R Nachman and You Ebook Intro 1 PDF

REBBE
NACHMAN
AND
YOU
REBBE
NACHMAN
AND
YOU
How the wisdom of
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
can change your life
by
Chaim Kramer
Published by
Breslov Research Institute
Jerusalem / NY
Copyright © 2018 Breslov researCh institute
isBn 978-1-928822-65-3
No part of this book may be translated, reproduced,

stored in any retrieval system or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission in writing from the publisher.
First edition
For further information:

Breslov Research Institute, POB 5370, Jerusalem, Israel
or:
Breslov Research Institute, POB 587, Monsey, NY 10952-0587,
USA
Printed in Israel
Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................... 9
Let’s Get Acquainted
1 Who is Rebbe Nachman?..................................15
2 Who is Reb Noson?...........................................19
3 What is Breslov?................................................22
4 Why Uman?......................................................24
5 How does Rebbe Nachman speak to me?.........27
Breslov Basics
6 What is Free Will?.............................................31
7 What is Simplicity?............................................37
8 What is Joy?......................................................42
9 What is Peace?..................................................47
10 What is Suffering?.............................................52
11 What are the Good Points?................................57
12 What is Starting Anew?.....................................62
13 What is Truth?...................................................66
14 What is Faith?....................................................71
15 What is the Covenant?......................................77
16 What is a Tikkun?.............................................83
17 What is the Tzaddik?.........................................89
Introduction
We’ve never seen anything like it in the Jewish

world. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov left no successor to his
Chassidic movement, yet two centuries after his passing,
more and more people are becoming his followers! They
come from all sectors of humanity — from the seeker to
the indifferent, from the complacent to the antagonistic,
from the observant to the atheist — and from all over the
globe — from North and South America, Europe, Africa,
Australia and Asia.
To where do they come? To Uman, a small city in the
Ukraine that still resembles a 19th-century town with its
rundown houses and rationed food, water and gas for
nearly 90,000 residents. The grave of Rebbe Nachman,
located near the old market section, is the site of the
annual Breslov Rosh HaShanah kibutz (Jewish New Year
gathering). Here tens of thousands of people study
Rebbe Nachman’s teachings and try their best to con
nect with God through Torah study, prayer, and just
“being there” with all those who are seeking a similar
spiritual experience.
9
R e b b e Nac hm an an d Yo u
And what an experience it is!

In 2012 some 30,000 people danced, sang and prayed,
twenty-four hours a day, in the synagogues and streets
surrounding Rebbe Nachman’s grave. The energy was
electric, the joy unsurpassed, as each participant soaked
up enough spiritual energy to last the rest of the year.
What is it that causes this outpouring of spiritual
energy to come to a head in such a faraway and backward
locale? What power brings people to leave family and
friends and abandon the comforts of home? What is it
about Rebbe Nachman and his teachings that invokes
such dedication and devotion on the part of his followers
to spend Rosh HaShanah with him in minus-one-star
accommodations?
And perhaps a more powerful question: Why has
Rebbe Nachman become a household word? After World
War II, there were maybe 150 Breslover Chassidim
worldwide — about ninety in Israel, ten in North America,
and maybe fifty who survived the concentration camps
and the Soviet NKVD purges of Jews and Judaism. In the
1950s, when I drew close to Breslov, there were very few
people in North America who had even heard of Rebbe
Nachman or his teachings. Even in the 1960s there were
maybe a few hundred Chassidim around the globe. Who
are all these people who now come to Uman?
This book was written to address the modern-day
phenomenon that is Rebbe Nachman. Who is Rebbe
Nachman? What is it about his teachings that excites and
motivates people to ask for more? How can a 19th-century
Chassidic master from a small town in the Ukraine have
so much impact on people in the 21st century? Where
is Uman and what is the significance of the pilgrimage
10
I ntr o d uc t i o n
to Rebbe Nachman’s grave? And are Rebbe Nachman’s

teachings so relevant that I, too, can benefit from them
in the here and now?
This book is your introduction to Rebbe Nachman and
the Breslover Chassidim. It explains how the movement
spread to become the powerful force it is today, with
historical data on Reb Noson, the Rebbe’s closest disciple.
Most importantly, it explains many of Rebbe Nachman’s
teachings and ideas and their practical relevance in
today’s world. This is because Chassidut is not just a path
in life — it is the way to live a fulfilled life, no matter where
you live and no matter what you do.
Rebbe Nachman’s genius lay in his ability to show
future generations the way to live life to the fullest, giving
people the tools to do it for themselves. The Rebbe fills our
“tool bag” with such basic concepts as joy, simplicity and
faith; explains how we can use the tried-and-true tools of
Judaism — Torah, prayer and mitzvot; outlines the strengths
and weaknesses each person has at his or her disposal;
and describes the challenges that we face on a daily
basis. The Rebbe also speaks often of the Tzaddik — the
spiritually moral individual who can illumine the path for
many others.
Our Sages teach, “Open up to Me an opening like
the eye of a needle, and I will open up for you openings
through which oxen and carts can enter!” (Shir HaShirim
Rabbah 5:3). This book opens up a whole new approach to
life in the 21st century, infusing us with the hope that we
can overcome the obstacles that stand between us and
the life we really want to lead. With Rebbe Nachman as
our guide, let’s discover the path to physical, emotional,
spiritual and financial success.
11
•••
Our deepest appreciation to Dr. Jay and Paula Novetsky
and to Gedaliah and Elisheva Fenster for their generous
support in bringing this publication to press. We also thank
our editor, Y. Hall, and typesetter, R. Aber, for making this
a very readable book.
Chaim Kramer
Sivan 5753 / May 2013
12
Let’s
Get
Acquainted
Rebbe Nachman and his main disciple, Reb Noson,
lived at a time of great challenge for the Jewish people.
Beginning right after the Partitions of Poland in the 1790s,
the Russian Czars began issuing decrees to draft Jewish
boys into the Russian army for a period of twenty-five
years in an attempt to cut off the next generation from
any association with Judaism.
The government also began forcing secular educa
tion on schoolchildren, alienating youngsters from their
Jewish roots. The Czars formed the cruel boundaries
of the infamous Jewish Pale of Settlement, banishing
Jews from the rural areas and packing them into the
cities, where they lived in extreme poverty, having their
livelihoods taken away from them.
These decrees, in turn, set the stage for the commu
nities to withdraw into themselves, setting the learned
against the ignorant, the mitnagdim (opponents of
Chassidim) against the Chassidim, the Chassidim against
themselves, and, worst of all, Jew against Jew.
Under those conditions, could a rebbe and leader
arise who could face these problems head-on and offer
encouragement even in the worst of times? Could there
be someone to offer comfort to parents whose children
were forcibly removed from their homes, and solutions
to spiritual alienation? Challenging the cacophony of
atheism, is there a voice that rings out with faith and
truth to lead the people to God in the wilderness of the
“enlightenment” and heresy?
The answer is, “Yes!” In such a world, there is still
hope, there is a ray of light. Let's meet Rebbe Nachman
and Reb Noson, and discover how we, too, can learn
from them.
14
1
Who is Rebbe Nachman ?
Rebbe Nachman was the great-grandson of Rabbi

Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name),
founder of the Jewish revival movement known as Chas-
sidut. Rebbe Nachman’s mother, Feiga, was the daughter
of the Baal Shem Tov’s daughter, Adil. His father, Rabbi
Simchah, was the son of Rabbi Nachman Horodenker,
one of the Baal Shem Tov’s closest disciples.
With Chassidut, the Baal Shem Tov revolutionized
Jewish life in 18th-century Europe. Until that time, Jewish
life centered around the analytical study of Torah, Talmud
and other religious texts. Poor and illiterate Jews who were
cut off from this scholarship by the demands of work-
ing for a living began to be swayed by breakaway Jewish
groups and assimilation. The Baal Shem Tov recast the
service of God from a scholarly to an emotional and even
mystical experience. Through everyday parables masking
deep Kabbalistic concepts, he made Judaism something
everyone could understand and appreciate. He restored
the common man’s self-worth by emphasizing the joy
that God takes in our simple devotions, such as prayer
and acts of kindness.
15
While the Baal Shem Tov inspired his disciples to

create their own Chassidic courts, his influence had
begun to wane by the time of Rebbe Nachman’s birth.
It was up to the Baal Shem Tov’s great-grandson to re-
infuse Chassidut with spirit and fervor, and he did so in
a unique way.
Rebbe Nachman was born in 1772, twelve years after
the Baal Shem Tov’s passing, in the western Ukrainian
town of Medzeboz. The Rebbe had two brothers and a
sister. During his childhood, many Chassidic masters
would come to visit the grave of the Baal Shem Tov in
Medzeboz and they would stay in the Rebbe’s parents’
house. Rebbe Nachman was deeply inspired by these
great leaders to become an outstanding Tzaddik and
Torah sage himself. He acquired his first disciple on his
wedding day in 1785. Subsequently he became known
as a mystic, teacher and storyteller, and eventually a
well-known Chassidic master in his own right.
After his marriage he moved to the eastern Ukraine,
settling in Ossatin. In the early 1790s he moved to
nearby Medvedevka, where he began to attract a devoted
following. In 1798-1799, at the height of the Napoleonic
wars in the Middle East, he made his pilgrimage to the
Holy Land. Returning first to Medvedevka, he moved
shortly afterwards to Zlatipolia in 1800. Around this
time Rabbi Aryeh Leib, the Shpola Zeide, mounted a
bitter campaign of opposition to Rebbe Nachman and
his “brand” of Chassidut. This forced Rebbe Nachman to
move to Breslov in September 1802.
It was right after Rebbe Nachman moved to Breslov
that Reb Noson, who lived in nearby Nemirov, became
his student. Reb Noson began to record the teachings
and conversations that are Rebbe Nachman’s legacy to
this day.
16
W ho i s R e bb e N ac hm an ?
The Rebbe furthered the goals of the Chassidic move

ment by translating the esoteric teachings of the Kabbalah
into concrete, practical advice that anyone could use to
better his or her own life. Rebbe Nachman knew and
could cite any verse or teaching from the entire lexicon
of Jewish wisdom — the Tanakh, the Mishnah, the Talmud,
the Zohar and the Kabbalah — to develop his lessons. In
addition to his formal teachings, the Rebbe told stories
that contained the deepest mysteries of Torah. He said,
“I see that my Torah teachings do not reach you; I will
begin telling stories.” Rebbe Nachman’s innovations in
delivering Torah discourses via his intricate lessons, as
well as the stories that he told, made him a unique figure
in the spread of Chassidut.
Though young in years, the Rebbe was wise to the true
meaning of life. He spent much of his time immersed
in Torah study and went to great lengths to perfect his
character traits and his awe of Heaven. Through his devo-
tions, the ways of God became absolutely clear to him
at a young age, and he wrote many pages of advice and
counsel to help other people develop for themselves a
strong and satisfying relationship with God.
Rebbe Nachman lost his wife, the mother of his eight
children, to tuberculosis in 1807. He remarried shortly
after. In the late summer of 1807 Rebbe Nachman himself
contracted tuberculosis, a disease that ravaged his body
for three years. Knowing his time to leave this world was
imminent, he moved to Uman in the spring of 1810.
Throughout that summer he grew very weak. Despite his
illness, his hundreds of followers came to be with him for
the annual Rosh HaShanah kibutz. He gave over his last
lesson on that Rosh HaShanah. A couple of weeks later
he passed away, on 18 Tishrei 5571 (October 16, 1810),
17
at the age of thirty-eight. He was buried in Uman the

following day.
The Rebbe’s two sons and two of his daughters died
in infancy; he was survived by four daughters. Without
sons to succeed him, it was natural that his Chassidut
would die out with its leader. But Rebbe Nachman had a
secret that ensured the continuation of his teachings and
the growth of his following for generations to come. That
secret was his main disciple and scribe, Reb Noson. In
the next chapter we will meet the man who guaranteed
the survival of Breslov Chassidut for hundreds of years,
up to and including our present day.
18
2
Who is Reb Noson ?
In Jewish history, every great teacher became

that way because he had at least one able student who
was able to receive and absorb that knowledge and,
later on, disseminate it for future use. After all, without
students — and more specifically, the student — why would
he be known as a great teacher?
About nine miles (fifteen kilometers) from Breslov
(a full day’s journey by horse and wagon in Rebbe
Nachman’s time) lay the city of Nemirov, home to Reb
Noson Sternhartz, a budding young Torah scholar born
in 1780. Reb Noson was the son-in-law of Rabbi Dovid
Zvi Ohrbach, the foremost halakhic authority of the
western Ukraine (Kaminetz-Podolia).
Rabbi Ohrbach was a leading opponent of the Chassidic
movement, as was Reb Noson’s immediate family. Still,
Reb Noson was drawn to the teachings of Chassidut. When
Rebbe Nachman moved to Breslov in September 1802,
Reb Noson traveled there and was deeply impressed by
the teachings and sincerity of Rebbe Nachman and his
followers. He immediately began to record the Rebbe’s
teachings. Later Rebbe Nachman himself asked Reb
Noson to record his teachings, saying, “We have to be
19
grateful to Reb Noson, for without him, not one page of

my teachings would have remained!” (Tzaddik #369).
For the next eight years until Rebbe Nachman passed
away, despite all the opposition he faced from his
family, Reb Noson became a frequent visitor to Breslov
and drew ever closer to the Rebbe. He recorded Rebbe
Nachman’s lessons, conversations and stories, and
observed the Rebbe up close, from which he later wrote
the biographical information that we have. Also during
that time, Rebbe Nachman instructed Reb Noson to
begin writing his own original discourses and prayers.
Reb Noson proved himself to be a deep thinker, a prolific
writer and a caring and sensitive soul.
Eventually Reb Noson’s wife and family acknowl
edged the positive impact that Chassidut was having on
him and withdrew their opposition to Breslov Chassidut.
Reb Noson’s second son, Reb Yitzchak, became one of
his father’s most avid disciples. For some twenty-three
years until Reb Noson’s passing, the two carried on a
voluminous correspondence, discussing and strengthen
ing each other in Rebbe Nachman’s teachings. These
letters were later collected and published as Alim LiTerufah
(Leaves of Healing), available in English from the Breslov
Research Institute as Eternally Yours.
When Rebbe Nachman passed away in 1810, Reb
Noson was perfectly qualified to succeed him. But he pre
ferred to remain the de facto leader, publishing all of
the Rebbe’s works and guiding the Breslover Chassidim
to fulfill the Rebbe’s directives. He traveled hundreds of
miles each year by horse and wagon to visit and encour
age Breslover Chassidim living throughout the Ukraine,
and wrote many letters strengthening them to keep
following Rebbe Nachman’s path.
20
W ho i s R e b N o son ?
Even without a living rebbe, Breslov Chassidut expand

ed and grew. This aroused the jealousy of several of
Reb Noson’s Chassidic contemporaries, who felt that a
Chassidic movement must have a living rebbe to guide
it. The Breslover Chassidim became the object of terrible
opposition and Reb Noson’s life was threatened. Though
the opposition grudgingly died down to some extent by
the end of Reb Noson’s life, it continued to percolate
among both Chassidic courts and Lithuanian schools
until today.
In the spring of 1811 Reb Noson moved to Breslov
and established the annual Rosh HaShanah kibutz in
Uman. By 1830 the hundreds of attendees at the kibutz
had outgrown all the local synagogues, and Reb Noson
began raising money to build a Breslov kloyz (synagogue),
which was completed in 1834. Reb Noson merited to see
the first volume of his own magnum opus, the Likutey
Halakhot, printed in 1843-1844. He became very weak
around Rosh HaShanah 1844 and right after Chanukah
of that year, on 10 Tevet 5605 (December 20, 1844), he
passed away. He is buried in Breslov.
Reb Noson’s efforts and iron will carved and shaped
Breslov Chassidut as we know it. By remaining completely
true to his master’s teachings and transmitting them
faithfully, he built a movement that connects later genera
tions directly to Rebbe Nachman himself. Reb Noson
neither added to or subtracted from the ideas Rebbe
Nachman taught, only expanded and expounded on
them in his own writings. We can be assured that the
ideas we study and find so helpful today are all rooted
in Rebbe Nachman’s original teachings and advice given
over 200 years ago — with a freshness that makes them
seem even more relevant today.
21
3
What is breslov ?
Breslov is the name of the town in the western

Ukraine where Rebbe Nachman spent most of the last
eight years of his life, and which gave its name to the
Chassidic movement that he founded. One can travel to
Breslov today and get a good feel for what it was like to
live there in the early 1800s. Aside from a few square
meters of cracked asphalt and several telephone and
electrical wires, the town looks exactly as it did during
Rebbe Nachman’s lifetime.
Breslov is sometimes transliterated as Bratslav or
Braclav; it should not be confused with Bratislava in
Czechoslovakia or Breslau in Germany. Breslov is situated
on the Bug River midway between Nemirov and Tulchin,
in the area previously known as Kaminetz-Podolia.
It was usual for Chassidic groups of Eastern Europe
to take their name from the name of the town where
their rebbe and leader lived. When Rebbe Nachman
first settled in Breslov in 1802, he said that his followers
would always be known as Breslover Chassidim. This is
the case today, even though Breslov is now a worldwide
22
W hat i s b re slov ?
movement and there are no known Breslover Chassidim

in the town of Breslov itself.
Those who study gematria, the system of assigning
numerical values to Hebrew letters, find that the name
Breslov suits the Breslov movement to a T. Rebbe Nach-
man once pointed out that the name BReSLoV (‫)ברסלב‬
has the same letters as the Hebrew words LeV BaSaR
(‫לב בסר‬, or ‫ — לב בשר‬the letters samekh [‫ ]ס‬and sin [‫]שׂ‬
are interchangeable). LeV BaSaR is the “heart of flesh”
every Jew should have, as in the prophecy of Ezekiel:
“I will take away your heart of stone and give you a LeV
BaSaR, a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). Indeed, Rebbe
Nachman’s teachings have the unique power to turn a
“heart of stone” into a caring, feeling “heart of flesh.”
Additionally, the name BReSLoV (‫ )ברסלב‬has the same
numerical value (294) as NaChMaN BeN FeIGA (‫נחמן בן פיגא‬,
Nachman the son of Feiga), Rebbe Nachman’s name and
matronymic. It’s as if the town was waiting for its Rebbe
to arrive and, from there, spread light and knowledge to
the entire world.
23
4
Why Uman ?
While Rebbe Nachman lived and taught in the

town of Breslov for eight years, from 1802 to 1810, he
chose to spend the last six months of his life in Uman, a
small city in the Ukraine, and to be buried in the cemetery
there.
Decades earlier, Uman had been the site of several
massacres of Jews by the Haidemaks, a band of peasant
Cossacks who overran cities, towns and villages across
the entire region in their revolt against the Polish nobility.
The first massacre in Uman took place in 1749, when
many hundreds of Jews were murdered and part of the
city was burned. Count Feliks Potacki, the landlord of the
city, rebuilt Uman in 1761; he created a world-famous
botanical garden known as Sofiefka Park in the north of
the city in the 1790s.
In 1768 the peasants staged yet another revolt. Uman
is strategically situated in the center of the Ukraine,
about halfway between Kiev to the north and Odessa
to the south, and is also a midpoint between east and
west. In the 18th century it was a fortified and walled
city and could have withstood battles for a long time.
24
W hy Um an ?
Between 25,000 to 30,000 Jews from the surrounding

areas fled to Uman in advance of the Haidemak army
and secured themselves behind the city walls. But when
the Haidemaks arrived, the governor of Uman betrayed
the Jews and threw open the gates, resulting in a three-
day massacre of well over 20,000 Jews.
Ivan Gunta, the leader of the Haidemaks, then built a
canopy outside the synagogue where some 3,000 Jews had
found refuge. He said that anyone who left the synagogue
and converted to the Russian Orthodox Church would be
spared. No Jew left the synagogue and Gunta murdered
them all. Only a handful of the remaining Jews survived.
In 1802 Rebbe Nachman passed through Uman on
his way to the town of Breslov. Seeing the cemetery and
recognizing the sanctity of the Jewish martyrs buried
there, Rebbe Nachman remarked, “It would be good to
be buried here.” In 1810 he chose to return to Uman to be
buried among the martyrs.
Reb Noson, who shepherded the expansion of the
Breslov movement after the Rebbe’s passing, realized
that Uman, rather than Breslov, should be the focal point
of the Chassidut because the Rebbe was buried there. He
invested much time and effort to encourage Chassidim
to join the annual Rosh HaShanah pilgrimage to the
Rebbe’s grave. He also constructed a large synagogue
in Uman to accommodate the hundreds of Chassidim
who traveled there. In 1866 Reb Noson’s main disciple
and successor, Reb Nachman of Tulchin, moved to Uman
permanently and led the Breslover Chassidim from there.
Besides the annual Rosh HaShanah pilgrimage to
Rebbe Nachman’s grave, Uman became a magnet for
visitors at any time of year. Its popularity is based on a
unique promise that the Rebbe made about half a year
25
before he passed away. At that time, Rebbe Nachman

revealed the Tikkun HaKlali (General Remedy), the Ten
Chapters of Psalms one should recite in order to rectify
sexual sins. The Rebbe then testified in the presence of
two witnesses: “Whoever comes to my grave, recites the
Ten Chapters of Psalms and gives something to charity,
I will extend myself the length and breadth of Creation
for him; by his peyot (sidelocks), I will pull him out of
Gehinnom!”
No one before or since ever made such a promise.
As a result, thousands of people made the effort to
travel to Rebbe Nachman’s grave in Uman. During the
Communist era from 1917 to 1989, travel to Uman was
restricted and anyone who was caught there risked being
deported to Siberia — or worse. But come they did, and
they kept coming — from Israel, England and America,
where new Breslover communities were founded after
the Holocaust. More and more people pounded on the
gates until finally the Iron Curtain crumbled and the way
was opened for all.
Today over 30,000 people travel to the annual Rosh
HaShanah kibutz in Uman. You can find a minyan for
prayers there every Shabbat. It’s never been easier to
travel to Uman and reap the benefits of praying by the
Rebbe’s grave.
26
5
How does Rebbe Nachman
speak to me ?
At first glance it doesn’t seem possible. How can

the words of a 19th-century Chassidic master from a
small town in the Ukraine speak to people living in the
21st‑century metropolises of the Western world? What
does Rebbe Nachman know of the modern age — its
scientific and technological breakthroughs; its advances in
medicine, genetic engineering and telecommunications;
its phenomena of global interdependence and cyber
terrorism?
If you think that way, you don’t know Rebbe Nachman.
Rebbe Nachman lived at a pivotal point in world
history. Standing on the verge of the modern age, which
would introduce both an industrial revolution that
would totally transform the way people lived, and an
ideological revolution that would shake the entire frame
work of beliefs and assumptions on which people had
based their lives for centuries, Rebbe Nachman said,
“I’ll tell you a secret. A great wave of atheism is about
to enter the world” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #220). One of
the Rebbe’s main objectives was to throw out spiritual
27
life rafts to those who would become engulfed in the

impending ideological torrent.
So many people who read Rebbe Nachman’s works
have the uncanny feeling that he is talking directly to
them. With startling clarity, he pinpoints the real trials
of our modern age: the breakdown in personal and
familial relationships; the rising incidence of depression,
anxiety and other mental disorders; the overdependence
on drugs, alcohol and other soul-numbing diversions;
the existential loneliness that we feel even as we are
surrounded by more wealth and possessions than any
generation has ever known. The Rebbe saw clearly that
further sophistication is not the answer. “The greatest
wisdom of all,” he declared, “is to be simple.” “Gevalt!”
he cried. “Don’t give up!”
Rebbe Nachman shows us how to navigate the chal
lenges of this world and make a success of our lives. To
that end, he presents both the timeless tools of Torah,
prayer, mitzvot and charity, and his own original teachings
on joy, simplicity, faith, looking for the good points, and
many others. His teachings about the Tzaddik hold out
tantalizing opportunities for us to infuse our lives with
more holiness and morality. Throughout his writings,
Rebbe Nachman always encourages, never chastises.
Even to the person who feels he is so sunk in his sins
that he can never rise again, Rebbe Nachman assures,
“There is always hope. Every day you have the power to
start anew.”
Rebbe Nachman speaks to everyone who is searching
for answers. Let’s hear what he has to say.
28
Breslov
Basics
Judaism has one root: the Torah. That root has
its own Root, which is God. It stands to reason that since
the one Torah is from the One God, there should not
be variations in it — or at least not too many. Yet even a
cursory glance at those who study Torah will find many
paths, many interpretations and many approaches. But
all Torah teachings are meant to call out, “God is One.”
What makes one set of teachings more powerful than
another?
Rebbe Nachman once said, “I’m leading you on a new
path that is really very old” (Tzaddik #392). The Rebbe was
a very creative thinker who was able to see everything in
terms of Godliness and, at the same time, see everything
from the vantage point of the human being. Using the
standard works of Judaism — the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud,
Shulchan Arukh, Zohar and Kabbalah — as a starting point,
the Rebbe charted new paths for modern man to find
physical, emotional and spiritual fulfillment in this world.
This section outlines the Rebbe’s well-known concepts
such as free will, faith and truth, finding joy and peace,
and how to effect a tikkun (rectification) for the mistakes
we’ve made. He also speaks about the importance of
finding the Tzaddik, the leader that we all need — after
all, it was Moses who led the Jews out of slavery in
Egypt, and King David who forged the Jewish people
into a cohesive unit and the leading nation of its time.
A leader is a leader, one who actually leads, not follows.
Each topic concludes on a personal note, offering
insights and practical tips for incorporating Rebbe
Nachman’s ideas into our own lives.
30
6
What is Free Will ?
Someone once asked Rebbe Nachman, “What is the

idea of free will?”
“Very simple,” Rebbe Nachman replied. “If you want,
you do it. If you don’t want, you don’t do it.”
Reb Noson adds: “I have recorded this because it is very
necessary for people to know. A lot of people are very
confused because they have gotten used to their actions
and are steeped in their habits for many years, and it
seems to them as if they don’t have freedom to choose
anymore and can no longer control their ways. But the
truth is not so. Every person always has freedom to
choose in everything. A person acts the way he wants
to. Understand this very well” (Likutey Moharan II, 110).
What is free will? It is the ability to choose to do

whatever you wish to do, whenever you wish to do so,
in any kind of situation. Knowing that you have this pow-
er, you can take any idea or suggestion that you hear and
apply it for your benefit. As Reb Noson explains, free will
is the most amazing power in the entire world (Likutey
Halakhot, Birkhot HaShachar 5:74).
31
“What’s so amazing about it?” you may ask. Well, con-

sider that you are a king, a ruler, or even a democratically
elected leader. Of course you want people to follow you
and do what you think is best for the land you rule. In
that case, would you give anyone, let alone everyone, the
power to choose to rebel against you?
But that is exactly what God did when He created
the world! He entrusted man with da’at (intellect) and
gave him several commandments to obey — without any
spiritual policemen standing over him. We are allowed
to do whatever we want! This is the incredible power of
free will.
As with all aspects of Creation, the Kabbalah offers
us a closer look at how free will came about, and Rebbe
Nachman explains from this how we can apply it to
our daily lives. The great Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria
(known as the ARI) describes the way God brought the
world into existence:
Before all things were created … the Supernal Light was
complete and perfect. It filled all existence. There was no
empty space, since everything was filled with that Light
of the Infinite. There was no category of beginning and
no category of end.
When it arose in God’s Will to create worlds … He
withdrew His Infinite Essence from the very center point
of His Light. He then withdrew that Light even further,
distancing it to the extremities around this center point,
leaving a Vacated Space. After this constriction, there
was a place for all that was to be created. God then drew
a single, straight Kav (Ray) down from His Infinite Light
into the Vacated Space … Through this Kav, the Light of
God spreads forth and flows down into the universes
that are located within that Space (Etz Chaim, Drush Igulim
v’Yosher 1:2).
32
W hat i s F r e e W i ll ?
We learn from this teaching that God is hidden — He

withdrew Himself, as it were, from the Vacated Space — yet
He drew a Ray of His Infinite Light into the Vacated Space,
which He uses to sustain all the universes, all of mankind,
and all the other levels of this material world, animal,
vegetable and mineral.
The concealment of God is what allows for free will.
Were God to be manifest in the Vacated Space, man
would have no option as to what to do. Being in God’s
presence at all times, man would be forced to serve Him.
That kind of service would be robotic. But God wanted
people to have free choice, to use their intellect to guide
themselves and their lives on a path that will be good
and productive. Therefore God withdrew Himself, as it
were, and the universe in which we live seems devoid of
Godliness. We are not robots, nor are we clones — we are
thinking individuals with free will to do as we choose.
So, “Go ahead! Use your free will and do whatever you
want!” But on the other hand, as we have seen, God drew
a Ray from His Infinite Light that sustains all of creation
into the Vacated Space. He is here, present at all times.
So again, “Go ahead! Use your free will, because you can
seek God and you can find Him!”
The Vacated Space — the world as we know it — is a
paradox. God is not here, because otherwise we would
be forced to serve Him. But God must be here, otherwise
what sustains the universe? But He cannot be here! But
He must be here! But He cannot be here! But He must
be here!
This paradox is what gives man free will. God is
concealed, yet He created man with a mind and granted
him intellect. Man can choose to search for God or neglect
Him, or even rebel against Him. God is, of course, here.
33
As Rebbe Nachman said, “God is always with you. He is

near you! He is next to you! Do not be afraid!” (Siach Sarfey
Kodesh III, #661). But He remains concealed. By searching
for Him, we can find Him, for He is always close by, right
next to us, actually waiting for us to turn to Him. And
when we search, we find: God becomes revealed to us.
But even when God becomes revealed, man still has
free will, because in essence, God is still concealed from
us. Since God is Infinite, there are layers upon layers of
Godliness waiting to be discovered. When a person uses
his free will in the direction of searching for God, the
layers unfold one by one and he finds himself drawing
ever closer to God.
What Does This Mean To Me

Most people think of themselves as crea
tures of habit, but Rebbe Nachman tells us that
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we needn’t be slaves to our impulses. We can respond
differently. We can exercise discipline. Rebbe Nachman
likens self-control to a rider on a horse that has gone
astray. All the rider has to do is grab hold of the reins
to return it to the path (Likutey Moharan II, 50). As long
as we keep life simple, we can maintain control over
many facets of our lives.
If I’m unhappy at my job or face problems in my
marriage, should I walk out? Did you ever see a base
ball team walk off the field in the seventh inning
when the score was against them, 13-1? Obviously
not. If giving up was our reaction every time we felt
despondent, not only would we be in hot water, but
the entire world would fall apart if everybody acted
34
W hat i s F r e e W i ll ?
so irresponsibly. We can’t just walk away from every

trouble, so do we really have “free” will? The answer
is, “Yes!”
Our Sages advised: Every person must say, “The
world was created for me” (Sanhedrin 37a). What does that
mean? It means that every person is important — and
especially you. It’s true. You come first. The world was
created for you. The only thing is, as Rebbe Nachman
explains, this privilege carries responsibility. Because
the world was created for you, you must see to its
rectification. You are responsible for the world (Likutey
Moharan I, 5:1). At any and all times, you can choose to
do whatever you want to do. It’s just a matter of acting
responsibly. It’s that simple.
So instead of telling yourself, “I can’t,” tell yourself,
“I can.” In a moment, you and I and everyone else can
turn our lives around. Or at least begin to turn them
around. And when we apply this idea of “I can” to our
work, our studies and any of our habits, we’ll see that
we certainly can control our thoughts, even if only for
a few moments. We can seize control of our minds
and focus. We can remain steadfast in our resolve.
One of Rebbe Nachman’s keen insights is that a
person should learn to live in the present. “Today!”
(Likutey Moharan I, 272). By living in the present, we don’t
have to suffer the burden of long-term diets or devo
tions or commitments. All we have to worry about
are our efforts for “today.” Concentrating for the short
term is easier; being responsible for a limited time is
bearable.
It’s really very simple, though admittedly not so
simple after all. Many factors are involved, including
how strong is your resolve to choose the right path, and
35
how strong is your ability to follow it through, despite

challenges that seem overwhelming. But when you
know and understand that it is your choice, stemming
from your free will, that determines what happens in
your life, then you have the solid foundation to face
and overcome the vicissitudes of life.
And it’s very helpful to remember Rebbe Nach-
man’s statement: “Everything you see in this world,
everything that is created, is all for the sake of man’s
free will” (Tzaddik #519).
36
7
What is Simplicity ?
Before he passed away, Reb Noson was heard sighing very

deeply. When asked why he sighed, he replied, “I prayed
as best I could, I studied what I felt I could, I performed
my other devotions the best I could. I am sighing because
I don’t know if I fulfilled Rebbe Nachman’s directive of
simplicity as I should have!” (Oral tradition).
Of all of Rebbe Nachman’s major teachings, sim-

plicity is probably the least understood. Yet it has a major
impact on the way we live our lives.
Once, when speaking about God, Rebbe Nachman
said that God is very complex — but He is really very, very
simple (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #101). As we know from the
Shema,* God is One, totally unique. In any number more
than one, we find complexity. But when we deal with a
simple, single unit, there is no duplicity and no conflicts
exist. Rebbe Nachman implies that when we learn to
simplify our lives, we can experience more serenity and
tranquility.
* “Shema Yisrael
— Hear, Israel! God is our Lord. God is One”
(Deuteronomy 6:4).
37
If asked to describe a “simple” person, you might

give a negative description, a picture of someone who is
dull-witted, foolish or even imbecilic. Saying something
is “simple” conjures up the image of commonplace and
inconsequential at best. That is not at all what the Rebbe
had in mind. Instead, he looks to the Torah’s meaning
of the word “simple,” as our patriarch Jacob is described
as a tam, a simple man (Genesis 25:27). A tam is someone
who is unassuming, sincere, straightforward. He lacks
guile and shuns twisted reasoning. Simplicity implies
wholeness and singularity, suggests freedom from mix-
ture and convolutions, and denotes something pure and
unadulterated.
Nowadays, achieving simplicity can be as elusive as
defining it. The glitz and glitter of new fads and designer
products prevent us from appreciating and cherishing
that which is unadulterated. All too often we allow our
imagination to dominate our perspective of reality, letting
it lead us away from the genuine and the sincere, away
from the straightforward and the simple truth.
Simplicity means clarity. “I do one thing at a time. I
am not under pressure to be a superman.” Every person
can focus on the one task that requires his immediate
attention and do what is necessary, better and faster than
if he were concentrating on several things at once.
Today many psychologists and therapists counsel their
clients to keep their lives simple. Instead of living in huge
homes that cost a fortune to heat, or purchasing loads of
clothes and utensils that clog our closets and are seldom
used, they suggest we buy less and use less, saving
money, space, the environment and everything else. Why
do we need so many cell phones, MP3s, beepers and a
whole array of electronic equipment just to keep up with
38
W hat i s S i m pli c i ty ?
the Goldbergs and the Schwartzes? True, these gadgets

make our lives easier, but at what cost?
An important caveat: Simplicity does not mean
believing whatever anyone tells you and foolishly falling
victim to dishonesty and falsehood. That would be
gullibility, not simplicity. Our Sages warned us in this
regard: Respect, yet suspect that which is unfamiliar to
you (cf. Derekh Eretz Zuta 5). Rebbe Nachman specifically
warned us to be very careful in financial matters (see
Likutey Moharan I, 69; cf. Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #281) and
to be wary of placing our physical well-being and/or
emotional welfare in the hands of “reliable” professionals
and “tried and tested” solutions (ibid., #50). While the
simple person leaves his mind open, neither forming an
immediate opinion nor trying to second-guess the “true”
motives of other people, he won’t gullibly subscribe to
the latest advice, trend, investment or fad that comes
his way. Though by taking things at face value, one
may well open himself up to dubious and possibly even
harmful influences, Reb Noson quotes a proverb of King
Solomon: “He that follows the simple path goes securely”
(Proverbs 10:9).
The rule is: Accept, but be careful. To paraphrase
Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen, my Rosh Yeshivah: “It is a
pleasure dealing with people. They are trustworthy, they
are honest, they are decent people. But always remember
to count your change!”
39

At the end of his story, “The Exchanged
Children” (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories #11), Rebbe Nach
man speaks of a prince who was challenged to figure
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out the mystery of a certain throne. Close by the
throne were animals and birds carved out of wood,
a bed, a table, a lamp and a chair. Having the gift
of understanding one thing from another, the prince
realized that the throne was a symbol of peace — but
only if everything was in its proper place. He started
moving things around, this item a little bit, that item
a little bit, until everything was in its place. Then there
emerged from the throne the most beautiful melodies
of harmony and sweetness.
This is the path to simplicity: Everything in its place,
everything in its own time. Instead of the convoluted,
speculative paths that people often choose, try to
seek the simplest solution. This way, you avoid inner
conflict, for a simple, singular path has no diversity
and thus offers little or even nothing to distract you.
Then you can remain focused on your goals.
Rebbe Nachman was known for never forcing an
issue, as if it had to be done immediately or in a certain
way (see Tzaddik #430-435). That kind of approach never
works (and also turns other people off). The simple
approach will work. It will never work to try and lose
ten pounds in a day, but little by little we can lose a
few ounces until we reach our goal. It never works to
try to save a lot of money in a very short period of
time, but by saving a little at a time — especially with
compound interest — we can amass a great deal of
money. Like the prince, we should take small, effective
40
W hat i s S i m pli c i ty ?
steps. The results are harmony within, peace at home

and accord with our friends, neighbors and coworkers.
Simplicity also means breaking down goals into
manageable bites. For example, a person who wants to
study the entire Talmud has chosen an important goal,
but it cannot be done in one day. It requires simplifying
the task, one page ata time. “That’s all I need to do.”
Cleaning a house for the Pesach holiday nowadays is
a humongous task. But it can be accomplished, one
room at a time. The same applies to learning new
skills, building a relationship, and everything else you
aspire to.
As you pursue the simple path, you’ll find it influ
ences your ability for positive thinking. “After all, I can
do this; it’s not that complicated or difficult.” If I’m not
weighed down with the burden of paying an exorbitant
mortgage instead of a more moderate one, because
I’m not looking for the “best” or the “fanciest” (and
the same applies to buying a car, furniture, appliances
and so on), then I can breathe easier. I can concen
trate. I can focus. I have more time and energy for the
important things.
With simplicity, we have the freedom to accomplish
far more than we could ever imagine.
41
8
What is Joy ?
Rebbe Nachman teaches: It is a great mitzvah to be

happy always.
Strengthen yourself to push aside all depression and
sadness. Everyone has lots of problems and the nature
of man is to be attracted to sadness. To escape these
difficulties, constantly bring joy into your life — even
if you have to resort to silliness (Likutey Moharan II, 24).
You’d think that being told to be happy is super

fluous. Who doesn’t know this? Is it really necessary
to coax, urge and encourage people to be happy? It’s a
natural desire, not one that has to be worked on. Or is it?
“True joy is the hardest thing of all,” Rebbe Nachman
insists. “You must force yourself to be happy all the time”
(Advice, Joy 35).
Life certainly gives us enough excuses to be worried.
How am I going to meet the tuition payment? What did
you say happened to the car? Who did you say you’re
bringing home for dinner?! And we’re not even mention
ing health issues. The list is endless. Your alternatives: joy
or depression.
42
W hat i s J oy ?
Depression, though, is your worst enemy. Rebbe

Nachman compares depression to the bite of a serpent
(Likutey Moharan I, 189). Just as a serpent strikes suddenly,
so does depression. All of a sudden it hits and you’re
left wondering how you can ever be happy again. My
Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen, used to say,
“People think that difficulties are unexpected in life.
They’re surprised when troubles attack and sadness
comes. But even if a person were to live for a thousand
years, he would still have a long list of problems waiting
for him. When one leaves, another is sure to follow on its
heels. This is an axiom of life.”
It’s a cycle. Something unexpected happens and we
get annoyed. The doldrums and depression, still mild,
are on the horizon. We’re already less tolerant of what
ever happens next. Naturally, we anticipate everything
going wrong. And it does! At the same time, we get angry,
experience greater failure, become more depressed, and
feel more discouraged and lethargic. The serpent of sad
ness has struck and its poisonous venom of depression
begins to spread without our being aware of what actually
happened.
Interestingly enough, depression, sadness and suffer
ing are necessary ingredients in the world. Our Sages
state, “Whoever mourns Jerusalem will yet share in its
rejoicing” (Ta’anit 30b). Without experiencing sorrow and
mourning, there is no way for us to appreciate its opposite.
We have nothing with which to compare our happiness.
Therefore we experience suffering. Only then can we
know the true taste of joy. And because some sadness
and suffering is necessary, Rebbe Nachman urges us to
strive for joy. We have to use all our strength to attain
happiness, since only by being happy will we have
43
the necessary faith, courage and strength to face our

sorrows and burdens and overcome them.

Joy puts you on the fast track to achieving
any goal you desire. Therefore Rebbe Nachman
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emphasizes the importance of being joyous at all times.
While it’s easy to be happy when you feel good and
things are going smoothly, what should you do when
you don’t feel happy and there’s nothing to be joyous
about? Rebbe Nachman offers these suggestions for
getting back on track:
Force yourself. The importance of joy is so
great that you should make every effort to be happy.
This can be compared to a group of people who are
dancing in a circle while a sad person looks on. They
reach out and pull him in to join them, whereupon he
leaves his depression off to the side. However, when
the newcomer stops dancing, his depression returns.
Though the few minutes of joy are valuable, still, it
would be better to bring the depression itself into the
circle of happiness and keep it there (Likutey Moharan
II, 23). Forcing yourself to be happy will eventually
turn the cause of your unhappiness into a real source
of joy.
Someone once asked Reb Noson how he could be
happy when he had so many problems and difficulties.
Reb Noson answered, “Borrow the happiness!” (Siach
Sarfey Kodesh 1-736). When it comes to money, we
rarely hesitate to borrow against future earnings. Well,
44
W hat i s J oy ?
sadness makes a person feel he’s missing something.

The thing to do, as Reb Noson advises, is to borrow
from whatever you can think of that makes you happy.
Besides, there’s a big difference between owing money
and owing happiness. When money is paid back, it
hurts a little. But with happiness, when we pay it back,
we have happiness again. Forcing joy and happiness
actually pays fantastic dividends!
Fake it. Even if you don’t feel happy, you can fake
it. Pretend to be happy. Who says that if you’re feeling
down, you can’t smile? We fake a smile often enough
when trying to be polite; why not now? Try it. A smile,
even a pasted-on grin, is contagious. Not only will it
make others happy when they return your smile, but
as studies show, smiling relieves tension and really
does make your outlook on life a lot brighter (cf. Rabbi
Nachman’s Wisdom #43).
Remember your good points. Another way
you can become joyous when depressed is by acknowl
edging that you have at least some good within you.
Even if you can’t find anything good in yourself, you
still have what to be happy about: “I am a Jew!” (Likutey
Moharan II, 10). Simply be happy that you can feel proud
and joyous about your heritage, which is not even
your own doing, but a gift from God (more about this in
Chapter 11, “What are the Good Points?”).
Sing, play music and dance. Music clears the
mind and makes us happy. Music has the power to
help us pour out our heart before God. It also has the
power to sharpen our memories and enable us to
concentrate on our goals (Advice, Joy 14-15). Therefore
Rebbe Nachman says it’s a very good habit to inspire
ourselves with a melody. The spiritual roots of music
45
and song are quite exalted and can arouse our hearts
and raise our spirits (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #273).
The Rebbe also talks about the special power
that dancing and clapping have to make us happy
and mitigate the negative things affecting us (Likutey
Moharan I, 169). It is customary in every Breslov syna
gogue to dance each day after the morning and
evening prayers. Many Breslover Chassidim dance
after learning together, and some even dance daily
by themselves. It’s a sure-fire way to arouse feelings
of joy and happiness.
Do something silly. In talking about making
every effort to be joyous, Rebbe Nachman said this
even includes resorting to acting a bit silly. The price
one pays for a little silliness is far less than the price of
depression and lethargy.
Echoing the message found in Chapter 6 about free
will: There is joy, there is depression. Which path do I
choose? Rebbe Nachman says it depends on how you
view yourself. If you look for the good, then you think
good, things are positive and you can be joyous. The
opposite is also true. So choose happiness.
Reb Avraham Chazan commented, “If Rebbe
Nachman taught that it’s a great mitzvah to be happy
always, then we must believe that there is what to be
happy about!” (Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen).
46
9
What is Peace ?
There is peace that lacks a mouth. And there is a peace

that has a mouth (Likutey Moharan I, 57:8).
Peace is one of those things that everyone wishes

for and few people actually experience. We all want world
peace, peace in the Middle East, peace on the home
front and peace between brothers. Everyone wants a
peaceful life. Who needs aggravation, enmity, deceit or
underhanded dealings? But invariably, life is more about
war than peace. Why do strife and conflict flare up so
quickly?
Rebbe Nachman explains that it all starts with the indi-
vidual. If we lack inner peace, the whole world becomes
fragmented. If we possess inner peace, then tranquility
and harmony spread throughout the world.
How does this work? The Rebbe explains that all strife
is identical. We may think that our neighbors aren’t
talking to each other because one slighted the other, or
that two nations are squabbling over a piece of land, but
in reality all strife stems from people’s different and/or
opposing traits. As Rebbe Nachman puts it:
47
The friction within a family is a counterpart of the wars

between nations. Each person in a household is the
counterpart of a world power, and their quarrels are the
wars between those powers. The traits of each nation
are also reflected in these individuals. Some nations are
known for anger, others for bloodthirstiness. Each one
has its particular trait. The counterparts of these traits
are found in each household.
You may wish to live in peace. You have no desire for
strife. Still, you are forced into dispute and conflict.
Nations are the same. A nation may desire peace and
make many concessions to achieve it. But no matter
how much it tries to remain neutral, it can still be caught
up in war. Two opposing sides can demand its allegiance
until it is drawn into war against its will. The same is true
in a household.
This is because man is a miniature world (Zohar III, 33b;
Tikkuney Zohar #69, 100b). His essence contains the world
and everything in it. A man and his family contain the
nations of the world, including all their battles (Rabbi
It’s even worse for a person who lives alone. Rebbe

Nachman says that a man living in isolation can go
insane from the effect of all the warring nations within
him. While someone who lives among family and friends
can express the nation’s battles through his interactions
with other people, the man who lives alone must play the
role of all the nations. Each time a nation is victorious, he
must change his personality, which can drive him insane.
Now we understand why war is the norm. Our different
personalities naturally lead to conflict, and that creates
friction both among the people we live with and people
we’ve never met. However, if man is a microcosm of the
world, the reverse should also be true. And it is. If each of
48
W hat i s P e ac e ?
us could attain inner peace, we could bring peace to the

world at large!
•••
Rebbe Nachman further teaches that there are two
kinds of peace. “Peace that lacks a mouth” is a cease-fire.
It’s peaceful, it’s quiet, there’s no active shooting off of
the guns (or the mouth) and attacking people. But it’s not
a very comfortable situation. People who aren’t engaged
in active combat may still harbor some pretty nasty
feelings about each other, and lack of communication
can lead to serious breaches of the peace. The optimal
kind of peace is “peace that has a mouth.” Dialogue takes
place, compromises are reached, nations join together,
and people even celebrate with each other.
The Hebrew word for peace, ShaLoM (‫)שלום‬, comes
from the same root as the word SheLeiMut (‫)שלמות‬, “com-
pleteness” or “perfection.” Peace implies a unity, where
everyone or everything is together as one. When we are
focused on unity, we can be as dissimilar as we want,
because we are at peace (see Likutey Halakhot, Prikah u’te’inah
4:23).

Inner peace is a truly remarkable achievement.
The person who is comfortable with himself and
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feels at ease with whatever situation he finds himself
in can accomplish tremendous things during his
life. Just examine the fellow who is comfortable
with himself: he exudes self-confidence, is a pillar of
strength, and emerges as a sea of tranquility amid
49
all the tumult around him. Because he is willing to

avoid combative situations, even when it might seem
to be to his detriment, he emerges from every fracas
unscathed. As he radiates that inner peace outwards,
influencing those around him, eventually he can spread
peace far and wide.
How we can acquire inner peace for ourselves?
The Talmud relates that Rabban Gamliel once saw
a ship go down at sea with its travelers, among them
Rabbi Akiva. A short while later Rabbi Akiva came
before Rabban Gamliel, who was very surprised to see
him. Rabban Gamliel asked, “How did you survive?”
Rabbi Akiva replied, “I found a block of wood and held
on tightly. And for each wave that swept over me, I
simply bowed my head.”
My Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen, of-
ten told this story and explained that a block of wood
represents silence. We are in the sea of life and floun-
dering because of all the waves that overwhelm us.
The trick to survival is to act like a block of wood that
is silent — it cannot reply to any insult or demeaning
comment. Additionally, we must learn to “bow our
heads” before each wave — this helps us duck below
the radar of wars and unwelcome situations. Then,
when the wave passes — as it always does — we can
pick up our heads and go forward.
This is a most wonderful piece of advice on how to
attain inner peace. When we face a combative situa-
tion head-on, usually we are standing in harm’s way.
But if we “roll with the punches” and avoid getting
into arguments, we can emerge unscathed or with a
minimal amount of damage.
50
W hat i s P e ac e ?
Rebbe Nachman adds that certain Jewish practices

are especially helpful for attaining inner peace and
promoting peace in the world. They are:
• Giving charity
• Studying halakhah (the Jewish legal codes)
• Safeguarding one’s moral purity
• Increasing one’s fear of Heaven
The highest peace is the peace between opposites.
You know the kind of person we’re talking about — he
just has to look your way and your skin starts crawling.
The next time you meet someone who makes you
uncomfortable, try to think of ways for the two of
you to get along. You’ll be doing a huge service both
for your own, inner peace and for the world peace
we all long for. When you overlook other people’s
shortcomings and look for the good in them, you will
be at peace with everyone.
51
10
What is Suffering ?
When asked how things are, a person should reply that

they are going well, thanking God for his situation even
if things are actually very difficult. If he does this, then
God says, “This is what you call good? I’ll show you what
good really is!” (Siach Sarfey Kodesh 1-32).
Sometimes life seems to be little more than an end-

less stream of problems to solve and obstacles to over-
come. Whether our difficulties are personal, communal
or national, there seems to be no escaping them. Occa-
sionally their sheer number or weight causes a person to
lose faith. Why does God send difficulties our way?
Many philosophers have pondered the conundrum:
How can a loving God inflict suffering on His creatures?
Or as more than one contemporary observer has phrased
it, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
In Jewish thought, difficulties and misfortune are not
“bad” or punishments, but challenges. Challenges are the
primary vehicle for testing our mettle and seeing what
we’re really made of. In the field of health and exercise,
everyone knows, “No pain, no gain.” If you don’t sweat
52
W hat i s S u f f e ri ng ?
a little when you work out, pushing yourself a little bit fur-
ther than you did yesterday, you’ll never get fit. Similarly,
if God wouldn’t put us in difficult situations — or even op-
pressive and crushing situations — we would never build
our spiritual muscles and find out what we’re capable of
achieving.
Difficulties also force a person to cry out for relief —
which is exactly what God is waiting for. God wants a
personal relationship with each one of us, and the rela-
tionship can’t be just one-way, with God giving and giving
and us taking and taking. When God gives us something
to cry about and we cry out to Him, we take our relation-
ship to the next level.
How can we be sure that it’s really God Who’s behind
our difficulties? It sure seems like it’s that obnoxious
downstairs neighbor who keeps us up all night with his
raucous music, or that conniving coworker who keeps
reporting our every misstep to the boss in the hope of
getting us fired and him promoted. Where is God in the
equation?
A young man once came to me bemoaning his life.
He was born somewhere in Kansas and had a standard,
non-Jewish education in public schools. At twenty-five,
he discovered his Jewish roots. “What happened to the
twenty-five years of my life that I lost?” he demanded.
I asked him, “Who put your soul in Kansas?! It was God
Who placed you there, knowing beforehand how you’d
grow up. Your life begins when you are cognizant of God
and that He is the Master Chess Player moving us, the
pieces, around the board.” The same is true for all of us.
When we are ready to accept that God is behind the bad
times as well as the good, then we can actually see our
life experiences falling into an amazing pattern, making
53
us aware that there is Somebody behind all the problems

(and successes) in our lives.
Rebbe Nachman adds an intriguing observation:
Even in the midst of the worst misfortune, we can see
evidence of God’s kindness! (Likutey Moharan I, 195). In
every distress, God offers us some measure of relief. For a
dialysis patient who must come three times a week to the
hospital for hours-long treatments, it may be a nurse who
goes out of her way to make sure he has a comfortable
pillow and his favorite reading material by his side. For
many a grieving child, there is the knowledge that “we
did what we could” and that his parent’s suffering wasn’t
an extended battle for endless years, or that the pain
was minimal. And even if things are very, very difficult,
we know that they could always be worse. That thought
alone provides great consolation.
Reb Noson suffered terrible opposition during the
years 1834 to 1838 when he served as the de facto leader
of the Breslover Chassidim after Rebbe Nachman’s pass-
ing. At times, his life was in actual danger. As a result of
this persecution, Reb Noson suffered loss of income, per-
sonal abuse, imprisonment and, eventually, three years
of forced exile. Yet, through it all, he repeatedly writes in
his letters to his followers, “Although we suffer, God has
always favored us with His kindness. We have merited
seeing much good granted us by God, even in the midst
of our terrible distress.”
What did Reb Noson mean by “God favored us with
His kindness”? His enemies wanted to have him exiled
to Siberia, but he was exiled only to a nearby city. His
opponents tried to stop the spread of Rebbe Nachman’s
writings, yet Reb Noson was able to teach. Though his
persecutors did what they could to prevent him from
54
W hat i s S u f f e ri ng ?
receiving financial support, Reb Noson was helped by

several of his followers and was able to get by. For each
instance, he credits God’s kindness for his ability to
survive despite the overwhelming opposition.
Difficulties are hard. Difficulties are frustrating. But
difficulties are not a reason to throw up our hands and
give up on God — or ourselves. For difficulties are nothing
more than a spiritual elevator that takes us higher and
higher.

Every single person possesses deep reservoirs
of inner strength that he or she can tap into when
?
life gets difficult. How do we know this? Histories and
biographies are full of stories of regular, everyday
people who had their backs to the wall, people forced
into the worst situations, who nevertheless managed
to bounce back and survive. These people succeeded
because they didn’t give up when difficulties assailed
them. Neither should we.
For Rebbe Nachman, one of the most difficult
times in his life was two months before he passed
away from tuberculosis. For three years, the disease
ravaged his body and drained him physically on a daily
basis. At that moment when all seemed dark and all
the moods blackened with despair, he gave his famous
call: “There is no such thing as despair!” “Gevalt! Zeit
aich nit meya’esh! — Gevalt! Never allow yourselves to
give up!” (see Likutey Moharan II, 78:7).
Reb Noson writes that Rebbe Nachman said these
words with great strength and with deep feeling,
55
proclaiming to all that there is never a reason for

despair. You can always find at least a ray of God’s
infinite kindness, and you can always experience a
glimmer of His endless compassion. You can always
find God wherever you look for Him.
So the next time you’re confronted by difficulties,
large or small, remember Rebbe Nachman’s call:
“Never despair! Never give up!” Close your eyes, take
a deep breath, and consider your options — because
you do have them. Say a prayer to God to help you
succeed in this situation He’s put you into. Even if all
the exits seem blocked, use your inner strength to
cope with situations you cannot change.
Our souls are a part of God; it is His “breath,” as
it were, that breathes life into us at all times. Being
aware that you are in God’s presence can give you
that extra lift in times of need and imbue you with the
necessary strength to forge ahead.
This is as Rebbe Nachman said: “God is always
with you. He is near you! He is next to you! Do not be
afraid!” (Siach Sarfey Kodesh III, #661).
56
11
What are the Good Points ?
God’s way is to focus on the good. Even if there are

things that aren’t so good, He looks only for the good.
How much more do we have to avoid focusing on the
faults of our friends? We are obligated to seek only the
good — always! (Likutey Moharan II, 17).
More than any other generation, 21st-century man

is plagued by low self-esteem. Despite all our achieve
ments in science and technology, a high standard of living
and free education, most people are not happy. They think
that the next gadget, the next vacation or the next home-
redecorating project will do the trick, and they go for
that … but still they’re unhappy. Depression and suicide
are at an all-time high. Is there any way out?
Yes, says Rebbe Nachman. The very fact that you are
alive shows that you are of utmost importance. God loves
you. He loves you as if you are His only child. You are the
apple of His eye. Our Sages teach, “Every person must
say, ‘The world was created for me’” (Sanhedrin 37a). This
means that I am the reason why God created the entire
world. I must have worth. I am important, and I can be
the good person that I aspire to be.
57
We actually have the power to raise ourselves and

others to our position of true importance. In one of his
most important lessons, called Azamra! (I Will Sing!),*
Rebbe Nachman explains that if we look for the good in
others, we can even elevate a sinner to the side of merit.
How does this work? It means looking and searching for
the teensiest bit of good that a person has ever done — be
it holding open a door for an old lady or giving a penny to
charity — and then looking for another bit, and another.
By keeping at it, we can bring merit to anyone — even
ourselves.
The faculty of judgment is one of man’s most power-
ful tools. If we really knew just how powerful, we would
certainly be more careful about how we use it. Elsewhere
Rebbe Nachman teaches that judging others can destroy
the world. If a person finds fault with another, this judg-
ment can condemn the condemner (Likutey Moharan I, 3).
Think about it! Your evaluation, opinion and judgment of
others has the power to either elevate you or degrade you.
The problem is that criticism comes easy — too easy.
We can always find fault in what others do or fail to do.
Or as a friend of mine once said, “If only we were as
quick to praise and thank our wives and other family
members as we are to criticize them when things aren’t
what we expected!” If, in our judgment, we find the good
points and focus on the positive, we can bring the entire
world to the side of merit and worthiness. But if we find
fault and focus on the negative, we can bring the entire
world to the side of demerit and unworthiness. This is
why we must always try to look for the good in others,
* This lesson is developed at length in a separate publication, Azamra!

published by the Breslov Research Institute.
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W hat are the G oo d P oi nts ?
even in the worst person we know. Such emphasis on

positive traits affects each person, as Rebbe Nachman
teaches, “Favorable judgment actually elevates a person
to the side of merit.”
“But what about myself? I know what makes me
tick. And believe me, there’s no way — no way! — that I
can honestly say that I’m okay, too.” Too often we come
down very hard on ourselves. “I’m no good! I messed up!
Look what I did, again! Idiot that I am!” and so on. We
become angry instead of tranquil. We become agitated
instead of confident and controlled. Not the best way to
be happy, or to strive for goals and accomplishments.
Even people who on the outside seem self-confident
and generally positive about themselves, when pressed,
will admit that they find it hard to judge themselves favor-
ably. They know themselves too well and, basically, their
self-evaluation may be accurate. Their good deeds may
be driven by ulterior motives and improper thoughts. Yet
within their flawed behavior there must be some good,
some positive aspect. They should focus on that good,
find another, then another — until they elevate themselves
to the side of merit.

One of the main reasons people get depressed
?
is failure. A business deal you’re working on falls
through, a relationship you’re trying to develop doesn’t
work out. “I’ve failed again,” you tell yourself. Stop
right there! Being pessimistic just opens the door to
further failures. What else can you do? You can find
a good point. Recharge yourself with optimism and
59
positive thinking. You do have valuable qualities!

You can succeed! Adopting this attitude will help you
recover from any setback. Even in those areas where
things were going all wrong, you’ll encounter success.
Reb Noson not only studied Rebbe Nachman’s
teachings, he lived them. He translates the lesson of
Azamra! into practical guidance for better relation
ships with family, friends and neighbors — indeed,
with whoever we come in contact. Imagine, a majority
of all arguments in the home (the most common and
often the most harmful form of disagreement) would
be eliminated instantly if only we could get ourselves
to see the good points and focus only on the positive
qualities in our spouses and children. Focusing on
the good will turn your life into a purposeful life, a
responsible life, a life of contentment and fulfillment.
In short, if you are always looking for good, you will
draw goodness and kindness into your life.
While you’re looking for the good points, you might
be surprised by just how many you discover. Reb Noson
explains that whenever someone loses something
important, he goes looking for it. He searches high and
low, and eventually he finds it. Often, in the course of
the search, he comes across other “lost” items, things
he’d “forgotten” about and didn’t remember that he
still had. It’s the same for someone who looks for his
good points. In the course of his search, he inevitably
comes across other “long-lost” tidbits that are his and
his alone. Much to his surprise, he finds that he has a
lot of “little good qualities” within him (Likutey Halakhot,
Birkhot HaPeirot 5:4).
Once a fire swept through part of the town of
Breslov. Passing by the site, Reb Noson and his
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W hat are the G oo d P oi nts ?
followers spotted one of the distraught homeowners.

Although crying bitterly, he was sifting through the
rubble of his destroyed house in the hope of finding
something, anything, that he might use to rebuild his
home.
Reb Noson said, “Do you see what he’s doing?
Even though his house has been destroyed, he hasn’t
given up hope. He’s collecting whatever might be
useful for rebuilding. The same is true when it comes
to spirituality and even emotional stability. The evil
inclination fights against us, trying to destroy whatever
holiness we’ve built up by getting us to do something
that goes against God’s will. Even so, when we are
knocked down and all seems hopeless, we must never
give up hope. We have to pick up a few good points
and collect them together from amid the sins. This is
the way to draw close to God” (Kokhavey Or, p. 78).
61
12
What is Starting Anew ?
The essence of living is to begin anew each day. Chai

(Hebrew for “living”) also means “fresh” (Likutey Halakhot,
Basar b’Chalav 4:12).
Memory makes us human. If we didn’t have a

memory, we would wake up each morning without recall-
ing who we are or what we’re doing in this world. Come
to think of it, that might not be such a bad idea.
In Rebbe Nachman’s worldview, every day is like
a clean slate, a chance to start anew. Because we have
the ability to forget, we can leave all our bad decisions
and embarrassing mistakes where they belong — in the
past. Now we can approach our work, our hobbies and
our relationships with other people and with God with
freshness and zest.
“Most people think of forgetting as a serious draw
back,” Rebbe Nachman explains. “But to me, it has a
great advantage. If you did not forget, it would be utterly
impossible to serve God. You would remember your
entire past, and these memories would drag you down
and not allow you to raise yourself to God. Whatever you
62
W hat i s S t art i ng A ne w ?
did would be constantly disturbed by your memories

of the past. The past is gone forever and never need be
brought to mind. Because you can forget, you are no
longer disturbed by the past.”
Most people are distressed by past events — a slip of
the tongue, a humiliating situation, an angry retort. We’re
also embarrassed by the serious mistakes we’ve made,
whether financial, emotional or even accidental, such
as breaking an arm. “What if…?” becomes the normal
mindset and we never seem to extricate ourselves from
the merry-go-round of thoughts like, “What if I had done
this?” or, “If only I had said that.”
The litany of worries over whether we did something
wrong or neglected something important interferes with
getting things done in the here and now. It affects our
ability to form new relationships (“What if I say some-
thing stupid like I did last time?”), pursue new business
opportunities (“If they find out how I messed up before,
they won’t want to work with me”), and even pray to
God properly (“Why should God listen to me when I have
so many sins and shortcomings?”). The best advice for
putting these worries to rest is simply to forget. As soon
as an event is over with, says Rebbe Nachman, forget it
completely and never think about it again.
Of course we do have an obligation to make amends
for our past misdeeds. With the help of a rabbi or spiritual
mentor, we can embark on a program of teshuvah
(repentance) to rectify any moral failings we’ve had vis-a-
vis God or our fellow Jews. But we shouldn’t let our past
failings cripple us with self-recrimination and second-
guessing. We can start anew, every day!
In the future, God will let everyone remember every
thing, even if it was forgotten during his lifetime (see
63
Zohar I, 185a). This is also true of all of life’s lessons that

a person heard but didn’t understand. In the World to
Come, everything will be comprehended (Tzaddik #388).

Nothing weighs down a person more than
worrying about past actions that he can never take
back or change. The secret to dumping that “excess
?
baggage” and making a success of our lives is to forget
the past and start anew. We should acknowledge that
we are human, we are subject to error, and yet we
can move on and accomplish bigger and better things.
And we are precious enough in God’s sight that He will
always accept us whenever we return to Him.
Therefore, make every day count. Allow yourself
to look forward to a life of accomplishment and joy.
When you awake in the morning or plan your sched-
ule, anticipate the positive ways you can conduct your
professional and personal activities. Think of ways
to improve your relationships and even put aside old
grudges. When new opportunities present themselves,
try approaching them with the excitement and cre-
ativity you always wished you had.
Starting anew gives you the courage to take chances
and be an “original.” Despite my shortcomings and
past failures, I can be a new person, I can be original in
my approach. But I never tried this or did this before?
No matter. Today I can start anew (see Likutey Moharan I,
272). Rebbe Nachman once said about himself, “That
a single word does not leave my lips without some
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W hat i s S t art i ng A ne w ?
innovation — that goes without saying. But not even

a breath leaves my lips without originality!” (Tzaddik
#384).
Also, take time to recall all the joy and good you’ve
ever experienced. That is using memory at its best
and fosters positive thinking and creativity. It also
helps you draw on your inner reserves of strength,
always hoping for the good to emerge.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that every morning upon
arising, a person should immediately “recall” the
World to Come (Likutey Moharan I, 54:2). By focusing on
the true goal of life in this world — the reward for our
good deeds that awaits us in the World to Come — we
can overlook and even forget the frivolities of this
world. We can add that this is a reason why we recite
the Modeh Ani (I Thank You) prayer upon awakening.
Singing God’s praises first thing in the morning focuses
our attention and builds our anticipation for the true
good that lies in store for us!
65
13
What is Truth ?
Truth will sprout from the earth (Psalms 85:11).

Reb Noson once remarked on this verse: Planted seeds
must be nurtured, guarded and watered in order to grow
properly. So too, truth must be carefully guarded and
nurtured so that when it sprouts, it will emerge in its
perfected form (Ma’asiyot u’Meshalim, p. 40).
Truth is a wonderful ideal. But just start talking

to a few people and you’ll begin to wonder where the
truth really lies. Everyone believes his idea is the correct
one and her solution is the right one! We tend to see
things from our own perspective, and that is my truth. But
then the other person sees things from his perspective,
which is his truth. The problem with truth is that it can be
only one thing: the truth!
Rebbe Nachman explains that there are many lies,
but there is only one truth. You can call a silver cup, “a
silver cup.” That’s the truth. But if you use any other
description, like “a gold cup,” “a copper cup,” or “a paper
cup,” it’s not the truth. Either it is what it is, or it isn’t.
That’s the truth.
66
W hat i s T r u t h ?
So the truth is always one. But each person has a

different perspective of truth, which stems from the fact
that God, Who is One, created each of us differently.
Since each of us is very different from the next person,
we each have varying perspectives of the truth.
Reb Noson explains that since each of us sees things
differently, then we all have truth, which is why we can
each present our views truthfully. The real problems arise
when we do not accept the validity of another person’s
view — which, according to him, is also the truth. Then
strife enters the picture: as each person stands on his
perspectives, the gaps between people become wider
and more diversified.
This is the origin of all the arguments that exist in
the world. Each person “knows” he is right and that
automatically and by extension the other cannot be right.
Or as Rebbe Nachman says, “The characteristic of victory
does not allow for truth. To prove his point, a person will
never allow another view to enter his mind” (see Likutey
Moharan I, 122).
Our insistence on the truth — “our” truth
— actually
brings about the negation of truth, along with strife and
the accompanying falsehoods, misrepresentations and
rationalizations that distance us from the truth even
more. For when we try to embellish the truth, or adapt it
or anything else, we enter into distortions and lies, and
we can actually sink into horrific quagmires. What’s most
frightening is that we do it to ourselves!
It might be that little white lie that we said in order
to protect ourselves from embarrassment. It might be
a little “alteration” that we added to the story so that
we look good in other people’s eyes. Or it might be a
whopping tale to save our job, our marriage, or whatever
67
else feels important to us. No matter how you cloak it, it’s
a falsehood. (Our Sages teach that for the sake of peace,
one is permitted to change his story [Yevamot 65b]. But one
must be careful with the alterations, lest he fool himself,
too!)
Notice how little effort it takes. After all, it’s just a few
words. But let’s compare it to highway driving. You’re on
the expressway and take the wrong exit. Now you’re lost
and trying to get back on the right road. But you take a
wrong turn, then another and another. You lose time, you
lose patience; frankly, you’re off the path and whatever
happens, you’re lost.
Truth is God and truth is light, the proper and illumi
nated path. Any veering from that path leads a person
astray. If we distort that path even a little, it will lead us
to many other and different pathways in life that prove
disastrous. Rebbe Nachman teaches that falsehood dam
ages one’s sight, physically and spiritually (Likutey Moharan
I, 51). A lie can damage one’s sight so that he does not
see the consequences of his words or actions. This leads
him to say things that are harmful to himself or to others.
Another falsehood can “blind” the person and the chances
of error increases manifold.
Someone pointed out to Reb Noson a leading maskil
(follower of the Enlightenment movement) in town who
left the path of Judaism. Yet this person never, ever, told
a lie. “See how honest and upstanding he is?” he said.
Reb Noson replied, “Maybe he never tells a lie. But he
is living a lie!” (Oral tradition). Truth and falsehood have
their individual values and purposes. But as Reb Noson
is implying, be careful how you use them. They can
make — or break — your life.
68
W hat i s T r u t h ?

Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson often speak
about truth and how we must seek it at all times.
The way to go about this is to seek “its face.”
?
Everything is identifiable by its face. Just as you
would identify a person or an item by looking directly
at it, look at yourself and your actions with absolute
honesty. Ask yourself, “Is this who I really am, or is this
just a face that I present to those around me?” “What
is it that I really want out of life?” And, “What am I
prepared to do to make myself a better person?” Truth
is readily definable, as long as we look it straight in the
face. We have to be willing to seek and search for what
truth is and then, when we see it, to accept it (even if
it’s not to our liking it at first). It is, after all, the truth.
Have you ever said, “I don’t need that extra piece
of cake” — and then gone ahead and eaten it anyway?
Have you ever told yourself, “I can’t afford that” — and
then booked that luxury vacation or bought that
expensive car? Being honest with yourself doesn’t
mean never indulging, but you must go in with both
eyes open and be ready to face the consequences of
your decisions.
In the physical realm, being honest with yourself
means taking care of your body, not eating to excess
or consuming unhealthy foods, and avoiding drugs. It
means exercising and doing things that are beneficial
for your body. That is being honest. The simple reason
is that the body cloaks the soul and without proper
maintenance, the soul cannot serve God.
The same idea of honesty applies to the emotional
realm. When we’re upset with a child, we may get
69
angry or even fly into a rage. But to what benefit? What

can be gained by anger? What will the child learn from
it? The same applies to husband-wife relationships and
dealings with siblings, friends and coworkers. Do we
choose hate over love, depression over joy, obsession
over calm? If we get into the habit of always asking
ourselves, “What is the necessity or reality of this?”
then we are being honest with ourselves.
Honesty is most important in the spiritual realm.
No one will know if you’re just acting the part except
you — and God. Ask yourself, “Are my prayers up to
par? Am I really striving to have a relationship with
God? Or am I a creature of habit, without feeling any
life or emotion in my devotions?”
Without honesty, there is no growth — physically,
emotionally, spiritually or financially. But when we
look for truth, we are taking a “reality check” at just
about every step, and know in which direction we’re
headed in all of life’s challenges.
When we bring truth into our lives, we draw light
into our lives. And, by association, we draw God into
our lives! (see Likutey Moharan I, 9:3). Our whole outlook
changes as we redirect our perspective to a higher
and deeper level. Truth is the foundation on which all
else depends.
70
14
What is Faith ?
Rebbe Nachman teaches: Faith is like a beautiful palace

with many beautiful rooms. One enters and wanders
about from room to room, from hallway to hallway …
From there one walks on in trust … then further and
further. How fortunate is he who walks in faith! (Tzaddik
#420).
Rebbe Nachman said, “Others consider faith a minor
thing. But I consider it an extremely great thing” (Rabbi
Nachman’s Wisdom #33). When the Rebbe told Reb Noson
to record his own discourses, he said to him, “In your
writings, every word should be measured. But when
you come to the topic of faith, let your pen flow!”
(Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen). The importance of faith is
unparalleled. Without it, we cannot enter the realm of
spirituality. With it, we can attain the highest of levels.
Faith is the foundation of the world. More specif

ically, it is the fundamental principle of Judaism, Torah,
and even of humanity itself. At the beginning of time God
placed faith into all of Creation, as it is written, “All His
work is with faithfulness” (Psalms 33:4). Therefore, there
is no one alive who doesn’t have faith in something or
71
someone, and throughout life we are constantly being

asked to corroborate that faith: “Do I have faith in my
spouse, my neighbor, my child, my grocer, my stock
broker? Are they deserving of my trust?”
All business is ultimately conducted through faith.
When examining merchandise you’re interested in pur-
chasing, you ask the price. Do you buy it? If you believe
that the merchant’s price is fair, you do. If you suspect
there’s something wrong or you simply don’t trust the
merchant, you don’t. Even chairmen of multinational
conglomerates must place their faith in their assistants’
reports, in the work of people they trust. We can’t survive
in this world without the attribute of faith.
Generally speaking, the term “faith” applies to what
we do not know or cannot understand. We do not need
faith to say that the four-legged piece of wood in front of
us is a table, or that the four walls surrounding us form a
room. We see it. We know it. And we do not need faith
to be convinced that if we stick our finger in a fire, we’re
going to get burned. We feel it. We know it. Faith becomes
necessary only when we cannot directly experience the
object with our senses or understand the reason for doing
something.
This easily applies to our relationship with God, Who
is beyond us and right next to us at the same time.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that there’s a glorious world out
there — and a super-benevolent God in charge of it all. But
He conceals His presence from us to give us free will. If
we remain steadfast in our faith in Him, then as soon as
we pierce the veil and say, “I know you’re there, God! I
believe in you!” then all the concealments fall away and
we feel God as never before.
But this faith must be nurtured. We’ve been tested
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W hat i s F ai th ?
again and again, and we will be tested again in the future.

The whole world is really a testing ground in which
obstacles and challenges exist solely to see how we will
respond and what choices we will make. Sometimes
the tests are financial, sometimes physical, and at other
times our emotions are put on the chopping block. And
our spirituality is continually bombarded by outside influ
ences that challenge the very core of our beliefs.
Rebbe Nachman once encouraged a man who was
greatly confused about his beliefs. The Rebbe told him,
“All of creation came into being only because of people
like you. God saw that there would be people who would
cling to our holy faith, despite suffering greatly because
of the confusion and doubts that constantly plague
them. He perceived that they would overcome these
doubts and strengthen themselves in their beliefs. It was
because of this that God brought forth all creation.” After
hearing this, the man was greatly strengthened and
unperturbed whenever he had these confusing thoughts
(Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #222).
Having faith is one thing. Keeping it is another. But

we have to have faith anyway, as mentioned above, since
somewhere along the way we require faith. If so, Rebbe
Nachman is teaching us to always strengthen ourselves in
faith. It can be done. And it is most rewarding.
Even if we don’t understand it fully, it will become clear
later on. Reb Noson explains that faith and knowledge are
two sides of the same coin. We begin with faith, which
eventually culminates with knowledge and understanding
of what we believe in. With this understanding, we are
ready to make the next leap of faith to ascend to a higher
level of faith! (Likutey Halakhot, Cheilev vaDam 4:2).
73

With faith, one has a life. Whatever goes
wrong, the person has consolation in knowing
?
that God is behind it and he can take solace in His
Creator. He also has hope and faith that everything
is for the best and will eventually turn out good. On
the other hand, without faith, where does a person
turn in time of need? In times of trouble? (see Rabbi
Nachman’s Wisdom #51, #101).
Reb Noson lists four types of faith that we should
try to cultivate:
• Faith in God
• Faith in the Torah
• Faith in the Tzaddikim
• Faith in yourself
Faith in God means believing that He exists, He
is Omnipotent, He guides the world with Divine Provi-
dence and oversees all that is happening. Someone as
All-Powerful as God certainly has the power to grant
your requests and prayers. But you have to believe it!
Otherwise your prayers won’t be nearly as effective.
How will you ever establish a relationship with God if
you don’t have that kind of faith in Him?
Faith in the Torah means believing that the
Torah provides us with the correct parameters for
dealing with life. For this reason, we must place great
emphasis on simply observing Torah laws. By having
faith in Torah and mitzvot, we will begin to understand
the importance of following the Torah and see the
positive influence it has on our lives.
On the other hand, abandoning faith in the Torah —
74
W hat i s F ai th ?
and especially the Oral Law — leads to catastrophic

results. Throughout Jewish history, breakaway sects
have caused many difficulties for the Jewish people.
These include the idolaters during the First Temple,
the Sadducees of the Second Temple, the Karaites in
the Geonic period (beginning around 600 C.E.), the
apostates of the medieval era, and groups up to our
own day that choose to negate the Oral Law. Yet rather
than spawn new movements with lots of followers,
these splinter groups inevitably die out, because they
are detached from the Torah, the source of life (see
Likutey Halakhot, Halva’ah 4:8).
Faith in the Tzaddikim means placing our trust
in the unique individuals in each generation who
achieve great levels of piety in their relationship to God,
and are thus able to bring God’s word back to those of
lower spiritual consciousness (see Chapter 17, “What is
the Tzaddik?”). In fact, the Tzaddikim are such lofty ex-
amples of religious devotion and moral purity that God
often lets them be the conduit for blessing to the world.
Faith in yourself is so important that without it,
the other three areas of faith will always be lacking.
Reb Noson explains that self-faith involves:
• Believing that I, as an individual, am very import-
ant in God’s eyes.
• Believing that no matter how far I may be from
God, I have the power to return to Him.
• Believing that no matter how I presently conduct
my life, I have the inner strength to change my
habits.
• Believingthat I have the self-confidence to deal
with others.
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• Believing that I, too, have the ability to become a

Tzaddik.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that an important practice
in strengthening self-faith is to repeat over and over,
“I believe in God!” as in the verse, “I will make known
Your faith with my mouth” (Psalms 89:2; Likutey Moharan
II, 44).
Armed with faith — in God, in the Torah, in the
Tzaddikim and in ourselves — we can always find an
outlet for our emotions and feelings, and always find
ways to better ourselves and repair any wrongdoings
of the past. We can face the future with confidence,
knowing that we stand on the solid foundation of
faith.
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15
What is the Covenant ?
The main way to draw close to God is by guarding the

covenant (Likutey Moharan I, 29:4) .
The covenant, or brit, refers to the pact that God

made with Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish
people. God said, “This is My covenant that you will keep,
between Me and you and your children after you: Every
male must be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10). The mitzvah of
circumcision is the sign of the deal that God made with
Abraham and his future offspring, the Jewish people. God
promised to be true to the Jewish people, never abandon
ing them for another nation, and the Jewish people, in
turn, promised to be true to God. Unlike a business deal,
where if one side pulls out, the other side is absolved of
its commitment, a covenant is eternal. Even if the Jewish
people renege on their promise (which, unfortunately,
they did several times in their history, opting to serve
idols rather than God), God will never back out on His
end of the deal.
We see that despite their occasional lapses in faith
fulness to God, the Jews have always kept the mitzvah of
brit milah (literally, “covenant of circumcision”) no matter
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what. Many nations — ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Spain

during the Inquisition, Nazi Germany — tried to force the
Jews to give up this practice, but they held on tenaciously,
showing their willingness to be killed rather than forsake
the covenant. Even today, as secularism has swept through
the ranks of world Jewry and left many ignorant of the
most basic tenets of our tradition, circumcision is still
one thing that all Jewish boys have in common. Deep
down, a Jew senses his unique connection to God (see
Shabbat 130a).
The great medieval commentator Rashi explains that
the sign of the covenant was established in a place where
one can differentiate between male and female (Rashi on
Genesis 17:14). On a deeper level, the sign of the covenant
teaches us that parameters should be set between male
and female. When these parameters are honored and
guarded, a special relationship of mutual honor and
respect evolves between a married couple.
Marriage and fidelity to one partner are seen as almost
a joke in contemporary society. “Why wait?” and “Just do
it” are the mantras of the sexual gurus of the modern age.
A man would have to be blind not to notice the skimpy
new fashions, the suggestive pictures in print and online
media, and the alluring music that blares from every car
and shop. Sex is seen as a casual thing, something to try
on and discard like a pair of socks. It’s no wonder that by
the time young men and women decide to get married,
their heads are filled with so much trash and indecency
that they find it hard to concentrate on their spouse and
his or her needs.
Our Sages refer to marriage as KiDuShin (‫)קידושין‬,
from the Hebrew word KoDeSH (‫)קדש‬, “holy.” The union
between husband and wife is meant to be an act of
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W hat i s the C o ve nant ?
respect, endearment and holiness. When the couple

focuses on each other to the exclusion of all others, the
Divine Presence resides between them (cf. Sotah 17a). That
is, a certain karma can be felt in their home that allows
peace and harmony to exist and affects all the members
of the household. The sanctity of attitude towards the
relationship heightens one’s awareness of one’s mate.
The organ on which the brit milah is performed has
another, even more important function: the ability to
initiate new life. This is the reason God commanded
Abraham to perform a circumcision on himself before
he fathered Isaac, so that Isaac would be born in a state
of holiness. The Zohar emphasizes that the thoughts and
attitudes of the parents at the time of the marital act have
a very telling effect on the child that will be conceived
(Zohar Chadash 15a). Rebbe Nachman adds that by sanctify
ing the marital act, the parents can draw a bright and
illumined soul to their child, a soul that contributes to the
child’s greater development, growth and abilities in later
years (Likutey Moharan I, 14:4). Unfortunately, the reverse is
also true.
The importance of guarding the covenant plays a
major role in Rebbe Nachman’s teachings. Someone who
does not guard his sexual purity, but indulges in every
lust and pleasure that the world has to offer, will never
be able to have a successful relationship with God, Who
represents the ultimate in holiness and purity. This is as
the verse states, “Speak to the Children of Israel and say
to them, ‘Be holy, because I, God your Lord, am holy’”
(Leviticus 19:2). The Zohar (II, 3b) refers to a blemish of the
covenant as a “lie,” because that person has lied to God
in his relationship with Him; he has taken the God-given
power of creating life and used it falsely, in a wrongful
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relationship. If you want Godliness, you can’t indulge in

every lust. It’s that simple.
Rebbe Nachman explains that there are three levels of
existence: sanctity, purity and impurity (Likutey Moharan I,
51:2). We live in an impure world where all types of lust
surround us. We can either give in and become impure
like our environment, or we can strive for the sanctified.
And know that there exists a path that is very close to
sanctity yet allows a person to have his cake and eat it,
too. That is the level of purity. As long as we control our
desires, we fulfill the teaching, “Sanctify yourself with
what is permitted” (Yevamot 20a).
Rebbe Nachman says, “All Jews are called Tzaddikim
in that they are circumcised” (Likutey Moharan I, 23:10).
The merit of the covenant of circumcision is very great;
it is enough to earn a Jew the distinction of holiness and
the accolade of Tzaddik. The Tzaddik is the epitome of
sexual morality and, as a result, has a closer relationship
to God than the average person. Just as the Tzaddik has the
special power to raise all those around him, bringing them
to a heightened awareness of God and His teachings, a
person who guards his covenant can raise himself and
many others to a heightened awareness of honesty,
decency and purity.
One who makes the effort to guard his covenant shows
what he considers important in life and displays his
fortitude in following through on his claims and intentions.
Such a person attains honor and respect (cf. ibid., I, 11:3);
he is also more open to earn a better livelihood, since he
exudes a sense of honesty and trustworthiness (cf. ibid.,
I, 29:5). By guarding the covenant, he also merits peace;
there’s no web of lies to weave around the life he leads
(cf. ibid., I, 33:1).
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W hat i s the C o ve nant ?
It’s not easy — not at all. But being able to walk around

with your head held high, radiating goodness and trust-
worthiness, will make you feel good about yourself your
entire life.

Guarding the covenant means living with
focus, clarity and purpose. Instead of being
bombarded by sights and sounds that drag us to plac-
es we never thought we’d go, we are in control. We
?
can choose what to do and reap the benefits of those
decisions in terms of more holiness and more purity.
Though we may fear that we will “turn into a monk”
if so many casual relationships are proscribed to us,
the opposite is true. When we commit to one person,
investing all our focus and desire into that one spouse
alone, we will find it even more liberating and satisfying
because of unity of purpose.
Rebbe Nachman’s approach to guarding the covenant
makes it very simple for us. There are things that
are permitted, and there are things that are forbidden.
There are also temptations that crop up and can lead
us on an immoral road and way of life. When we
concentrate on doing everything it takes to guard our
covenant, we will automatically live a life of morality.
As we do so, we will automatically be drawing closer
to God and earning His blessing.
These specific things are musts when it comes to
guarding the covenant:
• Marrying someone who is Jewish
• Avoiding sexual relations with a menstruating
woman
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• Avoiding extramarital affairs

• Avoiding homosexual relationships
• Refraining from masturbation
• Guarding one’s eyes from indecent pictures and
displays
The last item on the list may come as a surprise. If
I’m working so hard on having the right relationships
and avoiding the wrong ones, why can’t I take a peek
now and then? I promise nothing will happen!
Are you sure? The eyes are the windows to the
world. This means that the way a person looks at
things is the way they will be transmitted to his mind
and, in turn, become the director of his actions. By
internalizing lust, we fill our minds with thoughts that
aren’t healthy, for the mind as well as for the body.
Our Sages teach that the seed is drawn from the entire
body and the more it is spent, the greater the toll it
takes on the body by weakening it (cf. Niddah 43a;
see Orach Chaim 240:14). Physiologically speaking, by
guarding the eyes and acting in a way that is morally
correct, a person protects and sustains his bodily fluids
so that his “natural juices” remain until a ripe old age.
So it develops that guarding the covenant is help
ful to one’s physical well-being as well as mental
stability. It leads to a moral life, a firmness of resolve,
the ability to see things through to their conclusion
(because one has a solid foundation), and reliability in
all facets of life. And when we realize that the covenant
parallels the sefirah of Yesod (see Charts, p. 183), it takes
on a whole new meaning. The Hebrew word Yesod
means “Foundation.” Living morally means building
a solid foundation for one’s entire life.
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16
What is a Tikkun ?
If you believe it is possible to destroy, believe it is possible

to repair (Likutey Moharan II, 112).
All is fine and good if one can maintain a moral

life. But what if a person fails or succumbs to temptation
when trying to pray, to avoid non-kosher food, or to guard
the covenant? Is there any hope? Can he ever rectify what
he did wrong?
Just as in “real life,” mistakes are made that must be
corrected, so too, in spiritual life, errors are made and,
sometimes, God forbid, even intentional sins are com-
mitted. The ARI speaks of the damage caused by sin,
which empowers the forces of evil and is the source of
all suffering — illness, natural disasters and all kinds of
damage. Is there a way to fix these, too?
The answer, says Rebbe Nachman, is a resounding
“YES!”
The Hebrew word TiKkuN (‫ )תקון‬means “repair,” “recti-
fication,” and “preparation.” LeTaKeiN ma’akhalim means
to prepare food (for a meal); we perform various other
tikkunim to prepare ourselves for the day ahead, like
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brushing our teeth and taking that daily dose of caffeine

in our morning coffee. The rest of our day appears to be
filled with tikkunim, in terms of both preparing for and
fixing what goes wrong at the office, on our errands and
in our personal relationships. What about tikkunim in the
spiritual realm?
Rebbe Nachman speaks often of tikkunim. He speaks
of tikkunim for souls, he speaks of repentance as a tikkun
for sin, and he revealed the Tikkun HaKlali, the General
Remedy, which he explains as a general tikkun that can
effect rectification for any and all individual blemishes
(Likutey Moharan I, 29:3). Rebbe Nachman always holds out
hope even for someone who committed the worst acts,
and states emphatically that one can always repent and
return to God. Always. Even from the worst sins, even
from the lowest levels. Surprisingly, Reb Noson adds that
Rebbe Nachman taught that sometimes a person’s sins
are so powerful that when he recognizes his folly, that very
recognition leads him to repentance. Then, everything he
did wrong can be transformed into mitzvot! (see Likutey
Halakhot, Birkhot HaRei’ach 4:2).
God is always with us; He permeates every nanometer
of existence. When we seek Him, we’re bound to find
Him, somewhere, somehow. But when we err (or worse),
we lose that contact, much as a person who makes a
wrong turn ends up in unfamiliar territory. Our Sages say,
“When a person sins and then repeats the sin, he begins
to think it’s permissible” (Kiddushin 20a). Then he asks,
“Where is God?” I might not see Him or feel Him, so I am
distant. Can I ever return to Him?
Rebbe Nachman teaches that at that very first mo-
ment when a person thinks of God, saying, “God! Where
are You?” he immediately connects with God and can
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W hat i s a T i k k u n ?
now begin his return to Him. For although he may think

that he is eons distant from God, God is really right next
to him! He just wasn’t aware of it. But the minute he
calls out, “God! Where are You?” he makes contact and
will find that God is with him at all times, in all places,
even in the filthiest of places, even in the worst situations
(Likutey Moharan II, 12).
This idea applies to everything a person has ever done
throughout his entire life. We can always call out to God
from wherever we are. Rebbe Nachman said, “God is
always with you. He is near you! He is next to you! Do
not be afraid!” (Siach Sarfey Kodesh III, #661). This applies
to every misdeed, every wrongful act, every evil thought
and every wrongful word. And we may be pleasantly
surprised by the outcome. Our Sages teach, “When a
person repents out of fear of God, then his sins are re-
evaluated from intentional sins and are calculated only as
accidental sins. But when a person returns to God out of
love, then all his sins are transformed into good deeds!”
(Yoma 86b).
How can that be? Transforming sins into good deeds?
But when one serves God out of love, he invokes the
attribute of AHaVaH (‫)אהבה‬, “love,” which in Hebrew has
the same numerical value (13) as EChaD (‫)אחד‬, “one.”
All becomes a unity, all becomes one — one with God.
This is what is meant by a tikkun. A person can fix
many things. It begins with his repentance, his turning
towards God, which has a tremendous effect on mini
mizing or even completely erasing his sins. A tikkun is
the means of rectifying what we did wrong. It is some
thing we can do, it is something we must do. And it is
something that Rebbe Nachman taught us is in our power
to effect!
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Rare is the person who goes through life with
out inadvertently saying the wrong thing — some
?
gossip (or slander), mockery, profanity, that little
white lie (or the big whopper), flattery, and so on.
How about getting angry and embarrassing others?
When it comes to mitzvot like observing Shabbat and
Jewish festivals, how many people are so well-versed
in the laws, bylaws and additional subsections to the
laws of these holy days that they can say they never
transgressed any of them? Then there are those who
succumb to temptation and eat something forbidden
or commit a sexual sin, whether of thought, word or
deed. How can we fix those mistakes?
We all know that a sin can be erased through repen
tance. But the holy writings question how this works,
since a sin might have been committed in a certain
place at a certain time, and now, years later, the person
is far from the “scene of the crime” in both time and
place. For example, an employer was incensed at a
secretary and humiliated her in front of the whole
office. The secretary quit and moved to a faraway city.
Years later, the boss wants to rectify what was said
or done wrong, but has no idea where the secretary
lives. What if she’s no longer alive? Can that sin ever
be erased?
Rebbe Nachman teaches that yes, each person can
effect a tikkun for his sins. There are ways and means
that a person can turn to God to effect rectification,
though some cases are more difficult than others. Still,
it is possible, depending on the level of regret and
repentance. It needs some effort, crying and begging
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W hat i s a T i k k u n ?
God for forgiveness, but it can be done. A problem

does develop when another person is involved — for
example, if we embarrass someone or speak slander
against him — for then we must ask forgiveness from
him, too. Even if that person has moved far away or
passed away, we can still effect forgiveness. If a person
asks enough, God will see to it that the injured party
will forgive.
Even sexual sin — and especially masturbation,
which is considered the worst possible sin (see Even
HaEzer 23:1) — can be rectified. Towards this, Rebbe
Nachman said, “This sin has been with us since Adam
(see Eruvin 18b). All the Tzaddikim throughout all the
generations have worked on finding a rectification
for this sin. God helped me and I totally grasped the
solution. Rectifying this matter by reciting the Ten
Psalms [the Tikkun HaKlali — see p. 114] is something
completely new, an outstanding innovation, and a
wonderful and awesome remedy”. He explained that
Psalms are comprised of the Ten Types of Song, which
are the most powerful force to bring a person back
to God (see Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #141; Rabbi Nachman’s
Stories #13, the Sixth Day).
Many Breslover Chassidim make it a daily practice
to say the Tikkun HaKlali. Their reason? If Rebbe
Nachman taught that the Tikkun HaKlali helps to
rectify even after a sin, how much more effective
would it be if we recite the Tikkun before the sin! This
practice can also work for you. The more we seek a
tikkun for our wrongdoings, the greater our chances of
making it happen.
But what if our repentance falls short, or we don’t
feel it’s been effective? This is another reason why we
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need to be attached to the Tzaddikim (see Chapter 17,

“What is the Tzaddik?”). The Tzaddikim are constantly
seeking ways to rectify all sins, even the worst sins,
and are always working to bring everyone to a state of
perfection. When I turn to God and rely not on myself
(who has erred) but on those Tzaddikim who were
always righteous and know how to serve God, and I
accept their teachings and try to follow their guidance,
then even if I am found wanting, what else could I
have done to rectify my ways? By attaching myself
to the Tzaddikim, it is possible to repair everything.
Literally everything!
Fortunate is the person who recognizes his errors
and repents, thereby effecting rectification for his sins.
For all of them!
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17
What is the Tzaddik ?
The Tzaddik is the foundation of the world (Proverbs

10:25).
At the beginning of Creation, God created light

and then differentiated between light and darkness
(Genesis 1:4). Indeed, God created many opposing forces
and gave man the free will to choose between them: to
choose light over darkness, right over wrong, good over
evil. God’s purpose in Creation was for man to consider
and define for himself the correct route to choose in
every situation.
Though many attempt to follow the path of true righ-
teousness, few succeed in overcoming the attractions
and temptations of this world. God knew that this would
be so. He knew that most men would succumb to temp-
tation, some more, some less — but He also knew that a
few would triumph and withstand all temptations. These
few are the symbol of light and the epitome of what man
can achieve.
The concept of the Tzaddik, or righteous individual,
has always been a part of Judaism and appears throughout
89
our holy writings. To wit:

• Forthe merit of even one Tzaddik, the world was
created (Yoma 38b).
• God decrees and the Tzaddik has the power to nullify
the decree. But, the Tzaddik decrees and God fulfills
his decree (cf. Mo’ed Katan 16b).
•Not only are Tzaddikim able to nullify decrees, but they
are afterwards blessed for this (Zohar I, 101b).
• If the Tzaddikim would so wish, they could create
worlds (Sanhedrin 65b).
• Tzaddikim draw down and reveal God’s Divine Presence
in the world (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:1).
Some Tzaddikim are predestined for greatness from
the time of Creation. Their righteousness — which in any
case they have to establish through their own good
deeds — is given to them so that they can perform a cer
tain mission for God. Other individuals rise to the level
of Tzaddik by overcoming their physical desires and
devoting their entire lives to God. They earn the title on
their own.
When someone suggested to Rebbe Nachman that he
had achieved all that he did because of his exalted soul,
the Rebbe seemed very annoyed. “This is the trouble. You
think that Tzaddikim attain greatness merely because
they have a very great soul. This is absolutely wrong!
I worked very hard for all this. I put much effort into
attaining what I did … it is because of the devotions and
the efforts I put in” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #165).
The best way to describe the Tzaddik is as a bridge
between the physical and the spiritual. Having subdued
his natural desires and negative character traits in his
quest for holiness, he transcends the physical and is
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W hat i s the T zad d i k ?
capable of grasping what spirituality is really about. With

this mastery, he can take the most wondrous aspects of
Godliness and bring them down to a level that the simplest
person can relate to. Some Tzaddikim convey their
knowledge to us through their teachings, others through
their deeds. Observing the Tzaddikim, either through
their spoken or written lessons, helps us understand
what is important.
Because he has one foot in this world and one foot
in Heaven, the Tzaddik is an intermediary between us
and God. Of course, no Jew (or anyone else) needs an
intermediary between himself and God, for he can always
search for and seek out God, and he can find Him. But
the Tzaddik has already found God and therefore, to put
it simply, he knows the way to find God. This means he is
the ideal leader and guide to teach us whatever we need
to know for our own pursuit of Godliness.
Unfortunately, the term “intermediary” has been
twisted and misused by those who do not, or cannot,
understand who the Tzaddik is. They cast aspersions
on and question the validity of his role. In doing so,
they mislead people and draw them far away from the
Tzaddik. This did not begin with the advent of Chassidic
Tzaddikim. Already in biblical times we find that “the
people mocked the messengers of God” (II Chronicles 36:16).
These “messengers” were none other than the Tzaddikim
and prophets of that generation. Then, as now, people
had no conception of how great these leaders were. They
thought themselves capable of choosing their leaders (as
is done in “democratic” countries) and of knowing the
correct path in life. This attitude caused the destruction of
the Temple and the beginning of our long exile.
To avail ourselves of the guidance and direction that
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the Tzaddik has to offer, we must “bind” ourselves to the

Tzaddik. This means following the Tzaddik’s example
and accepting his advice. Rebbe Nachman explains
that the key to achieving spirituality is listening to the
Tzaddik — to everything that he says — and not deviating
from it by an iota. Just accept his teachings with full faith
and simplicity (Likutey Moharan I, 123). When we do what
the Tzaddik says and as he does, we become attached to
him spiritually, and then we ourselves become Tzaddik-
like (ibid., I, 7:4). Thus, a person who follows his rabbi or
Chassidic master becomes bound to that rav. Following
Rebbe Nachman’s advice attaches the follower to Rebbe
Nachman.
Even after a Tzaddik passes away (such as in the
case of Rebbe Nachman), one does not have to sever his
relationship with the Tzaddik. For one who is completely
holy, death as we know it has no effect over him (Zohar
II, 174a). The Tzaddik’s power and influence are even
stronger after death, since his physical body no longer
encumbers him.
For this reason, it is an ancient Jewish custom to
visit the gravesites of Tzaddikim and pray there for
God’s salvation for personal difficulties as well as for the
salvation of Israel (Orach Chaim 581:4). Among the graves of
Tzaddikim with which you may be familiar are the graves
of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, Rachel’s Tomb
outside Bethlehem, the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron
where the Patriarchs are buried, King David’s Tomb on
Mount Zion, and the graves of many of the Talmudic
rabbis located throughout Israel. The grave of one of
most famous Tzaddikim, Moses, was hidden by God. The
Talmud explains that if the location of Moses’ grave was
known to man, the Jews would go there to pray — and
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they would immediately be redeemed from exile! (Sotah

14a; Eyn Yaakov, Sotah #54).
•••
Rebbe Nachman teaches that there are many
good and righteous Tzaddikim in this world. But in every
generation, there is one unique individual called the True
Tzaddik who is the real leader of the Jewish nation (see
Likutey Moharan I, 66:4). He is there for everyone — for each
person on his or her own level — and he can guide each
individual on the path he or she needs to live a full life.
This applies not only to spiritual living, but to physical,
emotional and financial circumstances as well.
In the nascent days of the Jewish nation, the True
Tzaddik was obviously Moses, who spoke with God
directly and diligently taught His Torah to each and every
Jew. Other leaders of exceptional caliber include Rabbi
Akiva, Rashi, the ARI, the Baal Shem Tov, and so on.
Breslover Chassidim consider Rebbe Nachman to be a
True Tzaddik — not only for his generation, but for gener
ations to come.
Ask anyone who has been touched by Rebbe
Nachman’s teachings what inspired him to study Breslov
writings and he’ll answer, “Rebbe Nachman speaks to me
directly.” One present-day Breslover summed it up this
way: “I find it absolutely amazing that the words of some
one who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
in Eastern Europe can, 200 years later, relate directly
to someone such as myself, a product of 21st-century
Western civilization.” Rebbe Nachman’s teachings are
universal, covering the entire spectrum of Judaism. They
maintain their freshness and are inspiring; they give
hope and encouragement, assurance and motivation to
anyone and everyone, from all walks of life.
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Open any book of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings and

you’ll find advice for countless situations. The Rebbe
always seems to have something to say for what you’re
going through right now. Review that same material
some time later, when other concerns occupy your
thoughts, and you’ll find in it an entirely new set of
directions — advice specifically applicable to your new
situation and circumstances. This is difficult to explain to
anyone who has never studied Rebbe Nachman’s works.
His teachings are bottomless wellsprings, ever-flowing
brooks of life and vitality. We need only avail ourselves
of them to benefit from their amazing resources and
counsel.
Rebbe Nachman said, “I am a river that cleanses
from all stains” (Tzaddik #332). Whoever has taken the
Rebbe’s advice and spoken to God in hitbodedut (see
p. 113) knows the wonderful sensation of being able to
open his heart and pour out his innermost feelings. He
knows that no matter where he is, God is with him,
waiting for him to come closer. He also knows that no
matter how bad things get in life, there is that reservoir
of inner strength to rely upon, because Rebbe Nachman
called out, “Never despair! There is always hope!” When
his days in this world are done, he can always rely on
the strength and power of the True Tzaddik to argue his
case before the Heavenly Court. And he knows that in
the end, the True Tzaddik — Rebbe Nachman — will help
to cleanse and rectify his soul.
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So there is a Tzaddik who is very great and
has wellsprings of teachings and advice to offer.
?
How can I benefit from this Tzaddik? What does being
attached to this Tzaddik mean to me on a personal
level?
First of all, just knowing about such a Tzaddik is
of great benefit. Everyone who is in a position of re-
sponsibility knows the importance of having someone
to depend on in all situations. This very great Tzaddik
is available to everyone, offering advice and counsel in
all times of need. On a personal level, one’s burden is
somewhat lighter.
A person who is attached to such a Tzaddik gains
so much more. When we recall the days of Moses or
King David, we envision the glory days of the Jewish
nation. This is because these great Tzaddikim, if they
are not hindered by opposition, bring out the best
in each person and enhance the individual’s pride
in himself and what he can accomplish (see Likutey
Moharan 17:1). These Tzaddikim know each person’s
“pressure points” and which buttons to push in order
to get the person on the express train to success. (One
of Rebbe Nachman’s major themes is how to recognize
one’s greatness and capabilities, yet remain humble.)
Everyone can accomplish great things, but the true
leader is the one who understands each individual and
can match the best advice in Torah with that person’s
unique needs.
In order to find the True Tzaddik, the one who will
best lead you on your spiritual path, you must search
for him. Just as you would pursue the perfect mate,
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hunt for a top job, or search out the right home, so

too, you must expend great effort to find your true
leader. This might mean searching and seeking, again
and again, for the spiritual teachings that quench the
thirst of your soul.
Additionally, you should pray to God to direct you
to the truth, to find the True Tzaddik. The means for
seeking the Tzaddik are limited by one’s knowledge.
Whatever you understand of spirituality will guide
you to what you think is right. Yet prayer can bring
you to a higher level. It can elevate you far above your
capabilities and enable you to find the True Tzaddik.
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The
Tools
here we discuss the basic tools that every Jew
needs to become the best person he can be. They are:
Torah, prayer, doing mitzvot and giving charity.
Torah refers to the Torah that God gave us at Mount
Sinai. This Torah includes both the Written Law (Bible)
and the Oral Law (the Talmud and holy writings derived
from Talmudic teachings, as well as the Kabbalah).
Prayer refers to our ability to communicate with
God; to plead, beg and cajole Him to answer our pleas
and requests; and to otherwise bond with God.
Mitzvot are the laws of the Torah that we are
commanded to perform.
Charity is an outstanding example of what the
mitzvot allow us to attain.
These ideas are the “tools” with which we can
connect to God and communicate with Him, even
though He seems abstract in today’s world. With these
tools, we can readily find God and realize how close He
is to us, and have a meaningful relationship with Him.
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18 Torah
Torah is greater than everything and includes every-

thing. It is even greater than prophecy (Tzaddik #421).
Over 3,300 years ago God gave the Torah to the

Jewish people at Mount Sinai. The Revelation at Sinai
was a watershed event in human history, being the first
and only time that God revealed Himself to an entire
nation of millions of men, women and children. The
Jewish people, newly released from slavery in Egypt,
responded by committing themselves to following God
and His Laws, which were encapsulated in a work known
as the Torah. This work comprises both the Written Law
(the Bible) and the Oral Law (the Talmud and other holy
writings derived from Talmudic teachings, as well as the
Kabbalah).
The Torah is more than a book of laws — it is the
blueprint for the creation of the world. The Midrash
states, “God looked into the Torah and created the world”
(Bereishit Rabbah 1:1) — meaning that all the moral under
pinnings of the world are based on the Torah. It’s not
that God created parents and then told us to honor them;
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God created parents because we should honor them! God

didn’t create poor people and then tell us to give charity;
He created poor people because we have a mandate to
give charity. The mitzvot (commandments) are actually
gateways to God, each one a tiny sliver of light revealing
God’s Infinite Wisdom.
Just as the Torah is intimately connected with the
creation of the world, it is closely tied to humanity itself.
The Talmud notes that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot.
There are 248 positive commandments, paralleling the
bones and organs of the human body, and 365 prohibitive
commandments, corresponding to the number of days in
a year (Makkot 23b). The Zohar (I, 170b) takes this a step
further, stating that the 365 prohibitive commandments
parallel the number of veins and sinews in the human
body. Therefore the verse states, “This is the Torah,
man…” (Numbers 19:14), because the human being was
formed to correspond to the Torah in every way!*
The implications are twofold. First, it means that
each of us can connect with Torah in any number of
ways, since each part of us represents one part of Torah
or another. Second, it helps us realize that even our
mundane existence is a stepping stone to spiritual living
and spiritual growth.
The way to acquire Torah is through study. The Torah
is not a book of knowledge that one reads in order to
absorb its contents. It is a spiritual light filled with Godly
energy, embodying the wisdom that God imparted to us
so we can get to know Him. We must apply ourselves to
Torah study to understand its simple meaning, as well as
try to immerse ourselves in its deeper waters of allusions
* See Anatomy of the Soul, published by the Breslov Research Institute.
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T o r ah
and mystical teachings. As Maimonides writes, “Torah

will remain only with one who exerts himself for it!”
(RaMBaM, Yad HaChazakah, Hilkhot Talmud Torah 3:12).
The quantity of material that a person studies is
not as important as the effort he puts into it. While a
seasoned scholar will naturally be able to cover many
pages of Torah and Talmud, the more modest goals of
the beginning Torah student are just as precious to God.
The important thing is to make a daily study schedule
and stick to it, rain or shine. Over the course of weeks
and months, you will begin to see every small “deposit”
adding up to a sizable investment.
Torah study is absolutely and unquestionably great.
In fact, “It is your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20). Were this not
so, we wouldn’t face so many obstacles while trying to
acquire this valuable commodity. Anyone who wishes to
enter the wondrous and majestic world of Torah must be
prepared to overcome many barriers that stand between
him and a true understanding of Torah.
Someone once asked Rebbe Nachman’s advice about
a certain devotion in serving God. The Rebbe told him to
study Torah. When the man objected, “But I do not know
how to learn!” the Rebbe answered, “Pray! With prayer,
everything becomes possible. The greatest good can be
achieved through prayer” (Likutey Moharan II, 111).
Rebbe Nachman set the bar very high for his followers.
He recommended that they study enough each day so
that at the end of the year they would have completed:
1) the entire Talmud with the commentaries of Rashi,
Tosafot, Rif and Rabbeinu Asher, 2) the entire Shulchan
Arukh (Code of Jewish Law), 3) all the Midrashim, 4) the
holy Zohar, and 5) the writings of the ARI (see Rabbi
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Nachman’s Wisdom #76). This study schedule amounts to

some 20,000 pages annually!
But after listing his ideal study schedule, Rebbe
Nachman told his followers not to be anxious if they
found themselves incapable of completing everything
he suggested. “One can be a religious Jew even if he
can’t study that much,” the Rebbe assured them. “Even
without being a scholar, he can still be a Tzaddik. Deep
perception cannot be attained without Talmudic and
halakhic scholarship, but even the simplest Jew can be
righteous and a Tzaddik.”

Learning Torah is a lifetime job. Even great
scholars who have mastered many pages of
Torah continually discover new insights the more
?
they study. Try to set reasonable goals for yourself
and begin to master the material on a daily schedule
that works for you, not one that is overly burdened so
that you have to give it up a while later.
The Midrash speaks about a person who looks at
the vastness of Torah and says, “Who can learn all this?
Thirty chapters of Nezikin, thirty chapters of Keilim,
twenty-four chapters of Shabbat…” But the wise man
studies two laws today and two laws tomorrow, and so
on until he learns it all (Vayikra Rabbah 19:2).
Don’t get frightened or discouraged by how much
there is to learn. By studying a set amount each
day and never letting a day pass without studying,
you will gradually accumulate more and more Torah
knowledge.
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T o r ah
Even if you forget what you’ve studied, don’t

despair. Our Sages say that in the World to Come,
everyone will remember whatever they learned. View
yourself as the day-laborer who is paid to pour water
into barrels that are full of holes. The foolish man says,
“Why waste my time?” But the wise man says, “I’m
being paid by the day. What difference does it make
to me if the barrels fill up or not? They’re paying me
to pour water.” So too, the person who studies Torah
is rewarded for the time he spends studying, not for
what he remembers (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #26; see
Vayikra Rabbah 19:2).
Whether you’re taking your first steps in Torah
study or are already familiar with the importance of
this mitzvah, Rebbe Nachman offers these guidelines
for success:
Pray. Ask God to allow you the privilege of study
ing Torah, and plead with Him to help you understand
what you study. As Rebbe Nachman teaches: One
must cry and pray very hard to get to understand
Torah (Likutey Moharan I, 21:8).
The Rebbe himself did this. When he began to
study Mishnah, he found it very difficult to understand.
He wept and cried before God until he was able to
comprehend it by himself. Later, when he began
studying the Talmud, the same thing happened. Again
he cried bitterly until he was worthy of understanding.
This was true even of esoteric studies such as the Zohar
and the writings of the ARI. Understanding came only
after he had prayed, pleaded and cried (Rabbi Nachman’s
Wisdom, His Praises #8).
Be diligent and determined. It’s not enough
to buy the books and display them on your bookshelf.
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Diligence and devotion to the task are absolutely

essential. One of the most important keys to diligence
is the setting of realistic goals. It’s good to have short-
term goals and long-term goals, but above all, they
need to be doable. Aiming for what is possible builds
enthusiasm; reaching for the impossible destroys it.
Even with commitment and devotion, there are
times when your daily goals cannot be met. On certain
days, like Yom Kippur and Purim, when everyone is
busy with prayer and the mitzvot of the day, it becomes
impossible to carry a full load of learning. The same is
true for the out-of-the-ordinary days when you’ve got
to travel somewhere, or marry off a child and the like.
In such cases, the best thing to do is what Reb Noson
himself did. Reb Noson designed different study plans
for different days. For example, the amount of Codes he
would undertake to study would depend on what that
day’s schedule would allow — so much for a weekday,
so much for a Friday, so much for a Shabbat or festival,
so much for a day of travel. Each day had different
hours available for Torah study — some days more,
some days less; the amount was not his main concern.
What was most important for Reb Noson — and what
is most important for us — was keeping to the goals
he himself established and committed himself to fulfill
(Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen).
Aim for broad knowledge. Rebbe Nachman

emphasized the need for a general and extensive
knowledge of Torah. Accordingly, the Rebbe favored
the study method that produces broad knowledge,
rather than the approach that develops analytical
prowess. Spending months on dissecting a page or two
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T o r ah
of Talmud may turn a person into a sort of “specialist”

and sharpen his faculty for dialectics, but ultimately
it leaves the majority of students ignorant of most
Talmudic tractates and, even worse, its laws.
Map out the areas you intend to learn, focusing on
covering as much ground as time will allow. This way,
you will have little trouble finishing each book you
begin and have enough time to review it, too, thereby
gaining a broad knowledge of Torah. Rebbe Nachman
compared this kind of study to a world traveler for
whom each destination is a feather in his cap. At the
end of his life, when he reaches the World to Come,
the Torah student will be able to boast about his many
“travels” and “journeys,” just like all the jet-setters
who are always talking about the exotic places they’ve
visited. By studying all the books of Torah, you will be
able to say, “I was in this book, I spent time in that set
of writings…” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #28).
Understand and enunciate. Rebbe Nachman
suggests that you study rapidly — with speed and
simplicity — and not spend too much time on each
detail. Try to understand each thing in its own context
and enunciate the words of Torah as you study them.
There is no need to elucidate the words as you prog
ress down the page; if you just carry on, the meaning
will become clear as you proceed (ibid., #76). It is
good, however, for a person to elucidate his studies
in the language he understands (Likutey Moharan I, 118).
Either way, you must work to understand the mate
rial you’re studying. It’s not enough to just repeat the
words without knowing what you’re saying. Lack of
understanding cannot be considered learning (Sichot
v’Sippurim, p. 87, #13).
105
Keep going. What happens when you’re trying

to decipher the simple meaning of the text and
you still don’t understand? From Rebbe Nachman’s
advice, it’s clear that the thing to do is to keep going.
If, while studying, you come to a sentence or two
that you don’t understand, or some concept that is
beyond your comprehension, don’t stop there. Most
texts, after all, have difficult passages. Just mark the
unclear point and proceed further. This way, your
quick study will enable you to absorb a lot. You will
be able to review what you have studied for a second
and a third time. And because you will have studied
so much more since you last attempted to compre
hend this material, you will succeed in understanding
it the next time around. Even if there are some things
you never understand, the quantity outweighs all else
(Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #76).
The method of study that the Rebbe advises is
actually mentioned in the Talmud and in later works
(Avodah Zarah 19a; Orchot Tzaddikim #27; ShLaH, Shavuot;
Maharal in Netivot Olam, Netiv HaTorah; and many other
leading Codifiers).
When Rebbe Nachman told Reb Noson to study
Kabbalah, Reb Noson complained that there were
many points in the Etz Chaim (the ARI’s main treatise
in Kabbalah) that he did not understand. The Rebbe
advised him to mark off each part he failed to compre-
hend. “The next time you study it, you will understand
it, and then you can erase the mark.” Afterwards Reb
Noson said that each time he reviewed the Etz Chaim,
the marks became fewer and fewer (Rabbi Eliyahu
Chaim Rosen).
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T o r ah
Guard your tongue. Rebbe Nachman teaches:

Every Jew is a letter in the Torah. Thus, there are
600,000 letters in the Torah, equivalent to the 600,000
Jewish souls in Creation (see Zohar Chadash, Shir HaShirim
91a). When you find fault in a fellow Jew, you are, as
it were, finding a blemish in the Torah and rendering
it incomplete. But when you refrain from speaking
against or belittling another Jew, and emphasize
the other’s good points, you will also find the Torah
perfectly beautiful. You will then have a deep love for
the Torah, and this love will lead you to great diligence
in your studies (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #91).
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19 Prayer
Rebbe Nachman teaches: A Jew’s main attachment to

God is through prayer (Likutey Moharan II, 84). Through
his prayers, each Jew acquires absolute mastery and
control — he can achieve whatever he desires (ibid., I, 97).
Prayer is perhaps the most potent tool God gave

man to shape his world. We often feel we are “victims
of circumstance,” that God is in control and we must
do whatever He wants unwillingly. Rebbe Nachman
states emphatically that this is not the case. We have
tremendous power to change our lives and the lives of
everyone around us for the better … through prayer.
Prayer is not just reciting the printed words of the
siddur (Jewish prayer book). It is all about developing a
relationship with God. Our Sages call prayer avodat ha-
lev, “service of the heart.” Real prayer happens when we
look deep into ourselves to see what we need, and reach
out to God, the only One who can make it happen. Prayer
enables us to speak to God; to plead, beg and cajole Him
to answer our pleas and requests; and to otherwise bond
with God.
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P ray e r
The formal prayers that Jews recite morning, after

noon and evening were composed more than 2,000
years ago by the Men of the Great Assembly, a group
of Sages led by Ezra the Scribe. While these prayers are
mandatory for all Jews, variations in nusach, or style
of the prayer service, subsequently evolved among
different Jewish communities. Thus, Nusach Ashkenaz
refers to the order of the prayers and the special melodies
sung during synagogue services by Jews whose families
originated in Central and Eastern Europe. Nusach Sefard
and Nusach Ha’ARI are followed by Chassidic Jews.
Nusach Eidot HaMizrach is followed by Iraqi Jews and
others who abide by the halakhic opinions of the Ben Ish
Chai. Nusach Teiman is followed by Yemenite Jews, and
Minhag Bnei Roma is followed by Italian Jews.
In addition to the formal prayers, prayers may be
said at any time of day and in one’s mother tongue. The
prayers that a person composes himself are often the
most meaningful to him. In this regard, Rebbe Nachman
encouraged his followers to engage in hitbodedut, or
private prayer, setting a time and place to speak to God
every day. Reb Noson writes how Rebbe Nachman first
introduced him to hitbodedut: “Rebbe Nachman put his
arm around my shoulder and said, ‘It’s also good to
talk your heart out to God as you would to a true, good
friend.’” A daily session of hitbodedut can go far to help a
person establish a real connection with God.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that prayer has the power to
change nature (Likutey Moharan I, 30:8; I, 216). This applies
both to the forces of nature and to human nature. Reb
Noson once said, “Nothing can help a person break his
unwanted desires except prayer. The reason for this is
quite simple. Normally, someone who breaks his desires
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is left with two desires, just as when a person breaks

something in half and is left with two pieces.” But with
prayer, we are able to rid ourselves completely of all our
unwanted desires (cf. Siach Sarfey Kodesh 1-511).
Prayer can even go so far as to nullify Heavenly
decrees before — and even after — they are issued (The
Aleph-Bet Book, Prayer A:14). Reb Shimon, one of Rebbe
Nachman’s closest followers, experienced this person-
ally. When his infant son fell deathly ill, Reb Shimon
asked the Rebbe to pray for the child’s recovery. But
Rebbe Nachman did not respond. Forlorn and without
hope, Reb Shimon returned home. His wife understood
well the implication of the Rebbe’s silence. But instead
of despairing, she spent that entire night sitting by the
infant’s crib and praying for her child. The next morn-
ing, Rebbe Nachman saw Reb Shimon and ran towards
him with great joy, saying, “Look at the great power of
prayer! Last night, the decree was sealed. The infant’s
death was imminent. And now, not only has the decree
been nullified, but Heaven has granted him long life as
well!” Tradition has it that Reb Shimon’s son lived close
to one hundred years (Aveneha Barzel, p. 39, #60).

Having the power to connect to God on a
daily and even hourly basis brings a tremendous
?
sense of self-importance to your life. God is waiting
to hear from you! God cares! But how can you know
this? Perseverance. Each time you turn to God, you are
connecting with Him. As you become more proficient
in pouring out your heart, you will feel a certain
feeling of closeness. Sometimes, though, it doesn’t
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P ray e r
seem to work. You sit listless, without emotion. Don’t

despair. Just persevere. You will see the answers to
your prayers.
Our Sages teach, “A person’s prayers are not
answered unless he places his very soul into it” (Ta’anit
8a). Rashi elaborates, “He is entirely focused, with full
concentration.” Someone once asked me about this.
“I pray and pray, but I don’t see the unhealthy getting
better, I don’t see the improvements,” he told me. I
said to him, “When was the last time (or maybe the
first time) that you prayed as if your life completely
depended on it?!” It’s one thing to offer lip service,
but another to really mean it. From my personal view
point, I know that prayers are answered. Not always
do we do it right, but if we keep at it, it works! (cf.
Likutey Moharan I, 223).
There are many opportunities to pray throughout
the day. Here are different types of prayer that can
help you forge a connection with God:
Regular daily prayers. The three daily prayer
services are known as Shacharit (the morning prayer),
Minchah (the afternoon prayer) and Ma’ariv (the eve
ning prayer). On Shabbat and Jewish festivals, an addi
tional service called Musaf is recited after Shacharit,
and on Yom Kippur a fifth service, Ne’ilah, is said
after Minchah. Composed as they were by Sages who
had ruach ha-kodesh (Divine inspiration), they have
become the standard prayers for all Jewish commu
nities in the format of the siddur, which varies slightly
from community to community.
The fact that the prayers are written in Hebrew
could stop people from using an incredibly powerful
111
tool. Knowing what you’re saying certainly makes the

task easier. But there are many advantages to praying
in the original Hebrew — among them the fact that the
words were chosen for their Divine inspiration, and
were written by holy people who knew the power
of prayer. Therefore it seems most advisable to pray
from a Hebrew/English siddur, so that any time you
don’t fully understand the original, you can look at
the translation and appreciate the meaning of what
you’re saying. If it’s too difficult, then the halakhah
clearly states that one should pray in the language he
is familiar with.
Whenever you can, pray with a minyan (quorum
of ten men). The Talmud states, “The prayers of the
individual may be rejected, but the prayers of the
many are never rejected” (Ta’anit 8a). Pray with joy and
happiness, even to the point of clapping your hands
and singing the words. As Rebbe Nachman said, “I
put great value in the Baal Shem Tov’s way of pray-
ing — with exertion and joy” (Tovot Zikhronot #5). How-
ever, one should not pray in a manner that disturbs
others, nor use mannerisms designed to draw atten-
tion to himself. Better to pray simply, with as much
concentration as you can muster.
The Rebbe never asked his followers to give up
their family’s nusach, or style of formal prayer, which
is “inherited” from father to son. It makes no differ-
ence which nusach one follows — Sefardi, Mizrachi,
Ashkenazi, Chassidic or some other. Rebbe Nachman
said: Chassidut has nothing to do with nusach. One
can be a Chassid and still pray Nusach Ashkenaz (Siach
Sarfey Kodesh I-90).
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Hitbodedut. One of Rebbe Nachman’s most

important and best-known teachings introduces the
idea of private, secluded prayer as the ultimate level
in our relationship with God. Unlike the regular daily
prayers, hitbodedut is prayer in one’s mother tongue
and in one’s own words. It is a “one on one” audi-
ence with God, an opportunity to release all our inner
feelings — the joys and depressions, the successes and
frustrations — that we experience each day. Through
hitbodedut, we examine and re-examine our actions
and motives, correcting the flaws and errors of the
past while seeking the proper path for the future.
Hitbodedut can be done anywhere, as long as it’s
quiet and private. A private room is good, a park
better, out in the fields or forests still better. During
hitbodedut, you’ll talk to God about all the things you’re
going through. Tell Him the various pressures you are
under, your personal situation and that of others in
your family, and also of the Jewish people as a whole.
Hitbodedut is also a time for self-judgment, to review
what you’ve done and what mistakes you’d like to
amend. And don’t forget the mundane side of life.
Pray that you get the right clothing back from the dry
cleaners, and that you don’t overpay on an item you
plan to purchase. Nothing is too trivial to discuss with
God. As long as you even think you need it, pray for it!
Certainly, a person must focus his prayers on
the ultimate goal: serving God. Pray, plead, ask and
beseech God that He reveal His ways to you, that He
show you His mercy, that you merit to come closer to
Him. Pray that you will be able to perform His will,
each mitzvah in its own time. Pray to experience the
113
beauty of Torah and the sweetness of the mitzvot.*

Reb Nachman Chazan once labored tirelessly to
erect Reb Noson’s sukkah. That evening, while sitting
in the sukkah, Reb Nachman remarked, “There is a
different feeling of joy and satisfaction when sitting in
a sukkah that one has worked very hard to build.” Reb
Noson replied, “That may be, but this you haven’t yet
tried. Spend an entire day crying out to God, ‘Master
of the Universe! Let me taste the true taste of sukkah!’
Then see what feelings a person can experience in the
sukkah!” (Aveneha Barzel, p. 52, #12).
Psalms. This treasury of 150 songs of praise, or
Psalms, expresses the full spectrum of highs and
lows in the turbulent life of King David, along with his
unceasing reliance on and praise of God. Because the
emotions David describes are so universal, his Psalms
have become the companion of Jews in all times and
situations. Whatever you’re going through, you’ll
find a Psalm to match — and you’ll also find beautiful
Psalms of thanksgiving to express your gratitude to
God when things are going great.
Tikkun HaKlali (The General Remedy). In a
most original teaching, Rebbe Nachman identified
ten specific chapters of Psalms that have the pow-
er to rectify every sin at its root. This is the Tikkun
HaKlali, or General Remedy. Each sin, explains the
Rebbe, has its own rectification. To repair the spir-
itual damage caused by a particular sin, we must
apply the particular remedy appropriate for that sin.
* For an excellent “how-to” book about hitbodedut, see Where Earth

and Heaven Kiss: A Guide to Rebbe Nachman’s Path of Meditation by
Ozer Bergman, published by the Breslov Research Institute.
114
P ray e r
Yet the task of tackling each sin one by one is far too
big for most people to undertake. If only there was
a single rectification that would zap all sins simulta-
neously! There is. Rebbe Nachman’s General Remedy
counteracts the spiritual damage caused by wasted
seed in particular and all other sins in general. It con-
sists of the saying of these Ten Psalms: 16, 32, 41, 42,
59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150.
The Rebbe referenced the Ten Psalms in an unprece
dented vow that continues to bring hundreds of thou
sands of people to pray at his grave in Uman more than
200 years after his passing. In the presence of two
witnesses, the Rebbe declared, “Whoever comes to
my gravesite, recites the Tikkun HaKlali and donates
something to charity for my sake, I promise that I
will intercede on his behalf. No matter how terrible
his sins, I will do everything in my power to remove
that person from Gehinnom!” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom
#141). This is a most incredible promise, one that no
other Tzaddik ever issued. Consider the power of this
promise. By virtue of traveling to Rebbe Nachman’s
gravesite, reciting the Tikkun HaKlali and giving charity,
a person earns himself the services of a most powerful
and eloquent defense lawyer who will argue his case
before the Heavenly Tribunal on his Day of Judgment!
The Tikkun HaKlali can be said anywhere, not just
at the Rebbe’s gravesite but wherever you happen
to be: in synagogue, in your home, in a park, on
an airplane, or even in Disney World! It takes but
a few minutes, but it serves to remind us that we
have to connect with our Maker, we cannot expect to
live without responsibility, and we must display the
desire to make amends at any and all times. It’s a
115
perfect remedy, giving everyone a means to return to

his Source.*
Tikkun Chatzot (The Midnight Lament).
Every night around midnight, Breslover Chassidim
traditionally rise from their sleep and mourn the
destruction of the Temple in a prayer called Tikkun
Chatzot (the Midnight Lament). Midnight is considered
a time of Divine favor and this prayer, which expresses
grief over the loss of the Temple, also conveys yearning
for the Final Redemption and the rebuilding of the
Temple. Tikkun Chatzot is not a mandatory prayer, but
a “labor of love” by those who truly yearn to know God
and who feel pain and anguish over His concealment
in this world.
The midnight prayer consists of two parts. Tikkun
Rachel contains Psalms and laments about the
destruction of the Temple and the catastrophes that
have befallen the Jewish people in exile. Tikkun Leah
includes Psalms and other holy writings expressing
praise and yearning for God and His Redemption.
Being distant from God is like being asleep: the
deeper the sleep, the harder it is to be aroused to
serve God. Furthermore, sleep is compared to “lesser”
wisdom, an unconscious existence, while awakening
corresponds to awareness. Thus, rising for Tikkun
Chatzot “breaks” sleep and eliminates the distance
between us and God (Likutey Halakhot, Hashkamat HaBoker
1:12). It helps us break our spiritual slumber and
recognize the need to become more aware of our
surroundings and the situations in which we find
* For more insights and the complete text of the Tikkun HaKlali, see
Rabbi Nachman’s Tikkun, published by the Breslov Research Institute.
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P ray e r
ourselves. It is also analogous to finding the good

points in ourselves amid the “darkness” all around
(see Chapter 11, What are the Good Points?).*
Rebbe Nachman suggests that when reciting Tikkun
Chatzot and similar prayers, one should apply the verses
to himself (Likutey Moharan II, 101). Because it is a most
heartrending expression of suffering and anguish,
Tikkun Chatzot is a perfect vehicle for releasing one’s
own pent-up feelings. After Rebbe Nachman passed
away, Reb Noson found it impossible to express his
agony over his loss. Only when reciting the Tikkun
Chatzot was he able to find consolation (Rabbi Eliyahu
Chaim Rosen).
Likutey Tefilot. Many times we pray, but we
don’t “feel” it. We are distant from the prayers, or
perhaps we don’t find the way we feel expressed in
their words. In this regard, many optional prayers
were written by many of the greatest Jewish scholars.
These can be found in Sha’arey Tzion, Taktu Tefilot and
similar works. Rebbe Nachman greatly valued these
optional prayers and recited them many times himself
(Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom, His Praises #10).
Rebbe Nachman taught Reb Noson the idea of
“turning Torah into prayers” (Likutey Moharan II, 25). In
other words, whenever you hear or study words of
Torah, you should make a prayer out of it. When you’re
studying the laws of tefilin, tzitzit, Shabbat, Pesach,
lulav, shofar, matzah, and so on, translate them into
prayers beseeching God to help you fulfill the mitzvah
* For an in-depth look at the Tikkun Chatzot and the prayer itself
in both Hebrew and English, see The Sweetest Hour by Avraham
Greenbaum, published by the Breslov Research Institute.
117
to the best of your ability and with a wealth of joy and

happiness.
Reb Noson took this advice to heart and composed
his own book of prayers called Likutey Tefilot (Collected
Prayers), which he based on Rebbe Nachman’s
Torah teachings in Likutey Moharan. Likutey Tefilot is
a collection of over 200 magnificent prayers on all
topics and circumstances in life. Each is infused with
Reb Noson’s great longing and holy desire to connect
with God. Many men and women recite these prayers
as their own, using Reb Noson’s heartfelt words and
humble sincerity to reach out to God.*
* Likutey Tefilot is presently being translated into English as The Fiftieth

Gate. Four volumes of the projected seven-volume series have been
published by the Breslov Research Institute. Selected prayers from
Likutey Tefilot have also been adapted and compiled in a special
prayer book for women, Between me & You: Heartfelt prayers for each
Jewish woman, by Yitzchok Leib Bell (Nachas Books, 2012).
118
20
Mitzvot
Observe the commandments, statutes and laws that I am

commanding you today, to do them (Deuteronomy 7:11).
“Today, to do them” — and tomorrow [in the World to
Come], to receive the reward for doing them (Rashi).
Reb Noson writes: Whatever service a person performs
in devotion to God makes him a lender to God! This is
because, “There is no reward [great enough] for mitzvot
in This World” (Kiddushin 39b). Therefore, when a person
performs mitzvot, God is obligated to pay him his
reward in the Future World. Until God pays him, he is
considered a lender to God (Likutey Halakhot, Shabbat 6:9).
The commandments, or mitzvot, are the laws

that God gave us in the Torah. There are 248 positive
commandments and 365 prohibitive commandments,
for a total of 613. The mitzvot are God’s directives on how
to live right, take hold of our actions, and focus on the
true goal: getting close to God. They are not man-made
counsel or recommendations, but laws designed by God
to help each person mold and form himself into the best
person he can be.
119
The Hebrew word mitZVah (‫ )מצוה‬comes from the root

word le-tZaVet (‫)לצוות‬, which means “to join.” This teaches
us that the performance of mitzvot is the means by which
we can “join” and attach ourselves to God in order to
experience the Divine.
We often hear people say, “I can’t get my act together”
or, “I feel like I’m all over the place.” This is because
through sin, we disperse the sparks of our souls and
become spread out, making it difficult to pull things
together. When we perform mitzvot, we are actually
collecting the dispersed sparks of our souls and becoming
whole again. Reb Noson adds that each mitzvah, in one
way or another, must be performed with a material item.
The objective of doing mitzvot is to take the physical item
and elevate it to the spiritual realm, using that corporeal
item to join and connect with God (cf. Likutey Halakhot,
Netilat Yadayim LiSeudah 6:64).
Rebbe Nachman has a most unusual approach to
the idea of connecting to God through the mitzvot. He
explains:
The mitzvot express the wisdom of God, which is why
all the commandments have different measures and
specifications. For example, why is the prescription
of a particular mitzvah as it is? Because that is what
the wisdom of God requires. The same is true of the
prescription of a different mitzvah; it is in accordance
with the wisdom of God (Likutey Moharan I, 30:3).
In his discussion, Rebbe Nachman teaches that there
are awesome levels of Perceptions of Godliness. By
performing the mitzvot, we connect with God’s wisdom,
which allows us to attain deep Perceptions of Godliness.
Through mitzvot, we can attain great and awesome
spiritual levels. The Rebbe compares human perception
120
M i t zvot
with the pupil of the eye. The pupil includes within it all
the large things that stand opposite it. Take, for example,
a large mountain. When it stands opposite the pupil, the
entire mountain is contained within the pupil that sees it.
In a similar fashion, through our performance of mitzvot,
we can attain perceptions of Godliness that are normally
beyond our ken.
The mitzvot cover all areas in life, providing a sort of
“cradle to grave” management for living. The positive
mitzvot include observing Shabbat and Jewish festivals,
eating kosher food, praying, studying Torah, being honest
in business, giving charity, doing acts of kindness, and so
on. The prohibitive commandments include abstaining
from immoral behavior, refraining from slander, profan-
ity, flattery and all other types of improper speech, avoid-
ing falsehood, stealing and other financial transgressions,
and more. Each mitzvah has within it many categories
that are also considered mitzvot. For example, under the
mitzvah of doing acts of kindness, one can visit the sick,
provide financial help to someone struggling with debts,
offer comforting words to someone who is beset with
troubles, or even just smile at a person who looks a little
down. Each act of kindness is a mitzvah unto itself!

When it comes to doing mitzvot, you may
find yourself in a quandary. On the one hand,
?
you see many religious Jews keeping the mitzvot. On
the other hand, you hear other Jews saying, “Why keep
mitzvot? Isn’t it enough to be a good person? Besides,
isn’t every good deed I do a mitzvah?”
121
As mentioned above, the mitzvot are not man-

made. God, Who created each one of us, designed
the mitzvot to fulfill the essential needs of our souls.
When a person performs a mitzvah, he strengthens a
certain part of his soul. The mitzvot that are detailed
in the Torah and the Shulchan Arukh, and rabbinically-
mandated mitzvot, are also channels that open up
the Perceptions of Godliness to us. We can just glide
through life thinking we have a connection to God. But
do we really? Do we really feel attached to Him? The
mitzvot are the “Velcro” that fastens us to God.
Interestingly, it’s not just the doing of the mitzvot
that’s important, but the thoughts and intentions
that the person has that empower each mitzvah. If
you toss a coin into a beggar’s cup without thinking,
your mitzvah is much less complete than if you give
charity with the intention of fulfilling one of God’s
commandments.
In answer to the second question: Yes, good
deeds are important and make the world a much
nicer place to live. But a good deed to one person
doesn’t mean the same thing to another. You might
think that holding the door open for an old lady is a
great kindness. But that old lady’s daughter knows
that if her mother doesn’t exercise her muscles and
open the door for herself, she will become frailer
and weaker. A good deed is subject to interpretation;
a mitzvah always has the same specifications and
parameters, no matter who performs it.
Reb Noson once remarked about the amount
of mitzvot we were given. He said, “When a person
likes someone, does he give him a heavy burden or
a light burden? Why did God give us what seems to
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M i t zvot
be a heavy burden of 613 mitzvot? But if there were

only a few mitzvot, then only those who were in that
specific situation would be able to perform them. For
example, the wealthy would give charity, the brilliant
scholars would study Torah, farmers would obey the
agricultural laws, and so on. However, with so many
mitzvot, there is always some mitzvah that any person
can perform” (Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen).
Like anything good or worthwhile, doing mitzvot
often comes at a price. Some mitzvot are costly — a
good pair of tefilin can cost upwards of $1,000,
and Shabbat and festival meals (especially Pesach
expenses) add up. Having to stop work early on Fridays
in the winter can be an inconvenience and even a
deal-breaker when you’re in the middle of a lucrative
business transaction. Not driving to synagogue on
Shabbat when you live a couple of miles away can
mean a healthy walk in the summer, but a bitterly cold
trek in the winter. Our Sages assure us, “According to
the effort is the reward” (Avot 5:23). The harder it is for
us, the more we gain in the end.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that each mitzvah a per
son performs creates a candle. That candle will be
used by the person in the future to “search the King’s
treasury” — that is, to choose his rewards in the World
to Come (Likutey Moharan I, 275). The more mitzvot we
do, the greater number of candles we create with
which to search God’s treasury, and the more rewards
(after all, God owes us!) we will receive for doing
mitzvot.
The main thing, Rebbe Nachman emphasizes,
is the joy we feel when doing mitzvot. Sitting
123
down to enjoy a Shabbat meal, praying with fervor

and a feeling of connection to God, studying and
understanding a difficult passage of Torah, helping
another person — each mitzvah is an entire construct
unto itself. When we are happy with our devotions
we fill these constructs with joy — and they, in turn, fill
us with joy! (see Likutey Moharan I, 178).
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21
Charity
Charity is equal to all the other mitzvot combined (The

Aleph-Bet Book, Charity A:14).
In the previous chapter we spoke about perform-

ing mitzvot and mentioned charity. The greatness of
charity cannot be overstated; there are very few mitzvot
that are as powerful as charity to draw all kinds of bless-
ing to ourselves and the world at large. Our charitable
deeds and acts of kindness “force” God, as it were, to act
towards us with kindness. Thus, our charitable acts open
the gates of Heaven and allow for even greater bounty to
flow down to us (see Likutey Moharan II, 4:1-3).
Ostensibly, it may look like charity means taking
money out of our pockets and putting it in someone
else’s. But the reverse is really the case. The giver benefits
far more than the receiver — even to the point of getting
money back in return! It is written, “Bring all your tithes
to the treasury … ‘Please, test me with this,’ says God,
‘[and see] if I do not open the floodgates of Heaven and
pour down upon you blessings without end’” (Malakhi
3:10). Commenting on this verse, the Talmud teaches that
125
although we are prohibited from challenging God, we

are actually permitted to test God to see if giving tithes
brings us blessing (Ta’anit 9a). In other words, if we earn
$10,000 and tithe it, we can expect God to replenish that
ten percent — and even more. When we tithe our income,
we can expect an increase in our income!
The power of charity is awesome. Charity has the pow-
er to open the closed doors of employment and business
opportunities (Likutey Moharan II, 4:2-3), promote peace in
one’s home, and bring healing (ibid., I, 57:8; II, 3). It also
helps a person distinguish between reality and illusion
(ibid., I, 25:4) and elevates him to the level where all his
prayers are answered (ibid., I, 2:1-4).
Charity brings peace, as our Sages state, “The more
charity, the more peace” (Avot 2:7). Rebbe Nachman ex-
plains that charity creates a tranquil atmosphere in which
people can form satisfactory relationships. In such an
atmosphere, words of spirituality can spread and reach
those who are very distant from God — not just Jews who
are distant from their heritage, but even non-Jews, bring-
ing converts into the fold!
Rebbe Nachman adds that giving charity rectifies
many sins. Charity is a rectification for a blemished cov-
enant, for financial wrongdoings (but does not exempt a
person from repaying anything taken wrongfully), and for
sin in general (Likutey Moharan I, 29:9; I, 69:9; I, 115). Charity
also allows a person to rise above his animalistic tenden-
cies. It brings him to the level of “Man,” and affords him
the level of sanctity of the Land of Israel (ibid., I, 37:3-4).
Charity helps to reveal Divine Pleasantness and can be
beneficial for the raising of one’s children (ibid., II, 71).
Charity plays an important role in Breslov thought,
126
C har i t y
since this practice helps a person focus on the proper

path. How? Giving charity is not just something we do
with our hands; it also demands the judgmental applica
tion of our minds. With charity, we are forced to make
decisions: Who is a worthy recipient? Which causes
deserve priority? How much should I get involved? Being
forced to make decisions teaches us to focus and choose
wisely. This naturally spills over into other choices we
must make in life — such as everyday living, job oppor
tunities, making major purchases or investments and, of
course, spiritual aspirations. Giving charity influences our
overall decision-making and focus.
Besides charity, there is a mitzvah of doing chesed, acts
of kindness. This mitzvah includes hospitality and helping
others — the sick, the weak, the bereaved, and so on. In
fact, the Talmud teaches that acts of kindness are, in a
way, greater than charity (Sukkah 49b). If someone doesn’t
have enough money to contribute to charity, he can still
attain all the benefits of giving charity by engaging in acts
of kindness.

Are you looking for a daily practice that will
?
make you the decision-maker, channel your contri-
bution so it does the most good, and earn you blessings
both in this world and the next? Charity can provide
all that, and more.
Like every other mitzvah, charity has specific param
eters and requirements for maximum effectiveness.
The minimum amount one should give is a tithe,
or ten percent of his income. A person may also
127
give fifteen or twenty percent, but no more, lest he

become impoverished himself. What if he lacks the
means to give ten percent? Someone who is struggling
financially should consult with a competent rabbi
about what to do and how to give. Some cases, after
consultation, will seem not as bad; others will exempt
the person until he manages to get back on his feet.
Now you can consider yourself the manager of
your funds and distribute them accordingly. Here,
too, there are guidelines for making the most impact.
Donating your money to any and every cause, no
matter how dubious, will not garner the same payback
as charity given to worthy causes. Rebbe Nachman
teaches that righteous poor people are a good choice,
poor Torah scholars or organizations that promote
Torah education a better choice. Charity that is given
to Tzaddikim is the best choice of all, because giving
to them is like giving to many, many Jewish souls
(since the Tzaddikim, through their teachings, enable
the many to draw close to God) (Kitzur Likutey Moharan
I, 17:9).*
Giving charity yields many blessings in this world
and the next. We’ve already mentioned some of
them above. In Chapter 20 we noted that the perfor-
mance of mitzvot helps to collect and gather in the
dispersed and lost sparks of holiness, the sparks of
our souls. Giving charity is one of the most potent
factors in gathering these sparks. God sends bounty
daily to this world, with the intent that His kingship

* For a full treatment of the benefits and guidelines of giving charity,
see More Blessed to Give: Rebbe Nachman on Charity, published by
the Breslov Research Institute.
128
C har i t y
be recognized and elevated. If we do not act accord-

ingly — that is, if we sin — then we cause a shattering
of our vessels, we disperse our souls and spread the
sparks of holiness throughout the world. Conversely,
when we perform mitzvot, we gather in those sparks,
and gather in the bounty.
When we give charity, not only are we doing a
mitzvah, but we are actually taking our bounty — that
which we chased away due to sin — and placing it in
the realm of holiness. This elevates the sparks and
even rectifies them. When we give charity, we sustain
the realm of holiness. Thus, charity is a most potent
force in gathering in the dispersed sparks (Likutey
Moharan I, 264). And it brings that bounty to us!
Once, when Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Chernobyl
heard a lesson of Rebbe Nachman about giving charity,
he said, “Nu! We have to relearn how to give charity!”
129
Positive
and Negative
Traits
Rebbe Nachman teaches that the body is called
chomer (‫)חומר‬, “matter,” while the soul is called tzurah
(‫)צורה‬, “form” (see Likutey Moharan I, 170). Chomer, the
body, is actually pliable “raw material” that assumes the
“shape” of the soul as it is molded. Someone who seeks
a life of materialism will mold his body according to the
chosen requirements of that life, and his body will then
conceal his spirituality. One who seeks Godliness, on the
other hand, will mold and refine his physical nature to
be sensitive to the subtlest signals of the soul, so that the
soul’s innate spirituality will radiate from within.
At the highest levels, the physical body of such
a person becomes a spiritual body, similar to that of
Moses, whose face “shone” when he descended from
Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-30, 35); or Adam, whose entire
body shone brighter than the noonday sun (Vayikra
Rabbah 20:2); or the prophet Elijah, who did not die but
ascended to Heaven in a “chariot of fire” (see II Kings 2:11).
How can we “shape” our own bodies, controlling our
base desires and rising above them? The key is in under-
standing our strengths and weaknesses, as revealed in
our positive and negative traits.
132
22
The Four Elements
There are four fundamental elements: fire, air, water and

earth. Above, in their transcendent root, they correspond
to the four letters of God’s Holy Name YHVH (cf. Tikkuney
Zohar #22). But below, in our world, they are a mixture
of good and bad. The perfect tzaddik, however, has
completely distinguished and separated the bad from
the good, so that he is without even a residue of bad
from any one of these four elements — which encompass
all the traits (Likutey Moharan I, 8:5).
Four basic elements make up the material world

(these elements should not be confused with the chemical
elements). They are:
• Fire — which is hot and dry
• Air — which is hot and damp
• Water — which is cold and damp
• Earth — which is cold and dry
Everything in this world is made up of at least one of
the four elements; most possess two or more. The ARI
explains that these four elements correspond to the four
133
letters of God’s Holy Name YHVH (the Tetragrammaton)

(Etz Chaim 42:3) and also parallel the four levels or realms
of physical existence: mineral, vegetable, animal and
speaker (i.e., man).
Tetragrammaton Element Level of existence
Root or single
Apex of Yod Tzaddik
source element
Yod Fire Speaker

Heh Air Animal
Vav Water Vegetable
Heh Earth Mineral
The four elements stem from a single source element.

This is alluded to in the verse, “A river flowed out of
Eden to water the Garden. From there, it separated into
four major rivers” (Genesis 2:10). That is, there is a single
source element that divides into four: the four elements.
That single source element is the Tzaddik, the righteous
person in whose merit the world is sustained. This
source element is called the Yesod HaPashut, the “simple
element,” in that at the source, everything is united as
one, without differentiation.
It is axiomatic throughout Rebbe Nachman’s teachings
that everyone can become a Tzaddik on a level that is
suitable for him. This means that each person can learn
to control his physical elements and unify his various
attributes. To the extent that a person develops himself
spiritually and attains mastery over his body — his four
elements — he can merit the title of Tzaddik for his
spiritual level. Anyone, at whatever level he may find
134
T he F ou r E le m e nts
himself, has the ability to harmonize the four elements

within himself and achieve total harmony between his
body and soul.
Everything in the world is composed of the four
elements, and the continued existence of the world is
based on the proper combination and interaction of
these elements. Although every person is made up of all
four elements, each individual is rooted in a particular
letter of the Tetragrammaton and in one element more
than the others. Correspondingly, he is also rooted in
the specific character trait that derives from that letter
and element, as we shall see in the coming chapters.
This accounts for the tremendous differences we find in
people’s temperaments. Some temperaments are root
ed in fire (e.g., arrogance and anger), some in air (idle
chatter), some in water (sensual gratification) and some
in earth (laziness and depression), as will be explained
shortly.
•••
The four elements contain all the physical
resources that a person needs to advance his spiritual
growth, but they also contain negative characteristics
that can inhibit — and even reverse — that growth. For
this reason, the four elements are called “servants.” They
must serve the soul faithfully in order for a person to
ascend in spirituality (cf. Likutey Moharan I, 4:12). Reb Noson
writes that the three higher elements represent various
intellects, while earth, the lowest element, parallels faith,
as in, “Dwell in the earth and shepherd faith” (Psalms 37:3)
(Likutey Halakhot, Shechitah 5:12).
Fire is the lightest of the four elements in its constitu-

tion, as its properties cause heat to rise. On the positive
135
side, it infuses us with energy and zeal to accomplish

great things. On the negative side, it burns inside us with
passion and turbulence, leading to arrogance (the desire
to “rise above” others), anger, jealousy, and the desire
for power and honor.
Air, on its positive side, is life itself; it is our power to

breathe and infuse ourselves with freshness and is our
vehicle for proper speech and encouraging words. On the
negative side, it is the source of idle chatter (the tendency
to speak about worthless subjects) and various forms
of forbidden speech such as flattery, falsehood, slander,
profanity and mockery. Air is also the source of boasting.
Water brings enjoyment to the entire world, to all levels

of mineral, vegetable, animal and human. Therefore
water is the root of all sensual pleasure. But from the
element of water also come the cravings for all the
various lusts. These cravings arouse jealousy and envy,
leading to dishonest behavior and outright theft.
Earth, the lowest and densest of the elements, parallels

the attribute of faith. Just as faith can contain the great-
est levels despite its being the smallest of the levels, so
too, everything we know of “sits” upon the earth and
is included in it. Earth represents our physicality, and
provides for our free will to rise above the density of
our corporeal existence. But it also denotes laziness and
depression. A person who is dominated by the material
aspects of earth always bemoans his fate and is never
satisfied with his lot (Sha’arey Kedushah 1:2).
Interestingly, character traits and attitudes are not

among the commandments of the Torah. A whole body
of commandments revolves around human relations — for
example, to love one’s fellow man, to give charity to the
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T he F ou r E le m e nts
poor, to help one’s enemy in a fix, not to bear a grudge, not

to take revenge, not to hate one’s brother in one’s heart,
and so on. There are also numerous commandments
involving man’s relationship to God. Nowhere, however, do
we find any commandment to be moral, humble, loving,
kind, benevolent, compassionate, empathetic or giving.
Neither are we commanded not to become angry, not to
be arrogant, not to be jealous and not to be spiteful. Even a
commandment such as, “Do not hate your brother in your
heart” (Leviticus 19:17), can be construed as a behavioral
rather than attitudinal directive. If, as we have seen, char
acter traits and attitudes are so essential, why aren’t they
mentioned in the system of commandments?
The answer is that character traits and attitudes are
the goal — and the very basis — of the commandments.
Refining and strengthening our moral characteristics is
a precondition for our successful observance of the com-
mandments. The basic premise of the commandments is
that once we act in compliance with the objective morali-
ty of the Torah, this morality will become part of our spir-
itual and emotional makeup. Therefore the Torah does
not directly command us “to be,” but “to do.” For exam-
ple, acting lovingly towards someone, even if we dislike
him, forces us to overcome the attitude we have formed
about him that prevents us from seeing him as a fellow
human being. Clearly, the goal of the action is an inner
transformation. Viewing the commandments as mere
behavioral directives misses this crucial point.
We can now see that the system of commandments
is designed to help man express, develop and refine his
innate character traits. When viewed in this way, the
hidden attitudinal directive behind every command-
ment becomes revealed. The Torah knows that these
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attitudes and character traits are the basis of the human

personality and that they are present, in rudimentary
form, from infancy. Perfecting the positive character
traits on the one hand, and transmuting the energy of
the negative traits on the other hand, presents the most
serious challenge we face throughout our lives.
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23
Eating and Sleeping
Show great compassion for your body. Help it delight in

all the spiritual insights and perceptions that the soul
perceives.
Your soul is always seeing and comprehending very
exalted things. But the body knows nothing of this. Have
compassion for the flesh of your body. Purify it. Then the
soul will be able to inform it of all that she is always
seeing and comprehending (Likutey Moharan I, 22:5).
As we have seen, fire is the lightest of the four

elements and its properties cause heat to rise. Every
person has “fire” within himself — it is part and parcel of
his digestive tract which, like fire, consumes everything
that enters it. Eating is the main source of maintaining
this fire. Just as a fire must be fed with fuel in order to
keep burning, the digestive tract must be “fed” in order
to maintain the person’s normal temperature (heat) and
function satisfactorily so that the person doesn’t fall ill.
But there is eating, and then there is eating. We all
know how eating can get out of hand, how one slice
of cake or scoop of ice cream can lead to another and
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another and another. For some people, food has become

an all-encompassing passion — witness the fast-food
outlets on every corner, snack vending machines in
every school, triple-decker hamburgers, jumbo-sized
soft drinks, and the worldwide increase in obesity and
eating disorders.
Rebbe Nachman calls gluttony a “lust” and lists it
ahead of other lusts like sexual desire and avarice (Likutey
Moharan I, 62:5). Gluttony is the primary lust because
Adam, the first man, used it inappropriately. God com
manded him one thing — not to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil — but he was overcome by
temptation. Ever since, man has been fighting the “battle
of the bulge,” or counting calories, or indulging in more
and different culinary experiences. Indeed, a good part
of our day is taken up with food. “What’s for break
fast?” “Where should we eat lunch?” “What will we have
for dinner?” “What treat should we buy for our coffee
break … for our afternoon tea … for a late-night snack?” If
you want to understand why so much of our lives is taken
up with food, Reb Noson explains simply that the very
first sin — the primary lust — was eating, and it is our mis
sion to rectify that sin.
All the laws and customs of eating kosher foods and
reciting the blessings on our nourishment are meant to
make the ritual of eating a spiritual act. This isn’t the only
way to elevate our eating. Rebbe Nachman notes that
when we eat the special foods prepared for the Shabbat
and Jewish festivals, those foods nourish us on a higher
plane than weekday eating (cf. Likutey Moharan I, 277:4; I,
57:6). Additionally, sparks of holiness are found in most
foods. By eating in holiness, we are able to rectify fallen
sparks and souls.
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E at i ng and S le e pi ng
Food is digested and absorbed in the bloodstream.

When eaten in holiness, it brings to holiness. Otherwise
it feeds the body’s fire with physicality. When the body
is fed with materialistic wants, it succumbs to the evil of
the negative traits it possesses. These are the negative
characteristics that we all have to battle throughout our
lives.
•••
Sleeping, like eating, is an absolute necessity. It
allows the body to rest and revitalize itself. It also takes
up a lot of our time, rendering those hours spent sleeping
as unproductive. Or does it?
Let’s understand the meaning of sleep. Sleeping, like
eating, is a result of Adam’s eating from the Tree. The
Talmud teaches that “food leads to sleep” (Yoma 18a) and,
“Sleep is one-sixtieth of death” (Berakhot 57b). Adam’s eat
ing from the Tree brought death into the world, which also
caused sleep to become a major concern for humanity.
As stated in the previous chapter, earth is the heaviest
of the four elements and denotes laziness and depression.
A lazy person will spend an inordinate amount of time in
bed, and someone who is depressed will sleep a lot. The
tendency for extra sleep is symptomatic of an extra dose
of the element of earth — of slothfulness, depression,
sadness and carelessness. Therefore Rebbe Nachman
teaches, “Laziness and depression are the main bite of
the Primordial Serpent!” (Likutey Moharan I, 189).
The idea of sleep, however, can be misconstrued to
mean “wasting” time. In a sense, this is true. Maybe a
quarter or even a third of our lives is spent sleeping. But
when we rest with the intent of refreshing ourselves so
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we can pursue our daily activities and devotions, then

sleep is actually very productive.
However, human nature has a tendency to seek the
“easier” path — the path of rest and recreation. It’s easier
to fall into laziness and indulge in extra sleep than deal
with the pressures of daily living, but the results (and
the rewards) will be sorely lacking.

In Rebbe Nachman’s classic story, “The Lost
Princess” (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories #1), a viceroy
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spends years searching for a princess. When he finally
finds her, he is put to the test to see if he can rescue
her. Twice he succumbs to the temptations of eating
and sleeping, and only in the end, when he resolves
to complete his mission to the nth degree, does he
finally succeed.
Reb Noson comments that the first time the vice
roy failed is similar to Adam eating from the Tree. The
second time parallels the Generation of the Flood,
when mankind succumbed to all sorts of immorality
and fell into a spiritual slumber. In the end, the
viceroy succeeds in his quest — just as generations of
righteous people who maintained their resolve have
helped mankind emerge from its spiritual apathy
and awaken from its slumber.
In practical terms, this means that eating and
sleeping are positive things and we should do them. But
we have to make sure we use our physical strengths
for constructive purposes. Eating is a purification
process; it can actually rectify my own sins, as well
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E at i ng and S le e pi ng
as sins from previous eras, going back to Adam! I can

elevate sparks of holiness merely with a little food and
a blessing, and I can revitalize my soul with proper
rest and relaxation.
Rebbe Nachman had a follower, R’ Dov of Tcherin,
who tried to rise early in the morning in order to devote
time to serving God. But R’ Dov had difficulties staying
awake and suffered from headaches. Rebbe Nachman
advised him, “Sleep! And eat! Just guard your time!”
(Kokhavey Or, p. 25).
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24
The Element of Fire
There are luminaries of light, and there are luminaries

of fire. One must learn to subjugate the luminaries of
fire to the luminaries of light (Likutey Moharan II, 67:1).
Rebbe Nachman refers to the true and righteous

leaders as the “luminaries of light,” as they bring light and
good advice to the people. Opposing them are false and
wicked leaders who are called “luminaries of fire,” as they
burn and eventually cause much damage to everyone and
the world at large. The idea of subjugating “fire” to “light”
applies equally to ourselves and our character traits. As
we examine more of the positive and negative character
traits that we have to work with, we note that the element
of fire is behind many of them.
•••
Haughtiness or Humility?
God created so many kinds of people that it’s easy
to feel haughty sometimes. Everywhere you go, you
find people who are less talented, less intelligent, less
important and less well-off than you. Beware: Arrogance
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T he E le m e nt o f F i r e
hurts you more than them. Our Sages state, “Whoever is

arrogant, God says, ‘I and he cannot dwell in the same
world’” (Sotah 4b). Scripture teaches that God dwells within
the Jews even if they are impure (see Leviticus 16:16). But
when a person is arrogant, God departs from him. Even
more than alienating a person from others, arrogance
alienates him from God.
Therefore, throughout Rebbe Nachman’s writings, we
find many advisories and warnings to stay far away from
arrogance. It brings poverty (Likutey Moharan I, 4:8), it leads
to immorality (ibid., I, 11:3) and to a host of other disas-
ters. Arrogance, thinking of one’s own self-importance,
creates a shadow that obscures God’s light.
On the other hand, the Rebbe teaches that when a
person is humble, he can nullify himself before God. His
humility diminishes his essence to the point that there
is no obstacle to his receiving God’s light (ibid., I, 170).
Receiving God’s light doesn’t refer only to sensing His
presence. It means receiving the blessings and bounty
that God continually sends our way. With his own
attitude, an arrogant person creates obstructions to God’s
presence and His bounty, or to the vessels that receive
His blessings.
But what exactly is humility? Is it walking around
with a bowed head, reluctant to speak up in a crowd?
Many people act humbly in order to impress others, but
their humbleness is really self-serving because arrogance
motivates their behavior (ibid., I, 11:8).
Rebbe Nachman says that to be humble, you must
not belittle yourself. You should know and acknowledge
exactly who you are, what you’ve done, and how much
you’ve accomplished. At the same time, you should
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honor and respect others as if their being and their

accomplishments are all greater than yours (ibid., I, 14:5; II,
72:12). This is not a contradiction. Humility is an attitude
that allows you to negate yourself before God. When you
think of your insignificance vis-a-vis the Creator, you can
adapt a position of insignificance, which then allows you
to attain an attitude that others are significant. This does
not minimize in any way your true worth, which as a
human being is awesome. It just gives you the freedom
of adopting the attitude that others are important and we
must respect them.

The next time you’re upset that things aren’t
going your way, stop and check what’s really
happening inside you. The feeling of, “I want it this
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way, and it’s not going my way,” is a sign that the trait
of haughtiness has emerged. The way to correct this
is to humble yourself and bring God into the equation.
Tell God, “I want to do the right thing, but I just can’t
get my act together.” Then God will help you straighten
out the things that are going wrong in your life.
•••
Anger or Patience?
Have you ever watched a person get angry? His face
turns red, his facial features twist grotesquely, and he
looks like he’s going to explode. The element of fire
destroys his temperament and replaces it with a burning
rage. The Kabbalists explain that when a person becomes
angry, he not only loses his physical appearance, but he
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literally tears up his holy soul and replaces it with a soul

from the Other Side (of evil), may God spare us (Zohar II,
182a; Sha’ar Ruach HaKodesh, p. 33).
Anger is representative of Esau, who is called the
“great accuser.” That is, just as Esau sought to destroy
Jacob, so too, anger arouses the accusers on high to mete
out punishment for that anger. Furthermore, even on this
earth, an angry person is disdained and even despised
(see Likutey Moharan I, 57:6).
Rebbe Nachman adds that the angry person damages
his wealth and possessions. He explains that wealth is
a person’s ChoMaH (‫)חומה‬, or “wall,” which offers him
protection. When he gets frustrated and responds with
ChaiMaH (‫)חמה‬, “anger,” he breaks that wall and opens
himself up to damage and loss of his wealth. Patience,
on the other hand, is a protective wall, both for one’s
wisdom and one’s wealth. Thus, the Rebbe teaches that
every person should be blessed from birth with great
wealth, but because of anger that attacks us from infancy,
we tend to break down our wall and lose that blessing
(ibid., I, 68).
Patience is a very lofty and laudable level. One who
attains faith can attain patience, since the two concepts
are related. Faith is often referred to as a “growing force”
since it helps guide the person on a forward path. As long
as a person has faith, he can succeed; he will progress in
life towards his goals.
Rebbe Nachman explains the connection between
patience and faith with the example of planting seeds in
the earth. The soil must be good in order for the seeds
to take root and sprout. But even after the seeds take
root, one must be patient and wait for them to sprout;
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he must wait until the crops ripen before he can harvest

them. One who has faith is “planting his seeds” for the
future — but he must nourish that faith by exercising
patience at every step. This patience allows him to “wait
out” all the challenges and frustrations he encounters
and eventually succeed (see ibid., I, 155:2).

Like haughtiness, anger is a sign that “my
wants” and “my needs” override everything
else — even God. We usually get mad because our
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desires aren’t fulfilled. By exercising a little patience,
we can step away from the heat of the moment
and give ourselves some space to reevaluate our
goals — and even decide to redirect them — so that our
anger can dissipate.
•••
Jealousy or Beneficence?
Rebbe Nachman taught: The yetzer hara (evil inclination
or evil characteristics that possess a person) hates man
and seeks to harm him, physically and spiritually (Rabbi
Eliyahu Chaim Rosen).
We can understand that the evil inclination seeks
man’s spiritual harm, but why his physical harm, too?
Just look at how much effort it puts into undermining
man’s physical and material well-being. The Zohar (I, 179a)
points out, “Come see the power of the evil inclination.
An animal is born with a natural instinct for survival. It
senses predators and avoids danger right from birth. Not
so the human child. He runs straight towards danger.
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He seeks out any perilous situation and jumps right in!

This is because he is born with the evil inclination.” That
inner, burning rage and jealousy, that inborn fire that
ignites with passion and turbulence, destroys any chance
of inner peace.
One way the evil inclination succeeds in endangering
or destroying our physical and emotional well-being is
through the trait of jealousy. One of the most ingrained of
human attributes, the heat and passion of jealousy emerge
at an early age. Even as infants, we desire what someone
else has. And, as we all know, it doesn’t stop there. Family
members, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances can
all be the objects of our envy. Jealousy is arguably the
most destructive of traits, because it leaves us without
satisfaction or comfort, ever.
Just look at what jealousy has caused: Cain was jealous
of his brother Abel so he killed one-quarter of mankind.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and, as a result,
our forefathers went into bondage in Egypt (Shabbat 10b).
Korach’s jealousy of Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16) not
only brought about the first rebellion in the history of the
Jewish nation, but also caused the deaths of over 14,000
people (ibid., 17:14). King Saul nearly killed King David
because of his jealousy towards him. If such outstanding
individuals can fall prey to jealousy, what chance do we
have? (see Likutey Moharan II, 1:1; Parparaot LeChokhmah, loc.
cit.).
Where does jealousy come from? Rebbe Nachman
teaches that jealousy is rooted in the Evil Eye. Often
misunderstood as some abstract mystical power, the Evil
Eye referred to by the Rebbe is the very commonplace
quality of looking at our friends and neighbors in a
negative or critical way (see Likutey Moharan I, 54:4). The
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Talmud describes it as, “someone who is always looking

into another’s house” (see Bava Batra 2b). Rather than
thinking positively about our neighbors and friends and
wishing them the best, we tend to covet their possessions
and their good fortune.
The opposite of jealousy is a beneficial eye. That is, the
person always looks kindly and sees the positive side of
people. The verse states, “One with a good eye is blessed,
for he has given from his bread to the poor” (Proverbs
22:9). When a person takes of his own and extends it
to another, he is blessed. The simple meaning is that
because he gave from his wealth, he will be blessed by
Heaven with additional wealth. But a deeper meaning
of the verse is that a person with a benevolent eye is
automatically considered “a person who is blessed.”
Simply put, his good and beneficial eye, giving to others,
finding the good in others, having that positive outlook, is
itself a phenomenal blessing!

The Talmud speaks of envy as decaying the
bones of a deceased person (Shabbat 152b). It
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decays the life of the jealous person, too. Envy brings
out so many bad qualities in the jealous person that
we should try to avoid it at all costs.
Instead, we can practice beneficence. “Even if you
cannot attain a high level yourself, you can still be
supportive of others and desire that they attain what
you cannot reach,” says Rebbe Nachman. “Even if I
cannot be a good, religious Jew, at least my friend
should be one” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #119).
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Reb Noson comments: I thought that was obvious.

Of course, if I cannot be a good Jew, at least my friend
should be one. Of course I wish him success. But as
I grew older, I began to realize that this is a major
cause of strife and derision among Jews. We see
many people who have tried to become truly religious.
They exert great effort, make serious attempts, but do
not succeed fully and eventually drift away. Instead of
encouraging others, they become intolerant and jeal-
ous of those who do pray intensely and who do study
Torah. “If I can’t make it, they also can’t (or won’t
or shouldn’t),” they tell themselves — and do whatever
they can to prevent others from succeeding. However,
a true Jew must do the exact opposite. He should want
others to serve God even when he himself is unable to
do so. This is true Jewish love! (ibid.).
•••
Brazenness or Boldness?
Throughout Rebbe Nachman’s and Reb Noson’s
teachings, we find mention of the idea of “being bold.”
The Hebrew word that appears in their texts is azut (‫)עזות‬.
As with many other Hebrew words in general and Rebbe
Nachman’s often novel use of them in particular, there is
no exact translation that incorporates all the connotations
that the original, azut, carries. Therefore the reader
will alternately find in our books either “boldness” or
“brazenness.” The former is used when the text wishes to
convey the positive and desirable quality of azut, whereas
the latter is used to indicate its negative aspect.
One of the greatest attributes a person can acquire
is that of being bold. This means having the gumption
to go about his business, or devotions, no matter what
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the situation. A person should never have to refrain

from doing what he wants to do just because others
might ridicule him for — or during — his efforts. Still, the
Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chaim 1:1) warns against being
brazen, about having chutzpah towards others. The traits
of boldness and brazenness both stem from a person’s
element of fire.
Reb Noson elaborates on these characteristics. First,
he explains that boldness parallels faith. One who works
on perfecting his faith attains boldness. Conversely, a
blemish of faith results in blemished boldness, and the
person acquires the negative characteristic of brazenness.
Reb Noson then explains that humility and boldness
each have their negative side. Unquestionably, a person
must have humility. When someone feels humble and
embarrassed before God, he will feel ashamed to ever
commit a sin. Yet he must also combine a measure
of boldness with his humility. Otherwise, if he is so
embarrassed before God, he will never be able to open
his mouth to pray to Him — and without prayer, he cannot
draw close to God. A person should stand before God
in humility either because of God’s greatness or due to
his own sins. But he must also be bold enough to never
hesitate about pleading with God to draw him close and
forgive his sins.
The worst type of brazenness is to go against God and
commit a sin. But then a different kind of humility — false
humility — rears its head. The person begins to feel
embarrassed and will refrain from repenting! “After all, I
just committed a terrible sin, how can I approach God?”
With false humility, a person regresses even more into
brazenness. Therefore, Reb Noson says, one always has
to weigh his situation very carefully, in order to choose
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wisely what constitutes holy boldness and humility, and

what constitutes brazenness and false humility (Likutey
Halakhot, Halva’ah 3:3-4).

Although Rebbe Nachman emphasizes the
importance of boldness, exactly how, where
and when to use it remains undetermined. Indeed,
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because of the almost infinite number of factors that
can come into play in a given situation, it’s all but
impossible to provide anything more than general
principles for using this trait. Therefore the questions
that arise concerning the practical application of azut,
as well as the proper use of humility, can be solved
only through prayer. In fact, in his Likutey Tefilot, Reb
Noson devotes a good portion of the prayers that he
composed on the topics in this chapter to pleading
with God to be given the proper knowledge to know
how, where and when to use each one.
As a simple guide, though, we should always take
into consideration that our actions do not cause harm
in any way to others, and that we’re careful to always
speak respectfully to others. That way, whatever we
do, we’ll succeed in our goals and not be branded as
brazen individuals.
•••
Victory or Defeat?
Which would you prefer, victory or defeat? Victory,
of course. But what constitutes victory, and how do you
define defeat?
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Let’s face it. Nobody wants to lose an argument. We’ll

do whatever we can to ensure our success. So we’ll argue
and present our side and maybe stretch it a little (or a
lot) just to prove our point. Along the way, we drop the
pretense of seeking the truth and will resort to any and all
means to triumph. The same applies when we try to best
someone else in business or display our “superiority”
over our peers. There’s no end to what we’ll resort to. But
is it really in our best interests?
Rebbe Nachman teaches:
Our desire to be victorious (nitzachon in Hebrew) pre
vents us from accepting the truth. If, in a conversation
or an argument, we recognize the validity of the other
person’s opinion, we’ll pursue our own reasoning rather
than accept — or even worse, admit — that the other
person may be right (Likutey Moharan I, 122).
The character trait of nitzachon is a frequently-

discussed topic in Reb Noson’s writings. He explains
that in the Torah, the word for eternal, NetZaCh (‫)נצח‬, also
means victory, NitZaChon (‫)נצחון‬. These two meanings
are really one. Only that which is eternal can be called a
true victory.
History has proved time and again that a conquered
nation or an oppressed people will not remain silent
forever. It may take years, a new generation may arise,
but sooner or later, the cycle of time turns round and
the victor — because his victory was not permanent or
final — finds himself suffering at the hands of the van-
quished. This also holds true on the personal level.
“Conquering” one’s competitor in business or climbing
the social ladder at someone else’s expense creates in
the loser feelings of hostility and a desire for retribution.
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Ultimately, such victories are empty and worthless. For

the moment, the person may have achieved his desired
goal, but this contributes nothing to his peace of mind
for life in this world, or for his eternal life. The real vic-
tory, says Reb Noson, is when you conquer your negative
characteristics and desires. Then you are the true victor
(Likutey Halakhot, Birkhot Pratiyot 5:2).

The way to overcome the trait of nitzachon
is through prayer. Plead with God to help you
succeed. Whenever you’re faced with a possibility
of nitzachon, ask God to help you overcome your
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desire for a victory that is false or temporary at best.
Strive only for a nitzachon that is eternal. Remember,
it’s better to lose face (and even more) while saving
your eternal soul than resort to conquering others and
forcing your way on them.
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Daily
Challenges
Every day we face choices and temptations in
the areas of business and work, speech, thought and
morality. Where do these temptations come from? More
importantly, what can we do about them?
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25
Earning a Living
It is good when one combines Torah with work; with

the effort placed in both, one can defeat sin (Avot 2:2).
When God created man and placed him in the

Garden of Eden, He gave man the opportunity to live
a wonderful life, a healthy life, a spiritual life and a
trouble-free existence. It took but an hour, and Adam
lost everything by eating from the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil. Life spiraled into physical, financial
and emotional chaos, with all of these obscuring man’s
spiritual goals.
Adam’s eating from the Tree gave rise to three major
physical lusts, known as ta’avat akhilah (the desire for
food), ta’avat mamon (the desire for wealth and posses
sions) and ta’avat mishgal (the desire for sex). To be sure,
there is no lack of issues that can engulf and overwhelm a
person — the craving for honor or power, health problems,
family stress, and so on — but these three desires in
particular dominate and control each person’s time,
effort and concentration. As a direct result of Adam’s
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transgression, mankind was plunged into an abyss of

material wants that became the main focus of life.
Since Adam sinned by eating from the Tree, he was
subjected to cravings for food and nourishment in order
to sustain his body — a lifetime struggle. And to sustain
his continuous need for nourishment, Adam was made to
work for his livelihood, as it is written, “By the sweat of
your brow, you will eat bread” (Genesis 3:19).
Of the three main lusts, the desire for money is the
only one that lasts an entire lifetime. For the most part,
at certain stages, a person’s drive for sensual pleasure
wanes and weakens. In old age, a person eats because
he requires nourishment; otherwise his appetite is pretty
much gone. But the need or desire for money keeps up
with him until his dying day.
Money in itself has many positive aspects. The person
who has it can readily purchase what he needs. Better
yet, he can give to charity, educate his children, spend
generously on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, and perform
many other mitzvot. So having money can be a good
thing. However, it’s the burning desire for money that will
keep a person focused on the money itself rather than all
the good he can do with it.
For example, there are those who skimp on all their
expenses; although they have the means, they don’t
allow themselves to enjoy life. Then there are those who
live beyond their means, cruising through life on plastic
cards or someone else’s bankroll. There are those who
hoard their wealth, those who must have every new
gadget, and those who watch their bank accounts and
stock portfolios on a daily basis. These are some of the
behavioral patterns with which people are individually
“blessed.” What you have and what you do with it is
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E ar ni ng a L i vi ng
strictly your own business. What Rebbe Nachman comes

to teach us are the reasons for the neurotic fixation on
money.
Where does the insatiable desire for money come
from? Rebbe Nachman connects it with a lack of
knowledge. Since the curse of having to work stems from
the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge, a person
who lacks knowledge will want and crave and never
be satisfied with his portion (cf. Avot 4:1: “Who is wealthy?
One who is content with his lot”). This knowledge, or lack
of knowledge, which Rebbe Nachman speaks about does
not refer to “street smarts” or a broad education. It refers
to knowledge of God, of man’s purpose in life, of knowing
how to live and make the most of every moment. In this
context, lack of knowledge means indulging in material
desires and possessions (anything a person has a need
for is not considered an indulgence).
True, we do see people who are completely lacking
in knowledge and yet possess the best of everything.
But as the Rebbe says, “In truth, whatever they have is
nothing at all.” Similarly, if we see a person who does
possess perfect knowledge and yet has some lack, we
should know that this lack is nothing at all (Likutey Moharan
I, 21:12).
When it comes to the day-to-day pressures of earning
a living, Rebbe Nachman advises that our motivations
should not be based on avarice, but on faith. The Talmud
explains that each person’s annual income is determined
in advance by God on Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New
Year) (Beitzah 16a). A person who enters the New Year
thinking that he has a “guaranteed income” may see
his money whittled away by unexpected expenses or
doctor bills, while one who barely makes ends meet may
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receive an unexpected windfall that will bring him up to

the amount that God has predetermined for him. In this
light, the challenge of earning a living lies not in dealing
with the stress of the workplace, but in maintaining our
faith that God, and God alone, provides. We must trust in
Him to provide us with our needs. With faith, a person
can face the difficulties; without faith, he will do anything
he can — legally and illegally — to make a buck.
In the dog-eat-dog world of business, it’s so tempting
to shortchange customers or renege on our word in order
to stay ahead. And if no one’s aware of our deception,
why shouldn’t we?
The answer is that the rectification of the world de
pends on our honesty and integrity in financial matters.
Rebbe Nachman explains that just as the desire for eating
was a direct result of Adam’s sin, so is the desire for
money. Adam’s sin caused the sparks of holiness to fall
into the realm of impurity in all levels of Creation. As a
result, sparks of holiness can be found in all minerals, in
vegetation and in animal life, as well as in human beings.
Business is meant to help elevate these sparks, which
is why the Hebrew term for business and trading is
masa u’matan (‫)משא ומתן‬, literally, “elevating and giving.”
Everything that is traded — whether merchandise, raw
materials (e.g., textiles, metals or grains), or services
rendered to others, like financial services, legal advice
and repairs — contains sparks of holiness. As a person
works, the sparks are elevated from level to level. Dealing
honestly elevates these sparks. Dealing dishonestly can
prevent the ascent of the sparks, and even cause them to
descend to lower levels.
Each honest deal also builds a Sanctuary. Our Sages
explain that Thirty-Nine Types of Labor were required to
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E ar ni ng a L i vi ng
build the Sanctuary in the desert (Bava Kama 2a). Rebbe

Nachman teaches that one who works honestly and
with faith finds that his efforts are sanctified, and thus
his work can be considered as building a Sanctuary. In
contrast, one who lacks faith will find that all he does
is work. He may be an inventor or a famous researcher
who discovers new things, but because his efforts do not
create anything directly associated with an enhanced
knowledge of God, they are futile. Such work is solely the
result of the curse of Adam. A person who has faith not
only helps rectify the curse placed on Adam, but he also
merits to draw blessing into his life and into the world at
large.

