רָאשֵׁי פְּרָקִים מִן הָאוֹתוֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים שֶׁנִּרְאוּ מֵאַדְמוֹ"ר זַצַ"ל

Preface — Reishis Dovor [The Beginning of the Matter] And now, in passing, I will also set before the student some outlines of the signs and wonders that were witnessed from Admoyr z"tl. For as, praise be to G-d, all my days I grew up among the sages in the wisdom of sincerity and simplicity — and these are the men of Moharan"as z"l who abandoned their honor with every manner of abandonment for the sake of truth. [And they accepted upon themselves every manner of disgrace and shame and every manner of insults and revilings and humiliations beyond measure and reckoning — and all the more so during the blazing of the controversy that was upon them in the year 5595 [1835 C.E.], in which every single one of them was in literal danger of being killed. For the common saying then at the Russian court was: "Mit tzehn toyzind kerblich farraybt men alding" — "With ten thousand kerblichs [coins] one can accomplish everything." And the opponents had more than enough money for this — for they considered the killing of one of his men z"l to be a mitzva of the highest order. For so the known oppressor had commanded and ordered them — and had written and sent letters to oppress them, pursue them, destroy them, and annihilate them.] It is a mitzva and an obligation upon me to make known to the coming generations their words that I heard from their mouths. For the great truth of their words has not been hidden from me — and it is clear to me as the day and as the sun — and I know that in righteousness and in uprightness are all the utterances of their mouths. And they are set apart from [their opponents] as light from darkness literally. [And after all these — even the things that I heard from them in the manner of a chain of transmission, mouth to mouth — where I do not know well enough who the people were through whom the story reached me — these I was not willing to write, for fear of the errors common in such stories. See what is known from the words of Moharan"as z"l regarding the saying of our Sages z"l that permitted the writing down of the Oral Torah. And therefore I noted next to each and every story the names of the people from whose mouths I heard it.] Of the stories written in the books that appeared recently — Adas Tzadikim , Kehal Chassidim , Pe'er MiKedoshim , Shivchay HaTzadikim — [and even though there are brought in them many stories from the Baal Shem Tov z"tl and from other true Tzadikim, of whom it is in truth visible that they reveal awesome things in the overturning of nature and foreknowledge of the future — but not like the stories written in those books mentioned, of which the majority of stories [are told] at the time of the wine-feast, where the teller is standing between the third and fourth cup and the listener is sitting and dozing — to the point that more than nine-tenths of them are falsehood, and the small amount of truth is compounded and changed and altered and mixed. With the exception of Shivchay Baal Shem Tov — it is true from beginning to end, as I heard this from the mouth of my father, may I be his atonement, who related it in the name of Admoyr z"tl — except that regarding some very small portion of them he said that they were not written correctly] — and from the rest of the stories that have gone from mouth to mouth and from ear to ear among the tale-bearers who have multiplied in these times: Behold, Admoyr z"l — in the greatness and immensity of the sweetness of his pleasant words to strengthen, and to arouse, and to revive, and to restore all the fallen souls — even had he been permitted to [openly] perform wonders, free choice would have been entirely nullified. And in truth it is precisely on this account that he was restrained from [performing open] wonders. And also when he did perform some wondrous thing, he afterwards besought Hashem, may He be blessed, that the matter should be forgotten [as brought in Sichos HaRan, section 186] . And were I not fearful, I would say that this very thing — that Hashem, may He be blessed, placed in the heart of Moharan"as z"l not to elaborate the stories of his holy wonders [except in a few places where some slipped out from under his pen — such as: the foreknowing of the future concerning the extension of the time of the drought by two years; in Sichos HaRan section 185, regarding the overpowering of illness, may the Merciful One protect us, in the year 5567; there in the same section: regarding the death of the girl Sara Esther; there in the conversations [hashmasos], section 5: and what he said about himself, that if the book should be burned he would have a reprieve to live some more time; in Chayay Moharan, in the story of his journey to Lemberg, section 3 — see there; also the foreknowing of the future and the overturning of nature regarding the healing of the hand; in Sichos HaRan section 186; and regarding the healing of a sick person through the recitation of Shir HaShirim near the break of dawn; there in section 242: and regarding the visitation of the barren woman, there section 252: and regarding the healing of the sick woman who was near death and whose soul nearly departed; in Chayay Moharan in the conversations attached to the Torah teachings, section 52 — see there] — for it is not in these that His praise lies [as brought there in the conversations — see there] — this very thing itself is on account of the prayer of Admoyr z"l mentioned above having taken effect — that Hashem, may He be blessed, placed it so in his [ Moharan"as's ] heart, as mentioned, so that [the wonders] would be forgotten from the heart, as mentioned. And as indeed by now most of them have been forgotten on account of this. But despite all this, I took pity on the remnant of their survivors that had not yet been forgotten — and I set it to my heart to commit to writing at least some outlines of this, so that it should be a memorial for the men of our fellowship who are aware of these matters.

א Reb Tzvi Debates Whether the Rebbe Knows All Thoughts — and Receives His Answer Reb Tzvi, the brother-in-law of Admoyr z"tl, lived in Tshehrin and engaged in commerce all his days. And once he fell into a debate with a certain man over the question of whether Admoyr z"tl knows all the thoughts of those who stand before him — and this man proved to him that Admoyr z"tl does indeed know this as well. Now at that time Reb Tzvi's brother-in-law was suffering very great financial distress — and it weighed upon him enormously, to the point that he resolved to mention it to Admoyr z"tl, that he should pray on his behalf. Shortly afterwards, Admoyr z"tl came to Tshehrin — as was then his holy practice to travel there twice a year [as brought in Chayay Moharan, in the account of his places of residence and his journeys, section 24] . And immediately upon his arrival there, the men of our fellowship came in before him to greet his holy face — and Reb Tzvi mentioned above was also among those who came. And Admoyr z"tl spoke with them his sweet and pleasant words, to draw their hearts to the service of Hashem, may His name be blessed — and spoke with them a wondrous conversation, until the heart of every listener was greatly aroused by it. And Reb Tzvi mentioned above waited and held back until the conversation ended and everyone went away from him — and he remained alone, and wished to go to the door to close it from within, and to whisper to Admoyr z"tl regarding the matter of livelihood, as mentioned.

ב Reb Tzvi's Inner Deliberation — and the Rebbe Reads His Every Thought; the Prophecy of Three Brothers' Poverty Now the way of Reb Tzvi mentioned above was to always deliberate carefully in his mind over every single movement that he needed to make. And therefore even now, immediately when he prepared to move his feet to go to the door as mentioned, he became very ashamed before himself — for he settled in his mind: "What face will I have before Admoyr to mention to him the matter of livelihood? For only just now, in this very hour, he spoke with us a wondrous conversation about the greatness of the foolishness and madness of all the vanities and affairs of this world." And he imagined in his mind that Admoyr would certainly rebuke him for this — saying: "Is it possible that one stops up his ear so utterly and his heart from the fear of Hashem — that even after such a conversation, you have nothing to whisper and mention before me except matters of livelihood?" And on account of this thought he remained standing in his place and did not go any further to the door to close it, as mentioned. And he then began to think again in his reflections: "Perhaps Admoyr truly does know my thought as well — as that man proved to me. If so, he knows clearly that after all his conversation my heart is still stopped up to the point that I have nothing to mention to him except the matter of livelihood. And the reason I stopped from doing so is because I am ashamed before him lest he rebuke me — and I am making myself as though I am awestruck and fearful, and am deceiving his mind, G-d forbid. If so, the matter is even more shameful." And immediately as he was thinking all these thoughts, Admoyr z"tl answered and said to him in this language: "Dich hob ich shoyn farzargt. Dayn bruder Moshe vet zayn a tzichtiger oriman. Dayn Chayyim oyf im iz a rachamanus — er vet nit hobn kayn mehl oyf Shabbos." ("For you I have already provided. Your brother Moshe will be a proper pauper. Your [brother] Chayyim — for him there is great pity — he will not have flour for Shabbos.") And so it was fulfilled, precisely as stated, for all three of them, throughout all the days of their lives — in exact correspondence to the words of our master z"l. Source: heard from his son Reb Yaakov, who heard it numerous times from his own father.

ג Reb Avrohom of Berditchev — Commanded to Abandon Commerce; Loses Everything; Returns; the Rebbe's Two-Fold Prophecy Reb Avrohom of Berditchev had a very wealthy father-in-law, and he himself also had a great deal of money. And Admoyr z"tl — in accordance with what he knew through his holy spirit regarding the root of his soul, spirit, and breath, and what had befallen him, and the other hidden matters pertaining to this, and additionally there was also a physical reason for it — commanded him not to engage in any business whatsoever, but only to engage day and night in Torah and prayer. And Reb Avrohom asked him the well-known question: "What shall we eat?" And Admoyr z"tl answered him: "Vest zayn a mekabel." ("You will be a [supported] recipient.") And Reb Avrohom mentioned above was filled with very great anger over this — and did not travel to Admoyr z"tl again until two years had passed. And in the meantime, presumably the words of the Rebbe z"l took effect — for Reb Avrohom lost his property and spent down every single coin to the last perutah . Until his soul was compelled to return and travel a second time to Admoyr z"tl. And then [the Rebbe] tapped him on the shoulder and said: "Nu Avrehomil! Ver hot oysgefihrt? Vest du mich chotsh itzt folgin? — Vest zayn a sheyner mekabel, un az nit vest zayn a ferzhashavirter mekabel!" ("Nu, Avrehomil! Who prevailed [in the end]? If you will at least now obey me — you will be a fine, respectable recipient. And if not — you will be a rusty, miserable recipient!") And so it was — for Reb Avrohom mentioned above steeled his spirit and hardened his neck and did not want a second time to obey Admoyr z"tl. [For he was a capable and intelligent man, well-versed in all commercial affairs — and he was also very skilled in writing and speech — so that it was very hard for him to bow his shoulder to bear simply the yoke of Torah, and to be a recipient as Admoyr z"tl commanded him.] Until it was fulfilled in him, in exact correspondence, as all that was said above. And he himself admitted it afterwards without shame — and he himself recounted it numerous times. Source: heard partly from my father, may I be his atonement, and partly from the mouth of our friend the Rav Aharon, who both heard all of this from his own mouth.

