Journal Mitzvah

Journal Mitzvah

Monday, December 23, 2019

HAPPY CHANUKAH!!! level of love




May HaShem illuminate with Love each and every Jew in Israel and rest of the world. What we fail to realize for a few seconds in life is that Master of the World sees, listens to everything we are doing. What "level of love" can we give to Mashiach? How do we want to receive Anointed even though our hearts lack sincere and pure love? The very questions give the answer how far or near we are to recognize and know Mashiach.

Even if people, things don't change immediately, that's where faith keeps the boat going to its final destination.

As Rabbi Nachman says we each have a "good point," let our prayers and Torah study be for the general benefit of the Jewish People, bringing eternal Peace, shalom!

Thank G-d!

HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!
Gilson Sasson.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Jewish Art 770



Jewish Art 770

I would like to present an excellent artist Anastasia Kedrovskia, she makes paintings by Tzaddikim, the paintings are impressive with refined and expressive trait, rich in details, very good!

Anastasia Kedrovskia's skill proves she is a promising artist. Check out the samples in this post.














It can surely be beautiful paintings in your holiness home.

Please do not reproduce the images / paintings without permission of the artist, please contact the artist to purchase some of his masterpieces. Thank you!



Facebook:

Friday, September 27, 2019

Have a sweet and good new year 5780




Shabbat Shalom dear friends / Shana Tova U'metuka Chaverim / Have a sweet and good new year, may you be blessed with health, happiness, wisdom and prosperity and great joy in the service of G-d.

Love and Peace “Shalom”

Gilson Sasson / Journal Mitzvah

Sunday, September 22, 2019

THE SEVEN BRANCHES OF THE MENORAH




THE SEVEN BRANCHES OF THE MENORAH

When a person is going through a crisis of faith, or even in doubt, it is very beneficial to say out loud, “I believe!” Simply expressing your faith in words is itself an act of faith, and it can take you to the true faith. Likutey Moharan II, 44

Always keep your head clear as these are the seven branches of the Menorah. Yet in all the messes and unclean things that are “set free and scattered” via Television, Newspapers, or low-level non-Jews, expressing their atheism, falsehoods and materialism, as our Sages say: Stay away, run from them, be quiet and don't get in the game to be angry, nervous or sad ... just saying, "I believe in G-d!" is our protection, otherwise there may be contamination of the evil through this openness that the person caused by not speaking holy words of Torah and prayers. “When a person faces serious difficulties in life, when he feels far from God, he must never become completely disoriented; he should think deeply about the great loving-kindness that God has shown him until then.” – The Tzetel Katan of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk.

Rav Avigdor Miller was outspoken in his battle against television, to say the least, about the corrupt culture it promoted: "Would you invite a wicked person to preach at your table?" "Throw it out the window" (His Life and His revolution). Undoubtedly an hour watching television is an hour of lost Torah study forever, an anti-Torah, anti-God act. Some things from popular culture not only weaken the faith in HaShem, but distort the truth of the Torah, especially to our dear children who are beginning to study Torah. Television is not considered a bad thing at all in this society, although the content is released by censorship as 'normal', the content is far from appropriate. Much of what we see in today's world (ugly language, sexy clothes, etc.) was promoted through television, deconstructing what is right and what is good.

The yetzer hara attack can happen anytime nowadays, very common on Facebook’s post, do not be careless, do not let yourself be touched by involvement, always be careful to keep the faith 'Emunah' and be happy with what HaShem gives you. “Strengthen yourself in faith, completely avoiding all speculation. Do not look into philosophy, but believe in HaShem with simple faith.” - Rebbe Nachman’s Soul by Rabbi Azvi Aryeh Rosenfeld Z”l.


The only truth comes from HAKADOSH BARUKH HU! Keep the Faith that all that is bad will return for good.

Praise God! Praise God from the heavens – praise Him in the lofty heights! Praise Him, all His angels – praise Him, all His hosts!Psalm 148:1-2

Shalom,
Gilson Sasson

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Noam Siach book, Part II, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender, zt"l






From the book Noam Siach, Part II, excerpts from lessons given by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender, zt"l.

REBBE NACHMAN’S MAIN INTENTION WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE ADVICE THROUGH WHICH THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COME CLOSER TO HASHEM.

       
The Rebbe didn’t want people to talk about the miracles that he performed. He even said: “When I do a wonder, I beg Hashem that people will forget about it.” Because that wasn’t Rebbe Nachman’s point—his main point was to bring Jews closer to Hashem, through following his holy guidance. There are a lot of stories that one could tell. Rav Avraham b’Rav Nachman says that he could have written a “whole book” about the wonders that Rebbe Nachman did, but this was not what the Rebbe wanted. He wanted people to concentrate on the guidance that he revealed, concepts that rectify the soul in this world and the next, and even after the resurrection. To follow his advice—this was what he wanted from us.

    The Rebbe used to speak very much about the love one must have for all Jews in general, and especially for one’s fellow Chassidim. The Rebbe himself had such a love for his followers. He even sacrificed the wife of his youth for them! He sacrificed his precious children, his sons, for them, and Rebbe Nachman, himself, died young because of this: so that his teachings, his life’s work, would survive. The Rebbe’s greatest success was in that he completed all that he set out to achieve. His advice was faithfully carried out, even during his lifetime, by his followers. They made one hour of hisbodedus every day. They would get up at Chatzos every night [in order to say the Tikkun Chatzos, the lament over the destruction of the Temple, which is to be said at midnight] and then pray the Morning Prayer at sunrise.

    Even by us, we have people whom, thank G–d, are following our Rebbe’s advice: getting up for Chatzos and doing a little hisbodedus. They make sure to recite Shema at the right time. Thank G–d that this is going on, and it’s all due to Rebbe Nachman. He taught that one must strive to be constantly renewing himself, praying to G–d every day that He should help him follow this holy guidance. One must beg Hashem every day, and should even go to sleep at night while doing hisbodedus. This is how one should fall asleep. One must also beg Hashem that he should be able to get up every night at Chatzos.

    “That they should be ever-new in your eyes.” This statement of the Sages applies to all of Rebbe Nachman’s advice!  It has to be like new in your eyes every day! Totally new! Every day you should ask Hashem to help you get up for Chatzosto do hisbodedus. All this has to be new in your eyes every single day. You must try your best not to pray the Shema and morning prayers late. Of course, to pray at sunrise would be the best, but if not, then at least as early as possible.

    When a person isn’t well, then he can rely on the leniencies in the Code of Jewish Law. Rebbe Nachman himself said once, “When you’re healthy, you have to do, and do, and do some more, but when you aren’t, then certain leniencies are permitted. This refers to serving Hashem in ways that are really taxing, like Chatzos, for example.  When a person isn’t well, G–d forbid, say he suffers from migraines, regarding this Rebbe Nachman’s said,  “One must guard his mind.” Similarly he told Reb Ber, “Your Chatzos will be at three in the morning.”  When a person is well, however, he’s got to do, and do, and do some more.

