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Wondrous Stories (and parables) – from the holy book Stars of Light (Koachvey Ohr)
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Mazal
A story of a pauper who would sit in the Beis Medrash (House of Torah Study) and learn (Torah). Once an astrologer (who is called rosh bit. Lit. a stargazer) came to the city, and the whole city ran to him. But the pauper sat in the Beis Medrash and didn't go to him. His wife came to him, inside the Beis Medrash, and she didn't find anyone there except for her husband, because all of them went to the seer. And she screamed at him, "You are a destitute lazy mishap! Why don't you go to the astrologer? But he didn't want to go, and she badgered him more, until he was forced to go to him. He came to the astrologer, and he (the astrologer) said to him that his mazal (fate, fortune, aptitude) is that he should be a thief. He returned to the Beis Medrash to his learning, and his wife came and she said to him, "What did he tell you?" He said to her, "He said to me, a beggar, remain a beggar." In the evening he came to his house, and ate his main (lit. large) meal, namely a piece of bread. While he was eating he began to chuckle, and his wife asked him, "What are you laughing (about)? Certainly you know something, and you don't want to tell me." He said to her, "No, he didn't tell me anything, I am simply laughing (for no special reason)." He ate some more, and again, a second time, he began to laugh, and she asked him as before, and he answered her as before. In the middle of all this he burst out laughing, and he laughed so heartily he emitted an odor from his mouth. She said to him again, "See! Certainly you know something." He told her that the astrologer told him that his mazal was that he should be a thief. She replied that she doesn't want him to be a thief, "and it is good for us to be poor, however it may be, as Hashem provides, and you should not be a thief."
Afterwards Shabbat arrived, presumably they had everything nice for Shabbat in order, that is, challah (loaves) of grain bread, and the rest of courses properly. And they sat to eat, and he had presumably four-five daughters and they grabbed from each other a piece of bread, for also the aforementioned bread he did not have adequately sufficient. His wife spoke up and said, "Master of the World! I am very fed up already with this poverty to the extent that I want you to be a thief, so that we don't suffer this scrimping." He was forced to fulfill her desire. [Yid: Ya givalt oon nit givalt, in fort gegahngen – He did want and/or he didn't want, nevertheless he went – and so each time Rabbainu used this expression].
He went to steal, and he settled himself to go to the wealthiest man of the city to steal. So he went to steal, and he found the guards sleeping, and no one challenged him whatsoever. So he went to the store, and the lock was open, because that was his mazal, and so he went to the register, and he found its lock open as well. So he took four-five rubles (adumim) just enough for his livelihood, and he brought (it) to his wife, and said to her, "See, I have fulfilled your desire, and draw your expenditures from this, for I will not continue to steal again." She answered him, that certainly she also does not desire this, just that it was incumbent because of the duress.
Afterwards, one time she began screaming at him, "beggar mishap, you were in the store, why didn't you take (enough) to get me a yoopu (a long unlined silk robe worn for formal occasions), and he was forced to go steal again. He went to the store and he found a thief standing there, and he asked him, "Who are you?" And he replied, "I am a thief." And so he (the other guy) asked him, and he answered likewise, that he is a thief. The aforementioned pauper said to him, "Let us become partners in robberies, I have the mazal for this," and he agreed to this. The pauper said in his mind, "if we steal here, we will make the owner of the house into a pauper, for I, by myself, would steal just what I need for a yoopa, but now he will steal a lot and the owner of the house will be left with nothing." So he said to the thief, "Why should we bring loss to a Jew, better that we go steal by a gentile." And he agreed to this, and they settled to go steal by the king (who lived in this city), for certainly he can steal there, for that is his mazal as mentioned. The thief said, "It would be good for us to steal the king's set (-pair) of clothing that he wears when they coronate him, and certainly it will be enough for us for generations upon generations, for I know where they are placed. The pauper agreed, for certainly he could steal them, for that was his mazal. And they went there, and they went to a room more interior than a (outer) room, and they found the clothing, and the pockets (/the encasing) of the clothing were very valuable, and they took them.
Afterwards they start to quarrel between them, because one garment was large, and one garment was small. The thief said that he is entitled to the large one, because he had the intel on them, and the pauper said that he was entitled to the large one, because he was the one with the mazal, and with his mazal they stole them. The pauper said that he will go ask the king. The thief said, "How is that possible?" He said to him, "Nevertheless, I will go and ask him." The thief said, "If you could do this, that you go and ask the king, then I myself will give you the large garment." He went with him to the king, and lying near the king was one who told over stories to the king so that he would sleep. So they came, and they both grasped the king's bed, that he was sleeping there, and they carried the bed with the king to a room. In the interim the king woke up, and he thought that he was in his place. And the thief began to tell him the story as is written above, from two thieves mentioned above, and he asked the king, "Who is entitled to the large garment?" The king was outraged at him, "What are you asking me? Certainly the pauper is entitled, because they were stolen with his mazal! It would be good for you to tell me a story," and he told him a story, and the king slept. They stood and carried the bed, and they returned it to the first room.
In the morning it became known that the king's clothing mentioned above, were stolen. The king remembered that the one who lies by him had told him the aforementioned story, and had asked him who was entitled to the large garment, and he said that certainly he knows from the robbery. So they beat him, and he said he doesn't know, and they beat him profusely and tortured him very much, but he claimed, "I do not know." The king sent for the archbishop (who is called archiriga) to ask him about the aforementioned story, if it is possible that even still that aforementioned man did not steal them. The priest said that it was possible that he did not know. And the priest said that is was foolish of the king for ruling that the pauper was entitled to the large garment. The king was very outraged at the priest for considering him to be a fool, and he wanted to do something to him, but was unable. And they were searching very much for the theft, but they did not find (anything). The king commanded to announce that whoever had stolen (the clothing), should come and acknowledge, for certainly they will not do anything to him, for the king desires to know how it is possible to steal these clothing. And crowds and crowds of people congregated discussing this.
The pauper came and asked them, "What is it that you are discussing?" And they informed him. He spoke up and said, "What is the commotion? He who stole will return." And they screamed at him. And so he came again and asked, and they screamed at him, "Beggar, behold you are liable for your life, for they will say of you, that you know about the theft." He said, "Yes, I know of the theft." They said to him, "If you know, go and tell." He said, "I will tell." So the pauper came to the king, and said, "I know of the theft." The king said that he desires strongly to see the thief. He replied, "I am he." And the king kissed him, and asked him, "How did you steal (them)?" And he told him over the whole story as above, and they sought the thief, and they returned also the second garment which was by him.
The king said to the pauper, "Make contrivances to ensnare the aforementioned archbishop, because I am upset with him." He said, "So I will do." The pauper commanded to make for him clothing like the archbishop wears when he performs their prayers, and that they should catch many fish-reptile (that are called ruckees), and that they should give him many candles. And he went and dressed himself in the clothing mentioned, and he stuck a candle to each and every reptile, and he lit the candles mentioned, and he let the reptiles mentioned run and fly inside his prayer house, and he stood on the place from which thing are conducted. And he began to shout, and they all came and gathered there, and the aforementioned priest also came, and he was very frightened because he saw a flame, and a voice was calling, but he didn't know what it was. He said to the priest, that he revealed himself to him because he wants to bring him into paradise immediately. The priest fell on his face, and the pauper said to him that before he can enter paradise he must first go a bit to hell, and afterwards he will bring him into paradise. And he ordered the priest to get into a sack, and he got in. He went and tied him and carried him to the king, and hung him before the king's courtyard, and informed him. Everyone went out and saw someone hanging in a sack, and they didn't know what it is, and they began to throw stones at it, and they threw so many stones at it until they hit him, beaten and bruised, and broke all his teeth. And the priest didn't know what this was, if this was the hell that was told to him, that he needs to go to first, or if this is a trick. Afterwards, when they had beaten him, the king said to throw him out, and they threw him out, and untied the sack, and he left there in great disgrace.
[In an alternate version I heard, the end was that they took him to be hung, because the end of a thief is to be hung, and when they were bringing him, someone (the Accuser) went with a sack of shoes, and said to him, "so much effort I toiled, and so many shoes I tore, until I brought you to this etc..] (The copier says: For this is the way of the Accuser, to entice and afterwards incite [Yid: raytz her zich] as is brought down in the Story Tale (#8) about the Rabbi and his only son etc..):
In Siach Sarfey Kodesh (3:99) this alternative version is what is presented; when the pauper is told that the king desires to see the thief: 'He does want and/or he doesn't want' and yet he goes and tells the king the whole story, from beginning to end. The royal ministers and the judges tell the king, that even though you don't hold it against him and pardon him, however we demand justice from him, and they sat and judged how to punish him, and they decreed that his punishment was that he must be hung. When they were taking him to be hung he saw from a far the astrologer carrying a sack full of torn shoes etc..
One Thing Brought the Success
What is brought in the Conversations of Rabbi Nachman (item #166) that he said, with one thing I was successful, and through this I merited to what I merited, and he said in this language: mit ain zach iz meer gerutin, and it is not explained there what the thing is, and I heard that he said, for it is brought in the words of the kabbalists that Adam HuRishon (the first), when he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, all the souls tasted, but his (Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman's) holy soul merited that it did not taste from the Tree of Knowledge whatsoever.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
A Man Stronger Than a Diamond
2. A story that Rabbainu ob"m told over. A story of a pauper who supported himself from digging clay to sell. Once he was digging clay and he found in the place that he dug a gem which was worth an absolute fortune, but he didn't know its value. So he went to a craftsman to appraise its worth, and he answered that there was no one in this country that could pay its value, and he would need to travel to London, to the imperial city. But he was poor, and he did not have money to travel. So he went and sold everything he had, and he went from house to house for donations, until he had enough to travel until the sea. And he wanted to board the ship but he didn't have money. So he went to the captain and showed him the gem, and immediately the captain took him aboard the ship with great honor, and said to him, you are high certainty. And he gave him a special first class cabin, with all the amenities like a prized magnate. And his cabin had a window into the sea. And he was always delighting and rejoicing his soul with the diamond. And especially at mealtimes, for through joy and an expanded heart, it is beneficial and healing, to facilitate the digestion of the food.
One time he sat to eat, and the diamond was resting on the table, to be delighted with, and he slept. In the interim the servant came and took the tablecloth and the crumbs, and didn't know from the diamond, and he threw everything into the sea. And when he awoke from his sleep, and he understood all this, he had great anguish, and he almost went out of his mind, and what could he do, the captain is a marauder who would kill him for the price of the trip on the ship. Therefore he made himself happy as if he didn't know.
And the custom of the captain was to speak with him every day for a few hours, and so he came on this day, and he made himself happy to the extent that he did not recognize in him any change. And the captain said to him, "Behold I know that you are wise and of straight heart, and I want to buy a lot of grain to sell in London, and I can profit handsomely, but I am worried that they should not say of me that I steal from the king's warehouse (/treasury), therefore the purchase will be in your name, and I will pay you well. This was appealing in his eyes, and they did so.
Immediately upon their arrival in London the captain died, and everything was left by this man, and it was double, quadruple the value of the diamond. And Rabbainu ob"m concluded that the diamond was not his, and the proof is that it was lost from him. And the grain was his, and the proof is that it remained by him. [Yid: un vus her iz gekuemen tzu zany zach iz nur viel her hut zich dehr halten-] And everything that came to his cause, was only due to his holding himself up etc..
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
3. A Story that our Master, Leader, and Teacher Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman told over about a Kaptzin Pasha.
Once by the Turkish King (Sultan) there was a man from our Jewish brethren, who was very important in his eyes, more than all the royal ministers that he had, and he loved him with very great and strong love, more than all the royal ministers that he had. And every single day he would call him to his house to delight in his company. The royal ministers were jealous of him, and they schemed plots to defame him before the king so that he should eradicate him from the world. And between them there was a pasha who was called Kaptzin Pasha, whose hatred for this Jew was greater than all the ministers', but in front of the Jew he presented himself as his friend. And every day he schemed plots of his desire, that he should succeed in finding on him some defamation before the king.
Once the aforementioned pasha came to the aforementioned Jew, and he began to speak to him slyly, and he told him how he was by the king, and he heard from his mouth, "how he loves you, but he suffers from one thing, for when you come before him to speak with him, he is not able to bear the odor of your mouth, for he senses a bad odor wafting from your mouth, but he cannot be without you, and he has great suffering from this.""So for this my advice is that every time you come before the king, hold a kerchief with fragrance in front of your mouth, in order that the king won't sense the bad breath from your mouth, for the fragrance will dispel the bad odor, in order that you don't stink in the eyes of the king." And the aforementioned Jew, due to his temimus (innocence) believed his words, and decided in his mind to do so.
