Azamra / Rabbi Nachman: Who He Was - Part 8

The Ramchal (Daas Tevunos II, published in Ginzay Ramchal) explains further, that in reality the soul of each Jew is a point of holiness rooted in the Torah and G-d (as the Arizal already made clear, that the 600,000 souls of Israel are rooted in the 600,000 letters of the Torah), just that they are disconnected and separated from their root, and sin and all types of evil can accumulate and encompass the soul until it is totally alienated from its source, and completely unrecognizable. Therefore, the main rectification is simply to give strength to the good point which is the person’s root and real essence, and all the evils which had taken hold of the soul will become foreign and fall away.

These are his words:

61. The Neshama (soul) said: That the sinner himself should be rectified by punishment – I understand. However, how can this rectification ordinate a sinner into a tzadik or a bal teshuva (-someone who repented)? Because ultimately merit needs to be produced by bechira (-choice - free will), whereas the punishment isn’t contingent on bechira.

62. The Saichel (intellect) said: It is true that this matter is extremely deep, and it is from the great fundamentals of His modus operandi, blessed is His name. And we find by our Sages o.b.m. enigmatic teachings in this matter, that they said (Shir Hashirim Rabba 5:3): ‘Open for me an entrance like the hole of a needle etc. (and I will open for you an entrance like the entrance of the Oolum (the main building of the Temple)’, and surely this isn’t of the justice that the Holy One Blessed He desires to administer. And if you say – that it is from the attribute of kindness, then there is no necessity even for the opening like the eye of a needle. However, in reality this matter is contingent upon what our Sages o.b.m. made known to us (Rashi on Genesis 1:1, and see Biraishis Rabba 12:15) regarding the creation of the world – that the Holy One Blessed He created the world in/with (the attribute of) din (-judgement, accountability), but because it could not endure – He partnered with it the attribute of mercy. And the general principle of this matter is, that what the Creator (Emanater) blessed is His name, when He set up His enterprises, this is what will be afterwards in those in existence. And you already heard the matter of the destruction of the first worlds and their rectification (see Beraishis Rabba 3:9), and this was preparation for what would be found in people. And all of these things need great explanation.

Behold on account of the property of the Sefiroas which were prepared first, to include the force that would in the future release the Other Realm (Sitra Achra, of evil), this withheld from them the perfection of which they are worthy, because not by this force would the creation be created, just by a force superior to it. Hence the Holy One Blessed He did not desire this system of conduct, rather He prepared other Sefiroas, not that He completely abandoned the first ones, rather He rectified the first ones by means of the second ones. Now the vessels, which are external, they are what broke because of this force which would in the future release the Other Realm (Sitra Achra, of evil), and the light left. But there still remained some sparks (of light) in the vessels, and that is what sustained them, and they weren’t completely abandoned. And then more Sefiroas came in the rectification, and with the strength of the few sparks that remained in the vessels, all the vessels rose to receive the rectification, and they returned and regrouped to bind with these incoming Sefiroas.

And behold all of this is preparation for what is necessary for a person in the aspect of his (free) choice and actions, his punishment and reward, and the rectification of his repentance. Behold the breaking of the vessels is the root for that which the souls can be given over to the hand of the Sitra Achra, and to be deprived of the light because they have the defection of sins. And the rectification (of the broken vessels) is the root for that which the souls are able to rise from the Sitra Achra by repentance.

And understand well, that by means of the remaining sparks there is the rectification of the vessels. And the explanation of this matter is – because our Sages o.b.m. said (Eruvin 19a): “The willful sinners of Israel are full of mitzvoas like a pomegranate,” and this is the matter of the sparks in the vessels. And the matter is (as follows), because [even though] it is true that there are 613 limbs in the body, and segments in the soul, and all of them need to be rectified by virtue of (free) choice, as stated previously, in reality, if the Holy One Blessed He would desire to operate everything with kindness (chessed), then He would not desire (free) choice whatsoever, and He would rectify these parts by Himself. And if He would desire absolute judgment (din), there would need to be (free) choice for all the limbs in all the parts. However, since He saw that the world could not stand, He therefore configured that these few sparks could sustain all the vessels with all their parts, and in the same vein the Creator (Emanater) blessed is His Name desires that the little (arena of) (free) choice which exists in those few mitzvoas which are found in the willful sinners of Israel, which are in select limbs, should draw after it the rectification of all the other limbs through the (procedure of) punishment, because the Sitra Achra is separated from them by means of the punishment by the power of this (free) choice which is found in them, and this is sufficient for him, because the very conduct ruling him was already prepared that way from the onset, as explained above, and being that man is readied according to the conduct of the Giver, behold this is sufficient for his rectification. And the truth is, that just like the broken vessels were not deficient of those few sparks, so too there will not be deficiency by the souls - which were hewed from holiness, of a small amount of mitzvoas. And if there will be the matter – that there will be a soul that doesn’t have any merit – behold it will be eliminated. However, this will not be found, because His kindness blessed He will turn itself over with it, until from some angle (merit) will be found for it. And there are already many angles to find benefit for the souls, because even the merit of the fathers can protect. And this is also (by virtue of free) choice, because the choice of the fathers was to do this rectification – that there would be drawn afterwards a rectification for their progeny. And ultimately it is sufficient that the beginning should be with choice, in order for the rectification to be found according to the set up of the conduct which was prepared for man. And understand well this matter, because it is a pillar, and it is great and enormous, and very fundamental.

From this it can be learned that by finding a good point by which to view a person, this itself can be sufficient to rectify the person, because this point may be sufficient to draw the rectification of all the aspects of that person even without that person’s initiative. If the person, who is now re-established in holiness, continues to repent and rectify his sins, good, if not the rectification can come solely by punishment, which will remove from him all the evil influences that prevailed and subjugated his soul, and he will remain true to the holiness of his soul by virtue of the good point that he had. Thus, this mechanism is effective even regarding a dead person who can no longer repent, by recognizing some good point in someone deceased[22], this can bring them rectification, even though they will still need to be punished and cleansed of their sins. When a good point is found for someone living, securing that person in their good root, it is possible for the person to gain complete rectification by virtue of this “divaikus” (-bonding, attachment) without needing any punishment, this is something the Ramchal revealed and elaborated upon in Adir Bamuroam (pg. 683, Michon Ramchal).[23]

Nachma

Nachman

MayUman

The Events Surrounding The Revelation

of The Torah-lesson

Likutay Moharan 282 - Azamru

In Rabbi Nussun’s autobiography, Yimay Moharnat – The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun, he describes at length the events surrounding the revelation of Torah-lesson “Azamra” (see also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 33). This is all included in chapter 26 which begins with a declaration that he will relate how the holy book Likutay Moharan came to be published. Rabbi Nussun then proceeds to relate how in the summer of 567 (1807) Rabbi Nachman’s wife passed away, and Rabbi Nachman contracted a lung disease and immediately began to talk of his own demise, he said his health was in grave danger and exhorted everyone to pray for him. Amongst other things, he spoke of the need of having 60 warriors surrounding him and of his desire to be buried in Israel if it would have been feasible (as is also documented in The Life of Our Master Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 162). Two days after Yom Kippur 568 (which was a Wednesday) Rabbi Nachman initiated the first step towards the publication of Likutay Moharan, he also finished dictating to Rabbi Nussun his holy awesome book “Sefer Hanisruf” - the book which was burned.

On Shmeenee Atzehress[24] (Saturday, October 24, 1807) Rabbi Nachman gave over the Torah-lesson “Azamra” (“I will sing” - #282), however he did not complete it at that point. On Isroo Chag (the day after the festival of Simchas Torah, Monday the 26th), Rabbi Nachman departed Breslov in great haste heading towards Lemberg[25], and Rabbi Nussun chased frantically after him, eventually catching up with Rabbainu at night in the town of Kresney. There Rabbainu asked him, “Why are you sad temper? Perhaps you regret what you started?”

And Rabbi Nussun stood there embarrassed and replied meekly, ‘No (i.e. I do not regret Heaven forbid what I started).”

Rabbainu replied, “In that case, why are you in sad temper?”

Rabbi Nussun answered, “For I desire to be a kosher (-proper) man.”

Rabbainu replied, “If so, that you desire to be a kosher man – what do you have to worry about – behold the entire world labors and works for you. This one travels to Breslou and this one to here – all for you.” And with these holy worlds he greatly enlivened Rabbi Nussun.