Azamra / Rabbi Nachman: Who He Was - Part 30

Oatzar Ha-yeeru; Shalom and Achdus, Ahavas Chavayrim, and Judging Favorably article 10, from Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim 2, Blessing of Thanksgiving 6:61. ↑

Likutay Halachos, Laws of Blessings on Sightings and Blessings on Particulars 4:4 – regarding the commandment of loving one's fellow. ↑

Beginning of Likutay Halachos, Laws of Waking Up Early In The Morning 1:12. ↑

It is interesting to note that Azamru is Torah-lesson 282 which in Hebrew are the letters Resh (200) Pay (80) Bais (2), these letters also can be rearranged to spell out, BiPahR, with a cow. Add a point – 283 = PeGehR – a corpse, which contaminates, subtract a point – 281 = AiFehR – ashes (of the Red Heifer). This is so much the Torah of the power of the good point! From my book Likutay Nanach. ↑

Thus the Torah-instruction of Azamru, like all extremely powerful tools can Heaven forbid be very destructive if not followed correctly. Similarly, we find regarding hisbodidus, probably the main principle and fundamental of Breslov, regarding which Rabbi Nachman said that even if a person Heaven forbid is completely in the hands of his evil inclination, if he completely isolates himself in hisbodidus he will eventually come out holy, even still Rabbainu revealed in his holy book Character – The Aleph Bet book of the Traits, that hisbodidus can draw on a person unwanted attention from Above redressing him for his sins. Proper hisbodidus demands that a person judge himself, which would effectually call off any judgment from on High, however if done improperly it would result in calamity Heaven forbid. Furthermore, he revealed there that if the hisbodidus is on the path of setting one's heart wantonly Heaven forbid, it will lead to anger. Thus we see that these fundamentals of Rabbainu must be utilized correctly in pursuit of holiness and connection to Hashem and His tzadik and His Torah, the righteous go in them and the wicked blunder in them. ↑

There are at least three types, and many places the Torah instructs us to follow the ways of Hashem. In Deuteronomy (26:17 and 28:9) the Torah says: vihulachtuh bidruchuv – and you should go in His ways. In Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:2) it says: Zeh Ai”lee vi-anvaihoo – this is my God and I will “anvaihoo”, this word has many interpretations, the primary meaning is from the word “nuveh” a dwelling, to make a place of dwelling from the Divine Presence, also “nu-eh” means to nice, to beautify all the matters of Hashem. The Talmud (Shabbbos 133) says that this word also means to be similar to Him, to His attributes, Rashi explains that according to this teaching, the word “vi-anvayhoo” is a constriction of two words: Anee – I, vi-hoo – and Him. Both these words are part of the Divine Name of 72 (three letter names. VHV is 1 and 49, ANI is 37). A third way the Torah commands us to follow the ways of Hashem is with the command (see Deuteronomy 10:20, 11:22, 13:5, 30:20): viduvaktuh boa – and you should bind yourself to Him, the Sages explain, how is it possible to bind oneself to God?! It must mean that one should follow and practice the Divine Attributes (when the verse also commands explicitly “vi-hulachata…” to go in His ways, the Sages deduced that the additional commandment is referring to binding to the tzadikim – which is really also one of the ways of G-d). In many places the Sages elaborated on the ways of God to be emulated, and as pointed out already, the holy book of Tomer Devorah dedicates a chapter to the Thirteen Crown Attributes which include this way of a. looking for the good however little or hard it is to find, b. not paying attention to the bad, and c. judging only by the good. ↑

Even though in the World of Truth any real good point will ultimately be recognized, it is possible that the point of itself isn’t meritorious, and it is only considered good from someone learning goodness from it, and other similar reasons. Also the good point might be extremely subtle and upon the initial judgment the person may be sentenced as completely guilty for their general status, and only afterwards there will be further judgment to address such subtleties, in which case if the good point would be pointed out by someone, this would bring immediate and full recognition of that good point. ↑

Rabbi Yitzchok Breiter o.b.m. H.y.d. felt that the Torah-teaching of Azamruh is contingent upon his first pillar of the Seven Pillars of Faith. Originally a dissertation on this was going to be included here, but in the end, I decided this isn’t the place. It can be found on my blog. ↑

It is interesting to note that on Shmeenee Atzehress only one cow is brought as an offering compared to the many that are brought on every day of the preceding days of the holiday of Succos, and our Sages point out the significance. And this Torah-lesson also stresses the power of even one good point. ↑

Lemberg was the capital of Galicia, today it is called Lviv. At that time it was under the rule of Austria. It was a stronghold of traditional Judiasm, but was also a center of the growing heretical movement of the so called enlightenment. The relevance of this is explained in the next footnote.

It is interesting to note, that Rabbainu once pointed out a certain soldier in a procession of soldiers in Lemberg, revealing underneath the uniform he was wearing tachreechim (clothes of the dead), and Rabbainu revealed that this was the path the destructive angels bring a person to hell (addendum to The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 281). ↑

In Parpuru-oas Lichuchmu, R’ Nachman of Tchehrin writes:

"For it is understood from elsewhere that in Lemberg, Rabbainu za.tza.l. worked at quashing the heresy and apostasy that he saw with his Divine Inspiration (ruach hakodesh) would overbear on Israel in the future Heaven forbid. Now the matter of this overbearing is explained elsewhere that usually it stems from disheartenment which overcomes a person at first due to his many defects, and it is difficult for him to strengthen himself in some good point that he has, until as a result of this he falls to complete wickedness, and apostasy, and heresy, may the Merciful One save us, as is brought down elsewhere regarding what the Sages o.b.m. said, "The beginning of capitulation is fleeing," etc.. And therefore Rabbainu o.b.m., after his return from Lemberg, (he) then abounded to engage in words of encouragement and the rectification of the holy faith, how it is necessary to stay far away from chakeeroas (-queries of the Divine), and he lambasted copiously regarding the heresy which was going and spreading in the world, as all this is explained elsewhere. Also in Lemberg, he sent one of his men to Breslov to burn holy book of his which are called by us by the name Sefer Hanisruf (-The Book That Was Burned). And a long time afterwards, after his return from there he alluded in a homily that this was also in order to quash spiritually the heresy and apostasy, and to strengthen Israel in the holy faith, as is explained in Likutay Moharan volume 2, Torah-lesson 32…. And behold in these generations of ours it can be seen ostensibly how his words o.b.m. have transpired, and this leprous plague of heresy and apostasy has spread, may the Merciful One save us, and primarily from the overbearing on the very young school children, to teach them the languages of the nations, and external wisdoms, and accustom them from their youth to heretically deny all the words Our Sages o.b.m. etc. etc., as all this is well known in these times, due to our numerous sins. And Rabbainu za.tza.l. saw all this very well with his ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration), and he worked at rectifying this matter, and also his trip to Lemberg was because of this matter, therefore he told them, "I will tell you an introduction to my trip."" He continues to review the different points of the Torah as an initiative and key fundamental solution to upholding the true way of holiness and faith and remaining loyal to HY, see there.

Keep in mind, that Rabbainu had already revealed the first part of this Torah-lesson about judging favorably, so the trip had more to do with the aspect of the role of the tzadik etc..

Also see the addendum to the Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (article 228), "Once some of the men of our persuasion (-Breslovers) came to Rabbainu of holy blessed righteous memory, and one man, who wasn't so important, was missing. And Rabbainu za.tza.vi.ku.l. asked for his whereabouts. And there was great wonderment amongst the adherents on his inquiry for him. And Rabbainu za.tza.vi.ku.l. said, "Because of this I must travel to Lemberg." ↑

Sheeru is associated with ascent, whereas zimru is associated with breaking in, rectifying, and reveling in one's current state. ↑

A synopsis of this is teaching is brought down in Outpouring of the Soul, article 56, with more material on the matter. ↑