Afterwards the aforementioned pasha went to the king, and he told him that he heard from the aforementioned Jew, that he said that he has great suffering, for every time he speaks with the king he senses a bad odor emanating from the king's mouth, "therefore his resolution is that when he comes to speak to you, my master the king, he will hold a kerchief with fragrance against his mouth, in order not to sense the bad odor from the king's mouth. And this is the sign that my words are true, for tomorrow, when he comes to speak with you, you will see with your eyes that he will hold a kerchief against his mouth." When the king heard this he was very angry, and he said to him, "When I see that your words are true, then I will abolish him from the world."
And behold, the aforementioned Jew came on the morrow before the king, and he held a kerchief against his mouth as the pasha had advised him, because he believed his words. And when the king saw this, and it was clear in his mind that the words of the pasha were true, immediately he wrote a letter as follows, "When the person who gives over this note comes before you, throw him immediately into the incinerator which all those sentenced for execution are burned there." And the king sealed the letter with his seal, and said to this man, "I request of you, that you personally deliver this letter to the man written in the address, which is in such-and-such a place." And the aforementioned Jew took the letter, and promised the king that he would do as he said, and he didn't know what was written in it, and he went to his home.
Now this Jewish man mentioned above, was avidly active in the mitzvah to circumcise Jewish children, and whenever they would honor him with the mitzvah of cutting, he would not pay attention to any hindrance confronting him, because the mitzvah was very precious in his eyes. And then, on that day that he needed to travel to deliver the letter from the king to the place where it was to be sent, and Hashem, Who desired to save His trusted friend, brought about that someone came from a town and honored him to travel with him to the town and circumcise his son. And because his practice was not to leave this mitzvah for any reason, he began to contemplate, "What shall I do for the king's command, in the matter of his letter?" And Hashem brought about that the aforementioned pasha came before him, and he told over to the pasha that he was by the king, and the king gave him a letter for him to deliver to the person it was being sent to (him), and today Hashem presented him with the mitzvah of cutting, and my practice is not to leave this mitzvah for any reason, therefore I am requesting from you, that you should take the letter and bring it there. Now, the aforementioned pasha was very happy, because now he can slander him more, before the king, because he didn't do the king's desire with the letter. And the pasha took the letter from his hand, and delivered to the person it was being sent to (him) – and this was the executioner appointed to burn those that the king had sentenced to death. And immediately he grabbed the aforementioned pasha, and he threw him into the incinerator and he was burned, as he was deserving to be punished by Hashem, measure for measure.
Now the Jew did not know anything of the aforementioned (pasha) what was done to him. On the morrow he returned and came before the king. When the king saw him he was very puzzled, and said to him, "Have you still not delivered the letter that I put in your hands for that aforementioned man?" He answered him, "My master the king, the letter I gave over to (the aforementioned) Kaptzin Pasha, that he should deliver it to that man, because Hashem Yisburach presented me with the mitzvah of cutting, and my practice is not to leave this mitzvah." The king then understood, is it not a phenomenon that this pasha who has slandered him (the Jew) before him (the king) should be burned. So the king immediately asked the man, "What is this, that you hold a kerchief with fragrance against your mouth when you speak with me?" He answered him, that the pasha had given him this remedy, "because he told me that he heard from you, that you are unable to bear my bad breath." The king then told over to him how the pasha had slandered him before him, "that you said to him that you are unable to bear my bad breath, and therefore you will hold a kerchief with fragrance so as not to sense the bad odor from my mouth." And the king told over to him what was written in the letter that he had given him, and he said to him, "Now I know that Hashem is the ruler of the land Who saves His cherished from all bad; and to the aforementioned pasha, just as he schemed to do onto you, so was done to him, and Hashem returned unto him retribution upon his head." And from then on his importance in the eyes of the king was greater than all the ministers that were with him, and he was very, very important and precious in his eyes.
4. The Flood
A story of rain, regarding the matter that Hashem Yisburach will conquer the battle with only the simple, those who recite Psalms with simplicity etc., and not with those who go with wisdoms.
Rabbainu ob"m told over a parable of a king who went hunting, and he set out dressed as a commoner so as to facilitate the amusement.
In the middle, suddenly, heavy rain fell – literally a flood of water. All of the ministers scattered one by one etc., and the king was in dire danger, and he searched until he found a cottage. And there was a villager there, and he took the king (in), and dressed him, and gave him his (the villager's) food - groats (barley soup) etc., and he heated the oven and let the king sleep on its threshold. It was so sweet and pleasant for the king, that he never tasted such a taste of pleasantness, since he had been so tired and exhausted etc..
The royal ministers searched for the king until they came there, and saw that he was sleeping. They wanted the king to return home with them, but he told them, “Since you did not save me, rather everyone scattered to save himself, whereas this man saved me, and here I tasted such sweetness, therefore, he will bring me in his wagon, and with these clothes, and he will seat me on the royal throne.”
Rabbainu ob"m concluded this, that it is brought down that at the heels (the times ushering in) of the Messiah there will be a flood – they will shoot with heresy, not of water, but of foreign (-improper) thoughts. And they will cover all the towering mountains. Even in the Land of Israel, where the flood was not, just due to the force of their projection, the waters streamed there; i.e. it will splash in even into the kosher hearts, and with wisdoms no remedy will be able to be given. And all the royal ministers scattered, and all the royalty will not stand strong – will not hold up, just the simple Jews who recite Psalms with simplicity etc.. Therefore when the Messiah comes they will place the royal crown on his head.
There is another version to this story which was censored, without going over all the discrepancies of the main story as told above, I will just bring an additional part to the story not brought down in the standard printed version.
After the villager (according to the censured version, the villager is a gentile) crowns the king, the king tells him, "In reward for your saving me so much from death, ask for something from me and I will do it for you." And he asked from him a ridiculous thing: Being that there is a great distance from his house to Odessa, hundreds of miles, and his sons bring merchandise to Odessa and it is very laborious for them, because it's a long journey and it takes them days and years, and the profit goes for the trip, and they are not left with anything, just a small profit, "Therefore I ask that he should command to make the way shorter." And the king promised him, and commanded that they make the parsuos (large units of length) longer; e.g. if the parsu was twenty kilometers, they should now make the parsu forty kilometers, and thereby the way will be shorter, for in place of forty parsuos, now it will be just twenty parsuos.
In Rabbainu's concluding words mentioned above, he added mention to this addendum – that the simple Psalm reciters who unknowingly save the King and bring him back to crown him, should have the intelligence not to ask for something foolish.
Ivan
A parable of 'who is here?' that Rabbainu ob"m told over, that a man once traveled with a wagon driver (to Berlin or some other large city). The man went to attend to his needs, and the coachman, whose name was Ivan [-coarse, without sensitivity], was left with the wagon in the middle of the market. A policeman (soldier) came over to him and asked him why he was stationed there, and he said to him, "VerDa?" [“Who is here?”]
And he, thinking that the policeman was asking him his name, he said to him, “Ivan.”
And he struck him and said, "VerDa?!" [“Who is here?!”]
And he yells, "Ivan!"
And he strikes him and screams, "VerDa?!" ["Who is here?!"]
Until he (the policeman) took him (Ivan) with the wagon to a sidestreet.
When the man returned, he searched for him until he found him, and he said to him, “Ivan etc."
He (Ivan) replied in a whisper and with fear, "Do not say Ivan, just: VerDa."
After he left the city, he (Ivan) said to him, "Now you can call me Ivan."
There he was called VerDa [-Who is here?], and there he was called Ivan [-coarse and unsensative].
Rabbainu ob"m concluded, “By me it is 'ver-da', that is, 'who is he?' – that he knows his lowliness; and also his body (Ivan) is refined, and is called in the aspect of 'who' and 'what' – 'ver-da' ["who is here?"], and when they leave me it continues to be 'Ivan', the material (body) is materialistic."
Bitter Herbs
A story of bitter herbs that Rabbainu ob"m told over that once a Jew and a German went wandering about together. And the Jew taught the German to make himself out to be like a Jew (since the language (Yiddish and German) is the same), and (thereby) the Jews are compassionate and they will have mercy on him.
And when (/because) Passover was approaching, he taught him how to conduct himself throughout the whole seder (when the homeowner invites him to the house for the seder), that kidush is made, and the washing of the hands, he just forgot to tell him about the eating of bitter herbs.
When he came to the seder he was famished from the whole day, and anticipated eating all the good things that the Jew had told him, but they give him a piece of karpas (celery) in salt water, and the other items which are customary of the seder, and they recited the hagadah. And he was already looking expectantly for the eating, and he was happy that they are already eating the matzah. Suddenly they give him murror (bitter herbs), and his mouth became pungent, and he thought that this is the feast, that this alone is what they will eat. He immediately fled, with bitterness and hunger, and he thought to himself, "Cursed Jews, after the whole ceremony, this is what they give to eat." And he came to the beis medrash (house of Torah study) and slept. Afterwards the Jew came with joyous countenance, satiated from eating and drinking, and he (the Jew) asked him, "How was the seder for you?" He told him angrily.
He said to him, "Hoy German fool, if you would have waited a bit more, you would have eaten sumptuously like me."
The same is true in the matter of Rabbainu (and the service of Hashem), that after all the exertion and toil until the arrival (and drawing close to Rabbainu, or to the devotion of Hashem to purify the body), a bit of murror – bitterness – is given, because the purification of the body comes with bitterness, but the person thinks that it will always be just the bitterness, only this is all there is, just the bitterness etc., therefore he immediately flees. However, when (/because) he waits a bit, and endures this small bitterness of the purification of the body, then he feels afterwards all types of vitality and delight (and these parables, it is possible to learn from them counsel for all matters of the service of Hashem). This holds true in this matter of the service of Hashem, that first transpires the bitterness of the refinement of the body, but afterwards one feels the vitality etc.. [See also Medrash Rabbah, Beraishis 66:4; tzaddikim, their beginning is suffering and their end is harmony, and the evildoers have the opposite].
The Treasure Under the Bridge
A story he told of the treasure that is under the bridge, that once there was a man from a certain city, who dreamt that in Vienna, under the bridge there is a treasure. Therefore he traveled there and stood by the bridge and sought out a contrivance what to do. For in the day he was unable due to the people. And a soldier passed by there, and said to him, "What are you standing and contemplating?" He thought in his mind that it would be good to tell him in order that he would help him and they would divide it between them. He told him the whole matter. [The soldier] spoke up and said to him, "Ay (a) Jew gives consideration to a dream, in that case, I also dreamt that in such and such a place, by such and such a person (and he mentioned the city of the man, and the name of this man) in the closet there is a treasure, will I travel there?"
So the man travelled to his house, and dug in his closet and found the treasure. And he said afterwards, "Now I know: the treasure is by me, but in order for me to know of the treasure, it was necessary to travel to Vienna."
So it is in the matter of serving Hashem, that the treasure is by each one by himself, but in order to know of the treasure it is incumbent to travel to the tzaddik.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
The Turkey Prince
The parable about the turkey, that once a prince fell into a (hebephrenic) psychosis that he is a (bird called a) turkey, and it was a requisite for him to sit naked underneath the table and drag bits of bread and bones like a turkey. All the doctors despaired of helping him and healing him from this, and the king was extremely distressed by this.
Until a sage came along and said, “I take upon myself to heal him!”
He (the sage) too undressed himself naked, and sat underneath the table next to the aforementioned prince, and also dragged crumbs and bones.
The prince asked him, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
He answered (him), “And what are you doing here?”
He said (to him), “I’m a turkey.”
He said (to him), “I’m also a turkey.”
The two of them sat together like that for some time, until they became familiar with each other. Then the sage signaled, and they threw them a shirt.
The sage turkey said to the prince, “You think a turkey cannot go with a shirt? It is possible to wear a shirt and even still be a turkey!”
So they both put on a shirt.
After some time, he signaled, and they threw them pants. And he said to him again as before, "You think that with pants it is not possible to be a turkey etc.," ensuing with their donning pants. And so with the other clothing.
Afterwards, he signaled, and they threw them human food from the table, and he said to him, "You think that if one eats good foods it is no longer possible to be a turkey? It is possible to eat and still be a turkey." And they ate.
Afterwards, he said to him, "You think that a turkey must be specifically under the table? It is possible to be a turkey and be by the table."
And so he dealt with him until he healed him completely.
(There is a version with the following addition: And this is the aspect of what our Sages ob"m said on the verse (Kings I:5:11) "And he became more wise than all mankind," – even from the fools).
The referent is understandable to those with understanding.
(The transcriber says: It is possible to say, that a person who desires to draw close to the service of Hashem, behold he is a turkey dressed in materialism etc., and in this fashion it is possible, little by little, to draw himself close to the service of Hashem, until one enters completely. And so with the outreach to people in this fashion. And this is sufficient for the wise).
The Tainted Grain
The parable about grain, that once a king said to his dear friend the second to the king, “Being that I am an astrologer, I see that all the grain that will grow this year, whoever eats from it will become crazy. Taking this into consideration, devise a plan.”
And he replied (to him), that they should therefore prepare for themselves grain so that they wouldn't need to eat from the aforementioned grain.
The king replied to him, “If so, when we alone will not be crazy, and the whole world will be crazy, then it will be the opposite (and to prepare for everyone is impossible) – we will be the crazy ones. Therefore certainly we will also have to eat from the grain, just this – that we will make a sign on our foreheads so that at least we will know that we are crazy. For if I will look at your forehead, and so, when you look at my forehead, we will know from the sign that we are crazy.
There is another version to this story (Siach Sarfey Kodesh 2:271), that it was the second to the king who suggested that they would have to eat from the tainted grain, but the king vehemently rejected this, saying that just because the whole world was crazy, they do not, and should not be crazy. And if they would appear to be crazy to the rest of the world, so what. That is no reason to eat the grain that makes people crazy. So they would prepare grain for themselves.
This version of the story is presented with the referent that so it is with the service of Hashem, that just because the world is crazy, caught up in the empty pursuits and vanities of this world, one must be strong to engage only in Torah, mitzvos, and good deeds, even if he will appear to be crazy to the rest of the world. A citation is also given to the Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) which based on the verse in Isaiah (59:15) says that a person who wants to distance himself from evil, will appear crazy. In Sefer Hamidos (The Aleph Bet Book; Truth item #31) Rabbi Nachman says: One who wants to turn away from evil, and sees that there is no truth in the world, makes himself as a fool.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
The Deer
The parable about a king who chased after a deer but was unable to catch it, and the royal ministers stood (themselves) up and said, "Our master the king, let us return etc.." The king spoke up and said, "I must hunt down the deer, and whoever wants to return, let him return…."
It is brought down that Rabbi Nachman said this parable in regard to the Torah he revealed in Likutay Moharan 55) where the deer symbolizes the Holy Land of Israel. Moses is also likened to a deer (switching the letters in the A"T Ba"Sh code, also deer means desire, the trait of Moses), and Saba Yisroel is known to be king, as our Sages said, who are the kings? The rabbis, and Saba is the last known verified rabbi. Thus this parable alludes to Saba's unsuccessful attempt at bringing the holy tomb of Rabbi Nachman – the aspect of Moses, to Israel. And when those around him gave up, Saba said, "I must continue going to Uman, and work on bringing the holy tomb to Israel, and whoever wants to say Uman is over and remain in Jerusalem, let him…"
Appeasing the King
Another story Rabbainu ob"m told over, that there was a king who was practicing astrology, and he saw that if they would not harvest the grain this year by a certain time, all the grain would spoil etc. etc.. And the time was short.
He resolved to take harvesters and give them all the amenities and all their needs in order that they would have expanded consciousness to work by day and by night, so that they could finish the harvest before the aforementioned deadline. And they, on the contrary, they enjoyed the pleasures and they forgot (the task), and the aforementioned deadline passed, and they did not harvest the grain, and all the grain spoiled.
They didn't know what to do so that the king would not be angry at them. A Sage advised them how the king loves a certain bird, and by bringing him this bird, through the pleasure (nachas ruach) and the delight from this, it will atone for everything. But it is very difficult to obtain the bird, because it is in a place high up in the air, and they do not have a ladder, and time is short. And the sage advised them, as they were many people, so they should position themselves one upon his fellow, higher and higher, until they would reach the bird. But they fought with each other, because each one wanted that he should be above and his friend beneath him. And through their fighting they were negligent and the bird flew away, and thus they were left to the anger of the king on account of their negligence of harvesting the grain, as mentioned.
(The import is, that Hashem Yisburach created man, and gave him all the delights and everything so that they would harvest the grain before he would be spoiled with infringement of the covenant (- sexual morality), and to serve Hashem Yisburach etc. with clean mind. But he was negligent through the pleasures, until he stumbled with the grain that already spoiled and the mind was marred, Heaven save us. But there was still the recourse through the bird, which is the tzaddik, through which everything would have been atoned. But through the strife and jealousy, that everyone desires to be above, through this they are distant and do not bond to the tzaddik etc.. And this is sufficient for the wise).
The Book of Eylim defeats the heretical scholars
Found in a hidden manuscript is the following story regarding the Book of Eylim (Eylim is a place mentioned in the Torah e.g. Exodus 15:27), and it is a very precious book authored by a G-dly man, Rabbi Yosef of Kandia ob"m. In his days five hundred students outstanding in Torah gathered, and they began to study books of philosophy and the Guide for the Perplexed, until they became wanton and heretic in the Living G-d, and they said that the world etc. and that there is no Divine Supervision over the world Heaven forbid. And all the aforementioned students came to the tzaddik Rabbi Yosef of Kandia ob"m so that he too would approve with them on this evil theme. And the aforementioned tzaddik, when he heard this matter, he was seized with dread. And they began to present proofs and debate with him, and he was unable to bring them around from this matter. And he spoke up and said to them, "Give me some time and I will answer you." And they gave him some time, and they went away.
And the aforementioned tzaddik sent letters to all the great rabbis, that they should come to him quickly. And they came to him. And he told them the aforementioned matter, and they all prayed to Hashem, and they fasted night and day, and also the aforementioned tzaddik fell on his face for three days and three nights, not eating bread and not drinking water. After the three days (and) he got up quickly from the ground, and he said, "A time to act upon for Hashem, nullify (/they have nullified) your (/Your) Torah (Psalms 119:126)." And he took a scribes pen in his hand, and he wrote without rest, he didn't eat and didn't drink, did not learn and didn't pray, just wrote with a scribes pen, and he composed the aforementioned book which is called the Book of Eylim.
Afterwards when all the students came to him, (and) he took the aforementioned book, and he put it in their hands. And with this book he defeated them (because all the wisdoms are there, and they saw his wisdom, and even still he is a believer, so it seems to me), and they all became consummate tzaddikim.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
MaHaRShA – Rabbi Shmuel Eidels
(When Rabbainu stayed in Austria, he visited the house of the Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society), who had a ledger (pinkus), which had printed in it on every page, a story and special phenomena that took place in the city in former times. And when someone desired to see it, he would pay a coin called a "rendel" for the reading of each page, for the benefit of the communal fund. There Rabbainu saw the three stories of the Maharsha which he told over to his daughter, thereby healing her).
Story 1 – Maharsha meets with King Achav and demotes rabbi to wagon driver
The Maharsha ob"m was the Rav in a certain community, and he sat and learned with his yeshiva the entire day. There was a rav of the province who had jurisdiction over the Maharsha ob"m, and all the rabbis of the communities associated to that provincial rav were obligated to come before the provincial rav to greet him and receive from him ordinance, as was customary in the previous generations. And so it was, all the rabbis (all of them) of all the communities came to greet the provincial rav, and the rav the Maharsha ob"m didn't come to him, he just sat and learned continuously. And the provincial rav judged him favorably saying, "Perhaps because he is busy reading (the holy texts) therefore he didn't come to the royal table. And the provincial rav settled and travelled to him, to the place where the holy rav the Maharsha ob"m abided. And he came to the city, and the whole city hurried towards him as customary, and they all came to greet him. And the rav the Maharsha ob"m did not desire to go out to him. And again the provincial rav judged him favorably, accounting this as well to the cessation of Torah – that he doesn't want to abstain from his learning. And the provincial rav said, "I will go to him." So the provincial rav got up and went to the synagogue where the rav the Maharsha ob"m sat with his students, and he came to the synagogue. And the rav the Maharsha didn't budge from his place and didn't pause from his learning, and didn't give him Shalom at all. Even still, he again judged him favorably now, and said, "Perhaps this also is because he doesn't wish to stop his mouth from reading (the holy Torah)."
In the interm a handsome youth came to the synagogue, and immediately the Maharsha hurried towards him, and got up before him fully erect and accorded him honor, and spoke with him a great deal. Then the provincial rav was fuming at the Maharsha ob"m, and he was very angry at him and denigrated him, and he said, "At first when you didn't come to me to my place, I judged you favorably, and I accounted that to the void of Torah (it would entail); afterwards when I came to your place and you didn't come to me, I also judged you favorably, and accounted this as well to the void of Torah (involved). Afterwards when I came to the synagogue and you didn't give me Shalom, I also judged you favorably, and I accounted this as well to the void of Torah (involved), that you don't want to pause from the Torah whatsoever. Now I see that it is falsehood, for behold the youth you accorded honor, and spoke with him a great deal in the middle of your learning. And he was furious with him.
And the Maharsha said, let it be a sign and a presage that this youth will be killed in two hours. And the rav did not want to believe, and he took the aforementioned youth and went with him here and there, and spoke with him a very great deal, so as not to leave him to disappear from sight until the two hours passed, in order to refute the words of the Maharsha ob"m. And it came to be while they traversed the city, a lord of some sort went and passed by them, and he was pressing on his firearm innocently to shoot some bird or the like as is their way, and he hit the aforementioned youth, immediately after two hours like the words of the Maharsha ob"m, nothing was unfulfilled. And the aforementioned provincial rav ran and came to the Maharsha ob"m, and the Maharsha ob"m said to him that soon they will bring here someone who was killed. In the middle of their talking, it was heard immediately that they had brought some casualty to the city. Then the aforementioned provincial rav was confounded, and he asked the Maharsha, "What is this?" Then the Maharsha told him, and revealed to him the entire matter. "Being that this youth was a reincarnation of Achav King of Israel, and because of this he had accorded him so much honor. And because Achav King of Israel was killed, this youth was compelled to be killed as well. So as soon as this youth came out to this world, immediately a destroying entity was created in order to kill that aforementioned youth, and it stood in that place, that is near this city, and it anticipated the arrival of the time of this aforementioned youth so that he would be killed by it. And because you held him back as mentioned until he was killed here by the aforementioned lord, through this it was necessary to give that destroying entity a different man in his place, and this is the casualty that was kill by its hand. Therefore you must accept upon yourself repentance, for by your hand this casualty was killed, because you brought this about through the delay which you held back the youth here as mentioned."
Then the provincial rav fell before the feet of the Maharsha and appeased him, and pleaded before him that he should forgive him, and requested him that he should give him penance. And the Maharsha said to him, "Your penance is that you should remove your hand from the crown of the rabbinate, and you should be a wagon driver. And he accepted this upon himself, and became a wagon driver. "And the word of our G-d will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8)."
Story 2. The Maharsha sinks a church
A second story about the Maharsha ob"m. In Austria, the place of the Maharsha, the gentiles had an impurity (-church); when the Jews needed to go with a dead person by way of this place (because they didn't have an alternate route), then they would ring etc., and whoever went that way would become an apostate may the Merciful One save us. And the Maharsha ob"m commanded that when he passes away from this world and they carry him that way, they should place upon him the composition "Maharsha" which he composed, and they did so. And all the priests gathered there and began to ring. And they stood his bed stationary, and the Maharsha ob"m sat himself up and began to leaf through the pages, and the impurity with the people began to be swallowed into the earth, and they were all swallowed into the earth. And until today there is a sign of this that they were swallowed into the earth.
Story 3. Maharsha's successor reveals himself and the true status of the elite
A third story about the Maharsha ob"m. When they built the synagogue in Austria, and they needed a lot of money to build it, therefore they made the setting of the corner stone with a large assembly, and they announced the sale of the setting of the corner stone, until a wealthy man bought it for a sack full of gold coins. Afterwards he honored the Maharsha ob"m that he should set the stone. The Maharsha said to him, that in return for this, he (the wealthy man) should ask of him (the Maharsha) for something, and he requested to have a son like the Mahrasha. The Maharsha answered him that this is very difficult, so he should ask for something else, and he was obstinate for this specific thing. So the Maharsha said to him, "If so, when your wife gets pregnant you will die, and when she gives birth, she will die as well, and I will receive the child and I will raise him by me." And they agreed on this. And so it was. And he grew up by the Maharsha ob"m. And he was hidden – they did not see by him any greatness. And before the Maharsha passed away, he commanded that he (the orphan) should fill his position, and so it was. And this rav never went to any funeral of the city's dignitaries, and this was troubling in the eyes of the congregation, and they censured him on this. And he told the attendant to call him when there would be a funeral for a head of the congregation. And so it was, and the rav went out, and he spread a cloth over the bed, and everyone saw how the avenging angels snatched the dead man from the bed etc.. And he said to them, if this is the case with your dignitaries, how do you expect me to attend their funeral? And from then on they recognized his greatness, that he is worthy to be in the place of the Maharsha ob"m.