    Reb Nosson said, “I heard from our Rebbe that the foundation of action and good deeds is giving charity.”  This is what Rebbe Nachman’s path is all about: Torah study, prayer, and giving charity. To get up early at a time that is auspicious for prayer, and especially to be so very careful with your time not to waste it, this is what Rebbe Nachman himself is all about. Rebbe Nachman’s power is so great that he really can help with all these matters. It isn’t just that he spoke about these ideas, and that they are written in his holy book. He taught about the importance of waking up at midnight to say Tikkun Chatzos, and there are Jews who are actually doing what he said to do. For those who can’t get up, then at least they can pray to Hashem to help them get up, and perhaps they will manage to get up a few times a week.  At least we know that there is such a thing. One must speak out loud to Hashem, and long for it and really struggle to get there. 

    His constantly encouraging people to serve Hashem and the love that he felt for the whole world was what gave Rebbe Nachman life. Our Rebbe loved other Jews so much that he always judged everyone favorably. There have never been such words of encouragement: “Gevaldt! Don’t despair! Never give up!”  He said one time, “I have people by me…the deepest pit in hell wouldn’t be sufficient for them, they would dig down deeper if they could.” 

    Our Rebbe never pushed anyone away.  By him, there was no such thing as a hopeless case. There were “bible critics”—so called “enlightened Jews,” living in Uman, that no one in the religious community could even look at! The Berditchever Rav once spent a Shabbos in Uman. Those “critics” came to him and he wouldn’t even look at their faces. He applied to them the advice of the Sages, “It is forbidden to gaze at the face of a wicked person!” The Shepetevker Rav also spent a Shabbos in Uman once, and the same thing happened. 

    (Note: Incidentally, the holy Baal Shem Tov also spent a Shabbos in Uman. He spoke with Rav David Chazan and said to him, “Many Jews will be saved by your gartel.” This Rav David was a great, and very hidden, Tzaddik. He had a cave in Uman where he often went to do hisbodedus for days at a time. Apparently, this is what the Baal Shem Tov was referring to when he said, “Many Jews will be saved by your gartel, (belt).”  This cave was very deep and ran from the small bridge near the old cemetery on which they used to carry the dead (which was called the “dead bridge”) until the great woods. It was during the bloody pogroms led by the murderer Gunta and the Haidemacks, may their names be erased, on the sixth of Tammuz 5528 (1768) that Rav David hid together with many other Jews in that cave, and no one knew that they were there. The massacre went on for a couple of days, from the sixth until the eighth of Tammuz, and all the Jews in Uman—men, women, and children—were murdered. Rav David and the others heard the horrible screaming, and when the noise stopped, they left the cave. There was a river of blood before their eyes, with severed limbs lying everywhere on the ground. They acted quickly and dug two mass graves where they buried all the martyrs, and because there were so many corpses, the two pits became like two small hills. Rebbe Nachman chose the spot between the two mounds for his grave. This Rav David was the one who wrote the famous scroll, “The Scroll of Uman” which begins with, “And David lamented...”  It was customary to read this scroll in the great synagogue of Uman every year on one of the days in Tammuz when the massacre occurred. They also read this scroll several times in our Kloiz in Uman.) 

    The point is that everyone had been there. So what? They, the “critics,” ran the town of Uman. They had some influence with the Czar, so much so that one of them, Hirsch Ber, even received a gift from the Czar of a golden sword. They were very well educated and the Czar thought a great deal of them. The Czar felt enriched by having such people in his land, such wise people, so, naturally, their opinions counted for something. When some Rebbe came to the town, if they didn’t approve, this Rebbe would not have been able to continue living there.

   Rebbe Nachman didn’t flatter them, either. When our Rebbe traveled from Zlatipola to Breslov, the road passed through Uman. (We are familiar with this road. It used to pass through Uman, Kiblitch, Teplik, Ladizhen…until it reached Breslov.)  It was then that Rebbe Nachman stopped in Uman.

    The Rebbe saw a hidden Tzaddik there, he was the kosher slaughterer in Uman. As soon as Rebbe Nachman entered the town, this hidden Tzaddik could sense who he was.  He ran to the Rebbe straight away. All this happened in Elul, before Rosh Hashanah, because we know that Rebbe Nachman entered Zlatipola in Elul and also left in Elul of the following year. The Rebbe said to this shochet, “My whole purpose, my essence, is Rosh Hashanah!”  The shochet then asked Rebbe Nachman for permission to travel to Breslov by using a holy Name since he was a kosher slaughterer and there were several days of work to be done right before Rosh Hashanah.  The one hundred kilometer trip from Uman to Breslov would take ten to twelve hours to travel, and he wanted that the Rebbe should grant him permission to finish the slaughtering for those who needed it.  (By using a Name, he would have a miraculously short journey and reach Breslov in only a few minutes.) Rebbe Nachman answered, “No! People have to travel to me by horse, not by Names.”

    In any case, the Rebbe was in Uman for Shabbos and stayed at the home of Rav Avraham Chayim who had an inn. Afterward, Reb Avraham Chayim became a follower of Rebbe Nachman, together with his son, Reb Moshe.

    On the very Shabbos that Rebbe Nachman spent in Uman, a prominent general was staying in the house across the way from Reb Avraham Chayim’s. Those “critics” heard that some Rebbe had come to Uman, so they wanted to see him. Without their permission, he would never be able to stay anyway. The “critics” were a father and two sons-in-law. The father’s name was Chaikel and the two sons-in-law were Hirsch Ber and Landau, a doctor. The two sons said to their father-in-law, “We’re going to rest a bit. You go and see if there is anyone there worth talking to. If so, we will go and visit him later.”

    Chaikel went in to see Rebbe Nachman. The Rebbe asked him what he wanted. Chaikel answered, “I heard that a great man has arrived. I’ve come to see him.” The Rebbe said to him, “There, across the way, is another great man.”  He pointed to the general’s lodgings. “Why don’t you go and see him as well?”  It was as though Rebbe Nachman had given him a slap in the face. That was the end of the conversation.
    So Chaikel returned, and they asked him what had happened. He answered, “Well he didn’t exactly treat me with respect, but I can see that there is someone there to talk to.” So, they themselves went to see the Rebbe. When they went in to see him, he was in the middle of a giving a talk to his followers. Immediately as the two entered, he interrupted what he was saying and started to discuss a complex mathematical problem. They realized that he was talking to them, so they asked him how to solve the problem. The Rebbe solved the problem for them and they were astounded. They could see, “This really is someone…a totally different type of person.”

   Right after this, Rebbe Nachman traveled on to Breslov, but they already had a great longing for him. Several letters went back and forth between them. Later, when Rebbe Nachman moved to Uman permanently, they were already on the way to becoming his followers. They were very distant from Yiddishkeit. Hirsch Ber was one of the greatest Maskilim of the time, truly a manifestation of  “the serpent’s forehead” (skeptical heresy, see Likutei Moharan, Tinyana 4). He once said, “I swore long ago to never so much as mention G–d’s Name, but whenever I go in to see Rebbe Nachman, I feel as if he is tugging at the corner of my coat saying, ‘Hirsch Ber! There is a G–d in the world! There is a G–d in the world!’” The end of the story is that Hirsch Ber traveled to London, where he died and was buried. His grandsons wrote to Reb Nachman of Tulchin and asked him to explain to them what a “Rebbe” is.  As their grandfather was dying, and his soul departing, he was heard uttering the words, “The Rebbe! The Rebbe! The Rebbe!…Only the Rebbe, the Rebbe!”  Thus, they wanted Reb Nachman to write back and explain what a “Rebbe” is. From this we can see that he truly did repent.

