- "My
fire will burn until the coming of Mashiach."
- "I
will lead you on a new path which no man has ever
traveled before. It is really a very old path and
yet it is completely new."
- "It
is a great mitzvah to be happy always."
- "Spend
an hour every day meditating and praying to God
in your own words. Personal prayer and meditation
-- hisbodedus -- is the supreme level and greater
than everything."
- "If
you believe you can damage, believe you can repair."
- "A
person has to cross a very narrow bridge in this
world. The most important thing is not to be afraid."
- "Gevalt!
Never give up!"
Great
grandson of the "Baal Shem Tov", founder
of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
revived the authentic chassidic path of faith, prayer,
Torah study, simplicity, kindness and joy in the service
of God. He left a rich legacy of teachings, sayings
and stories that have made him a source of guidance
and inspiration loved and revered by ever growing
numbers.
R. Nachman was born in Medzeboz, Ukraine in
1772, and from early childhood devoted himself to
Torah, prayer and intense devotion. He attracted his
first follower at the age of 13, and by his early
twenties his students included many of outstanding
piety and scholarship.
In 1798-9 Rabbi Nachman risked his life to reach Israel
despite dangerous travel conditions and Napoleon's
Middle East campaign. In 1802 Rabbi Nachman settled
in the Ukrainian town of Breslov. He said his followers
would always be called the Breslover Chassidim, for
BReSLoV is made up of the Hebrew letters of the phrase
LeV BaSaR, a "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel
11:19).
In
Breslov Rabbi Nachman was joined by Rabbi Nathan Sternhertz
("Reb Noson", 1780-1844) who became his
closest follower and recorded almost all his surviving
teachings.
In
1807 Rabbi Nachman became sick with tuberculosis but
continued teaching and telling stories. In 1810 he
moved to the Ukrainian town of Uman, site of a horrendous
massacre of tens of thousands of Jews forty years
earlier. Rabbi Nachman died in Uman in 1810 and was
buried amid the mass graves of the martyrs.
Tens
of thousands visit Rabbi Nachman's gravesite each
year, especially during the annual Rosh Hashanah (New
Year) gathering of the Breslover Chasidim in Uman.
Why
study Rabbi Nachman's teachings:
How to win in a world of illusion
If
you want to win in this world of falsehood and illusion,
you need a faithful guide who truly loves you and
can show you the way to attain your destiny.
Moses guided the Children
of Israel out of Egypt, teaching them God's Torah
for all time. Since God never does the same thing
twice, each succeeding generation faces unique challenges.
To guide the souls of Israel in each generation, God
sends Moses back to the world. The leading Tzaddik
of each era is the Moses of the generation. As Jeremiah
said of the true leaders of the Jewish people: "Those
who love them will lead them" (Jeremiah 49:10).
Ours is an age of widespread
material abundance, runaway technology and opportunities
undreamed of in any previous time. Yet many are full
of discontent, anger and depression. Those searching
for truth feel under attack from an onslaught of obstacles,
doubts and confusion.
More than ever we need
the clear, sweet wisdom of the outstanding Torah sage
and spiritual master, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810).
Two hundred years after he left the world, his teachings
are bringing guidance and inspiration to growing numbers
of spiritual seekers all over the world, Jews and
gentiles.
A visionary who stood
on the threshold of modern times, Rabbi Nachman penetrated
to the very roots of the world's madness. His wealth
of teachings, sayings, stories and parables offer
remedies for people on every level, providing simple,
practical ways to connect with God, grow spiritually
and attain joy, wisdom and total fulfillment.
Main
works of Rabbi Nachman
Likutey
Moharan
(lit. "Gleanings of Rabbi Nachman"):
Rabbi Nachman's collected Torah discourses. Available
with English translation and commentary. Rabbi
Nachman's Advice is a compendium of teachings
from Likutey Moharan arranged by subject.
Sippurey Maasios
(lit. "Tales of
Deeds", translated as Rabbi Nachman's Stories):
Thirteen stories of kings, princesses, ogres,
pirates, magic stones, singing animals and other amazing
wonders conveying profoundest mystical secrets.
Sichos HaRaN
("Conversations of Rabbi Nachman", translated
as Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom): Insights and practical
advice on prayer, meditation, study, faith, joy and
many other topics as recorded from Rabbi Nachman's
conversations with his followers.
Sefer HaMiddos
("The Book of Attributes",
translated as The Aleph-Beit Book): A
collection of striking aphorisms by Rabbi Nachman
arranged by subject and containing the distilled wisdom
of the Torah on all areas of life, spiritual and physical.
Chayey Moharan
("The Life of Rabbi Nachman", translated
as Tzaddik): Intimate biographical
portrait of the Rebbe including numerous conversations,
information relating to his lessons, and a variety
of his sayings, stories, dreams and visions.
Tikkun HaKlali
(The General Remedy): Rabbi Nachman specified
ten psalms that he said contain the general remedy
for maladies of the soul, especially depression. The
ten psalms are: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105,
137, 150.
Rabbi
Nachman did not write a commentary on the Torah or
a systematic guidebook to the spiritual path. The
primary texts of the Rebbe's teachings are collections,
including a collection of Torah discourses, a collection
of stories, two collections of conversations and one
of aphorisms.
Understanding
how Rabbi Nachman taught can help you find direction
in exploring the original texts.
When not secluded in his own devotions, he would converse
informally with his followers, sharing many amazing
ideas and giving practical advice on how to pray,
study, meditate, develop faith, keep happy, eat, drink,
do business and much else. He often taught through
parables, and told thirteen major stories. On Shabbos,
festivals and especially Rosh Hashanah (New Year),
when all his followers would assemble, the Rebbe would
give inspirational Torah discourses. Crafted with
consummate grace, his teachings open up new horizons
of thought, shining light on Bible, Talmud, Halachah,
Kabbalah and every aspect of life.
The
Rebbe's discourses, conversations and stories were
carefully transcribed by Rabbi Nathan Sternhertz ("Reb
Noson", 1780-1844), who for the Rebbe's last
eight years was his closest student. After the Rebbe's
death, Reb Noson printed his discourses, stories and
conversations. Reb Noson also wrote extensive discourses
of his own, using the Rabbi Nachman's teachings to
illumine all aspects of the Torah and mitzvos.
- To
hear a model on-line audio class now on a
Hebrew text of a Rabbi Nachman teaching, "Prayer
Power", Likutey Moharan I:1 click
here!!!
-
To read collected teachings of Rabbi Nachman on
specific subjects including faith, prayer, meditation,
happiness, Israel, music, healing and many other
other aspects of the spiritual pathway, click
here!!!
- If
you are interested in books about
Rabbi Nachman and his pathway, two varied approaches
are found in Crossing the Narrow Bridge by
Rabbi Chaim Kramer and Under
the Table by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum.
- If
you wish to study primary texts of Rabbi
Nachman's teachings and stories, bear in mind that
all surviving primary texts are collections
of individual teachings, conversations, stories
and discourses etc. given on many different occasions.
There is no prescribed order of study for
a beginner. Dip in and pursue whatever arouses
your interest.
- Rabbi
Nachman's conversations in Rabbi Nachman's
Wisdom are the ideal introduction to his
style and spiritual pathway, with many jewels of
his wisdom and practical advice in a wide variety
of areas.
- Try
the stories and parables in Rabbi Nachman's
Stories. For information about Rabbi Nachman's
life and a variety of other materials, try Tzaddik.
"The
main thing is not study but practice." (Avot
1:17)
Rabbi
Nachman said: "Three kinds of people come to
me. Those who come to grab shi'rayim [the
Rebbe's leftover food]; those who come to hear Torah,
and those who are inscribed on my heart."
And to be inscribed on the Rebbe's heart, he must
be inscribed in yours.
Rabbi
Nachman's intention was to provide empowering pathways
of spiritual growth. The only way to grasp the meaning
of Rabbi Nachman's teachings is by following them
in practice. Rabbi
Nachman's basic teachings are:
Deeper
understanding of Rabbi Nachman's pathway comes from
extending one's knowledge of his teachings through
study of the primary texts, especially Likutey
Moharan, which collects all Rabbi Nachman's major
Torah discourses.
The
Breslover chassidim say that when a person dies,
he goes first to Olam HaTohu, the World of
Confusion, where he thinks he's still alive. Once
he starts to realize he is dead, he should search
for the Tzaddik to rectify his soul. But it could
be that here in the World of Confusion he will find
someone who says he is Rabbi Nachman but
is not the true Rabbi Nachman.
How
can we find the true Rabbi Nachman in this
world when so many different people are speaking in
his name?
Rabbi
Nachman left his physical body almost two hundred
years ago. Today nobody knows what he looked like:
there are no portraits. What survives are his words.
His ideas and teachings are studied in many different
formats by people all over the world. They include
outstanding Torah leaders, spiritual seekers, serious
thinkers, academics, students and countless thousands
of others who look to these teachings as a living
source of inspiration, guidance, comfort, insight,
wisdom and spiritual light.
The
spread of Rabbi Nachman's teachings has fostered the
growth of communities of followers, the Breslover
Chassidim, in Israel and throughout the world. With
no living Rebbe and only the words of Rabbi Nachman
words for guidance, people of initiative have built
institutions for the study, publication, translation
and dissemination of Rabbi Nachman's teachings. Others
have built synagogues, schools and other community
facilities. Rabbi Nachman's emphasis on individual
growth and self-expression has encouraged a wide variety
of contemporary teachers, writers, musicians, artists,
musicians and others to give voice to Rabbi Nachman's
message different ways. Many books, booklets, pamphlets,
fliers, tapes, internet sites and other materials
in different styles and languages are available with
teachings in the name of Rabbi Nachman.
To
learn more about the true Rabbi Nachman and his pathway,
study his original words. For guidance about their
meaning, seek out those who have made a deep study
of Rabbi Nachman's teachings and practice them in
their lives. Ignore those who emit confusing messages.
This
site is devoted to providing on-line English-language
line aids to serious study of Rabbi Nachman's original
Hebrew teachings in Likutey Moharan and other
primary texts, including audio classes and other materials.