Guarding one's eyes versus hiding one's good deeds
The story Rabbainu ob"m told over, that in the times of the Baal Shem Tov ob"m there was a musician (klezmer) who was blind, and he would play at weddings, and this was his livelihood. After he passed away it became known that he wasn’t blind at all, and he had good eyes, just that in order not to look at women he made himself, his whole life, as if he was blind, and the whole world thought he was blind. In addition there was a very wealthy man who was a big miser who didn't give even a piece of bread for charity, and because of this he was disdained in everyone's eyes. And there was a huge philanthropist then who sustained all the poor, with food, and drink, and all their needs etc.. Now, when the aforementioned rich man whom everyone disdained because of his stinginess, passed away, the next day when all the poor people went to the aforementioned philanthropist for sustenance, he answered them that now he did not have what to give them, for all that he had given them the whole time was just from the rich miser who had died. He didn't want to take pleasure from the honor they would give him for his benevolent heart, and so that the mitzvah would be pure without any ulterior motives, therefore he would give the charity to this man to distribute, and him everyone considered to be a big miser. And now that he died, there was no one to give (the charity), and then everyone knew his greatness. (translator note. Shlomo Carlbach used to tell over this story of Yosselle the holy miser of Krakow, and this led to an amazing sequel).
The Baal Shem Tov ob"m said that both of them, the aforementioned blind musician and this rich miser, both of them are on the same level (see Isaiah 42:19). They merited to what they merited, fortunate are they!
The Rabbi who chose to dress like a priest
The story that Rabbianu ob"m told about the tende and rende (vestments of a priest), that once there was a rav who went collecting donations (for redeeming captives or for the marriage of a orphan bride), and he needed some hundreds of adumim. He approached a rich man and solicited him. The rich man told him that he has (by him) a tende and rende (vestments of a priest), and if he (the rav) would wear it, and traverse all the streets of the city dressed like that, then he will give him all the money he needs for the aforementioned charity. And he agreed to this, and did so, and he took from him the money that was needed for charity. Afterwards he (the rav) requested from him that he give him as a present the (tende and rende) aforementioned vestments, and he gave them to him. Before the rav passed away he left a will that from this vestment (the tende and rende) they should make the shrouds for him. And they did this for him, and a small portion of the foot was left which this vestment didn't suffice, and they made that piece from something else. After many years there was a cause that forced them to clear out his grave, and they found that the whole body was complete not having been attacked by maggots, except for the small portion of the foot which wasn't dressed from the tende and rende.
Trust
Rabbainu Hakadosh told over this story on the night of the 4th of Elul 5566, and it was publicized by Rabbi Yisroel Karduner ob"m.
[Rabbi Nachman] spoke up and said, furthermore I have told over a story about trust (in Hashem), and this is it:
A king said in his heart, “Can anyone be found with nothing to worry about, more than I? For I have everything good, and I am king and ruler.” And he went to investigate this. He would go at night, and he would stand behind the houses to heed and listen to the talk of the populace. He would hear the worries of each one, that for this one it isn't working out properly in his store, and afterwards he went to another house, and heard that he is worried for he has concern from the government, and so all the other worries of each and everyone.
Afterwards he went and saw a low house standing submerged in the ground, the windows low down hugging the earth, and the roof fallen in and broken. He saw there, someone sitting playing the violin so that it was necessary to listen attentively in order to hear the sound, and he was extremely happy, and there was a pot with beverage set before him, and the beverage was wine, and foods were set before him, and he was extremely happy, full of happiness without any worries whatsoever. He went and entered the house and asked his wellbeing, and he answered him. And he saw the pot with the beverage before him, and the variety of foods and how he was just full of joy. And he honored (-offered refreshment to) the king to drink, and he drank with the king, and the king also drank for the sake of comradery. Afterwards he lay down to sleep, and (the king) saw that he is just happy without any worry. In the morning the king got up, and he also got up and escorted the king out.
The king asked him, "From where do you (have the wherewithal) to buy all this?"
He answered (him), "I am able to fix all necessary repairs of broken objects. For I am not capable of a complete craft, just the repair of broken items. I go out in the morning, and I mend some things, and when I have earned from this a sum of five or six golden, I buy for myself all these items of food and drink."
When the king heard this, he said in his heart, "I will ruin this for him."
The king went and made a proclamation, that whoever has something to be fixed, should not give it to anyone for repair, rather he should fix it himself or buy a new one.
In the morning he went asking for things that need fixing, and they told him that the king had decreed not to give anything to anyone for repair. This was bad in his eyes, but he trusted in Hashem. So he went and saw a rich man chopping wood, and he asked him, "Why are you chopping wood? Is this befitting of you?"
He said to him, "I searched for someone to chop the wood and couldn't find anyone, so I was forced to chop it myself."
He said to him, "Allow me, and I will chop with you."
And he chopped the wood, and the rich man gave him a golden. He saw that this is good, and he went to chop more wood, until he had earned six golden, and he once again bought the whole feast (Rabbainu used this language: 'in dey si-ooda iz given a si-ooda' – and the feast was a feast), and he was happy. And the king went again behind the window of his house to see, and he saw that this one sits and the drink and foods are before him, and he is extremely happy. The king went and entered inside the house, and he saw as before, and he lay down there also like the first night, and in the morning the man got up and escorted the king out. And he asked him, "From where do you (have the wherewithal) to buy this, for this costs money?"
He answered him, "My practice was to fix all the things that were broken, and afterwards the king decreed to no longer give anyone to fix, so I chopped wood until I put together money for this as before."
The king went from him and decreed not to give anyone to chop wood.
And when the man came to chop wood, he was told that the king had decreed an edict not to give anyone to chop wood. And it was bad in his eyes, for there was no money (to be made), but he trusted in Hashem. So he went, and he saw someone cleaning a shed, and he asked him, "Who are you, that you clean a shed?"
He answered him, "I searched but couldn't find anyone to clean for me, so I was forced to clean it myself."
He said to him, "Allow me and I will clean."
He stood and cleaned it, and he gave him two golden. He went and cleaned more sheds and put together six golden, and he purchased again the whole feast as before, and he went home (and the feast was a feast), and he was extremely happy. The king went again to see, and he saw again everything as before, and he entered the house as before. Afterwards in the morning he again escorted the king out, and the king asked him again as before, and he answered him everything recounted above. The king went and decreed not to give anyone to clean a shed.
In the morning the man went searching for sheds to clean, and they told him that the king decreed against this as mentioned. The man went and hired himself out as a soldier by the minister who acquires soldiers for the king. For there are soldiers who are conscripted as determined by the country, and there are soldiers which are hired. So he went and hired himself out as a soldier, and he stipulated with the minister that he is not hiring himself out interminably, just temporarily, and that he would be given his wages each and every day in the morning. And the minister immediately dressed him in army uniform, and girded him with a sword on his side, and sent him to the necessary place. Afterwards, in the evening, when he had done all his tasks, he threw off the uniform and purchased for himself the whole feast mentioned above, and he went home (and the feast was a feast), and he was extremely happy. The king went again to see, and he saw that everything was set before him, and he is extremely happy as before, and he entered his house and lay down as before, and he asked him as before, and he told him everything recounted above. The king went and called the minister and commanded him not to lift his hand to pay anyone that day.
In the morning he went to the minister to get his pay for the day, and he did not acquiesce. And he asked him, "Did I not stipulate with you, that you would pay me every day?"
He answered him, that the king had decreed not to pay anyone that day. And all his arguments with him were to no avail, and he told him, "Better I pay you tomorrow for two days, but today it is impossible to pay you."
What did he do? He went and broke off a piece of the sword and fixed a piece of wood in its place, and it was not visible or evident at all from the outside. And he went and pawned the piece and purchased again the whole feast mentioned above (and the feast was a feast). The king went again and saw that the joy was complete as before, and he again entered his house and lay down there as before, and he asked his as before, and he told him everything recounted above, that he was forced to break the blade of the sword from the handle, and he pawned it in order to buy for himself the necessities of the feast, "and after, when I receive the money for that day, I will redeem and fix the sword and it won't be at all discernible, for I am able to fix anything broken (and there will be no harm to the king).
The king went to his home, and he called the minister and commanded him; being that there was someone sentenced to death, therefore call that soldier that you hired to be a soldier, and command him specifically, that he should cut off the head of the one sentenced to death. The minister went and did so, and he called him, and he came before the king. And the king commanded for all the ministers to gather in order to see the comedy, that there was found a man who stuck a piece of wood in place of the sword. And he came before the king, and he fell at his feet, and asked him, "My master the king, why was I summoned?"
He said to him, "In order to severe the head of the (man) sentenced to death."
He replied to him, and entreated before him, being that he never shed blood, therefore he should call someone else to do it. And the king replied (to him), that he specifically must kill him now.
He said to the king, "Is the verdict for this clear, perhaps the judgment isn't clear that he is liable of death, and I have never shed blood, certainly I shouldn't shed blood which isn't clear that he is liable of death."
The king replied to him, "Certainly the judgment is clear that he is liable of death, for there is certainly a verdict on this (which is called 'decreed'), and now you specifically are obligated to execute him."
He saw that it was impossible to influence the king. He turned himself to Hashem Yisburach and said, "Almighty G-d (Ei"l Shada"i – a Divine Name not to be pronounced in vain outside of prayer), I have never spilled blood, and if this man isn't liable of death, let the iron be made into wood." And he grabbed the sword, and drew it from its sheath, and everyone saw that it was wood, and there was an uproar of laughter there.
The king saw that he is such a pleasing man, so he let him off in peace.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
Inside Breslov Tradition
The following is a translation of the writings of the holy R’ Getzel who was a prime student of R’ Avrohom the son of Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin (who was one of the most dedicated students of R’ Nussun of Breslov) .
Shavuos (holiday of receiving the Torah) 632 (1872), the holy group in Uman sat together after the mikva of the 50th gate, to speak hidden words about the future, and they said, “it says (Psalms 132) “and her priest I will dress in salvation, and her benevolent (hasidim) will sing delightfully, there I will produce a stronghold for David I set up a candle for my anointed”, the explanation is as follows, in the future “and her priests” - the priests those are the men of the ‘Master of Prayer’ (from the stories of Rabbi Nachman) who is Rabbainu of blessed memory – for they are the priests, “and her benevolent (hasidim) will sing rejoicefully”
H”Y will do a great kindness, and He will reveal the song that will be aroused in the future, before it’s time (to be revealed). “there”, do not read it as ‘shum’ (there) but as ‘shaim’ (the letters stay the same, there is just a change of vowels) – name, that is the name of the Tzadik which is united in the name of H”Y. “I will produce” this word has the numerical value of the name of the Tzadik (Nachman with the inclusive = 149). and “a stronghold” has the numerical value of his name of blessed memory like this, y, y-h, ect. (this is the way the Zohar presents the code of the future song using the letters of H”Y’s name, when this is applied to the name of the Tzadik – NaChMaN: Na NaCh NaChMa NaChMaN, the numerical value is the same as the word ‘stronghold’) with it’s letters and inclusive (354).
Friday, midday, 20th of Tamuz 632 (1872).
R’ Avrohom n”y (may his light shine) got up from the mikva (ritual bath), and after putting on his Shabbos garments was in awesome intense fervor, tremendously bound to H”Y, and he said, “in the time span of (or approximately) 50 years, there will arise a beautiful lad of good appearance who will renew the matter of Rabbainu with a new thing which never has been such a wonder like this, which will make a very great upheaval for the matter of redemption and a great goodness for the whole entire world.” amen, let it be soon in our days.
Epilogue. In the year 1922, on the 23rd of Tamuz, Saba Yisroel received a petek – a little note from Rabbi Nachman which was signed: Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman.
free download of all these stories and parables:
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Rabbi Nachman's Stories
http://naanaach.blogspot.co.il/2015/05/stories-of-ancient-times-by-rabbi.html
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
Wondrous Stories (and parables) – from the holy book Stars of Light (Koachvey Ohr)
(free download link at end of the page)
Mazal
A story of a pauper who would sit in the Beis Medrash (House of Torah Study) and learn (Torah). Once an astrologer (who is called rosh bit. Lit. a stargazer) came to the city, and the whole city ran to him. But the pauper sat in the Beis Medrash and didn't go to him. His wife came to him, inside the Beis Medrash, and she didn't find anyone there except for her husband, because all of them went to the seer. And she screamed at him, "You are a destitute lazy mishap! Why don't you go to the astrologer? But he didn't want to go, and she badgered him more, until he was forced to go to him. He came to the astrologer, and he (the astrologer) said to him that his mazal (fate, fortune, aptitude) is that he should be a thief. He returned to the Beis Medrash to his learning, and his wife came and she said to him, "What did he tell you?" He said to her, "He said to me, a beggar, remain a beggar." In the evening he came to his house, and ate his main (lit. large) meal, namely a piece of bread. While he was eating he began to chuckle, and his wife asked him, "What are you laughing (about)? Certainly you know something, and you don't want to tell me." He said to her, "No, he didn't tell me anything, I am simply laughing (for no special reason)." He ate some more, and again, a second time, he began to laugh, and she asked him as before, and he answered her as before. In the middle of all this he burst out laughing, and he laughed so heartily he emitted an odor from his mouth. She said to him again, "See! Certainly you know something." He told her that the astrologer told him that his mazal was that he should be a thief. She replied that she doesn't want him to be a thief, "and it is good for us to be poor, however it may be, as Hashem provides, and you should not be a thief."
Afterwards Shabbat arrived, presumably they had everything nice for Shabbat in order, that is, challah (loaves) of grain bread, and the rest of courses properly. And they sat to eat, and he had presumably four-five daughters and they grabbed from each other a piece of bread, for also the aforementioned bread he did not have adequately sufficient. His wife spoke up and said, "Master of the World! I am very fed up already with this poverty to the extent that I want you to be a thief, so that we don't suffer this scrimping." He was forced to fulfill her desire. [Yid: Ya givalt oon nit givalt, in fort gegahngen – He did want and/or he didn't want, nevertheless he went – and so each time Rabbainu used this expression].
He went to steal, and he settled himself to go to the wealthiest man of the city to steal. So he went to steal, and he found the guards sleeping, and no one challenged him whatsoever. So he went to the store, and the lock was open, because that was his mazal, and so he went to the register, and he found its lock open as well. So he took four-five rubles (adumim) just enough for his livelihood, and he brought (it) to his wife, and said to her, "See, I have fulfilled your desire, and draw your expenditures from this, for I will not continue to steal again." She answered him, that certainly she also does not desire this, just that it was incumbent because of the duress.
Afterwards, one time she began screaming at him, "beggar mishap, you were in the store, why didn't you take (enough) to get me a yoopu (a long unlined silk robe worn for formal occasions), and he was forced to go steal again. He went to the store and he found a thief standing there, and he asked him, "Who are you?" And he replied, "I am a thief." And so he (the other guy) asked him, and he answered likewise, that he is a thief. The aforementioned pauper said to him, "Let us become partners in robberies, I have the mazal for this," and he agreed to this. The pauper said in his mind, "if we steal here, we will make the owner of the house into a pauper, for I, by myself, would steal just what I need for a yoopa, but now he will steal a lot and the owner of the house will be left with nothing." So he said to the thief, "Why should we bring loss to a Jew, better that we go steal by a gentile." And he agreed to this, and they settled to go steal by the king (who lived in this city), for certainly he can steal there, for that is his mazal as mentioned. The thief said, "It would be good for us to steal the king's set (-pair) of clothing that he wears when they coronate him, and certainly it will be enough for us for generations upon generations, for I know where they are placed. The pauper agreed, for certainly he could steal them, for that was his mazal. And they went there, and they went to a room more interior than a (outer) room, and they found the clothing, and the pockets (/the encasing) of the clothing were very valuable, and they took them.
Afterwards they start to quarrel between them, because one garment was large, and one garment was small. The thief said that he is entitled to the large one, because he had the intel on them, and the pauper said that he was entitled to the large one, because he was the one with the mazal, and with his mazal they stole them. The pauper said that he will go ask the king. The thief said, "How is that possible?" He said to him, "Nevertheless, I will go and ask him." The thief said, "If you could do this, that you go and ask the king, then I myself will give you the large garment." He went with him to the king, and lying near the king was one who told over stories to the king so that he would sleep. So they came, and they both grasped the king's bed, that he was sleeping there, and they carried the bed with the king to a room. In the interim the king woke up, and he thought that he was in his place. And the thief began to tell him the story as is written above, from two thieves mentioned above, and he asked the king, "Who is entitled to the large garment?" The king was outraged at him, "What are you asking me? Certainly the pauper is entitled, because they were stolen with his mazal! It would be good for you to tell me a story," and he told him a story, and the king slept. They stood and carried the bed, and they returned it to the first room.
In the morning it became known that the king's clothing mentioned above, were stolen. The king remembered that the one who lies by him had told him the aforementioned story, and had asked him who was entitled to the large garment, and he said that certainly he knows from the robbery. So they beat him, and he said he doesn't know, and they beat him profusely and tortured him very much, but he claimed, "I do not know." The king sent for the archbishop (who is called archiriga) to ask him about the aforementioned story, if it is possible that even still that aforementioned man did not steal them. The priest said that it was possible that he did not know. And the priest said that is was foolish of the king for ruling that the pauper was entitled to the large garment. The king was very outraged at the priest for considering him to be a fool, and he wanted to do something to him, but was unable. And they were searching very much for the theft, but they did not find (anything). The king commanded to announce that whoever had stolen (the clothing), should come and acknowledge, for certainly they will not do anything to him, for the king desires to know how it is possible to steal these clothing. And crowds and crowds of people congregated discussing this.
The pauper came and asked them, "What is it that you are discussing?" And they informed him. He spoke up and said, "What is the commotion? He who stole will return." And they screamed at him. And so he came again and asked, and they screamed at him, "Beggar, behold you are liable for your life, for they will say of you, that you know about the theft." He said, "Yes, I know of the theft." They said to him, "If you know, go and tell." He said, "I will tell." So the pauper came to the king, and said, "I know of the theft." The king said that he desires strongly to see the thief. He replied, "I am he." And the king kissed him, and asked him, "How did you steal (them)?" And he told him over the whole story as above, and they sought the thief, and they returned also the second garment which was by him.
The king said to the pauper, "Make contrivances to ensnare the aforementioned archbishop, because I am upset with him." He said, "So I will do." The pauper commanded to make for him clothing like the archbishop wears when he performs their prayers, and that they should catch many fish-reptile (that are called ruckees), and that they should give him many candles. And he went and dressed himself in the clothing mentioned, and he stuck a candle to each and every reptile, and he lit the candles mentioned, and he let the reptiles mentioned run and fly inside his prayer house, and he stood on the place from which thing are conducted. And he began to shout, and they all came and gathered there, and the aforementioned priest also came, and he was very frightened because he saw a flame, and a voice was calling, but he didn't know what it was. He said to the priest, that he revealed himself to him because he wants to bring him into paradise immediately. The priest fell on his face, and the pauper said to him that before he can enter paradise he must first go a bit to hell, and afterwards he will bring him into paradise. And he ordered the priest to get into a sack, and he got in. He went and tied him and carried him to the king, and hung him before the king's courtyard, and informed him. Everyone went out and saw someone hanging in a sack, and they didn't know what it is, and they began to throw stones at it, and they threw so many stones at it until they hit him, beaten and bruised, and broke all his teeth. And the priest didn't know what this was, if this was the hell that was told to him, that he needs to go to first, or if this is a trick. Afterwards, when they had beaten him, the king said to throw him out, and they threw him out, and untied the sack, and he left there in great disgrace.
[In an alternate version I heard, the end was that they took him to be hung, because the end of a thief is to be hung, and when they were bringing him, someone (the Accuser) went with a sack of shoes, and said to him, "so much effort I toiled, and so many shoes I tore, until I brought you to this etc..] (The copier says: For this is the way of the Accuser, to entice and afterwards incite [Yid: raytz her zich] as is brought down in the Story Tale (#8) about the Rabbi and his only son etc..):
In Siach Sarfey Kodesh (3:99) this alternative version is what is presented; when the pauper is told that the king desires to see the thief: 'He does want and/or he doesn't want' and yet he goes and tells the king the whole story, from beginning to end. The royal ministers and the judges tell the king, that even though you don't hold it against him and pardon him, however we demand justice from him, and they sat and judged how to punish him, and they decreed that his punishment was that he must be hung. When they were taking him to be hung he saw from a far the astrologer carrying a sack full of torn shoes etc..
One Thing Brought the Success
What is brought in the Conversations of Rabbi Nachman (item #166) that he said, with one thing I was successful, and through this I merited to what I merited, and he said in this language: mit ain zach iz meer gerutin, and it is not explained there what the thing is, and I heard that he said, for it is brought in the words of the kabbalists that Adam HuRishon (the first), when he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, all the souls tasted, but his (Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman's) holy soul merited that it did not taste from the Tree of Knowledge whatsoever.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
A Man Stronger Than a Diamond
2. A story that Rabbainu ob"m told over. A story of a pauper who supported himself from digging clay to sell. Once he was digging clay and he found in the place that he dug a gem which was worth an absolute fortune, but he didn't know its value. So he went to a craftsman to appraise its worth, and he answered that there was no one in this country that could pay its value, and he would need to travel to London, to the imperial city. But he was poor, and he did not have money to travel. So he went and sold everything he had, and he went from house to house for donations, until he had enough to travel until the sea. And he wanted to board the ship but he didn't have money. So he went to the captain and showed him the gem, and immediately the captain took him aboard the ship with great honor, and said to him, you are high certainty. And he gave him a special first class cabin, with all the amenities like a prized magnate. And his cabin had a window into the sea. And he was always delighting and rejoicing his soul with the diamond. And especially at mealtimes, for through joy and an expanded heart, it is beneficial and healing, to facilitate the digestion of the food.
One time he sat to eat, and the diamond was resting on the table, to be delighted with, and he slept. In the interim the servant came and took the tablecloth and the crumbs, and didn't know from the diamond, and he threw everything into the sea. And when he awoke from his sleep, and he understood all this, he had great anguish, and he almost went out of his mind, and what could he do, the captain is a marauder who would kill him for the price of the trip on the ship. Therefore he made himself happy as if he didn't know.
And the custom of the captain was to speak with him every day for a few hours, and so he came on this day, and he made himself happy to the extent that he did not recognize in him any change. And the captain said to him, "Behold I know that you are wise and of straight heart, and I want to buy a lot of grain to sell in London, and I can profit handsomely, but I am worried that they should not say of me that I steal from the king's warehouse (/treasury), therefore the purchase will be in your name, and I will pay you well. This was appealing in his eyes, and they did so.
Immediately upon their arrival in London the captain died, and everything was left by this man, and it was double, quadruple the value of the diamond. And Rabbainu ob"m concluded that the diamond was not his, and the proof is that it was lost from him. And the grain was his, and the proof is that it remained by him. [Yid: un vus her iz gekuemen tzu zany zach iz nur viel her hut zich dehr halten-] And everything that came to his cause, was only due to his holding himself up etc..
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
3. A Story that our Master, Leader, and Teacher Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman told over about a Kaptzin Pasha.
Once by the Turkish King (Sultan) there was a man from our Jewish brethren, who was very important in his eyes, more than all the royal ministers that he had, and he loved him with very great and strong love, more than all the royal ministers that he had. And every single day he would call him to his house to delight in his company. The royal ministers were jealous of him, and they schemed plots to defame him before the king so that he should eradicate him from the world. And between them there was a pasha who was called Kaptzin Pasha, whose hatred for this Jew was greater than all the ministers', but in front of the Jew he presented himself as his friend. And every day he schemed plots of his desire, that he should succeed in finding on him some defamation before the king.
Once the aforementioned pasha came to the aforementioned Jew, and he began to speak to him slyly, and he told him how he was by the king, and he heard from his mouth, "how he loves you, but he suffers from one thing, for when you come before him to speak with him, he is not able to bear the odor of your mouth, for he senses a bad odor wafting from your mouth, but he cannot be without you, and he has great suffering from this.""So for this my advice is that every time you come before the king, hold a kerchief with fragrance in front of your mouth, in order that the king won't sense the bad breath from your mouth, for the fragrance will dispel the bad odor, in order that you don't stink in the eyes of the king." And the aforementioned Jew, due to his temimus (innocence) believed his words, and decided in his mind to do so.
Afterwards the aforementioned pasha went to the king, and he told him that he heard from the aforementioned Jew, that he said that he has great suffering, for every time he speaks with the king he senses a bad odor emanating from the king's mouth, "therefore his resolution is that when he comes to speak to you, my master the king, he will hold a kerchief with fragrance against his mouth, in order not to sense the bad odor from the king's mouth. And this is the sign that my words are true, for tomorrow, when he comes to speak with you, you will see with your eyes that he will hold a kerchief against his mouth." When the king heard this he was very angry, and he said to him, "When I see that your words are true, then I will abolish him from the world."
And behold, the aforementioned Jew came on the morrow before the king, and he held a kerchief against his mouth as the pasha had advised him, because he believed his words. And when the king saw this, and it was clear in his mind that the words of the pasha were true, immediately he wrote a letter as follows, "When the person who gives over this note comes before you, throw him immediately into the incinerator which all those sentenced for execution are burned there." And the king sealed the letter with his seal, and said to this man, "I request of you, that you personally deliver this letter to the man written in the address, which is in such-and-such a place." And the aforementioned Jew took the letter, and promised the king that he would do as he said, and he didn't know what was written in it, and he went to his home.
Now this Jewish man mentioned above, was avidly active in the mitzvah to circumcise Jewish children, and whenever they would honor him with the mitzvah of cutting, he would not pay attention to any hindrance confronting him, because the mitzvah was very precious in his eyes. And then, on that day that he needed to travel to deliver the letter from the king to the place where it was to be sent, and Hashem, Who desired to save His trusted friend, brought about that someone came from a town and honored him to travel with him to the town and circumcise his son. And because his practice was not to leave this mitzvah for any reason, he began to contemplate, "What shall I do for the king's command, in the matter of his letter?" And Hashem brought about that the aforementioned pasha came before him, and he told over to the pasha that he was by the king, and the king gave him a letter for him to deliver to the person it was being sent to (him), and today Hashem presented him with the mitzvah of cutting, and my practice is not to leave this mitzvah for any reason, therefore I am requesting from you, that you should take the letter and bring it there. Now, the aforementioned pasha was very happy, because now he can slander him more, before the king, because he didn't do the king's desire with the letter. And the pasha took the letter from his hand, and delivered to the person it was being sent to (him) – and this was the executioner appointed to burn those that the king had sentenced to death. And immediately he grabbed the aforementioned pasha, and he threw him into the incinerator and he was burned, as he was deserving to be punished by Hashem, measure for measure.
Now the Jew did not know anything of the aforementioned (pasha) what was done to him. On the morrow he returned and came before the king. When the king saw him he was very puzzled, and said to him, "Have you still not delivered the letter that I put in your hands for that aforementioned man?" He answered him, "My master the king, the letter I gave over to (the aforementioned) Kaptzin Pasha, that he should deliver it to that man, because Hashem Yisburach presented me with the mitzvah of cutting, and my practice is not to leave this mitzvah." The king then understood, is it not a phenomenon that this pasha who has slandered him (the Jew) before him (the king) should be burned. So the king immediately asked the man, "What is this, that you hold a kerchief with fragrance against your mouth when you speak with me?" He answered him, that the pasha had given him this remedy, "because he told me that he heard from you, that you are unable to bear my bad breath." The king then told over to him how the pasha had slandered him before him, "that you said to him that you are unable to bear my bad breath, and therefore you will hold a kerchief with fragrance so as not to sense the bad odor from my mouth." And the king told over to him what was written in the letter that he had given him, and he said to him, "Now I know that Hashem is the ruler of the land Who saves His cherished from all bad; and to the aforementioned pasha, just as he schemed to do onto you, so was done to him, and Hashem returned unto him retribution upon his head." And from then on his importance in the eyes of the king was greater than all the ministers that were with him, and he was very, very important and precious in his eyes.
4. The Flood
A story of rain, regarding the matter that Hashem Yisburach will conquer the battle with only the simple, those who recite Psalms with simplicity etc., and not with those who go with wisdoms.
Rabbainu ob"m told over a parable of a king who went hunting, and he set out dressed as a commoner so as to facilitate the amusement.
In the middle, suddenly, heavy rain fell – literally a flood of water. All of the ministers scattered one by one etc., and the king was in dire danger, and he searched until he found a cottage. And there was a villager there, and he took the king (in), and dressed him, and gave him his (the villager's) food - groats (barley soup) etc., and he heated the oven and let the king sleep on its threshold. It was so sweet and pleasant for the king, that he never tasted such a taste of pleasantness, since he had been so tired and exhausted etc..
The royal ministers searched for the king until they came there, and saw that he was sleeping. They wanted the king to return home with them, but he told them, “Since you did not save me, rather everyone scattered to save himself, whereas this man saved me, and here I tasted such sweetness, therefore, he will bring me in his wagon, and with these clothes, and he will seat me on the royal throne.”
Rabbainu ob"m concluded this, that it is brought down that at the heels (the times ushering in) of the Messiah there will be a flood – they will shoot with heresy, not of water, but of foreign (-improper) thoughts. And they will cover all the towering mountains. Even in the Land of Israel, where the flood was not, just due to the force of their projection, the waters streamed there; i.e. it will splash in even into the kosher hearts, and with wisdoms no remedy will be able to be given. And all the royal ministers scattered, and all the royalty will not stand strong – will not hold up, just the simple Jews who recite Psalms with simplicity etc.. Therefore when the Messiah comes they will place the royal crown on his head.
There is another version to this story which was censored, without going over all the discrepancies of the main story as told above, I will just bring an additional part to the story not brought down in the standard printed version.
After the villager (according to the censured version, the villager is a gentile) crowns the king, the king tells him, "In reward for your saving me so much from death, ask for something from me and I will do it for you." And he asked from him a ridiculous thing: Being that there is a great distance from his house to Odessa, hundreds of miles, and his sons bring merchandise to Odessa and it is very laborious for them, because it's a long journey and it takes them days and years, and the profit goes for the trip, and they are not left with anything, just a small profit, "Therefore I ask that he should command to make the way shorter." And the king promised him, and commanded that they make the parsuos (large units of length) longer; e.g. if the parsu was twenty kilometers, they should now make the parsu forty kilometers, and thereby the way will be shorter, for in place of forty parsuos, now it will be just twenty parsuos.
In Rabbainu's concluding words mentioned above, he added mention to this addendum – that the simple Psalm reciters who unknowingly save the King and bring him back to crown him, should have the intelligence not to ask for something foolish.
Ivan
A parable of 'who is here?' that Rabbainu ob"m told over, that a man once traveled with a wagon driver (to Berlin or some other large city). The man went to attend to his needs, and the coachman, whose name was Ivan [-coarse, without sensitivity], was left with the wagon in the middle of the market. A policeman (soldier) came over to him and asked him why he was stationed there, and he said to him, "VerDa?" [“Who is here?”]
And he, thinking that the policeman was asking him his name, he said to him, “Ivan.”
And he struck him and said, "VerDa?!" [“Who is here?!”]
And he yells, "Ivan!"
And he strikes him and screams, "VerDa?!" ["Who is here?!"]
Until he (the policeman) took him (Ivan) with the wagon to a sidestreet.
When the man returned, he searched for him until he found him, and he said to him, “Ivan etc."
He (Ivan) replied in a whisper and with fear, "Do not say Ivan, just: VerDa."
After he left the city, he (Ivan) said to him, "Now you can call me Ivan."
There he was called VerDa [-Who is here?], and there he was called Ivan [-coarse and unsensative].
Rabbainu ob"m concluded, “By me it is 'ver-da', that is, 'who is he?' – that he knows his lowliness; and also his body (Ivan) is refined, and is called in the aspect of 'who' and 'what' – 'ver-da' ["who is here?"], and when they leave me it continues to be 'Ivan', the material (body) is materialistic."
Bitter Herbs
A story of bitter herbs that Rabbainu ob"m told over that once a Jew and a German went wandering about together. And the Jew taught the German to make himself out to be like a Jew (since the language (Yiddish and German) is the same), and (thereby) the Jews are compassionate and they will have mercy on him.
And when (/because) Passover was approaching, he taught him how to conduct himself throughout the whole seder (when the homeowner invites him to the house for the seder), that kidush is made, and the washing of the hands, he just forgot to tell him about the eating of bitter herbs.
When he came to the seder he was famished from the whole day, and anticipated eating all the good things that the Jew had told him, but they give him a piece of karpas (celery) in salt water, and the other items which are customary of the seder, and they recited the hagadah. And he was already looking expectantly for the eating, and he was happy that they are already eating the matzah. Suddenly they give him murror (bitter herbs), and his mouth became pungent, and he thought that this is the feast, that this alone is what they will eat. He immediately fled, with bitterness and hunger, and he thought to himself, "Cursed Jews, after the whole ceremony, this is what they give to eat." And he came to the beis medrash (house of Torah study) and slept. Afterwards the Jew came with joyous countenance, satiated from eating and drinking, and he (the Jew) asked him, "How was the seder for you?" He told him angrily.
He said to him, "Hoy German fool, if you would have waited a bit more, you would have eaten sumptuously like me."
The same is true in the matter of Rabbainu (and the service of Hashem), that after all the exertion and toil until the arrival (and drawing close to Rabbainu, or to the devotion of Hashem to purify the body), a bit of murror – bitterness – is given, because the purification of the body comes with bitterness, but the person thinks that it will always be just the bitterness, only this is all there is, just the bitterness etc., therefore he immediately flees. However, when (/because) he waits a bit, and endures this small bitterness of the purification of the body, then he feels afterwards all types of vitality and delight (and these parables, it is possible to learn from them counsel for all matters of the service of Hashem). This holds true in this matter of the service of Hashem, that first transpires the bitterness of the refinement of the body, but afterwards one feels the vitality etc.. [See also Medrash Rabbah, Beraishis 66:4; tzaddikim, their beginning is suffering and their end is harmony, and the evildoers have the opposite].
The Treasure Under the Bridge
A story he told of the treasure that is under the bridge, that once there was a man from a certain city, who dreamt that in Vienna, under the bridge there is a treasure. Therefore he traveled there and stood by the bridge and sought out a contrivance what to do. For in the day he was unable due to the people. And a soldier passed by there, and said to him, "What are you standing and contemplating?" He thought in his mind that it would be good to tell him in order that he would help him and they would divide it between them. He told him the whole matter. [The soldier] spoke up and said to him, "Ay (a) Jew gives consideration to a dream, in that case, I also dreamt that in such and such a place, by such and such a person (and he mentioned the city of the man, and the name of this man) in the closet there is a treasure, will I travel there?"
So the man travelled to his house, and dug in his closet and found the treasure. And he said afterwards, "Now I know: the treasure is by me, but in order for me to know of the treasure, it was necessary to travel to Vienna."
So it is in the matter of serving Hashem, that the treasure is by each one by himself, but in order to know of the treasure it is incumbent to travel to the tzaddik.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
The Turkey Prince
The parable about the turkey, that once a prince fell into a (hebephrenic) psychosis that he is a (bird called a) turkey, and it was a requisite for him to sit naked underneath the table and drag bits of bread and bones like a turkey. All the doctors despaired of helping him and healing him from this, and the king was extremely distressed by this.
Until a sage came along and said, “I take upon myself to heal him!”
He (the sage) too undressed himself naked, and sat underneath the table next to the aforementioned prince, and also dragged crumbs and bones.
The prince asked him, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
He answered (him), “And what are you doing here?”
He said (to him), “I’m a turkey.”
He said (to him), “I’m also a turkey.”
The two of them sat together like that for some time, until they became familiar with each other. Then the sage signaled, and they threw them a shirt.
The sage turkey said to the prince, “You think a turkey cannot go with a shirt? It is possible to wear a shirt and even still be a turkey!”
So they both put on a shirt.
After some time, he signaled, and they threw them pants. And he said to him again as before, "You think that with pants it is not possible to be a turkey etc.," ensuing with their donning pants. And so with the other clothing.
Afterwards, he signaled, and they threw them human food from the table, and he said to him, "You think that if one eats good foods it is no longer possible to be a turkey? It is possible to eat and still be a turkey." And they ate.
Afterwards, he said to him, "You think that a turkey must be specifically under the table? It is possible to be a turkey and be by the table."
And so he dealt with him until he healed him completely.
(There is a version with the following addition: And this is the aspect of what our Sages ob"m said on the verse (Kings I:5:11) "And he became more wise than all mankind," – even from the fools).
The referent is understandable to those with understanding.
(The transcriber says: It is possible to say, that a person who desires to draw close to the service of Hashem, behold he is a turkey dressed in materialism etc., and in this fashion it is possible, little by little, to draw himself close to the service of Hashem, until one enters completely. And so with the outreach to people in this fashion. And this is sufficient for the wise).
The Tainted Grain
The parable about grain, that once a king said to his dear friend the second to the king, “Being that I am an astrologer, I see that all the grain that will grow this year, whoever eats from it will become crazy. Taking this into consideration, devise a plan.”
And he replied (to him), that they should therefore prepare for themselves grain so that they wouldn't need to eat from the aforementioned grain.
The king replied to him, “If so, when we alone will not be crazy, and the whole world will be crazy, then it will be the opposite (and to prepare for everyone is impossible) – we will be the crazy ones. Therefore certainly we will also have to eat from the grain, just this – that we will make a sign on our foreheads so that at least we will know that we are crazy. For if I will look at your forehead, and so, when you look at my forehead, we will know from the sign that we are crazy.
There is another version to this story (Siach Sarfey Kodesh 2:271), that it was the second to the king who suggested that they would have to eat from the tainted grain, but the king vehemently rejected this, saying that just because the whole world was crazy, they do not, and should not be crazy. And if they would appear to be crazy to the rest of the world, so what. That is no reason to eat the grain that makes people crazy. So they would prepare grain for themselves.
This version of the story is presented with the referent that so it is with the service of Hashem, that just because the world is crazy, caught up in the empty pursuits and vanities of this world, one must be strong to engage only in Torah, mitzvos, and good deeds, even if he will appear to be crazy to the rest of the world. A citation is also given to the Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) which based on the verse in Isaiah (59:15) says that a person who wants to distance himself from evil, will appear crazy. In Sefer Hamidos (The Aleph Bet Book; Truth item #31) Rabbi Nachman says: One who wants to turn away from evil, and sees that there is no truth in the world, makes himself as a fool.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
The Deer
The parable about a king who chased after a deer but was unable to catch it, and the royal ministers stood (themselves) up and said, "Our master the king, let us return etc.." The king spoke up and said, "I must hunt down the deer, and whoever wants to return, let him return…."
It is brought down that Rabbi Nachman said this parable in regard to the Torah he revealed in Likutay Moharan 55) where the deer symbolizes the Holy Land of Israel. Moses is also likened to a deer (switching the letters in the A"T Ba"Sh code, also deer means desire, the trait of Moses), and Saba Yisroel is known to be king, as our Sages said, who are the kings? The rabbis, and Saba is the last known verified rabbi. Thus this parable alludes to Saba's unsuccessful attempt at bringing the holy tomb of Rabbi Nachman – the aspect of Moses, to Israel. And when those around him gave up, Saba said, "I must continue going to Uman, and work on bringing the holy tomb to Israel, and whoever wants to say Uman is over and remain in Jerusalem, let him…"
Appeasing the King
Another story Rabbainu ob"m told over, that there was a king who was practicing astrology, and he saw that if they would not harvest the grain this year by a certain time, all the grain would spoil etc. etc.. And the time was short.
He resolved to take harvesters and give them all the amenities and all their needs in order that they would have expanded consciousness to work by day and by night, so that they could finish the harvest before the aforementioned deadline. And they, on the contrary, they enjoyed the pleasures and they forgot (the task), and the aforementioned deadline passed, and they did not harvest the grain, and all the grain spoiled.
They didn't know what to do so that the king would not be angry at them. A Sage advised them how the king loves a certain bird, and by bringing him this bird, through the pleasure (nachas ruach) and the delight from this, it will atone for everything. But it is very difficult to obtain the bird, because it is in a place high up in the air, and they do not have a ladder, and time is short. And the sage advised them, as they were many people, so they should position themselves one upon his fellow, higher and higher, until they would reach the bird. But they fought with each other, because each one wanted that he should be above and his friend beneath him. And through their fighting they were negligent and the bird flew away, and thus they were left to the anger of the king on account of their negligence of harvesting the grain, as mentioned.
(The import is, that Hashem Yisburach created man, and gave him all the delights and everything so that they would harvest the grain before he would be spoiled with infringement of the covenant (- sexual morality), and to serve Hashem Yisburach etc. with clean mind. But he was negligent through the pleasures, until he stumbled with the grain that already spoiled and the mind was marred, Heaven save us. But there was still the recourse through the bird, which is the tzaddik, through which everything would have been atoned. But through the strife and jealousy, that everyone desires to be above, through this they are distant and do not bond to the tzaddik etc.. And this is sufficient for the wise).
The Book of Eylim defeats the heretical scholars
Found in a hidden manuscript is the following story regarding the Book of Eylim (Eylim is a place mentioned in the Torah e.g. Exodus 15:27), and it is a very precious book authored by a G-dly man, Rabbi Yosef of Kandia ob"m. In his days five hundred students outstanding in Torah gathered, and they began to study books of philosophy and the Guide for the Perplexed, until they became wanton and heretic in the Living G-d, and they said that the world etc. and that there is no Divine Supervision over the world Heaven forbid. And all the aforementioned students came to the tzaddik Rabbi Yosef of Kandia ob"m so that he too would approve with them on this evil theme. And the aforementioned tzaddik, when he heard this matter, he was seized with dread. And they began to present proofs and debate with him, and he was unable to bring them around from this matter. And he spoke up and said to them, "Give me some time and I will answer you." And they gave him some time, and they went away.
And the aforementioned tzaddik sent letters to all the great rabbis, that they should come to him quickly. And they came to him. And he told them the aforementioned matter, and they all prayed to Hashem, and they fasted night and day, and also the aforementioned tzaddik fell on his face for three days and three nights, not eating bread and not drinking water. After the three days (and) he got up quickly from the ground, and he said, "A time to act upon for Hashem, nullify (/they have nullified) your (/Your) Torah (Psalms 119:126)." And he took a scribes pen in his hand, and he wrote without rest, he didn't eat and didn't drink, did not learn and didn't pray, just wrote with a scribes pen, and he composed the aforementioned book which is called the Book of Eylim.
Afterwards when all the students came to him, (and) he took the aforementioned book, and he put it in their hands. And with this book he defeated them (because all the wisdoms are there, and they saw his wisdom, and even still he is a believer, so it seems to me), and they all became consummate tzaddikim.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
MaHaRShA – Rabbi Shmuel Eidels
(When Rabbainu stayed in Austria, he visited the house of the Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society), who had a ledger (pinkus), which had printed in it on every page, a story and special phenomena that took place in the city in former times. And when someone desired to see it, he would pay a coin called a "rendel" for the reading of each page, for the benefit of the communal fund. There Rabbainu saw the three stories of the Maharsha which he told over to his daughter, thereby healing her).
Story 1 – Maharsha meets with King Achav and demotes rabbi to wagon driver
The Maharsha ob"m was the Rav in a certain community, and he sat and learned with his yeshiva the entire day. There was a rav of the province who had jurisdiction over the Maharsha ob"m, and all the rabbis of the communities associated to that provincial rav were obligated to come before the provincial rav to greet him and receive from him ordinance, as was customary in the previous generations. And so it was, all the rabbis (all of them) of all the communities came to greet the provincial rav, and the rav the Maharsha ob"m didn't come to him, he just sat and learned continuously. And the provincial rav judged him favorably saying, "Perhaps because he is busy reading (the holy texts) therefore he didn't come to the royal table. And the provincial rav settled and travelled to him, to the place where the holy rav the Maharsha ob"m abided. And he came to the city, and the whole city hurried towards him as customary, and they all came to greet him. And the rav the Maharsha ob"m did not desire to go out to him. And again the provincial rav judged him favorably, accounting this as well to the cessation of Torah – that he doesn't want to abstain from his learning. And the provincial rav said, "I will go to him." So the provincial rav got up and went to the synagogue where the rav the Maharsha ob"m sat with his students, and he came to the synagogue. And the rav the Maharsha didn't budge from his place and didn't pause from his learning, and didn't give him Shalom at all. Even still, he again judged him favorably now, and said, "Perhaps this also is because he doesn't wish to stop his mouth from reading (the holy Torah)."
In the interm a handsome youth came to the synagogue, and immediately the Maharsha hurried towards him, and got up before him fully erect and accorded him honor, and spoke with him a great deal. Then the provincial rav was fuming at the Maharsha ob"m, and he was very angry at him and denigrated him, and he said, "At first when you didn't come to me to my place, I judged you favorably, and I accounted that to the void of Torah (it would entail); afterwards when I came to your place and you didn't come to me, I also judged you favorably, and accounted this as well to the void of Torah (involved). Afterwards when I came to the synagogue and you didn't give me Shalom, I also judged you favorably, and I accounted this as well to the void of Torah (involved), that you don't want to pause from the Torah whatsoever. Now I see that it is falsehood, for behold the youth you accorded honor, and spoke with him a great deal in the middle of your learning. And he was furious with him.
And the Maharsha said, let it be a sign and a presage that this youth will be killed in two hours. And the rav did not want to believe, and he took the aforementioned youth and went with him here and there, and spoke with him a very great deal, so as not to leave him to disappear from sight until the two hours passed, in order to refute the words of the Maharsha ob"m. And it came to be while they traversed the city, a lord of some sort went and passed by them, and he was pressing on his firearm innocently to shoot some bird or the like as is their way, and he hit the aforementioned youth, immediately after two hours like the words of the Maharsha ob"m, nothing was unfulfilled. And the aforementioned provincial rav ran and came to the Maharsha ob"m, and the Maharsha ob"m said to him that soon they will bring here someone who was killed. In the middle of their talking, it was heard immediately that they had brought some casualty to the city. Then the aforementioned provincial rav was confounded, and he asked the Maharsha, "What is this?" Then the Maharsha told him, and revealed to him the entire matter. "Being that this youth was a reincarnation of Achav King of Israel, and because of this he had accorded him so much honor. And because Achav King of Israel was killed, this youth was compelled to be killed as well. So as soon as this youth came out to this world, immediately a destroying entity was created in order to kill that aforementioned youth, and it stood in that place, that is near this city, and it anticipated the arrival of the time of this aforementioned youth so that he would be killed by it. And because you held him back as mentioned until he was killed here by the aforementioned lord, through this it was necessary to give that destroying entity a different man in his place, and this is the casualty that was kill by its hand. Therefore you must accept upon yourself repentance, for by your hand this casualty was killed, because you brought this about through the delay which you held back the youth here as mentioned."
Then the provincial rav fell before the feet of the Maharsha and appeased him, and pleaded before him that he should forgive him, and requested him that he should give him penance. And the Maharsha said to him, "Your penance is that you should remove your hand from the crown of the rabbinate, and you should be a wagon driver. And he accepted this upon himself, and became a wagon driver. "And the word of our G-d will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8)."
Story 2. The Maharsha sinks a church
A second story about the Maharsha ob"m. In Austria, the place of the Maharsha, the gentiles had an impurity (-church); when the Jews needed to go with a dead person by way of this place (because they didn't have an alternate route), then they would ring etc., and whoever went that way would become an apostate may the Merciful One save us. And the Maharsha ob"m commanded that when he passes away from this world and they carry him that way, they should place upon him the composition "Maharsha" which he composed, and they did so. And all the priests gathered there and began to ring. And they stood his bed stationary, and the Maharsha ob"m sat himself up and began to leaf through the pages, and the impurity with the people began to be swallowed into the earth, and they were all swallowed into the earth. And until today there is a sign of this that they were swallowed into the earth.
Story 3. Maharsha's successor reveals himself and the true status of the elite
A third story about the Maharsha ob"m. When they built the synagogue in Austria, and they needed a lot of money to build it, therefore they made the setting of the corner stone with a large assembly, and they announced the sale of the setting of the corner stone, until a wealthy man bought it for a sack full of gold coins. Afterwards he honored the Maharsha ob"m that he should set the stone. The Maharsha said to him, that in return for this, he (the wealthy man) should ask of him (the Maharsha) for something, and he requested to have a son like the Mahrasha. The Maharsha answered him that this is very difficult, so he should ask for something else, and he was obstinate for this specific thing. So the Maharsha said to him, "If so, when your wife gets pregnant you will die, and when she gives birth, she will die as well, and I will receive the child and I will raise him by me." And they agreed on this. And so it was. And he grew up by the Maharsha ob"m. And he was hidden – they did not see by him any greatness. And before the Maharsha passed away, he commanded that he (the orphan) should fill his position, and so it was. And this rav never went to any funeral of the city's dignitaries, and this was troubling in the eyes of the congregation, and they censured him on this. And he told the attendant to call him when there would be a funeral for a head of the congregation. And so it was, and the rav went out, and he spread a cloth over the bed, and everyone saw how the avenging angels snatched the dead man from the bed etc.. And he said to them, if this is the case with your dignitaries, how do you expect me to attend their funeral? And from then on they recognized his greatness, that he is worthy to be in the place of the Maharsha ob"m.
Guarding one's eyes versus hiding one's good deeds
The story Rabbainu ob"m told over, that in the times of the Baal Shem Tov ob"m there was a musician (klezmer) who was blind, and he would play at weddings, and this was his livelihood. After he passed away it became known that he wasn’t blind at all, and he had good eyes, just that in order not to look at women he made himself, his whole life, as if he was blind, and the whole world thought he was blind. In addition there was a very wealthy man who was a big miser who didn't give even a piece of bread for charity, and because of this he was disdained in everyone's eyes. And there was a huge philanthropist then who sustained all the poor, with food, and drink, and all their needs etc.. Now, when the aforementioned rich man whom everyone disdained because of his stinginess, passed away, the next day when all the poor people went to the aforementioned philanthropist for sustenance, he answered them that now he did not have what to give them, for all that he had given them the whole time was just from the rich miser who had died. He didn't want to take pleasure from the honor they would give him for his benevolent heart, and so that the mitzvah would be pure without any ulterior motives, therefore he would give the charity to this man to distribute, and him everyone considered to be a big miser. And now that he died, there was no one to give (the charity), and then everyone knew his greatness. (translator note. Shlomo Carlbach used to tell over this story of Yosselle the holy miser of Krakow, and this led to an amazing sequel).
The Baal Shem Tov ob"m said that both of them, the aforementioned blind musician and this rich miser, both of them are on the same level (see Isaiah 42:19). They merited to what they merited, fortunate are they!
The Rabbi who chose to dress like a priest
The story that Rabbianu ob"m told about the tende and rende (vestments of a priest), that once there was a rav who went collecting donations (for redeeming captives or for the marriage of a orphan bride), and he needed some hundreds of adumim. He approached a rich man and solicited him. The rich man told him that he has (by him) a tende and rende (vestments of a priest), and if he (the rav) would wear it, and traverse all the streets of the city dressed like that, then he will give him all the money he needs for the aforementioned charity. And he agreed to this, and did so, and he took from him the money that was needed for charity. Afterwards he (the rav) requested from him that he give him as a present the (tende and rende) aforementioned vestments, and he gave them to him. Before the rav passed away he left a will that from this vestment (the tende and rende) they should make the shrouds for him. And they did this for him, and a small portion of the foot was left which this vestment didn't suffice, and they made that piece from something else. After many years there was a cause that forced them to clear out his grave, and they found that the whole body was complete not having been attacked by maggots, except for the small portion of the foot which wasn't dressed from the tende and rende.
Trust
Rabbainu Hakadosh told over this story on the night of the 4th of Elul 5566, and it was publicized by Rabbi Yisroel Karduner ob"m.
[Rabbi Nachman] spoke up and said, furthermore I have told over a story about trust (in Hashem), and this is it:
A king said in his heart, “Can anyone be found with nothing to worry about, more than I? For I have everything good, and I am king and ruler.” And he went to investigate this. He would go at night, and he would stand behind the houses to heed and listen to the talk of the populace. He would hear the worries of each one, that for this one it isn't working out properly in his store, and afterwards he went to another house, and heard that he is worried for he has concern from the government, and so all the other worries of each and everyone.
Afterwards he went and saw a low house standing submerged in the ground, the windows low down hugging the earth, and the roof fallen in and broken. He saw there, someone sitting playing the violin so that it was necessary to listen attentively in order to hear the sound, and he was extremely happy, and there was a pot with beverage set before him, and the beverage was wine, and foods were set before him, and he was extremely happy, full of happiness without any worries whatsoever. He went and entered the house and asked his wellbeing, and he answered him. And he saw the pot with the beverage before him, and the variety of foods and how he was just full of joy. And he honored (-offered refreshment to) the king to drink, and he drank with the king, and the king also drank for the sake of comradery. Afterwards he lay down to sleep, and (the king) saw that he is just happy without any worry. In the morning the king got up, and he also got up and escorted the king out.
The king asked him, "From where do you (have the wherewithal) to buy all this?"
He answered (him), "I am able to fix all necessary repairs of broken objects. For I am not capable of a complete craft, just the repair of broken items. I go out in the morning, and I mend some things, and when I have earned from this a sum of five or six golden, I buy for myself all these items of food and drink."
When the king heard this, he said in his heart, "I will ruin this for him."
The king went and made a proclamation, that whoever has something to be fixed, should not give it to anyone for repair, rather he should fix it himself or buy a new one.
In the morning he went asking for things that need fixing, and they told him that the king had decreed not to give anything to anyone for repair. This was bad in his eyes, but he trusted in Hashem. So he went and saw a rich man chopping wood, and he asked him, "Why are you chopping wood? Is this befitting of you?"
He said to him, "I searched for someone to chop the wood and couldn't find anyone, so I was forced to chop it myself."
He said to him, "Allow me, and I will chop with you."
And he chopped the wood, and the rich man gave him a golden. He saw that this is good, and he went to chop more wood, until he had earned six golden, and he once again bought the whole feast (Rabbainu used this language: 'in dey si-ooda iz given a si-ooda' – and the feast was a feast), and he was happy. And the king went again behind the window of his house to see, and he saw that this one sits and the drink and foods are before him, and he is extremely happy. The king went and entered inside the house, and he saw as before, and he lay down there also like the first night, and in the morning the man got up and escorted the king out. And he asked him, "From where do you (have the wherewithal) to buy this, for this costs money?"
He answered him, "My practice was to fix all the things that were broken, and afterwards the king decreed to no longer give anyone to fix, so I chopped wood until I put together money for this as before."
The king went from him and decreed not to give anyone to chop wood.
And when the man came to chop wood, he was told that the king had decreed an edict not to give anyone to chop wood. And it was bad in his eyes, for there was no money (to be made), but he trusted in Hashem. So he went, and he saw someone cleaning a shed, and he asked him, "Who are you, that you clean a shed?"
He answered him, "I searched but couldn't find anyone to clean for me, so I was forced to clean it myself."
He said to him, "Allow me and I will clean."
He stood and cleaned it, and he gave him two golden. He went and cleaned more sheds and put together six golden, and he purchased again the whole feast as before, and he went home (and the feast was a feast), and he was extremely happy. The king went again to see, and he saw again everything as before, and he entered the house as before. Afterwards in the morning he again escorted the king out, and the king asked him again as before, and he answered him everything recounted above. The king went and decreed not to give anyone to clean a shed.
In the morning the man went searching for sheds to clean, and they told him that the king decreed against this as mentioned. The man went and hired himself out as a soldier by the minister who acquires soldiers for the king. For there are soldiers who are conscripted as determined by the country, and there are soldiers which are hired. So he went and hired himself out as a soldier, and he stipulated with the minister that he is not hiring himself out interminably, just temporarily, and that he would be given his wages each and every day in the morning. And the minister immediately dressed him in army uniform, and girded him with a sword on his side, and sent him to the necessary place. Afterwards, in the evening, when he had done all his tasks, he threw off the uniform and purchased for himself the whole feast mentioned above, and he went home (and the feast was a feast), and he was extremely happy. The king went again to see, and he saw that everything was set before him, and he is extremely happy as before, and he entered his house and lay down as before, and he asked him as before, and he told him everything recounted above. The king went and called the minister and commanded him not to lift his hand to pay anyone that day.
In the morning he went to the minister to get his pay for the day, and he did not acquiesce. And he asked him, "Did I not stipulate with you, that you would pay me every day?"
He answered him, that the king had decreed not to pay anyone that day. And all his arguments with him were to no avail, and he told him, "Better I pay you tomorrow for two days, but today it is impossible to pay you."
What did he do? He went and broke off a piece of the sword and fixed a piece of wood in its place, and it was not visible or evident at all from the outside. And he went and pawned the piece and purchased again the whole feast mentioned above (and the feast was a feast). The king went again and saw that the joy was complete as before, and he again entered his house and lay down there as before, and he asked his as before, and he told him everything recounted above, that he was forced to break the blade of the sword from the handle, and he pawned it in order to buy for himself the necessities of the feast, "and after, when I receive the money for that day, I will redeem and fix the sword and it won't be at all discernible, for I am able to fix anything broken (and there will be no harm to the king).
The king went to his home, and he called the minister and commanded him; being that there was someone sentenced to death, therefore call that soldier that you hired to be a soldier, and command him specifically, that he should cut off the head of the one sentenced to death. The minister went and did so, and he called him, and he came before the king. And the king commanded for all the ministers to gather in order to see the comedy, that there was found a man who stuck a piece of wood in place of the sword. And he came before the king, and he fell at his feet, and asked him, "My master the king, why was I summoned?"
He said to him, "In order to severe the head of the (man) sentenced to death."
He replied to him, and entreated before him, being that he never shed blood, therefore he should call someone else to do it. And the king replied (to him), that he specifically must kill him now.
He said to the king, "Is the verdict for this clear, perhaps the judgment isn't clear that he is liable of death, and I have never shed blood, certainly I shouldn't shed blood which isn't clear that he is liable of death."
The king replied to him, "Certainly the judgment is clear that he is liable of death, for there is certainly a verdict on this (which is called 'decreed'), and now you specifically are obligated to execute him."
He saw that it was impossible to influence the king. He turned himself to Hashem Yisburach and said, "Almighty G-d (Ei"l Shada"i – a Divine Name not to be pronounced in vain outside of prayer), I have never spilled blood, and if this man isn't liable of death, let the iron be made into wood." And he grabbed the sword, and drew it from its sheath, and everyone saw that it was wood, and there was an uproar of laughter there.
The king saw that he is such a pleasing man, so he let him off in peace.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
Inside Breslov Tradition
The following is a translation of the writings of the holy R’ Getzel who was a prime student of R’ Avrohom the son of Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin (who was one of the most dedicated students of R’ Nussun of Breslov) .
Shavuos (holiday of receiving the Torah) 632 (1872), the holy group in Uman sat together after the mikva of the 50th gate, to speak hidden words about the future, and they said, “it says (Psalms 132) “and her priest I will dress in salvation, and her benevolent (hasidim) will sing delightfully, there I will produce a stronghold for David I set up a candle for my anointed”, the explanation is as follows, in the future “and her priests” - the priests those are the men of the ‘Master of Prayer’ (from the stories of Rabbi Nachman) who is Rabbainu of blessed memory – for they are the priests, “and her benevolent (hasidim) will sing rejoicefully”
H”Y will do a great kindness, and He will reveal the song that will be aroused in the future, before it’s time (to be revealed). “there”, do not read it as ‘shum’ (there) but as ‘shaim’ (the letters stay the same, there is just a change of vowels) – name, that is the name of the Tzadik which is united in the name of H”Y. “I will produce” this word has the numerical value of the name of the Tzadik (Nachman with the inclusive = 149). and “a stronghold” has the numerical value of his name of blessed memory like this, y, y-h, ect. (this is the way the Zohar presents the code of the future song using the letters of H”Y’s name, when this is applied to the name of the Tzadik – NaChMaN: Na NaCh NaChMa NaChMaN, the numerical value is the same as the word ‘stronghold’) with it’s letters and inclusive (354).
Friday, midday, 20th of Tamuz 632 (1872).
R’ Avrohom n”y (may his light shine) got up from the mikva (ritual bath), and after putting on his Shabbos garments was in awesome intense fervor, tremendously bound to H”Y, and he said, “in the time span of (or approximately) 50 years, there will arise a beautiful lad of good appearance who will renew the matter of Rabbainu with a new thing which never has been such a wonder like this, which will make a very great upheaval for the matter of redemption and a great goodness for the whole entire world.” amen, let it be soon in our days.
Epilogue. In the year 1922, on the 23rd of Tamuz, Saba Yisroel received a petek – a little note from Rabbi Nachman which was signed: Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman.
free download of all these stories and parables:
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Rabbi Nachman's Stories
http://naanaach.blogspot.co.il/2015/05/stories-of-ancient-times-by-rabbi.html
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
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