Azamra / Rabbi Nachman: Who He Was - Part 17

84. What can I tell you, there is nothing greater than this [to be by Rabbi Nachman's tomb for Rosh Hashana], and if other tzadikim didn't say this, so that's another question (i.e. people have had all types of questions and problems with Rabbi Nachman, so just mark this up as another...). [Life of Rabbi Nachman 126, 220, 406]

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

By means of great mercy G-d created the most divine and the utter sublime. G-d shines His light into the souls of Israel and in the reflection of His light we experience and understand Him in every way conceivable [this is the greatest gift, for anything else is secondary]. G-d does this with infinite wisdom granting free choice to the recipients of His goodness to determine that it is in fact G-d's light they are experiencing that is sustaining them. Based on the position of your soul you testify and acclaim G-d.

There is a Master of all the souls, this is the Tzadik (righteous one), the Ambassador of G-d (so to speak). Thus our relationship with G-d and our every experience is completely pivoted on the Tzadik. The Tzadik is responsible for building the Kingdom of G-d in the light of G-d as it reflects from all the souls of Israel. The Tzadik guides and uplifts all creation. An individual soul or group of souls can not pay tribute to G-d without acknowledging His Tzadik. We must follow the ways of the Tzadik. When we pay homage to the Tzadik we honor G-d. That is the way G-d chose to create the world for our benefit.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov lived approximately 245 years ago. Rabbi Nachman was born in the house of his great grandfather the Baal Shem Tov (father of Chasidism). Aside from the purity and holiness of his soul which enabled him to have special perception of the divine, his genius allowed him to learn a book by just perusing it in a few moments. Despite these gifts, Rabbi Nachman did not choose to spend his time and energy in kabalistic meditation or the pursuit of wisdom, rather he desired to seek G-d in the most simple and meaningful fashion. He was particularly fired by stories of devotion of the early Chasidim. At a very young age Rabbi Nachman purged his body of all desire, subjugating it to the holy desires of his soul. He delighted in doing abundant common mitzvot. Most important, Rabbi Nachman mastered the prime service of G-d, prayer, especially hisbodidus ['to be alone with G-d', that is to speak to G-d personally, in your own words, knowing that He is paying great attention]. Rabbi Nachman teaches that everything that there is to achieve can be achieved through prayer (more over anything that was achieved without prayer, is lacking). Many Rabbis had previously taught the importance of prayer, Rabbi Nachman established and instilled the ways of prayer in the world. Just as we have now 4 established prayers (shacharis, mincha, mariv, tikun chatzos) when Messiah comes everyone will be praying a 5th prayer, in his own words, known as hisbodidus, as established by Rabbi Nachman. Fortunate are those who begin this practice now.

As a result of his great self sacrifice and devotion to G-d, Rabbi Nachman became the Master of all the souls of Israel. Rabbi Nachman saw every soul, from Adam till the coming of the Messiah, and every rectification necessary for every soul, and he addresses each and everyonsse, without exception, in the holy books which he authored.

Anyone who desires to have mercy on himself should study and practice Rabbi Nachman's teachings. The rectification of the world and the final redemption are completely reliant on this.

In 1922, a Breslover Hasid, Rabbi Yisroel Dov Odesser o.b.m., known as the Saba, received a Petek (note) from Rabbi Nachman:

“Very hard it was for me to descend to you\ my precious student to tell you that I enjoyed\ greatly your service and upon you I said\ my fire will burn until the\ mashiach will come be strong and courageous\ in your service\ Na NaCh NaChMu NaChMuN MEyUMaN\

and with this I shall reveal to you a secret and it is\ full and heaped up from end to end (PTzPTzYH)\ and with strengthening of service you will understand it and a sign\ the 17th of Tamuz they will say that you are not fasting.”

Rabbi Nachman signed his name in this unique fashion [1,2,3,4]! The Petek says that the continuation of Rabbi Nachman is through Saba Yisroel. Saba Yisroel's name is not mentioned, because the Petek is for everyone to consider personal.