ד Taanis Esther in Kaminitz — The Shochet Who Refused Lodging, the Miser Who Accepted It, and the Pasgul Knife What occurred when [the Rebbe] entered the home of a certain man in Kaminitz — saying to him: "I wish to lodge with you, and in exchange for this I promise you wealth" — and the entire story that belongs to this: I heard all of this at great length from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from an elder in Brod who had seen all of it with his own eyes — and who afterwards also heard it in Kaminitz from the people who knew and recognized him. The Compiler says: I heard from the men of our fellowship the story that our master z"tl was once in Kaminitz on Taanis Esther [the Fast of Esther], and entered before the shochet u'vodek [ritual slaughterer and inspector] and requested of him that he wished to lodge with him. But [the shochet ], amid the great bustle of slaughtering the fowl and making preparations for Purim, turned him away and said: "I have no room." And our master z"l departed from him. That night, before the reading of the Megillah, the shochet u'vodek mentioned above — who was the baal koray [reader] — was looking over the people who had come to hear the Megillah, to collect the Megillah-coins from them. He saw our master z"l standing and looking at a certain Megillah — and the person of our master z"l greatly impressed him, and he deeply regretted that he had not fulfilled his request to lodge with him. He immediately resolved in his heart that after the reading of the Megillah he would take him home. But immediately after the reading of the Megillah, our master z"l went out and he no longer saw him. And the shochet u'vodek suffered greatly — unable to go home due to the immensity of his distress. He took two young men and went to search for him — and they searched at every inn and house of hospitality but did not find him. For our master z"l had gone to a certain miserly man and told him that he wished to lodge with him — and in exchange he promised him wealth. And it penetrated deeply into [the miser's] heart, and he immediately accepted upon himself to take him in [although this was not his practice at all], for the light of our master z"l radiated in his mind as though he saw the wealth with his own eyes literally, etc. And he sent his daughter each time to bring spiced drinks and refreshments in honor of the guest. The shochet u'vodek mentioned above saw this maiden going back and forth, as mentioned — and asked her what this was about at her home, etc. And she told him. He immediately went with the young men to the place — and they entered, and [the young men] stood outside. And our master z"tl said that they should also come in — and they came in. And our master z"l rebuked [the shochet] and said to him: "Is it possible — how does one take an old man and lift him by his beard and slaughter him with a blemished knife [sakin pagum]?" And [the shochet] asked: "Why with a blemished knife?" And our master z"l said that he should remain there — and that they should send the young men to fetch the knife. And so it was — and the knife was blemished [pagum]. And [the shochet] fainted. And they revived him. And our master z"l told him that he should come to him for Rosh HaShonoh. And a long time passed and [the shochet] did not travel — until he fell ill and accepted upon himself that when he recovered he would travel. And so too afterwards he did not fulfill it — until his wife compelled him and traveled with him. And our master z"l commanded him that he should have a vidduy devarim [verbal confession], etc. — and it seems that he was compelled to relinquish his license to perform shechita [ritual slaughter].

ה Foreknowledge of Future Wealth — and Future Poverty — for the Village Man; and the Rebbe's Rebuke of Reb Chaikil's Shefa Foreknowledge of the future for the village man — that he would rise in wealth, and afterwards foreknowledge of the future that he would descend from his property: "Er vet noch lign in fremde tachrichim" ("He will yet lie in strangers' burial shrouds") — and so it was, precisely as it came from his holy mouth. I heard all of this at great length from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Reb Chaikil — through whom and because of whom the entire story came about and unfolded. [And it may be that this story is the account of the "Reb Chaikil's shefa" that is told among the men of our fellowship.] Once our master z"l was traveling on the road together with Reb Chaikil z"l — and our master z"l was then in a wondrous state of dveykus [devotional cleaving to G-d]. And it appeared to Reb Chaikil that our master z"l was dozing. Along the road to the side there sat at that time one who was somewhat close to our master z"l — and who also had some connection of kinship with Reb Chaikil. And Reb Chaikil signaled to the wagon-driver to turn toward his relative, who was along a side-road. And when they arrived there, Reb Chaikil commanded the wagon-driver to stop — and he stopped there. And the way of our master z"l was not to insist on any matter — and he made himself as though he did not know what was happening, descended from the wagon, and entered the house of that man. When the householder saw our master z"l he was very moved and greeted him with joy. And Reb Chaikil asked him: "Do you have a little old wine or some sweet things for a reception [ kibud ]?" And he replied: "Nothing — my house is empty." [Reb Chaikil] said to him: "Go to the nearby inn [ kretchme ] and bring something for the reception." And he replied that he had nothing with which to buy. He said to him: "Take some object as a pledge." And he took his wife's Shabbos candlesticks and brought a little drink and delicacies. And when he filled the cup in honor of our master z"l, in the midst of all this the children passed by — naked and barefoot, clothed in rags and tatters. Reb Chaikil hinted to our master z"l about all of this and said to him that he should bestow upon him some shefa [divine flow of blessing]. And our master z"l answered and said: "I have no shefa for him — but if you wish, you may give him shefa ." And Reb Chaikil answered: "Rebbe — I am afraid of you [i.e., of your displeasure]; perhaps you will be angered at me for this, and you will say — G-d forbid — that Chaikil will die, and he will die G-d forbid." And our master z"l answered and said to him: "Do not fear!" And he asked him so three times — and each time our master z"l answered him: "Do not fear — I give you permission." And there was a vessel with water in the house — and Reb Chaikil poured the vessel mentioned in the middle of the room, and took the rolling-pin [ katcheri — ma'aroch ] and spread the water out, and said in these words: " Shefa to the east, shefa to the west, shefa to the south, shefa to the north." And our master z"l lifted the corner of his kapote [coat] and said to him: "Chaikil — will you not give me shefa ?" And afterwards they took leave of the householder and traveled on. As they were traveling from there, a band of gentiles came along who were bringing linen tablecloths, wool fleeces, hides and the like to sell in the city — and they asked the householder if he had any old wine, beer, salted fish, bread and the like for sale. He answered them that he had nothing at all. And they asked him why — and he answered that it was because he had no money. And they said to him that they would lend him a certain sum to go to the city and buy everything needed — and when they returned they would buy from him. "And since you are an honest man, we have no worry about the money." And it seems that they lent him five silver rubles. Until that day, the practice of the gentiles had been to stop at the kretchme that was by the roadside. But from that day onward, they began to stop at his place and bought from him everything they needed. And he began to be a man of abundance — and they also sold him everything they had, both from the field: legumes, grain, flax; and also hides of animals, and also fowl and the like. And he would sell them in the city and made profit upon profit — and began to ascend higher and higher. And when he began to acquire some money, he bought some cattle and made butter and cheese and began to bring milk to the city to sell as well. And when he came to the city to sell all the mentioned goods, and also to buy everything needed — in passing, he would come to our master z"l to greet him. But after some time, when he had already become occupied and pressed — he no longer had time to enter before our master z"l, because he needed to sell his merchandise and also to buy and to settle accounts. And on account of this he restrained himself from entering before our master z"l — for he feared that if he entered [the Rebbe] might begin to speak with him and waste his time, or perhaps one of the men of our fellowship might begin to talk with him, and so forth. Once when there was a fair [ yorid ] in Breslov, and he was running quickly to the market to buy and sell — and the windows of our master z"l happened to face out onto the market, so that one had of necessity to pass that way. While he was running and wished to pass to the market without being seen, our master z"l knocked on the window and called out to him. And presumably he was compelled to enter — for good manners would not permit one not to enter when already called. And when he came before our master z"l, our master z"l said to him: "Have you looked today at the sky?" And he said: "No." Our master z"l called him to the window and said to him: "Look through the window and tell me what you see." And he said: "I see wagons and horses and people running here and there." And our master z"l answered and said to him: "After fifty years there will be a completely different fair altogether. All of this that you see will be no more — only different horses and wagons and merchandise and different people. And I will not be there, and neither will you. As it is today — I ask you: why are you so frantic and harried that you do not even have time to look at the sky?" And he called to Reb Chaikil who was in another room and said to him: "See, Chaikil, what you have done with your shefa — until he does not even have time to look at the sky!" All of this I heard from the mouth of Reb Naftoli, who heard it from the mouth of his son-in-law Reb Avrohom z"l.

ו Foreknowledge of the Nekriten Decree — Conscription of Jews into the Tsar's Army Foreknowledge of the future regarding the decree of the Nekriten [the conscription of Jews into the Tsar's army] — in these words: "Ich hob es op geshupt oyf etliche in tzvantzik yohr." ("I have pushed it off for twenty-and-some years.") And so it was, in exact correspondence — for from the time he said this until they began to take Jews into the army for the first time was approximately twenty-five years. I heard all of this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of his uncle, Reb Reuven Yosil of Haissen — and also from other men of our master, our teacher, and our Rebbe, may the memory of the righteous and holy one be a blessing.

ז Foreknowledge to Moshe Hinkes — "They Will Yet Knock on Your Window to Take Money"; the Whole Story of the Pudryad Foreknowledge of the future for Moshe Hinkes [regarding the money they refused to give him] — in these words: "Me'vet dir noch amohl on klappin in fenster, zolst nemen geld" ("They will yet knock on your window again so that you should take money") — and in exact correspondence to these words it was fulfilled thereafter, many years after his passing. I heard all of this from the mouth of Reb Avrohom Dov z"l, who heard it from his own mouth — and he witnessed with his own eyes the end of the story of the payment of the money. And I heard additionally a long and detailed account of it from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moharan"as z"l. Moshe Hinkes was one of the faithful devotees of our master z"l — because he had witnessed several wonders from our master z"l personally and would recount them to everyone. It was on account of this that Reb Yitzchak of the village Tshervitz, near Breslov, drew close [to the Rebbe] — he is Reb Yitzchak Tshervitzer. And this is one of the wonders that [Moshe Hinkes] recounted: He and Reb Avrehomil Payes were partners in the affairs of pudryaden [government supply contracts]. And since at first they were not so wealthy, they would accept smaller pudryaden from the major contractors [ pudryatshikes ] who held contracts with the general from the government. But they succeeded — until over time they became wealthy enough to be in the same league as the major ones, and to accept the pudryad from the general directly. And so they came before our master z"l to ask him whether to accept such a pudryad — and our master z"l did not agree to this. And he then said the small teaching in Likutay Moharan : "That to be intermingled among the gentiles is very difficult for the service of the Creator." But they did not heed his counsel — and accepted a certain pudryad from a certain general. And indeed in a business such as this it is even harder to serve the Creator — for in order that the goods one delivers should find favor in the eyes of the general, one is required to be with him in friendship and excessive closeness, and at times to participate with them in card-playing. And in a gathering of that kind, as is customary, there are also some of their wives or maidens present — and for the wise, a hint is sufficient. The outcome in the end was: for all the previous pudryaden the government settled payment according to the law and in full measure — but for this pudryad it did not settle the payment with them, until they were compelled on account of it to be among those who borrow but do not repay. And since they were wealthy and successful, they had been giving generous donations to our master z"l from time to time — until a respectable sum had accumulated with him. And at that same time they also borrowed from our master z"l. And they had it in their means to settle [their debts] with the creditors — except that to our master z"l they did not settle. Once our master z"l pressed Moshe Hinkes [for the debt] — and [Moshe Hinkes] answered him with impudence: "Mir hobn aych mehr geld iber gigeben" ("We have given you more money already"). Yet despite this our master z"l said to him that the debt for the pudryad would be settled for them — and furthermore, they would yet knock on his window for him to go and collect the debt: "Me'vet dir anklappin in fenster, zolst gehn nemen geld." ("They will knock on your window — and you will go and take the money.") And so it was — for after more than twenty years following the passing [ histaalkus ] of our master z"l, the government examined the accounts — and the debt of the pudryad mentioned above was found still outstanding and unsettled. And immediately a shtifet [courier-messenger] was dispatched to Tultshin, where by then Reb Yitzchak the son of Moharan"as z"l was at the postal station [ post ] — and the shtifet arrived there, and he sent it on to Breslov. And the messenger arrived in Breslov at midnight — and the prophecy of our master z"l was fulfilled: the shtifet knocked on the window of Moshe Hinkes and informed him to go and collect the debt of the pudryad .

ח Foreknowledge Before His Passing — Moshe Hinkes Will Have Children If He Divorces and Remarries What he said before his passing regarding the man Moshe Hinkes mentioned above — that if he divorces his wife and marries another, he will have children. And so it was, in exact correspondence — for relying on these words, Moshe Hinkes went and gave his wife half his wealth, an equal portion from everything he possessed from thread to shoelace, until she was willing to accept a bill of divorce from him. And he immediately married another woman and had with her a son and a daughter. I heard this from the mouth of my father, may I be his atonement, and also from other people who heard it from his own mouth. And this is also brought in Chayay Moharan , in the conversations attached to the Torah teachings, section 26. And what is not stated there — the fulfillment of the words — the one expert in this story will understand on his own. [And see in Yemay HaTalavos at length.]

ט Overturning of Nature — Kfitsat Ha'aretz [Miraculous Shortening of the Way], and the Induced Forgetting of the City's Name The overturning of nature of kfitsat ha'aretz [the miraculous shortening of the way] — and also the inducing of forgetting regarding the name of the city upon Reb Yitzchak z"l, immediately and at once after he departed from there. I heard this from the mouth of Reb Shmuel Yitzchak z"l himself. [And see at length in Sichos v'Sipurim.]

י The Great and Awesome Sound Heard in the Rebbe's Locked Room Also regarding the great and awesome sound [that was like thousands and tens of thousands of people speaking all at once] that was heard in his room, where he was alone behind closed doors. I heard this from the mouth of Reb Yechiel Mendil z"l, who heard it from the mouth of the Rav Reb Shmuel Yitzchak z"l mentioned above — who himself was lying at that time near the entrance to his room. And such great fear and trembling fell upon him that from the greatness of the trembling and terror of his body he fell to the ground — and remained lying there on the ground, for he feared to move from his place, until the sound quieted. [And see at length in Sichos v'Sipurim.]

יא The Rebbe Reveals the Exact Thought Reb Meir Had While Boarding the Wagon — "An Even Greater Wonder That He Could Mislead Me" What he once told to Reb Meir — the thought he had at the time of his boarding the wagon to travel to him. I heard this from the mouth of his son Reb Simcha z"l, who heard it from his own father. The Compiler says: I heard from the men of our fellowship at some length — for this Reb Meir was like a member of the household before our master z"l, and when he came to Admoyr z"tl he would hand him all the keys, etc. And once he traveled together with the Rav Reb Yudel z"l to Admoyr z"tl — and the Rav Reb Yudel z"l said [along the way] that if our master z"l were in a generation of Tannaim [the early Mishnaic sages], he would even then have been a novelty [ chidush ]. And Reb Meir answered that he does not consider our master z"l so great — only as the preeminent sage of the present generation [ gadol ha'dor ] of today. And when they came before our master z"l, our master z"l said to him: "When one does not truly believe in me — why does one travel to me?" And he said to him: "I will tell you the thought you had at the time you boarded the wagon." And [Reb Meir] said to him: "If you know, then say." And our master z"l said it to him. And [Reb Meir] was astonished and said: "If so I will remain with you." And Admoyr z"l led him astray and said to him: "I recognized this from wisdom — from when you entered the house and exchanged greetings." And [Reb Meir] accepted his words and traveled away from him. But in the middle of the road he marveled at himself and said: "What is this — that I allowed myself to be led astray? For this cannot be known except through literal ruach ha'kodesh [the holy spirit] — and this is a great wonder. And an even greater wonder — that he was able to lead me astray, etc." [And see in Sichos HaRan, section 183, what our master the Rav Reb Nosson z"l wrote — that he also told several other people what they had done.]

יב What He Told Reb Meir Regarding Children and Poverty — The Full Story; Sarahki's Wedding; the Son Named Nachman What he made known to Reb Meir mentioned above — regarding children and regarding poverty. This too I heard from the mouth of his son Reb Simcha mentioned above, who heard it from his own father. The Compiler says: I heard from the men of our fellowship at great length — but I will recount it briefly. For this Reb Meir lived in Medvedevka and was very, very wealthy — so much so that they ate at his [table] with silver vessels and washed with golden vessels — and he had no children. [And once the Rebbe Reb Mordechai of Tchernobil z"l and his sons were lodging with him — and the wife of Reb Meir mentioned above asked him to pray for her to have children. And he said to her: "Do you still want children? It is enough for you that I and my sons lodge with you!"] And once his wife traveled to our master z"l in a great commotion and tumult over the matter of children. And our master z"l paced the room from wall to wall — and his face was literally blazing fire. And she almost regretted having troubled our master z"l so greatly. Afterwards our master z"l told her that she would have a son — but she would lose her wealth. And her poverty would be so extreme that the child would have only a single tallis katan [a small ritual garment] — and when it was washed, there would be no other for him to wear; he would have to wait until it dried. And she agreed to this as well. And he said to her that it was also necessary to ask her husband whether he agreed — and he too agreed. And a son was born to them. And after some years, when our master z"l needed to travel to Medvedevka, he traveled by way of Krumenshtuk to celebrate the wedding of Sarahki with the Rav Reb Yitzchak Aizik the son of the Rav Reb Laib of Dobravna. He did not enter their home — only entered the synagogue, and saw the child of Reb Meir mentioned above, and tested him in his learning. And he said: "Ahah — a great loss, etc." And he traveled on his way. And the child came home and told his mother — and she suffered greatly. And towards evening the child passed away. And the mother locked herself in a separate room and refused to be consoled or to speak with anyone. And when our master z"l returned to Medvedevka, he came in to lodge with them. And she immediately came out of the room. And our master z"l said that he removes from her the seven days of mourning [shiva] — for a wedding will be at her home and she will be a mechutenes [a relative by marriage, through a wedding]. And so she indeed fulfilled it and made all the preparations for the wedding as one of the great magnates — and dressed the bride in fine apparel and traveled to meet the groom. And she arranged the choson-mohl [pre-wedding celebration] and in particular the wedding itself with great splendor and beauty — and she herself was dressed in golden ornaments like a mechutenes — and gave a drasha-gishenk [the gift given at the wedding address] of a large golden candelabrum. And afterwards our master z"l called her and told her that she would give birth to a son, and she should call his name Nachman — "and my name is Nachman ben Feiga — and so is he [for her name too was Feiga]." "And just as I am a novelty in my particular matter — so he will be a novelty in his own matter. But only if you will fulfill these conditions: you shall not nurse him yourself — only a wet-nurse. And the wet-nurse shall nurse him only in her days of purity [taharah]. And you shall not see the child at all in your days of impurity [tumah]." And so it was that she gave birth to a son. But she did not fulfill the conditions — for [the child] was ill and she went to see him in her days of impurity. And the wet-nurse also nursed him in her days of impurity. And she traveled to Admoyr z"tl to ask whether she might give him to a different wet-nurse. And he said: "Now it no longer matters at all — since the conditions have already not been kept. And he will no longer be the novelty as I promised." And so it was.

יג The Story of the Yenuka [the Infant] During the Rebbe's Journey to Navoritsh The story of the yenuka [infant] during his journey to Navoritsh. I heard this from the mouths of several people who heard it from the mouth of Reb Shmuel himself. [And see at length in Sichos v'Sipurim.]

יד The Misnagdim Who Wanted to Beat the Rebbe — the Miracle, Their Humiliation, and the Rebbe's Rebuke of His Own Men The story of the transgressors who wanted to beat him — and the miracle that occurred for him, and the downfall that was theirs. I heard all of this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moharan"as z"l himself. Once, on the Rebbe's journey from Mezhbizh to Breslov — and the regular road passes by Nemirov — when the matter became known to the misnagdim , on that day they went out beyond the city with sticks in their hands in order to beat him. When the men of our fellowship heard of this, they did likewise — each man with a stick in his hand — in order to rescue our master z"l from their hands. And both groups stood on the road and waited for his arrival. But it was from Hashem that [the Rebbe's] holy spirit shone upon him — and at one of the inns in a village near Nemirov, where our master z"l had entered, he asked the innkeeper whether it was possible to turn off from the regular road and travel by some other way to Breslov — not through Nemirov. And the innkeeper told him that it was possible, by means of a certain roundabout path along the side-roads through the villages. And our master z"l did so — and made his way through the side-roads along the villages, and came safely to Breslov. And the two groups stood at the ready and waited. And in the meanwhile the time for Minchah arrived. And with the trust in their hearts — the group of the men of our fellowship — that no harm would come to our master z"l, the group of the men of our fellowship returned to the city of Nemirov. But the group of the misnagdim continued to stand in their stubbornness — still in their hearts joyfully hoping for the success of the moment without any obstacle. Suddenly they saw in the distance a half-covered wagon [ baed ] traveling — and on top of it stood two men, after the manner in which a Rebbe travels with his attendants. They cleverly concealed themselves still further — and immediately hid in certain pits and hollows in the ground, so that when the wagon arrived they would emerge from their hiding place and fall upon it to perform their murderous deed. And so it was: with great cleverness they fell upon the covered wagon — but inside it was not our master z"l at all, but rather a certain Rebbetzin with two gabbaim . When they saw this they returned to the city in shame, disgrace, and confusion. The Rebbetzin together with the gabbaim understood that these were not robbers — for had they been robbers and murderers, they would not have fled from the cry of those falling into their hands. And indeed they saw from their backs that these were on the contrary, apparently, Chassidim and men of good deeds — and the matter was a wonder to them. And when they came to the city, as can be imagined, they immediately recounted the matter before the people of the city — and the matter became known. And [the misnagdim ] became a shame and a disgrace before all the people of the city. And one of them, from the greatness of his shame and regret, sent a gift to our master z"l in order to appease him. And our master z"l said regarding this: "Certainly it is good that he sent to appease me — but for this reason alone he will not be exempt from some punishment as well." And also to the group of the men of our fellowship who had gone out to rescue him — our master z"l said that they should not have relied on the miracle, in their trust in the greatness of his righteousness. And precisely — they should have remained waiting all the time together with the group of the misnagdim — on account of "do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow" [Vayikra 19:16] . "And to Hashem belongs the salvation."

טו A Hint Foreknowing a Sin — "The Habare — a Transgression" A hint foreknowing the matter of the "habare" — "aveira" . I heard this at length from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moshe Hinkes. Once [Moshe Hinkes] was before our master z"l — and [the Rebbe] said: "What is this sound of knocking that I hear? Go and see." And I [Moshe Hinkes] went outside and heard nothing. I went from place to place and asked certain people: "What is this sound of knocking?" And they told me: "Moshe Henyes is building a habare [a summer gazebo or booth]." And when I told him, he said to me: "Ahh! Ahh! Habare — aveira! Habare — aveira!" ("A gazebo — a transgression! A gazebo — a transgression!") After several years — already after the passing [ histaalkus ] of our master z"l — I had a certain pressing matter requiring me to go to Moshe Henyes. I went to him and did not find him at home — and the members of his household told me that he was perhaps in the habare . I went to the habare and opened the door — and found him committing a transgression, may the Merciful One protect us. When I saw this deed, I recalled the prophecy of our master z"l: "Habare — aveira." I immediately went to the Rav of Breslov to recount it to him.

טז He Promised a Son to the Man Who Came Daily to His Minyan in Uman What he said to the man who went every day to his minyan in Uman — that through this he would be blessed with a male child. And so it was. I heard this from the mouth of Reb Moshe ben Reb Avrohom Chayyim, who heard it from the mouth of the son who was born through this.

יז Foreknowledge in Zaslov — "At This Moment a Son Is Being Born to Reb Yaakov in Breslov" His foreknowledge in Zaslov — that at this very moment a son was being born to Reb Yaakov ben Reb Yudel in Breslov. I heard this from his son Reb Yoel, who heard it from the mouth of his own father.

יח On Motzai Yom Kippur He Announced That the Verdict Had Been Sealed on the Misnagid Shlomo of Haissen — He Would Die What he made known on Motzai Yom Kippur [the night following Yom Kippur] — that the verdict had been sealed upon the misnagid Shlomo of Haissen — that he would die. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, and from Reb Yitzchak of Haissen — who both heard it from the mouth of my great-uncle Reb Reuven Yosef, who had been sitting before Admoyr z"tl at that time a full year — for he was unable to return home due to the persecutions of the misnagid mentioned above. And immediately after [the misnagid's ] death in that winter following the Yom Kippur mentioned above, [Reb Reuven Yosef] returned home at once.

יט He Commanded Reb Reuven Yosef to Always Rule the Opposite of the Local Rav — and the Rav Fled in Shame What he commanded my great-uncle Reb Reuven Yosef mentioned above — that every halachic ruling he heard from the Rav of his city, he should always say the opposite. And so my great-uncle Reb Reuven Yosef mentioned above fulfilled it — for even when he himself could not remember the precise ruling, from the sheer force of always witnessing face to face the truth of the words of Admoyr z"l, he would invariably give a ruling opposite to that of the Rav. And when they opened the books of the poskim [decisors] to examine whose ruling was correct, they saw with their own eyes that the truth was as his ruling. Until that Rav fled the city with all the members of his household in great shame and disgrace. I heard all of this from my father, may I be his atonement, and from other people who heard it from his own mouth.

כ He Provided Livelihoods for Those Expelled from Their Villages — "Not One Word from His Holy Mouth Returned Empty" What he provided — livelihoods — for the people who had been expelled from the villages. And everything that came forth from his holy mouth never returned empty. I heard all of this at length from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from Moharan"as z"l — and also from the mouths of those very people themselves.

כא When He Revealed to Moharan"as and Reb Naftoli the Hidden Secret of the Coming of the Redeemer — His Voice Was Inaudible to Those Seated Right Beside Them At the time when he revealed to Moharan"as and Reb Naftoli z"l the deeply hidden secret regarding the coming of the Redeemer — his son-in-law Reb Yosef z"l was sitting at that very moment right close and pressed against him. And also two men from Teplik were standing at that time on the steps of the wagon [ shtayg ] — one on each side — with their faces towards Admoyr z"l. Throughout the entire journey [when they were traveling from Ladizhin to Teplik] his voice z"l, while speaking, was cut off in such wondrous ways that it was entirely unknown to his son-in-law and to the two men mentioned above whether he was speaking with Moharan"as and Reb Naftoli z"l who sat facing him. I heard this from several people, and also from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from those mentioned above, who would regularly recount it every time.

כב The Story of the Two Gravestones — "Even After Death They Have No Shame" The Compiler says: The story was thus — that once our master z"l was in Teplik and was in the courtyard [ palish ] of the synagogue, and saw gravestones lying there — two gravestones — with their inscribed letters facing one another. And he said: "Even after death they have no shame." And it became known that these two gravestones were one for a man and one for a woman who had been suspected of one another even during their lifetimes. I heard from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Reb Moshe, the judge [ dayan ] and legal decisor [ moreh tzedek ] of the holy community of Teplik — who saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears.

כג What He Said About the Two Children of Reb Shmuel of Teplik — "Better One Healthy Than Two Sickly" — and So It Was What he said then about the two children of Reb Shmuel of Teplik: "Eyider tzvey shlafe iz glaykher eyns a gezundes" ("Better one healthy than two sickly ones"). And so it was. The Compiler says: I heard that the story was this — that twins were born to Reb Shmuel mentioned above. And our master z"l was with him for the bris milah [circumcision], serving as sandak [the one who holds the child], and then said all of the above. And so it was — the twins died, and afterwards a healthy and strong son was born to him. This too I heard from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Reb Moshe, the moreh tzedek mentioned above.

