Zeh YeNachmainu
‘This One Will Comfort Us’
A condensed account of the amazing life of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov; the narrative of less than forty years that revolutionized the face of Judaism, whose effects are strongly felt even 200 years later. An ongoing story.
Although Rebbe Nachman of Breslov lived for a mere thirty-eight years, his accomplishments far exceeded those years both in quantity and in quality. In his short lifetime, he fulfilled the mission assigned to him by Divine providence. Rebbe Nachman himself once commented: “I would have very willingly removed my ‘cloak’ (a reference to his body) long ago…,” indicating that he had already fulfilled his earthly mission and was able to return his holy soul to his Maker. His mission was to rectify the souls of his fellow Jews and draw them closer to their Heavenly Father. Throughout his life, wherever he went he was actively involved with this task.
Many were those drawn to him on their own in search of the solution to life’s dilemmas and in search of rectification for their souls. Yet there were countless others whom he was forced to seek out on his own, to raise them up from the spiritual bog into which they had sunk. By all sorts of ways and means he raised these troubled souls from the depths of vice. He cleansed their souls from the filth that clung to them, and set them on the straight path for life.
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When we examine the Rebbe’s short –yet rich and productive –years, we can distinguish between the various periods in his life. Each had its unique characteristics, but a common thread runs through them. His continuous quest was to help people better themselves as individuals, thus bringing the Jewish people and the world as whole to the ultimate goal of spiritual perfection. The Rebbe began his life’s work in his early youth, already beginning to set right souls that had strayed from the path and return them to the fold.
Indeed, many of Rebbe Nachman’s contemporaries did not comprehend his stature nor did they understand his ways. In addition, as our Sages teach, “There is a convention that slander is accepted” (see Rabbi Moshe Alshikh, commentary to Ecclesiastes 7). These are the main factors that brought many to oppose, and even antagonize, Rebbe Nachman and his teachings. Others, such as Rebbe Nachman’s uncle Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh, explained their seeming antagonism as being positively motivated, as the following anecdote, told by Rabbi Baruch’s grandson, illustrates:
A group of leading Sages and pious men once gathered in Rabbi Baruch’s home. In the ensuing conversation, some of them spoke disapprovingly of Rebbe Nachman, and others went so far as to ridicule him. Rabbi Baruch heard the disparaging remarks about his nephew, and remained silent. After the guests departed, Rabbi Baruch’s grandson asked his grandfather if what he had heard was true. Rabbi Baruch responded tartly, “[The wisdom that] Rebbe Nachman has in the soles of his feet, they don’t even have in their brains!”
“If so”, asked his grandson, “Why didn’t you object to their comments?”
“Such a lofty soul (as Rebbe Nachman)”, explained Rabbi Baruch, “could not remain in this lowly world were it not to face fierce opposition”.
Those of his contemporaries who did perceive his eminence held him in the greatest esteem, and were exuberant in their praise. The predominant sage of that generation, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Bardichev, said:
“In all my travels I have seen, that anywhere there was anything good to be had –Rebbe Nachman had already [been there] and taken it”.
“If anyone were to take heed, I would raise my voice and proclaim, ‘Anyone who desires to be truly righteous should go to Rebbe Nachman’. But what can I do, for I know that no one will listen to me!”
In a similar vein, Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl bestowed upon Rebbe Nachman the selfsame description with which God depicted King David, saying, “He has beautiful eyes” (compare Samuel I, 16:12 ).
When the Creator sends a lofty soul to this world, the evil archangel asks, “Why have you created me? If this soul is born, his influence will relegate the evil inclination obsolete!” In order to retain the delicate balance of free choice, God allows conflict to conceal the light of the great Tzaddik. In this sense, the fierce opposition to Rebbe Nachman continues to hide the holiness and magnitude of the Rebbe from the eyes of many members of the nation that he was sent to redeem. It is crucial to break through these barriers and connect with the Tzaddik, for the sake of our spiritual freedom and to reach the ultimate perfection.
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The Ba’al Shem Tov’s Synagogue: Rebbe Nachman’s Childhood Home |