60 years later, the Saba began to publicize the Petek. Saba said: “If I were to reveal just two words about the Petek, I would annul the free will of the whole world.” “This is a novelty and wonder, the likes of which have never before been seen in this world. The song Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman fixes everything and heals everything!” “This is only from Rabainu, only a miracle. A signature such as this, no Tzadik ever signed a signature like this: the 'simple, doubled, tripled, quadrupled.' And Rabainu in his lifetime also never signed this way. Only in this Petek – we didn't know – this is found in Likutay Moharan, that the holy Rabainu talks about this Song. He is this Song. But here, he reveals to all the world Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman. What is now in the world, was never known, we know nothing.” Saba inspired R' Moshe Feinstein zt"l with the Petek, and received from R' Moshe a unique letter of approbation and recommendation.

Saba said: “Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman is a sigoola (object, action, or saying with saving and enhancing powers) for every problem and situation.” “This song is the matter of the redemption.” “Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman lifts man from absolute descent to absolute ascent.” “Just to say this name Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman, sweetens all the sufferings and all the judgments, all the sins and all the blasphemy – everything! It transforms everything, happy is the one who believes.” “We have no conception what it is, that we merited, in these generations, to know from this, from a secret like this Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman. There is a great deal to speak about, but I can not speak!”

What is Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Me-Uman?

'Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Me-Uman' is the name of our holy leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1811). Through a note he sent (In 1922) in a miraculous manner to Rabbi Israel Dov Odesser (called 'Saba' or 'Saba Israel'), Rabbi Nachman revealed that his name (meaning his soul and teachings) is the Song that is Single (Na - נ), Doubled (NaCh - נח), Tripled (NaChMu - נחמ), and Quadrupled (NaChMaN - נחמן).

Great tzadikim (holy sages) preceding Rabbi Nachman's time spoke of the Song that will be revealed in the future, among them Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel (in his translation of Shir Hashirim – the Song of Songs, in the first verse) and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Master of the Zohar and Tikunay Zohar). These tzadikim explained that before the coming of the Messiah, there will be revealed a song that is Single, Doubled, Tripled, and Quadrupled, and that through this Song the true faith and belief in G-d will be restored in the world as G-d will renew the world in His wondrous ways. All of this will occur before the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah himself will sing this song and redeem the Jewish People and bring the Knowledge of G-d, peace, and compassion to the whole world.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught (Likutay Moharan 64) that every Wisdom and Intellect has it's own specific tune and melody. It is from the melody that the wisdom is produced and extended (as can be discerned in Psalms (47) 'sing enlighten'). Even the wisdom of heresy has its own specific tune and melody unique to the wisdom of heresy.

[This is what our Sages of the Talmud (Chagiga 15) attributed the deviation of 'Achair' (Elisha, the teacher of Rabbi Meir) stating that it was caused because of Greek melody that was always with him, and that when he would rise from the Torah study hall, books of heresy would fall from his lap, because these two things are dependent on one another. The Greek melody that was always on his mouth was the cause for his having the books of heresy that would fall from his lap, for this particular melody was specific to the heresy that he had.]

Also according to the ascending level of the wisdom so too the tune and melody will be of higher distinction. This is true on every level higher and higher even up to the beginning point of all of creation which is called "the start of Emanation," there is nothing higher than it, nothing that exceeds the wisdom that is there, except the "Light of the No Limit <Ain Soaf>," the wisdom on this level is unfathomable to humans, and so on this exalted level, all wisdoms are a matter of faith.

Faith also has a tune and melody specific to faith. Just as we see that even the mistaken faiths of the Worshipers of the Stars and Constellations, each of their faiths has their own song that they sing and conduct in their houses of prayer. As it is with false faith so it is in holiness, every faith has a tune and melody. This unique melody of the above mentioned faith, which is the faith above all wisdoms and faiths in the world, the faith in the Light of the "No Limit" <Ain Soaf> Himself which encompasses all the worlds, this melody is also higher than all the tunes and melodies of the world which are particular to all wisdom and faith. All the tunes and melodies of all the wisdoms come forth from this melody and tune which is higher than all the tunes and melodies of all the wisdoms, for it is the melody associated to the faith in the "Light of No Limit" Himself, which is higher than everything.