Rabbi Nussun of Breslov is buried in Breslov

 HH

Rabbi Nussun is not buried in Uman near Rabbainu. 

Rabbainu went to Uman which was the seat of the heretical maskilim - enlightened Jews who swore never to mention G-d lest they might have a moment of guilty conscious. When Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev, who only saw the good in Jews, came to Uman and tried to be the rabbi there, he couldn't even look them in the face, and they mocked him and laughed him out of town. Rabbainu reversed the tables on them, this is explained at length elsewhere. Rabbi Nussun said he had no conception of these ways of Rabbainu. Rabbi Nussun himself refrained and distanced himself from the maskilim, except for one whom Rabbainu told him explicitly to befriend, and even that was limited. [The heir to these esoteric and phenomenal ways of Rabbainu was Saba Yisroel, as explained at length elsewhere].

Rabbi Nussun is the primary disciple of Rabbainu, without him we wouldn't have very much from Rabbainu, and Rabbi Nussun grounds Rabbainu into the practical existence in this world, in the ways of the Torah. So he is the mainstay of the chasidus of Breslov. So he is buried in Breslov.

Rabbi Nachman cannot be limited or condensed, besides for the fact that he constantly rises from level to level, he operates and exists in ways unknown and unfathomable. Anyone who learns his teachings can feel that, even as Rabbi Nussun grounds the lessons. So Rabbainu is in Uman, where he showed his power, and B"H soon will come to Israel.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman

Faith, Spirit, Bacteria, and Demons

HH
I would say just as blessed memory revealed that a person is surrounded play tens of thousands of demons, animals can see them, the humans cannot because if they would be able to see them they would go mad. The words of ever holy sages are absolute truth and need no outside corroboration for vindication. Even still we can make their words more real to us by seeing how natural they are. That's we can point out that everyone knows today how there are millions of bacteria everywhere, and it is very readily understood that every living organism has a spiritual force behind it, and thus it is all that much clearer to us the words of our holy Sages that they are all these spiritual entities surrounding us.
This post was inspired by an article I just saw of how even when we are sleeping the bacteria abound on our flesh and faces and proliferate, fancy that. This drove home extreme warning of our holy Sages of the importance of Krias Shima Al Hameetu - the recital of the Shema and prayers before going to sleep which destroy all the damaging and avenging spiritual entities, fancy what that does to all those bacteria.
Rabbi Nussun once had to explain to a skeptic the words of our holy Sages that the worms that eat a corpse are as painful as a needle puncturing live skin, explain the concept of kista dichayee - the residue you of life which remains in the bones and thus even the skeptic can understand how a corpse can feel pain. One of Rabbi Nussun's disciples overheard the conversation and antiques cleaned in wonderment how unbelievable the explanation was and until now it is so well understood. Rabbi Nusson was furious with him, he told him all this I explained to the skeptic who doubted the words of our holy Sages and needed this, but anyone who has believed accepts the words of the sages as iron-clad absolute truth that need no confirmation and on the contrary confirmations just detract from their power and veracity.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman

Blossoms of the Spring - Letter 7

Letter 7

BH 27 Nissan 718 (Thursday 17 April, 1958)

To a delightful man, Mr. Z. Shazar, greatings ("abundant peace").

On chol hamoed (-intermediate days of) Passover I wrote to his honor a receipt for his letter with the check of one hundred liras, and behold it is not possible to describe the great exquisite delight that he caused me to have from this wondrous matter, because I came to extra recognition in the matter of his pleasant, noble soul. I applied my heart, and I learned from this many good lessons of allusions, arousal, and encouragement, which are extremely urgent for the exalted and fundamental matter of drawing close to the light of the daas (realization of knowledge), the new and old, of the true tzadik who is the Rebbe and leader of us and of all the Children of Israel for eternal generations.

And now I am honored with this, to delight his good and expansive soul with good delicacies which I am about to publish ("bring to light") with the help of Hashem Yisburach.

Our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Nussun za.tza.l. once said to his disciples, "I will tell over to you my dream. I saw Ad.m.ur. (Our Master, Leader, and Rebbe), who came to me with one other person, and I told over to him ("before him") complainingly everything that transpired over me, and Ad.m.ur. said to me in these words, 'Dee <you> hust <did> ubber <however> mit <with> diyneh <your> sfurim <books> git gemacht <(you) did good>.' And this one who was with him nodded his head and agreed to this, and he said with these words, 'Yu yu <yes yes>, zayer <very> git <good> gemacht <(you) did>.' And I asked Ad.m.ur., 'Who is this?' And he replied, 'This is Moshe Rabbainu (-Moses) r.i.p.."

Also it is known that Rabbainu Hakadosh (-Our holy Rebbe) rested his hands upon him (-ordained him), and said of him that he (Rabbi Nussun) knows of him (Rabbainu) more than everyone.

In the beginning of Rabbi Nussun's o.b.m. drawing close to him, he (Rabbi Nachman) said then, "There came to me an avraich (-young married man, usually insinuating one engaged in Torah study), and through him there will not be lost even my small talk." And so it was, because just he engaged in publicizing his holy Torah (-teachings) to draw close through this many people to Hashem Yisburach, and through this the Samech Mem (-Satan) stood up against him, and made a controversy upon him through the Rav of Savrun who became his attacker and great hater to (-threaten/harass/endanger) his very life, but in the very end (Proverbs 12:19), "Language of truth is set firm forever," and the storm wind ceases and is lost, and is only great in its hour.

The main protraction of the exile, and the main obstruction of the redemption is just through strife (See Likutay Aitzos, Peace #4), because in every generation there exist people that tunnel (-strive, even in the most underhand way) to distance the heart of the Children of Israel from the true tzadik, and through this were brought about succeedingly all the destructions (-of the Temples), and the entire protraction of the present exile. However, even still (Psalms 92:9), "You are exalted forever Hashem," because also, likewise, there exist in every single generation true tzadikim and kosher (-proper) people who join up to the great chosen (/choice, prized) tzadik and go out joyously to great him, and listen to his counsel, and through this the redemption will come. He who desires to save his soul from the fire of strife, that is, not to take part in strife Heaven forbid, his main salvation is through truth.

In every single generation it is necessary to prowl, and to seek, and to search very very much, with all our strength, with all types of searching, with self sacrifice, for the true tzadik, until we merit to find him, and to draw close to him, and then we will merit to complete faith ("emoonu shlaimu"), through which the redemption will be brought (See Likutay Moharan, Torah 7). Fortunate is he who merits this, fortunate is he who awaits this, fortunate is he who spends all his days yearning, craving, and longing for this.

To be continued soon. Wishes of well-being to him and his household and those associated with him, and with feelings of absolute true love which is not contingent on any temporal matter.

Yisroel Dov Odesser - Tiberius

ספר אב"י הנחל - הוצאת נקודות טובות - מכתב ז:

ב"ה כ"ז ניסן תשי"ח, טבריא.

לאיש חמודות, מר ז.שזר, שלום רב.

בחול המועד פסח כתבתי לכבודו קבלה על מכתבו עם הסך מאה לירות, והנה אין ביכולת לצייר את התענוג הגדול שגרם לי מדבר פלא הזה, כי באתי להכרה יתרה בענין נעימת נפשו האצילה. נתתי ליבי ולמדתי מזה כמה לימודים טובים של רמזים התעוררות והתחזקות הנחוצים מאד לענין הנשגב והעיקרי של ההתקרבות לאור הדעת החדש וישן של הצדיק האמת שהוא הרבי והמנהיג שלנו ושל כל בני ישראל לדורות עולם.

ועתה הריני נתכבד בזה לשעשע את נפשו הטובה והרחבה במטעמים טובים שאני עומד להוציא לאור בישועת ה' יתברך:

מורנו הרב רבי נתן זצ"ל אמר פעם לתלמידיו, אני אספר לכם את חלומי, ראיתי את אדמו"ר שבא אלי עם עוד אחד, וסיפרתי לפניו בדרך קובלנא כל אשר עבר עלי, ואמר לי אדמו"ר בזה הלשון, די האסט אבער מיט דיינע ספרים גיט געמאכט (אבל עם הספרים שלך עשית טוב). וזה האחד שהיה עימו נענע לו ראשו והסכים על זה, ואמר בזה הלשון: "יא יא, זייער גיט געמאכט" (כן, כן, טוב מאד עשית). ושאלתי את אדמו"ר מי הוא זה. והשיב לי, זה הוא משה רבנו עליו השלום.

גם ידוע שרבנו הקדוש סמך ידו עליו ואמר עליו שהוא יודע ממנו יותר מכולם.

בתחילת התקרבות מוהרנ"ת ז"ל אליו אמר אז, בא אלי אברך אחד ועל ידו לא יאבד אפילו שיחת חולין שלי. וכן היה, כי רק הוא עסק לפרסם תורת רבנו הקדוש בעולם ושיחותיו הקדושים, להודיע לבני אדם גדולת תורתו הקדושה לקרב על ידי זה אנשים רבים לה' יתברך, ועל ידי זה עמד עליו הס"מ ועשה עליו מחלוקת על ידי הרב מסוראן שנעשה לו רודף ושונא גדול עד לחייו, אבל סוף כל סוף "שפת אמת תכון לעד" והרוח סערה כלה ונאבד ואינו גדול אלא בשעתו.

עיקר אריכת הגלות, ועיקר עיכוב הגאולה הוא רק על ידי מחלוקת, כי בכל דור נמצאים בני אדם שהם חותרים להרחיק לב בני ישראל מהצדיק האמת, ועל ידי זה נתגלגלו כל החורבנות וכל הגלויות וכל האריכת הגלות של עכשיו. אך אף על פי כן "אתה מרום לעולם ה'", כי גם כמו כן נמצאים בכל דור ודור צדיקים וכשרים אמיתיים שהם נילווים אל הצדיק הגדול המובחר ושמחים לקראתו, ושומעים לעצתו ועל ידי זה תבוא הגאולה. מי שרוצה למלט נפשו מאש המחלוקת, היינו שלא יחזיק במחלוקת חס ושלום, עיקר הצלתו על ידי אמת.

בכל דור ודור צריכים לשוטט ולבקש ולחפש מאד מאד בכל כוחנו בכל מיני חיפוש במסירות נפש את הצדיק האמת עד שנזכה למצאו ולהתקרב אליו ואז נזכה לאמונה שלמה שעל ידי זה תבוא הגאולה. אשרי הזוכה לזה, אשרי המחכה לזה, אשרי המבלה כל ימיו להתגעגע ולהשתוקק ולכסוף לזה.

המשך יבוא בקרוב. בדרישת שלום לו ולביתו והנלוים אליו, וברגשי אהבת אמת לאמיתו שאינו תלוי בשום דבר בטל.

ישראל דב אודעסר - טבריא

The events surrounding the revelation of the famous Torah-lesson "Azamra" - seeing the good and judging favorably

HH

In Rabbi Nussun’s autobiography, Yimay Moharnat – The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun, he describes at length the events surrounding the revelation of Torah-lesson “Azamra” (see also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 33). This is all included in chapter 26 which begins with a declaration that he will relate how the holy book Likutay Moharan came to be published. Rabbi Nussun then proceeds to relate how in the summer of 567 (1807) Rabbi Nachman’s wife passed away, and Rabbi Nachman contracted a lung disease and immediately began to talk of his own demise, he said his health was in grave danger and exhorted everyone to pray for him. Amongst other things, he spoke of the need of having 60 warriors surrounding him and of his desire to be buried in Israel if it would have been feasible (as is also documented in The Life of Our Master Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 162). Two days after Yom Kippur 568 (which was a Wednesday) Rabbi Nachman initiated the first step towards the publication of Likutay Moharan, he also finished dictating to Rabbi Nussun his holy awesome book “Sefer Hanisruf” - the book which was burned.

On Shmeenee Atzehress (Saturday, October 24, 1807) Rabbi Nachman gave over the Torah-lesson “Azamra” (“I will sing” - #282), however he did not complete it at that point. On Isroo Chag (the day after the festival of Simchas Torah, Monday the 26^th), Rabbi Nachman departed Breslov in great haste heading towards Lemberg (a trip which R’ Nachman of Tchehrin asserts was to combat the rise of heresy in the world), and Rabbi Nussun chased frantically after him, eventually catching up with Rabbainu at night in the town of Kresney. There Rabbainu asked him, “Why are you sad temper? Perhaps you regret what you started?”

And Rabbi Nussun stood there embarrassed and replied meekly, ‘No (i.e. I do not regret Heaven forbid what I started).”

Rabbainu replied, “In that case, why are you in sad temper?”

Rabbi Nussun answered, “For I desire to be a kosher (-proper) man.”

Rabbainu replied, “If so, that you desire to be a kosher man – what do you have to worry about – behold the entire world labors and works for you. This one travels to Breslou and this one to here – all for you.” And with these holy worlds he greatly enlivened Rabbi Nussun.

Then Rabbi Nussun spoke up before him, and said, “I thought I wouldn’t yet see you (-in the respectful plural) today, and behold I merited to see you (-plural) and speak with you (plural).

Rabbainu replied, “We certainly need to see each other, and we will yet see each other In the future again, and again, and again etc..” And he repeated this many times making it a vague promise that they would be seeing each other countless times for all eternity.

In the morning Rabbi Nachman continued on his journey in great haste. Rabbi Nussun ran after the wagon. The wagon had to slow down to descend a mountain, and then it reached a bridge where one of Rabbainu’s men had been waiting in hope of getting a word with Rabbainu, and due to these hold ups Rabbi Nussun was able to catch up to Rabbainu, and he was immediately followed by his friend Rabbi Naftullee. Rabbi Nachman was slightly pleased by their initiative, and showed them a benign countenance, and asked them what they would prefer, “What would you like, either I bless you or I tell you Torah (-holy teachings)?”

Rabbi Nussun replied, “The blessing, you (-plural) will surely bless us G-d willing upon your (-plural) return home, however the Torah, tell it to us right away.” Because he knew that if they would not hear it now it would be an irreplaceable loss.

Rabbi Nachman spoke up and said, “I will tell you an introduction to the purpose of my journey.” Rabbainu then revealed to them the secret of how each of the tzadikim builds a Tabernacle etc. as is explained in the end of the Torah-lesson Azamra (-from the paragraph beginning “And know, that whoever can make these melodies”), and he concluded the Torah as it is printed in Likutay Moharan.

After Rabbainu concluded the Torah, they each kissed his hand and took leave, and they proceeded to run after his carriage until it was out of sight.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Pick yourself up and build on your good points

HH

אות כט

פעם אחת היה שרפה בברסלב, אחר כך הלך מוהרנ"ת ז"ל עם עוד איזה אנשים להביט על מקום השריפה, וראה שהבעל הבית בוכה מאד ומחפש אחר איזה חתיכת עץ או ברזל שיצטרך לו עוד בעת שיבנה ביתו מחדש וליקט אותם אחד אחד, ענה ואמר לאנשיו, הראיתם! איך שזה הבעה"ב שנשרף ביתו על כל זה אינו מייאש את עצמו מלחזור ולבנותו ומלקט כל הדברים שיצטרכו לו בעת הבנין, כן הדבר ברוחניות גם כן, אף שהבעל דבר מתגבר מאד על האדם וכמעט ששורף אותו לגמרי, אף על פי כן אסור לו לייאש את עצמו רק צריך ללקט ולחפש איזה נקודות טובות מתוך רבוי החטאים שנכשל בהם, ועל ידי זה יזכה לשוב להשם יתברך באמת כמבואר בהתורה אזמרה סימן רפ"ב:

Koachvay Ohr (Stars of Light) - article 29

Once, there was a fire in Breslov, and afterwards our teacher Rabbi Nussun o.b.m. went with some other men to see the place which was burnt down, and he saw a homeowner crying very much and searching for any piece of wood or metal which he would yet need when building his house anew, and he collected them one by one. Rabbi Nussun spoke up and said to his men, “Did you see! How this homeowner, whose house was burnt down, even still he does not despair of himself from returning to build it, and he collects all the things that he will need when he builds. So it is in spirituality as well, even though the ‘bal duvur’ (-litigator – Satan) rises very strong over a person, and just about burns him down completely, even still it is forbidden to despair of oneself, just it is necessary to collect and search for some good points from the midst of the many since he blundered in, and through this he will merit to truly return to Hashem Yisburach, as is explained in the Torah-lesson ‘Azamra’ - Torah 282 (of Likutay Moharan).

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Rabbi Nussun - regarding judging favorably - Likutay Moharan Torah-Lesson 282 "Azamra"

HH

כוכבי אור, אנשי מוהר"ן

אות יח

פעם אחת בא אליו הר"מ מטעפליק ושאל אותו מוהרנ"ת ז"ל על איש אחד מטעפליק שהיה קצת כרוך אחריו, והשיב לו כלאחר יד, כאומר שאין ממי לדבר ענה ואמר אליו, שמע נא בקולי אם תרצה להביט בעין כזה תחייב את כל העולם, כי תנסה עצמך ותביט בכל יושבי עירך הנודעים לך ותתחיל מן היושב בקצה העיר, וכשתביט בו היטב בודאי תחייבו וכן תלך מבית לבית עד שתבא לביתך שאתה האיש כשר (ערליכער יוד) מכל העיר [בלשון שאלה] והשיב לו גם אני איני איש כשר ענה מוהרנ"ת ז"ל ואמר לו (בלשון תימה) גם אתה אינך איש כשר, אם כן מי הוא האיש הכשר? אבל כשתביט בעין יפה, אזי גם כשתביט היטב בהגרוע שבגרועים תמצא בו איזה דבר טוב, ומכל שכן במי שאינו גרוע כל כך, וכן בכל אחד ואחד, וגם בך נמצא טוב, ובדרך זה יכולים לזכות את כל העולם

Koachvay Ohr (Stars of Light, from Rabbi Avrohom son of Rabbi Nachman of Tulchin)

Men of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

Article 18

Once, Rabbi Meir of Teplik came to our teacher Rabbi Nussun o.b.m. and Rabbi Nussun asked him about a certain man in Teplik who espoused him a little, and he replied offhandedly, as if to say that this was noone to talk about. Rabbi Nussun spoke up and said to him, “Listen now (/please) to what I am saying; if you wish to look with such an eye (-attitude) you will inculpate the entire world, because [you will] set yourself out to test, and [you will] look at all the inhabitants of your city whom you know, and [you will] start with he who lives at the end of the city, and when you take good look at him, certainly you will inculpate him, and similarly from house to house, until you reach your house, that you are the kosher (-upright) man (Yiddish: Ehrlicher Yid) from the whole city?” He replied, “I am also not a kosher man.” Our teacher Rabbi Nussun o.b.m. spoke up and answered him, “You also are not a kosher man? If so who is a kosher man? However when you look with a good eye, then even when you look well on the lowest of the low, you will find in him some good thing, and all the more so with someone who is not so inferior, and similarly with each and everyone, and also in yourself there is good to be found, and in this way you can merit the entire world.

אות יט

עוד דיבר פעם אחת מהדרך הזה לדון את הכל לכף זכות אפילו את הגרוע שבגרועים ולחפש ולמצוא בכל אחד איזה מעט טוב, ועל ידי זה מעלין אותו באמת לכף זכות עד שיכולין להשיבו בתשובה על ידי זה, כמבואר כל זאת באריכות בספרי אדמו"ר זצ"ל ובעת שדיבר מזה ישב אצלו אבי הריני כפרת משכבו, ומתשוקת לבבו לדבריו הנעימים דיבר אחריו בלחש כל מלה ומלה, ענה ואמר אליו מהרנ"ת ז"ל: אתה חושב שזה דבר פשוט וקל, אני אסביר לך קושי הדבר, כי אל תשכח מאמר אדמו"ר זצ"ל שבאמת נתעלים על ידי זה לכף זכות ולשוב בתשובה, ואם היה ביכלתנו לקיים זאת, היה ביכלתנו להשיב את כל העולם בתשובה:

Article 19

Additionally, Rabbi Nussun spoke once about this way of judging favorably even the lowest of the low, and to search and to find in everyone some bit of good, and through this he is actually raised to the side of merit, to the extent that it is possible to return him in repentance through this, as all this is explained at length in the books of Ad.m.ur. (-Our Chasidic master, leader, and rebbe) za.tza.l., and when he was speaking about this, my father, I am an atonement of his resting, and out of his hearts strong desire of his pleasant words, he repeated them after him silently word for word. Our teacher Rabbi Nussun spoke up and said to him, “You think that this is a simple and easy matter, I will explain to you the difficulty of this matter, because do not forget what Ad.m.ur. za.tza.l. said, that through this they are actually lifted to the side of merit and to be returned in repentance, and if we had the ability to fulfill this, we would have the ability to return the whole world in repentance.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

The strong vessels of weakness

HH

Rabbi Nussun found out about Rabbainu roughly 11 years before Rabbainu passed away in the Hebrew year 5571. Rabbi Nussun writes in his autobiography Yimay Moharnat (the days of our teacher rabbi Nussun) article 16 of a severe weakness that gripped him and his family in the year 5567, and how Rabbainu wrote him a letter in his own hand telling how much he loved him and other encouragement, and Rabbi Nussun writes that he reckons that if not for that letter he would not have been able to endure and pull through the illness, see there.

This always strikes me very deeply, imagine knowing Rabbainu personally - the utter fire and power, hope, anticipation, expectations... and yet being incapacitated to serve Hashem, being stuck ill without any strength...

Rabbi Nussun writes there how Rabbainu predicted the approaching weakness, see there, and lately I've even entertained the idea that Rabbainu in fact chose this course, for often such are the building blocks of holy structures. May HY spare us and may we merit to everything with mercy.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman