Words of Saba Yisroel (Part 2)

HH

Secret from the whole world.

New! What we have now in the world! If we do not go crazy from the enormous happiness it is a miracle! This is also a miracle! What would they do without Rabbainu? What is this? Who can help us? But if there is already Rabbainu? We have, we have everything! If I am here, everyone is here (these are the words of Hillel the Elder which he said at the height of the happiness of the Drawing of the Water in the Temple)! And also Rabbainu's men they were such tzadikim and so holy, that the whole world... they were a secret, like Rabbaiu, a secret from the whole world, similarly Rabbainu's men and Rabbi Nussun's men were also hidden, a secret from the whole world, and they do not know, do not know what this is.... I merited just to see Rabbi Yisroel, he was already from the later generations, I saw his truth, his humility, his life, his prayer, this was a type of thing, not from this world! From an aspect of the future, from an aspect of after the coming of the Messiah, yes! He was bound to Rabbainu so much, with such love, such yearning, so he was, he was, everyone knew that he was a matter, a special matter, yes. He was always happy, Rabbi Yisroel Czek, this is one of the names that he had in the world, Rabbi Yisroel Breslover. In Uman his name was Rabbi Yisroel Czek, for what Czek? Czek is such happiness! Czek, “Czek” this is the happiness of all happiness, such happiness! So they called him Rabbi Yisroel Czek, he was always happy, he was always dancing, always he was happy! Oy we thank G-d that we live in the world, in this world, now, in this darkness, this is an orphaned generation without Rabbainu! So all the scholars and all the greats are orphans, do not know anything, they do not have a father, they don't have a mother, nothing. Our holy master, he is father, he is mother, he is everything! He is the Torah, he is the faith, everything is Rabbainu! And they don't want to know, with their wisdoms! What? All the greats do not know! Just Breslov! Just Rabbi Nachman! They do not accept, and also the liars, the liars of Breslov also, falsehood, falsehood... they do not want to abnegate themselves, they want all the honor and all the money and all the publicity! This is falsehood, this is not Rabbainu! Truth, this is just Breslov, and falsehood – this is not Rabbainu, this is even not anything! Men of truth, Rav Naftoli Cohen, only Naftoli, this is men of truth, such modesty, such humility... but not this! This is falsehood, however much greater the publicity, the greater the falsehood! This is the general rule, a sure sign, however much that he wants more publicity, the greater the liar! What is this? What is Rabbainu and his men! And Rabbainu's people and the books of Rabbainu! This is a special matter, this is a secret from the whole world, if this was revealed to the world, it would be already, it would be, Messiah would already come and it would be already the... this... this is everything! Everything that is done for Rabbainu, in order to insert Rabbainu into the world, this is such a wondrous matter, that never ever was. Oy, I remember how Rabbi Yisroel prayed and said, he reached the blessing of the reciting of Shema, “to the blessed G-d pleasantries are given, to the King living enduring G-d, songs are said and praises (made) heard, because He alone, (is) supreme and holy, does mighty feats...” every statement, he injected into my heart, such light, and also, not just I? I was in the settlement, at the time of the break, cloudburst, at the time of the flood (when it was Purim there, when it was the new Purim) yes. What? The whole village, the whole settlement, they didn't go to work, they just stood and listened to the prayer of Rabbi Yisroel, yes. And I stood by the door, I wasn't able to stand, from the greatness of the light, I wasn't able, I could die in the room, I said, “I will stand next to the door, the second that I feel that my soul is about to depart, then I will manage to leave,” that's what was, no, no, (I am) not relating exaggerations, I stood prepared to leave, when it is already impossible by any means, then, I will manage to leave... I stood by the door. And the master of the house of the apartment he came so submissive, as if he was entering to the king, yes, with awe. And he had a few rooms, he took a room and there was a table and he put on the table everything there is by a farmer and by a settlement; olives, eggs, cheese, and butter, and all the delicacies in the world, all, everything, and he asked us to come into the room where there was the table with the food. And also the girls? Girls can go with hair, without a head covering, but small girls, of 13, 12, or 15 years old, but she does not need to cover her head, but they don't know, so they covered their heads with towels, and they also tied them, with laces they tied them, so that they would not fall G-d forbid, yes. And also the hands, then people did not go with such immodesty... but in a settlement, they , they went until here, so they (all of this from the fear?) yes, yes, all of them, all the children and him and the children... yes!

Midnight of Rabbi Yisroel.

But this midnight! I thought that tonight there is no midnight after such exhaustion... [-after there was a cloudburst and they waded through mud for a few hours] we were in glue mire. To take out a leg, this was mamash, I thought, if only they would give me a place to sleep for a month, maybe I will able to move, with a limb, that's how it was, and he (Rabbi Yisroel), on this night, this prayer, it was after, this night, he got up on this midnight, I am not able to comprehend, in a natural manner, how he got up. At midnight, all our limbs were so broken and tired, mamash, yes. And he got up at midnight, and I heard the midnight (prayers), but I could not budge a limb, I wanted to go out, how is it possible to sleep when there is such a midnight? How is it possible to sleep? But I was not able to budge a limb, I lay, but thank G-d, I heard the midnight, finally I mustered up all my strength and I got out of bed and got up, what-ever will be. In any event, Rabbi Yisroel sat, there was a table and he sat on a chair by the table, and there wasn't electricity like today, this was a kerosene lamp, and he studied next to a candle. And I approached the table, but I still had not reached the table, there was an earthquake, the whole floor trembled, and the table (the floor, it was tiled?) tiles? Like here, yes, yes. And the table was trembling, and he was trembling. I approached the table, fear fell upon me, I saw such a countenance, that was burning like fire, yes. And afterwards there was such a prayer, that I stood by the door, so that the second that I am not able, in any way to withstand, I can die! Then I will manage to flee (just five minutes?) what five minutes? (just five minutes, if we merited to hear his prayer?) I, thank G-d, I heard many times his prayer, and it was, they felt that it wasn't ordinary! This is not ordinary! This is not like the whole world! There are hasidim, and there are... (Saba, I know, that you are not exaggerating at all, everything is true and upholding) such truth that we have no grasp, yes, oy, oy, oy. He did not have to fight with haughtiness, that it should not come close to him, he was clean from all desires! This, only our holy master can do wonders like these! (after seeing such light...) ah? (after seeing Rabbi Yisroel Karduner, so how is it possible to live in the darkness of today?) and he was in this world, with a body, he would speak to the people as if he was of this world, he was with (Rabbainu always) he was completely, there isn't... yes.

There was a story in Safed, a lad by the name of Nachum, that was his name, Nachum, and he was a grandson, a grandson of the famous rav, the head of the rabbis of Safed, and he was like a king, he was, he acted, with such arrogance, like a king, if someone spoke against him (this is Heller? That was in the old age home?) no, no, no. This is a special matter, Heller, I knew his father, he was a ben Torah and Kosher person, because he, he did not oppose Breslov, yes. But Heller? He had great talents, and he was an intellectual (lamdun) and was honored, full of honor and arrogance, yes. But even still, did you hear of him? Maybe Yehuda the lawyer, I told him that he should ask him about Rabbi Yisroel... (Heller told me that Rabbi Yisroel is a different matter altogether...) yes? Yes, yes. He told me as well, every time, Rabbi Yisroel... he held of me, but I, perhaps I made a mistake and I did not speak to him strongly, I should have been strong with him, that he should give part of his wealth, he died wealthy, and he has a building in Haifa that is worth a lot of money, he was able, and his son-in-law is the head doctor of Beilinson, of Eikilov (maybe – Sourasky), yes. no. he could live without the building, he could have given the building or half the building for the affairs of Rabbainu. But he was given over to the children that they should have this world... he went to the future world, miftar fiftar? (this is a play on the Hebrew world 'niftar' – dead, it is a reference to a joke Saba related about someone who wasn't concerned if a loved one was alive, just whether he had money). He was a believer, he believed with simplicity, but the desire for money, of the miftar fiftar will remain with the children...

I had many writings that today would make a great commotion in the world.

(You told me that you had in Safed 'migila storim' and he took it from you?) Who? (Sender) Sender? (you had migilas storim and it dissappeared, Sender took it?) yes, yes. I had writings from Rabbi Nussun, a letter from Rabbi Nussun, writings of what they suffered, what they suffered, the hostility they suffered, I remember a story... (but in the book migilas storim you looked? Your read it?) I don't remember... I had many writings that they could make now a big commotion in the world! (they were writings that have not yet been publicized?) certainly! (what do you remember?) I do not remember, don't remember anything, the hasidim of Poland in America, the butcher in America, Yitzchak Mendel, Yizchok Mendel, you don't know about this? There were Kollel men, they came to me and they said to me, that he wants to see me, Yitzchok Mendel...

Six Gold Coins and there was a birth from this! Avrohom Ashkenzey.

“Our grandeur and splendor, our righteous Messiah will reveal” of Breslov, our greatness, this is Breslov's... with the gold, six gold lira, this was very valuable, and he (Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) told him and he gave it to him (Rabbi Yisroel) immediately, right away, all the money! Gold, six gold coins and there was a birth from this! Now, he's eighty year old... His father got married, and six years after the wedding they didn't have children, and he came to Rabbi Yisroel, his father, and he told him (Rabbi Yisroel), I got married six years ago and I don't have children. So Rabbi Yisroel said to him that he should give six gold coins, six gold lira, and that's what was, he gave six gold lira, and Avrohom is living now, with the money, he is now eighty years old! “I need to give the publisher, I need to give six lira, give me six lira.” And he didn't tell him that he would have children, so “give me six lira” this is sufficient, this and he lives now, he is now eighty years old, his name is Avrohom Ashkenazey... Great opposers, all, the grandfather... and greats, but they didn't listen, they went to Rabbi Yisroel and they told him that they are now married for six years and they do not have children, so Rabbi Yisroel said to him, “give me six lira” six gold lira, oy, he gave him (to Rabbi Yisroel), and this is Avrohom Ashkenazey. He is living today. With the six lira! Rabbi Yisroel, he didn't speak much, succinctly, six lira, “give six lira” and he gave him then, yes, exactly six lira, and till today he lives, he is eighty years old... and his father told me, that he got married, and six years after the wedding they did not have children. Rabbi Yisroel was in Meron, so he went to Rav Yisroel and he said to him, with these words, “I got married, and I already have six years, I got married and I do not have children!” so Rabbi Yisroel told him, “give me six gold lira” and that's what was, he gave him, and he is now eighty years old...

The Story of Rabbi Tzvi Rosenthal

This story needs to be published and pasted all over the city to make it known that there was R' Tzvi Rosenthal.

He went to pray with his prayer shawl and phylacteries, and he didn't return Friday and all of Shabbos. He said, “they don't let me be Breslov? I am forced to go to Jerusalem, I don't have money, I will go by foot, I have strong legs!” The gentiles, the Turks, they broke all his (Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) things. The police said, “Tell the truth! Where is Rabbi Tzvi? If not, we will kill you!” What is this? A man goes to pray and does not return? All of Shabbos? There still has never been anything like this, there still hasn't been, this is only in Breslov, this is a wondrous story, how is it that someone goes to pray and doesn't return the whole Shabbos? Such a thing is unheard of, just in Breslov such a thing is possible, that a person goes to pray and doesn't return?! In the whole world there is no such thing. We were in danger, Russia was at war with the Turks, and we sent men to Russia (--Rabbi Nachman's tomb in Uman), we were in danger of being suspected as spying, this was a miracle from Heaven. The mukhtar (in Turkey a “mukhtar” is the head of the local government of a town or village; “muechtar” in Hebrew would mean the crowned/celebrity, and might be slang for a hotshot or informer) said to me, “Tell the truth! Where is Rabbi Tzvi? He left his wife and children, and they do not know where he is,” and they are asking the police, “Where is Rabi Tzvi?” We do not know, “Am I the keeper of Rabbi Tzvi?” (a play on Cain’s reply to H”Y). But they said that this is something impossible, that a person goes to pray and doesn't return the whole Shabbos?! This is only in Breslov! Rabbi Tzvi Rosenthal went to pray with his prayer shawl and phylacteries and did not return, and she (his wife) searched all the synagogues, and he isn't (to be found)! Came Shabbos his isn't (to be found)! So the whole family came to me, “Tell, where is Rabbi Tzvi?” There were those that said, “What? He is already in Uman! They sent him to Uman! He is Breslov?! Where is Rabbi Tzvi? Where is Rabbi Tzvi?”

R' Yisroel Ber in jail because of the story of Rabbi Tzvi.

In any event, my mother, and my wife, and the family, they came to the jail and they saw me through the windows. They said to me, “What's news?” in any event, some hours went by, the top official came, the supervisor of the policemen and over everything, he came, the mukhtar already spoke with him what he has to do, he knows that he (R' Tzvi) has a good friend, this mukhtar, what he says (the mukhtar) he (the officer) does. He came, took me out of jail, the top official, the general, and he said, he spoke strongly, he is a general, he said to me, “Tell, where is Rabbi Tzvi?” First they lay me on the floor, and lifted my feet, and they took a rope, and they tied my feet between them, yes. This was hardened irons, they tied me, and there was a policeman on this side and there was a policeman on the other side, and my feet were above, and they said to me, “If you tell where Rav Tzvi is, good. If not, then you will die! We will beat you murderously!” And my family were hearing how he spoke with me, and they feared that I... if they beat me, then I will die! Arab policemen? They beat murderously! There was crying. My mother went to the synagogue, she opened the holy ark, she prayed and cried, it was a great danger, even to walk in the street, that they would conscript me into the army, because whoever they found, that had hands and feet, even in the street, they would snatch him for the army of the gentiles, the Turks, without notifying the family, and many families had children disappear, and there was great crying and and great pain, and great fear. My mother, and also my wife, and all.... They tied me, and I lay with my feet up high, and they flaunted the whips, and the officer said to me, “tell, where is Rav Tzvi?” I said, “I think he went to Jerusalem.” So he said to me, “know, if we do not find him we will punish you so you die, we will beat you to death, tell the truth!” “That which I know I am saying, I believe.” So they left me, and they sent on Shabbos, they sent to the road to Jerusalem. In any event, on Saturday night (after Shabbos) they found him in Afula, and they said to Rav Tzvi, they found him, the police, and they said to him, “Know that Yisroel Ber and Rabbi Yisroel are in jail, and they are in grave danger, return with us! He heard that there is danger, they came to Tiberius Saturday night. So my family wanted that they should free me from prison, that I should go home, and the law was, at night they don't allow for anyone to leave. If he is in prison they do not free him, he must be there until morning, at night there are no discharges. But the mukhtar and this (group of) policemen, they knew how to behave and they freed me, after Shabbos at night....

Story of the three wealthy intellectuals of Tiberius

But I forgot about the three wealthy men of Tiberius, oy, they were already from the new ones [from the newly drawn close] new zionists, they made, it was a joke by them, all of Judaism and the Torah, but even still, they were children of the Land of Israel, and the most important one of them, had a flour mill, and he was important, his family, his father and grandfather were Karlin hasidim, so he wore a streimel (round fur hat), slanted such, according to the fashion, and he went with his friends, another two. This one, was the elder, he wasn't old but he was the eldest of them. These three, they were friends and they mocked Judaism, like the wise man of the Tales of Ancient Times. They went, it was a joke by them, they go to pray. But one, his name was Yisroel Ben Zalman, Zulmin, and the two? There were two, one was the owner of the largest drugstore in Tiberius, he was a wonder even in Jerusalem, a large drugstore and he knew the trade well, a great expert, this second guy. And the third was Leibel, also Aryeh (the Hebrew for Leibel – lion), he was the largest lumber merchant in Tiberius. These are the three. They went to the synagogue, but it was like a show, a type of jest. Just like that, in every synagogue, they went to the synagogue, scoffers! This one that had the flour mill, Yisroel Zalmens [Zulmintz], he was the outstanding of them, they had propriety with him, he was a smart man, they went with him to the synagogue, and this was a type of show, they went to the synagogue, and the house of Rabbi Yisroel was between all the synagogues [close to all the synagogues]. They saw a great commotion, the whole city, a great commotion, and also my family, and the family of Rav Tzvi, and Rabbi Yisrel, and there was screaming and crying, and they heard such a thing? “what is going on here? What is it?” “ho!... you don't know? Yisroel Ber has become a Breslov hasid, and they took me [him] and he disappeared, he went with his phylacteries to pray and didn't return!” so they heard such a thing, they saw, there was such a big gathering, in the middle they were told what is happening, what there is in Tiberius, Yisroel Ber from the hasidim of Breslov [he has become Breslov, and now Rav Tzvi as well]. “what? You have not heard? What a show? What? Yisroel Ber? What Breslov?” In any event, they approached the door of Rabbi Yisroel, it was closed. He closed the door, he prayed the morning prayer, such a kind of prayer! I didn't hear, but I heard that they said that it pierced the heavens. That it was such a prayer! My family, and his family, my mother, the mother of Rav Tzvi, so they stood next to the door of Rabbi Yisroel, and also Mordichai the mukhtar stood there with policemen as well, they waited for him to finish the prayer, they will take him outside, outside they can take him, from the house it is forbidden to take him (that was the law, because R' Yisroel had an Austrian passport), but from the outside it is possible. In any event, they were angry, they wanted to break the door of Rabbi Yisroel. They found themselves with the mukhtar, with the policemen, they heard the prayer of Rabbi Yisroel, fear fell upon them! They never in the world heard such a type of prayer, they never heard in the world, so they were aroused in truth, the Judaism was aroused, the heart, the Judaism, and all of them, this Yisroel Zulmin, from the flour mill, and these two, they said to Mordichai, to the mukhtar, “get out of here” so he left immediately. They were a gang... if he didn't want to listen to them they would give money, they were very wealthy, he feared them, they were not simple people, they told him to go, so he went, and they remained. They didn't go to pray, they didn't go to Karlin, they saw such a kind of show! The whole city just searches “Where Rabbi Yisroel?” the mukhtar and the policemen... so they waited until he finished the 'shmoneh esray' (standing benediction) of the Shabbos prayers, they knocked on the door and they spoke with R' Yisroel. “Mordichai? We sent away Mordichai, we want to speak with you” so he opened the door and they entered, they were clever, smart, but they were abnegated in the face of the prayer that they heard from Rabbi Yisroel. For an hour they asked him some questions, and he answered them, the first question first, the last question last, he answered all of them, and they were very astonished, they had never heard such words. They were wise, they asked him! “What is this? Breslov and Karlin and all of them, all the religious, all of them, they have children and also the Breslovers have wives and children, what difference is there? These get married and they have children, and these marry and they have children, so what? What difference is there? They asked in jest, but Rabbi Yisroel answered them in truth, with acuity, “These get married? They marry for the desires of the body, as a matter of course they also have children, but the main thing is the desire! But these righteous? They, because they want children, for this, they get married!” They didn't know how to answer this. And he gave them a sufficient answer, and they didn't answer. And they were abnegated to Rabbi Yisroel and they loved him. On everything that they spoke with him, he told them everything, and they were abnegated, and they drew close to Rabbainu, they supported him [the publication of the books of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov]. They, for the first time in their lives, the three wise men, they heard for the first time in their lives, such a commotion, so they asked, “What is this commotion? What is going on here?” “Ho!... you didn't hear that R' Yisroel has become Breslov?” “Nu, we heard, what is it?” “They took Rav Tzvi!” They saw what this Rav Tzvi...

R' Yisroel Karduner, he punished the mukhtar the snitch for this Shabbos that he caused.

On Sunday I was scared, maybe the mukhtar wants money? He will want money another time, he will come again, he will take me back to prison, “Money!!! Where is Rav Tzvi?” There is money here! He will not want to stop, there's a good business here, there's money here, money! Money? I don't have money! So I saw a place, next to the Karlin synagogue, a closed place, a place that is not seen, so I was there the whole day, next to the synagogue, maybe Mordichai will come with the policemen, no one will know where I am. So he could search as much he wants. I was there till mincha (prayed towards the evening). At mincha I went up to the synagogue, from the place that I was to the synagogue, they prayed mincha, they have “kedusha” ('holy' - part of the prayer only said in a quorum of ten), and the old man Rav Kihus came, the Rav Kihus, he was a Karliner, and also the father of the woman, of the wife of Rav Tzvi Rosenthal, he was also a Karliner, they were friends. So Rav Kihus went to pray mincha, and he heard that the police took Mordichai, the mukhtar (defined on page 417), to Istanbul, and there is a great indictment on him that he is a spy, that he... so Rav Kihus said, this was R' Yisroel, R' Yisroel, this was an act of R' Yisroel, R' Yisroel [Karduner] punished him, he gave him a punishment, Hashem gave him a punishment for this, for this Shabbos, he... they took him, and from then on he disappeared, they didn't see him any more in Tiberius, I didn't see him, Tiberius didn't see him anymore, maybe I think that they killed him. Spy? There was an indictment that he was spying, then there was the English, they were at war with Turkey, and all of this was Turkey, and also Syria is Turkey, Lebanon was Turkey, everything Turkey, nu, Turkey indicted, there was an indictment that Mordichai was spying, he spies on everything that there is here in Turkey, he informs to their enemy, spying, so he did not return alive. From this Sunday, he did not return to Tiberius anymore, not to the Land of Israel and not to Tiberius, it is not known where he is, where? If they killed him? In any event it is not known, Tiberius was left without the mukhtar, without Mordichai. He made such a Shabbos, he caused such strife! So he received! What he received, everything is from Heaven, the world is not abandoned. So they took him to Istanbul, this is in Turkey, and he didn't return alive. Until today it is not known what happened to him. This was a kind of show for the whole city. The Sephardim, they are a nation of themselves, they don't know what goes on by the Ashkenazim, and the Ashkenazim don't know what goes on by the Sephardim. Two, two separate ideologies. This is Sephardim, and this is Ashkenazim. The first is not similar to the second. But the story of Rav Tzvi? The whole city, all the Sephardim knew, and all the Ashkenazim, “This? Rav Tzvi? He went to Uman on Friday, and didn't return!” The whole city spoke about it, the Ashkenazim and also the Sephardim, all of them were by the house of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner. After the prayer they pass by on their way home, and they passed by the house of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner. This was their regular route home, and they saw such a thing, such a ruckus, so they stood, they couldn't budge, they saw such a thing?! They asked, “what is this commotion? What is going on here? What wedding is here?”

“What you don't know? You didn't hear? Yisroel Ber has become Breslov! And they want to vitiate all Tiberius, what you don't know?? They sent Rav Tzvi to Uman on Friday, have you seen such a thing?! This is only by the Breslovers, what these Breslovers do! They killed the whole family of R' Tzvi, the wife and small children, have you seen such a thing?!”

There was such an uproar, ho... what happened in Tiberius that Shabbos, don't ask! All of Tiberius was boiling. “How is such a thing done?! On Friday? What?!...”

This is such a wondrous story, that we have still not heard!!! The story... how is such a thing done? He went on Friday to Jerusalem on foot, he didn't have money to travel. He went on Friday, he went to pray, he didn't return, he went to Jerusalem. Not once, it hasn't been heard such a story! The uproar was in the whole Tiberius, by the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim, all of them spoke about Breslov, “what is this? How do they such a thing? Someone goes to pray on Friday and doesn't return?!...”

And the three enlightened of Tiberius they went to pray, they didn't know anything, they didn't know, not from Yisroel Ber and not from R' Tzvi, they didn't know from Breslov at all, nothing. This synagogue of Karlin was next to Rabbi Yisroel, all the synagogues were next to Rabbi Yisroel, so all those that went, would need to pass by the way of Rabbi Yisroel. Nu, and by Rabbi Yisroel stood my family, the family of Rav Tzvi. The whole city they cried, “Where is this? Where is he? Where is Rav Tzvi? He went! He isn't, disappeared!” And the three enlightened, they heard the whole city of Tiberius speaking of the story of Rav Tzvi, they saw such a commotion,, so they asked, “What is going on here? Is this a synagogue for prayers? What is here? What is there? What happened?”

“What? You didn't hear? Yisroel Ber became Breslov! And Rav Tzvi became Breslov! On Friday he went to pray and didn't return!...”

When I recall to myself the story of Rav Tzvi, he left house on Friday, then I become a different person, a new man. There was such a story, who heard of such a thing? He would pray at the time of sunrise, he didn't say anything. He goes to pray, and is lost, disappears, he didn't return, until today. Whoever heard of such a thing? Everyone said, “this is just a story of Breslov, the Breslovers can do such a thing, the whole world doesn't know (how) to do such an affair, just the Breslovers know.”

The Story of R' Tzvi who went on foot to Jerusalem.

And such a story was made, when Messiah comes they will retell the story of R' Tzvi. Messiah will also tell, and there will be great happiness from R' Tzvi, that he went on foot to Jerusalem, Friday... nu, nu, R' Tzvi he said to Rabbi Yisroel, “I am not Yisroel Ber, I can't take it, nu, if so, G-d forbid I am afraid that maybe I will fall? So I want to go to Jerusalem, in Jerusalem there is also R' Shlomo Wexler, there are Breslov hasidim. I can be... Breslov here in Tiberius? I am not able. I am not able, I am not a hero! I must go to Jerusalem. I don't have money? So I will go on foot, now, I am already going on foot! Thank G-d my feet are strong, I, I have a strong body, I can go to Jerusalem on foot.”

Significant student of the Chufetz Chaim, he learned Likutay Moharan and became Breslov.

I do not understand, he was a significant ('muvhak') student of the Chufetz Chaim, he came to Tiberius, and I said to him, “Rabbi Tzvi? There is a book today, Likutay Moharan, that the whole world doesn't know what it is!” So he began to learn, so he became a Breslov hasid! The wife, and the father-in-law, and the family, all of them said, “What is this? Breslov? I want a divorce! I do not want Breslov, I want a divorce.”

He accepted all of this, he saw that he was in danger, he took his prayer shawl and phylacteries and went to pray. Usually after the prayers he would come to eat and drink, and sometimes he wouldn't come. Nu, nu, come to me, “Where's R' Tzvi?!” I will go tell that he went to Jerusalem? The whole city came, to say to tell them, “Where's R' Tzvi? A man goes to pray and doesn't return on Friday?! What is this? This isn't in the whole world, just in Breslov! Is there such a thing?! That one goes to pray and doesn't return?! Where is R' Tzvi?” I said, “I don't know...” They sent to Safed to search for him, and he isn't (to be found). Nu, “So where is R' Tzvi? Certainly they sent him to Uman?” He lived for some days and he contracted a disease and he died.

And he was the splendor of the city, splendor of the Yeshiva, splendor of the city. He was a student of the Chufetz Chaim, he learned with me in Yeshiva, and he was his student, he learned by him, Rav Tzvi Rosenthal, he was a student of the Chufetz Chaim, yes, his student.

The handshake to seal the agreement of the rabbis that he will not stand within four cubits of Breslov and he will not learn the book of Breslov.

They received a handshake, that he will not speak with me, that he will not be Breslov. He gave a handshake. He told me, I said to him, “What did you do? Why did you do this?” he said to me, “This does not apply, not by oath and not by vow! If someone makes a vow to desecrate Shabbos, the oath does not apply, and neither the vow.”

The rest of the story of Rav Tzvi.

He found me in Tiberius, afterwards all of them became opposers to R' Tzvi Rosenthal. He was a student of the Chufetz Chaim, and they did not pay attention to this. I told him that this was the matter, the matter of our holy master this is a matter that is very exalted, and you put your mind and your heart into the words of Rabbainu, and it will be made from you, and you will make from yourself something else altogether. And he said that he wanted to be Breslov, and his father-in-law, and his wife didn't want, so he went to Jerusalem. He left his father-in-law and his wife, and he went to Jerusalem. He had small children, nu, he went to Jerusalem on foot, yes, he said, “I am no able to be in Tiberius, they don't want me to be Breslov, so I am forced to go to Jerusalem, to R' Shlomo, R' Shlomo Wexler.” yes, I was in great danger, they wanted to give me a beating, a severe beating, and they said to me, “You will receive a beating, tell where did Tzvi Rosenthal go? Where can he be found?!” I saw that I was in danger, I said that they should send to search for him on the route to Jerusalem. In Afula they found him, in Afula they found R' Tzvi, in Afula, and the soldiers said to him that he should return to Tiberius. He didn't want, they said to him, “We are soldiers! You don't want? We will take you with force!” They took him to Tiberius, and in the morning they took him to the Rav Klears, he made documents, that he should sign them, that he will not stand next to R' Yisroel and next to Yisroel Ber. He signed, because he was in danger, he signed, and he made the oath....

The dream about Rav Tzvi ob”m.

Yes, yes, R' Tzvi, I saw him in a dream, and at night at midnight, I went to the mikva, he came and spoke with me. I said to him, “R' Tzvi! You signed to the Rav Klears that it is forbidden for you speak with me and to come next to me?! Nu, nu, what will be?” He said, that now he does not want to listen to the Rav Klears, and let it be what may, he will remain a Breslov Hasid! Yes. He will be strong, he will be different, that's how he went with me to the mikva. And at the mikva people came and saw such a thing, but thank G-d we were saved from them. Thank G-d. Afterwards I saw that this was a dream. No mikva, and no... I just heard the crying of his wife over him, and she cried, “R' Tzvi died.” She was left a widow with small children, the children are now in Karlin. Today, when I am found by my house (daughter?) in Jerusalem, they ask me always, that I should recount to them the story of their father, what was there? What was the story exactly? Ah?... but it was a nice story! And generation after generation they retell the story of R' Tzvi Rosenthal. He didn't want to go with the soldiers. They said to him, “we will take you to the car!” That's how it was. They transported him to Tiberius, and they told me that Rav Tzvi, he is in Tiberius. He arrived in Tiberius, he returned to Tiberius. He incurred a disease and died, he passed away. He signed, on what the Rav Klears wrote for him, he signed this. (Saba? They said that you were a spy, that you send people to Uman?) yes, yes. The mukhtar wanted a lot of money, he wanted to blackmail the family that they would send me to Russia, and the family would put together money and they would give him, each one, money, and each one would give him money so that they wouldn't send me to Russia, but he contracted a disease and died, he incurred a disease on the lungs...

The story of R' Tzvi Rosenthal is a wondrous story. He did not say anything, he took his prayer shawl and phylacteries, he went to pray, after the prayers he went to Jerusalem and on Shabbos he was in Afula, and they found him in Afula on Saturday night, they came, the soldiers and they transported him to Tiberius, he was strong, heroic, he said, he, even if he dies, he will be Breslov!

The high officer that loved money.

This high officer, that took me out, to beat me murderously, he also loved money, like Mordichai. Mordichai gave me also... they have a good business. He made an indictment that we were spies; we send people to Russia, to Uman. Nu, nu, nu, so on Sunday, they took him, he is a spy, and he did not return to Tiberius....

Continuation of words about R' Tzvi Rosenthal.

He went on Friday with prayer shawl and phylacteries and did not return. He went to pray with the prayer shawl and did not return all of Shabbos, Friday all of Shabbos he did not return. He said, “They do not let me be Breslov. I am forced to go to Jerusalem. I don't have money, I will go on foot. I have strong feet.” (They threw stones on the house of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner?) Yes, yes, yes! They broke all his vessels! (this was on Shabbos?) Yes... “Say the truth, where is R' Tzvi. If not then we will kill you. Say the truth, where is R' Tzvi? What's this? A man goes to pray and doesn't return the whole Shabbos?” This is not... there still has not been such a thing, only in Breslov. This is a wondrous story. How does one go to pray and not return all of the Shabbos? Such a thing is unheard of except in Breslov! By Breslov this could happen. Such a thing that one goes to pray and doesn't return? In the whole world there is no such thing, just in Breslov! (they said that you sent him to Uman?) Yes, we were in danger, spies... Russia was at war. The Turks nu... we were in danger (of being accused to be) spies, and it was miracles from Heaven.... He said to me “Say the truth, where is R' Tzvi?” So after some hours the police came and took him (the mukhtar – Mordichai) to prison, his whereabouts are unknown till today. He left a wife and children and boys and they don't know where he is, it is unknown, they ask the police. “Where is R' Tzvi?” “We don't know. I don't know. We don't know.” But they said that this is something that is impossible, only in Breslov there is such a thing, that one goes to pray and doesn't return all of Shabbos. This is just Breslov! (there are guests) guests? Tell them what R' Tzvi wanted. He went to pray with his prayer shawl and phylacteries and didn't return and doesn't return. She searched in all they synagogues, he isn't (to be found), comes Shabbos, he isn't (to be found). So the whole family came to me, “Tell where is R' Tzvi?” There were those that said, “What, he's already in Uman?” They thought he was in Uman. This story needs to be printed in every city to make it known that there was R' Tzvi Rosenthal... (Shalom Aleichem) Shalom Aleichem, (n.b.) oy vay! What is with you? I am not... I don't understand this. Who was R' Tzvi Rosenthal? He was a distinguished pupil of the Chufetz Chaim. He came to Tiberius and I said to him, “R' Tzvi, today there is a book, Likutay Moharan, that the whole world does not know what it is!” So he started to learn, so/then he became Breslov, a Breslov Chusid. Ah, ah?! A Breslov Chusid? The wife, and the father-in-law, and the family, all of them, were, “What is this? Breslov? I want a divorce!” He accepted all of this, and he saw that he was in danger. He took his prayer shawl and phylacteries and went to pray. After the prayers... he would come after the prayers to eat and to drink. Nu, so they came to me, “Where is R' Tzvi?” I... everything, the whole city came (so that I should) say, to tell them, “Where is R' Tzvi? A man goes to pray and doesn't return? Friday? What is this? This isn't in the world, only in Breslov is there such a thing. One goes to pray and doesn't return? Such a thing is unheard of in the world, only in Breslov!” (R' Tzvi was related to Moshe Rosenthal in Jerusalem?) I don't know, but his name was Rosenthal, R' Tzvi Rosenthal. “Where is R' Tzvi?” I said, “I don't know.” they sent to search for him, he isn't (to be found). “Where is R' Tzvi” there were those that said that they sent him to Russia in Uman, he's Breslov, he... “They sent him to Uman!” (in the end he returned home?) Yes, (he returned to his house in Tiberius?) yes, but he died, he died, he lives and he's dead... so I said, “Maybe he's in Jerusalem.” So they sent and caught him. They brought him to Tiberius... “Where's R' Tzvi? What is this? He went to pray, didn't return, where is he?” We... we ruin everything. H”Y gave us, and we... [Rabbi Yisroel, like he was used to doing, checks the money that they gave him for charity to publish Rabbainu] I have... I have... first of all the money, with them money oy! What you gave me, what did I do with it?” (you didn't take anything you gave it all to Rabbainu) but it is necessary to be frugal, to travel, and to travel, and to travel till Jerusalem, in the Temple, in the city of the Holy of Holies, thank G-d, I was in a time that there wasn't... no bread for the children, for me, I also need bread, for me to eat, for me and not for the children! No clothing and no bread and no money! Nothing! Yisroel Ber, everyone laughed, they said, “Here's Breslov, what do you care?! They want... what is there? He can take everyone!”...

I was punished, I had arguments

He learned with me in Yeshiva, and he was his student and learned by him (what was his name?) R' Tzvi Hirsch, R' Tzvi Rosenthal (he was a student of the Chufetz Chaim) yes, a student of... oy vay, now I see, then, at the time that this happened to me, what transpired, I didn't know what it was, I wasn't able, it was hard for me, it says in the Talmud, “Someone who comes to purify himself (from Heaven they) purify him.” Nu, why do I deserve such suffering? I want to be a servant of Hashem in truth, why do I deserve suffering? It was hard to understand why, but now... This was hard to understand, but now, the more time passes by, I see, and understand, and grasp, and recognize that this was such a favor that it's priceless! Now I will give millions, I want a little to suffer insults, difficulties, where are they? Where will I obtain (them)? Just this period there was what was, and this was all good, all for the generations to see what is Breslov, and what strength this is. Also... when he (R' Muttel Slunimer) said not nice things, then I got up from the chair and I said to him, “I don't want to see you!” I left the room and I gave with the door... I didn't go in to him then on that night, his custom to pray was like here, with the sunrise, yes, he didn't have... the minyan (group prayer) of his hasidim would pray before midday, at nine, ten, he didn't oppose this, he prayed with the Sephardim. While he was praying, there was a fire, after the prayers he came, he found it burned, and his daughter tells him that he had a miracle that she wasn't burnt! In any event, so/then he tells her, “this was my punishment, Yisroel Ber, I was punished, I had an argument....” That's what he told his daughter, “I had an argument with Yisroel Ber, and he got upset, so thank God that you were saved, thank God that you remained alive!” So/then she said to him, “I tell you, I hear the arguments, and I see that he... he is correct!” oy vay, what I had, there are many stories, many, many hidden matters what is... oy, now if we give as much... all the money in the world that there should be such a story, yes, Rav Muttel, Yisroel Ber, of the arguments, and of... it was a period. And all was at it's proper time. I needed to receive from Rabbi Yisroel, and this was not possible only through the insults and the spilling of blood, and the difficulties that I suffered from everyone. I was alone, alone against everyone! How is it possible such a thing? What I suffered, what happened to me, this... there are no words to speak, as much as I tell, it still, it still is nothing. How much I pained my father and mother, my father was blind, and was poor, and I did everything to do my father's will, to fulfill the mitzva of honoring one's father and mother....

Rav Alapandri

Rav Alapandri.

I was inferior to everyone. I was a simple person and inferior to everyone. The Rav Alapandri, he lived in Safed, he came to Tiberius to immerse in the hot springs of Tiberius, so I descended from the Yeshiva, I went down and said to the Rav Alpandri, “I have a request from you, I would like to serve you.” He was a world renown genius (Gaon), yes. He had allocution. And so strong! He heard how I say Likutay Tefilos, so afterwards I went and came to his room and I said to him, “What would you like? What do you need?” He said, “I want to serve you! That's what I want!” (he was a man of truth?) Yes. He was very old, and he was strong, very heroic, he didn't ask all the rabbis, he said to me, “I heard about Rabbi Nachman, I heard great things, that he was a big genius, but what I hear from you? I did not know from this at all! Now? I want to serve you!” he was my neighbor in Safed (you lived in Safed?) no. I got married in Safed, he was living in Safed and I was born in Tiberius and I lived in Tiberius, all of Tiberius cried, they cried over me, my father and my mother, they cried, “What? It is impossible to be a Breslov Chasid! What is this? We don't want Breslov!” And that's how everyone was, all the scholars and everyone, “He became Breslov? Breslov?! Breslov?!...” I, I was lower than everyone, I didn't have any mind, and any intellect, and any...nothing, no elocution and not anything, mamash nothing... and our holy master writes to me (in the Petek), “My student, my precious student”...

Chacham Bashi [Turkish title: Head of the Wise Men], Rav Shlomo, the genius of the Sephardim.

Once Rav Shlomo, the genius of the Sephardim, came to Tiberius. 'Chacham Bashi', he was an old man and a genius, 'Alapandri', and he was a genius and a tzadik, he was single, he didn't have a wife. He came to Tiberius, and I went in to him by the Sephardim, I went in to him, and I requested him, “I want the merit to serve you...” Him... nu. I asked him, and he was a genius, nu, let it be like that! He agreed! He was a genius and he heard about Rabbainu, Rabbi Nachman, that he was a genius and a tzadik. What happiness needs to be ours, that we have merited in this world to be close to Rabbainu! We don't know what this is!

There were some greats that thought that they were Messiah, that they, that they, and they, and they! And just them! They spoke in such a way. But this was not correct! This that they spoke, they were mistaken! Yes! Just our holy master! By him there is no mistake! What he revealed... such words... such words, every word clarified! The law, as given to Moses at Sinai!

Another talk about Rav Alapandri.

In Safed there lived an old man, a great old man named, he was called the Rav Alapandri, he was a great man renown in the whole world, do you know about this? (I didn't hear of him) You didn't hear of him? How is that? Nu, you are a young man and I am old, and I heard from this Rav in Tiberius that he is a man of great genius and very wise and with great fear of Heaven, he was very tough against the rabbis that he understood were not in order, so he would not pay attention to that they were rabbis, he said the truth, he lived, he lived in Safed, and he would get up every night, every night at midnight, and cry before H”Y about the destruction of the Temple, yes. He was a genius, but he had great fear of Heaven, and he would get up every night at midnight, and cry a lot before H”Y, with tears. I was not in Safed, but I heard of him, and he came in the winter to Tiberius in order to use the baths of the hot springs of Tiberius. So the Sephardim all knew that he is a great man, so they gave him a room by them, by the Sephardim, at Rabbi Meir Baal Hanais, and they gave him a room. And I heard that Rav Alapandri was to be found by the Sephardim, so I went to him, this was after I had become a Breslover, after the passing of Rabbi Yisroel [Karduner], after Rabbi Yisroel passed away. And I went in to him, and I requested him, “I want the merit to attend him.” And he saw that this was with a whole heart, yes, he had understanding, so he gave me permission to attend to him. I took off his shoes, and I made his bed, I brought him tea, any service... a few days passed, and I prayed once by the Sephardim, and I prayed like that which I saw by Rabbi Yisroel, prayer, and I also said Likutay Tefilos and Psalms with tears and arousal with fervor, and he heard in his room, so when I finished the prayers and I came to serve him, and I asked him what he needs, what he wants, tea or anything that he needs, so he said to me, “I don't need anything, I want... I don't want that you... that you should serve me!” He didn't know that I was a Breslover, that I... he just heard the sound of the prayers, so he said to me, “ I don't want that you should serve me!” I was 22 years old, 23 years old, and he was an old man, and such a genius, so this was not... how he, such a genius and I, simple, I, a simple kollel (yeshiva for married men) man, there was a bond between us, and I saw that he discussed with me some issues and my assessment concurred with his view, and he had some matters that he needed to take counsel with other people, and he took counsel with me, and I told him the truth, so/then he understood that I am a man of truth, and say the truth, and there was a bond between us, and he asked me, “How is your livelihood?” So I said, “I am a member of the Yeshiva, I learn in Yeshiva.” “And how is your livelihood? Do you have a livelihood?” He took interest and asked me. So I told him, “I learned in Yeshiva, and after I became a Breslov Chasid they didn't want to retain me in the Yeshiva, a Breslover, maybe he will make others, maybe, maybe... they didn't want, but even still they couldn't reject me, I learned there for a long time, from bar mitzva, so they gave me less than all the members of the yeshiva, I received less than them.” So I told him that my life was such, with great poverty, and I told him that they give me less than the others because I am from the Breslov Chasidim. He was with this... after some days, the Ashkenaz rabbis came to visit him, and they wanted to take him to visit in their yeshiva, in the yeshiva by Rabbi Meir Baal Hanais of the Ashkenazim, and he, they came to him, there was the Rav and the manager (gabbai) of the yeshiva, and another person, there were three, and they came to him like... with honor and reverence, and they spoke with him, and he said to them, “Why do you give this man less? He doesn't have a livelihood!” So they said to him, “He is a worthy man, he is a man who serves Hashem, but he is saying always Psalms, prayers, this isn't a member of a yeshiva. Yeshiva is just for the intellectual, but he doesn't keep the schedule of the yeshiva, he goes between the mountains, and he is a kosher man, but not a member of a yeshiva. What we give him is just, just from the side of kindness, that we have mercy on him.” Nu, so he, so he got angry at them, and said to them that “his Psalms are more important by H”Y than your intellectualism, from your intellectuals!” Oy, oy, oy the whole time... and I went down to him every day, but I did not merit to serve him, because he did not want, by no means, and he... and I saw that he, when I told him that I was from the Breslov Hasidim, that I told him what I suffer, he said to me, “A Breslov Hasid! This is something very precious! This is something very important!” Yes, that's what he said. Nu, honor to the Rav, to the Rav that came to him, nu, in the end, because he told them, so they gave me a raise of half a lira a month, after he spoke to them. Oy, oy, oy, a great man, world renown, a genius, holy, and the Rav Alapandri... apparently.... Who said, “I don't know”? You are young, and maybe he was around before you were born, but till today his name (reputation), he is very great the Rav Alapandri, look into it, ask maybe the Sephardim about the Rav Alapandri, he made many books, and he was a man famous in the Land of Israel and in the whole world....

And they said it is forbidden to have mercy on him!

He needs to be amongst the paupers at the Western Wall!

From the time that I was a child, I was a poor child, my father was blind in both eyes, and my mother, she had, she accepted this with [love], I, for my whole life I learned, at the beginning just in the Yeshiva of Slunim, and now I, I don't want to hear from them, such arrogant people! They received all the money from America, they received and didn't give for a piece of bread, yes, Rav Moshe Klears had a son, Avrohom Mordichai Klears, he made a bank from the money of America, he made a bank, and his bank was more wealthy than all the banks! My children didn't have a piece of bread to eat, and they had all the money of America by them, and I didn't have not shoes, and not bread, and not all types of things, and not clothing for my children, I had ten children and they all needed to eat, and I didn't have. They didn't give me. Why? I learn the books of Breslov! This is all the... this is Slunim! And they said it is forbidden to have mercy on him, he needs to be amongst the paupers at the Western Wall, not in Yeshiva! And they didn't give me even a piece of bread for the children, they didn't give me. Miracles and wonders that I am alive, I didn't have bread to eat, yes, yes, this is Slunim. Forgive me, I don't want to say slander, not even on any Jew, but this was mamash... (here Saba speaks in Yiddish: you learn Torah?! You take away the little bit of bread from children, from small children, they didn't give even a little bit of bread, he has to be in Jerusalem) Hashem should bless the whole nation of Israel with all the blessing with all the salvations. Yes. Not one day, one week, two! I didn't have bread, just bread to eat?! Not I, and not my children, I didn't have with what to pay tuition, so they sent the children home. No.... The tombs of tzadikim? The tzadikim the liars, do you understand what I am saying? (yes) “It is forbidden to have mercy, he learns the books of Breslov!” In the Yeshiva it is forbidden to have mercy. There was the Rav Alapandri, he was a genius, world renown genius, and tzadik, he requested, I, I was by him and I attended to him, so I asked him that he should speak with them, that they should give me bread, bread to eat. No? We will give every Jew, just to Breslov, not to Breslov?! Because he learns the books of Breslov in the Yeshiva?! (The Rav Alapandri spoke with them?) yeah, yes, (nu, what?) they gave a half a lira a month, they went, they said to him that they wouldn't give, but they were afraid (from him) he had a great name (reputation), the Rav Alapandri, he was a genius in Torah and a chasid, yes, he asked me to accept... I still didn't have bread to eat, there wasn't bread, just bread alone there wasn't. And they had by them all the money of America, they had a big name (reputation) in the world as if they were tzadikim, their name (reputation) was throughout the world. They said, I learn in yeshiva? I learn the books of Breslov! I learn in Yeshiva?! They don't want me! I was born in Tiberius, and they said, “No, he learns the books of Breslov, we will not give him, he isn't a ben Yeshiva (conforming to the ways of the Yeshiva)!” It is miracles and wonders that I remained alive, I and the children, but H”Y he has mercy, H”Y has mercy, and the truth... the falsehood falls, the truth lives and endures! The falsehood, at the end it falls. I remember, they were at the highest height, they fell and went down completely. They didn't give me, not bread and not to drink, “He should go to Jerusalem amongst the paupers that sit in Jerusalem at the Western Wall!” They didn't give... miracles and wonders... my children don't know, don't know what is 'aleph' and what is 'bes' what is 'kometz' (the vowel 'u') and what is 'patach' (the vowel 'a') what.... The Yeshiva, the first of the month, and the children didn't bring money, so they sent them home, they couldn't, they didn't know, there wasn't, not foot, and not to learn, yes, oy, oy, oy, all his enemies fell, all of them fell, there didn't remain a synagogue, even one brick didn't remain, the government bought the lot of their synagogue, they paid them a lot of money.... Miracles and wonders that I and my children remained alive. Slunim had a name (reputation) in the whole world, Slunim Slunim Slunim, but the falsehood!... and it goes down and falls. (Rabbi Nachman from Breslov when will he come?) He will come, he has already came! It can be seen that in the whole world, by every Jew, he learns with every Jew, the way, how to serve Hashem in truth, such truth that never was, never was, but... “a novelty like me has still never been in the world.” Rabbi Nachman said, “A novelty like me still has never been in the world.” Nu, he sought honor and acclaim?! This was... as much as he said, it still does not reach even a fraction from this... Rabbi Nachman is... “I...” and Rabbi Nachman said, “I and Rabbi Nussun laugh from the whole world.” Yes, that's what he said, “I and Rabbi Nussun laugh from the whole world.” Such words... a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov!... He rectifies the whole world, all the wicked, all the heretics, all the enemies, rectifies, fixes, Rabbi Nachman said, even sick people that have no cure - and I can heal them, that is what he said, that is what is written in the book! Two in the world, the truth was two, Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Nussun! And he said, “I and Rabbi Nussun laugh from the whole world.” Who, who can tell, who can speak, this was such novelty, there is no mouth to speak. They revealed truth and faith, and make from the whole world tzadikim, from all the wicked, from all the heretics they make tzadikim! Even the secular know from this! I was born in Tiberius, and I learned always in the Yeshiva of Breslov, and what I suffered from this, from Breslov, what I suffered, this – there is no mouth to speak, to tell. The haughtiness of the whole world was by Slunim. I can speak and tell, and testify, there was one person, Aaron Luria, have you heard? (no) Great in Torah! Great in Torah, he was a Slunim Chasid, and he was against it, he said Slunim [not good] just Breslov... I was not included, I was not a ben Yeshiva, “He is not a ben Yeshiva!” The senior principal said, “He is not a ben Yeshiva.” He said to Rav Alapandri, “He is not a ben yeshiva, we are embarrassed, he should go away from here!” A garment, even for the winter I didn't have, for small children I didn't have clothing, and not bread, and not money, and not anything, miracles today that I live. But H”Y he pays them... to the liars, he pays them... our holy master revealed... there is already, there is already in the world the Likutay Moharan, so/then the world won't be destroyed, there is already, there is already Likutay Moharan in the world, about me they said to Rav Alapandri, “He is not a ben Yeshiva, we will not give him!” But they gave a half a lira a month from fear that Rav Alapandri, he was a strong man and he would not be embarrassed even in front of the greatest of greats, their greats, the greats, the greats of Slunim-Jerusalem they said, the Torah of Rabbi Nachman, there isn't in the world like his Torah, so they said, they from Jerusalem-Slunim they don't know, we know we are learned! I didn't have bread, not I and not my children, “he learns the books of Breslov!” (Saba also today they don't give much to Breslov) also? (also today they don't give much to Breslov) today? (they don't give much) what? They don't know anything! My children that learned in school, everyone called them Breslov Breslov Breslov Breslov! They are reprobates! (not in order) not in order?! They are execrable! There is kosher and there is reprobate, they are reprobates, “He learns the books of Breslov!” Thank G-d I merited to (receive) notes from Rabbi Nachman, yes, he writes to me, “my precious student” I was a completely simple man! And here he writes to me, “my precious student.” But I am living thank G-d, and I see the end of them, all of them suffered difficulties that are not... May the Merciful One save us, because H”Y loves tzadikim, with regard to tzadikim He avenges more than the whole Torah, this is the main Torah, the main.... The Rav Alapandri he heard that I said two prayers from Likutay Tefilos, so/then he didn't want me to attend to him, he said to me, “I need to serve you, not you (to serve) me!” Likutay Tefilos like this... and they didn't give bread to whoever... bread for small children, through that which I learned the books of Breslov! From fear and terror they gave a half a lira! Thank G-d that I merited to be stubborn and to leave them in peace, I was... it is impossible to describe what type of presence I had. They thought that they are the greats of the whole world, and their haughtiness was till the sky, and I sensed this... I had ten children, I do not lie, I don't want to say, they said, “It is forbidden to give him help, forbidden! He learns the books of Breslov!” Thank G-d I was strong and I didn't listen to all of them. There were amongst them great intellectuals, they said that Torah like Rabbi Nachman is not seen, there isn't like it in the world! (so why did they oppose?) They didn't listen to the true greats, they didn't listen. They made for themselves greats, a greater liar, a greater lamdun (intellectual). Mordichai from Slunim was a Torah genius, [he said], “like Rabbi Nachman, like Likutay Moharan, there isn't another in the world!” So they said that he is crazy, he doesn't know what he's talking about, it is forbidden to release such a clarification. He rose above all the greats, above all, above everything... and his truth this... there is no truth like this, there is no wise man like this (what did he say about the Petek?) who? (R' Mordichai) He accepted the Petek, and said that what I express from my mouth is the Torah of Moses, it is holy, and holy, and holy! (today also the greats say that Rabbainu is holy of the holies but the small don't accept this) The liars (yes) I sensed the terrible odor of their arrogance... I, our holy master said, this is a talk from the Likutay Moharan, “I and Rabbi Nussun laugh from the whole world!” From the whole world! “I was victorious and I will be victorious, I finished and I will finish.” What is this?! What do you say about this?! “I finished and I will finish.” So he already knocked them all down! They were the biggest opposers of Breslov, and thank God I came out, thank G-d that I live... I... our holy master, Rabbi Nachman, said, “I and Rabbi Nussun are laughing from the whole world! I and Rabbi Nussun...” Rabbi Nussun was his student. For Rabbi Nussun we do not have any praise to say about him. He was the head of all the tzadikim and the whole Torah, Rabbi Nussun... on Rabbi Nachman... I was a neighbor of Moshe Klears (who was Moshe Klears?) he was Slunim (a Slunim Chasid?) yes. He said to me.... “I and Rabbi Nussun” two men from all the greats all the geniuses, they laugh from the whole world! “I and Rabbi Nussun laugh from the whole world!” (there is new) where?...

The People of Tiberius

The Chasidim of Tiberius

In Tiberius, it was a small city, but there were chasidim, all types of chasidim, yes. And every one of the chasidim thinks that it is the truth, holy of holies, that everyone needs to learn from them. They are the chasidim of Biyan, and these how to be Chabad.... In any event, the Karlin Chasidim and the Slunim Chasidim were close to each other, the synagogue was close. But Karlin would scream in prayer, so they were, they had a name (reputation) and great importance, they scream in prayer! They pray with honor! And the Slunim Chasidim? They snubbed the Karlin Chasidim, the main thing is to learn to be an intellectual (lamdun)! By the Slunim Chasidim there were intellectuals! Karlin Chasidim? They would scream in prayer! But the Slunim Chasidim? They didn't scream in prayer, they just had by them intellectuals. They had by them all the honor and all the arrogance and the whole world, they thought that they were the greats of the generation, that they are the leaders of the generation, that they are the leaders of Israel, that the main thing is to learn Talmud! Yes. There are intellectuals, and there are intellectuals, there are many types. And Rav Muttel? He was really very talented, a mastermind, refined, he was wise and understanding, and merciful, and with good character traits, Rav Muttel! Nu, but the people, he had more haughtiness, because he is Heaven fearing, he is an intellectual! So they were, by them there was, the ego and haughtiness that was the main life by them. Yisroel Ber? Wasn't of Karlin and not of Slunim, rather he chose the Chasidus of Breslov! So H”Y brought about that Rav Muttel was my neighbor. I was his student, and I was like a son. He loved me, even though I am not clever and he was a great intellectual, but even still he respected me and befriended me, because I was in dire poverty, and I, my wife was by her parents, and I was by my parents, we didn't have a livelihood. Nu, I was in the house by Rav Muttel like member of the house. He saw that I drew close to our holy master, to Breslov. He saw that I don't have a wife, I don't have an apartment, I don't have a livelihood, and I am happy! He didn't understand this, he didn't understand this. “What? What, he is not from the world, he is not from this world? What is this? What is this with Yisroel Ber?” He didn't understand this. He understood that I don't have bread to eat, that he understood! That he understood. He was wise, he was a lamdun (an intellectual), so he understood. I didn't tell him, he asked me, “Who? Who gives you to eat?” So I told him, “H”Y provides for me” yes. And this went into his ears and he understood that I don't have food, yes, and I don't have clothing for Shabbos, and I don't have anything. I don't have... the wife is in Safed? And I don't have an apartment, and not money, and not haughtiness, and not Torah, and not anything! Nu, he saw that I am happy. He understood that I don't have bread to eat. So he went, he was compassionate, he went to the chasidim of Slunim.

The songs of Shabbos.

He (Rav Muttel Slunimer) heard my “Shalom Aleichem” (song greeting the angels at the Shabbos table Friday night). Then it wasn't like today, I was at the beginning of my drawing close, and my “Eishes Chayil” (woman of valor – from the end of Proverbs, sung after Shalom Aleichem)? “Azamer Bishvochem” (sung after Aishes Chayil, a Kabalistic poem written by the Arizal)? So he was completely abnegated! So he said to me, “What is this? I am an intellectual? And I don't know what Shabbos is! This Shabbos of mine is nothing! Yisroel Ber! Yisroel Ber! Yisroel Ber! And also the daughters, they revered Rav Muttel their father, and they knew that he was a great intellectual, with a great mind, and what am I? What, what worth did I have next to him? But he said to them, “I am embarrassed from Yisroel Ber, I see his Shabbos, how he is happy! And he has guests for Shabbos, I don't know how he is alive?” His daughters, they heard my Shabboses, the songs and the happiness, and they saw that I don't have anything, that Rav Muttel gave me chairs, yes. Rav Muttel was the greatest opposer, because his hasidic master of Slunim was a great opposer, but even still he loved me. So his daughters they asked him, “What is this? Why does Breslov not find favor in your eyes? We see that he serves Hashem like this, he is always happy!” He was confused, I made him heart problems. He was a great opposer, and I showed him, “You oppose? Good! So listen to the “Eishes Chayil” of Breslov!” he was left without hands, without feet, he was abnegated! Yes. He was Heaven fearing, he was so sunken in terrible opposition, and he? And I was nothing compared to him! A gnat, nothing what-so-ever! And he had heart illness, he couldn't find a place, he sees with his eyes my Shabbos, and his Shabbos, and how? How is it possible to oppose? Yes. He had troubles, I made him heart problems. In any event, the second Shabbos my wife already had, Thank God, shoes. His daughters, of Rav Muttel, they came and they said to him, “she doesn't have a dress for Shabbos, it is necessary to make her a dress!” So Rav Muttel sent me to a certain merchant, that he sells leftovers, leftovers this is pieces, and he was a merchant, he would select large cuts so that there should be a dress. So he (Rav Muttel) sent me to him, and he gave me merchandise which was sufficient for a dress, and she was practiced in sewing, and she sewed, and she had a dress for Shabbos. And it was an awesome show! His daughters they heard his opposition, and they hear my “Eishes Chayil”. So they made him trouble, to Rav Muttel, “How, how, how does one oppose such a Jew?! That he says 'eishes chayil' like this! Is it possible to be an opposer?” Yes, I made them, Tiberius and the hasidim of Slunim, heart problems. They were the greatest opposers, and I made them such difficulties, but not for nothing, not for nothing. They were in the yeshiva “Rabbi Meir Baal Hanais” and they had a better reputation than all the yeshivas of Jerusalem. And they gave me two liras a month instead of ten, 12, 15. They gave me two liras! So they said that they are giving just out of mercy, “he has small children. Nu, he needs bread, but he isn't a ben Yeshiva, he doesn't learn Talmud, he learns Likutay Moharan! Likutay Tefilos! Psalms! This is Yeshiva? This is a ben Yeshiva?” But Likutay Moharan, and the Likutay Tefilos, and Psalms, this made from them great hardship.

The Bread for the Family.

There was a baker, that baked bread, yes. So he (Rav Muttel) went to him, they called him Mendel Wek, yes. Rav Muttel saw that I don't have bread to eat. He said, “he deserves bread. He needs to be without bread? I need to give him bread!” And that's what was, he went to the baker, from the hasidim of Slunim, this is his friend, and said to him, “Give, on my tab, to Yisroel Ber, everyday a loaf of bread, on the first day of every month give me the bill, and I will pay you.” That is what was. Afterwards he was concealed, concealed....

I sat (lived) in his courtyard, I had a small kitchen, I came to the owner of the kitchen, “how much do you want to rent to me the kitchen?” So he said to me a small amount. Good, I took it, but even the small amount I don't have. I said to him, “Don't worry, I will pay you! Nu, what is with you?” He gave me the kitchen, and I found from the merchants a broken box, and I took it into the kitchen, and I had a box for a table, a box, yes. Boxes! I myself sat on the floor, I put rags on the floor, I sat on the floor and I said Likutay Tefilos, Psalms... Rav Muttel saw my apartment, the kitchen, and how I am busy with Likutay Tefilos, Breslov! And he sees that I don't have bread to eat and the wife is in Safed by her parents, and I am happy? What is this? He asked, what type of life is this? What is this? So he didn't understand this, what this is. What? From where do I get this? In any event, H”Y had mercy on me, and his neighbor, that lived next to Rav Muttel, moved to a different apartment, so he knew that I didn't have an apartment, and I don't have (my) wife, and I don't have anything. So he rented the apartment from the owner of the kitchen. He was... the owner of the kitchen was the landlord of the whole courtyard of Rav Muttel. So he rented the apartment for me, and said to me, “Come to me, write to your wife that she should come” and he told me that he rented the apartment for me. I said to him, “Good, there is an apartment, walls! But there isn't a table, I don't have a chair, I don't have anything, and what? How can I write to her that she should come?” So he hit me and said to me, “this is not your business. I will give you furniture, an apartment with furniture, you will have chairs, and you will have a table and bed, write to her that she should come!” And that's what happened.

The Carpenter that Drew Close to Rabbainu.

In Tiberius there was a carpenter, an excellent carpenter, a good carpenter. I didn't know him, I didn't know that he was Breslov. He came close to our holy master, and I didn't know. He heard that I am under duress, so he was drawing close to me, and he was strong, strong and wise... yes. So I thought that he is mocking, that he from scoffing, he likes me to mock me, by him hasidus is worthless... and I didn't know, he told me, “I am Breslov, I saw a couple from Russia, that came from Russia, and they got up at midnight and they said (the rectification of) midnight! And they drew me close to Breslov.” So Rav Muttel brought this carpenter, and he had in storage some broken chairs, and he was a big specialist in carpentry, and he made furniture. There was news in Tiberius, I had chairs and a table! Rav Muttel had two daughters, one was Shluma and one was Feiga, and they saw that Rav Muttel reveled with me, even though I was simple, but he loved me, he himself didn't know what this was, why does he love me? So Shluma was the younger, and Feiga was older, in short, they came, the girls, and I brought my wife. She didn't have clothes for Shabbos, she didn't have a dress, so the daughters told him, “You brought the wife? She doesn't have shoes and she doesn't have a dress, she doesn't have anything, it is necessary to arrange for her, to make for her. The wife has come without clothing? Without shoes?” So it became known to him, the daughters told him, that she doesn't have anything, so he said to me, “Go in Tiberius, In Tiberius there was the mukhtar (see definition on page 417) of the city, named Yakov, he was an expert shoemaker, like Mordechai was at carpentry, he was an expert for shoes, and people waited in line. He didn't receive from everyone, he was strong, he worked, the shoe was strong and nice. So he (Rav Muttel) sent me to Yakov, he's the most expert shoemaker in Tiberius, he (Yakov) doesn't take a lot of money, so he (Rav Muttel) sent me to him (Yakov). Nu, then there weren't store, and it wasn't available, and since one needed shoes it was necessary to wait in line, to get measured and to make according to the measurement, it was necessary to wait two, three weeks in line. So I came to him and I said to him, “Rav Muttel said that you should give me a pair of shoes, the size is such and such.” My wife told me her size, so he said, “I have her size, this size is available, you don't need to wait.” So he gave me the shoes, and they were nice and very good, according to her size. So she already had shoes. Afterwards there was new furniture...

Rav Alter the Karlin Butcher

Did I ever tell you that I once met with Rav Alter the Butcher? He was a Karliner, a Chasid of Karlin. He had such a reputation that he is a big tzadik, that he serves Hashem, that he does charity and kindness, such a brilliant name. So I wanted to travel to Jerusalem, but without money it is impossible to travel, so I saw Rav Alter, he had a small fund for loans, I said, maybe he'll lend me? I said, “Rav Alter, I have a request from you! What is it? I need a loan of a half a lira.” So he looks at me as a mad man, “What does he say? I am rich? I have a half a lira in the bank? There is a half a lira? There are liras?! But I only pennies, what does he say, a loan of half a lira?!” But my request didn't give him rest, he couldn't remove this from his heart, this entered his head, his heart, it didn't want to leave. I said with strength, with conviction, I need half a lira, that he should lend me half a lira. So he said, “When will he return it to me? Is it possible to give a half a lira? It is possible to give a penny, two pennies, five pennies, but not half a lira!” But my words didn't leave his conscious, how is it possible half a lira? Half a lira? But he gave half a lira, he gave me, yes. He said to me he will consider and he will see whether or not to give me. Afterwards he saw me in the marketplace and he called me and said to me, “R' Yisroel Ber, what did you do to me? The half a lira that you asked from me doesn't leave my head. From when you asked me it doesn't want to leave my head. So, good, I will give you the half a lira, but not now. I will give you half a lira, tomorrow, in two days, I will give you half a lira. I will give you.” Nu, nu, my joy that I had, I already have the trip to Jerusalem... nu. There was no travel by car, straight from Tiberius to Jerusalem. First there was Haifa, from here it was necessary to travel to Haifa on donkeys, and afterwards there was the English train, and from Haifa to Jerusalem by train....

Rav Aaron Luria learned the books of Breslov, and did not withstand the test of not having a livelihood as did R' Yisroel Ber.

Rav Aaron Luria! He was famous for his prestigious lineage and was a lamdun (intellectual). I was his neighbor in Yeshiva, and he saw what I underwent. He was jealous of me, so he took from me the book Likutay Moharan and went to his room in the yeshiva and he learned Likutay Moharan. So there was a great commotion in the yeshiva, “Aaron Luria is learning Likutay Moharan!” And they said to him, “What are you doing?!” So he said to them, with great bravery, “I want to learn just the books of Breslov, no matter what will be.” So they told this to the Rav Moshe Klears. After this they said to him, “You want to be here, to learn the books of Breslov? You can be here, just know that you will receive a stipend like Yisroel Ber. Do you know how much Yisroel Ber receives? Ask him how much he receives, two liras a month! You will receive two liras a month, like Yisroel Ber.” So he said to me, “How is it possible? How is it possible to exist like that? Even when I receive twenty liras a month it is not sufficient for me, what will I do with two and a half liras? So it is impossible!” He said to me, every time he saw me, “ I am jealous of you, yes. I was not able to withstand such a test!” And I had two liras a month and I danced the whole night, and I traveled to Meron and to Jerusalem, and I lived a good life!

Rav Aaron Luria said to you, tonight I am dead!

(R' Aaron Luria said to you, tonight I am dead?) Yeah, yeah, I said to him, “Are you crazy?” So he said to me, “I tell you, that tonight I am dead!” And that's what happened, he was scared of the Angel of Death, ho! Ho!... Once, he was sick, I went to visit him, so I said to him, “Aaron? If you have G-d forbid any defect, any adversary on Rabbainu, get rid of it!” And his wife knew and she heard. His wife said to him, “Do what Yisroel Ber says! And do not be an opposer to Breslov any more!” Mordechai Luria? He was the brother of Aaron Luria, and he came to visit his brother. He had another brother, another brother, Avrohom Luria. He had a sick heart. I went to visit him, and I took with me three books, and I said to him, “If you engage in these three books, then the malady will go away, and you will live many years! Many years!” He said to me, “Good! I, every day I will learn in the three books, good, good!” And he was alive and well, alive and well and healthy, (which three books?) Likutay Tefilos, the letters (letters of Rabbi Nussun?) the letters, and another book. I, so I will give, I gave the three books that he should engage in them. So he will live long and will be healthy! So he saw what they were, these books, “I will do like you say, I will be very careful to learn every day in the three books.” He was a Slunim hasid, his father was from Russia, he was a chasid. In short, afterwards, (and) his brother came, Mordichai Luria, and he saw the three books (of) Breslov in his house, in the closet (or bookcase). So he said, “What is this? He became Breslov? I will take the books!” He took the books, and he (Avrohom) lived for one day and passed away! He had a heart attack and passed away! The whole family and the whole city knows this matter. (Who took the books?) Mordichai! And he cried every day, “What did I do!? What did I do!?” he took the books! He didn't have the book? He passed away....

Avrohom Luria.

The wife of Avrohom Luria, she asked him, “Oy Avrohom, as Yisroel Ber tells you, do.” So he said to her, “I will learn in these three books every day” and he became healthy. Afterwards his brother came, Mordechai Luria, and he saw three Breslov books in the closet (or bookcase). So he took this, and he passed away, he passed away. And his brother, Mordechai Luria, he cried about this all his life, “What did I do?!” I went to him and I wanted to do him a favor, that he should live, and he accepted from me the three books and he learned every day in these three books, and he said to me, “I learn in these three books, I learn every day.” And he became healthy and suddenly his brother came, Mordichai Luria, and he saw the three book of Breslov, “What? He has become Breslov? I will show him, I will take the books.” He took the books, and he (Avrohom) passed away. He didn't have the books to learn? So he passed away. He had the books, and he learned from them and became healthy, he was a lamdun (intellectual), a great intellectual, and he loved very much to learn the books of Rabbainu, and he saw that it is a great cure, and so it was, and he became healthy, and his wife was so happy! Thank G-d she has such a present that her husband lives. His brother Mordechai Luria came and saw the three books, he said, “What? What? He has become Breslov? I will show him.” He took the three books and went, and he went with the three books, and Avrohom passed away. One day he didn't have the books, he passed away. I said to him, “what is this? Why did you do that?” he said to me, “I didn't do it. He took the books [his brother Mordechai], I didn't have the books.” I am not exaggerating, like I am recounting, that's what happened, I went to him with a good present, that he should be healthy, and his brother came and saw the books of Breslov that I gave him, so he said, “What? Is he crazy? He became Breslov?? I will show him.” He took the books and went with the three books, and he got a heart attack and died. He took all the three books and went his way, I came, I said to him, “Avrohom, what's with you?” Suddenly he became weak, completely weak, he took and went, I didn't have the books. He was a great intellectual and he learned the books, every day he learned from them, and he became healthy, and there was happiness by him in the house, him and his wife and their happiness. He became healthy. His brother Mordechai came to visit him and saw the three books in the bookcase (or closet), “Breslov? What is this? He's become Breslov? I will show him.” So he took the books and went his way, and he (Avrohom) passed away. At home, he got a heart attack and he passed away. The whole family and all the greats know from this, and he himself admitted, “I killed him, I caused this, I took the books, because of this he died.” And everyone knew that he killed him, Mordechai Luria. He killed me! He found the books and he went and put them here in the bookcase (or closet) in order to learn, and he went, came his brother Mordechai Luria and saw on the table three books which were from the books of Breslov. What? He, Mordechai, knew that I [Yisroel Ber] was treating him? So he said, “What? He has become crazy? He learns the books of Breslov? I will show him.” So he took and went, and he passed away. A pity, the woman, his wife, a pity, he killed his brother! He said, “I will show him, what? He has become crazy? He has become Breslov? I will show him.” I said to Mordechai Luria, “give me the books, I gave them just to your brother. Give me the books.” he did not give me the books, he was scared. This story is already known in Tiberius, that he, his brother Mordechai Luria killed Avrohom Luria his brother, he took from his the books. I said to him, “It is impossible for you, if you do not learn the books of Breslov!” He said, “I will learn, just that I should live.” Avrohom Luria? His wife requested him, “do as R' Yisroel Ber says to you, not to be an opposer.” He said, yes, yes, yes, and he passed away. He, in his heart had opposition and he couldn't overcome, so he passed away. Aaron Luria, the brother of Avrohom Luria who passed away, yes. He, Mordechai Luria came to visit and saw three books of Breslov and said, “What? He has become Breslov? I will show him.” He took the three books and went. What could be done? And I, for several years I said to him, “Give me the three books.” But he didn't want to, and he didn't give me. “Has he gone mad? He learns the books of Breslov? I will show him.” That's how it was. He learned from the three books each and every day. His brother, Mordicahi Luria, came and saw, “What is this? He learns the books of Breslov? There are three Breslov books by him, what is this? Has he gone mad? I will show him.” So he took the three books and he went, and he had a heart attack and passed away. (which books were they?) Alim Letrufa (the letters of Rabbi Nussun), Likutay Moharan, and Likutay Halachos, these are the three books I gave him, and I gave him and he learned every day from them each and every day. He was a great intellectual, and he found life each and every day in the Torah, he sensed that this was healing him, and so it was, he had a recovery, and he was healthy, and his brother Mordichai Luria, he saw that his brother became Breslov, and he knew that I was praying for him, so he went crazy, he is to Breslov? He took them, all the three books and gave to a brother (?) and he passed away on that day. It was forbidden to learn from them. He passed away, and he told me that it is a cure, that it gives him life. His brother came and said that, “He has become crazy, he learns the books of Breslov? I will show him.” So he took the books and went. And he got a heart attack and passed away. He learned the books a lot , every day from these three books, and he became completely healthy, and he took from (the books), and he passed away immediately, “I will show him,” he took them, he went, and he passed away. The brother? He was an opposer on Breslov!

A Large Thick Snake:

I went there in the desert there was a big pit and there was a large, very thick snake, I said, “Maybe it's a rope, is it not? Such a big snake?” I descended into the pit and there was a snake, there was a snake, thank G-d I got out of there and I was saved! And that was it, I went from there and the snake... I don't know, but I think, it was so thick... he died like the snake. The wife of Avrohom Luria she requested of him, “Oy Avrohom! Do as Yisroel Ber tells you!” So he said to her, “I will learn from these 3 books every day!” He became healthy. Afterwards his brother came, Mordichai Luria, and he saw three Breslov books in the bookcase, so he took them and he died, he passed away. And his brother Mordichai Luria cried his whole life over this, “What did I do?!” I went to him and wanted to do him a favor so that he should live, and he received from me the three books and learned every day from the three books, and he said to me, “I learn from the three books, I learn every day,” and he became healthy, and suddenly his brother Mordichai Luria came and saw the three books of Breslov, “What? He has become Breslov? I will show him, I will take the books!” He took the books, and he died, he didn't have the books to learn so he passed away....

The Rav Muttel of Slunim and the Rav Moshe Klears

Rabbi Moshe Klears (he was the Rav of Tiberius) he was world renown, he had a global reputation in Tiberius and in Jerusalem, and everyone venerated him, and he had a name that he was a genius so wise and intelligent and understanding, and righteous, a man who was a tzadik. He had all the titles, that he is so big, and I knew about this. I was born in Tiberius and he was the Rav in Tiberius. I heard about this and I knew of this, and I became Breslov, I drew close to Rabbi Yisroel, so I had miracles. If Rabbi Moshe Klears says not to be Breslov, then it is finished, I needed to listen to him, and thank G-d I did not listen to him! Father says not to be Breslov, “What? Are you crazy? What is this? How? Such a thing?” and R' Muttel was also a Torah great, and was famous like the Rav Klears. The Rav Klears was famous in Jerusalem, everyone venerated him and stood up before him like a king, yes. This is a known matter, known and publicized, and he hunted me on account of my being Breslov, and I was heroic facing Rabbi Moshe Klears and facing Rabbi Muttel of Slunim. Rabbi Muttel was also a great genius (gaon) in Torah, but the aptitude of Rabbi Muttel was greater than the Rav Klear's, because he toiled very much until he came to his stature, and Rabbi Muttel didn't have to exert himself, he just had to see something one time, anything, in the Talmud or Medrash, and he acquired it forever, straight up. And the Rav Klears, his grasp wasn't that strong as Rav Muttel, and he knew of this as well, but he had a famous name in Jerusalem and in the whole world. And I stood up against him and against all of them. I drew close to Rabbi Yisroel. And he pursued me and he spoke with me. This is wondrous matter, I was a poor child, and Rav Muttel was a great intellectual, but he was also someone who loved mitzvos (good deeds) like simple folk, not like the Rav Klears, the mitzvos were trivial for him, just genius, wisdom. But Rav Muttel had both, he had love for the mitzva as well.

If one speaks (badly) about the tzadik he pays back!

If one speaks against the tzadik he pays back, oy! Terrifying and dreadful! He spoke, R' Moshe Klears, with a manner of haughtiness about Rabbainu and about Rabbi Nussun, on that very day, it was a Thursday, and on that very day they arrived in Safed. And in all the villages, and all the gentiles, they came and worked, and he came on Thursday, and in the house his son arrived, he was married and he was a tough and strong person, and he quarreled with the gentiles, and the gentiles were angry so they cut him up alive into pieces! So they heard screaming over there, I know, into the distance. Then I saw how the blessed G-d has rancor if there is talk on the tzadik. Because this is more than everything, from the whole Torah, he spoke slander on Rabbainu and on Rabbi Nussun, the student of Rabbainu, nu, nu, what happened to them! The blessed G-d can pay up well! He payed them, when they went to the funeral, there went pieces from the body, feet, and hands, and the limbs, pieces, pieces. His son got married and the gentiles cut him up into pieces. After this they didn't recognize him, because many gentiles came, and they were forced to wait in order to make the funeral. Nu, nu, and after this he contracted diabetes, and he got ill and was in the hospital together with R' Isaac Klebsky in the hospital. Moshe Walch, he was the genius of the generation, a genius of the whole world. He was a great genius – R' Isaac Klebsky. R' Moshe Klears... (whoever disputes the Petek it's as if he disputes Rabbainu?) This I do not know. He went with great haughtiness sky high, and he went with the whole congregation, and he slandered Rabbainu and his student Rabbi Nussun, he also slandered, and said his name this and this (?), nu, on that day, Thursday, he went, he traveled by taxi to Safed, at the time when all the gentiles, all the arabs, came to Safed, and to immerse near Safed, and he came, and he had one war, he was powerful, yes, so they ripped him to pieces. He came from Tiberias to Safed, he came at the time that all the arabs came from all the villages, Jews came to seal Safed (?), and he was powerful, and he fought with them, and they – there were many, they cut him up into pieces, his screaming could be heard till Jerusalem....

R' Isaac Klebsky:

[R' Isaac Klebsky lay in the same hospital, next to R' Moshe Klears] R' Isaac Klebsky said: “A novelty like Rabbi Nachman never was in world!” He [R' Moshe Klears] said to him, “What are you saying?” [R' Isaac Klebsky replied] “I know what I'm saying! I had great miracle, bullets that they fired, bullets, the arabs with weapons, yes, and it passed through me here, this way, the bullet fell in the side (or sidelocks) and I remained... nothing happened, nothing, I was very hidden. The gentiles did such harsh tormenting, and they beat with stones, they beat here with knives, and here, the whole body, but the bullet entered here... one very young person, and he became sick, and sick until he died until he passed away.” (Just he dissented, or there were other people that dissented Rabbainu?). There were two, the Rav Klears and another, his student (the Rav Klears and who else spoke?) one that I don't know, he came to his house, he stood and gave a harangue, he spoke on Rabbainu and R' Nussun, on R' Nussun.... There was a Jewish man like such - not old and not young, I said to him, “It is impossible in these generations... he is such a wonder, without this life isn't life, not anything. What is this?” I said that to him, the words of Likutay Tefilos, I gave it to him afterwards. He said to me, “You gave life to my soul.” He wrote, “I didn't know that we had such a treasury, Likutay Tefilos!” He came every night to the synagogue with Likutay Tefilos to pray, and said Likutay Tefilos, and he didn't know what to do with me, I gave him such a gift, Likutay Tefilos, now all of them, all Tel Aviv died, passed away. I remained, just by myself. All the friends and the sodality, and all everyone are no longer, as if it had not been in the world. Just I alone remain. I begin to think, where is everyone, they are all in the ground, just I, I alone remained with the Likutay Tefilos...

Story of the Father-in-law of R' Yisroel Ber

My father-in-law was R' Pinchas the Kohen, yes! Certainly! Yes! He wanted to take two arabs. And he, Rabbi Yisroel Karduner, when he goes to Meron, the arabs will find him on the way, they will kill him, and no one will know about it, yes. I am not just saying things, yes. So once, when Rabbi Yisroel entered a certain house, and he was there, and he was sitting on a heavy iron chair, and he was powerful, and he got up from the chair, and when Rabbi Yisroel entered the house, he (the father-in-law) took the chair, and he wanted to put the chair on the head of Rabbi Yisroel, yes. So/then there was a miracle that the master of the house managed to grab the chair and he didn't put it on the head, but he grabbed him (Rabbi Yisroel) by the beard, and he didn't want to let go of the beard, and he ripped out half of his beard, and there was great pain, and then he got sick and he didn't feel well, and that same week he died, and he left ten orphans.... (You told me once that you made a handshake agreement, and he threw you out of the window to the dogs?) yes. He locked the house, tonight I do not go to Rabbi Yisroel, on the night of Shabbos? Nu, I have a handshake pact with Rabbi Yisroel that ever day and every night it is necessary to see one another, so how will we see each other? What will be? Half way through the night, he didn't know, at the middle of the night? He thought that Rabbi Yisroel was already sleeping and I need to sleep, so he gave me the key to the house, and allowed me to leave, yes. But he guarded me and he saw immediately that I am running away, so he understood that I am fleeing to Rabbi Yisroel, he ran away after me, chased me, and I saw Rabbi Yisroel, we saw each other, and I returned, and then he came and beat me and threw me to the dogs, yes. What was! Yes. Who ever heard of something like this?! Who ever saw such a thing?! Him and his wife, and they beat my wife, murderous blows so that she gets divorced. “You don't know what Breslov is? Divorce!” And she said, “No. This? No.” My father-in-law would beat Rabbi Yisroel and ripped out his beard, yes! “What is this? What do you want from my son-in-law? What is this? That he should be Breslov? What? I will not stop, I have arabs that will kill you on the way, in the time that you go to Meron they will kill you on the way! They will come to Rabbi Yisroel from Kardun, they will kill you! Leave my son-in-law! Leave him!”

I should not have remained silent

[Saba sings “Kul mikadaish shevey-ee” (a song sung on Friday night) with a special tune...] Apparently they forgot to bless the candles of Shabbos... he said to me, no, do not fear at all, there is still an hour and a half, two hours, to Shabbos! Do not fear there is still two hours, there is an hour and a half till Shabbos. (The liver is good?) Oh! Oh! Liver like this there isn't in the whole world! Where are my feet?... He came from Yafo, the guest came from Yafo, and he brought me such chulent! For years he brought me such chulent that there is none like it in the world! He found me on Shabbos in the morning after the prayers, he came with chulent... [my father-in-law sent] arabs to kill him (Rabbi Yisroel Karduner)... he always went in the fields for hisbodidus, he (the father-in-law) told him (R' Yisroel) that he will kill him. I saw his demise, of my father-in-law, he didn't have any issues just Breslov, he was a great adversary against Breslov! Because he was by the Rav Rafuel Dayan in Safed, he was a great adversary against Breslov, so/then everyone suffered a lot from this. This, I saw this, there remained small orphans and they worked for free by the wealthy, for free, he, and also he, in the week that he degraded him (Rabbi Yisroel) he died. He became sick on Thursday and on Friday night, in the morning, on Shabbos, he passed away. He left ten orphans, you don't know about this? (Yes, you told me this, also one time someone wanted to kill Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) yes, yes, yes. He degraded Rabbi Yisroel Karduner very much, nu he was a great adversary of (i.e. belonging to) Refuel Dayan, of the wicked! He was the rabbi of Safed, but a wicked person! He was a great opposer to Rabbainu, Refuel Dayan. With my eyes I saw what one suffers when one does bad to the Tzadik, when one degrades or causes slight pain to the tzadik... it is, may the Merciful One save us, worse than all the transgressions, from all... from everything! Small orphans, small children, but this damaged the whole building, all the houses, may the Merciful One save us, curses, he passed away, there is nothing worse than opposition against the tzadik, may the Merciful One save us, one suffers from this in this world, in the next world, always! Ah, his wife became a widow, a widow with children, big and small, orphans, yes. He suffered... on Wednesday or Thursday... he ripped out (the father-in-law ripped out from R' Yisroel) his beard, and on Friday night he became sick and he passed away on Shabbos, on the holy Shabbos in the morning he passed away. How much a person.... He died and left over ten orphans, they worked for free by the wealthy, for free... I should not have been silent, this no... this would bring upon me great hardships! (You should have quarreled with your father-in-law?) Yes! (for what he degraded Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) Yes, yes, yes, it was incumbent on me to quarrel. There was the Rav in Safed, the Rav suffered tremendous hardships from what he pained Rabbi Yisroel. He was a great opposer, and he pained Rabbi Yisroel very much. It was incumbent on me to quarrel and to get divorced. I didn't do that, for this I suffer a lot... the honor of the tzadik, H”Y is fastidious about this more than everything! (Why was it incumbent on you to get divorced?) I thought perhaps he would repent, or.... (But why is his daughter guilty? His daughter, his daughter – she isn't guilty... his daughter what is she guilty of?). Not guilty, but the entire family suffered, the children and the whole family suffered greatly from this... on Shabbos he passed away. On Thursday he said that he doesn't feel well, and on Friday, on Friday night, in the morning, he died. Did I tell this over to you? Do you know about this? (Yes) The honor of the tzadik, H”Y is fastidious, even for the unintentional! He didn't know that this was of such magnitude, but he.... They suffered, all the children, the entire family suffered from this.... Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! What I saw with my eyes! What degrading the honor of the tzadik is! H”Y pays immediately! He pays well! Small children suffered from this, the whole family, his children. So/then he passed away, on Shabbos in the morning he passed away. Even though I, on the contrary, I suffered from this, even still regarding the honor of the tzadik H”Y is very very fastidious! Rav Refuel Dayan, he was close to Rav Refuel Dayan and he became an opposer, and he suffered, him and his children, and the orphans.... What they suffered, who can fathom? Small children suffered immeasurably from his (their) father for that which he degraded R' Yisroel.... Ah! Ah.... It is possible that all the suffering of the Jews in the time of Hitler, this was due to, because of this. Who knows? (Because he degraded Rav Yisroel Karduner?) Yes {translators note: The Ishbitzer in his book May HaSheloach says that before Avrohom actually chased after the four kings he had a thought, not to pursue them, from this thought were born the 2,400,000 souls that H”Y killed during the plague of darkness, because they didn't want to be redeemed. From here one can understand that by causing pain to a true tzadik, even for the time span of a thought, can have serious repercussions even to millions of people}. I became affiliated, before the (my) wedding, to Rabbainu Hakadosh, and he (the father-in-law) was affiliated to Rafuel Dayan, and he said that he would kill R' Yisroel if I didn't leave his daughter.... Ah! He fell sick on Thursday, and on Friday night... on the morning of Shabbos he passed away and left orphans, ten small orphans. He degraded R' Yisroel... he, H”Y... this is more than all the transgressions that are in the Torah, the honor of tzadik! On Thursday he said that he feels unwell, and in the night... he passed away, in the morning on Shabbos he passed away, and there were left orphans, ten orphans....

Power of Charity

To change the world:

There was in Tiberius, one of the hasidim of Karlin, and when one did good deeds, any good thing, charity, kindnesses, so/then he was very important in the city, and they would give him the name of a tzadik. They would all laugh, and he would not laugh, he was an oavaid Hashem (someone completely dedicated to the devotion of God) and a Kosher man, he did not laugh. But even still, in his heart he had opposition on Breslov, because he could not change the world. To change the world? Only the truth is able, against the whole world!

The daughter of the gabai (kind of manager) of the yeshiva in Tiberius who gave 18 grush every Friday.

He had a daughter! She didn't ask her father and not her husband, and she gave me every Friday, before candle lighting, 18 grush. This was a large coin. From this Shabbos the children lived and didn't die! I tell it the way it was, the children were small, they contracted a disease and went to the doctor, once, twice, and they died! He had a daughter, her husband was an intellectual, a ben-yeshiva (of the type of the yeshivas), she didn't ask, not her father and not her husband, and she gave me, every Friday before candle lighting, she sent me 18 grush! From this day the death of the children stopped! The father and the mother didn't know from this, just, she did this secretly, she gave me, every Friday before candle lighting, I received 18 grush. From this Shabbos they stopped dying! The children lived! He had beautiful children, very beautiful, he had a daughter 15 years old, and she lived, she remained alive! She gave, every Friday before candle lighting, I received 18 grush. From this Shabbos the children already did not die! Her father thought that he was important by the Blessed God, he is the gabbai (kind of manager) of the yeshiva, but he didn't give me bread, so the children died! His children died! Another child, another child! He had a daughter, she didn't ask, not to father and not to mother and not to anyone, she sent me, every Friday before candle lighting, 18 grush! I had (money on), Sunday and Monday, to eat. From this Shabbos the death stopped! The children lived! I didn't know anything, I knew only that I receive 18 grush, that's all! But this money? This charity? It protected that the children didn't die! I knew, but everyone didn't know from this, she did this secretly, she sent me 18 grush, every Friday before candle lighting. So/then the death stopped! Just I knew and the daughter of the gabbai, she knew that she sent me, every Friday before candle lighting, 18 grush, and she saw that she gave 18 grush and the children didn't die and didn't get sick! But from the Shabbos that she gave 18 grush every Friday, the children didn't die! It stopped! I didn't know from all this, she sent me 18 grush, and I didn't know! But afterwards she saw that the children didn't die! And I heard from this, that the children are very happy that they didn't die! That they didn't get sick. She gave me, every Friday, 18 grush, this was a lot of money! 18 grush every Friday, and the children already aren't dying! Every Friday I was afraid, maybe she will stop? Maybe she won't give? She made a contract with me? Every Friday? But she sent me, every Friday, 18 grush! Every Friday I was afraid, maybe she will stop? She continued and gave me, every Friday before candle lighting, 18 grush. It was great wealth, and she gave! Every Friday, 18 grush! We gave life to the children! They loved me, like their own father. I received 18 grush the first time, the second Friday I also received 18 grush, every Friday 18 grush, and the children didn't die! “Azamer Bishvochin” and “Aishes Chayil” (songs of Friday night), they were opposers, and she heard this melody, so she started to give me every week 18 grush, every Friday before candle lighting! I received 18 grush. There were many children, and I didn't have for Shabbos, I didn't have money. Not even one person gave me, and we suffered, her children started to die, so/then she gave me, every Friday before candle lighting, 18 grush, and the children stopped dying, and they weren't sick. Then, 18 grush was great wealth! I thought, one time she gave, 'shoyn' (Yiddish: enough, it was done), so she already won't give more. She gave me, every Friday 18 grush, and all the children lived until today! This was a secret, the father didn't know, her husband didn't know. What? 18 grush? Every Friday? This money? This is great wealth! She merited! This (was) in great secrecy, just I and she knew, that I receive 18 grush every Friday before candle lighting. The diseases stopped, they stopped dying. I didn't think any such thoughts, that she would give me, every Friday, 18 grush. This was great wealth! But she continued and gave me, every Friday, and all the children live even today! She sent me every Friday, before candle lighting, with her children she sent me 18 grush, it stopped, all the children didn't get sick and didn't die! I am not recounting a story that they told me, this was a story that was with me.

How I loved Breslov

Master of the World! Oy! How much I loved Breslov, I gave my soul (i.e. great self sacrifice) to travel from Tiberius to Jerusalem, at a time that I don't have money, I don't have bread for the children, I don't have clothing for the children (present tense). I traveled to Jerusalem, they are all poor, our people were poor, yes. Nu, by poor people is it possible to eat? Is it possible to receive money? Even not so much, but they are poor. I suffered! If there isn't money, there isn't bread. I go to the store, he doesn't ask me if I am starving or not, that's not his business. You want bread? Money. I, I didn't have money, and also water, I didn't have. In Jerusalem there was a great shortage of water. Today? There are springs and there are... everything, but then? There was one spring, in all of Jerusalem. So there were two types of water; water for pouring over the hands, and water for drinking. The synagogue? They don't provide water for drinking, don't buy, for drinking they don't buy. They buy for cheap, water for pouring over the hands. I didn't have water to drink, not bread and not water. I, when I traveled to Jerusalem, they looked at me as crazy, “What? What, what are you doing? Where are you traveling? How do you travel? What will you do there? Will you have bread to eat?” I didn't look at this, I gave over my soul (that is self sacrifice), I need to hear from Rav Naftoli, from this (Breslover), from this (Breslover), from this (Breslover), from this (Breslover) any words, from this (Breslover) any words, to hear any words from Rabbainu. Every time there was, there was different causes, and different miracles about the trip. What? That there isn't money? How is it possible to travel? To Jerusalem, to Haifa, one needs money to pay for expenses and for bread there wasn't! But by the Blessed God everything is written. There is an account(ing). Yes. Everything is written! H”Y, He sees my heart, He sees that I travel with self sacrifice, to hear any words from Rabbainu. So on this Rabbainu writes to me, “my precious student”, but I was living and I suffered hunger, starvation, and also water I didn't have. A trip like this? This is unique in the world.

The charity of Moshe Klien

In Haifa, Rav Moshe Klien lived, he was into Rabbainu, and all of Haifa loved him, they loved him. He went alone (unique?) in all of Haifa, he took all the animal hairs from the milk, at the time of milking, there didn't remain hair here like everyone, he was unique in Haifa, yes. And also his milk, was unique in Haifa, they felt the taste of the Garden of Eden in the milk of Moshe. I came to Rav Moshe Klien, and his wife did not want guests, she said to him, “Guests? Take them to the motel! I am not able, I don't have the strength, and I don't have... patience, I don't want guests!” That's what was! He went with me to the motel and gave me a bed and a room and what to eat. Afterwards I went with him, he went at midnight, after midnight, he went to the village, in order to stand (there) at the time of milking, so that it shouldn't be milk of a gentile (translator's note: a Jew is forbidden to drink milk that wasn't supervised by a Jew), milk of a goy, nu. He had some buckets with milk, he took one and I took one, and we went the two of us with the buckets, I with one bucket, and he with one bucket, and we spoke from Rabbainu, from house to house, yes. One sees that it is hard for a person to do a mitzva if he doesn't have the merit, yes. If he would have given me money that I would have for bread, so that I could send home something. He had money! He gave me, his present was a motel, and food, and a half a lira, this is what he gave me, yes, half a lira.

The mitzva of charity to truly poor, how hard it is:

Nu, I saw a friend, Breslov hasidim from Poland, from Poland, Liebermantz, the father of Liebermantz, Rav Velvel Liebermantz, he had a factory for candles. He was rich, and he had houses, and he hid his eyes from seeing me, yes. He gave me to sleep, he gave me to eat, but money he didn't give. He was stingy with money, and I saw that someone that doesn't have the merit, so/then they don't let him fulfill the mitzva of charity. If he would have given me a few liras to bring home, that I should have bread to eat, what, what already did I search for? What did I search for? I looked for something extra? Bread for the children! Clothing for the children! Nu, if he would have given me, he had money! He would have profited (or translate: He profited – i.e. he had money). Yes. And he didn't give. He gave me? His giving was ten grush, yes. This he gave me, yes. I didn't contemplate this, I didn't begrudge him... I didn't harbor a grudge in my heart, that's how H”Y conducts the world! One who doesn't have the merit, so they let him? The money? Do not give to Yisroel Ber, just 10 grush. He should have given me, given him, expansively, charity and money. For what does he work? For what? For whom? For what?... Yes. But there is no intellect. What will be? What will be that he profits and he has money? He doesn't have control over himself, on the money, no! Yes. That's the way it is. And I, even still, I didn't look at this, I didn't look. How much is he Breslov? Breslov? He doesn't have false beliefs, at least, he doesn't believe in the admurs (hasidic masters), yes. And in this? I was with him together very close, he is like me. He is far from this, false beliefs, from admurs he doesn't believe, in false beliefs in admurs. But this is not sufficient.

The pain of raising children

They, they didn't have a garment, and they didn't have shoes for their feet, and I didn't pay tuition for them, for the school, and they threw them out from the class every month, so that they shouldn't come, until they bring money, yes. No bread, and no shoe, and no garment, and also they threw them out of class, nu, nu, you can fathom this pain? Such pain? And thank God I did not bow to the falsehood, yes. Thank God I was strong, I laughed from all of them, who can fathom the hurting? The pain and the hurting and the embarrassment? Of one who has small children and they don't have bread to eat? And they don't have clothes, and they don't have school. Nu, nu, who can fathom this pain? Yes. Like that! I didn't have (questioning) thoughts on this, on Liebermantz, on Levi Yitzchok, why does he hide his eyes from seeing? He should have seen, to make an effort to collect charity for me, to give. They knew that I... that I don't have anything, even bread for children, that I am alone in the world, in the midst of everyone, without anything. Because they didn't have the merit. Yes. And also, I needed to traverse such a way, to see what would become of me. Who can fathom? Now I recount and I laugh and I'm happy, but then, who can fathom my heart? The pain and the brokenness, the broken heart that I had? I have small children, no school, and no bread, and no clothing, and no shoes, nu, nu, who can understand this? What pain this is?! Yes. I was heroic, strong, and I didn't humble myself to the falsehood. Nothing. The children, until today they get embarrassed. When they hear the recounting of something like this they are embarrassed, and then? They were embarrassed one from the other, what type of father was he? What type of father do we have? They don't have bread to eat, and they don't have a garment, they don't have... and that's how I went to Shaarei Chesed (a neighborhood in Jerusalem) to speak about Rabbainu, with this one and with this one... yes. And no... if I would have said that I suffered poverty, nu, “in Jerusalem there are a lot of poor people. What is the novelty? You are not an only son? What do you have?” Oy! Who? What? Who can relate? Who can fathom such things? I could have became crazy, or a thief, or such a thing.... Is it possible to fathom in the mind such a thing? There is a child, and he doesn't have clothing, and he doesn't have bread, and no school. Oy, Master of the World knows the truth, that we.... that I, as much as I tell over to you? It still isn't.... it still isn't, what was, it still doesn't reach, as what it actually was, and they remember... and they remember this until today.

She did for me many righteousness without measure.

Why don't you come to me? There is made great delight (Above, from this...) he rectifies he make new, Rabbainu Hakadosh, there will all the healing and salvation for every one! That he should speak before H”Y before the tzadik. He gives us rectification for everything, for all the days of our life, for us, and for our children, and for every person.... What I have to say, I am not able... and also one needs to buy Likutya Tefilos (Collection of Prayers), and also Likutay Halachos (Collection of Laws), Likutay Eitzos (Collection of Advice/Remedies), and Meshivas Nefesh (Restoration of the Soul), “Hishtapchus Hanefesh (Outpouring of the Soul), that Rabbainu revealed, they are rectifications and salvation for everyone, however he is, whatever transpired over him.... The (contemporary) rabbis, they are worthless! Not worth anything! The main thing is Rabbainu, he is the foundation of everything, of the Torah, of the prayer, of everything! Of all the rectifications! Ah! When I was young I spoke a lot about Rabbainu with the people, and thank God there were many true baal teshuvas (Jews who return to religious observance), and also now I do all that is possible. The main root and rectification fo all of Israel, for each and every one, and he heals, and strengthens, and gives us vitality, it is impossible to gauge nor to fathom. <Here Saba continues in Yiddish:> How did you meet me?... You did such good deeds!.... A matter of memory... You should merit to life, and much nachas from your children.... yes, yes... Jewish nachas.... <Back to Hebrew> (Who's that?) From Bnei Brak, she is the woman, she did enormous charity with me, without measure. She came in the early morning and brought me food and more, and more, and more, what she did! She did a lot of searching until she found me. She brought to me every day food on the Shabboses. (good?) Yes! Thank G-d she has many grandchildren engaged in (the study of the) Torah. Yeah. Yeah. They go to yeshivos and serve Hashem (this is in the merit of the charity that she did?) Huh? Nu, certainly, certainly, charity is a matter....

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!