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FREEDOM - LIBERTY - EMANCIPATION
Showing posts with label Embarrassment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Embarrassment. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Nachman Shabsai OB"M - post from 7/28/09

HH

There are amazing stories about Nachman Shabsai that I heard, they are trying to write them down and make a book B"H.
First I would like to remind you of a previous post, that during the week of the mourning for N"S the Daf Yomi spent 4 days learning about very very holy tzadikim who were extremely fat (Bava Metzia 83b - 86 see Tosfos there).
Here is one story:
   During Sfiras Hu-Omer (if I recall correctly) N"S was hospitalized. He had many many visitors to the extent that minyanim would convene prayers there and eventually the hospital refused to put up with them. One person told me that when he arrived at the hospital to visit N"S and asked the nurse where to find him, the nurse knew his room number by heart, and asked, "what is he some type of admu"r?" An arab man who was in the hospital told one of my friends that he had been prepared to commit suicide until N"S talked him out of it. A few similar amazing tidbits come to mind, maybe I"ll be zoche to write them later.
   The hospital put him on a diet of: cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, water (and maybe one other thing). Once he asked my friend M"O to get him some wafers, Mordichai told him that N"S had to keep his diet, N"S told M"S: you think I need you to get wafers, Hashem Yisborach can get them for me a different way. Shortly afterwards and arab youth was walking by - eating wafers. N"S asked him if he could have some, without a word the boy walked over and gave N"S the whole bag.
    Later, in middle of the night, a nurse saw the empty bag of wafers near N"S and berated and rebuked him for not keeping his diet. N"S told her that he need lafah (something similar to schwarma) the nurse told him that he was crazy, how was he going to get lafa in middle of the night. N"S told her that H"Y was able to do everything. Just then the phone rang it was an American friend asking if he could come visit. N"S told him for sure, and to bring some lafa, the friend arrived with the lafa and 100 shekel for N"S.
another story:
   N"S once got on a bus and sat in the back. He started complaining that he was hungry, famished. People were disgusted, slowly they left the back of the bus and made their way to the front. One woman began yelling at N"S how dispicable he was, that he should go on a diet.... N"S took it all quietly as the woman let it all out. Before N"S got off the bus N"S began to bless the woman with blessing after blessing....
another story:
   Once at a chasuna (there's a whole story how he got there but I don't remember it well enought to write down, it's something like taking a "special" taxi from Yerushalayim to Beis Shemesh even though he hadn't any money, when they arrived they quickly got the money, M"O who was with him also raised 200 shekel and found that N"S had already paid, N"S took 100 from M"S and gave it to someone as charity (he supported many people and often gave all his money to charity)) he was told that a few feet away there was a free bus that would take him home. N"S said H"Y is everywhere and that he didn't have to budge. In the end someone pulled up right next to N"S and drove him home to the door.
these are just some of many stories that I have recently heard.


Great blessings of Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Meuman!





Tuesday, February 13, 2018

The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to Israel 28-30

HH
Shivchay HuRan
Part 2
28.
And the epic enormity of his hasaga (-spiritual conception) that he attained in the land of Israel is impossible to explain and relate whatsoever, mamash (-really) there is not heard nor is there seen the likes of this, that one born of a woman should merit to such hasaga through the atmosphere of the Land of Israel (-the Talmud Bava Basra 158b reveals that the atmosphere of the Land of Israel make people wise), and it is impossible to speak or talk about this. And he boasted profoundly of himself, with what he merited to be in the Land of Israel, and also at the end of his life he said that he vitalizes himself immensely with his having merited to be in the Land of Israel. And he said: "This I know already, that when a person wants to do some matter of holiness and he has impediments on this etc.," as all this explained further on.
29.
And the man who denigrated him exceedingly in Istanbul (-see above article 9) passed away immediately upon his arrival home. And the aforementioned man that was with him asked Rabbainu o.b.m.: "Does it not say (Proverbs 17:26), 'Also punishment is not good for the tzadik (-Rashi in Tractate Sanhedrin 105b explains that it isn't becoming of the tzadik to have people punished on his account, i.e. even if they are guilty and culpable, so why did Rabbainu bring about this man's demise)'?" And he answered him with a parable regarding this: That there was a king, and h e loved one of the children of the nobility, and he showed him affection, and drew him close with all types of love and affection. And afterwards when he grew up, he was brazen against the king. And the king said: "Know, that even though I love you very much, even still it is impossible for me to disregard the law and ordinance of the kingdom. And your judgement is decisively for death. And immediately the king commanded to restrain him in iron fetters, And put him in prison.
And this son of nobility began to picture in his mind the suffering that he will have from the death, and he saw that his pain would not be drawn out a long time, just until he was killed. However, when he began to picture in his mind the pain of the king, he saw that the pain of the king would be very great because the pain of the king would be always. Because he knows that the king loves him very much and he will have great yearning after him, and great anguish forever. And he had more pity on the king's pain than on his (own) pain. And he contemplated contemplations how to save the king from his pain. And he came to the following resolution: Behold embarrassment is considered to be like death (Bava Metzia 58:).
And he instructed the administrator of the prison to admit him in before the king. And he said to the king: "I know the truth, that your pain is greater than my pain, however, it is impossible for you to disregard the statute and law of the kingdom. Therefore this is the advisable recourse, bring about with ruses, that someone will embarrass me in public, and the shame is considered like death. Therefore, see to it to take from the captives a thief who is to be sentenced to be killed, and I will intimidate him until he gets mad at me, and denigrates me, and hits me in public, and I will be incurred great embarrassment, and it will be considered like death. And afterwards take the thief who is liable of death regardless (of this) and kill him as is his penalty. And the world (-everyone) will think that because he denigrated the cherished servant of the king he was killed, and the honor of the kingdom and his servant shall not be profaned.
Thus, sometimes someone denigrates that tzadik, and in reality he does a great favor for the tzadik, because he brings atonement to him for what he was liable to pass away, exchanging it for this embarrassment. But even still it isn't the honor of Heaven not to exact revenge from this person who denigrated the servant so beloved to the king. But to punish this person who denigrated the tzadik for what he did, is also not pleasing before Him, because "also punishment on account of the tzadik isn't becoming." Therefore, He blessed He "turns around stratagems (Job 37:12)," and stands up against the tzadik such a person that is already culpable of death and punishment. "And He summons both of them to the same inn (Makos 10b, regarding bringing about the punishment of someone who killed unintentionally unnoticed)," and this person denigrates the tzadik, and the tzadik is thereby exonerated from his penalty as mentioned above. And this person is punished afterwards, and the Name of Heaven is sanctified, because (ostensibly) on account of the honor of the tzadik he was punished. And in reality "he killed a dead man (Bava Kama 41a)," because he was already liable for his punishment previously. "And the ways of Hashem are straight (-just, upright) (based on Hosea 14:10)," "and there is no injustice in Him (Psalms 92:16)."
30.
And in the Land of Israel he engaged in Torah and prayer, and every day he wrote by himself his Torah (-original holy insights). And he boasted tremendously and said that the difference between the Torah of chutz-lu'uretz (-outside Israel) to the Torah of the Land of Israel is like the distance between east and west (see Beraishis Rabah, parsha 16 - there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel etc.). And every single day the big/great with the small went to him to wait on him (-sheemoosh - attending to the tzadik is the greatest way of gaining his wisdom and holiness) in order to hear the wisdom of his very extremely holy and awesome Torah.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman


Thursday, February 1, 2018

Nanach on the Torah Portion of Yisro - references to all the original teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and his disciples

HH

Torah Portion of Yisro – פרשת יתרו – Yisro


19:1 בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינָי: On this day they came to the Sinai Desert.


Everyday there is the Torah is received a new, one must strengthen with new will every day


Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Blessings of the Morning 5:63



19:2 וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר: And they came to the Sinai Desert and they camped in the desert.


The reason why the Torah was given specifically in the desert


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Collecting Debt from Orphans 3:8



19:2 וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר: And Israel camped there opposite the mountain.


Unity is necessary because in order to attain conception of the Divine many vessels are needed, and every person is a vessel unlike any other



If one looks at the bad in another and doesn't search for his good, there aren't vessels to contain the light

Likutay Halachos, Laws of Damages 4:11



19:8 וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל ה': 9 – ט: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם בְּךָ וכו' וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל השם: And the entire nation responded in unison and they said, “everything which Hashem said we will do,” and Moshe relayed the words of the nation to Hashem. 9: And Hashem said to Moshe, “Behold I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the nation will hear when I speak with you, and also in you etc.,” and Moshe said the words of the nation to Hashem.


The main test of bechira (free choice) especially by the tzadik is in the correct decision making


Likutay Moharan, Torah-lesson 190



19:15 הֱיוּ נְכֹנִים לִשְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים: Be prepared for three days (from now).


The preparation for Matan (the giving of the) Torah was to constrict the great light, which is the essential task of man in the lower world, to constrict the light of Ain Sof (the No Limit – the Infinite One B”H) through the Torah and receive it cumulatively


Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Prayer of Mincha (afternoon) 7:35



19:18 וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ וגומר: And all of Mount Sinai was smoking.


The fire and sounding of the shofar was in order to burn the klipos (husks – external forces) of evil by means of the fire of mishpat (justice/judgment)


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Converts 3



19:21 פֶּן יֶהֶרְסוּ: Lest they break through.


The warning “lest they break through” is because too much light is destruction


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Nedarim (vows) 3

______________

Even though they might be truthful it is necessary to know that there is an enormous difference between them and the true tzaddik


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Interest 3

_______________

It is necessary to be proficient in returning (down from a high) not to break the boundaries


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Blessings on Fruit 5:20

_______________

Not to break through and enter the border of a friend, not on the way up/in nor on the way out


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Shabbos 7:74



19:24 וְעָלִיתָ אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן: And you shall ascend, you and Aaron.


It is impossible to enter the company/arena of the tzadik and understand his ways


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Interest 5:38



20:8 זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ: Remember the day of Shabbos to sanctify it.


The main holiness of Israel is the holiness of Shabbos


All the ways to happiness are very radiant on Shabbos


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Boundaries 6



20:9 שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ: Six days you shall work and you shall do all you work.


Specifically through the six days of work there is Shabbos, specifically through the existence of falsehood which needs to be culled to glean the truth from the falsehood



Likutay Halachos, Laws of Hiring Workers 5:1

_________________

Likutay Halachos, Laws of Oaths 2:7



20:10 וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת וגומר: And the seventh day is Shabbos etc..


Explanation of how Shabbos in the aspect of Malchus (Kingdom – usually the lowest attribute) is higher than the weekdays


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Circumcision 4:13



20:10 וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לה' אֱלֹקיךָ: And the seventh day is Shabbos of Hashem your G-d.


Shabbos is unrestrained from the evil realm


Likutay Moharan, Torah-lesson 139



20:10 וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַהשם אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה וגומר: And the seventh day is Shabbos of Hashem your G-d do not do any work etc..


The prohibition against work on Shabbos is because on Shabbos there is no culling of holy sparks


Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Synagogue 5:32



20:12 כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ: Honor your father and your mother so that  you lengthen your days.


Even though it would have been better not coming into the world it is very well worth it even for the most slightest achievement of the lowest of the low


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Oaths 2:8



20:17 וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ: And in order that His fear (/awe) should be upon your faces so that you don't sin.


At the very least raise the fallen fear to the fear of G-d and raise your fear of G-d to awe of his lofty grandeur


Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Kosher Animal 4:5

______________

One must be abashed before HY, even still one must not be deterred by shame from asking forgiveness after sinning however severely


Likutay Halachos, Laws of Loans 3:4

___________

Abashment before Hashem to the extent that one's face turns colors


Sichos (Words of) Rabbi Nachman 168



20:18 וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם מֵרָחֹק וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל וגומר: And the nation stood at a distance and Moshe approached the thick cloud etc..


There is a thick cloud which prevents a person from drawing close to HY, however it is necessary to enter there because also there Hashem is found


Likutay Moharan, Torah-lesson 115



20:21 בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ: Wherever I (permit) mention (of) My Name, I will come to you and bless you.


When one remembers and believes that Hashem Yisburach is found in every place and everything, then one is blessed and protected from all evil



Laws of a Renter 3



 Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!


Saturday, August 1, 2015

Shame of homose*uality, leaving it forbidden to judge favorably

HH

Rabbi Nachman left a legacy in his teachings and tradition of the importance of judging favorably even the worst of sinners. Once someone asked Rabbainu, even if the person is an utter sinner, to which Rabbainu answered sharply, how is it possible to call a Jew an utter sinner?! Every Jew has got to have some little good point to him, and Rabbainu revealed that if we focus only on that good in the person, even if he is the worst sinner, we can turn him around completely to the good.

That is why it is astounding to find is Sefer Hamidos ("Character" - The Alef Bet Book of the Traits) in the entry on Promiscuity (Second Volume – which was compiled later in his life, from higher perceptions; #8) that it is forbidden to judge homose*uality favorably (in the Hebrew write up of this, I go a little more in length regarding a possible source in the Medrash for this). Even though this does not rule out our judging the person favorably, by not looking at all at his bad, even still it is astounding to see this exception.

Why is homose*uality worse than all the other sins of the Torah, in that only this sin is singled out, that it cannot be judged favorably?

From the accounts of homose*uals, I think it is established that there is an intrinsic shame to their homose*uality, in their accounts they tell of the utter shame they felt when they were confronted with their desires. This shame is not found in any other transgression, whether eating something forbidden or violating the Shabbos, etc., G"F. A person must feel ashamed before HY for transgressing, but there was no inherent shame in the action.

Why is there inherent shame in the matter of homose*uality?

First of all we will define shame as the realization of being deficient against something. The Ramchal explains that therefore shame, humility, and fear, all go together, because they are based on this. So why is homose*uality intrinsically full of shame as opposed to all the other transgressions.

It seems to me that this is because it is the exact opposite of the Haughtiness of HY. We find that HY is called Haughty in His Unity (see the 6th name of Unna BiKuach), and in the song of Uz Yushir, that the Jews sang to HY upon crossing the Yam Suf, they sang that HY is haughty haughty, and the Zohar explains that this refers to the fact that Zeir Anpin ('the smaller countenance' i.e. the countenance that is associated with running this world) is crowned with complete 'mochin' (minds) from the higher countenances of Aba, Ema, and Erich Anpin. That means that the Unity of HY even in this world is absolutely complete and perfect.

Now man is created in the image of HY, and therefore he has to reflect this perfection, any shortcoming will result in shame. Every man by himself is in the image, and is a reflection of HY. Every single person has to say, for me the entire world was created etc.. Therefore all transgressions which damage the Image will result in shame, but homose*uality actually cuts at the very Unity of the Image itself. For the Image is one, and homose*uality says one is not sufficient. The haughtiness of G-d is in His Unity, without the Unity, there is the exact opposite, shame and degradation. Therefore homose*uality is intrinsically full of shame. There is nothing that can change that.

The main pleasure the homose*ual gets is based on the shame involved. The Talmud revealed that forbidden pleasures are all the more pleasurable, "stolen waters are sweet," and the height of the theft is described, "as the embarrassment of a thief when he is caught," thus the greatest sweetener, is embarrassment, it is the greatest kin* and fe*ish of them all. In truth all se* should be the same thing, just achieving an orga*m, however that is not the case, it all depends on the mind, and here embarrassment plays the ultimate game changer, and all of homose*uality is completely based on this shame, without this shame there would be no 'fun' in this disgusting perversion, but with the shame comes all their pleasure.

The problem is that despite all the pleasure the homose*ual is able to derive building on the shame, at the end of the day he is left with even more shame and degradation. This is not a small matter. It is extremely hard to live with such shame. No matter what they do, no matter who if they are officially recognized, officially married, honored, you name it, nothing can undo or fix their shame.

This explains why the homose*uals are so busy promoting their honor, pride, and recognition. Because as much as they derive so much pleasure from their aberration, because of the shame, the shame will always haunt them and completely dwarf them. So they will constantly have to fight in every way to cap their shame with some sort of pride, or topple the whole world so that everyone is just as shameful as they are.

Now we can understand even better why it is forbidden to judge homose*uality favorably. The whole idea of judging favorably is based on the Unity of HY, that HY is completely good, and is completely One, that means that everything in the world is for the good. Therefore we always try to see the good in everything. Even when we see something that looks completely wrong, we look deeper and try to understand how it is really good. However the homose*ual does the exact opposite. He takes the shame, the bad, and builds on it to fulfill his lust with the shame itself. There is no side to judge this favorably. It is an act of shame, period.



Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The embarrassment of se*ual desire

HH
Rabbainu revealed that the main and biggest embarrassment is se*ual desire. During a garbage strike someone wanting to get rid of some very messy bile put it in a box and wrapped the box in fancy gift paper with ribbons and left the box outside his home. It wasn't very long before it was stolen. So too women put on designer clothing to accentuate and beautify the place that sits on the toilet bowl excreting feces, urine, and menstrual blood - nauseating. People hurry to steal these forbidden pleasures. What an embarrassment.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman