omnipotence, so the more one strengthens his fear of punishment, the more he is
actually gaining faith in G-d Almighty Himself, which is itself the fear of awe.
This already seems to contradict the understanding
of the Zohar presented by the Ramchal that there is no progression from the
fear of punishment to the fear of awe. (One might argue that Rabbainu is Torah
87 is referring to the fear of punishment as explained by the Maggid of
Kuzhnitz above, however Rabbainu distinctly contrasts the two fears, so it very
unlikely). The answer I think is contingent on another fundamental scheme eluded
to in the Zohar which the Ramchal revealed and expounded upon, and I will try
to summarize very rudimentarily its basics. This is the system of the rectification
of the beginning and the ending. HY is infinite, above time and space, He created
the vacant space in which all of creation begins and ends. The beginning is G-d’s
unity, and the end is where every single atom of creation gains its complete
independent identity. The rectification of creation can thus come from either
end. The preferred way is from the beginning, by bringing the Unity of G-d into
the world, everything immediately is abnegated to HY, and G-ds unity is shown
to be eternal and ubiquitous. Because of sin, this way is blocked, and creation
has to unravel and develop to show all the elements it contains, and then the rectification
of the end shows how despite all these different elements, there is nothing by
the unity of G-d.
In previous times there was great fear in the
world from many elements, Kings and governors held the power of life and death,
in addition to all the other fears of insecurity of living in those times. The
world was also much, much more spiritual and superstitious. In such a milieu fear
of God came more naturally, and it was fear of retribution, this is in line
with the holy Zohar. Rabbainu already set down (Likutay Moharan 56 and elsewhere,
see the Introduction to Hisbodidus – Alone Time) that every person is their own
monarch of their own little kingdom. This is very much in line with the
understanding of the rectification of the end. From this perspective one really
sees themselves independent, secure, and self reliant. From this perspective,
any fear of G-d will come only with belief that HY is in fact G-d and does in fact
rule the world, and rewards and punishment, this is exactly what Rabbainu wrote
in Torah 87. Thus, every little bit of fear that a person gains today, is an
awesome rectification uniting the beginning and end.
[15]
Rabbi Nussun expounds on this
teaching in Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim 1, Washing Hands 6 article 99.
[16]
Here is a good place to point
out that pretty much all the teachings we have from Rabbi Nachman were
transmitted by Rabbi Nussun, and Rabbi Nachman himself said various statements
to this effect, that transmission of his teachings would be via Rabbi Nussun.
However, as Rabbi Nussun himself says, he – Rabbi Nussun did not come to the toenails,
so to speak, of Rabbainu, and the profundity of the teachings of Rabbainu are
way beyond his – or anyone’s grasp, far greater than can be fathomed. Just,
from all the disciples, the understanding and delivery of Rabbi Nussun was the
chosen. One of the things Rabbi Nussun writes explicitly that he had absolutely
no understanding, was how Rabbainu conducted himself with the maskilim –
the so called enlightened Jews, the leaders of these Jews resided in Uman, they
had so distanced themselves from the faith, that they swore to never even
mention G-d lest they might have any second thoughts or remorse. Even the
greatest of Rabbis, such as Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev who is legendary
for only seeing the good even in the most despicable people, even so he could
not even look at the faces of the maskilim of Uman, and they laughed him out of
the city. When Rabbi Nachman came to the Uman, by their invitation, he turned
the tables on them, he blew their minds with his prowess in mathematics and his
genius and knowledge of everything, and he would play chess with them. [Some
secular scholars in their arrogant ignorance try to explain this as an inner conflict
G-d forbid, as if Rabbi Nachman was grappling with issues of faith and conduct.
These are the same people who have the audacity to suggest all types of ridiculous
theories about Rabbi Nachman. They do not have any comprehension of anything.
Rabbi Nachman had trained himself as a very young child to always see the
letters of name of Hashem before his eyes, always, and he fasted most of the
year, all this as he mastered all fields of knowledge, people testify that he
always trembled visibly from the fear of HY, and so forth and so on, and these
scholars have the stupidity to ask whether he suffered from depression and from
doubt.] Once when Rabbi Nussun saw Rabbi Nachman playing chess with them, he
was shocked to the core, and he asked Rabbainu what was going on? Rabbainu brushed
off the question saying that just like a King has advisors to help govern, he also
has friends for entertainment, so too, these were his friends. Rabbi Nussun never
really understood this, and even Rabbi Nachman warned him against speaking with
them, except for one of them. In this vein Rabbi Nussun always kept his
distance from the maskilim, even though he had their respect, and in his
prolific works he warns very strongly against any interaction whatsoever with
the heretics, saying that only the true Tzadik himself, alluding to Rabbainu,
can deal with them and rectify them.
This was the way of Breslov for many
generations, until Rabbi Yisroel Dov Odesser, known as Saba, or Saba Yisroel. Saba
openly engaged and befriended even the heretics. Once, Saba was invited to be
on television, and before entering the building he stood by the door and said, “Rabbi
Yisroel Karduner (Saba’s mentor in the ways of Rabbainu, who Saba never ceased
to praise lavishly) would never step foot into such a place,” and then he
stepped in and did the interview. From these points, and many others, it is my
belief that Saba Yisroel, with the receival of the Petek – the letter – from Rabbi
Nachman in 1922 which states: “Upon you I stated, ‘my fire will burn until the
coming of Messiah,” and signed the note “Na NaCh NaChMa NaChMaN MayUMaN,” with
this Saba received ordination as the transmitter of the other way that Rabbi
Nachman had, how he conducted himself with the heretics. The transmission of
the way of the Torah is through Rabbi Nussun, and the other ways of Rabbi
Nachman are through Saba Yisroel.
All of this I present here, because it is clear
that the way Rabbi Nachman dealt with the heretics was not by insisting they
begin by accepting the fear of Divine retribution, as presented here as a
fundamental prerequisite. So it is clear that Rabbainu had another way, a way
not transmitted by Rabbi Nussun. To find out more about this other way one must
study and examine everything available from and about Saba Yisroel.
[17] Regarding inventors and their
inventions, see also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 194.
[18]
See article 245, “Someone who
merits to come up with a novel matter in the Torah, from where was this novelty
taken? And what was understood from his words was that from this that they
merited to come up with this novelty, this is a manifestation of the revelation
of His Divinity blessed He, that He blessed He brings from nothing <ain>
to something <yes>, because originally he did not know at all this
novelty, just now he takes and draws from the source of which wisdom which is
the aspect of nothing <ain>, that is from the Ain Soaf <No End – the Infinite
One> etc..” See also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, articles 342 and
353.
ENGLISH BRESLOV LITERATURE
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman
