Words of Saba Yisroel (part 1)

HH

Words of Rabbi Yisroel Dov Odesser

In recent times lived a man of stature, a man who overcame all adversity; famine and drought, ridicule and beatings, fears and threats, and lived on to laugh at their presence. He completely committed and abnegated himself to the holy ways of Breslov, and prevailed. His spiritual attainments we can only gauge from afar, collecting stories and anecdotes which testify to lofty righteous attainments. Most important, he was a man who extended the hope, knowledge, light, and holiness of the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov to the future generations, providing solace and succor, to all the souls of the world. His memory is alive here in his words which he spoke for our benefit, to give us the power and direction to draw close to Hashem Yisburach through His true Tzaddik, Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman.

Rabbi Yisroel Dov Odesser o.b.m. was the key bearer of the Breslov tradition. Rabbi Yisroel was affectionately referred to as Saba Yisroel (as a loyal Breslov Chusid he would not tolerated being called a Rabbi, hence the endearing title Saba), or just Saba. Saba received the Breslov tradition primarily from his mentor Rabbi Yisroel Karduner, one of the thirty-six hidden tzaddikim, and also from all the elders of Breslov in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yisroel Karduner was the primary carrier of the tradition which he received from Rabbi Moshe Breslover, who was the primary recipient from Rabbi Nussun (there is an opinion that Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin was the primary recipient, but in any case both were spiritual giants and worthy, however even according to this second opinion, during his lifetime Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin was not recognized as such, which would mean that the main transfer of the tradition to the next generation would have been from Rabbi Moshe Breslover to R' Yisroel Karduner), the primary student of Rabbi Nachman.

The majority of all the dissemination of Rabbi Nachman's teachings today can be attributed to Saba, who was uncompromising in his total faith in the superlative importance of illuminating the world with the light of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

There are many audio recording of Saba, and even some videos. He usually spoke in Hebrew and occasionally in Yiddish. Most of the recordings have been transcribed into Hebrew, although a critical, accurate, and loyal transcript is still in the making. The following English translation follows the available transcripts. The primary objective was to capture as accurately as possible the exact utterances of his holy mouth, and grammar was waived and ignored.

Words of Saba Yisroel

When we speak of Our Holy Master, Rabbi Nussun (said -), and all the various praises that we say, they do not reach even a drop in the ocean of their grandeur, yes. Rabbi Nussun said this. I say just the words of Rabbi Nussun, yes. However, Rabbi Yisroel Karduner and the followers of Our Master, it is necessary to speak of them, yes, but not everything. Everything is just Our Master, it is he, he who rose over everything. The main thing is Our Master. If only there was truth in the world, and our fellow followers... and they would speak of this, and publicize the name of Our Master, what Our Master is, redemption would have came already, the world would have already been drawn to Our Master. But the falsehood divides and blinds, the falsehood blinds the eyes, yes. But H”Y – we are forbidden to contemplate/doubt/question H”Y... yes, the time will come... more... yes, it will come, the time will come, He will remove the falsehood from the world, and He will reveal, and it will be revealed the truth, yes. Just, we must believe and strengthen ourselves with/in prayer. To pray, just like that, to speak with H”Y from the lips, to study from a book or to say Likutay Tefilos, what is written in the book.

Story of Saba's childhood and maturation

Story of weaning

The milk of mother finished, so I took it out... (he wanted to feed more milk). So she said to me, “You are already big. You are not embarrassed? What is with you?” So I started to cry, “I want the intellect!”

Also, I remember when I was two years old, then I was very sick, and I had a war with the angel of death. I felt like I was about to die, as a child younger than 10. In any event, I was very sick and I became very weak, because someone who is sick, it is necessary to give him something to bring life to his soul. Milk, she gave me milk with water... so I said: “Give me milk!” but she didn't have, so I said to her: “You give me milk with water?! I want just milk!”

Soup with chicken at Hotel Shefer when he was weak:

In any event, afterwards my condition improved, so I said to my mother, “I am very weak, I need a little meat with soup.” she gave me three coins, the equivalent of today's three grueshim, I went to the Hotel Shefer where the mother of Yisroel Shefer (Saba Yisroel's son-in-law, today the father of the retired manager of advisers to the president of Israel) was. She was a good cook, yes. She (mother) gave me three gruesh to buy soup with a piece of meat, a piece of chicken. Nu Nu, I tasted the soup, I didn't taste soup at home in along time due to the dire poverty, I felt a good taste, yes. But H”Y returned to me my soul with miracles, I saw this many times, miracles, miracles, H”Y showed me that he gives me to live. Yes. (So this healed you?) Yes, but she gave me a little, maybe two or three times. I needed many times, a week or two weeks, I am living by miracle. There was dire poverty and they accepted everything with love and happiness, father and mother … yes.

Story of Charity and Kindness In His Youth:

(You said that your mother would give you for school a drop of oil on bread?) Yes. Yes. With a few drops. So I asked for a few more drops. So she told me, “What?” she screamed at me, “I need the oil for Shabbath. Do not speak at all, that's enough!” Afterwards I went and gave the bread with the drops of oil, I gave it to a poor man. There was in Tiberius a couple, an elder man and elder lady, and he would go begging. So I wanted to do charity and kindness, I took the bread, I didn't have money, I took the bread which my mother gave me and I went to the old man, this Jew, and I gave it to him. His name was Yosef Noach, that was his name, for I remember till this day his name, Yosef Noach, two names. This was after Succos and after the (weekly Torah portion of) Biraishes came the weekly portion Noach, and on Sunday I went and joyously gave him the bread with the drops of olive oil, I thought that I did great charity, he and his wife would eat, yes.

Weekly Torah Portion Noach, learning in school:

I went to school, and I didn't have what to eat, because I had given away the bread, yes. So I got a bad headache, I needed to eat but I didn't have. So my teacher, his practice was that on Sunday he would tell the students, “This weeks Torah Portion is Noach”. Yes, he would repeat this many times in order that they should know that this week is the Torah Portion Noach. He looked at all the students, and he detected that I was not listening at all, as if I wasn't in school, I don't hear at all, and do not know what-so-ever. So he left me, and then he called upon me, “Yisroel Ber! Tell which Torah portion is this week.” And I didn't know and didn't hear, just my head hurt me, that's all I knew, and I didn't hear at all what he said! Nu Nu … he hit me with cruelty, “What's this?! I said many times that this weeks Torah portion is Noach, where were you?! You do not listen?! What is this?! Where were you?! I give out my throat for nothing?!” He hit me, and I was embarrassed in front of all the students. He wanted them all to see and be afraid. The shame is impossible to describe, he hit me so much with cruelty. (How old were you?) little. (5, 6?) yes, approximately. Beginning to learn the Chumash (five books of Moses), the portion Noach. I said from now on I will no longer give away the bread, if I give away the bread I will receive a beating, I will not give and I will not receive blows, and I will know that the weekly Torah portion is the portion Noach. Even still, I gave the bread another time to this pauper. This was by me all of Judaism. All that I heard about spirituality, about faith, about the Torah, was with me - I received new knowledge which hadn't appeared before, I didn't know from H”Y, from the Torah. I hear that there is the Torah and H”Y, so there was with me great happiness... I was the worst of all the children, the worst. I was born into poverty and I was also a weak child. Yes, I have miracles that I am alive, that I was able to live....

He wanted to know which children were good and which children were not good, so he suddenly left me, passed over, he asked this child, “say which Torah portion it is this week.” But when he knew which portion, “Portion of Noach” ho ho, then he was already a good child, but there were children that didn't remember, it needed time so that they could remind themselves, “portion of Noach.” Suddenly he came upon me, “what is the weekly Torah portion?” I didn't know anything, as if I wasn't in this world, yes, in a different court, nu, he is expectant, he is waiting, he is expectant, maybe I will remember... I? “what is this? Doesn't know anything!” Noach, Noach? So he – he waited and waited for an answer and there is no answer, does not know. So he asks me, “Where were you? You were not here at all, where? In what world were you? What is this? You don't know? I speak and I give all my strength and you do not listen?” So he was very angry with me, and he hit me with cruel blows. He hit me, “What is this? I speak just like that for nothing? And you do not listen? I speak and you do not even know the portion? Yes, does not know one word. “Where were you?!” Even still I saw that I need the bread, for I receive a beating, and such a beating! I suffered from the beating, and also I was embarrassed, I was humiliated before the children.... He didn't hit even one other, just Yisroel Ber! (and the demeaning started from then!), the disgrace was more, more painful than the beating. I tell all of this, so that we know how much H”Y loves simple wholesomeness. I wasn't an intellectual just the wholesomeness of the heart, I very much loved the Torah and the commandments and the faith and fear of Heaven, and when I saw someone learning, or he was simple/wholesome and was reciting Psalms, then I thought, ah – this man he is thinking of the true purpose, fortunate is this man, he is busy with Psalms and he studies!

Story of the Prayer Book “Everything In It”, and the Beginning of Serving H”Y:

Afterwards there are many stories, because I prayed with fervor, more than all the children, all the children pray, like children, regular, but I counted the words like money, like one counts money, and with love and wholesomeness, “Blessed are You”.... In any event in this synagogue, I prayed, this was the synagogue... it was close to us, so I prayed in the synagogue, and this synagogue (of Karlin Hasidim?) no, no, I was a Karlin hasid, but his was Bi-an (Hasidim of Bi-an...), but because it was very close, neighboring right next to our house, I entered there to pray, and there in the synagogue of Bi-an there was a chasid, very old, and he was venerable and important, he was in charge, he was in charge of the Kollel, he was in charge, and he was a big miser. (What was his name?) R' Yaakov Kutzir, Rav Yakov Kutzir, yes. This is something known, yes. But this was before 70 years, this was before many years, oy oy oy … I? Father was a pauper and didn't have the ability to buy me a prayerbook. I wanted a prayerbook with the midnight (prayer), with Psalms, with the Maamados, all the bequests and prayers.... [R' Yakov Kutzir] he saw my prayer that it was different from all the children, he saw that I pray with intention and clinging and with truth and wholesomeness, so I found favor in his eyes, his name is R' Yakov Kutzir. He was a big miser, with difficulty he would give a piece of pach [very low denomination coins] to charity, but to me he gave every time, almost every day he gave me a large coin covertly, he put it for me in between the pages of the prayerbook, and this was a significant coin, and he gave it to me when I prayed, and he brought it to me in the book, in order that no one would sense that he was giving me. I was a poor child, and I had strong desire to have a prayerbook that would have in it midnight (prayers), and Psalms, and Maamados, and all the other prayers, and there was a prayerbook like this that was not possible to procure except in Jerusalem. It wasn't easy to come to such a prayerbook, one needs to ask an expert in order to buy such a prayerbook. And I had a relative, an expert, a maven on prayerbooks, and my mother asked him, “Where is it possible to obtain a prayerbook that has everything?” So he showed her this prayerbook, Kol Bo (everything), but such a prayerbook costs a lot of money, I didn't have money. So I took these coins, which this man gave me as a present each time, and I collected and did not give to father, and I gave the money to mother to safekeep for me, until H”Y would bring about events to cause her to travel to Jerusalem and then she would purchase for me. H”Y caused that my mother had to travel to Jerusalem, and then she fulfilled my request and bought for me, with the money that I collected, the book of prayers which has in it all types of prayers that are in the world; midnight (prayer), and Psalms, and maamados, and everything... and everything is in it as it's name says, and many prayers. And this was by me like a fortune, this prayerbook, because I asked her to buy for me this prayerbook which has everything. When she came back home with the prayerbook, it was so beautiful that I wanted to eat all the pages. Everyone was jealous of me, and they said, “What a prayerbook!” they asked me, how did you come to such a prayerbook?

Strong desire to serve H”Y:

I had strong desires/will, and I had heavy battles, and I searched a place of respite. After I bought the prayerbook (and after you bought the prayerbook you did midnight?) not every night, but I had strong desire to get up at midnight and to recite Psalms, and sometimes I did not get up. But I remember Tiberius, the atmosphere was very hot, and the heat was strong during the day so that at night it was also very hot, because the stones (/bricks) were heated by the sun, and there was very great heat. And all (the people of) the city would sleep on the roofs, I too. But I got up a few hours before morning light, and I got down from the roof and went to our house. Our house was like a cave, there were no windows, it was like a cave. And I got down from the roof, after midnight the air is a little cooler, and then is the main sleep, the main life, and I descended into the room, and we had a small lamp, “number 2”.....

Will to be a Kosher person:

I got up early [before daylight] and we had a small lamp of “number 2”. I lit the lamp and I said Psalms and prayers, I began to pray. So the whole week I lit the lamp for a few hours every day, and it was deficient at the end of the week. And there was a container of kerosene (or some type of oil), this was a container from Shabos to Shabos, and I used it, and it came Shabos and there was no kerosene. So they said, “Oy, Yisroel Ber makes it tough on us, he lights the kerosene and we don't have enough to finish the week. And also I was born as a very weak person, miracles how it was that I... how it was that I grew up and I live. Yes, but blessed is H”Y....

The Desire to serve H”Y:

This is a wondrous story and very awesome, for someone who gives heart truthfully. And therefore I said it is befitting and very important to tell over and write, all that transpired over me, from the day that I became intelligent (sensible), because this is a continuation from when I became intelligent until I merited to draw near to Our Holy Master this is a matter of continuation, this story from then, this continues and this is a continuation.

H”Y was gracious with me and bestowed me with such a soul, that from the day I became intelligent, that I was still a small child, my heart was burning very much to serve H”Y, and to merit to fear of Heaven, and faith, and everything important. My desire was to cleanse myself from the vanity of desires, from all the desires of this world, just to serve Hashem. But certainly when I was a small child I didn't know anything, but the soul yearned very much, even though I didn't know anything, but my willpower and my heart, my heart was afire just to serve Hashem, and not to work at any craft or labor. My father was very poor his whole life, and then he became blind, and I was still a small child, oy vay, Master of the World! And I had yearning to aggrieve my soul, to conduct fasts, at a time that I was still very young, how old? Seven, eight years old... (you fasted at the age of seven, eight?) no, just the day preceding the first of the new month, or (the month of) Elul, in the time of the days of repentance, Elul. For example, the first of the month I wanted to fast, and my mother was very devoted and she had very great pain, “What is this with you? You are still a small child, what, will you fast?” So I didn't want to listen to her, and I did a fast every day proceeding the first day of the month, for half a day, but in the month of Elul, the day proceeding the first of the month, the whole day. And I caused great pain to my mother from this. In any event, more passed over me... this is known, that for every matter of holiness, the 'opponent' (satan, evil inclination) intensifies. On one side I had very strong desires for worldliness, and from the second side I had fear of Heaven, I despised my (worldly) life, I felt great pleasantness.

A simple man but Kosher:

And I was very simple, and I had very strong will to be a truly kosher man, to serve Hashem in truth, and to learn and to pray. Nu nu... especially since the years after the bar mitzva began, the war of 'sins of youth' started, yes – thoughts. And I didn't know what it was. Who could tell? Who could gauge? I had difficult battles. If I had any defect, even the slightest from the thought. No, no, no... God forbid I did not defect like the... any defect, the slightest, this was by me like the most evil man in the world, yes. I did not find a place for H”Y, for the Torah, yes. And this brought me to H”Y, specifically what I endured, and I overcame, and I fought, and I said, “I love H”Y no matter what will be, I desire to serve Hashem.” I prayed in the synagogue with fervor, and with faith, and with truth, yes, to the extent that I was alone (unique – unparalleled)....

Psalms:

(Before this did you recite a lot of Psalms?) yes, (every day, how much?) I don't remember, but I searched, I sought out Psalms and I sought out books, (but you drank a lot of tea and coffee?) yes, afterwards I saw that it's possible to live without tea and coffee... R' Yisroel Karduner... what I saw! What I merited! What I saw from Rav Yisroel! I saw that he does not need tea, he got up for midnight without tea, without coffee. (maybe you remember another story of charity that you did when you were a child, besides the bread) besides for the bread? No. (No? And yet...) I, there are a lot of things, but I, I do not want to say anything that I do not remember clearly. This I remember clearly the kerosene and oil, father said that I cause him such difficulty, I light the kerosene and on the eve of Shabos there is no kerosene. “This is Yisroel Ber, Yisroel Ber took the kerosene!” And mother said, “the oil? I need the oil for Shabbos!” I asked for another two drops of oil....

Midnight:

(Did you get up for midnight? Sleep at midnight?) Yes, not exactly at midnight, but I liked to get up two or three hours before daybreak and I got down... (to do what?) Psalms, midnight (-prayer), Psalms... and I was... the Creator gave me such a soul that I yearned for Torah, I was on fire for Torah and fear of Heaven, I was solicitous, charedi (solicitous)... In any event – so what I saw that hasidim, how they conducted, I was the first, and I was the biggest of all Karlin. They screamed the prayer, so I screamed. Such screams I screamed that I could faint! “You are killing me! You are making me dead! You are killing me, what do you want from me?” an elderly Jew, 80 years old or 90 years old, there was an old man next to me, he said to me, “You are a fiend, I am an old man, I already can't hear, and you want to make me completely deaf? What do you want from me? Why do you scream so much?”

Necessity to drink:

Nu, we drank even more before the prayer... for example, they would arise a half hour before the day, they got up a half hour before the day, they were called (recognized as) from the biggest practitioners, from the biggest tzaddikim of the generation - he is getting up a half hour before the day! When getting up and ritually washing their hands, the first thing would be to kindle the urns and to drink... Nu, I saw that it was necessary to drink, so I also wanted to drink, to drink.... and after this, he is found sitting. Some, some would sit in the chairs for an hour, some, two hours... Rabbi Yisroel Karduner! In any event after this, when H”Y helped me, that I saw Rabbi Yisroel... What is this? They, when they get up before the day? They are already the tzadikim (righteous) of the generation! And Rabbi Yisroel got up at midnight, and no one saw anything, and he does not need tea, he doesn't need anything. He needs, just a mikva and to go!...

Mikva:

(You used to go the mikva? Before Rabbi Yisroel? Did you already go to the mikva?) yes. (every day?) yes. (Karlin Chasidim go to the mikva?) yes. They do not go every day, but I, but I, I used to... (from what age did you begin to go to the mikva?) before bar mitzva, after the bar mitzva, I was already, I was not able to pray a day without a mikva....

Bar Mitzva:

I became Bar Mitzva. Nu, so I have to learn a vocation; tailoring, or shoe making, any work, yeah. And I said, “No, I do not want - do not want to learn a trade, I want just Torah, just Torah and fear of Heaven. Work? None, none, none...” So they said to me, “But father can not give you a dowry and money to get married, you will need a wedding, what will be?! Who will give you?! So... and also, you need to support a house!” So I said, “I do not want any work!” And I was very stubborn and I didn't learn a trade, and afterwards, when I merited to draw close to R' Yisroel [Karduner] and I told him the matter, I saw that he had great pleasure from this, because then I did not know from Breslov, just my heart was burning so much for love, for Torah, and he told me, “You did good, that you didn't learn a trade, yes.”

Desire to learn Torah:

Yes... I had very harsh battles with the whole city, with the whole family. They all wanted (that you should learn a trade?) yes, and I said I do not want to work a job, just Torah and fear of Heaven. This (a job) I do not want by any means. And we had hard battles, because it was very sorrowful. They said, “The (your) father can't work, he is blind and poor, and you desert the house, you are a child of bar mitzva, are you not able to learn a trade and earn bread in the house? You will not be a Rabbi, you do not have talent!” And I did not want to listen, and the whole city had great pity. And I said to them, “I will not work at any job, by any means”. So I told this to Rav Yisroel [Karduner], he enjoyed this, I saw that he had great pleasure from this. [he thought] “H”Y prepared for him such a soul that only wants Torah!” (so they said what will be with a wife?) Yes, yes, the woman. So I said, “What is necessary is such a woman that also will eat bread...” This I still have not told precisely like it was, because it is impossible to delineate the battle that I had with this. R' Yisroel heard this, I searched... The war with the parents, with the family, and all the friends, and the whole city, everyone said that I need to learn a trade, I am not suitable to be a Rosh Yeshiva or Rabbi, Admu”r (-Chassidic master). One sees the mercy of the Blessed Creator, 70 years before there was Breslov, mamash it is not possible to describe the utter degradation that was on Breslov, and I stood up against lions, against people who were big in Torah, and the city, celebrities, and they all said, “Breslov no!” R' Mottel, this was great miracles, all the great people of Tiberius, the friends, I prayed with them, and Tiberius was a small city and I knew everyone, and they all said, “Breslov, oy vay, oy vay, oy” yes. And I, H”Y, I merited with the kindness of H”Y to taste the taste of Breslov, the taste of hisbodidus, the taste of pouring out the soul... yes.

Learning before drawing close to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov:

In Slunim (a sect of hasidus) there was an old man, a Torah scholar, and Heaven fearing, he was a Kabbalist, and he was very old, and I was involved with him as well, that he should draw me close to H”Y. And he inclined his ear to all my words, and he would be very astonished by what he saw; what is this? There are other talented children who study the Torah and fear God, and it is not heard from even one of them that he suffers so much from the evil inclination?! Nu, in any event he received me with love, and almost every night I went, after the night prayers, to the synagogue of Slunim, and he was the last to leave the synagogue, and I and he went together, and he lived a little far from the synagogue, and I walked with him slowly, until we reached his house. And on the way I told him all my pains, everything that was happening to me, and he wanted to help me, and he spoke with me words of faith, certainly it was good for me, but for him to take from me – to bring light on me, such light that I needed, he did not have. In any event, I had many guides, leaders that taught me, until I was bar mitzva.

R' Muttel from Slunim:

After the bar mitzva, one man by the name of Rabbi Muttel Slunimer drew me close, when he was old he became the admur (hasidic master) of Slunim, and he drew me very close, and he taught me Zohar, and Talmud, and Mishna, and he was my Rabbi, and I was in his house for a long time, and I saw that every second he was only (utilizing) in studying the Torah, and he was God fearing with good character traits. I considered him to be an angel of Hashem of Hosts, R' Muttel. Nu, and I searched with self sacrifice, and I told over, in front of a few (i.e. various) people, all my sins and everything that happened to me, because I wanted to get out of the mud, I wanted to change. I thought; I will reveal the sickness, then he will know better to help me, how to help me. In any event, what transpired with me transpired, and more and more and more until I became 14 years old, and then H”Y began to do with me miracles and wonders, I saw Divine Providence of H”Y that He has mercy on me and helps me. Every time oy vay.... In any event it is impossible to tell over in detail everything, nu ,but the main thing is, what, how, I will begin to tell what happened to me, that which H”Y had mercy on me and caused circumstances that I should merit to draw close to our holy master?

To be hidden:

What I yearned and wanted for, just Torah and prayer and truth, to be hidden, not to be publicized (this would have been wasted if you would not have recognized Rabbainu?) yes, certainly! But like this, I still have not seen. One sees Breslov, a hasid, a hasid... but like these that money was nothing, nothing, not worth anything, just the Creator and Torah, where do we see like these? Even amongst the hasidim of Breslov, there were great people, there were precious Jews, real Jews, but like these, like Rabbi Yisroel, that we knew from them, like these? Like Rabbi Yisroel is it possible? No one (is able)... like these? (he would leave his children, leave his family) yes, certainly, (such strength, such wisdom) wisdom with this timmemus (-simplicity/wholesomeness), there is a deep wisdom, a type of wisdom like this which is not found in the world, with this timmemus (-simplicity/wholesomeness)... (what is it, the wisdom?) this is wisdom which is not found... is there someone to talk to? (a servant of H”Y...) Certainly! Certainly! I saw by the hasidim, I saw that there are precious Jews, they are humble, humble – this is a precious thing, humility is a precious trait, but everyone knows that he is humble, and similarly, if we are intellectual, then he wants that the whole world will believe, that they should have a name (reputation), that he is an intellectual unique in the world, yes. It is not sufficient that he... that they should hold him as an intellectual (need to make known...) yes. Oy, oy, yes. And more things like this, this is just the outline...

The Search for Service of Hashem:

In any event, I had a teacher who taught me “Raishis Chuchma” (The Beginning of Wisdom, an ethical work written by a student of the Rama”k based on Kabala) and other works of ethics. And I was very attached to Rabbi Tzvi, they called him Rabbi Tzvi Litvak and his family name was Rosenthal, and also besides him, I had a few other teachers, because I searched a lot for service of Hashem in truth, by the hasidim of Slunim.

Rabbi Tzvi (Hirsch) Litvak Rosenthal:

For example, there was in Tiberius one man well known until today, that he was, his name was Rav Tzvi Litvak Rosenthal, and he was Heaven fearing. He studied many works of ethics, and the book Raishis Chuchma he knew by heart, and he studied it constantly, and he would learn the book Raishis Chuchma with great diligence. I searched for a place to guide me and to enlighten me with light of fear of Heaven and faith, so I attached myself to him, and he became my teacher, without money, he learned with with me Raishis Chuchma, and he spoke with me in such a fashion orally, and there was a great bond between us. I saw in the book Raishis Chuchma and in other books of ethics, the enormous power of prayer, and I prayed to H”Y. But from the matter of hisbodidus I did not know, I just knew that prayer is an extremely great thing. So I said a lot of Psalms, and my prayers everyday, the three daily prayers, I prayed with great intention, and with cleaving and fear of Heaven... This story of Rav Hirsch (Tzvi) Litvak, who is Rav Hirsch Litvak? In short, he was unique in Tiberius, he was, he was the great one, that he helped the whole city, a small city and there was... and they called him with this name, Rav Hirsch Litvak, they knew that the Litvak, laugh from hasidim and stories, in any event he helped them a lot, he knew the entire Raishis Chuchma, he knew by heart the Raishis Chuchma, and he didn't just learn the Raishis Chuchma, he fulfilled what he learned, he was a seeker, he had yearning...

So/then I left all the rabbis:

After this, when I recognized Rabbi Yisroel, so/then I left all the rabbis and Rav Hirsch also, but there was a great bond between us, a bond and love, there was love between us, so we were friends, even though there was great distance from him to me, there was great distance and he saw that which I laughed from them, not (talking) from Jerusalem, (but) from a small city, everyone knew, they were in shock, how can a person endure... suffering like this? Insults like these? Hardship like this! And he, Rav Hirsch, him specifically, from this opposition, so/then it entered in his heart, inside, that this a great thing, that this is above all the hasidus, I did not know, what he has in his heart I know? But I had a great bond with him, with love, like one soul, so I said to him to... friend, I said to him, “Rav Hirsch? That you (Saba said this in the respectful plural and third person) should go into Rav Yisroel, and he will learn with you Torah from Likutay Moharan, this will bring forth like this and like this (I.e.. more and more of what he found appealing).... What?... nu, he, he himself knew that, and I am telling him, how he went (-would go) in to Rabbi Yisroel? If I suffer such hardships, he can suffer like these (sufferings)? What does one do? How does one go into Rabbi Yisroel? And Rabbi Yisroel resided next to the shul (synagogue) of the (hasidim of) Karlin and the Slunimers', his house was next to all the houses. Nu, he, he wasn't able to go inside to Rabbi Yisroel... he found a remedy, he goes Friday night to the Slunimers, nu, how far from Slunim is Rabbi Yisroel? The first step from the house of Rabbi Yisroel is the Slunimers, so instead of going to the Slunimers, he will go inside to Rabbi Yisroel, and this is at night, Fiday night, so who will know? The upshot is, a whole bunch of weeks went by... he went to Rabbi Yisroel, and Rabbi Yisroel learned with him and told him about the Rebbe, about the secret of Our Holy Master, so/then he decided, “I will be Yisroel Ber the second, the second crazy. I will be – will become a Breslov chusid, I will be, become a Breslov chusid.” He went to Rabbi Yisroel for a few weeks, and the Slunimers saw that the Litvak - Rav Hirsch Litvak, he stopped coming Friday night, so they asked his father-in-law, they asked him, “where is he, what has become of their son-in-law Rav Hirsch Litvak? He no longer comes to us on the night of Shabos?” So he answered, “I don't know, let's ask in the house, why he doesn't go?” He asks in the house? Oy vay, he goes, every Friday night, (even) one Fiday night he doesn't miss, he goes every Friday night! He doesn't go? So they got suspicious, maybe he goes to the house of Rabbi Yisroel, behold it isn't far from the Slunimers... he goes inside, he goes to Rabbi Yisroel. To sum it up, so he told them, the woman says, “he goes every night of Shabbos”, so they got suspicious, that this Rav Hirsch had become a Breslov Chusid, he goes to Rabbi Yisroel, so they investigated undercover and they looked from behind, “we caught him, we caught him!” how it is that he goes into Rabbi Yisroel. Nu, nu, there was an uproar, there was a great commotion by the Slunimer, the father-in-law and mother-in-law, he became like “Yisroel Ber” he became... Wonders! That exceeds all the wonders of Rabbainu! (but except for Rabbi Nussun, there never was something like this, Petek of redemption? There was Rabbainu, Rabbi Nussun, and the Petek of redemption!) The Petek? This is from the wonders of Rabbainu! Wonders that tops all the wonders of Rabbainu! What? What is there? Yisroel Ber, I, this is Yisroel Ber (fact is that Rabbi Yisroel Karduner did not receive insults like you!) He didn't receive like me? He endured a lot, what is impossible to describe! But he was a strong warrior. (fine, but like you...) but, he was, he endured, he suffered matters like these, every second, for service of Hashem, what we do not have any conception! This is just... it is impossible to merit this, except with the strength of Rabbainu! He was completely clean, from all desires, from everything, from haughtiness, this was [in his eyes] like pig, haughtiness and honor? He ran from this, he fled, he was, nothing, nil... (you said that it was impossible to speak of him...) nu, and certainly! It is possible, what I saw, this, spiritual words without measure, without limit, he merited, just with his self sacrifice, oy vay, oy vay, what we have? We need to make an accounting, How it was, Rabbi Nussun lived and merited to make Likutay Tefilos (collection of prayers), Likutay Halachos (collection of laws)? Everything for us. He saw, that there would be Aaron (Patz) and there will be Sharon (T.) and there will be every soul, and he prepares for every one what he needs, Rabbainu and Rabbi Nussun... (the doctors want to make large copies of the Petek! Y, …) Who? (Y. said...) yes? (he will finish his healing and he will work with us) Yes? Him? Yes he is free, he is ready to forfeit himself, everything for Rabbainu, he is a wonder, a wonder man, he is from the Petek, he is not just a doctor, he is a great specialist doctor in Paris! What is this? He is not an ordinary doctor, he has wisdom, he had... (also L.) yes, yes, yes, also L. he is a big dentist, not ordinary.

Searching for men of truth:

So I searched for God fearing men, men of truth, amongst the hasidim that I grew up in their midst, because then I did not know at all from Our holy Master, but I searched advice, even though I belonged to the Karlin Chasidus, but I thought, maybe I will find in Slunim, maybe I will find in some other place, so I will be bound only to H”Y, to the place that I will feel and that I will see that it does things to me, that channels on me the light of Hashem. Nu, and I searched by the Karlin hasidim and by the Slunim and other people.

The suffering and the pain and the poverty that was and the overcoming:

I want, and I understand that I need to thank and praise Hashem that He did for me a miracle, a single person against the whole world, yes. Father and Mother and the family and the whole city and the whole world. How I was in such a state of lowliness and degradation that if you were there it would have been hard for you to understand how I was existing in this world, how I am living?! It is impossible to describe, there are no words to speak and describe what I endured, and thank God I see now that this, this was very good, I yearn and I say, if only I had suffered more, but now, I, if I would pay millions... how? The time has passed.

Holy Brazenness.

Yes. How I was ruthless, my father had hell in this world, he was blind in both eyes and with such poverty and lowliness, and I was in such a house, and I have a miracle, how I am living?! How I remained alive? Yes. There was no bread, and not a drop of olive oil, and thank God I stood. Father cried before me, “I am your father, I know, and you are still young, you do not understand. Breslov?! No match will want you, and I am poor, you do not have money, how? What you are doing!?” He cried, him and mother and the brothers, they cried over me, and I was ruthless on father and mother, and I said, “Just Breslov!!!” Now I see how the liars appear, yes. How they appear, where are they? Yes, there is nothing left of them. Just the books of Breslov.

I used to scream, mamash to the heart of the sky:

(Rabbi Yisroel, how did you pray, when you were a Karlin hasid?) I used to scream, mamash to the heart of the sky, all of them screamed, because whoever screamed more was more of a chusid, was more important (this was a competition who ever screams stronger?!) yes, but my intentions were not for importance, or for any other personal gain, I just, my heart was burning for H”Y and I screamed with such vox! And next to me sat an elder man named Rav Kihus, Rav Kihus, yes. And he was, after the prayer, he would scream at me and cry, “what do you want from me? You want to make me deaf? You are killing me, you are killing me... you? This is not screaming, this is to kill.” (he beat you?) no, no. He wanted to beat, but he was following the Torah and Heaven fearing, but he wasn't able to withstand, he was suffering from this, great pain, I did not know, but he, this I caused his begrudging... his anger? This I remember, as if he was standing now by me and he screams at me, “what do you want from me?”

Rav Muttel, was a great intellectual:

(When you were 12, 14, you recognized Rav Muttel Slonim and the sages?) yeah, the Rav Muttel, he was very intellectual, and an intellectual does not seek mitzvos (commandments, good deeds), just the main purpose is to learn, learn, learn; and he was a chusid, and Heaven fearing, and he loved a mitzva, to do a mitzva, charity and kindness, so he knew that I have a blind father, so he took me in his house, and learned with me, and spoke with me, and drew me very close, and he was to me like a father, like a father, and he spoke with me, hasidus and admurim (hasidic masters) and I received a lot from him, and I considered Rav Muttel, that there is no one greater than him in the world, he is mamash an angel, I saw his good traits, I was always with him, in the day and in the night....

Preparation for drawing close to Rabbainu:

These things are pertinent to the drawing close to Rabbainu, preparation, all this was preparation to drawing close to Rabbainu (when you were small the Karlin hasidim were drinking tea and coffee, and you drank more than all of them?) more than all of them, I screamed more than all of them, and I drank... (tea, more than all of them?) I was in pain, in great suffering and I searched for a remedy, how to save myself, and I did not find, until H”Y, I am telling this in short, it is impossible to tell everything (no, tell over, I know very well that you remember, ah?) yeah....

The save, the miracles, and the wonders:

H”Y saved us from all the gentiles. That mother, she... she had a fear from the gentiles that they would murder us and our children. And H”Y cast down upon them fear and they fell, I don't know how. They were so strong, and they had a lot of weapons, and H”Y did with us miracles and wonders. We were small children, not knowing what war is. And H”Y did with us such wonders, they fell and they fell. Wonders like these that one does not see, that mothers and their small children were saved and are being saved from the gentiles. So it was many times, in the whole world, H”Y did with us such miracles that the gentiles fell from us, and we were saved from them, from their weapons. There was great fear upon us, and our children, and on the families, and on all the Jews. We were were in great distress, and H”Y had mercy on us, and we were saved, and the gentiles were lost and confounded. How do little children know to wage war? What is this? We saw that we distanced ourselves from the Torah and from holiness, and how should we be saved from the gentiles? And H”Y in his mercy on his entire nation, had mercy on us and our children. It is impossible to understand this. Little children that were born, approximately one month two months, were saved from the gentiles, that's what happened. We were in great distress, we, our children, and our families, and all of us, we were completely lost. Because how is it possible to be saved from such killers? And H”Y saw this, with such miracles and wonders we have survived and they were destroyed with their weapons. There was no chance to be saved from the gentiles and H”Y did great wonders, that all of them fell and we and our children remained, we were saved, small children and they did not know how to wage war, and we were saved and they were destroyed. After all the miracles H”Y showed us, we were in the desert and we did not have, not bread and not to drink and not war and not men, H”Y saved us, we live and are well, and they were lost. They had weapons and they had everything. We were crazy and we did not have anything. What is this? How were we saved? They had weapons, the whole world gave them weapons, and we did not have weapons. It was small children. They were completely destroyed, and we are alive and well. I am older than 100 years, I live and they were finished. Scary how we were lost? and how the gentiles had all types of weapons? They were destroyed and we are alive and well. I remember now how much fear we had of the gentiles. And they wanted to kill, wipe out, and destroy us, and the opposite occurred. We in Tiberius were like dead, we did not have a doubt, how would we be saved from the gentiles? To gather us and save us from the gentiles. I remember, mother did not have what to eat, and also the small children did not have milk with which to live, and I am not working, and H”Y saved us from the gentiles and gave us the truthful Torah. Also now the gentile arabs they had houses, and they had animals, they had milk, butter, and all good, and we did not have anything. How were we saved from the gentiles? The gentiles had a lot of weapons, the whole world, the French and English, everyone gave them weapons, and we did not have anyone who would give us. We were lost like animals, not knowing where to flee, what to do with the small children? Now we are in their houses, and everything that was theirs is ours. The houses are ours, and everything is ours. A piece of bread and a few drops of olive oil, and we and our children are alive and well, and they do not have anything. I do not know how I am alive, we did not have, not bread, and not to eat, and not to drink, and not anything. Until today I am in great wonderment, how am I alive? And how are the children alive? We are all alive, just those that had all the good, they died, just I remained, alone, for 103 years....

The Story of drawing close to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov through Rabbi Yisroel Karduner

I did not have someone to speak to me, to instruct me, I was always sad. Yes, broken, broken. But this was a big benefit because I was broken and this brought me close to H”Y, to the Torah... yes. Yes. This was for the good. Yes. I had yearning. I had yearning for H”Y, yes. And I was embarrassed, I thought that just I had an evil inclination, I have desires, and everyone was clean, I did not know what was by other people. So I said, all the desires and all the difficulties, and all everything, everything, I am worse than the whole world, from everyone. I did not know that other people also have an evil inclination, I just knew that I was a Karlin Hasid, I have an admur (chasidic master) in Karlin and he knows, he has Divine Inspiration and he knows, he is outside the Holy Land and I am in the Land of Israel, he recognizes me. And I was very happy, because the Karlin hasidim, like all hasidus, they have a certain specialty, that it boasts, so I thought that my admur of Karlin, he is greater than all the admurs, because they (Karlin) scream in prayer... And I loved to scream to H”Y. They screamed, but I screamed more than all of them. There was an elderly man next to me, he said to me, “you are a fiend, I am an old man, I already can not hear, and you want to make me completely deaf? What do you want from me? Why do you scream so much?” Until I left Karlin. Don't ask! When I merited to draw close to Rabbainu, who knows?! Nu, the klipos (bad husks) that come first, that I had from Karlin, from this I had confusion, there are admurs that are outside the holy land, there weren't admurs in the Land of Israel, so I thought, before the coming of the Messiah, as long as the Messiah has not arrived, so/then the admurs will be outside of the Holy Land, they can not come to the Land of Israel, their holiness. I considered all the admurs holy, but Karlin as holy of holies. But thank God, H”Y did for me miracles, that I merited to draw close to Rabbainu, I merited to understand, to see, and to feel what Judaism is, and what Torah is, yes. But I did not have anyone to guide me, I did not have Rabbainu, I did not know from Rabbainu. Afterwards, when I merited to draw close, (but) then what did I know? I knew what I know now? But every piece of knowledge that I merited to feel the truth, I felt this, truth like this, there is nothing similar! Until I merited to be done/part/absolve with Karlin and all the klipos. Yes...

His trip to Jerusalem to the men of truth, to hear words of Breslov, after the passsing of R. Yisroel Karduner.

Because when I drew close to Rabbainu and I traveled to Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem, it is a city of Torah scholars, geniuses, tzadikim, greatly acclaimed people, but our people (-Breslovers), they were broken, and they were humbled by them (- society). And every statement that I heard from our people (-Breslovers) I felt such truth... I saw, I understood, H”Y gave me wisdom and intellect to understand. I saw Rabbi Naftoli Cohen, he was a wise and intelligent man, and was very smart, yes. He was an expert architect, he could build large houses, he built the synagogue.

The things that I heard from our people in Jerusalem.

Certainly, certainly first and foremost, Rabbi Yisroel [Karduner] yes. He opened for me all the gates, through him I merited to understand, I merited yes. And principally Rabbi Naftoli, I asked him questions, what to do with the evil inclination? And he loved to speak with me, he saw the temmimus (simplicity/wholeheartedness) and my truth, so he very much loved speaking with me, yes. Nu, he was not able, there was a great distance, he was already old and I... and also I (was) simple and he was a Ben Torah, and he spoke with me, he did not like to speak a lot, but this, it was from the things he would speak, it was holy wisdom, yes. And he put in me a new spirit, yes, in the matter of Rabbainu. Yes. He explained to me what is the matter of false beliefs, yes. He said that it is false, deceiving, deceitful faiths.

Then I thought, my admur of Karlin, he is not a prevaricator, until I merited to know that he is also with them together. Until I merited to know and to understand this, because if I would not understand, I would be greatly distraught, the heart, this was the heart, I have a defect in my heart, yes. A blemish. Deformity. Defect.... Nu, what does one do? And thank God, H”Y helped me, that the words that I heard from our people in Jerusalem, it was a comfort to me, salvation, salvation and comfort, and he shined in me great light, to know what this is. (False faiths?) Yes. I saw that Karlin... who... and also all of them, I was stronger than all of them, from all the liars, just my prevaricator he is holy and pure, Karlin... until I dismissed this, until I merited to understand that this is a lie, Karlin and also all of them, yes. But I was happy with my lot, that I merited to understand, to see and to understand that this is falsehood and this is truth... yes. Against the whole world, and it was reversed... yes. I was like that. “Who are you? What? What do you know? What do you understand?” No... H”Y constricts Himself (even to) Yisroel Ber as well. Yes. I merited to feel, to see and to understand that this is truth, and this is falsehood. This was in the time that the whole world was sunken in falsehood, in admurs. And I merited to see the opposite from all of them... yes. And it did not affect me, they are many and they are great in Torah, what? Who am I? What are you? No... the truth is strong, a strong warrior like this that similar to it....

To separate between the falsehood and the truth.

Every statement that I heard from the people of Rabbainu, Rabbi Nussun, Rabbi Nussun the husband of Gittele (the widow of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner), his temmimus (simplicity/wholeheartedness), his truth, his words, his countenance, his words, I saw that all of them are nothing, with their Torah with everything... this, this, Rabbi Nussun, this is a servant of Hashem. And I was in Jerusalem and I received from this one an adage, and from this one a statement, and this would go into my heart, and I came (back) to Tiberius with new merchandise, new melodies, and a new Yisroel Ber, this is not the previous Yisroel Ber. So everyone knew that Yisroel Ber was in Jerusalem. And this was a miracle from H”Y, above nature, impossible to understand, I was born by them, and I knew that this was fear of Heaven... all of them had a mendacious reputation, that they are God fearing, but H”Y gave me wisdom and intellect, and I distinguished and I knew and I saw and I understand that this is truth.. this....

If not for the strife and opposition I would not know anything about Breslov

If not for the strife, if not for the opposition, I would not know from Rabbainu anything, this specifically drew me close. Yes. This was good presents, “I brought for you a present from the Land of Israel – adversary” (Rabbi Nachman said this to his followers upon his return from the Holy Land), this was was such a present that there is none (like it) in the world! Now if you give all the money in the world, I want! I want!... None! The time has passed!... But also today, Messiah still hasn't come, the truth isn't so much, yes. But the world is beginning to hear and to understand Rabbainu, Rabbi Nachman. Rabbi Nachman, yes. All the days of my life I had... they were afraid... they were frightened to touch a book of Breslov, and now it is possible to read everywhere the books of Breslov. I had questions on H”Y; why is the truth not revealed? If the truth would be revealed, it would already be the Rectified World. When will this be? How is it possible for there to be redemption? How is it possible? So now I see, from before 80 years until now I see, such power, that the people are drawing themselves to Rabbainu. The people, it would be fitting for all the people to distance themselves from Breslov, because all the greats were opposers, they were... yes. A wonder occurred, such a wonder, so Our Holy Master said, “I have brought for you a present from the Land of Israel, adversary.” The whole world, all of humanity, all the people will repudiate him, and then who ever draws close to me, these are my men. What? Oy, what they suffered, they suffered for the generations, in these generations, they prepared for Messiah, Rabbainu's men and Rabbainu's books, every statement... every adage... and every... but the falsehood... the lies this... this blinds the eyes, obfuscates the eyes, yes. Desecrating and degrading the truth, but Rabbainu has already arrived, when he entered Uman he said to Rabbi Nussun, “Even still H”Y always finishes as He desires.” Such a Master and the disciple unique in the world, from the day of creation, such a Rebbe and such a disciple... and also, all the disciples of Rabbainu, what this is, I, thank God, I was crushed, and broken, and demeaned... but the heart inside was... the truth burned like a blazing fire, this was a miracle...

The finding of the book Outpouring of the Soul in the garbage can.

One day I found a book of shaimus (when a holy book is in tatters it is set aside as 'shaimus' to be buried respectfully), with no binding, without a beginning, without an end, 'shaimus', in the garbage bin. So I took it so that it shouldn't be in disgrace, I took the book from the garbage can and I went in order to throw the book in 'geniza' (place where stuff is gathered to be buried), and I went to the courtyard of the geniza, and the geniza was in the Yeshiva. I entered the Yeshiva, and I walked to the geniza to throw (in) the book, like all torn books are thrown, and then before I threw the book, I saw the name of the book, Outpouring of the Soul. And it was torn, without an end, and without binding, and this made an impression on me, maybe this will be good for me? I began to read it, and I saw that this was kindness from H”Y that I merited to find this book. Because every statement was for me. Nu, at the time that I found the book, I went with the book to be alone – hisboded – with the book, and I prayed as was prescribed there in the name of Rabbainu how to seclude oneself – hisboded – and how to pray, and I walked in the fields, no one knew. Like theft, I stole myself into the fields. And I had hisbodidus and I read from the book, I fulfilled what was written there, I saw for the first time in my life that the power of this book, such strength of hisbodidus, this kills all the destroyers and the vandals and all types of bad plagues, all types of actions, all types of desires, I saw with my very eyes that after hisbodidus when I returned to the Yeshiva I was like a new person, I felt in myself, “Where are all the vandals, all the ravagers? They were killed!” So I had this custom, almost every day, to go out to the field with the book, and I had hisbodidus, and I saw miracles and wonders, novelties that from the day I became intelligent I had not seen such wonders. This was for a continued time....

One time I was reading from the book, and I didn't know from whom it was, who was the author of the book? Because it was without an introduction, without a beginning, without an end, and I didn't know. And I guarded the book, and I closed it in my chest, and almost every day I went to the field with the book, and I saw great wonders, novelties that I never had, and I did not know who was the author of this book. One time I was reading this book in my room. Then he saw the book, he saw that it is Outpouring of the Soul and he knew that this is from the books of Breslov. So he told me, this friend, he said to me, “Which book are you reading? From this book you are reading?” So I was very shocked and I became very angry, and I said to him, “This book is holy of the holies, what are you saying?! What are you saying?!” So he said to me, “Animal! You do not know what there is in the world, you do not know anything, this is from the books of Breslov, it is forbidden to read them. The Rebbe and all the admurs and the whole world oppose this, and they say it is forbidden to read these books, you are brazen like this against all the admurs? All the admurs say that is forbidden to read them, and you do not want to listen to them? This is from the books of Breslov. What, you don't know? Everyone knows!” I said to him, “No, I do not know...”

I heard for the first time in my life that there is Breslov in the world, and that it is forbidden to read from the books. So I said to him, “I do not listen to the whole world, to all the admurs, this book is good for me, I see such wonders, what is impossible to relate.” So he says to me, “You are so impudent, so brazen, against the admur, and against all the admurs? Then you are not human.” I said to him, “For me, this is good,” so he said, “This book is mine, I want this book, it is mine!” I did not want to give it to him, I said to him, “I won this book from free property, from the garbage can,” so he said to me, “This book is mine, and I want it, I don't need it, I want just that you should not read it!” So he overpowered me and took from me the book, with force, and I remained without the book like an orphan.

The suffering and the affliction and the torments:

(You had difficuties and insults?) Yes! Who can say it over? Who can relate and describe what I endured? But one sees that we are standing and they are falling, they will fall, they will fall, there is an accounting. The world is not abandoned... who can tell and describe what I endured? We were two against all the rabbis, against all the greats, we were two, I and Rav Yisroel Karduner. And all the small children, when we would walk, they would point with their fingers, “Here are the Breslovers! Here is Breslov!” When I came to Jerusalem? There were some who had fear of Heaven and were scared of me, to laugh at me, but there were great rabbis, they said it is necessary to distance him and to throw him out, he does the whole day the books of Breslov, you know from this?

Rabbi Yisroel Karduner

The first time in my life I heard the name Breslov.

But I heard that there is a hasidus in the world called Breslov, so I remained without the book, but I continued to do hisbodidus, and I prayed to H”Y that he should have mercy on me, just as he began to help me and I found this book and I know what this is, what it did to me, so I requested that He should summon to me the books of Breslov and hasidim of Breslov. I lived in Tiberius and I did not leave Tiberius. I did not know Safed which was close, and everyone travels to Meron in Elul and Lag BuOmer. And I was poor, I did not have money, I did not travel to Safed. If I would have traveled to Safed, I would have heard, perhaps, in Safed there were Breslov hasidim, but I did not know, I did not know from the hasidim of Breslov. I requested from H”Y that he should summon for me Breslov hasidim, I thought that maybe in Jerusalem, maybe they exist in the world, in some place, Breslov hasidim, so I requested, and this... a long time passed by, and H”Y accepted my prayer and sent me, to Tiberius, Rabbi Yisroel Karduner.

Rabbi Yisroel Karduner did not want to budge from Meron. What did the Holy Blessed One do to him, he sent him a malady on one of his hands, and the pain was so excruciating that it was impossible, in a natural manner, to endure such pain, and he was unable [to do the rectification of] midnight, and not to pray, and not to learn... a pity... so Rabbi Yisroel accounted this, not like the world, to chance, on the contrary he knew with complete faith that this was from H”Y, and he began to think, perhaps H”Y desires that he should travel to Tiberius, because in Tiberius the cold isn't so great, so his malady won't hurt so much, he had such excruciating pain, and he could serve H”Y? But he was uncertain, he did not know clearly that the desire of H”Y was that he should go to Tiberius, so he did not budge from Meron, even though he was in great pain. But he saw that the pain was intensifying more every time, and it was impossible for him to serve Hashem. So he did a lot of hisbodidus and he prayed a lot to H”Y, that He should illuminate in his mind with complete elucidation, if H”Y wants that he should travel to Tiberius, that he should know clearly that he should go to Tiberius. So he did a lot of hisbodidus on this and he prayed a lot on this, and after all of this, he opened the book Likutay Halachos, and he found in it that the desire of the Blessed Creator is that he should travel to Tiberius. I know that this book was (the volume of) Yoare Daya, from the first publication of Rabbi Nussun, there wasn't then publication like today. So since he knew clearly that the Blessed Creator desired him to go to Tiberius, so he arose early in the morning, could he not have waited until after Shabbos? Only – since he knew that this was the desire of H”Y, immediately “and Abraham arose early in the morning” (the verse from the Bible, the story of the sacrificing of Isaac) and he went on Thursday to Tiberius. In this week that Rabbi Yisroel came on Thursday to Tiberius, in this week, on Sunday, we started to bake bread for sale, because our livelihood had been from grinding coffee and it was then war time, so there was no coffee and we did not have any means for providing a livelihood, so a relative of ours, a relative, Rav Binyomin Barzel, yes, he supported my mother, like his own mother. And then father and mother they thought that we should begin to bake bread. But who would give us even one kilo of flour in order to bake bread? Because everyone knew that we were poor. So she went to Rav Binyomin Barzel, and he said to her, “No... don't fear, I will tell the grinder and the flour dealer to give you a sack, two sacks, how ever much you need.” So we started baking bread on Sunday, and he (R' Yisroel Karduner) came precisely in this week on Thursday, and he needed bread for supper, and when he got off the donkey and met Rabbi Binyomin Barzel (he recognized him from Meron) he asked him, and said to him, “Do a mitzva, show me where I can obtain, to buy a loaf of bread.” So Binyomin Barzel knew that we had started baking bread, so he brought him to us. And H”Y brought about that I brought out the bread. We were five siblings in the house, and there were those older than me, and it was Divine Providence that I took the loaf of bread and gave it to Rabbi Yisroel. When I saw Rabbi Yisroel, his visage, so/then I thought this man is a hidden Tzadik, and by him I will find what I am searching, faith and fear of Heaven. I thought this, and he put his hand into the wallet and took out money to pay me for the bread, and I am thinking this, then he says (he gave me the money and says) to me, “Perhaps it is possible to eat the bread by you in the house?” Then/so I felt that he knows my thoughts and my desire, that I want to connect with him. But I saw that this was very improbable, because father would not agree to this, not because he didn't want, (but) because we needed already on Thursday, it is necessary to bake Chala (loaves of bread for Shabbos) and bread to prepare for Shabbos, and it is necessary to make night and to sleep, and also the house is small and we do not have place for a guest to eat, and he (father) will diss me, “What are you asking such a question?”... But I wanted to have a connection with Rabbi Yisroel, I fortified myself with all my strength, and I said whatever will be, even if my father hits me and demeans me, I will ask father, be what may be. So I asked, and father said, “Yes, yes, there are some leftovers from the cooked food, so give it to him, he will eat the bread plain? Bread alone? So give him...” So/then I saw that this was Divine Providence from H”Y, supernatural, that I should have a connection with this holy tzadik, and so it was. They made night, they blessed the after blessing on the food, and they recited the Shema and they went, they lay down to sleep. And I remained, I and Rabbi Yisroel alone. He sat on a step of the house, and I gave him the bread to eat, and he washed his hands and made the blessing of Hamoatzy (on bread), and when I heard the blessing from him, on the washing of hands and blessing of Hamoatzy, I saw that it is correct, this is a hidden tzaddik. Because such a blessing I never heard. I grew up amongst hasidim and people who studied Torah and feared God, but such a blessing I never heard. And also, such a countenance and visage, like Rabbi Yisroel (Karduner) had, I never saw. So/then I gave him the leftovers from the meal so that he should eat, so/then he tells me, “I do not eat anything, just bread and tea.” But we did not have tea, and we did not have a kerosene machine, just the wealthy had a kerosene machine, but the poor used charcoal, and this is a craft that one needs to know how to make the fire, and I did everything until I successfully ignited the fire, and I made tea. And every time I entered the house and I said to Rabbi Yisroel, I did not know that he was Breslov, I knew just that he was a hidden tzaddik, I said to him in a whisper secretly and in the ear, I said to him (in respectful third plural tense), “Know that you came to Tiberius for me, I want so very much to serve Hashem in truth and I undergo harsh battles, and I am searching my whole life, I am searching a place that will guide me and illuminate in me the light of Hashem, that I should merit to serve Hashem in truth, so H”Y sent you to me to save me. You came to Tiberius for me, and I ask you not to abandon me.” I saw that he was very moved, because immediately upon getting off the donkey, H”Y brought him to me and he hears such words. He had to travel earlier, but he, as long as he did not have complete clarity that he needs to travel to Tiberius, did not want to budge from Meron, nu, oy vay.... And after he ate, we went.

Torah (Lesson) 7 from the Second Volume of Likutay Moharan (Collection from our Master Rabbi Nachman of Breslov) “For from compassion he will lead them”

And he (Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) said to me that he wants to go to the synagogue. Nu, I went with him to the synagogue, and on the way I spoke with him, and I told him my thing... yes. And he heard everything, and I wanted to make a confession before him, and he did not want to hear, and he said that this forbidden, so/then I walked to the synagogue of the Karlin hasidim. (You made a confession?) No, no, just a generalization, yes. A generalization, I spoke with him and I cried before him, because I wanted very much, I felt that there is by him cures for me, that he should not abandon me, that he should not leave me and go to Meron, so I cried before him, and I asked him that he should not leave me. Nu, he heard such a thing, and I saw that he was very moved, because he saw eye to eye that H”Y caused that he should come to Tiberius... and he came straight to Tiberius, from the donkey straight to my house. And after I went with him to the synagogue, and the synagogues were closed. I did not know where the key to the synagogue was. Just one synagogue that was in Tiberius, from the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and the grandfather of our holy master, R' Nachman Hordenker, and R' Avrohom Kalisker, all the holy tzaddikim, they built a synagogue near the sea, so that they can (ritually) dip and pray, in the sea whenever they want, that it should be close to the sea, so they built the synagogue next to the sea, and in the winter, there was a lot of rain, the sea thickened and rose and entered this synagogue reaching half the height of the tables, and they could not pray there. And this synagogue was open, and the tables and chairs stood in the water, until the month of Nissan, until the water went down. So we entered this synagogue and we climbed on top of a table, and we learned Torah 7 volume 2 “For from mercy he will lead them” and he learned with me this Torah the whole night, and I merited to this, that all my life I never experienced the taste of Torah, the taste of fear of Heaven, the taste like this night that he learned with me this Torah, this holy Torah “For from mercy he will lead them”. We were in the synagogue when the sea was there, all night, and I did not feel that I had to sleep. And also he had candles and matches, which was very expensive, and he was wealthy, and he lit candles and learned with me in Likutay Moharan until close to morning light, until I heard the calling of mother crying, that she cried, “Oy my son Yisroel Ber, my son Yisroel Ber is lost!” I heard, so I said to Rabbi Yisroel, “Oy vay, it is after midnight and my mother is searching in quest for me,” so I exited the synagogue and went to mother following the call. I reached her and said to her, “What is this crying?” So she said to me, “What did you do? Where did you go the whole night? In any event, do you know? Now it is necessary to throw into the garbage all the dough, all the challah and all the bread!” Nu, you didn't hear? This night Yisroel Ber became a Breslover! And from this night there was a commotion in Tiberius: “this night Yisroel Ber became a Breslover!” She told the neighbors from the surroundings, they came in the morning, “What is this, what was the crying?” They asked, “What? What happened?” So she told over! “A man bought bread, and he (Yisroel Ber) went with him and did not return the whole night!” They did not know who it was, but in the morning, when I went to the synagogue, and Rabbi Yisroel was in the synagogue and I spoke with him, so they said to him, “Nu, nu, it has already happened what has happened, this night they vitiated (changed religious faith, God forbid) Yisroel Ber.” and afterwards on Sunday, we went to the Yeshiva, he learned with me the books of Rabbainu and Talmud and Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) and poskim (halachic arbitrators), nu, and they saw! “Oy vay, Yisroel Ber has become a Breslover! Rabbi Yisroel Karduner...” Nu nu, hostility swept over me, a great battle, and father and mother and the relatives and the family and the whole Yeshiva everyone, it is impossible to describe, they had great pity on me. Just this? They said, “Oy vay! Yisroel Ber has become a Breslover! Yisroel Ber has become a Breslover!” They went from the Yeshiva, they went to my parents, father and mother, and they (from the Yeshiva) told them (parents), “Do you know? Yisroel Ber has become a Breslover!” So father said, “I am not worried, I know my son, he fulfills (the commandment of) honoring one's father, unique in the generation, unparalleled, he is Heaven fearing, and he fulfills the commandment of honoring one's father, even if I sent him into fire, are you familiar with my son? He is Heaven fearing and he fulfills the commandment of honoring one's father, he will come from the Yeshiva, I will tell him that I do not want, it will be over, he will not be a Breslover! I do not have any worries.” So they spoke with him, “You do not know what Breslov is? He will not listen to you! You need a heavy war!” So he said, “I am not worried, I know my son!” I came from the Yeshiva, so father says to me, “I heard, everyone from the Yeshiva say, Rabbi Muttel and all of them, and they said that you became a Breslover. Know my son, have compassion on me, I do not want that you should be Breslov. I am a Karliner! I want you to be a chusid! You can choose Gur, Chabad, Slunim, any type of Chusid you desire, but just not Breslov!” So I said to him, “Father, you know, you are acquainted with me, I fulfill (the commandment of) honoring one's father, all that you tell me I will listen to you, just this, no! I want only Breslov! I love Breslov! In this (matter) I will not listen to you. “Uhh?... so they were justified. They are correct, they said that I do not know what Breslov is?!... This is the first time that I hear from you that you do not want to do as I say!” Oy oy oy, what was! This is still not, this is still not, it is impossible to tell over everything the way it was. Rav Muttel and all the chasidim and the whole city it was like a boiling pot. R. Muttel was a great intellectual and he had fine character traits, he was humble and he studied day and night and he was a very wondrous man, even though I was a child and I had a weak mind, but he loved me, my temmimus (wholeheartedness), my good will, he loved a mitzva, so he drew me close. Father was poor and blind, so he had compassion on me and drew me close, and I was by him like a member of the house, and he lifted me up “from the garbage he lifts the pauper” (Psalms – it should be noted that the first three letters of the Hebrew word pauper are the initials, Yisroel Ber Odesser), this is a very awesome story, whoever puts their heart in truth....

The great adversary at the beginning of the drawing close to Breslov:

Even on gentiles there is not cruelty like this! (like on?) Breslov, yes. Just the name Breslov, and I, I merited to be so strong, I stood up against all the greats, greats that were acclaimed and acknowledged in the whole world! Tiberius is a small town, I merited to see a Breslov Chusid, and I stood up, thank God, in war with all the greats. I saw one of the men of Rabbainu, Rabbi Yisroel Karduner, how he served Hashem, with what strength, with what wisdom, with what clinging, he was completely bound to H”Y. Midnight, this is very hard service. And he went to the field at night, no one knew from him, and he went to the forest, and he cried before H”Y, he cried for us, in order to rectify us. He had five children. An only son, Mordichai, and a daughter Esther. Mordichai and Esther. What he endured in this world it is impossible to describe, to tell, to perceive, such strength, such wisdom, such a tzadik, such holiness, there still has never been such a thing in the world. Rabbi Yisroel Karduner. He was bound and attached to our holy master. It was sufficient for me to recognize one of Rabbainu's men.

Breslov, is a little, but it is good! “Good is a little for the Tzadik (Psalms 37:16).”

But [he – Rabbi Nachman] is the leader of Israel. (suddenly he became leader) A leader, they take all the money, and all the honor, and all the grandeur of Breslov, and I? I am the leader! There is a lot (there are a lot of types, a lot of colors) yes! Certainly! But this is not Breslov, Breslov is a little. But it is good! “Good is a little for the Tzadik” (Psalms 37:16, also explained in Likutay Halachos). [Saba and the people with him sing “and every creature will know that you created him” - from the prayers of Rosh Hashana] He said these words, “and every creature will know that you created him”, he argued to H”Y, “when? When will this be? And every creature will know that you created him?”

The melodies of Rosh Hashana... the opposers on Rosh Hashana, they were disgraced, they came to throw stones, so they heard our prayers of Rosh Hashana, the melodies and songs, so they went without stones, fear fell upon them. “the righteous will see and be happy, and the just will exult, and the hasidim with rejoice joyously” (a song from the prayers of Rosh Hashana) oy what this is! It was such a melody! And this was all the resurrection of the dead. The whole year they would be enlivened from the melody of Rosh Hashana. If you would have been before 70 years, you would have seen what is Breslov, today you see how I look.

The drawing close of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner to Breslov.

Rabbi Yisroel Karduner, he found in a synagogue Tikun Haklali (general rectification – a selection of 10 Psalms designated by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov), and through this he was drawn close to Rabbainu, and it was made: Rabbi Yisroel Karduner. To get up at midnight and to go to the forest, this is hard! This is such strength! Rabbi Yisroel Karduner was able to get up at midnight and go to the forests... “even though you don't have a cure, but I can heal you!” (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov).

The service of Hashem of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner.

Rabbi Yisroel! How he would argue his arguments! When he had allegations by H”y he spoke to Him, like we are speaking. He would speak with H”Y like with a friend. Such faith and to be so given over... so we have place by H”Y just as we are, He watches over us, he guards us, and he does with us such kindness such as there isn't in the world, there still hasn't been revealed in the world! Miracles and wonders and such kindness that still has not been revealed in the world. Oy vay... I see such wonders that are not revealed at all.... now H”Y cherishes Israel. Master of the World, He said to us, “Come, come, come to me, and then/so it will be good.” Suddenly he (R. Yisroel Karduner) came from Chevron to Tiberius *(many times Saba recounted that way, that R. Yisroel Karduner came from Chevron to Tiberius, but the first time they met, R. Yisroel Karduner came from Meron, so here he is referring to another meeting of note) and he found Yisroel Ber in Tiberius, and from this was made such wonders! The falsehood and haughtiness were up to the sky. What they did to me; father, and mother, and all the children, and the whole city, small with big, they pointed with (their) finger, “this is Breslov! Here is Breslov!” I, thank God, accepted everything with love and happiness, this was all my lifesource. But now there does not remain from them (even) one, (even) one of them does not remain. See their synagogue in complete ruins, there does not remain one stone (brick), all of them, they were falsehood. [Rabbi Yisroel Karduner] he lived in Meron, he left his wife and children and he came to Yisroel Ber in Tiberius and a great commotion was made in Tiberius: “Yisroel Ber has become Breslov!”

Midnight and the Morning Prayers of R. Yisroel Karduner.

The table and the floor trembled. He was trembling and the table and the floor were also trembling from his trembling. Afterwards it came the time of prayer, and he made such a prayer! And the prayer, after such a midnight (service)! He made such a prayer that the whole settlement wasn't able to go, every one has work... all of them surrounded our house, from his calling, from his prayers in the Morning Prayers. In short, I saw that it was impossible for me to be in the room, so I (decided that) I would stand by the door, in the event that I couldn't endure, then I would run away! And it was scary! Such fear fell upon me. So I came close to the door, and I grasped the door, when I would not be able to be in the house, then I would manage to go outside! It is still impossible to explain, how this was! Because we could think, he is telling a story.

And this man thought that Rabbi Yisroel is a millionaire.

This man... he wants to be like Rabbi Yisroel, Rabbi Yisroel had a lot of money, and he gave him money, money, money. So we returned to Jerusalem, this man also returned... returned, in Jerusalem he had a house, and he gave us the house, and he gave us... he became so Breslov! [Rabbi Yisroel] he went to search any mitzva, until he found... until he found. He found this guest, he gave him a lot of money. He (the guest) was a convert, he came to Tiberius - Rabbi Yisroel - was by him. He [Rabbi Yisroel] gave him all the money (to the guest) that he still hadn't befriended this man... and this man thought that Rabbi Yisroel is a millionaire, he's very wealthy, he gave him so much money! Afterwards we returned to Jerusalem, this man became completely Breslov. So he wanted... he saw such a wealthy person, that he gave so much charity, he... good. This is life, good life. He became Breslov! He merited....

A new Purim and the prayer of Rav Yisroel Karduner.

One time in my life I saw a new Purim, how they lay with towels on the head and on the eyes with fear, in fear, in awe and fear. (Rabbi Yisroel Karduner studied by R' Moshe Breslover?) yes. (the student of Rabbi Nussun?) but he was friends with everyone. He (Rabbi Yisroel) observed his (R' Moshe Breslover's) yartzeit (anniversary of death), day of remembrance, like (for) a father, he would fast on this day and learn mishnayos with (lighting) a continual candle of olive oil, like (for) a father...

On Purim, Rabbi Yisroel may he rest in peace, he began to drink in the house and he danced in the house, and I saw every second that he would drink more, he goes out from this world to another world. (to the future world?) yes. After Purim, he arrived, he began to go from the house, from the door to the street to make it known that it's Purim “to make it known, to make it known, to make it know” ('lihoadiya' – from the songs of Purim), I walked with him, and he went the whole street till the place of Slunim, the hasidim of Slunim are jokers ('letzim'), they scorn Breslov. The next year, he entered the house and everyone were sitting and drinking wine and were drunk, and he entered as if it was his own house, and he danced, he said to me... there was an old man there by the name of Reb Lishka, he got angry with me (this happened when Saba would pray next to him, screaming the prayers), “you want to make me deaf? I am already deaf. What do you want from me?”, so/then he said to me, “do you understand his dancing? Of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner? Do you understand what this is? This is wondrous dancing!” So said their head, he was the head of the opposers. He was abnegated, he saw the dancing of Rabbi Yisroel, he (Rabbi Yisroel) entered between the opposers, between the scorpions, snakes and scorpions and he made from them nothing and vapor, (dirt and ashes), who saw such a thing? How did he have such strength to enter in its midst, in the middle. On top of that, happiness! (the opposite of the satan) yes. And to show him, “come, come, come, I am not afraid of you! (You also did the same thing, you danced for them at weddings?) No. whoever saw his dance, was completely abnegated. But after he died, then I went. There was a time, that Purim was on Thursday night, I did not have (money) for Shabbos, but I, all my possessions I had in my wallet, a half a lira. A half a lira? What is a half a lira? [a half a lira of that time] this was enough for Shabbos (that's a big asset!) yes! A half a lira! But this, here it was already Shabbos, a half a lira was in the wallet, I said, “I want wine” but there wasn't any. There isn't wine, it was already finished. So I said, “What? There is no wine? Take a half a lira and buy wine” so they took the half a lira from me. What? What did I do? Why did I do that? Why did I give them half a lira? What will be with me? Tomorrow I will not have for Shabbos! Everyone laughed. They took from me the half a lira (did you drink from the wine at least?) No. they did not buy, they understood that I was drunk, I took out half a lira? They were afraid. This is my whole Shabbos, this is half a lira? (so they brought it to you?) yes... (in China they learn the Stories of Ancient Times) yes?! They examine books, also by us (i.e. in Israel) in the university, every morning, they examine the Recounting of Stories (of Ancient Times by Rabbi Nachman). (this was also on t.v.) yes?! (the best was in South Africa) Are there wealthy people there? Only if there are wealthy people there [Saba Yisroel laughs].

The prayers of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner on Rosh Hashana:

Such melodies! On Rosh Hashana there were such melodies, whoever saw, had to hold himself! He would begin to sing the melodies of Rosh Hashana (you said that he would pray the shmona esray for four hours?) in the morning I went to Rosh Hashana and I ate, after the prayer I went down from the prayer, and he? He stood alone! (still continuing the shemona esray?) yes. (he couldn't budge?) yes. There was such trembling, with such yartzeit (?- probably should be yira – fear of Heaven), with such clinging, with such happiness, the whole world did not know, Rabbi Yisroel he... I knew that he could be found down in the synagogue, so I went to hear and to see, what was (going on) there, was there a wedding, I will go? He could not move forward, I will get great honor (?), he was trembling all of him, and also the whole building trembled, I will get great honor, (the whole shrine trembled?) by Rabbi Shimon below. (he was barefoot?) alone in the shrine of Rabbi Shimon, he would not go in with shoes. In the winter in the cold, in such cold without shoes, like in the Holy of Holies, and he would cry, I can not... Is it possible to consider that he was untruthful? Where are there so many tears? How? But I saw, that every time he was stronger, the tears more strong. And it was on a very cold winter, and he was standing where he was, when he finished, he left the shrine, he left [from the shrine] like when opening the door to an oven from the heat. He would exit from the shrine hot, so hot from the shrine! And the shrine was damp from the tears, and the shrine was like a stream! And I said to Hashem, “How does one merit to this? I also want to cry, where is there such a thing? Where is this obtained?! Is it necessary to go to all the liars?! Oy vay... he was always worried about Israel (i.e. the Jews). He was always had such pain for Israel, “Where is the people of Israel? Where is the Torah? Where?...”

Parnassa, Parnassa, Parnassa (livelihood, income)

Parnassa, Parnassa, Parnassa, Parnassa! So it was with Rabbainu, everyone [that they] screamed parnassa! Parnassa! So... so our holy master (said)... what? Parnassa? Just trust (faith in God)! He gave them all parnassa! Ah! But to Rabbi Yisroel may he rest in peace, he... he had a ledger, he was a writer, a great writer, he had a ledger... he inscribed everything that he had, revenue, and every matter, and he gave a fifth every month, he gave a fifth of the money that H”Y gave him, he gave a fifth. nu... he... what? To anyone who asked him he gave. I was specifically with debt. “My fifth pays everything!” who ever has debts, the fifth pays! One time he complained before me, he is already so indebted to the fifth, he was in great pain, he owes money to the fifth, a lot of money, “ I have a fifth, a fifth that pays all debt!” All debts. The fifth is very wealthy... he said this the same way the world searches for money, he searched for a mitzva. Maybe H”Y will give me a mitzva? He went to search. Every time he found, and they became close to Rabbainu. [the convert thought] “if he (Rabbi Nachman) has such hasidim, I want to be Breslov! I don't want to be an intellectual (lamdun), I want to be Breslov!”

Just trust in God

He (Rabbi Yisroel) had a small ledger, he was a big merchant! He inscribed every penny that H”Y summoned to him, and every income and expense. He made an accounting, how much he was obligated, how much money he owed. And he was always happy, he was happy... he danced, he sang, he was happy, because he had all the money in the world! He had. He had five children, daughters, and an only son. The only son, his name was Mordichai. The only son, I knew that small child, but he grew up, he grew, grew and became bar mitzva, this only son. And also he had, the only son had sisters, sisters... she was righteous so modest, that there is nothing to say, there are no words to say. She thought that I was a brother. He, the only son, his name was Mordichai. And also he had a daughter, whose name was Esther, and she was so righteous like Queen Esther. She was already seven, eight years old. She was so modest! Ah, so modest, ah.Esther. There was in the house Mordichai and Esther. Mordichai... after the bar mitzva he had... he was sick and died. No, Esther, Esther died. And Mordichai died three days before Rabbi Yisroel. He knew that he died, and also Rabbi Yisroel died.

So one time it was... Rabbi Yisroel was not home, there is a woman, and girls and boys, and I was there, they need to eat. They were five children and they need to eat. They didn't have. I went to ask, to ask for contributions. To ask that they should have compassion... “I will go and I will search for money.” They said to me, all of them, “I still haven't sold anything, I do not have money! I do not have now! I don't have money!” So I went to search, I found a man and his son that they had a store of merchandise, a store, nu... but in the morning, there are no sales, there's no money! In the morning?! How I went to him, to the store... and his son, and he gave me a lot of money, I had enough to buy bread, and thank G-d. In order to give children bread to eat. So/then I was very happy, that I had what to give the children something... to eat, and bread and happy. He went... he was on the road, and he left the house without money, nu, I can... I was not able to take it. There are small children, they need to eat, nu, and I don't have. So I went to collect money in order that I should have bread to give the children. I went. I went from store to store, and they all said, “What? I still haven't sold anything. I still don't have money.” Nu, I was in great anguish. I have to suffer for the children. Nu, so I went, I found a store, a father and his son, and it was a store of merchandise for sale. Yes, nu, but now it is the morning, so there is no money. I explained to him, and he went to the register, and he gave me a lot of money. I was very happy from this, that I have thank G-d with what to buy, for food for the house! He (the storekeeper) doesn't know me, I entered his store, he went to the place of the money, and he took out money and gave me. He (R' Yisroel) went traveling, and I saw that the house was without money, without bread... without bread... and I am a lad, I was a lad, nu, I was in the house like a child, like... yes, nu, Rabbi Yisroel isn't around, and the children want to eat, I don't have any money, and no bread. I was... was already... I was in great anguish, I said, “Why does H”Y not give me money for the children?” so I went and found a store, that there was there a father with his son, I entered the store, “now it is morning, I still haven't made any sales, I don't have money!” like all of them, then he went to the place of the money, and he took out money, and gave me a lot of money, and I had, and for the children to eat bread, to eat. Rabbi Yisroel, like he doesn't have children, like... he went... he went to Meron, and I remained with the children, I went to search for money, and they said to me, “What? Now it is morning, and how? I still haven't sold anything, I also don't have money!” the main point is, I received great pain, I do not have money in order to buy for the children to eat. But I found one store, there was a father with his son, and the father... I entered the store, I was afraid he would throw me out, and he went to the place of the money, and he took out a lot of money and gave me, he... I don't know him, and he doesn't know me. And I had with what to buy food for the children. He (R' Yisroel) left me an empty house, no money and not anything. I was embarrassed to enter the store, what? In the morning? Where is there money? I entered the store, and the father went to the place of money, and received money, and gave me a lot of money, and I had with what to buy bread for the children. But Rabbi Yisroel, as if he doesn't have children, as if he doesn't have anything. There is Yisroel Ber. He went... the children do not have what to eat... in the morning there is money? He (storekeeper) went to the place of the money and took money and gave me, and I had for the children, to buy food. And he (R' Yisroel) went to Meron. He has a house, with children, so there is Yisroel Ber, Yisroel Ber... I was very embarrassed, I had great anguish, he (the storekeeper) will take me from here, and he will throw me... “What? In the morning there is money? I still haven't sold anything!” He (R' Yisroel) went to Meron! A house and children... he went to Meron! There is Yisroel Ber... Yisroel Ber will have money, and he will buy for the children. Parnassa? Just trust in G-d! I, it was great pain... “What will be? The children need to eat, I don't have money.” “What is this? In the morning there is no money! I still haven't sold anything! They don't have money!” I was in great anguish... I fell into the store... he gave for all the stores! He gave me a lot of money. He doesn't know me, I don't know him, he gave me a lot of money... I am not telling it over well, things... that's how it was... I am telling over what was. He (R' Yisroel) left a house with small children... Yisroel Ber... he went to Meron. He left me in the house, nu, the children are small, they need to eat, I don't have money, and I don't have anything! I will go to search for money. So they all told me, “In the morning there is money? What are you crazy? In the morning there is money?” I had great pain, what is this? What will be with the children? So I found one store, he came from the synagogue and his son, and he opened the store, I entered after him, I said to him, “I have a house with small children, I need to buy” he heard, entered to the place of the money, he opened, and gave me a lot of money, I was left with enough to buy bread for the children. He gave for all... all the stores. They did not have money, just him, he gave me a lot of money, he doesn't know me. Divine Providence from H”Y.... He (R' Yisroel) went to Meron, from Safed to Meron, 3 hours on foot. Who is this? The children suffered, they need to eat! “I will go to search for money in order to buy!” But in all the stores they said, “What? Are you crazy? In the morning there is money? In the morning I still haven't sold anything!” I....

R' Shimshon Barski.

He was a friend of R' Yisroel Karduner, they were friends, true friends, friends (now they made a book of R' Shimshon Barski) yes? (he made a book “A Collection of Aitzoas-Directives Explained”) yes, yes, (did you know R' Shimshon Barski?) no, no, just in the days of R' Yisroel I heard then, I heard what I heard from R' Yisroel his words from the book “A Collection of Aitzoas (Directives)” he was a great wonder, he was a grandson (descendent) of Rabbainu, R' Shimshon Barski....

R' Yisroel Karduner Returned from the World of Truth (after-world).

R' Yisroel returned from the World of Truth after his death, to make Kiddush on the night of the holy Shabbos, and he went! (what did you say to the wife of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner?) I heard what she said, no more. I heard, she told me, “Yisroel Ber, what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me!” After the death he comes with a body? I thought that she went crazy, after the death of all the children, she sang and sang (in Hebrew a different synonym) and danced on Shabbos night?! And I went in to see, what is with her, I thought she lost her sanity.... No, I did not see, she told me what happened... she buried all the children, and also the only son, Mordichai, he also died, and afterwards he (R' Yisroel) returned to the house and made Kiddush for his wife.... Does one see such a thing in the world? I don't know... she told me, and she told me that he (R' Yisroel) came and made Kiddush for her, more I do not know... he said to me, “what do you say about this? Yisroel he came and made Kiddush for me!” and after the burial he came and made Kiddush for his wife. (after the death of Rabbi Yisroel, did you also see him?) nu, nu, we were always together by R' Shimon, and I saw his crying, which was like pouring a canister of water, from his tears.... He had a daughter, I was a member of the house by them, like a son, he had a daughter and her name was Esther, Esther... she (R' Yisroel's wife) said to me, “what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me, and went!” (today is the yartzeit – anniversary of death – of Rabbi Yisroel Karduner) Yeah?... (do you want to light a candle?) no, no, no – Shabbos! What is this? (it is Moatzuay Shabbos, it is not Shabbos) no, no, no, I do not want... when we returned from the burial, from the cemetery, and the only son was Mordichai... big, and she said to me, “Yisroel what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me and went! What do you say about this?” I know? That's what was! I came, she said to me, “Yisroel Ber, what do you say about this? Yisroel came to make Kiddush, to make Kiddush for me, and went!” After... this was after the burial! All the children died, and R' Yisroel also died, and she said to me that he “came and made Kiddush and went! What do you say about this? Did you ever hear something like this?” I went after the prayers to wish her a peaceful Shabbos, what is with the children, what's news? She said to me, “Yisroel Ber, what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me and went! He came and made Kiddush, he made Kiddush for me and went!” He knew that he died! So who will make Kiddush? So he made Kiddush and left! Mordichai and Esther, he had an only son named Mordichai, and he had an only daughter named Esther, and she (R' Yisroel's wife) buried both of them, and she said to me, “what is this? He came and made Kiddush for me and left!” I can not... “what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me and left!” after dying he came. I entered and I told her, “Shabbos Shalom” and she said to me, “what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made kiddush for me and left!” You never heard such a thing? But this, I heard just one time, one time after the death. And after the funeral, I came to hear, how she is doing, she (he?) said to me... I entered, she said to me, “what do you say about this? Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me and left!” and after the burial and she said to me, “he came to her (him?)... he made Kiddush for me and left! He came, he stood by the table and made Kiddush and left...” But no... I did not know anything, she told me that, “Yisroel came and made Kiddush for me and left!” after the funeral, after the burial she told me that, “he came to the table and made Kiddush for me and left!” the orphans wanted also to hear the Kiddush, the orphans, the Kiddush... five girls and an only son, and the only son his name was Mordichai, and the... another girl named Esther, there were two children (birth children), children – Mordichai and Esther... he... everyone said, if he (R' Yisroel Karduner) would have been in the time of Rabbainu, he would (also) have been a novelty! (how is that possible if Rabbainu said, 'from me till Messiah there will not be a novelty'?) But he said that Yisroel is worth all of them, he stands tantamount to everyone! (but you received?) I received! After several years that we were together and endured what we endured. He did such dancing at my wedding, his pants fell down, they fell, and he danced with his pants down, he didn't feel, from utter happiness and sweetness, the dancing and music and the pants... (they went down?! He didn't feel?) yes. And he danced in Meron, Shabbos night, after the chupa (marriage ceremony)... Kiddush and left... if you would have been there, you would have heard the whole Kiddush, Shabbos go up on the table (?), hearing him make Kiddush, afterwards he went! He made Kiddush and left, after the burial and after the funeral, he came into the house and made Kiddush and left... (he did not make hamoatzy – blessing on the bread?) just Kiddush, he came and made Kiddush and left... and went... he danced after the chupa, after the prayers, at Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai by the holy shrine, he danced and he also danced in the hall, there was a hall for the family that came, and there was a hall, and he danced so much that his pants fell, and he was unaware that his pants fell (he didn't realize, from the great delight of the mitzva to make the groom and bride happy). This is such a present!

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!