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HH
Introductory info from Gemini:
The period you are referring to is a well-known tradition in Chassidic lore concerning Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740–1809). According to the story, there was a time—often identified as lasting for six months—during which the "Berdichever" felt he had lost his high spiritual "levels" (madraigos) and his ability to pray with his usual fiery, mystical intentions (kavanos).
Rather than giving up, he spent this time praying with the simple, raw sincerity of an unlettered person.
The "Loss" of His Spiritual Levels
In the world of Kabbalah and Chassidut, a tzaddik (righteous leader) of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's stature usually prays using complex meditative intentions based on the various Names of God and the configuration of spiritual worlds.
The tradition describes this period as follows:
* The Cause: It is said that Heaven "withdrew" his spiritual light. In some versions, this was a trial to see if his service was dependent on his own spiritual "highs" or if it was truly for the sake of Heaven. In others, it was a form of self-sacrifice to atone for the Jewish people.
* The Experience: He felt "empty." The great mysteries that usually flooded his mind during prayer were gone. He found himself unable to access the "higher" gates of prayer he had walked through for decades.
The "Simple" Prayer
During these six months, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak did not stop praying. Instead, he approached God as a "Poshiter Yid" (a simple Jew).
* The Method: He reportedly stood at the amud (the prayer podium) and simply read the words from the Siddur (prayer book) like a child, focusing only on the literal meaning of the words: "Baruch... Attah... Hashem..." (Blessed... are You... God...).
* The Lesson: This story is often told to highlight the Chassidic value of Temimus (earnest simplicity). After his spiritual levels were eventually restored, the Berdichever reportedly said that he cherished those six months of simple prayer more than all the years of high mystical meditations, because he had learned what it meant to truly "cry out from the depths" without any ego or intellectual sophistication.
Key Takeaways from this Period
| Element | High Madraigos (Before/After) | The Simple Period |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Mystical intentions (kavanos) | Literal meaning of the words |
| State of Mind | Ecstasy and "soaring" | Humility and brokenness |
| Relationship | The Scholar/Tzaddik before the King | The Child/Simpleton before the Father |
> Note: This narrative serves as a powerful encouragement for people who feel spiritually "dry." It teaches that "simple" prayer is not just a fallback for the unlearned, but is actually a profound level of truth that even the greatest masters must sometimes inhabit.
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All that is common knowledge.
What they don't tell you, hidden in the books of Breslov, the reason he fell.
The Shpoila Zaideh gathered all the rabbis to excommunicate Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. At the meeting, Rabbi Baruch of Mezhbitz, the grandson of the Bal Shem Tov and uncle of Rabbainu, taunted the Shpoila Zaideh asking him why do they call you Zaideh and not Bubba?!
It became quickly obvious that there was no way they would act against Rabbainu. And then the opposite sentiment arise, they should excommunicate the Shpoila Zaideh for his audacity in opposing Rabbainu. They were about to excommunicate him, but the Berdichever's wife ran in barefoot and confounded everything (she was accustomed to recieving a lot of money from the S.Z. to distribute to the poor). She was forced to wear black stockings for the rest of her life and he lost his madraigos.
There are many more details and versions..
Great blessings of Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Meuman!