    We see from here that Rebbe Nachman’s whole point, even though he was a great and awesome holy sage, was to set everything aside and conduct himself with total straightforwardness and simplicity in order to bring Jews back to Hashem: to bring them back to the old, time-tested, path. The truth is that his path to Hashem was really the original one; it is the path that all the ancient Tzaddikim walked. People wanted to make slight alterations, but the Rebbe would not allow even that. “This path is the old path, and it also has to be the new path. And it will endure.” Rebbe Nachman said further, “There won’t be any difference between the guidance I give and that which Moshiach will give. It’s just that they will listen to Moshiach, whereas, to me they do not.”  Moshiach will give the same guidance, he will say that a Jew has to wake up for Chatzos and that a Jew must pray at the proper time.  This is Rebbe Nachman’s whole enterprise, to put new life into this path, so that it should not go lost.

    This is what is written in the holy Zohar: “Since the Temple was destroyed, Hashem has nothing to comfort Him. He cannot be comforted, except through the efforts of those Jews who get up for Chatzos and mourn the destruction of the Temple. That is His comfort!” That is how Hashem comforts Himself, with those Jews that do this. Without them, there is no comfort at all. See how there have been so many Tzaddikim, with all their service of G–d. Even so, He has no comfort unless he sees a Jew feeling the loss of the Temple, feeling that he is lacking something in his life, without the Temple.

    A person can be so learned and still not feel that he is missing the Temple!  He is prepared to dedicate so much time to his learning, but to beg Hashem to rebuild the Temple, this he doesn’t have time for!

    In Uman there lived Nochum Shuster who was originally from Lomza, a small town full of great Torah scholars including Rav Mordechai, the Rav of Sokolov, and also Rav Shlomo Gavriel. Many young scholars would go to Lomza to learn. Reb Nochum Shuster was an ignoramus; he didn’t even know how to pray. He was literally a total ignoramus. He used to go to the Beis Medresh at midnight and cry in the corner, while saying “Tikkun Chatzos.”  People used to laugh at him: he couldn’t even read, and he was saying “Tikkun Chatzos!” They would make fun of him, “Nochum, what are you saying?” He would answer, “I’ll tell you. You are all great scholars, and you have your learning, so you don’t feel anything lacking in your lives, that we don’t have our Temple, but me, I’m a simple person.  I don’t know how to learn, so I truly miss the Temple!  This is why I’m begging Hashem to rebuild it as soon as possible.” So said this simple Jew! This young man answered them very well.  They understood what he was saying, and those famous scholars, the Rav of Sokolov and other great scholars like him, became Breslover Chassidim because of Nochum Shuster. 

    A person can sometimes say something that is so true that it penetrates to the depths of his friend’s heart. This Nochum would say, “They don’t even realize that the Temple is gone! What’s missing? He’s such a scholar; he learns. So, that’s it, he already has his Temple.”

    When it comes to Rebbe Nachman’s teachings, even the smallest flame can ignite a massive tree trunk. Such a small flame as Nochum Shuster brought such great people closer to Rebbe Nachman. Why? It wasn’t because Nochum Shuster had some special ability; it was only because Rebbe Nachman’s power was within him. He was a very naive, simple, person: a very good, simple, Jew, and Rebbe Nachman spoke through him. That’s how it is with our Rebbe. As it says in the second chapter of Iyov, “The small and the great are there.”  Who is really great, and who is really small?  We’ll only know there, (in the next world)!  Here, someone can be a scholar, a genius, and over there, some little Jew is sitting in the corner crying before Hashem. Who is the great one and who is the small one? Only there will we find out…

    There is such truth to be found with Rebbe Nachman, such simple purity to be found by our Rebbe, without any conceit at all. Just, “Be a simple person, get up at night, be careful to pray at the earliest time. Stand in a corner and pour your heart out to Hashem.”  If you do so, then “Happy are you, and good is your lot.” You will be living the life of the next world in this world! 

    This is what Rebbe Nachman wanted during his lifetime, and that is what he wants now. And, thank G–d, our Rebbe is successful! Our Rebbe is very successful in this! It really ought to be so much more the case, but still, the Rebbe is succeeding. As he himself says, “The main completion of person is that after he is gone, something of him should remain. That after he passes, something remains!” It isn’t completion when the Tzaddik is only in the upper world. He needs to be above and below—he has to be down here too! How can he also be here? When there are Jews here, in this world, who follow his advice—then he is also down here!

    It is already so many years after Rebbe Nachman’s passing, one hundred and seventy-two years, and even so, there are still people who are getting up at night to do a little hisbodedus, and are careful to recite Shema at the right time. This is a sign of Rebbe Nachman’s power. This is what he wanted, and, thank G–d, this is what he has! Hashem should only help that his teachings will grow and spread as much as possible, that we, ourselves, should grow and continue in the most beautiful way, and that more people should join in and follow this path.

    Rebbe Nachman judged everyone favorably; he was a great lover of the Jewish people, of every single Jew. He wouldn’t let anyone give up hope. “Don’t despair!” He used to say, “The deepest pit in hell wouldn’t be sufficient for some of the people who have come close to me.” They do come close, and they become truly human, and they are taken out.

    (Someone asked, “When did Reb Moshe Tzaddok’s come close to Breslov?”) Moshe Tzaddok’s came close to Breslov when the activities of the marauding bands had stopped. That period lasted three or four years. When Czar Nikolai was assassinated in 1917, there were many Czars. There were new Czars all the time. Anyway, after the Great War was over, something different happened. Whenever there had been a war before, after it was over, every soldier had to return his weapons to the government.  If he didn’t, they would arrest him. But after W.W.I, there was no real Czar. Everyone just took his weapons and went home. That was where all the  bands came from. They killed Jews, and the killing lasted for three or four years. It was terrible: they just killed and killed; so many Jews.

    They said about Moshe Tzaddok’s…I don’t know—we’re talking here about someone whose repentance was like coming back from the dead.  People said that he had joined up with these bands, that this unfortunate man had become one of them, may Hashem have mercy. Afterward, once the Communists were in, everything quietened down. It was better for the Jews after they took over. G–d have mercy, they had their heresy, but in physical terms, they were more prudent. The communists executed all the members of these bands. When they found out that Moshe Tzaddok’s had been one of them, they were out to get him. It was a real miracle that he escaped and that the Communists didn’t kill him.

    In the meantime, his father had passed away. His name was Tzaddok, and he was a little Jew, a wagon driver. So Moshe Tzaddok’s came to our Kloiz to say Kaddish. No synagogue would even let him in, so he went to the Breslov synagogue because they don’t throw anyone out of there. He said Kaddish, but didn’t put on tefillin and started to go on his way. Yankel Zhitomir approached him and said, “Moshe! You’re saying Kaddish, you might as well put on tefillin too!” He answered, “Nu. So give me tefillin.”  He put on tefillin, and then immediately went on his way.

   Moshe Tzaddok’s later became such a ba’al teshuva.  It was incredible!  I remember, in Uman, when they took away the synagogue and there was no other mikveh. I said to him, “Moshe, you know what you have done! The repair for the spiritual damage you did will be… to build a mikveh. Build a mikveh in your house.” He was a wagon driver and had a big stable full of horses. “Make a mikveh there, and that will be your tikkun [fixing]!” He made a mikveh. He had to dig more than fifty steps deep under that stable until he struck water.  We used to go to use that mikveh. It couldn’t be heated because it was so deep down. What’s more, if smoke would escape, they would know about it, and someone might tell the authorities. This was the only mikveh in Uman. (It is well known that observing the laws of family purity at that time was done at great personal danger.) The mikveh was so cold, and you had to go down fifty steps to get there. It was dark, and cold…Gevaldt, that mikveh was real self-sacrifice! They even told on us. This is what happened: there was a cover above the mikveh, and there was straw on the cover, and the horses stood on the straw. The Communists came to visit Reb Moshe Tzaddok’s and asked, “Why do you have a mikveh?” He replied, “Do you see one?” They went in, saw only a stable, and they left. He kept that mikveh for years. Every immersion was in his merit. He did the most complete teshuva possible!  Before, he had been one of them, but he repented, and made it possible for new generations of Jews to come into existence. He became a ba’al teshuva, and he also had a decent livelihood. During the hungry years, he gave us food to eat. Rav Avraham Sternhartz used to go in to eat a meal at Moshe Tzaddok’s home every time he went to Rebbe Nachman’s grave. Moshe lived near the grave site, down below, and he used to go to him regularly to eat. All of us used to go to him regularly, and he would feed us well. He had a decent livelihood, his kashrus was le’mehadrin, and his house was too. When he came away from Rebbe Nachman’s grave, his eyes would always be swollen. He would just pour out his heart and cry before our Rebbe. If you had seen him, you would have thought that he was some Rebbe with his beard and peyos and tear-stained face.

    This was Rebbe Nachman’s power: to take a person like Reb Moshe Tzaddok’s who had done such terrible things and, thank G–d, make him into what he became! It was not just he alone, but afterwards he built a Jewish home and had a family which was raised in holiness. He fulfilled all the mitzvos; his hospitality was incredible. He was a wagon driver for the non-Jews too. Thank G–d, he had a house with furnishings and there was what to eat there. Ah, he was so hospitable!  Everyone would always go into his house. “Moshe, is there anything to eat?”  Everyone would eat well. Moshe Tzaddok’s. The poor fellow, was finished off by Hitler, may his name be erased. One could say of him just what the Gemara says about Yoav ben Tzruya: his house was open to the poor, and made free to all, like the wilderness. He gave food to Jews.
    What is the connection to what we are speaking about here? It is that we should know that we have such a great Rebbe who loves the Jewish people: a merciful leader who only asks from us, “Listen to me! Do what I ask of you! I’m not telling you to do anything so difficult.” Is this too hard? The night is so long; one can get up and do such good things during that time. Chatzos lasts for two hours. The Rebbe says that Chatzos begins six hours and twenty minutes after the stars come out, and it lasts for two hours. For those two hours, you have to be awake, doing good things, and this can draw you so much closer to Hashem. This is a fundamental  practice of Judaism! Talk a little to Hashem, and make sure to recite Shema at the right time. Pray at the right times and give a lot of charity—then you can experience Gan Eden in this world. This is Gan Eden in this world, and this is the Rebbe! This is what the Rebbe wants! He doesn’t want anything else from you, he doesn’t want you to tell wondrous stories about him. This is not the point of our Rebbe! The biggest miracle is when you take a person the way he is, and he becomes a ba’al teshuva. That’s a miracle. 

    We see that the holy writings of the Baal Shem Tov, of the Mezritcher Maggid, and all of the books of all the holy Tzaddikim speak about Chatzos. All of them speak about Chatzos and hisbodedus—this is the path of the holy Baal Shem Tov, and all of them speak about making sure to recite Shema at the proper time. Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov, one of the later Chassidic masters, speaks about Chatzos, with words of fire. When he speaks about the time for prayer and reciting Shema, his words are like fire, fiery words. He was already one of the later ones, fifty years later. He passed away much later. When you look in his work “Sur Mei’Ra”, you see how on fire he was: on fire about Chatzos and on fire about hisbodedus.

    We have to thank Hashem that we don’t take the words of our Rebbe lightly. That on the contrary, his words are important to us. We must see to it that we really do fulfill his holy words of advice. That each of us should say to the other—be strong! We must constantly encourage one another!

Copyright © 2001 Breslov Institutions, Yeshivat "Shuvu Bonim",
All Rights Reserved.



Noam Siach book, Part I - Breslover Teachings




Noam Siach, Part I, excerpts from lessons given by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender, zt"l

  IF WE WOULD ONLY JOIN TOGETHER IN UNITY



          It is impossible even to imagine how much Rebbe Nachman could reveal to us and influence us if only all the Breslov Chassidim would be united as one. A man on his own, even if he is completely righteous, does not merit a complete revelation from the Tzaddik according to his needs and his abilities. After all, Rabbeinu is a wondrous light, a light of truth, but he cannot reveal this light to us—he can’t give to us—so long as we are not united as one.
         In the same way that we have to study each negative commandment in the Torah and investigate our behavior to see if we have transgressed some part of the commandment in any way, so too are we obligated to study the greatness of the Tzaddikim. Even if we can’t reach such a level of holiness, still we have to believe that we can achieve, in some way, a part of his level.
         Rabbeinu said, “The world will wonder at the love between my Chassidim.”  What did he mean by love?  The light of Rabbeinu is so great, so holy, such a truth, that we must each work very hard on ourselves to always see the good in our friend. As Rabbeinu said (Likutei Moharan I:34), every single person has a holy spark inside of him, and there resides the holy love. This much pride we can allow ourselves: that there is inside me a holy spark, a holy spark of love, so that even if, G-d forbid, a person should come to do a sin, [he can rectify it through teshuva, repentance].
         As Rabbeinu says there, “The breaking was only of the vessels, but the light itself remains in the heavens in the Yesod of Atzilus, and there, there was no breaking.” And why? “Because if the light itself had also been broken there would have been no possibility of ever doing teshuva.” When one does a sin, he is completely broken, but if his holy spark were also broken, from where would he be able to find the strength to do teshuva? Surely his whole vessel is broken. There is nothing left from which he can return. Regarding this, Rabbeinu said, “Know, you are not completely broken. Even though the vessel itself is shattered, the holy spark of love still remains.”  The holy point of love is still complete inside me, and through it, I can do teshuva. I still have the ability to repent.
         Even as we see the words of Rabbi Nachman coming true—[as he said,] “I will separate you into many different groups”—still, we have to be very careful not to lose or even lessen the love between all the Breslov Chassidim. We should be like Abaye and Rava who argued about everything under the sun, yet this never affected the love between them. Their arguments were only ever regarding what is the true will of Hashem.
         Rabbi Nachman had Chassidim by him on the very highest levels of spirituality—people who could literally see into the future. And still he said (Likutei Moharan II:5), “Every person has to investigate himself where he is holding regarding his faith in Hashem.” In other words, regarding belief in Hashem, whatever level one is on, he should constantly pray to Hashem to help him to reach higher levels, that is, that his faith in Hashem should fill him ever more deeply.
        Rabbi Nachman said, “I judge everyone to the side of mercy, apart from an argumentative person.” We see in the Torah that Aharon HaKohen and Miriam the prophetess spoke disparagingly about Moshe Rabbeinu (BaMidbar 12:1). Hashem punished them both with leprosy. Aharon was cured straight away because he was a Kohen, but Miriam had to spend seven days outside of the camp as a leper. They spoke lashon hara, they argued against Moshe Rabbeinu, and Hashem immediately punished them. That Miriam, a prophetess, should have to spend seven days outside of the camp as a leper, is a tremendous punishment. And Moshe Rabbeinu himself wasn’t so bothered by their speaking against him. As the Torah says there, “And the man Moshe was very humble.” And Rashi explains that he didn’t get angry at the disgrace. But Hashem was much stricter regarding the honor of Moshe Rabbeinu, through whom was given the Torah, and who led Israel out of Egypt and across the Reed Sea and the Sinai desert to Israel. Even though they were both Tzaddikim and their intentions were for the best, they still spoke against the Tzaddik and were therefore punished.
         So what did Rabbeinu mean when he said that he couldn’t judge favorably an argumentative person? It was not that he would abandon him completely, G-d forbid, but rather that for the sin of speaking lashon hara there is always a punishment, whether it is immediate or delayed.  A person can be given time to repent, or he can repent immediately as did Aharon, who straight away asked for mercy. And even though Rabbeinu said that he could judge everyone to the side of mercy, this applies to everything except argument.
         Rabbeinu said (Likutei Moharan I:5), “If a person hears any kind of argument between Tzaddikim, he should know that it comes to reprove him also.” In other words, if he heard it then it applies to him also, and he should pay very careful attention to the message that is coming to him. There have been many arguments between Tzaddikim, but one doesn’t hear them speaking badly about one another. It is only each in his own particular way trying to come closer to Hashem. One must be careful not to justify one side more than the other, but rather, he should not to get involved in the argument. One must know that even to hear about the argument is a sign that he himself is damaged, for otherwise he wouldn’t have heard the argument at all. It could even be that a person could learn that very Torah, and not pay any attention to the matter, but if it does catch his attention, this is a sign to him that he also has to rectify himself.
         If a person learns a Torah speaking about faith in Hashem, surely it cannot be said that he doesn't believe in Hashem. Yet Rabbeinu explains that faith is dependent on praying every single word of all the prayers with full concentration. If I then apply this to myself, I see that in fact I really am very far away from true faith. If I learn such a Torah and pay attention to it, it really does apply to me. Reb Yisrael from Terovitza used to prostrate himself on the grave of Rabbeinu and cry out, “Help me! I am in such danger.” Can it be that such a holy and kosher Tzaddik could really have been in danger? But according to our understanding of faith as explained by Rabbeinu, we have to believe that we have to pray to Hashem at all times to help us to strengthen ourselves in our belief in Him. If I come to hear such a teaching, then it must apply also to me.
         Rabbeinu mentioned many, many times how important it is to serve Hashem with complete simplicity and not only with deep learning and higher wisdoms.  This means doing the simple things properly, praying with concentration, and fulfilling the mitzvos with happiness. A man has to make hisbodedus and pray to Hashem, “Ribono Shel Olam, lead me to your truth!  I don’t know anything at all!” And he must remind himself always of the words of Rabbeinu, “Stick together! Each of you must be filled with love for the other and go in the way of truth.” 

         THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING ASHAMED OF ONESELF IN THIS WORLD

         Rabbeinu said, “Everyone must search his ways, to see how closely he is attached to Hashem.  The main sign is the Tefillin, and Tefillin is the aspect of shame.” Can it be that the more one is ashamed, the greater is his attachment to Hashem?  For what must one be ashamed?  The answer is that he must feel shame that he is angering Hashem, that he isn’t performing His will. And by achieving this feeling of shame, this of itself increases his attachment to Hashem. A person who goes through life treating it as joke is demonstrating the opposite of this feeling of shame. One must at all times feel shame, but this has nothing to do with depression. Exactly the opposite, this shame is the root of life. This itself is life. The Torah says of Moshe Rabbeinu that his face was shining. And Rabbeinu explains (Likutei Morahan I:38) that this was his feeling of shame. The Rabbis teach that anyone who commits a sin and is embarrassed about it, all his sins are forgiven. Because he is embarrassed, he is forgiven. Similarly, all our hisbodedus must also have this aspect of embarrassment. “Ribono Shel Olam, how can it be that I could behave in such a way that would make you angry with me!” And the embarrassment that he feels is in itself his repentance.
         Hashem has tremendous mercy on us. Rabbeinu says (Likutei Moharan II:1) that this shows itself in the way Hashem gave us Rosh Hashanah on Rosh Chodesh. How could we come before Hashem and request forgiveness and say that we truly repent. The whole year I behaved improperly, and now suddenly am I going to repent?  However since, on Rosh Chodesh, Hashem himself regrets how he ordered the moon to make itself smaller, and He says, “Bring for Me an atonement.” This gives us also the chance to stand before Him and say, “We repent.” The Torah describes bringing a sacrifice to the Temple as “giving a satisfying aroma to Hashem.” Our embarrassment over our behavior is this satisfying aroma.
         This is the true purpose of making hisbodedus: that one should feel embarrassment before Hashem and that this shame should automatically lead one to repentance. And one who truly repents does not come to do those sins again.
 
         THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING THE BOOKS OF RABBEINU

         Rabbeinu said  (Likutei Moharan I:7), “Through coming close to the Tzaddik and following his advice, the truth is engraved upon him.” This means that the essence of coming close to the Tzaddik is following his advice. Rabbeinu once said to his followers, “I have placed inside you a great deal of Truth.”  What is this truth that we have received from Rabbeinu?  It is when we learn his books and follow his advice. That is when the truth becomes engraved in us. But we have to learn his books!
         Rav Nosson said, “Happy is the person who thinks always about the teachings of Rabbeinu.” Rav Nachman Tulchiner said one time, “Who will learn the book of Rabbeinu?  Behold!  No one in the world is learning it. Will we also not learn it?” Rabbeinu himself said, “Once the whole world starts to learn my book, it will be time to prepare for Moshiach.”
 
         The Importance of Learning from the Written Word and Not to Rely on Cassettes and the Like
         It says in the Torah, “Open our eyes to your Torah.” When my eyes see the written word [in Hebrew], this is what gives the kedusha, the holiness. Today, people learn Gemara from cassettes, but it doesn’t give any holiness. It actually prevents many people from opening the Gemara. What do I need it for? Why do I need the Shas? I’ve got the tapes! This is a terrible mistake. It prevents people from looking at words of Torah.
         When a person damages his eyes by looking at forbidden sights, the only way to repair them is by looking at words of Torah. When one damages his speech by speaking lashon hara, the only way to repair the damage is to speak words of Torah.
         It is related regarding the Arizal, that in front of his desk, where he learned in the Beis Medrash, was written the word “Amen.” Any time he had the opportunity to answer amen to a blessing, he would read it from the written word and not answer it off by heart. The word “amen,” as is known, is the gematria of two names of Hashem. Therefore it is important to look at the letters, even of the word “amen.”
         Today a person sits down at the table, lights a cigarette, and learns Gemara from a tape. I am certain this is damaging the Torah, damaging the honor of the Torah. This does not come into the category of  “working hard to learn Torah.” Surely we bless on the Torah every morning, “who has chosen us from all the peoples and given us the Torah.” Am I really allowed to bless on something that someone else is learning for me? Hashem wants us to purify our eyes by looking at words of Torah, to purify our mouths by speaking words of Torah.
         My eyes are already very weak [Rav Levi Yitzchak was almost blind at this time] and I need someone to learn with me. Even so, I repeat every word after him. The one and only way for a Jew to purify himself is by looking at the words of Torah, and by speaking words of Torah.
 
         THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMILITY

         The Rabbis teach that the one character trait that Hashem cannot tolerate in a person is pride. When Rav Nosson first came to Rabbeinu, he was already on a very high level. It was nine years after his marriage to the daughter of Rav David Tzvi, one of the most famous Rabbis in the Ukraine. Still Rabbeinu said in describing him, “in his own eyes, he is nothing more than dust and earth. If a small child would send him to buy some candies, he would run to buy them.” As great as Rav Nosson already was in his Torah learning, the Rebbe, in describing him, only mentioned his complete humility, and it is because of this humility that he was able to receive so much from the Rebbe.
         The Gemara relates that when Reb Zera came from Babylon to live in Israel, he fasted many fasts in order to forget all the Torah that he had learned in Babylon. And did it help? Surely he went straight away and learned in the yeshiva of Rav Yochanan! But what really happened is that when Reb Zera came to Israel, he realized that it was on a completely different level, that Israel was the aspect of serenity as opposed to Babylon, which was the aspect of argument. Rav Zera saw that he would be unable to receive from the Torah of Israel as long as he still had inside him the Torah of Babylon. The explanation isn’t that he abandoned everything that he had learned prior to his arrival in Israel, but rather that all his learning no longer had any importance for him.
         When Rav Nosson started to come close to Rabbeinu, he said about himself, “I completely abandoned all my knowledge.” Does he mean he was no longer a gadol in Torah? There is a very great secret involved here. A person can be filled with Torah, fear of heaven, righteousness, and holiness, and yet he can see that he is unable to receive anything from the Tzaddik. That is why he has to leave everything behind him. After all, he has come to the Tzaddik in order to receive from him, but what is he to receive, Tzidkus?  Behold, he is already a Tzaddik! Holiness? But he is already holy. So what is left to receive? If he comes to the Tzaddik and feels that he already has everything that he needs, then he won’t be able to receive from the Tzaddik. That’s why he has to leave behind all his knowledge. But where should he leave it? Where should he put it? Someone who worked so hard and struggled so many years until he has reached such a high level, how does he leave his Torah behind him? Furthermore, Rav Nosson was the son-in-law of the famous Rav David Tzvi. Does he also have to leave that behind him?
         The solution is as follows: regarding humility, it is not that a person has to go with his head bowed down. Quite the opposite, that’s not humility at all. Rabbeinu himself said (Likutei Moharan II:72), “To be humble, one needs a lot of intelligence.” A man decides to go with head bowed down, torn clothes...this is not humility—it is nothing at all. The main point of humility is to contemplate the greatness of Hashem. What am I next to such greatness, such an incredible greatness? How can I rebel against Him? This is already a different type of wisdom. This is a humility that increases as one feels more the greatness of Hashem, and this is how it is when one comes close to a Tzaddik. One comes close to the Tzaddik and starts to feel such a light. This in itself is enough to bring one to humility. Consequently, his Torah also will be a Torah of humility. He will be filled with a completely different Torah and a completely different tefilla.
         It is said in the name of Reb Pinchas of Koritz, “Before I came close to the Baal Shem Tov, my teeth used to fly out of my mouth when I prayed. But this wasn’t the truth. After I came close to the Baal Shem Tov, my teeth stopped flying out of mouth when I prayed, and this was the real truth.” When one sees and examines the light of the Tzaddik, of the Baal Shem Tov, and he receives from this light and leaves behind him everything that he had up until then, only then does the light of truth enter him.
         Rav Nosson came close to Rabbeinu and examined his light, his truth, and all that he had achieved up until then fell away from him. It had no importance in his eyes. He was no longer able to see himself with the same importance. This is what is called “leaving all your knowledge behind you.” It is not that he stopped being a great Torah scholar or a holy Tzaddik, but he saw such a great light, regarding which Rabbeinu said, “It is the nature of things that the small is canceled before the great.” If one can feel the light of the Tzaddik, it is impossible that he should continue to feel his own importance. Just the opposite, if one still feels that he has the slightest importance, this is a sign that he doesn’t yet feel the light of the Tzaddik. Next to a bright light, a lesser light simply cannot be seen at all.
         In truth we have to beg from Hashem, “Ribono Shel Olam, surely we are known as Breslover Chassidim, and if we were to really feel the great light of Rabbeinu, we would have to be completely humble—to have such a great Rebbe, and not to feel him at all!”
         The Rebbe brings in Likutei Moharan I:17 that Ma’Aras HaMachpelah, which was owned by Ephron the Hittite, is the gateway to heaven. All the souls go up via this gate to heaven. Such an incredible light is there, but Ephron did not see the light at all. He was delighted to sell it to Avraham. Rabbeinu explains there that this is how it can be by the Tzaddik. One can be right next to him and not feel the slightest light.
         It is our task to apply this teaching to ourselves. Behold, there were such great Tzaddikim by Rabbeinu. They could open Likutei Moharan and feel such a great light, such an awakening! This was a sign of their humility. Tears, literally, used to fall from their eyes. So how come we do not feel this? How come we are unable to feel this great light! We have to beg very much from Hashem, “Reveal to us the light of your Torah!” I open the books but the letters do not shine for me. Why not? Surely it can not be the fault of the Torah. Surely the Torah is so holy that it should be able to shine for everybody. So it must be me that is at fault. Thus, one can start to cry out before Hashem, and slowly, surely, gradually over the years, Hashem will help him, and the Torah will start to shine to him.
 
          PRAYER AND HISBODEDUS

         There is a letter from the Baal Shem Tov to the Toldos Yaakov Yosef which says, “I have heard that you are taking upon yourself all kinds of fasts and sufferings. This is not the true path. My advice is that you simply concentrate on the words of the Torah. They will shine to you such an incredible light.” In this generation, the only way to come close to Hashem is through a tremendous amount of prayer and hisbodedus and by turning our learning into prayers.
         Rabbeinu said, “Once, the way to come close to Hashem was through fasting and all kind of self-afflictions. People actually used to fast from Shabbos to Shabbos. Today, this path is not applicable. One should not fast at all, other than on the days specified in the Shulchan Aruch. Similarly, self-affliction is also forbidden.” Once people used to roll in the snow. Unbelievable!
        Rabbeinu said, “what people once used to achieve through fasting and suffering, is today, only achievable through prayer and hisbodedus.”
         Rabbeinu said in Chayei Moharan, “Before a new path opens up, it is possible to achieve without using that path. But once the new path has been opened, achievement is possible only by using that path.” Before Rabbeinu, there were a number of different ways of doing teshuva. Once he arrived, only the way that he specified was effective, which is through prayer and hisbodedus. Since then, the previous paths are now forbidden to us.
         One must spend very much time doing hisbodedus. The best time is at midnight. One should wake up and pray to Hashem for all that he is lacking. It is especially good, with Hashem’s help, if one can come to weep during the hisbodedus. This is the path that Rabbeinu decreed for us. Through this path, one can become a kosher and holy Jew, a real Tzaddik, exactly as they used to become through fasts and sufferings. But now, since we have a Rebbe who has taught us the greatness of prayer and hisbodedus, it is no longer permitted to use the previous paths. Not only that, but the previous paths can now do more damage than they can fix. Especially for us, Breslover Chassidim, for surely the Rebbe is our Rebbe. We, more than anyone, must go on his path of prayer and hisbodedus and wake up at midnight, at a time of special favor. This is our path to repentance and to Hashem.
         Rav Ozer, a student of Rav Nosson, regularly used to go out to the forests after Shabbos and return home in time for the next Shabbos. One time someone related to Rav Nosson that he had a friend who knew a thousand pages of Gemara by heart. Rav Nosson answered him, “My student Ozer can stand in the corner and cry ‘Ribono Shel Olam’ a thousand times.” Rav Ozer was a Gadol in Torah. By the time he came to Rabbeinu he already had many students of his own. But Rav Nosson’s praise of him was that he could cry “Ribono Shel Olam” a thousand times. One thousand pages of Gemara learnt by heart is a tremendous achievement, but someone who can cry out “Ribono Shel Olam” a thousand times, his Gemara learning is a different thing altogether.
             The Gemara explains that Hashem created the evil inclination and that He created the Torah as its “tavlin,” its spice. Why should the Torah be called a spice? Surely a spice is used for flavoring! The answer is that the evil inclination, with all its lusts and desires, is nothing more than a disgusting smell, and the Torah is the spice that sweetens it. Rabbeinu told us, “Make prayers out of my teachings.” The first Torah in Likutei Moharan starts, “Through the Torah, all the prayers are accepted.” Rabbeinu is speaking here about a tremendously high level of the Torah. In practical terms, Rabbeinu is saying that one should pray about what one learns, that he should pray that he will be able to fulfill it.
        Learning without prayer is what is described as “His wisdom is greater than his deeds.” The slightest wind can uproot such learning completely, which is why Rabbeinu taught us the importance of prayer. Whatever you learn—be it a chapter of Shulchan Aruch or whatever—you must pray to Hashem that He should help you to carry it out. Rabbeinu says there that Hashem gets immense pleasure from this type of prayer. We have come close to Rabbeinu; therefore, it is incumbent upon us to understand the importance of prayer, especially since Rabbeinu instructed us to pray to Hashem about absolutely everything. And even though we already pray the Shmonei Esrei three times a day and even though we also have Tehillim, still we have to pray to Hashem about each and every detail of our lives. Any time we leave the house, for whatever purpose, we must pray to Hashem to help us succeed. The prayer is our connection to Hashem.
        Torah and Prayer are inseparable. Rabbeinu said that they light up one another. This is the path of Rabbeinu, to wake up at midnight, say Tikkun Chatzos, and then to immediately sit down and start learning.
         Rabbeinu said in Likutei Moharan I:65, “After hisbodedus, one must learn new ideas in the Torah. That way, a reflection of his hisbodedus enters into his learning.” Only through hisbodedus, followed immediately by learning, does an image of the hisbodedus stay with him. But one who does not follow his hisbodedus with learning, all his hisbodedus can fall away from him. At the time one is making hisbodedus, his head is filled with thoughts of serving Hashem. But what will remain for him after he finishes speaking? For this, Rabbeinu says, “the hisbodedus has to merge with the learning.” The two are inseparable. Either without the other is ineffective. One who finishes his hisbodedus and goes off to talk to his friend, loses everything. Learn anything, Likutei Moharan, a Mishna, a halacha in the Shulchan Aruch. The Torah learning alone does not impart strength, but the two together have a tremendous power.
        Rabbeinu asked, “Why do people argue against me? My whole essence is prayer. Regarding prayer, it is said that it stands as the foundation of the world, and yet, people treat it so lightly!” What did he mean, “my whole essence is prayer?” Surely all the world prays! All Jews pray to Hashem. Rather, the explanation of the word “prayer” is that one must ask Hashem for everything. That is the meaning of “My whole essence is prayer.”
         As Rabbeinu explains in Likutei Moharan I:10, “Prayer is called a “mountain,” a “field,” and a “house.” Avraham called his place of prayer a “mountain.” “The mountain of Moriah.”  Yitzchak called it a “field,” as it says, “and Yitzchak went out to speak in the field.” Yaakov called it a “house,” as it says, “the house of Hashem.” Rabbeinu explains there that Yaakov called prayer a “house.” Just as one can not live without a house, so, one can not live without prayer.
        What Rabbeinu meant when he said, “My whole essence is prayer,” is that when one leaves his house, he has to pray to Hashem to protect him and to bring him home safely and that his evil inclination should not be able to overcome him. Similarly, when one goes to sleep, he should pray to Hashem to protect him. This is already a different sleep altogether.
             Rabbeinu said in Likutei Moharan, I:35, “While sleeping, one needs a very powerful protection.” What should one do if he can not fall asleep? He should pray by making hisbodedus. That way he will fall asleep while speaking to Hashem. Even if he has said the final blessing before retiring, “Hamapil,” this is not similar to other blessings, where the blessing has to be followed immediately by the act. If one cannot fall asleep, he is permitted to talk to Hashem.
        According to the way one falls asleep is the sleep itself. If one falls asleep while thinking about Hashem or while talking to Hashem, this is altogether a different sleep. Regarding this, Rabbeinu said (Likutei Moharan, I:54), “Sleep is the world to come…Immediately when a person wakes up, he should remember that there is another world.” If Hashem helps you and when you wake up your first thought is about the next world, this is already a different type of day altogether. The way one wakes up sets the tone for the day, and the way one goes to sleep sets the tone for the night. If you go to sleep speaking to Hashem, that sets the tone as to how you are going to wake up.
        This is the aspect of, “My whole essence is prayer. And that is why people argue against me.”  Such a thing the evil inclination can not stand. If you only pray three times a day and maybe say a few Tehillim, this is not so bad. But to make a prayer out of your whole life, to pray as you go to sleep and as you wake up, this the evil inclination can not tolerate.
             Rabbeinu brings in Likutei Moharan, I:11, “Yochni and Mamre, (two Egyptian magicians) asked Moshe, ‘Are you bringing teven (straw) to Apharayim?’” He answered them, ‘People say, “to the place where they sell vegetables, bring vegetables to sell.”’”  Rabbeinu explains: “teven” is referring to “tevuna,” the understanding [of Torah]. They understood that Moshe wanted to introduce understanding of Torah to the Jewish people. Which is why they asked, “When Israel is not doing the will of Hashem, they are likened to ‘afar’ (dust). So how are you going to be able to bring them to such a high level, to the understanding of Torah?” He answered them, “People say…” i.e. that through speaking a Jew can reach all the places that he has to do teshuva.
        During the time that the people of Israel were in Egypt, they behaved the same way as the Egyptians. As it is said, “These worship idols, and those worship idols.” And the two magicians understood that Moshe wanted to introduce Torah to the Jewish people, which is why they asked, “How is this possible? Can people on such a low level possibly have any understanding of Torah?”
        The evil inclination devotes all his efforts into fooling a person. “Who are you, such a lowly and badly behaved creature! Do you really think that you can do teshuva? You want to become a man? Do you truly believe that this is something that you are capable of?”
         Moshe answered them, “People say…” that through speech, speaking one’s heart out to Hashem, everything is possible. And that is why it is written (Shemos, 4:19), “And Moshe was slow of speech.”  It is explained that his speech impediment only lasted during the time that he was in Egypt. Once he left Egypt he was cured, for behold, he gave over the whole Torah to Israel. For in Egypt, speech was in exile, but once they escaped, they achieved the level of, “People say…” that is, they were at last able to start speaking, which is the aspect of, “to the place where they sell vegetables, bring vegetables to sell.” “Vegetables” refers to repentance (Likutei Moharan I:11), for then, at last, the people can start to do teshuva.
         Speech has such a power that even a person who does not know for what he has to do teshuva (for continuous sinning brings forgetfulness) can be awakened. Through speaking to Hashem, all that was hidden from him becomes revealed. He begins to understand the things that he is doing which things are truly forbidden. Until now, he did not take his speech seriously; he spoke only about things that were inconsequential. “So what if I speak to Hashem, what benefit will it give me?”
        Similarly is it concerning looking at forbidden sights. A person says to himself, “What damage is it going to cause me?” How can such a person ever do teshuva? Everything is permitted to him: to speak stupidity, to think stupid thoughts, to look. The Tzaddik says to him, “If you will only start speaking to Hashem, all will be revealed to you: everything for which you need to do teshuva and everything you did that was forbidden.”
         We had people by us who were so simple that they did not even know how to pray. But simply by speaking constantly to Hashem, they turned out to be very kosher Jews. There are Breslov Chassidim who used to say that just for this one piece of advice from Rabbeinu—hisbodedus—it is worth becoming a Breslover Chassid. To learn how to say to Hashem, “Master of the Universe, have mercy on me. I myself do not know what to do with myself.” Then Hashem will surely have mercy on you, and reveal to you a great light.
           This is exactly what the son of the King says in the story of “The Seven Beggars.” “Is it fitting for me that I should behave in such a way?” All this comes simply from speaking to Hashem, which is why the evil inclination puts so much effort into preventing a person from speaking to Hashem. He tells you, “Do not speak to Hashem. Whatever you do, do not speak to Hashem. Who do you think you are?” And the Tzaddik tells you absolutely the opposite, “Speak to Hashem. Constantly speak to Him. Only through this will you do teshuva. Only through this will you become a kosher Jew.” Breslover Chassidim will be judged regarding this in Heaven: Why did you not follow the advice of your Rabbi? Why did you not pour out your heart before Hashem? Granted you did not know this was forbidden, granted you did not know that was forbidden, but if you had only followed the advice of your Rabbi, all would have been revealed to you.
            And if you do not have what to say, do like Rav Ozer: stand facing the wall and say a thousand times, “Ribono Shel Olam” (“Master of the Universe”) over and over again. Say it for an hour. “Have mercy on me. Save me. Put words into my mouth that I should be able to speak to you.” Just speak even if you have nothing to say. Through this alone, Hashem will surely save you. Be stubborn, and do not get discouraged.  Speak, even if you can not think of what to say. When Hashem sees that you are trying, even if you are not succeeding, He will help you. He Himself will put the words into your mouth to petition Him. He Himself will reveal to you a new light, and show you all the places that you need to do teshuva.
            Simply to stand before Hashem and say, “Is it fitting that I should behave before you in such a way?” This alone will bring him to the level of  “teven,” a deeper understanding of the Torah, and through this he can become a kosher Jew. One must be tremendously stubborn, but only in prayer.
           Rabbeinu said in Likutei Moharan, I:48 that one must be very stubborn in serving Hashem. Rav Avraham ben Rav Nachman explained this as referring to prayer, for in nothing else is it permitted to be stubborn, only in prayer. Because sometimes a prayer is immediately accepted, and sometimes one is told to wait. This is not because the prayer has not been accepted, but rather because the person is not ready to be given what he prayed for. He has to improve himself, to raise himself up through continued prayer and longing to serve Hashem properly, until he is capable of receiving that which he is praying for.
            Rabbeinu once said to someone, “Do you really want to want?” Desire is a powerful thing. Even when you are not given what you ask for, still, you must continue to want, continue to pray. There is an example given in the Gemara (Yoma 38): One who wants to buy persimmon [which has a fragrant smell] is told to wait. One who wants to buy kerosene [which has a foul smell] is served immediately. A person succeeds in getting up at midnight every night, making hisbodedus and praying constantly to Hashem, yet he sees no progress, no improvement. The truth is that he is without question progressing, he is certainly improving, but the evil inclination has the power to hide this from a person. Even after years of working on himself, he still seems to have got nowhere. However, this is just a test. The evil inclination is trying to prevent him from carrying out the advice of the Tzaddik. One has to be tremendously stubborn and not allow himself to be prevented from continuing to cry out endlessly to Hashem. One must never cease from following the advice of Rabbeinu and not be put off by his apparent lack of success and improvement. Rather, he must say to Hashem, “Master of the Universe, do with me as You will. Nothing is going to stop me from crying out to You!”  Do not stop praying because you do not get what you want. If you stop praying, this just shows that you did not want it enough.
             When a person has an awakening to do teshuva, he straight away wants to start praying with concentration, to put meaning into every word. Rabbeinu says, “This I am not yet ready to give you. Perhaps tomorrow you will abandon me. Continue doing the best that you can until I see that you are really serious, really determined, and then I will give it to you.” Were a person to search for a hidden treasure, and not find it, would he simply give up searching? One must search for Hashem constantly. This is the only proof of sufficient desire. One should not press Him that He should give him immediately, but rather be prepared to wait for Him to give when He sees that you are ready.
            Hisbodedus is our only weapon. Through persistently begging Hashem to help us we can achieve every level and truly become a kosher Jew. But to do this, we have to pray, and pray, and never stop praying.

Copyright © 2000  Breslov Institutions, Yeshivat "Shuvu Bonim",
All Rights Reserved.