Siman 263

(23.) In the year 5563 — which was the first Rosh Hashana he was here in Breslov — I was with him for Rosh Hashana and all the Ten Days of Repentance until after Yom Kippur. And after Yom Kippur I traveled home and Rabbi Yudl and Rabbi Shmuel Aizik remained here for the Festival of Sukkos. And I heard several precious words from Rabbi Yudl about what he heard then — and I do not remember them well. Once on Hoshana Rabba he said before the world: "What shall I do — two murderers stand over me and say even so that I am a leader" (meaning those called a 'good Jew' [guter yid]) — and he indicated with his hand toward Rabbi Yudl and Rabbi Shmuel Aizik at the time he said "two murderers" — meaning that he was referring to them, since they were very closely attached to him. And who will merit to understand the interpretation of these words, for the aforementioned men were very precious in his eyes, among the greatest of his close ones. And on Shemini Atzeret he spoke with them about the matter of dancing and clapping of hands, and turning oneself — which is the aspect of [Exodus 19]: "And Moshe went up to G-d, and Hashem descended upon Mount Sinai" (as explained elsewhere — Sichos HaRan §86) — and the matter of the pristakait [prostrating/leaping] that one does etc., and he spoke with them wondrous words. Afterwards a great multitude of townspeople began to enter who came to him with song and joy as is customary on Shemini Atzeret. And then he said to Rabbi Yudl and Rabbi Shmuel Aizik: "Go from here, for I need to engage with them — and this does not pertain to you" — and they left him. And afterwards there was made there a very great joy with a great sound of song and joy. And Rabbainu of blessed memory himself danced very much from some time before nightfall until some hours into the night of Simchas Torah. And he commanded that they bring him <span style="color:#b8a060; font-style:italic;" title="הַשְׁמָטָה — שָׂרָה וּמִרְיָם"><his daughter the bride Moras Sarah and his young daughter Moras Miriam></span> and he danced with them greatly. And the greatness of the wondrous pleasantness of the holiness of his dancing is already known — for whoever did not see this has never seen goodness in his days. And it is already explained elsewhere (above §116) that in that year Rabbainu of blessed memory danced greatly — namely on the aforementioned Shemini Atzeret, and on Shabbos Chanuka at the Third Meal after he said the awesome Torah "I saw a golden Menorah" [Likutay Moharan vol. 1, Torah 8], and on Purim. And afterwards on Rosh Chodesh Nissan was the wedding of his daughter Sarah, and he danced greatly with his daughter the bride at the Third Meal of the Shabbos of the wedding, after he said the awesome Torah "And he is like a groom going forth from his canopy" [Likutay Moharan vol. 1, Torah 49]. For at the time of saying the Torah he began with a wondrous voice from the words "And he is like a groom going forth from his canopy" — only when he transmitted this Torah to us in his own holy handwriting he began from the verse "For the sun He has set a tent among them" as it is printed there. And after he said the aforementioned Torah he danced greatly with his daughter. Praiseworthy is the eye that saw this. And I heard from his holy mouth that he said himself: "This year I danced greatly because it was then heard that decrees are being issued (called punktn) against Israel — for through dancing and clapping of hands the judgments are sweetened and the decrees are annulled, as is explained in the Torah 'And these are the ordinances' [Likutay Moharan vol. 1, Torah 10], which was said regarding this matter, as is noted elsewhere (Sichos HaRan §131).