סימן רפ"ה

Rabbi Nosson — of blessed memory — said: what Hashem helped him so greatly in his old age — was because he took himself to hisbodedus [seclusion-prayer] — and to express his speech between himself and his Creator. And he said: that he is unable to do anything without first expressing his speech before Hashem. "She tasted that her trade was good" — and so on.

[Proverbs 31] This Rabbainu said to a certain man — who in his youth had been very attached to Rabbainu with great longing. And had heard from Rabbainu wondrous Torah words. And so on. And Rabbainu told him: "I know that in the coming days you will not travel to me — and will not be of my intimates." [And so it was: afterwards he was no longer with Rabbainu.] "But even so: what you have now tasted a little of my words — it will benefit you." And he then said to him this verse: [Proverbs 31] "she tasted that her trade was good" — as elaborated in the discourse.

And he related: that once on a Motza'ei Shabbas Kodesh — our master [Rabbainu] spoke with him about the cave of Eliyahu — where he [Rabbainu] had been during his time in Eretz Yisrael. And our master then said to him within his holy words: "hob ich mir oysgemolet — ot do iz geshtanden Eliyahu un hot gehat hisbodedus" [Yiddish: "I pictured it to myself — right here Eliyahu stood and had hisbodedus"]. And when our master said this to him — he was greatly stirred and renewed from this. For he reminded himself: surely Eliyahu too was a human being in this world — and he had hisbodedus. And through this he merited to such a level that he did not taste death. And so on. For he understood from his holy words: that also Eliyahu merited to his level only through this. For all the great Tzaddikim came to their level only through this.

Once there was a fire in Breslov. Afterwards Rabbi Nosson went with some other people to look at the place of the fire. And he saw that the house-owner was weeping greatly — and searching for some piece of wood or iron that he would need when he would rebuild his house — collecting them one by one. He answered and said to his people: "Have you seen! How this house-owner — whose house has burned — even so does not despair from rebuilding it. And collects everything that he will need for the time of the building." So likewise in the spiritual — even though the adversary [ba'al davar] strengthens greatly against the person — and almost burns him entirely — even so: one must not despair. Rather: one must gather and search for some good points from amidst the abundance of sins in which one has stumbled. And through this one will merit to return to Hashem truly — as elaborated in the Torah Azamrah, Siman 282. He once spoke about the fiery heart [tibaras halev] of our father Avraham — may peace be upon him — who was the first to merit to serve his Creator day and night with self-sacrifice and to publicize His Name — may He be blessed and exalted — in the world. And in the midst of his holy conversation — one of those present answered before him — in a language of pain and groaning: "how does one take such a heart?" Rabbi Nosson rebuked him and said to him: "you too have such a heart — only you do not cultivate it [du host oych dos hartz nor du behartzt es nit]." For free choice is free for every person. And every person — even the most degraded of the degraded — has it within his power to merit to the greatest of the great levels. And as the Sages said: that every person must say: "when will my deeds reach the deeds of my forebears?"

Once the man from Teplik came to him. And Rabbi Nosson asked him about a certain man from Teplik who had been somewhat attached to him. And he replied offhandedly — as if saying: that there is nothing to speak of. He answered and said to him: "listen now to my voice — if you wish to look with such an eye — you will condemn the entire world. For try yourself — and look carefully at all the inhabitants of your city known to you — and begin from the person sitting at the edge of the city. And when you look carefully at him — certainly you will find him guilty. And so go from house to house until you come to your own home — where you are the most worthy man [erliker Yid] of the whole city" — [in a questioning tone] — and he replied to him: "also I am not a worthy man." Rabbi Nosson replied to him — [in a tone of wonder]: "also you are not a worthy man — if so: who is the worthy man?" But when you look with a favorable eye — then even when you look carefully at the most degraded of the degraded — you will find some good thing in him. And all the more so in one who is not so degraded. And so in each and every one. And in you too — good is found. And through this path one can merit the entire world. And further: he once spoke of this way — of judging all on the scale of merit — even the most degraded of the degraded — and searching and finding in each one some little good. And through this one raises them truly to the scale of merit — until one can bring them back to Hashem in repentance through this. And as all of this is elaborated at length in the books of our master — of blessed memory. And at the time he spoke of this — his father [avi harani chaparas mishkavo] was sitting with him. And from the longing of his heart for his pleasant words — he repeated after him in a whisper — every word and word. He answered and said to him: Rabbi Nosson said to him: "you think this is a simple and easy matter. Let me explain to you the difficulty of the matter. For do not forget the teaching of our master — that truly through this they are raised to the scale of merit and to repentance. And if it were within our power to fulfill this — it would be within our power to bring the entire world back in repentance."

— תם ונשלם שבח לאל בורא עולם — End of the commentary on Likutay Moharan — Tam V'nishlam Shevach L'El Borei Olam Rabbi Nosson — of blessed memory — said: what Hashem helped him so greatly in his old age — was because he took himself to hisbodedus [seclusion-prayer] — and to express his speech between himself and his Creator.

And he said: that he is unable to do anything without first expressing his speech before Hashem. And he related: that once on a Motza'ei Shabbas Kodesh — our master [Rabbainu] spoke with him about the cave of Eliyahu — where he [Rabbainu] had been during his time in Eretz Yisrael. And our master then said to him within his holy words: "hob ich mir oysgemolet — ot do iz geshtanden Eliyahu un hot gehat hisbodedus" [Yiddish: "I pictured it to myself — right here Eliyahu stood and had hisbodedus"]. And when our master said this to him — he was greatly stirred and renewed from this. For he reminded himself: surely Eliyahu too was a human being in this world — and he had hisbodedus. And through this he merited to such a level that he did not taste death. And so on. For he understood from his holy words: that also Eliyahu merited to his level only through this.

For all the great Tzaddikim came to their level only through this. He once spoke about the fiery heart [tibaras halev] of our father Avraham — may peace be upon him — who was the first to merit to serve his Creator day and night with self-sacrifice and to publicize His Name — may He be blessed and exalted — in the world. And in the midst of his holy conversation — one of those present answered before him — in a language of pain and groaning: "how does one take such a heart?" Rabbi Nosson rebuked him and said to him: "you too have such a heart — only you do not cultivate it [du host oych dos hartz nor du behartzt es nit]." For free choice is free for every person. And every person — even the most degraded of the degraded — has it within his power to merit to the greatest of the great levels. And as the Sages said: [Tanna D'bei Eliyahu Rabbah 25] that every person must say: "when will my deeds reach the deeds of my forebears?" Once the man from Teplik came to him. And Rabbi Nosson asked him about a certain man from Teplik who had been somewhat attached to him. And he replied offhandedly — as if saying: that there is nothing to speak of. He answered and said to him: "listen now to my voice — if you wish to look with such an eye — you will condemn the entire world. For try yourself — and look carefully at all the inhabitants of your city known to you — and begin from the person sitting at the edge of the city. And when you look carefully at him — certainly you will find him guilty. And so go from house to house until you come to your own home — where you are the most worthy man [erliker Yid] of the whole city" — [in a questioning tone] — and he replied to him: "also I am not a worthy man." Rabbi Nosson replied to him — [in a tone of wonder]: "also you are not a worthy man — if so: who is the worthy man?" But when you look with a favorable eye — then even when you look carefully at the most degraded of the degraded — you will find some good thing in him. And all the more so in one who is not so degraded. And so in each and every one. And in you too — good is found. And through this path one can merit the entire world. And further: he once spoke of this way — of judging all on the scale of merit — even the most degraded of the degraded — and searching and finding in each one some little good. And through this one raises them truly to the scale of merit — until one can bring them back to Hashem in repentance through this. And as all of this is elaborated at length in the books of our master — of blessed memory. And at the time he spoke of this — his father [avi harani chaparas mishkavo] was sitting with him. And from the longing of his heart for his pleasant words — he repeated after him in a whisper — every word and word. He answered and said to him: Rabbi Nosson said to him: "you think this is a simple and easy matter. Let me explain to you the difficulty of the matter. For do not forget the teaching of our master — that truly through this they are raised to the scale of merit and to repentance. And if it were within our power to fulfill this — it would be within our power to bring the entire world back in repentance." Once there was a fire in Breslov. Afterwards Rabbi Nosson went with some other people to look at the place of the fire. And he saw that the house-owner was weeping greatly — and searching for some piece of wood or iron that he would need when he would rebuild his house — collecting them one by one. He answered and said to his people: "Have you seen! How this house-owner — whose house has burned — even so does not despair from rebuilding it. And collects everything that he will need for the time of the building." So likewise in the spiritual — even though the adversary [ba'al davar] strengthens greatly against the person — and almost burns him entirely — even so: one must not despair. Rather: one must gather and search for some good points from amidst the abundance of sins in which one has stumbled. And through this one will merit to return to Hashem truly — as elaborated in the Torah Azamrah, Siman 282. Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman