The Praises of Rabbi Nachman - part 2 - His Voyage to Israel 31-32

HH

Shivchay HuRan

Part 2

31.

And one time, there came to him one of the greats who was very important in the Land of Israel and in Chutz-lu'uretz (-outside Israel), and in his praise they said that he was proficient in the entire Shas (-Talmud) almost by heart, and he was also of the masters of Kabbalah, and he came to Rabbainu o.b.m. and he warned to remove every person from their company, and no man stood with them when they met together. However, the aforementioned man who was with Rabbainu o.b.m. remained there.

And the aforementioned gadoal (-great person, leader) implored him, and said to Rabbainu o.b.m. these words: "We know that kivoad Toarusoa (-he who is honorable on account of his Torah) didn't come to the Land of Israel like the rest of the populace, with small moachin (-consciousness, acumen), i.e. to walk four cubits in the Land of Israel and be a Ben (-son or member of, entitled to) Oalum Habuh (-the future world) (Kesuvos 111a), or other similar considerations, like the way of simple/ordinary people. Just, certainly kivoad Toarusoa came here with moachin digadlus (-mature consciousness - expanded and higher acumen and conception) and to achieve great hasaga (-spiritual conception) in the service of the Creator blessed He. Therefore it is our (-royal we) desire to know in which point of the aspect of the Land of Israel kivoad Toarusoa entered, and what does he (-speaking in the respectful third person) want to achieve here in the devotion of the Creator? And I am prepared to serve him with my body, and my nefesh (-lowest soul), ruach (-spirit - middle soul), neshama (-third highest soul) etc.."

And Rabbainu answered him: "My dear friend, do not pressure me in this matter. Because it is not simple matter to reveal to you (-respectful plural) Heaven forbid, what this devotion is, and for what I came here. And perhaps I stand already sworn over this (-not to reveal it) etc.."

And the aforementioned great rabbi began again to implore him immensely, and said: "Our inquiry and our request (is that) in any case Rabbainu should teach us some chidush (-novelty in Torah) from his desirable and pleasant chidushim which he was graced with by Hashem. He should grace us as well, and give us to taste from them. And our intention is not Heaven forbid for some ulterior motive, just, our intention is to hear original Torah insights from his holy mouth, perhaps our hearts will be aroused anew for His service blessed He, and also perhaps we will merit consequently to understand and to elucidate some hint of the aforementioned point.

Immediately Rabbainu o.b.m. began to be fierly impassioned with intense flaming of the blaze of Hashem, and his face burned and blazed like actual torches. And from the fieriness his hair stood on end, and he threw his top hat off his head, and he began to say these words: "Do you know the secret of the kavanos (-kabalistic intentions) of the Tefilin?" The aforementioned answered him (with) a few kavanos. He (Rabbainu) said to him: "No, that is not the way of the kavanos of the Tefilin, and because you (-respectful plural) do not know the secret of the kavanos of Tefilin, you do not know the secret of the four winds/directions of the Land of Israel. And now I will begin to reveal to you some hint of this." And it was when he began to speak, blood started to come out of his throat, and he said to the aforementioned scholar: "See now with your (own) eyes that they do not approve from Heaven to reveal to you (-respectful plural) a thing." And immediately when the aforementioned scholar saw this with his eyes, he nodded his head to him (-acquiesced), and asked him (Rabbainu) fervently to forgive him for having troubled his so much, and he was very panic stricken from this, and did not want to budge from there until Rabbainu o.b.m. forgave him.

32.

Also immediately upon his arrival there to Tiberias, the Rav, the Chusid (-pious, hasid), the famous magnate our teacher, Rabbi Moshe o.b.m., son of the rav, the holy, the famous, our teacher, Rabbi Menachem Mendel the tzadik o.b.m. Veetepesker, sent to him that he wants to make a marriage with him (-i.e. between their children). And Rabbainu o.b.m. replied: "How is it possible to refuse a shiduch (-match)? Presumably 'the matter was issued from Hashem (Genesis 24:50 regarding the match between Yitzchok and Rivkah)' that my daughter should be in the Holy Land," and he did not say anything more.

And immediately the shadchan (-matchmaker) went and replied to the rav, the aforementioned Rabbi Moshe, that Rabbainu o.b.m. consented. And immediately they made a grand feast. And at the feast were all the greats of the Land of Israel, both from the country of Lita (-Lithuania) and from the country of Poland, everyone alike - big and small. And they had great joy/celebration. And during the feast they spoke words of Torah between them, and the main speaker was the aforementioned gadol (-great, leader) who wanted that Rabbainu should reveal to him the point etc.. In the middle of their conversation the location of a certain remark of Rashi eluded them, where its place is. And they wanted to bring it up to their memory because it was very necessary for their issue, and they could not budge from there because of this, and it was a wonder to them, because each and everyone of them had recently finished the entire Shas (-Talmud), and not one of them knew the place of the aforementioned Rashi, where it is stated. And Rabbainu o.b.m. was silent as if he also did not know, however, when he saw that they had great distress from this, and they implored him to no end, he answered up and said to them: "Behold this Rashi, its place is in Tractate Zevachim (-offerings), on this daf (-two sided page) at the top of the amud (-one of the two sides)," and so it was. And this brought them joy and happiness. And this feast protracted from the time of mincha gedola (-half an hour after midday, when one can begin to pray mincha) until daybreak, and a union was made between them.

However, afterwards, when Rabbainu left from there, from the Land of Israel to chutz-lu'uretz (outside of Israel) the groom, the son of the rav, our teacher the rav Rabbi Moshe mentioned above, passed away, and Rabbainu o.b.m. made a match with his daughter who had been the bride of the son of the rav, our teacher Rabbi Moshe mentioned above, with the honorable gaon (-prodigee) the famous rav of the holy community of Volitshisk (-Rabbi Aryeh Leib of Volitshisk za.tza.l. from the greatest disciples of the Magid of Mezritch - his son, Rabbi Pinchas got engaged to Miriam, the third daughter of Rabbainu o.b.m. in Elul 5560, and the wedding was in Cheshvon 5565). And circumstances were brought about from Hashem that the aforementioned Rav and Gaon traveled to the Holy Land, and he took his son, the son-in-law of Rabbainu o.b.m., with him there in order that he would learn by him there. And afterwards the daughter of Rabbainu o.b.m. also traveled there. And the words of Rabbainu o.b.m. that he said, that it was from Hashem that his daughter should be in the Holy Land were fulfilled, and one word of his words will not back down empty-handed.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Using the Holocaust to have greater realization of the greatness of G-d

HH

Rabbi Nachman mocked people that carried questions on G-d, as if HY can be fathomed by them at all. The very intellect we have is a creation of G-d, and if a person would be able to comprehend G-d that would mean G-d was that trite GF.

The Torah says that there was great sanctification of the Name of G-d by the death of Nuduv and Aveyhoo on the day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle. Our Sages revealed that these two holy tzaddikim, the sons of Aaron, were in some aspects even greater than Moses and Aron, and when justice was met out to them, the Name of G-d gained more awesome reverence and sanctity. If such is the fate of such holy people - one can only ponder and be baffled by the awesomeness of the Divine traits that HY governs with. (See Rashi on Numbers 20:13).

Similarly we find our holy Sages listing different stringencies that the Torah levies, and they exclaim, if that is so for the bad, it can now be established how radically amazing the goodness is (See Rashi on Leviticus 5:17).

The Ramchal revealed in many places that all the bad in the world that we see and experience is just hallucination, like a dream, for in reality there is no bad, there is only the Goodness of HY, and HY in His Goodness created the greatest possible misconception of bad, so that when ultimately it will be clear that there it was no bad, the absolute supreme Goodness of G-d will be proven as One and Only. The Ramchal makes it clear that it is not that in the end everything will be good, but that it will be clear that the very things that were perceived as bad were in reality good. (Like Rabbainus says on higdeel Hashem Laasoas eem aileh - it will be clear to the gentiles in the future that all their greatness that G-d gave them, was in reality greatness accorded to the Jews). This means that the bad things are vessels for such goodness - that when the goodness is realized there is not even a trace element of any bad. (The late R' Noach Weinberg - my mother's uncle - has a great series called the five levels of pleasure - and he gives a very good parable of a person saving someones life, but in doing so he spoiled his honeymoon, and all his fancy clothes etc. because he has to jump into a very polluted river etc. - but for the rest of his life he will revel in this, and every extra thing that he lost and forfeited will add more to the exhilaration of the experience).

That means when we confront a very terrible evil, we can only deduce from it, that G-d has such an amazing Goodness that he will reveal, something so far beyond our current capacity of comprehension that we can't even begin to fathom, and that Goodness is so amazing that this apparent atrocity was the only vessel for this Goodness, and when that Goodness is realized there won't even be a trace element of any bad at all.

May the Holy Merciful One G-d show us only His Kindness - as we currently perceive kindness - as Yakov told his children (Genesis 43 - as explained in Likutay Moharan, volume 2, Torah 62).

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Segregation of the Twelve Tribes the Utopian Way

HH

Today many people believe that the twelve tribes were each extremely different ethnic groups, possibly including Japanese, Indians, Ethiopians, Spanish, and many others. Each of these groups was a full fledged tribe of Israel, and all the tribes were on equal standing (besides for the Leviites, and certain exceptions of Yehuda). There is no racism in Israel. However the Torah reveals that Hashem Yisburach desires the diversity, that each culture is an extremely necessary component in Israel, and therefor there should not be any mitigation of these distinct ethnicities, and therefore there was no mingling between them! This does not mean, I don't think, that they did not intermarry, they were certainly allowed to marry any Jew regardless of the tribe, however the marriage would not be an interracial affair, the couple would continue on completely committed and loyal to one culture (-most probably the culture of the male).

This you can learn from Rashi in Parshas Buluk (Numbers 24:10) where there is very high regard to the encampment of the tribes of Israel in such a formation that each tribe was completely segregated and there was no mingling between the tribes.

This appears to be the true approach to appreciating and respecting all races, for real, so much so that we must ensure that they each retain their uniqueness, because we need them exactly the way they are, and we don't want a melting pot of people that aren't this way or that.

There are many more homilies from our holy Sages which would seem to purport this. The Sages taught how the trees and vegetation guarded their distinct species upon creation, and the Torah forbids grafting plants or animals. Also in the future everyone will be chasidim - adherents - of "lev bussar" hearts of flesh, which the Medrash explains that this means that everyone will be revolted by the role and possessions of others wish it for himself (also see Ramchal in the 3 cornerstone of the 4 cornerstones of the Merkava who expounds on this, and in other places as well he expounds how there is no jealousy in creation, every species or status which is the designated role is what it is, that is its function in creation so there is nothing to compare it with or judge it by, it is perfect and the best exactly the way it is). There are many more such examples in the holy teachings, which all support this idea that each ethnicity has their own distinct role, and they must loyal manifest it. Offhand I can't think of any place where the Torah allocates place for people that are intermingled - not of any particular group. 

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman! 

Celebrating the 4th of July

HH

Rashi (Numbers 23:9) shares with us Billam's utter jealousy of the Children of Israel, who have their own unique festivals to celebrate, but that doesn't stop them from joining in on all the other celebrations of the nations! Party hardy. And so I understood that HY really wanted me to celebrate a little yesterday, as I was experiencing strong signs of dehydration G"F (back in the day when I was procuring approbations from the rabbis for a book I wrote on the Talmud, I ended up dehydrated) I was left with no choice but to treat myself to a pepper steak at a nearby fancy restaurant. And thus it happened that this Nanach celebrated the 4th of July.

As I was writing this up a guy walked in and said that he wants to donate a large powerful fan, B"H, things are looking cooler already.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Tikun to not wear tefillin!

HH

A few years ago in Uman I was sitting by holy tomb, and I went for a little walk during which I saw something very interesting which I don''t care to share right now, when I came back I learned that someone had made away with my three pairs of tefillin. To this day I have only merited to two of the three, and even the acquisition of those two was no simple feat, and although B"H I never missed a day of Rashi, I think I missed plenty of Rabbainu Tam (although I don't remember well enough - but I would not wear the chabad ones no matter what), and to this day I'm missing on number 3. So obviously I considered that maybe some of the tefillin were possul (but what are the odds on all three?), or not mihudar (maybe not a good scribe...), or maybe this was a tikun to long for tefillin... Don't know.

So just now I was rereading Siach Sarfey Kodesh (which is allegedly about 60% accurate) and I saw (volume 2: 140) that there was a great miracle worker that drew close to Rabbainu, Rabbi Yitzchok Leib, and Rabbainu gave him different things to do, and one of them was not to wear Rabbainu Tam tefillin for one year.

So what do we know at all, Rabbainu arranged some sort of tikun like that for me too (even though I am no great miracle worker, unless you count NNNNM, in which case... ).

 Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Peace

HH

So much talk about peace, but if people don't have peace within themselves how can they have peace with others? In every person all the 70 nations are warring, and only through the holy ways of Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman can their war cries be quenched and silenced.

When G-d goes to war he goes alone, in contradistinction to Kings of flesh and blood who need to bring entire armies, and when G-d goes to bring peace, He brings out the troops, in contradistinction to Kings of flesh and blood.... (Rashi, Bamidbar - Numbers 12:5).

G-d's unity is utter peace, thus G-d's unity in itself is the conquering power of all wars, and in the war to end all wars and bring Peace, and then G-d comes out with the troops.

This is the way of Rabbainu Nachman of Breslov - Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman, who has taken upon himself to conquer the world for the Holy One Merciful G-d, and how has he set out -- with one minute little note -- the holy Petek! Who would endeavor such a formidable task and goal and arm himself with a small piece of paper that could be shredded or burned instantly?! Rabbainu - Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman learned this from the Lord G-d Almighty Himself!!!!

With one little Petek Rabbainu turns over the entire universe to the ultimate Good!


Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Rashi deals a heavy blow to women's lib!!!

HH
In this weeks Parsha -- Divorim, Rashi -- who's daughters are renown for their maintaining their right to don Tefilin --- deals a heavy blow to the whole charade of women's lib:

דברים א:יג

הבו לכם אנשים חכמים ונבנים וידעים לשבטיכם ואשימם בראשיכם

פרש רש"י ז"ל אנשים -- וכי תעלה על דעתך נשים?! מה תלמוד לומר אנשים, צדיקים עכ"ל.

Rashi says it would be unfathomable to suggest that Moshe Rabbainu would recruit women to be leaders of Israel!

This I write objectively -- I merely point this out -- please feel free to figure out some way out ...

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!