Introduction - The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

HH

The Book of

The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

Introduction

“Who will relate the mighty actions of Hashem, make heard all His praise?” (Psalms 106). Who can tell over, who can fathom, all the great, and wondrous, and awesome things done by our master, our teacher, and our rabbi, light of lights, pure, pristine light, the cached, and hidden, and concealed light, with the collective entirety of the souls of Israel, upon whom (/which) are contingent all the worlds. And especially that which he accomplished and did with his men close to him who merited to revel in the holy shade of his shadow, and to hear from his mouth what they heard, matters which Atteek Yoamin (-Ancient of Days – a Supernal Divine Countenance – Daniel 7:9) concealed (Pesachim 119a). And particularly, that which he worked and did with my poor and destitute self, that he erected me from the dust and the dumps, and sat me down next to him, and with his mercy drew me even more, close to him, and placed his hand on me (-approbation, ordination) to receive and to write all his words of Torah, and his discourses, and his legendary tales. All and everything he merited me that it should be written by my hand, and he said explicitly (Chuchma and Beena article 21, and this is a seeming resolution to the query in Yisroel Saba chapter “Above Nature,” that “a little” goes on Rabbi Nussun as well as Rabbi Naftoli) that there is no one that knows from him, except for I (-Rabbi Nussun), a little, and many additional such expressions.

And in truth, my soul knows very well what is impossible to tell over whatsoever, and I already wrote a lot, and I told over orally to my friends and my students a very great deal, and thank G-d my words made an impact, with his great power, that the truth entered their hearts like burning fire, and they were aroused plentifully to Hashem Yisburach. And many already went on in holiness and purity and passed away with a good name, from the midst of words of Torah, and prayer, and perfect faith, “their portion is in life (Psalms 17:14),” and those who remain for length of days and years, behold they are strong, with the help of Hashem Yisburach, with the truth and the faith, like a molten mirror (Job 37:17), so that they never slip (Proverbs 10:30).

Even still, I know in my soul, that they, also they, need very much my information (Shabbos 55b), and they still don't know the light of the truth of the truth to its truth, completely, properly, as it is implanted in my soul. And similar to the homily of our Rabbis o.b.m. (Sanhedrin 68a), a great deal I learned from my rabbis, and I didn't release from them, just, as a dog which laps from the ocean, and my students didn't withdraw from me etc.. What can I say? For all these words of mine involve the knowledge of the pleasant hisnoatzitzus (-sparkling) of G-dliness in the heart, which is for each one according to what his heart fathoms (Zohar, Beraishis 103b), and these themselves are manifestations of his might, these themselves are manifestations of his awesomeness (Yuma 69b), which he exerted and toiled in His service Blessed He so much until he merited to what he merited, and ascended to the place he ascended, (from) which he drew such deep intellect, deep water advice in the heart of a man (Proverbs 20:5), deep, deep who can find it (Ecclesiastes 7:24), to the extent that with his supreme wisdom and his mighty strength he illuminated with his goodness in the heart of (even) the lowest and degenerate hisnoatzitzus (-sparkling) of conception of the Divine, what is absolutely impossible to relate to a friend. And see that this is a novelty which never was ever, and like it is alluded in the torah (-holy teaching) of “A field of knives” (Likutay Moharan 30), see there, that there is a need for a great rabbi, and wondrous craftsman, and loyal doctor, that can impart conception of the Divine in the heart of such small, such sick, such alienated people.

And behold, if literary means and verbal means are insufficient to tell over a thousandth of what is in my heart, even still it is impossible to release nothing, therefore from the day that I merited to draw close, Hashem Yisburach and he encouraged me to engage in writing the awesome revelation of his holy Torah, and Hashem Yisburach strengthened me to always write the matters and conversation that were by each Torah, because I knew that every single word is a complete Torah. However in the beginning I was not yet careful to write all the holy conversations and holy words that left his holy mouth, just those that had pursuance of words of Torah, or were related to some Torah (-holy teaching).

Until after a few years of my drawing close to him, Hashem roused my heart to begin to also inscribe some of the words and matters that were heard from his holy mouth then, and little of what was already heard. Also I inscribed some stories and matters of what transpired to him and his men, and a little of the stories of his exertion and toils which he toiled and exerted in the service of Hashem, through which he merited to what he merited, and the order of his journey to the Land of Israel, and some stories and events that took place by each and every Torah and by each Legendary Tale, and how, and through what his mercy was invoked until he opened his holy mouth and revealed what he revealed.

And even though with all of these it is impossible to explain and illustrate well in writing the nature of the matter as it was when it took place, even still I did not abstain from writing and inscribing all that is possible to inscribe, and one who has acute intelligence will understand from his own intellect a little of the nature of the matter, all this and perhaps the future generations will merit to know all the fantastic and wondrous feats which were done for us by the Master of All, Who conducts every generation with His kindness, the schemes of His heart (stand) for generation and generation (Psalms 33:11), Who does novelties all the time, so that His name will be proclaimed in all the land, so that they will rouse in every generation to return to Him Blessed He, for He already cleared a correct way before us by his hand o.b.m., so that from now on whoever desires to approach the holy, can easily draw close to Him blessed He, by the ways explained in his holy books. Fortunate is one who adheres to them, “till in them, till in them, age and wear out in them, and do not budge from them, for there is no measure better than them (Ethics of Our Fathers 5:22).”

Behold all this my eye saw (Job 13:1, 33:29), that it is His will blessed He to inscribe everything in a book, therefore it has been some time now that I took it to my heart to write and inscribe every conversation, and word, and matter, and story that rises in my memory, and these are the very things written in this book. And I called the name of this composition by the name “Life of <Cha'yay> Moa.Ha.Ra.N. [-acronym: <Moarainoo> Our Teacher/Guide <virabbainu> and Leader/Rabbi, Rabbi Nachman], since most of it speaks of his holy life, of what transpired over him in the holy days of his life, and the life which he lived in the world. For he was a truly live man who had no counterpart, and he constantly lived true life, and every time he lived new life, as was heard from his holy mouth, that one time he exclaimed, “I lived today life, such life which I have never lived,” and then he began to reveal a little outline of the torah (Likutay Moharan 18) “Kartulleesuh – A Chest,” as is noted in this book, further on in its place (article 8). And similarly a few times I heard from him o.b.m. wondrous glorification regarding his life, and regarding the degradation of the life of the world who don't consider their tachlis (-ultimate purpose), and also with the life of the world there are innumerable variations, as is explained a little, further on.

The general principle is, that the essential life is the true life which is true wisdom, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 7), “Wisdom give life to its possessor.” And the main wisdom is to strive and toil to know and recognize Him Blessed He, for He is life of life (chay hachayim). And everyone, according to his proximity to this, so is his life life, and vice versa. And therefore (Brachos 18b) evil people (even) in their lifetime are called (-considered) dead, and vice versa, tzaddikim (even) in their death are called (-considered) alive, for they are always bound in true life, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4), “And you (plural) who are clinging to Hashem your G-d, you are all alive today.” And it is for this life that we pray copiously on Rosh Hashana (-Jewish New Years) and Yom Kippur, “remember us for life,” “and inscribe for life,” because aside from this, everything is vain, and there is no life whatsoever. And regarding this life it says (Deuteronomy 5), “so that you live,” (Deuteronomy 8), “so that your days are plentiful etc.,” (Deuteronomy 5:30), “so that you live.” {censored: However life such as merited by him o.b.m., have still not been experienced by any person in the world}. Fortunate is he who merits to feel a little of the sparkling (hisnoatzitzus) of the pleasantness of his life which he lived, long life, truly good life, as is understood from the story (-Rabbi Nachman's stories, published under the title: Legendary Tales, story 13) of the Seven Beggars, which regarding this life, King David r.i.p. beseeched (Psams 16), “Give me to know the way of life etc..”

In this book are written all the stories that we heard from his holy mouth, also some of the conversation and narrative that we heard from his holy mouth, because his words are entirely Torah. Also some incidents that happened and transpired between him and his adherents. And from all of them the intellectual will understand his utter greatness and amplitude of his extremely phenomenal holiness, what the mouth cannot speak nor the heart reckon, and the intellectual at this time will be quiet and silent, and everyone according to what their heart fathoms, will understand an infinitesimal bit, less than a drop of the ocean. And even what we heard and saw, we did not present here, just a tiny bit alludingly. And because of the utter strife that they fought (/multiplied) ardently against him, we are forced to put a restraint to our mouths, so as not to relate his praise. And the utter magnitude of his holiness and loftiness is very loftier and superior than our intellect.

However, even this minute fragment that we merited to know and understand a little, is impossible to tell over completely because of the great strife, even though it would be beneficial for the world, I just inscribed this for the future generations, and for the coming days which are approaching peacefully, so that it should not be forgotten from our mouths and the mouths of our progeny. In order that the future generations know how greatly cherished (the Nation of) Israel is before Hashem Yisburach, that they merited in the last generations to such lucid and pure light, the light that is cached (ohr haganuz) and hidden. Fortunate is the eye that saw him, fortunate is the ear that heard from his mouth his holy words. And one who studies his holy books in depth will have a slight understanding of his utter holiness.

The words of the writer, the small Nussun son of my master, my father, our teacher Rav Naftoli Hertz y.t.v. (-may his Bastion protect him and give him life) of Nemorov.

And I request of the reader not to be astonished if he finds sometimes in our words some conversations and stories of Rabbainu o.b.m. that are written here which appear to be simple things, and sometimes they seemingly have no explanation whatsoever, and it will be difficult in his eyes, for what (purpose) were they written. However, in reality, in all the words, and conversations, and stories that are written here, there are inherent matters behind all of them, and whoever merited to stand before him and hear from his mouth the matters and the conversations, it would misnoatzaitz (-glimmer) for him a little, and he would see and understand a little that they are very supernal and lofty, and he would be aroused to Hashem Yisburach by each and every word that left his mouth with wondrous holiness and purity. And because of this I wasn't able to hold back from writing and jotting down a few stories and words for a remembrance, and even though there are in them a few words that the reader will not understand the gist of them, even still (Yevumos 30a regarding a mishna that is seemingly redundant) the mishna does not move from it's place.

And whoever desires the truth can find in most of the words, wondrous matters, and many, many wondrous awakenings for the service of Hashem Yisburach, and many aitzoas (-directives, advice, remedies), and much succor, which will strengthen a person immensely not to despair of himself in any way, and so forth, because (Deuteronomy 32), “It is not a vain matter for you,” and if it is vain, (that is only) from you (Jerusalem Talmud Peah), for even the simple words of Rabbainu o.b.m., the great and the holy, they introduce great light, and they have great power to arouse the whole world to His service blessed He, which was the concern Rabbainu o.b.m. was entirely preoccupied with all the days of his holy life. It was also heard from his holy mouth, that even his simple words need to be written, because in each and every statement of his, there are (in them) extremely deep intentions, and they are great generalizations (-principles that incorporate all, and are all encompassing), and every person can extract from them wondrous aitzoas (-advice, remedies) and upright practices for His service blessed His name.

[The transcriber says, regarding the hiddenness of the great and wondrous light of the Ad.m.ur. (-hasidic master) o.b.m., which a novelty like him has yet to be, even in the earlier generations, as we heard from his holy mouth, that he said so explicitly, and in the end he became so hidden, in the utmost

hiddenness and concealment to the extent that most of the world do not merit to come upon his holy grave, which is their entire eternal rectification, a hint to this can be found in his holy words, that he said that his entire occupation is Rosh Hashana, and regarding Rosh Hashana it is written (Psalms 81:4), “in the designated time <backesseh /concealed> for the day of our festival,” as our Sages o.b.m. explicated (Rosh Hashana 8a; backesseh can also mean, in the concealed, because Rosh Hashana occurs on the first of the lunar month when the moon is concealed), and therefore his great wondrous light is hidden and concealed so very much as well, to the extent that all the people of the world do not merit to come to his grave and pray there, and like our Sages o.b.m. said (Sota 14a, this was censored from some editions of the Talmud), why is the grave of Moshe hidden from the world etc., it comes out that (Deuteronomy 34:6), “no man knew the grave of Moshe,” so that they wouldn't be able to come upon his grave, to pray there, and so too the grave of the Ad.m.u.r. o.b.m. is hidden as well from the world by means of the great contention, even though the place of his burial is known, so that they also will not be able to come there to pray there. May there be [Divine] Will that the truth will be revealed in the world, and his holiness will be made famous in the world, and then the redemption will come, very soon in our days, amen].

נַ נַחְ נַחְמָ נַחְמָן מאומן