כד The Healing of Reb Naftoli's Lung Ailment Through the Cheese — "That Is Already No Longer That Same Cough" The story of the healing of the lung ailment of Reb Naftoli z"l. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Reb Naftoli z"l himself. The Compiler says: I heard that the story was this — that after his return from Lemberg, it was his [the Rebbe's] practice to travel outside the city. And once he took with him Moharan"as and Reb Naftoli z"l — and they came to a certain inn [ kretchme ], and they were given cheese there to eat. And Reb Naftoli also had a lung ailment, like Admoyr z"tl. And he z"l and Reb Naftoli did not want to eat it, since it is harmful to this ailment. And Moharan"as did not want to eat without them. And Moharan"as z"l said to Reb Naftoli that he should eat and it would not harm him. And Reb Naftoli said: "You say this to me? [Only] when the Rebbe will tell me" — "az der Rebbe vet mir zogen." And Admoyr z"tl said to him that he should eat together with Moharan"as . And the Rav Reb Naftoli ate together with Moharan"as z"l. And afterwards when they were traveling back to the city, Reb Naftoli gave a cough [ hus ]. And our master z"l said: "Hert aych! S'iz shoyn gor nit der hus — ich hob gemeynt az er vet zikh frier op fartighen far mir." ("Listen! This is already utterly no longer that same cough — I had thought that he [the ailment] would finish [his life] before me.") And the understanding of his words is that through this food he drew down healing for his ailment. And at that same Rosh HaShonoh he said the Torah "Tiku" ["Sound the shofar "] — in Likutay Moharan Tinyono , section 1. And there it is brought that one can draw down the powers of healing into any food — see there, etc.

כה What Befell Reb Yudel and Reb Shmuel Aizik on Their Journey — Sent by the Rebbe to Hasten the Redemption What befell Reb Yudel and Reb Shmuel Aizik z"l at the time when they traveled on his command to engage in his hidden [mystical] endeavors to hasten our Redemption. I heard some brief outlines of this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moharan"as z"l — and also from Reb Yechiel Mendil z"l, who heard it from Reb Yudel z"l himself. The Compiler says: I heard that he commanded them to recite in every city they passed through one page from the burned book [ sefer ha'nisraf ], and from the book of Likutay Moharan they would leave one page in every city, etc. And he commanded them to go to the Rav of Berditchev z"tl [Reb Levi Yitzchak] and ask him for tzedakah [charity], telling him that this donation was for the needs of hachnasat kallah [supporting a bride for marriage]. And their efforts for this were as mentioned — but many obstacles befell them due to poverty, for their money ran out entirely. And in the houses they would not give to them — since they said they were healthy and able to work — and they also suspected them of being thieves, etc. — and they did not complete the matter.

כו The Story of Aleksandrivke — A Fallen Jewish Girl Recovered; the Gentiles Flee; the Promise of Good Children Fulfilled The story of Aleksandrivke and the fulfillment of his promise. I heard this from Reb Moshe who lived there, who heard it from the man who saw it with his own eyes. The Compiler says: It appears that this is the story I heard — that once our master z"l was in the winter at a bris milah . And a man came and complained before him about his daughter whom a gentile had seduced into apostasy, G-d forbid, and she had been lost. And he had already searched for her in all the villages and had not found her. And our master z"l told him that she was to be found with the local priest [ komer ] — which had not occurred to him, since he had lived on such good terms with the priest. And he asked our master z"l: "How does one go to seek her out?" And he answered him that two men should immediately travel with a winter sleigh near the priest's house — and his daughter would be standing outside. And when she saw them she would immediately be willing to travel home with them. And so it was. And Admoyr was still sitting at the bris milah feast. And when the matter became known to the gentiles there, they took up sticks and axes to go and fight the Jews who had taken the girl from the priest's house — and to take her back by force. And a great fear fell upon the Jews. And our master z"l said they should not fear — only let them also take sticks in their hands and go out toward them, and the gentiles would be afraid of them and go away. And so it was: when the gentiles saw the small number of Jews coming out toward them with sticks as well, they went away — even though there was no natural reason for this whatsoever. And afterwards our master z"l endeavored to make a match for her with a certain young tradesman, a shoemaker from there. And he warned the young man and said: "Guard yourself — if any quarrel should arise with her, do not shame her with the disgrace of having once wanted to convert. And in exchange for this I promise you that you will have good children from her." And so it was — that good children were born to him from her: distinguished Torah scholars.

כז What He Told Hirsh Ber of Uman — the Exact Thought He Had at That Time What he said to Hirsh Ber of Uman — the thought he had at that time. I heard this from Reb Moshe ben Reb Avrohom Chayyim, who heard it from the people who heard it from him. The Compiler says: I heard from the men of our fellowship that the story was this: this Hirsh Ber and his friends were among the great investigators and heretics [ epikorsim ]. They had resolved to ask him a certain question from the book Yayin HaLevanon which their teacher had raised, for which they had no answer — and they went to our master z"l for this purpose. See the full account in Sipurim Niflaim at length.

כח The Two Business Partners Who Each Ate From the Other's Side of the Bowl — and What He Said of Their Wives From two men, business partners, who were eating from a single bowl across from Admoyr z"tl at an inn — and each one was eating from his fellow's side of the bowl. And after they had left, Admoyr said that the same is true also regarding their wives. Afterwards, in the fullness of time, the matter was revealed. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from one of the men of Admoyr z"tl.

כט What He Said to Reb Gershon — "For a Candle Worth a Groshen One Can Have an Entire Shemoneh Esrai Disrupted" What he said to Reb Gershon z"l: "Iber a groshindik lichtel kan tzu shlogen vern a gantze Shmoneh Esrei" ("For a candle worth a groshen one can have an entire Shemoneh Esrei disrupted"). For once our master z"l wished to give him wealth — and he did not want it. And our master z"l said to him: "Why? For [if you remain poor,] for a groshen -candle an entire Shemoneh Esrei can be disrupted" — as mentioned. And after several years this was fulfilled on account of his poverty — for once in the evening it was dark in his house, and the members of his household asked him for a groshen to buy a candle and he did not have one. And on account of this his Shemoneh Esrei prayer was disrupted — and then he recalled that our master z"l had directed this at him from several years prior. And at the time when this was fulfilled, after very many years, Reb Gershon recalled that Admoyr z"tl had said this to him in exact correspondence to these words. I heard all of this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from his own mouth.

ל The Story of Reb Lippa z"l — "I Do Not Want You to Have Money"; the Stormy Wind; the Gemara Explained; Moharan"as Praises His Former Greatness The story of Reb Lippa z"l and what he said to him: "Ich vil nit az du zolst hobn gelt" ("I do not want you to have money"). And the causes of the stormy wind that came about because of this. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moharan"as z"l. The Compiler says: This is a long account — but I will note a few brief outlines. Reb Lippa was with our master z"l when he said the Torah teaching number 23, "Tzivisa tzedek" , etc. And there he speaks of the matter of money — and he hinted this at Reb Lippa. For Reb Lippa was one of the very first of his close disciples, before Moharan"as and Reb Naftoli — and through his recitation of "Anenu" [the prayer of answer] people drew close [to the Rebbe]. But afterwards he fell into the desire for money — and was then engaged in business with a certain merchant, etc. And our master z"l said to him as mentioned. And when he traveled away from our master z"l, he thought to himself: "If I travel to our master z"l — perhaps his word will be fulfilled. Therefore I have resolved not to travel any further." And he said: "Our master z"l is from the World to Come and I am from this world." And yet even so it did not help him — and he became poor, for a stormy wind came and uprooted his house entirely. And after some years he began again to travel to our master z"l. And once when they called him up for maftir [the concluding Torah reading] and the end of the haftarah was "Has it not been that from now you call me My Father?" etc. — Moharan"as z"l said to Reb Lippa: "Reb Lippa — you were with us — has it not been that from now…, etc.? — see what they are reading to you: 'Has it not been that from now…'!" And when he traveled to our master z"l, [the Rebbe] rebuked him as is brought in the Sichos [Chayay Moharan section 315] in the saying "He rebuked one person" — in effect: "Whichever way you look at it — if you were not a proper man…" etc. And then [Reb Lippa] wept very greatly until tears flowed from his eyes to the ground. And then our master z"l said to him: "Even if your money were hidden and concealed — even in a chest — the wind would scatter it." And so it was: he rented a certain forest and built himself a home there — and before the roof was completed a stormy wind came and overturned and demolished everything, reducing it all to dust and rubble, fit for nothing. In the final year [of the Rebbe's life], Reb Lippa was absent on Rosh HaShonoh — and our master z"l asked about him. They justified him to the Rebbe, saying he was compelled to travel for esrogim [citrons for Sukkos] for all of Ukraine. Our master z"l answered and said: "Mah omru loche — der Rosh HaShono fun mir oylt oyf alts! Kayn gresseres derfun iz nita." ("What can I tell you — my Rosh HaShonoh surpasses everything! There is nothing greater than this.") And this Reb Lippa — at first his wife was at peace with him, but afterwards she became an adversary to him. And when he came to Moharan"as z"l after the passing of our master z"l and [Moharan"as] saw that he had domestic peace [sholom bayis], he explained to him the Gemara: "If he merited — she becomes a helpmate for him; if he did not merit — she becomes a counterforce against him." And [Moharan"as] said that it should have been written: "If he merited — a helpmate; if he did not merit — a counterforce" — what is the word "becomes" [na'aseis]? But now it is understood: when he does merit — she becomes [na'aseis] a helpmate for him — as with Moharan"as z"l, whose wife was at first an adversary, and afterwards she herself became a helpmate. When he does not merit — she becomes a counterforce against him — as with [Reb Lippa] himself, where at first she had been a helpmate for him [for she was raised among Chassidim], and afterwards she became a counterforce against him. Once Moharan"as z"l said the verse "With what shall a youth purify his way?" etc. — "Ich veys az Reb Lippa iz gevezn frumer fun mir — un yetzt vi iz er — un vi bin ich." ("I know that Reb Lippa was more pious than I — and now, where is he and where am I?")

לא Foreknowledge in Hint to Reb Aharon the Rav of Breslov — He Would Pass Away in the Month of Av — and So It Was Foreknowledge in hint to Reb Aharon z"l, the Rav of Breslov — that he would pass away in the month of Av. And so it was — he passed away precisely on Rosh Chodesh Av. And the men of our fellowship said: "The sign for this is — 'on the first of Av, Aharon died.'" [Bamidbar 33:38] I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, and also from other men of our fellowship who heard it from his own mouth — as he recounted this during his illness before his passing. And in that very year he had been very weak during the summer — and immediately when the month of Menachem Av passed, he was filled with joy that he had already been certain he would complete his year.

לב He Hinted to One Man to Come to His Tziyun After the Passing for His Epilepsy — and He Was Healed What he hinted to a certain person — that he should come to him after his passing regarding his ailment of epilepsy [ choli nofel ], G-d protect us — which he had then asked him about. And so it was — that after his passing this man came to his holy gravestone [ tziyun ]. And from then onward he was healed from this illness. All of this I heard from my father, may I be his atonement. [In this I am uncertain whether he said that he heard it from him directly, or from another who heard it from him.]

לג Foreknowledge — His Daughter Sara's Toothache Healed Through Arousing Joy; She Dances and Is Healed Foreknowledge of the future — the healing of his daughter Sara through the arousing of joy. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from a certain man who heard it from her own mouth. The Compiler says: I heard from the men of our fellowship that the story was this: she had a toothache — and our master z"l said to her that she would have joy. And she said: "But I am in pain!" He said to her to make herself as though she were joyful. And he said further: "There will come a time when joy will come to you from this — so much joy that you will dance. And then you will have your healing." And so it was — that great joy came to her, until in the middle of the day she closed the shutters [ ladin ] and danced — and was healed.

לד Reb Chaikil the Cantor — the Rebbe Shows Him the Soul of a Departed Person; the Baker Who Sold Them Bread Cheaply From Reb Chaikil — that [the Rebbe] showed him the soul of a departed person. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from him several times. The Compiler says: As is known, Reb Chaikil was the chazan [cantor] of our master z"l. Once he requested of our master z"l that he show him a departed person. And our master z"l said to him: "But surely you will be frightened of him?" And he answered and said: "I am not so foolish as to be frightened of him." And our master z"l said to him again — and so three times — and each time [Reb Chaikil] answered as before, that he would not be frightened. And our master z"l showed him the soul of a certain departed one — and he was seized with trembling and terror, to the point that our master z"l feared that this fright might harm him. And our master z"l said to him: "Can a wise man like you be misled by an imagination?" And the fear passed from him. And after some time he again asked our master z"l to show him a departed one — but this time without fear. And [our master] consented and promised him. And this was before Chanuka. On the street where our master z"l lived there was a certain baker. And the men of our fellowship, when they sat for the Melave Malka [the post-Shabbos meal] meal, would often lack bread — and they were accustomed to enter this baker and buy the left-over pieces from Shabbos that he could not sell — either because they were not whole or were only baked on one side, etc. — so that they could buy them cheaply. And he was accustomed to deal kindly with them in the price for this reason. And this baker had passed away in those days. And on Chanuka, our master z"l said to Reb Chaikil: "Now you will see a departed one." And he lifted his eyes and saw the baker mentioned above, who had passed away recently — how he stood before our master z"l in a bow and prostration, and besought our master z"l: "Since I dealt well with the people close to you — selling them bread and challa cheaply for the Melave Malka meal — I therefore request a rectification [tikkun] from you." And our master z"l answered and said to him: "Since you dealt well with my close disciples, I will occupy myself with your rectification." And the departed one vanished. I heard this from Reb Naftoli Kohen of Berditchev, who lives in Jerusalem, may it be built and established, who heard it from his son-in-law Reb Avrohom z"l, the son of Reb Nachman of Tultshin.

לה The Pillar of Fire That He Showed to Moshe Hinkes The amuda d'nura [pillar of fire] that he showed to Moshe Hinkes. I heard this from Reb Avrohom Dov z"l, who heard it from his own mouth.

לו The Story with the Merchants Near Navoritsh — Reading a Man's Thought Twice; the Wondrous Concealment The story of the merchants who gathered with him near Navoritsh — and how he spoke wondrously with them as though he were one of their company; and how he directed at one of them his exact thought — twice; and with wondrous wisdom concealed and covered himself even from that person. See Sefer Sichos v'Sipurim, volume 6, at length. I heard all of this at length from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from Reb Shmuel of Teplik, who traveled with him — as is brought in Chayay Moharan .

לז What He Said to Reb Shmuel Regarding Sleep — "Even Though He Himself Does Not See, His Heavenly Presence Does See" The story of what he said to Reb Shmuel regarding sleep — [the saying of the Gemara:] "Even though he himself does not see [a demon in his dream], his heavenly constellation [mazalo] does see." [Megillah 3a] This too I heard from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from him [Reb Shmuel] himself. The Compiler says: I heard that Reb Shmuel mentioned above lodged together with him [the Rebbe]. And Admoyr z"tl asked him: "Did you hear something in the night?" And Reb Shmuel answered him: "No — only I was unable to sleep at all throughout the night." And then Admoyr z"l said to him: "Even though he himself does not see [itu lo chazi — mazaleh chazi]…" etc. And the understanding is that Admoyr z"tl had heard and seen in that night very great, wondrous, and awesome heavenly things.

לח The Story of the Dream About the Fish — "A Great Shelo Lishmah" — Its Soul Was a Gilgul The story of the dream about the fish. I heard this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the men of Admoyr z"tl. The Compiler says: I heard that a man of our fellowship dreamed that someone told him in the dream: "If they bring you a fish tomorrow, buy it and bring it to our master z"l." And in the morning a gentile came with a fish to sell — and he bought it and brought it. And immediately [the Rebbe] asked him: "Where is the fish?" And he gave it to him. And our master z"l said some words of disparagement about the fish — and he said of it: "A groyser shelo lishmah" ("A great practitioner of shelo lishmah [i.e., one who served G-d not for its own sake]"). And he said of it that it was a gilgul [reincarnation] of the father of the one who had bought it — and they cooked it for the holy Shabbos, and it had its rectification [ tikkun ].

לט The Story of the Man of Uman — He Told Him a Thought He Had Some Weeks Earlier, at Midnight The story of the man of Uman — that he told him the thought he had had some weeks earlier… at midnight. I heard this from the Rav Reb Zalman z"l, who heard it from the man himself.

מ Reb Yisroel of Nemirov — "Take Yes and No Equally" — and the Story of the Fish-Named Wealthy Sinner Transformed The story of a man named Reb Yisroel of Nemirov, who pressed Admoyr z"tl to agree to his traveling to the place of battle for the sake of livelihood. And from the hidden ways of Admoyr z"tl — not to force himself regarding any matter [as is brought from this much in his holy stories] — and even so, since he did not want in any way to agree to him, he answered and said to him in these words: "Zolst zikh fir nemen yoh mit nayn glaych" ("Take for yourself yes and no equally" — that is, that it should truly be equal in his heart whether to travel or not.) "Un azoy tzu zogen finf kapitl Tehillim — un noch dem, vi s'vet dir arayn kumen in der machshove, azoy zolstu tun." ("Then say five chapters of Psalms. And afterwards — however it enters your mind — so shall you do.") And so this man did. And afterwards he came to Admoyr z"tl and told him that it had fallen in his mind to go. And Admoyr z"tl was not at all pleased by this — for he knew clearly as the daylight that in truth there had been no equanimity of yes and no in his heart as he had commanded him, for in truth, from the burning of the desire for money, he had longed and wanted with all his soul to make this journey. And Admoyr z"tl said to him in these words: "Nu — mit a platzikel kan men amol a hecht chapn" ("Well — with a small flat-fish [ platzikel ] one can sometimes catch a hecht [pike].") And at the time that Admoyr z"tl said this to him, the man mentioned above did not understand at all what these words meant. And afterwards this man traveled to his destination. And there Hashem, may He be blessed, arranged that a certain wealthy man hired him for his affairs — and he was with him some time, and found favor in his eyes, and there was very great love between them. And this wealthy man was a man of beliya'al [wickedness] and evil deeds — and he had not married even once in all his days. But from the abundance of his love for the man mentioned above, he began to speak to his heart from day to day with gentle and good words — until he began to have some effect on him, little by little. And [the wealthy man] began to abandon his evil way — and married a proper and modest woman. And he began to go morning and evening every day to pray — until in the course of time he was transformed into literally a different person — and truly became a proper person like all proper people of Israel. And when Reb Yisroel of Nemirov looked and saw how greatly his words had worked on this wealthy man, he immediately recalled the saying of Admoyr z"tl that he had said to him regarding his journey — that with a small fish one can catch a hecht . For indeed, so it was — even the family name of this wealthy man was " Hecht " [pike]. I heard all of this from my father, may I be his atonement, who heard it from the mouth of Moharan"as z"l — and also from Reb Naftoli z"l.

מא Reb Laib of the Village Vatshek — The Wedding, the Rebbe's Gloomy Answer, the Detailed Prophecy of Poverty and Death — and Reb Laib's Noble Response The story of Reb Laib of the village Vatshek — that Admoyr z"tl was with him for a bris milah , and said at that time that it would be good to erect a wedding canopy [ chupa ] here. And afterwards when the time arrived [for the wedding], she [the intended bride] came to Tshikev, as had been discussed — and rain fell and [the Rebbe] did not want to travel there, and so the wedding was in the village of Vatshek. And then regarding Reb Yaakov the maggiah [proofreader of books] — what he said to him, etc. I heard all of this from his son-in-law, the Rav Reb Zalman, Maggid Meisharim — and asked him whether this matter had occurred, and he answered: yes. Also I heard that the son of Reb Laib mentioned above recounted that after the Shabbos following the chupa , Reb Laib took two pails upon his shoulder and carried them from the corridor into the house to place them on the table, after the manner of [wedding] joy. And he said to our master z"l that he should bless him that in the coming year he too should have such [a celebration again]. And our master z"l answered him: "G-t veyst" ("G-d knows"). And [Reb Laib] was very frightened by this answer — and asked Reb Leibli Apter, who was then his teacher, to ask our master z"l about this. And [Reb Leibli] asked him — and [the Rebbe] answered that he should command [Reb Laib] to come himself. And he came — and [the Rebbe] commanded him to return in two weeks. And after two weeks he came again — and [the Rebbe] said to him that this [joy] had been exchanged for poverty — that he would go begging from door to door. And he began to weep greatly before him. And [the Rebbe] commanded him to return again after two weeks. And he returned and came again. And [the Rebbe] said to him that this [total poverty] could not be avoided — only that he would not go begging from door to door; and his house would be broken into for theft several times this year, etc. And afterwards the Master [of the World] would have mercy on him and build him a small inn [ kretchme ] — and from it he would sustain himself in great hardship all the days of his life, until all his children would be compelled to separate from him, or to work for others, or to sustain themselves through other labors. And [the Rebbe] also revealed to him how many years he would live — and that he and his wife would die within one week of each other. And afterwards all of the above was fulfilled precisely — except that during that time he contracted and restrained himself — even in the extremity of his dire poverty — to collect and save, coin by coin, money for the writing of a Sefer Torah for the study-hall here in Uman, upon which he inscribed his name, and donated it to the study-hall on the Rosh HaShonoh before his passing. Also at that time, when our master z"l told him all of the above, [Reb Laib] immediately scattered with all his might a great deal of money to tzedakah — for he knew clearly that it would be of no use to him were he to try to outwit this.

מב The Overturned Coffee; "It Appears We Will Not Be Mechutanim" — and How the Words Were Fulfilled After the Passing The Compiler says: I heard that once Moshe Hinkes handed our master z"l a jar of coffee — and when he placed the coffee jar on the table, the jar overturned and the coffee spilled. And our master z"l said to him in these words: "A panim — mir velin kayn mechutunim nit zayn" ("It appears — we will no longer be mechutanim [in-laws by marriage]"). At that time Moshe Hinkes was childless, G-d protect us. And afterwards, after the passing of our master z"l — when [Moshe Hinkes] divorced his wife on the basis of what our master z"l had said before his passing among the testamentary instructions — that if he divorces his wife he will have children [see above, section ח] — he took Reb Avrohom Dov z"l, the grandson of our master z"l, as his son-in-law. And afterwards, during the time of the great controversy, when Moshe Hinkes distanced himself, Reb Avrohom Dov divorced his daughter — and the words of our master z"l were fulfilled as mentioned. מג Reb Chayyim Sarahs — The Angel of Death Behind His Shoulder; Journey to Mezhbizh; "I Accomplished for You — but Not for Myself"; the Years Told; the Payes Story; Awoken for Hisbodidus I heard: at the time when Admoyr z"tl was sitting in Breslov, he once sat with people — and among them was Reb Chayyim Sarahs of Breslov. And suddenly our master z"l said: "A person is so foolish — that even when the Angel of Death is walking behind his shoulders he still holds fast to his vanities and follies." And the people were very astonished at these words and did not know what they were hinting at — but Reb Chayyim Sarahs was very, very frightened by this, for the words entered deep into his heart and he knew in his own soul that Admoyr z"tl was hinting at him with these words. And he sat at the table in great fear. Afterwards all the people went their way — and Reb Chayyim remained sitting at the table. And Admoyr z"tl asked him: "Why are you sitting?" And he was unable to answer — for he sat in a very great melancholy. And Admoyr z"tl entered his room — and Reb Chayyim went after him and wept greatly before him. And he said to our master z"l: "Rebbe! I know for certain that your intention with those words was toward me. Therefore I very greatly beseech you to arouse mercy upon me — that I should remain alive." And Admoyr z"tl said to him: "Yes — it is so — that was my intention toward you. But I must travel to the holy gravestone of my grandfather the Baal Shem Tov z"tl in Mezhbizh to pray for my child [who was then ill]. Therefore you too should travel with me — and I will pray also for you." And so it was — and Reb Chayyim also traveled with our master z"l to Mezhbizh. And our master z"l went to the grave of the Baal Shem Tov z"tl — and lingered there a long time. And afterwards he said to Reb Chayyim in these words: "Dir hob ich gifolt — un mir nit." ("For you I accomplished — but for myself I did not.") And: "You do not even need to pray — but since you are here, go also." And he went to the grave of the Baal Shem Tov. And [the Rebbe] told him how many more years he would live. And they traveled back to Breslov. And in the middle of the road our master z"l said to Reb Chayyim: "My child has already died." And so it was — for when they came home they found that the child had already died. And our master z"l did not want to enter the city of Breslov on the holy Shabbos — and he sent the man [Reb Chayyim] to Breslov to buy challa for the holy Shabbos, and commanded him that the matter should remain secret and not be made known to his wife. But the men of our fellowship asked him where our master z"l was — for they had known from the outset that [Reb Chayyim] had traveled with him — and he answered them in confidence. Meanwhile there occurred the incident with Avrohom Payes, who was close to our master z"l — and he was previously a lowly person, and he used to say of himself: "Mayne avonos vet men arum trogn oyf a fayndil in Gehinnom" ("My sins will be carried on a flag in Gehinnom"). And he had a blemished son, etc., etc. And his son's name was Chayyim Payes — and [Avrohom Payes] made a match for him with the daughter of Yisroel, the granddaughter of the Baal Shem Tov. But the Baal Shem Tov — the great-grandfather of the bride — did not want the match, and therefore he came to our holy master [the Rebbe] expressing that he did not want the match and wanted to take the groom [away from the world]. And our master z"l had mercy on the groom and requested of the Baal Shem Tov z"l that he should leave him alone — but that there would be no children. Thereby there would be no bond between them and there would be a divorce — and so it was. And in the night our master z"l awoke Reb Chayyim Sarahs and went with him to the forest to engage in hisbodidus there. And afterwards he recounted to him all the above. And also told him that the Baal Shem Tov — the great-grandfather of the bride — had taken years from him, and he was compelled to give other years [in exchange], and told him how many years. [And see further on, section 46, at length.] And at the time when Chayyim Payes [the groom] was in the Land of Israel — for he traveled to the Land of Israel — he recounted to the men of our fellowship that our master z"l had given him a note [ tzettel ] of spiritual practices and mortifications, and told him that if he fulfilled it his body would be transformed into a fully proper Jew. But it was difficult to fulfill — and he did not fulfill it. And at the time of the controversy from the Rav of Savran, he too wanted to enter the dispute — [but] Reb Chayyim Sarahs told him: "Silence! Do I not know how many years you will live…?" And Reb Chayyim lived many more years just as our master z"l had said.

מד The Innkeeper's Wife Near Zlatopolye — The Rendil Weighed on the Heavenly Scales; Her Soul Returns to Life In a village near Zlatopolye there lived a man who held the lease [ arenda ] of the village lord — and also the inns [ kretchmes ] in the vicinity of that village. And all the men who held the inns would pay him their rent [ rates ]. And he had a very modest and very generous-hearted wife — and she would always take pity on the inn-lessees when they sometimes had no money to pay him the rent; she would give them money to pay with. And it came to pass one day that the woman mentioned above fell ill with a very dangerous ailment, to the point that she was close to death. Her husband consulted many great physicians — but they were of no benefit to her. And the inn-lessees [ kretchmaris ] were very sick at heart over this woman — knowing that if, G-d forbid, she should die, it would go very badly for them and there would be no one to have mercy on them. Therefore they all exerted themselves greatly, as one man, in [obtaining] healing for her — and traveled to physicians to bring them. And among them was one man who was somewhat close to Admoyr z"tl when he had lived in Zlatopolye. And this man spoke to the heart of the owner mentioned above — that he should send a pidyon nefesh [redemption of the soul] to Admoyr z"tl in Zlatopolye. And so he did — and sent him together with a pidyon nefesh to Admoyr z"tl. At that time she was very close to her soul departing. And this man came to Admoyr z"tl and brought him the pidyon . And our master z"l said to him to bring him one rendil . And the man brought the rendil — and Admoyr z"tl took the rendil in his hand and said to him that the rendil does not hold its proper weight. And the man went and brought him another rendil — and this one too was lacking in weight. And so it was several times — each time he brought a rendil , [the Rebbe] z"tl weighed it and it did not find favor in his eyes. Until he went to a money-changer and brought him many rendlach — and Admoyr z"l chose one rendil from them that lay on the scale pan as it should. And then he said to him: "Go and travel home — for the woman mentioned above has already returned to health." And [the man] traveled back to the village. Now this man — at the time that Admoyr z"tl told him she had already returned to health, the matter was a wonder in his eyes. And he looked at the timepiece to note what hour it was that Admoyr z"tl told him. And when he came to the innkeeper's house, all the members of the household recounted to him what had happened there after he had traveled to Admoyr z"tl: immediately after his departure, the woman began to expire — and a sound of weeping and great commotion arose in the house — until they revived her, and she said to give her a little water to her lips. And she recounted to them that when her soul had departed and came before the Heavenly Court, they weighed her transgressions and merits — and the transgressions outweighed, and they decreed her verdict to death — that she should not return to this world. In the midst of this, a young scholar came [and she described his form as resembling Admoyr z"tl] — and brought one rendil and threw it onto the pan of merits — and the merits outweighed, and they decided her verdict to life. And according to what they told him — this had occurred at the very hour that Admoyr z"tl had been occupied with weighing the rendil on the scale pan several times as mentioned. And the man was astonished and deeply marveled at the matter — and understood clearly what Admoyr z"tl had been doing when he weighed the rendil several times, which had seemed to him a wonder. And the woman immediately returned to health completely.

מה Reb Hillel the Shochet — "If You Had Waited a Little Longer, You Would Have Come to Me in Your Socks" — and the Fulfilled Prophecy In one city there was a shochet u'vodek [ritual slaughterer and inspector] named Reb Hillel. And he was close to Admoyr z"tl — but afterwards distanced himself and did not travel to him for several years. Afterwards he returned and came to him — but was afraid to appear before him, and asked a man of his close disciples to accompany him to Admoyr z"tl. And he went with him. And Admoyr z"tl was at that time in his study-hall. And when they came to the entrance and opened it, a great fear and awe fell upon them — and the man mentioned above remained standing behind the door, while Reb Hillel entered the study-hall. And he remained standing near the door. And our master z"l, when he saw a person standing near the door, approached him and greeted him — and said in these words: "S'iz du Hillel! Du zolst geveyzn vartn noch a bisel — volstu geveyzn gekumen tzu mir mit di zokin." ("It is you, Hillel! Had you waited a little while longer — you would have come to me in your socks" — that is, after his death.) And Reb Hillel began to weep greatly before him — for great fear fell upon him upon hearing these words from the mouth of Admoyr z"tl. And afterwards our master z"l rebuked him for having distanced himself from him for such a long time without traveling to him, and said: "Now I tell you that you must uproot your residence to another city. And if you do not obey me — you will surely regret it." And afterwards Reb Hillel traveled away from him — and was not willing to return to his home, but only traveled to a certain nearby city and sent a letter to his wife that he would sell his chazakah [tenure] on the slaughtering rights and she should sell the house — for he was compelled to uproot his residence from there. And so it was — he sold the slaughtering rights and she sold the house. But afterwards a controversy arose from one neighbor who claimed that he held right of pre-emption [ bar mitzra ] on his house — to finalize the sale of the house — and [Reb Hillel] would not remain there at all, only once the matter was settled he would travel away. And he agreed to this — for he thought that such a small thing would not harm him, since he would not remain there at all. And he traveled there — and immediately died in that very city. And the words of Admoyr z"l were fulfilled.

מו The Breslov Magnate's Son — the Baal Shem Tov in the Garden at Night; "I Accomplished for You — but Not for Myself"; the Couple Who Finally Divorced and Had Children In Breslov there was a wealthy man who was close to Admoyr z"tl — and he had an only son, and made a match for him with the granddaughter of the Baal Shem Tov z"tl. And when the time of the wedding arrived — at that same time a child passed away from our master z"l. And our master z"l observed the seven days of mourning [ shiva ] outside the city — for he had rented lodgings there that had a garden before them — since he was not in good health. And he took with him Reb Chayyim Sarahs to serve him there. Now the wealthy man mentioned above, before traveling to his son's chupa , went with him [the son] to Admoyr z"tl to take leave of him — and they received leave from him and traveled on their way. In that night our master z"l awoke from his sleep, washed his hands, and said to Reb Chayyim: "Come with me." And he went with him to the garden — and our master z"l ran there among the trees back and forth. And Reb Chayyim was very frightened when he saw this — until the hairs of his head stood on end. Meanwhile our master z"l came to him and said: "Did you see? For the Baal Shem Tov — the grandfather of the bride — came to me and said that he does not want the groom and wishes to take him. And the bride is an orphan." Upon hearing this, Reb Chayyim became even more frightened — and he stood there while his knees knocked one against the other. And immediately Admoyr z"tl came again to him and said: "I have accomplished [before the Baal Shem Tov] that he should not take the groom — only that there will be no children for them. And afterwards they went inside. And behold — the next day at noon, Reb Chayyim was standing outside and saw a special messenger from the mechutunim [the wedding party] running to Admoyr z"tl, reporting that the groom had become ill on the road and it was impossible in any way to travel with him to the wedding — and he begged him to arouse mercy on his behalf. And our master z"l said to him: "Return on your way — the groom will be well and they should travel with him to the wedding and erect the chupa ." And immediately the messenger returned on his way. And Reb Chayyim marveled greatly — for he knew what had occurred the previous night. And the wedding took place then. But the words of Admoyr z"tl were fulfilled — that there would be no children for them. And they lived together, that couple, and had no children. And after several years following the passing of Admoyr z"tl, the Rav Reb Tzvi Aryeh, Moreh Tzedek of Breslov — who was the son-in-law of Reb Chayyim Sarahs mentioned above — endeavored that they should divorce, because his father-in-law Reb Chayyim had told him the entire story above. And the Rav Reb Tzvi Aryeh himself arranged the bill of divorce for them — and afterwards they both had children. This story was recounted by the Rav Reb Tzvi Aryeh z"l himself. [And see above in section 43.]

מז At Aleksandrivke — The Rebbe Studies Mishnah, the Father-in-Law Faints, and the Name of Admoyr Becomes Known as a Tzadik of the Generation At the time when Admoyr z"tl was still at the table of his father-in-law Reb Efraim z"l in the village of Husyatin — and [Reb Efraim's] yahrtzeit [anniversary of his father's death] arrived and he traveled to Aleksandrivke nearby, taking Admoyr z"tl with him. And when they came to the study-hall and the young men there, upon seeing Admoyr z"tl for the first time, were very pleased to enter into conversation with him — but did not know how to begin. After the prayer, Reb Efraim z"l gave them old wine as is customary — and the young men asked Reb Efraim mentioned above to instruct his son-in-law — that is, Admoyr z"tl — to study a chapter of Mishnah. And so he did. And [the Rebbe] turned himself to face the eastern wall, took a Mishnah, placed it on the stand, and studied — and lingered in his study so long that it became embarrassing. And the young men waited for him to complete his study, so that they could drink the whisky and through this drink a toast [ lchayyim ] to Admoyr z"tl as well — and thereby they would have a connection to enter into conversation with him. And when they saw that he was lingering very long in his study, they asked the Rav Reb Efraim to tell him to finish the study. And Admoyr extended his hand toward the face of his father-in-law — and [the father-in-law] fainted. And they began to revive him. And when he came around, they asked him what had happened. And he answered them: when Admoyr z"tl extended his hand toward his face, he saw the departed one — the one whose yahrtzeit was being observed — standing before him and saying: "To a son-in-law such as this one bids to study Mishnah?!" And he was frightened and fainted. They saw [this] and were very greatly astonished. And from then onward the name of Admoyr z"tl became known — that he was among the Tzadikim of the generation. And several people began to travel to him — and drew close through him to the service of Hashem, may He be blessed.

The Three Pillars — The Heritage Left by Admoyr z"tl for the Generations שְׁלֹשָׁה יְסוֹדוֹת הָעִקָּרִיִּים בְּהַשְׁאָרַת אַדְמוֹ"ר זַצַ"ל To make known to future generations the three fundamental pillars that are the essential legacy left behind by Admoyr z"tl — as understood from this from the words of Moharan"as z"l: The Three Pillars of the Legacy of Admoyr z"tl Our gathering on Rosh HaShonoh — in which is also inherently included the recitation of the Ten Chapters of Psalms [Asarah Kapitlach Tehillim] at his holy gravestone [tziyun]. The occupation with printing [of his books]. The continual kindling of the lamp [ner tamid] at his holy gravestone. Now regarding the matter of Rosh HaShonoh — I have already written somewhat of this in another place. And regarding the matter of printing — it is impossible to explain even orally. And regarding the matter of the ner tamid — see in Sefer HaMidos what Admoyr z"l wrote there: that through the merit of the ner tamid kindled from olive oil, one is saved from decrees of religious persecution [ shemad ]. And from this, the kal va'chomer [inference from minor to major] for the ner tamid at his holy grave is understood by thousands upon thousands of logical steps — as is brought from this in the booklet called "Chochmo uVino" — see there. And you will understand from this what is brought in Likutay Moharan regarding the grave of Moshe and his passing — which deals with this: to elevate from apostasy [ shemad ] to acceptance [ ratzon ]. And in Likutay Halachos , Laws of the Morning Blessings, Halacho 5 — it is explained therefrom that also all the desires and evil character-traits, and in particular heresy [ epikorsus ], are all included in the matter of shemad mentioned above. And from the combination of all these matters together, Moharan"as z"l spoke of the matter of the ner tamid without measure and reckoning. So I heard explicitly from my father z"l. And it is known that the virtue of every mitzva and practice of the truly righteous is specifically according to the particulars in which they were commanded regarding every matter — for just as in physical matters it is impossible for the healing power to be actualized from the compounding of the medicines for the ailment, except if they were done in exact correspondence to all the particulars as they came forth from the mouth of the physician [if a true physician were to exist] — so too precisely in the ailment of the soul. For example: regarding the Ten Chapters of Psalms which are a segulah [spiritual remedy] for the blemishing of the covenant [ plag ha'bris ], G-d protect us; and likewise regarding the ner tamid — wherein Admoyr z"tl was meticulous and specified in particular: olive oil. What Admoyr z"tl said — that every child who comes before him [to his tziyun ] before the age of seven will be guarded from sin until the day of his wedding. It seems to me that he said this only regarding the matter of seminal emission [ mikre layla ] — and so it is understood from the time-frame he applied to it, etc. And it also appears to me in my humble understanding that his intention was also after his passing — for every child who will come before him before the age of seven and will fulfill according to his holy saying — with the giving of tzedakah and the recitation of the Ten Chapters of Psalms. [And I know of one who tested this — and so it was.] Regarding the benefit of prayer — and likewise the benefit of tzedakah and the other counsels of the truly righteous — that sometimes [the prayer] is not heard; and even when it is heard, many variations are found. For sometimes the prayer was accepted at the first time, and sometimes one is compelled to multiply it. I understand, in my humble view, from the words of Moharan"as z"l that I heard orally: that prayer [at his tziyun ] for forty consecutive days without skipping any in between is an especially efficacious segulah for bringing the request to actualization.