HH
THE SEVEN
PILLARS [Chilookay Hanachal] – חלוקי הנחל
A Digest of
Breslov Dogma
by Reb
Yitzohok Breiter
Translated by
Moshe Newman (this has not been edited yet)
1
PILLAR 1-The
Hand of Gd
The most foundational, essential concept
which we merited to draw from the Flowing Waters (referring to Rebbe Nachman)
is to know and recognize that everything which happens to a person, whether spiritually
or physically, intentionally or accidentally, coercively or willingly-—everything
is a decree of the Creator. For if a person is not yet befitting and hasn't yet
merited to draw close enough to Kedushah (-holiness) to perform a certain mitzvah,
then from Heaven he will experience confusions to distract him from the
mitzvah. For distracting thoughts will circulate in his consciousness that
prevent him from doing the holy thing, even if he actually wanted to do it.
Now, all this is not, G-d forbid, Hashem's
vengeance, rather it is His Mercy for He is compassionate with all His
creatures—the Absolutely Omniscient True Judge. For it is impossible to draw a
person towards Good except by way of letting him realize how very far he is from
Good, and how he is standing at such a low level like this, and that nothing is
going to help him except to cry out about his existential lowliness to Hashem.
That he tell Hashem everything, pouring forth his heart in supplications,
entreating Hashem through earnest conversation, asking and begging for his very
soul, that Hashem will give him the merit to appropriateness with that thing of
Kedushah.
‘And this whole [cosmic reality] is
unfathomably wondrous. Every single teaching and Torah in Likutei Moharan
touches upon and issues forth from this foundational concept, as well as all
sorts of encouragement, especially the Torah "Azamrah” (LM 282) which stresses
the need to judge oneself and others favourably. For this is the main way to
give oneself and others the benefit of the doubt for all the spiritual descents
and declines which have happened intentionally or inadvertently, whether by
force or by desire~ everything is from Heaven in order to draw one closer
through this very falling.
However, those who are distant from the
True Tzaddik do not understand the above. Even an actual disciple needs great
merit to be able to always remember this-that for everything one undergoes, one
must redouble himself in prayer to Hashem to draw close through the very
descent itself as opposed to letting the decline distance him, G-d forbid.
Similarly, LM Tinyana 82 deals with matters of orderly vs disorderly
circumstances within spirituality and physicality with consideration of our
powers of choice. May it be that the merit of the revelation of these ideas
will provide the construct for us to conduct ourselves accordingly. Amen.
2
PILLAR TWO:
Divine Revelation
The second foundational concept is to know
that there is a constant revelation of Godliness that is chaining down to each
and every individual all day and all night ever since the entire Creation was
emanated. Once in a great while, this revelation happens as a sudden flash of
clarity that illuminates your eyes and heart with yearning to truly draw close
to Hashem. For at that moment, Hashem is literally calling you, and you hear Him.
However, for the most part, Divine
revelation comes to you in a wondrously hidden way, counterintuitively and
illogically. For the unfolding of this G-dly Vitality comes withing thoughts of
laziness and sadness, lethargy and apathy, even withing flashes of heretical of
confusing thoughts, fantasies, lusts, and speculative daydreaming, etc. etc.. The
main thing is to know that whatever you hear, see, overhear, notice or feel due
to any man or any woman, friend or stranger, especially from your spouse and
immediate family, everything is a direct communication from Hashem Who is
calling you to Him through this very interaction and/or experience and that
this is your Heaven-sent tikkun (soul rectification).. Alluding to this secret
is the Talmudic teaching, “From the day that the Holy Temple was destroyed, prophecy
(specifically precise knowledge of what you need to fix in yourself) was taken
away from the prophets and given over to fools and small-minded people with
constricted consciousness (meaning that we end up inadvertently saying to
ourselves and each other that which Heaven wants us to know in order to fix our
souls. For the Divine message for the Good is conveyed out of a constricted,
distorted, seemingly not good perspective.)
The spiritual construct for the above
phenomenon – that Hashem communicates with us through our various “incorrect”
or less than holy experiences is “Holy Argument.” Theses are the Talmudic
arguments between the various sages that, even though in the end, one opinion “wins
out” and be3comes the halacha (the Law by which we go), all the Talmudic opinions
are included in the Oral Torah under the dictum: “Ailoo vi’ailoo… these and
these are the word of the living G-d.” For Hashem orchestrates that a different
sage will give a valid Torah opinion that opposes the practical halachah.
Through this, we are to understand that even the words of the non-accepted
opinion are Hashem’s words. Even though practically, we must act according to
the halachah, and the halachah must be derived only via the Talmudic dictates
for determining that halachah, we still say that the opposing sage’s words are
from Heaven. This state of reality is the construct which enable the existence
of free choice and of tests, of joining together and of sifting apart. Therefore,
this is also a reason why we need to learn Shulchan Aruch (the codification of
the halacha) as Rebbe Nachman exhorted. Learning (reading and speaking out
loud) the words of the halacha aligns us with the halachah, settling and
bringing peace to all our own conflicts – internal and external, so that we do
not become an aspect of the “chalak leebam – division of their hearts.” [Like
Proverbs 1:7,] “When Hashem is pleased with one’s ways, even his enemies (referring
to the thoughts from the yetzer hara which distort the heart) make peace with
him. This idea that every communication contains Godliness is the intent of the
verse in Zephania 3:9, “For then, I will transform [the communication of] the
nations into a pure language with which they will all call the Name of Hashem.”
And “idolatry will be completely transformed (evil into good).” Isaiah 2:18 For
then will be revealed that all forms of heresy were actually a call to Faith.
Similarly, the small Aleph in “VaYikra – He called to Moshe (Leviticus 1:1),”
alludes to this – that every circumstance [which is the same word as “callings”
minus the Aleph] which happens to you contains a barely audible voice of G-d
[the small Aleph] calling you. Understand this. (Likutay Moharan 33, 54, 62,
and Tinyana – volume 2, 12 and 78).
3
PILLAR
THREE: CONCEALMENT
“The third foundational principle of Rebbe
Nachman's teachings is to know that all physical urges are rooted in the
pervasive atheistic perspective that arises from Hashem's concealment. This is
the attitude, from which none of us are purified, of "..kochi votzem yadi
- my strength and productivity m[ade me the player that I am]. {Devarim 217)
This attitude is complete idolatry from which springs the lust for money. This
lust manifests mainly in the mad dash to accumulate financial wealth and power
and to forget one's Creator—that it is Hashem Who implants the advice and ability
in a person that makes him powerful to amass a fortune of acquisitions. Its all
Divine Providence. The fact that Heaven does not give livelihood without the
person's scurrying to work is so that there can be experiences of free choice,
tests and concealment, enabling the possibility of the above atheistic attitude
that “I did it - I made this money, not God.” This also gives rise to the
feelings of heaviness and resistance giving charity, to conducting business
with honesty and integrity and to setting aside regular times for Torah and all
True Good, as can be understood.
With God's help, we found good advice and
self-testing for this. If you will adhere to the following. you will be able to
rectify very many things in your life: Regarding money, do not regret the past
one iota. Whether you lost money/livelihood due to your own poor judgement or
due to someone else. For all these types of perspectives distance your
awareness from belief in Divine Providence—that all your losses, Whether
self-inflicted or from another—everything is from the Hand of God: "hifi
eitzah, higdil toshiah..He astounded advice and ‘abounded resourcefuiness.”
(Veshayahu 26:29) Uptightness about what happened is a sura sign that you ara
caught in the web of “koohi votzem yadi..MY power and MY productivity... (Devarim
8:17) even if you are not saying this explicitly as alluded to in the full
verse “vi’amartah bilvavecha - lest you say in your heart MY strength.”
This atheistic attitude is also the source
of food lust. For actually, strength and vitality come completely from Hasher,
the One Who imbues Life. Vitality seems to come through food and drink only so that
there can be choice and concealment. As long as one has not yet merited to this
awareness, he will be stuck in the physicality of food and tend to forget his
Creator when his appetite is aroused.
There is no other strategy to sweeten and
quieten the cravings to eat food except through this awareness—that all the
strength, vitality, and pleasure one feels from food is completely from Hashem
and that the only reason that food influences us in the way it does, is so that
we will experience the test of choice—to choose to believe in Hashem rather
than in nature. This is the entire intent of the blessings over food: ha'motzie
lechem min huh’aretz—the One Who brings forth bread from the Earth (via
physicality and concealment)" This, as is as so for all the blessings,
gives us the opportunity and choice to perform the Divine Service of revealing
Hashem out of His Concealment. Enough said. – Likutay Moharan 56.
4
PILLAR FOUR:
PATIENCE
The fourth foundational principal of Rebbe
Nachman's teachings is the concept of hearing/perceiving that which insults you
and keeping yourself silent and quiet. This is the main aspect of Teshuvah—to know
that even though a person, through his free choice has insulted you,
nevertheless, Hashem is the One Who orchestrated the whole interaction.
Therefore, when you hear/perceive things that are upsetting/insulting/damaging
to you from other people and/or circumstances, know that it is all from Hashem.
Know that, with any boiling over of anger, annoyance, etc. that you might have
due to your embarrassment etc. from the person and/or circumstance, you are turning
away your own holy soul, for at that moment, you are demonstrating that you da
not believe in Hashem and His hashgachah pratit-orchestration of every
detail of you and your life. At that moment, you do not believe that a person
[viz. the one who insulted you is only a shaliach—a messenger from Hashem.
This idea of Hashem's shaliach enacting Hashem's Judgement is discussed in
Gemara Nedarim 41a regarding the meaning of Psalms 19:01. "U'mishpatecha
amdu hayom._ When the time for your judgement is at hand, everyone and
everything is Hashem’s servant to bring about that judgement.”
Still, even though judgement and punishment
seems bad, everything is from Hashem only for our Good, to scrub away our sins
and to shine us. But when we deafen our ears and tur our shoulders away from
being rectified, that is the time when such judgement is aroused, For itis
impossible to become fixed from our brokenness unless we raise our awareness to
the secret of Teshuvah and its root=to know that everything is from Hashem [i.e.
that right now, brand new, out of Infinite Light, Hashem is creating the place,
the you, the other person, the circumstance, your thoughts, your feelings, the
words, etc. —every detail of what is happening including your thoughts and
feelings about it—this is the secret of Teshuvah. This is the root meaning of
the word “teshuvah.” ‘Return’ everything to Hashem. Knows that every detail of
the moment, including your thoughts and feelings, etc.] is all from Him. That
knowledge is revealed in your ability to have your feelings hurt and,
nevertheless, you stay silent, knowing[/watching] Hashem create the whole [situation
and experience] knowing that it is all happening for your ultimate Good,
including the scrubbing away the stains of sin and nullifying the sin's damage.
To know that all the insult is being orchestrated in order to teach you to
expand your consciousness. When we hold this type of awareness [always holding
on to the quality of Teshuvah] it completely nullifies the concealment, nullifies
the husks [that block us from perceiving the bliss and joy of Hashem’s Light]
Amen! —[see Likutay Moharan 6]
5
PILLAR FIVE:
TESHUVAH (RETURN, REPENTANCE)
“The fifth foundation is to know the
following: For each and every spiritual ascent, every time we are aroused to
teshuvah—to a deep sense of regret [for our sins], and we have thoughts along the
lines of “From now on, | will surely be a kosher, holy person: now | will
surely perform such and such [Divine Service] those thoughts are tainted with
the type of heresy called "koachi vi’oatzem yadi—MY power and the strength
of MY hand.” These type of thoughts soon dredge up sadness and feeling far from
Hashem For one thinks that [teshuvah] is in his own hands and that what he
manifests is up-to him. What?! Does he really think that just because he
suddenly wants to do teshuvah because Heaven sent him thoughts that pierced his
heart one time, does he think that he can simply decide that he is close to
Kedushah?! And does he really think that being distanced from Kedushah is through
his own failings? He doesn't know and he doesn't understand! For it is Heaven
which delays him because he has yet to merit to that certain thing of Kedushah.
For he didn't yet pray properly. And even if from now [he decides to be holy
but still] doesn't find favor in Hashem's eyes, he won't withstand the test
There is no other advice than to commit to doing Good and to entreat Hashem to
at least not distance him from prayer and supplication. That Hashem should
implant in his consciousness that no matter what happens, he always remembers
the advice of prayer, the foundations of which are in the highest holy mountains—to
reveal [through his prayer] the Truth that everything is in Hashem’ Hand, that
He has the Power to grow and strengthen everyone. As itis written, “And | shall
favor whomexer | shall favor’ —meaning whoever asks Me to favor him, him shall
favor, For [Hashem implants in his consciousness] that there is never [a reason
for] despair. For all the different setbacks are from the Blessed One out of Lovingkindness
and Compassion in order to bring him close, not to distance him. And for all
these setbacks and challenges, the main thing is 10 increase the amount of
prayer and supplication—whether it be before, during or after the test. And even
if G-d forbid he were to fail—purposely or accidentally, coercively or desirously.
It is still all Hashem, as above.
6
PILLAR SIX: ACTION
The sixth
foundation is to know that even though everything is in Hashem’s Hands
and all physical and spiritual circumstances arise via His Supernal decrees, evertheless, the King of the Universe
established everything so that you can experience and be tested
through free choice and that you must do your part. However, your
intent should not be that the action is really your own doing, but
rather that you are being given the experience of being tested
through your free choice. For that is the mandate—to do, even though the doing is not actually you. Therefore, you
must encourage yourself to use all your power to go in the Way
of the King of the World, to guard yourself from all types of sin
and guilt and to conduct yourself towards the highest good
within society. Again, not that you should think you are actually
doing these things, but rather that you are being given the
experience of existence and choice—[like being in a virtual reality
game where you experience things that are not actually
happening] For example, knowing Faith and Truth, it is clear that any
profit destined for you will undoubtedly come to you even if you
hide underground. So too, the mitzvot you will be able to do and
the arousal you have to be involved with holy things will
certainly find you when it arises within the Divine Will to favor you
such that you pray for it. Regarding all this, the mitzvah is to
descend into the concealment [that it looks like you are actually
doing something] with the awareness that the purpose is the cosmic rectification.
This is where
everyone is greatly mistaken. For they see written in the Torah of
G-d, “...and the L-rd, your G-d will bless you in all that YOU
DO..." so too, regarding spiritual matters, "...you shall DO
them..." Also. in the Book of Shmuel. “...for I am the master of sin...."
“...and I caused all of this...” and the like, it seems to be saying that we
are indeed responsible for the outcome. Really though, the
intent is that we need to exert as much effort as we can, keeping in
mind the above [that it is like a virtual reality ride and the goal is
to have the experience of being tested and exercising choice] It is forbidden to forget that everything you do/experience,
spiritually or physically, is by Heavenly decree and that you
absolutely cannot see the Hand of G-d causing the outcome. For
Hashem's main "pleasure" comes when we recognize Him
inside the concealment and know that the concealment itself is from Him. That we hold paradoxical awareness of
higher consciousness within our mundane existence. to know that somehow, He Knows and Controls and yet we choose.
To recognize that there is a natural unfolding of nature and
history that is nevertheless Divinely Orchestrated to the minutest
detail. That everything in the historical process has been and is for
the rectification of His Crown. To know that Hashem is Elokim [the Gd of Kindness and Flow is the same G-d of Harshness
and Constriction.]
In light of the
above, the advice how to conduct yourself regarding livelihood and all your other needs is this. Before you decide how you
will go about something and where you will turn, you need to
first raise your eyes to the Heights, to draw forth simple Emunah
that what you are really doing is rectifying the Empty Void—the root
of all concealment. For then you realize that the real rectification is in having that Emunah—to believe that the way is
not for you to do anything at all except to pray and supplicate.
Then, afterwards, when a flash of true (or even false) advice sparks
your mind, you need to follow that advice while holding the
awareness that the real purpose is for you to have the experience
of choice. Not to think G-d forbid, that Hashem cannot give you
your needs except through this particular path with its reasons
and activities, not to be attached to the outcome. For this is completely like the idolatry of the golden calf.
This is what
the tradition teaches that, after this life, when you are standing in
front of the Heavenly Court, they will ask you, "Did you conduct
your affairs with Emunah?" Meaning, when you went about your
life, did you intend that the purpose of all your activities was
to rectify your Faith? Did you hold the awareness that the main
point was for you to have experiences combining the different
aspects of creation in order to fulfill the Torah in those
particular ways? Did you maintain awareness that your livelihood was
completely from Hashem’s Hand and not at all due to your own actions? Or did you conduct yourself atheistically
thinking, "What? Is the salvation of my livelihood going to come
because I sit in the Torah study hall? If I don't go to work, I
won't have livelihood!"
Even in light
of the above. even with Faith. one must have great clarity to
discern which actions are according to Divine Providence or
its opposite, may Hashem show Mercy!
7
PILLAR SEVEN: THE TZADDIK
The seventh
foundation deals with the concept of drawing close to
the Tzaddik Emet [the absolute saintly person who has completely
nullified his physical urges and negative character traits and
whose entire focus is bringing the people of Israel and righteous
Gentiles to complete Teshuvah.]
1. "The
soul of Mashiach (the Messiah) preceded the world." (Talmud
Pesachim 54a) It is the root of all the souls of Israel and the entire
Creation This is the secret [meaning of the Talmudic discussion in
Berachot 6b,] "The entire universe was created only to team up with
him," and of (Mishlei 10:25) "The Tzaddik is the foundation of
the world."
2. The Holy One
took counsel with this soul in creating His world, as is written,
"With whom did He take counsel to be brought to understanding
and learning in the way of judgement?” (Yeshayahu 40:14)
3. He guaranteed the Holy One that
he would fix the world.
4. Every act of
worship in the whole world, every incarnation, clarification,
test and revelation of faith happens through him, as is written,
"In My entire house, he is faithful.” (Bamidbar 12:7)
5. To him the
Holy One gave rulership and sovereignty, in the manner of
"The Tzaddik rules with fear of G-d." (1 Shmuel 23:3) 6. He is the
Heavenly court.
7. He is the revelation of Hashem’s
Hand—meaning that the Divine Orchestration of all circumstances, whether spiritual or physical, down
to the slightest detail, happens through him.
8. He is the revelation of prayer,
as is written, “And I am prayer." (Tehillim 109:4)
9. He is the Chariot for the
Shechinah (Divine Presence/G-d's Feminine aspect).
10. He is the Kedushah (Holiness).
11. He is the vitality of the whole
universe.
12. Through him, all acts of Divine
Service ascend to Heaven.
13. Through him comes all arousal
for Teshuvah.
14. Through
drawing close to the Tzaddik Emet—by knowing the above and
following his holy advice—we draw to ourselves a wellspring of
sparks of the Holy Light of the Tzaddik, each of us according to
our level. Even if one is very far from Kedushah, by drawing close
to the Tzaddik Emet, he is influenced to recognize and see clearly
how far he is from Truth, Righteousness and ways of proper Justice and how he is sunken in the opposite. He comes to yearn
for Truth and to pray for it without any despair or sadness.
Rather, he realizes that Hashem is calling even to him and that he is
precious in Hashem's Eyes. So too for each of us, to whatever
level we have ascended. The more we draw close to the True
Tzaddik, the more we merit to draw forth the Kedushah of the Tzaddik
empowering us to go in his ways and to know that everything is
in Hashem's Hand to access through always praying for it. Amen!
15. Parts of
the soul of the Tzaddik are within the whole Creation, especially in
Hashem's Nation and especially in all the True Tzaddikim.
16. The Way of Truth has been
renewed five times in the world:
Moshe Rabbenu
(Moses, our teacher), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Rabbi Vitzchak
Luria, Rabbi Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov, and the Nachal Novea Makor Chochmah— Flowing Brook Source of Wisdom (Mishlei
18:4) [the acronym of which is the letters NaChMaN, referring to Rebbe Nachman.] From him until Mashiach,
there will be nothing new.
17. Every place
which mentions "tzaddik” in Likutei Moharan refers to the
above Tzaddik [namely Rebbe Nachman.]
18. The greatest
revelation of the concept of prayer, which is the soul of
Mashiach is from King David.
19. One should
NOT strive to become that Tzaddik, nor should one think that
anyone who wants to take that crown can do so. For that is the
matter of "meforsam shel sheker—the false famous
leader" warned about in Likutei Moharan. Rather, every single person
must receive from this Tzaddik who has been revealed in several generations and is the fluorescence of Mashiach and
the preparation for Geulah (the Final Redemption). Everyone needs to know about this Tzaddik. For if one does not
know about him in this incarnation, one will have to keep being
reincarnated until he does know him. It is this for which we wait
so intently—the Redemption and Restoration. This was the intent
of our sages in Pirkei Avot 1:6, "Make for yourself a Rav [Tzaddik]
and acquire for yourself a friend..."—that together you can receive
from this Tzaddik; and also 6:6, "Everone who quotes a word
in the name of the one who said it brings Geulah to the
world"—meaning that when we know from whom is drawn all the words
and teachings of the Torah [i.e. the Tzaddik Emet] it hastens the
universal Geulah and our personal Geualah.
20. One should
know that there has never been, in the history of the world, as
unique a figure as the "Nachal Noveya Makor Chochmah"
[Rebbe Nachman.] For he prepared the vessels/tools for our
righteous Mashiach who will use them in the war to fix the world
[which Rebbe Nachman says will be a war of intellect, cf cyber war.].
Amen! Ken yihee ratzon—may it be His Will!
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman
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