Work. One way or another, we all have to do
it. As the Midrash teaches, “God created man in
a manner that he is like an indentured slave for life:
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if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat” (Bereishit Rabbah 14:10).
In a simple sense, man must eat to sustain his
body. If he nourishes his body, he can live; without
nourishment, he can’t. But the Midrash is actually a
commentary on what Rebbe Nachman calls “knowl-
edge.” That is, if a person works to acquire knowledge
of God, then he will always have what to “eat” in the
World to Come.
Of course, in this world, we do need to earn a living
and support our families. But to what degree? Am I
supposed to spend all of my life in material pursuit?
Or should I pursue a career in a field where I am better
able to manage my life and set aside time for myself,
my family and my spiritual devotions?
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Rebbe Nachman was well aware of the necessity

to engage in a livelihood, a topic discussed in many
of his lessons. He was even more aware of the pressing
demands of time placed on the person who wishes
to flee the indentured servitude of work for a life of
spiritual attainments. A perfect balance between the
two is difficult to maintain. But one who is indentured
to wealth will find that throughout his whole life, he
is mortgaged to his needs and possessions. Someone
who seeks a spiritual life will find respite and even rest
from the daily grind. Witness the freedom of Shabbat.
Even someone who must spend full days building
his business or working for others has at least one
spiritual day of rest a week where he can experience
freedom from his servitude.
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26 Speech
In Chapter 22 we saw that four elements influence

the human character. Fire corresponds to arrogance
and anger, water is the source of the pleasures a person
seeks, and earth is the root of laziness and depression. All
humans have these traits, as well as all animals.
The one trait that distinguishes man from animal is
the power of speech, which corresponds to the element
of air. Air is the root of our words — these words are
breathed out from our bodies and then “travel” on the air
waves until they reach the person they’re addressed to.
Air also refers to the tendency to speak worthless subjects
and forbidden speech such as flattery, profanity, false
hood, slander, mockery, and the like. Air — speech — is
also the source of boasting.
Speech takes a place of major importance in Rebbe
Nachman’s writings. The Rebbe teaches, “Not all speech
can be considered as words,” as it states in Psalms, “It
is not speech, it is not words, if they are not heard”
(Psalms 19:4). The Rebbe explains that the reason one’s
words are not heard is because they lack good — they lack
knowledge and awareness of good (Likutey Moharan I, 29:1).
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We all know what kind of speech Rebbe Nachman

is talking about. Gossip, backbiting, flattery, profanity
and slander have become socially acceptable in modern
society. Gossip and idle words are very tempting to listen
to; as the adage goes, “Make sure you’re at the party
you’re invited to — otherwise you’ll be the subject of the
conversation!” Gossip draws people’s attention, but in the
end, “it is not speech, it is not words,” for it goes nowhere
towards building our lives. On the contrary — it destroys
relationships and ruins reputations. Rebbe Nachman
compares forbidden speech to a hurricane. It doesn’t last,
but the devastation left in its wake takes months or years
to overcome — if at all.
Words are more than just a means of communicating
our ideas. Words express our feelings, channel our ener-
gies, and transport our inner beings to where we want
to be. Words have tremendous power. They can pene-
trate another’s heart, whether we’re speaking sincerely
to family and friends, petitioning the boss for a raise, or
entreating a policeman who’s about to write a speeding
ticket to let us off the hook. Words can even go beyond
our physical sphere to convey our desires directly to God.
Through our words of prayer, we create a vessel that
allows us to send and receive messages, which translates
as sending and receiving blessing!
Rebbe Nachman says that when a person speaks in the
proper manner, his speech can permeate the air around
him and positively influence those who are distant from
God — even those who don’t live in his vicinity (ibid., I,
17:5; I, 62:4).
The Rebbe also teaches that proper speech can break
down the walls that prevent you from reaching your
goals. All you need to do is learn how to articulate your
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S pe e c h
speech before God, which can be done during hitbodedut

(private prayer) or at any time of day. Say it! Say it with
fervor! Say it with love for God or fear of Him! But say it!
Say to God, “I want this, I want that.” By articulating your
thoughts before God, you build your desire for good until
you attain the goals you seek (see ibid., I, 66:4).
The power of positive and encouraging speech is
absolutely incredible. At the same time, the destructive
force of forbidden speech is unbelievably devastating.
Rebbe Nachman calls the latter type of speech, “the end
of all flesh” (Genesis 6:13), since it results in the destruction
of the people it talks about, as well as those who hear and
absorb its evil. An example would be the media, which
rarely has a good word to say about anybody. Don’t you
feel uptight and concerned, actually very worried and
nervous, every time they conclude the evening news,
all because of what they deemed important to tell you?
Didn’t anything good happen during the day or week?
Therefore Rebbe Nachman emphasizes the importance
of good and positive speech. Imagine how much joy
would fill the world if we all spoke only good and kind
words!

In today’s world of emails and texting, the
art of communication has been lost. Once upon
a time, people used to spend time composing their
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thoughts, and writing and rewriting letters to make
sure the receiver would understand exactly what they
wanted to say. Today people zip off text messages
faster than they can even think the words, and the
potential for misunderstanding and hurt are rife.
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The Zohar compares speech to the sefirah of Malkhut

(Kingship) (Tikkuney Zohar 17a). On a simple level, this
means that speech is the means of authority, and
the way in which a person can be viewed. Use your
speech wisely and sparingly, and people will view you
as sensitive and caring. Use wrongful speech, and
you’ll be viewed as inelegant and crude. Use kind and
positive speech, and people will listen to you; you
have, after all, a way of conveying good that everyone
seeks.
Rebbe Nachman is an ardent supporter of always
looking for and finding the good in others and in
ourselves (see Chapter 11, “What are the Good Points?”).
One of the major ways to achieve this is by speaking
clean, caring and meaningful words. When you think
good, you’ll speak good. After all, you do have mastery
over your words.
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27
The Imagination
Today we have to call the evil inclination by a new

name: the imagination (Likutey Moharan I, 25:9).
The human brain is an incredible, computer-like

machine that processes millions upon millions of bits of
information each day. Everything we see, hear, touch,
taste and feel goes into our brains. Our memories of
past events do not disappear, but remain stored in our
minds and influence our future decision-making. This is
one reason why we should steer clear of temptations that
appear before us, lest they cloud our judgment.
There also exists another stimulus for the brain. This is
a person’s imagination. The information absorbed in the
brain remains in the recesses of the memory. At times,
even a single word or sight can trigger that information,
which then ignites the person’s passions. Worse, a person
can intentionally “enter” into the realm of creative thought
and remain fixated on his ideas. This can be extremely
beneficial if the person seeks quality and goodness. But
it could also be exceedingly destructive. It all depends on
your focus.
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In the 21st century, the imagination is running amok.

What people can dream up today is absolutely incredible:
thanks to computer graphics, computer-generated imagery
and virtual worlds, a person can conjure up real and unreal
images at the click of a mouse. The depravity engendered
by the internet and violent video games knows no bounds,
as we see from the proliferation of crime and even murder
inspired by virtual fantasies. Rebbe Nachman summed
it up succinctly when he observed, “You are where your
thoughts are” (Likutey Moharan I, 21:12). His Chassidim took
this a step further and added, ”Make sure your thoughts
are where you want to be.”
In our discussion of the four elements (see Chapter 22),
we noted that the element of water brings enjoyment to
the entire world, to all levels of mineral, vegetable, ani-
mal and human. Therefore water is the root of all sensual
gratification. Reb Noson once said that at its root, water
is extremely lofty, since it was one of the first things to
be created and from it, most other things were created.
Therefore it brings great pleasure and enjoyment to man-
kind (Sichot v’Sippurim #2, p. 69). We can also apply the idea
of sensual pleasure to man’s imagination. It can bring
him great comfort and pleasure when he imagines his
goals being attained, and other similar rewards. But this
same pleasure can easily become man’s obsession. It can
engulf his mind and body with thoughts and urges that
prevent him from focusing on worthwhile goals.
Is it really possible to control our thoughts? Rebbe
Nachman assures us that it is. He compares thought to a
wayward horse that has turned away from the path and is
trying to head off in the wrong direction. The rider need
only pull on the bridle to force the horse back onto the
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T he Im agi nat i o n
path. In the same way, a person’s thoughts are completely

under his control (Likutey Moharan II, 50).
Of course it’s not simple. Everything around us stim-
ulates the mind, and our memories combined with our
imagination can easily distract us. Is there any hope?
Yes. Rebbe Nachman advises that the best way to deal
with unwanted thoughts is simply to ignore them. “Act
as if you were completely unconcerned. Refuse to listen.
Carry on with what you are doing — studying, praying,
working, and so on. Pay no attention to the thoughts or
fantasies at all. Don’t keep looking around to see if they
have gone away. Just carry on with what you are trying
to do. In the end, they will go away of their own accord”
(ibid., I, 72).
Thought-control doesn’t happen overnight. But when
we exercise self-control as often as possible, we learn
that we can do it. We need only pull on the reins to
stop and redirect our thoughts, and then we control our
imaginations, not the other way around.

Your mind is a wondrous machine with
amazing potential: the Zohar teaches that one
who works on controlling his thoughts actually makes
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his head a sanctuary for God! (see Tikkuney Zohar #21,
p. 63a). But there are battles to overcome to attain a
pure mind. Rebbe Nachman compares the battle of
the mind to the ancient coliseums where kings would
pit one creature against another. According to the
Zohar, the “creatures” are the angels that carry God’s
Chariot, as it were (see Ezekiel 1). The forces of impurity
represent the impure creatures that bring evil thoughts
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to mind. When a person directs his mind to good, he

overpowers the evil creatures and invokes the power of
the good and kind angels (Likutey Moharan I, 233). Yes, a
person has that power within himself.
You can also use to your advantage the fact that
the mind cannot hold two thoughts at the same time.
No matter what you’re thinking about, the minute
you introduce a new thought, the previous thought
gets relegated to the background and disappears
automatically. Try it for yourself. If you’re listening to
a sports game and suddenly someone bursts into the
room to tell you an exciting piece of news, you won’t
be able to concentrate on both things at once. Even
in the midst of an important business matter, an
interruption diverts the mind to the new area. Any
thought can dislodge another — including thoughts
about God, Torah, and even work and daily interests
(ibid.).
We can’t always stop thoughts and fantasies from
entering our minds. But we do have the power to
reject them once we become conscious of them. And
this is how we can make amends for the mistakes
we may have committed earlier in our lives, when
we weren’t so careful about what we chose to think
about. As Rebbe Nachman puts it, “Perfect repentance
has to balance the original sins exactly, and this is
literally what happens here. Before, when he sinned,
it was because the temptation entered his mind and
he succumbed to it. Now the thought is in his mind
again, but this time he rejects it” (cf. ibid., I, 26). In a
flash, a person can turn the tables on the intrusive
evil thoughts that plague him and seize control of
his mind!
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T he Im agi nat i o n
So don’t feel discouraged if you find all kinds of

temptations and fantasies continually bombarding
your thoughts. They are actually providing you with
the opportunity to repent and make amends for the
damage done in the past. Today you have the power
to master your thoughts and temptations. When you
do so, the sparks of holiness that shattered and fell
because of your earlier transgressions are released
and you are able to purify yourself. Your mind and
your voice will be purified and you will find harmony
and peace. This peace can bring the whole world back
to the service of God.
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28
The Moral Dilemma
The main evil inclination is in sexual matters (Likutey

Moharan I, 2:9).
Adam’s sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge

gave rise to three major physical lusts that would affect
all future generations: ta’avat akhilah (the desire for food),
ta’avat mamon (the desire for money) and ta’avat mishgal
(the desire for sex). We can understand the desire for
food as stemming from the sin of eating from the Tree,
and the desire for money as being an extension of the
need to acquire and work for that food. But where does
the desire for sex fit in to his act?
The ARI explains that a lesser-known aspect of Adam’s
sin was the element of sexual lust. The phrase “eating
from the Tree of Knowledge” is a euphemism implying
that Adam and Eve cohabitated on the Friday they
were created, before the onset of Shabbat (Pri Etz Chaim,
Sha’ar Rosh HaShanah 4, p. 557). The Tree is called the Etz
HaDa’at (‫)עץ הדעת‬, “Tree of Knowledge,” with the word
“knowledge” implying a union, as in, “And Adam knew
his wife” (Genesis 4:1). Adam and Eve acted impulsively,
not waiting to unite on Shabbat, when marital relations
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T he M o r al D i le mm a
are encouraged and indeed heighten the sanctity of the

day (Ketuvot 62b; Orach Chaim 280:1). Thus, they implanted
in all of humankind the immoral thoughts and lustful
urges that we all experience.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that the most consuming
desire is the sexual drive, and he often quotes the Zohar (III,
15b): “The main evil inclination is for sexual promiscuity,
which is the fundamental source of defilement.”
Reb Noson writes that the Rebbe ridiculed the ob-
sessive sexual drive, quoting the words of the morning
prayers: “Do not bring me to a test or to disgrace.” The
Rebbe said, “Either a test, or else disgrace.” That is, if
you do not pass the test, you will come to disgrace (Rabbi
We have become so desensitized by our contempo-
rary, “anything goes” society that the idea of disgrace
never enters our minds. Rebbe Nachman may have lived
in the 19th century, but his vision was very much focused
on 21st-century man. He immediately followed that last
statement with this comment: “People are so bound up
with their bodily desires, and tied to this one in particular,
that it does not help when you explain how base this is.
On the contrary, the more you speak of it, the more lewd
thoughts they have. Therefore, in most cases, it is best
not to even begin to think of it at all” (ibid.).
Marriage is a mitzvah — actually, it’s the very first
mitzvah the Torah commands — so there are very positive
aspects to the innate physical desire to procreate. To
perform this mitzvah, a person becomes focused on
earning a living to support his family, he understands the
importance of setting moral parameters for his family,
and he realizes the significance of living honestly in order
175
to pass on that legacy to his children. Many great things

come from this approach to a union between husband
and wife.
But when removed from the sanctity of marriage, the
sexual desire leads to all sorts of immoral behavior. Lewd
thoughts can pervade a person’s mind and literally occu-
py it for days on end. Extramarital affairs are dishonesty
at its worst, and the necessary cover-ups entangle the
person in a web of lies and deceit that only gets worse
over time. For those who seek a relationship without
commitment, the arrangement ends in broken promises
anyway. Witness those who live with each other for five
years to see if it “works.” After they marry, they divorce
within a year or two, wondering why, if they “tried” it for
so many years, it didn’t work. Homosexuality is unnat-
ural, even for those who claim it is natural to them, for
people were not designed to unite in that manner. It just
doesn’t work.
Perhaps worst of all is the sin of masturbation. Far
from being a spur of the moment lapse, immorality has
repercussions that extend throughout the length and
breadth of creation. The Talmud teaches that because of
his sin, Adam became subjected to temptation, and for
a period of 130 years he committed masturbation, the
abusive sin of wasting seed (Eruvin 18b). This sin, in turn,
caused the exile in Egypt and the decree of all subsequent
exiles. The reason is that each drop of semen contains
life — souls and sparks of holiness. When this seed is
wasted, God forbid, it becomes a “soul without a body.”
Ungrounded, it is then cast about and spread all over the
world. The only way to rectify such a sin is to go about
collecting all those sparks that were cast all over. Exile
serves the purpose of retrieving the sparks and gathering
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T he M o r al D i le mm a
them in to be rectified (see Sha’ar HaPesukim, Shemot; Likutey

Moharan II, 92).
Since Adam’s time, the very great Tzaddikim have been
working hard to find a rectification for the sin of immorality,
as we find in the holy writings. Rebbe Nachman himself
revealed the Tikkun HaKlali (General Remedy), which is a
spiritual rectification for wasted seed in particular and all
other kinds of sins in general. The Tikkun HaKlali consists
of ten Psalms, recited in this order: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59,
77, 90, 105, 137, 150 (see Likutey Moharan II, 92). Both men
and women can say the Tikkun HaKlali daily and thereby
effect rectification for sexual sin.

So, what are we to do about the desire for
sex? Even more, what can we do about it? The
Torah permits pleasure and encourages a person to
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bear children, so sexual relations cannot be a sinful
act. The problem is when we take it out of the realm
of marriage and spin fantasies in our minds.
As always, Rebbe Nachman approaches the prob
lem straightforwardly. There are things that are per
mitted and there are things that are forbidden. And
there are temptations that crop up and can lead the
person onto an immoral path and way of life. Our
goal in any situation must be to guard the covenant
(see Chapter 15, “What is the Covenant?”). We can fortify
our resolve by remembering the far-reaching spiritual
repercussions of immorality, not to mention the
physical, emotional and financial devastation caused
by wasted seed. This is because seed is life-bearing
and, as such, is a blessing. Blessing can be found in
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having children, in emotional stability, in good health

and in financial success. We can achieve these if we
strive to live a clean and pure life.
The guarded covenant is known as BOAZ (‫)בועז‬, a
word that incorporates the Hebrew words BO AZ (‫בו‬
‫)עז‬, “in him is strength.” Someone who does what
he can to live morally is considered a man of great
strength. The Mishnah concurs, “Who is mighty? He
who conquers his inclination” (Avot 4:1).
Rebbe Nachman teaches that living morally yields
great rewards. Guarding one’s covenant brings a per
son an easy livelihood (Likutey Moharan I, 29:5). One who
is morally directed can also find the correct counsel
that he needs, since a pure mind is able to filter out
the “chaff from the wheat” (the clogged remnants
of the brain as opposed to the purer parts that can
guide him correctly) (cf. ibid., I, 7:4). Morality protects a
person from arrogance and many other evil character
traits (see ibid., I, 11:3). Honest relationships help a
person pray better; after all, he is not trying to hide
his iniquities while asking for his heart’s desires (ibid.,
I, 2:2). A purer mind can better absorb Torah teachings
(cf. ibid., I, 19:6-8; I, 27:4-6; I, 101). And morality brings
peace (ibid., I, 27:6).
In short, there is no limit to the good — health,
financial, emotional and, of course, spiritual attain
ments — that can be attained when a person leads a
moral life. The converse is also true. So which will it
be? What do we aim for? The Kabbalists teach that
guarding the covenant and living morally parallels the
sefirah of Yesod. Yesod translates as “Foundation.”
Living morally is the best and strongest foundation
anyone can have in life.
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Rebbe Nachman is
All About You
In this book we have outlined the most basic ideas

presented in Rebbe Nachman’s teachings. Of course
there’s more. Lots more. But these are the focal points of
the Rebbe’s writings to help you draw close to God. And
to yourself — which is the only way you can truly draw
close to God.
This is because Rebbe Nachman is really about you.
His teachings are meant to help you get in touch with
yourself, define your strengths and weaknesses, and
learn to live a simpler life so you can make the most of
each day.
Rebbe Nachman’s teachings get right to the point.
They focus on the here and now, on the task at hand.
They talk about what a person can feel and the abilities
he possesses — not what is beyond his capabilities or out
of his reach. The Rebbe encourages you to use your own
individual strengths, not something someone else has
managed. You are your own self — a beautiful, wonderful,
incredible human being with your own resources. use
them!
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And always remember, you are God’s child. You are

His favorite child. You are His only and favorite child. So
turn to Him. Make Him part of your life. Incorporate Him
into your daily routine. Then you will be able to live each
moment as it comes and exult in a new life of simplicity
and goodness, as you merit making the best of what life
presents to you.
After all, it’s all about you.
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Guide to Further Study
To learn more about Rebbe Nachman and Breslov

Chasidut, we recommend the following introductory
works published by the Breslov Research Institute:
introduction to breslov
Crossing the Narrow Bridge:
A Practical Guide to Rebbe Nachman’s Teachings
7 Pillars of Faith and A Day in the Life of a Breslover Chassid
•
Prayer and Chassidic Meditation
Where Earth and Heaven Kiss:
A Guide to Rebbe Nachman’s Path of Meditation
The Sweetest Hour:
Tikkun Chatzot
Entering the Light:
Prayers to Experience the Joy & Wonder
of Shabbat and Yom Tov
Between me & You:
Heartfelt Prayers for Each Jewish Woman
•
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Kabbalah
Anatomy of the Soul
Hidden Treasures:
How to Realize Your Potential
•
Rebbe Nachman’s teachings
Likutey Moharan (15 vol.)
Rabbi Nachman’s Stories
The Aleph-Bet Book
Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom
Rabbi Nachman’s Tikkun
•
Breslov Biographies
Tzaddik:
A Portrait of Rabbi Nachman
Until the Mashiach:
The Life of Rabbi Nachman
Through Fire and Water:
The Life of Reb Noson of Breslov
•
Uman
Uman! Uman! Rosh HaShanah!:
A Guide for Travelers to Rebbe Nachman’s
Rosh HaShanah Gathering in Uman
Rebbe Nachman and the Knights of the Rosh HaShanah Table:
The Modern-Day Adventures of People Who Found
Their Way to Uman
The Breslov Research Institute also produces music CDs

featuring the authentic melodies of Breslov Chassidut.
For a free catalog, email us at info@breslov.org, phone
us (in North America) at 1-800-33-BRESLOV (1-800-33-273-
7568), or visit our website at www.breslov.org/bookstore.
182
c har t s
The Order of the Ten Sefirot
‫כתר‬
KETER
|
‫חכמה‬
CHOKHMAH
|
‫בינה‬
BINAH
|
‫דעת‬
DA’AT
|
‫חסד‬
CHESED
|
‫גבורה‬
GEVURAH
|
‫תפארת‬
TIFERET
|
‫נצח‬
NETZACH
|
‫הוד‬
HOD
|
‫יסוד‬
YESOD
|
‫מלכות‬
MALKHUT
183
the structure of the sefirot
center
left ‫כתר‬ right

KETER
‫בינה‬ ‫חכמה‬
BINAH CHOKHMAH
‫דעת‬
DA’AT
‫גבורה‬ ‫חסד‬
GEVURAH CHESED
‫תפארת‬
TIFERET
‫הוד‬ ‫נצח‬
HOD NETZACH
‫יסוד‬
YESOD
‫מלכות‬
MALKHUT
184
c har t s
HEBREW / ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION SCHEMA
lamed L ‫ל‬ aleph silent* ‫א‬

mem M ‫ ם‬,‫מ‬ bet B ‫ּב‬
nun N ‫ ן‬,‫נ‬ vet V ‫ב‬
samekh S ‫ס‬ gimel G ‫ג‬
ayin silent* ‫ע‬ dalet D ‫ד‬
pei P ‫ּפ‬ hei H ‫ה‬
phei Ph, F ‫ ף‬,‫פ‬ vav V, O, U ‫ ּו‬,ׂ‫ ו‬,‫ו‬
tzadi tZ ‫ ץ‬,‫צ‬ zayin Z ‫ז‬
kuf K ‫ק‬ chet Ch ‫ח‬
reish R ‫ר‬ tet T ‫ט‬
shin Sh ‫ׁש‬ yod Y ‫י‬
sin S ‫ׂש‬ kaf K ‫ּכ‬
tav T ‫ּת‬ khaf Kh ‫ ך‬,‫כ‬
he letters ‫ א‬and ‫ ע‬are “silent” consonants (with no English letter-equivalents) and

*T
are transliterated based on their accompanying vowel-point as A (Æ), E, I, O (Œ), or U.
185
HEBREW LETTER NUMEROLOGY (GEMATRIA)
300 = ‫ש‬ 70 = ‫ע‬ 20 = ‫ ך‬,‫כ‬ 6=‫ו‬ 1=‫א‬

400 = ‫ת‬ 80 = ‫ ף‬,‫פ‬ 30 = ‫ל‬ 7=‫ז‬ 2=‫ב‬
90 = ‫ ץ‬,‫צ‬ 40 = ‫ ם‬,‫מ‬ 8=‫ח‬ 3=‫ג‬
100 = ‫ק‬ 50 = ‫ ן‬,‫נ‬ 9=‫ט‬ 4=‫ד‬
200 = ‫ר‬ 60 = ‫ס‬ 10 = ‫י‬ 5=‫ה‬
Alternate values for the 5 end-letters, MaNtZPaKh:

900 = ‫ץ‬ 800 = ‫ף‬ 700 = ‫ן‬ 600 = ‫ם‬ 500 = ‫ך‬
186
Glossary
ARI: acronym for Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), Jewish

scholar and founder of the modern study of Kabbalah
Baal Shem Tov: Master of the Good Name, the appellation for
Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (1700-1760), founder of Chassidut
and great-grandfather of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Brit milah: covenant of circumcision
Chanukah: eight-day festival commemorating the rededication
of the Holy Temple following the victory of the Maccabees
over the Greek Empire
Chassid (pl. Chassidim): a member of a Chassidic group (see
Chassidut)
Chassidut: a Jewish revival movement founded in Eastern
Europe in the 18th century by Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer,
the Baal Shem Tov. One of its core teachings is that God’s
presence fills all one’s surroundings, and one should strive
to serve God in every word and deed.
Gehinnom: Hell
Halakhah: Jewish law
Hitbodedut: a form of private, secluded prayer and verbal
meditation. Rebbe Nachman uses the term to refer to a
daily practice in which one sets aside a time and place to
speak to God.
187
Kabbalah: body of mystical Jewish wisdom

Kibutz: gathering, especially the annual Rosh HaShanah gath-
ering of Breslover Chassidim by Rebbe Nachman’s grave in
Uman
Lulav: one of the Four Species that are taken together and
waved in all directions during the holiday of Sukkot
Malkhut: kingship; when capitalized, refers to the lowest of
the Ten Sefirot
Matzah: unleavened bread eaten on Pesach
Midrash (pl. Midrashim): homiletical Rabbinic teachings
Minyan: quorum of at least ten men required for a communal
prayer service
Mishnah: the redaction of the Oral Law which forms the first
part of the Talmud, redacted in the second century C.E.
Mitzvah (pl. mitzvot): Torah commandment or precept
Pesach: the Jewish Passover, a biblical festival commemorating
the Exodus from Egypt
Purim: holiday commemorating the salvation of the Jewish
people after they were threatened by a royal edict in ancient
Persia
Rav: rabbi, teacher
Rashi: acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1110), the pre-
eminent commentator on the Talmud and Tanakh whose
commentary appears in all standard editions of these
works
Rosh HaShanah: the Jewish New Year
Rosh Yeshivah: dean of a Talmudic academy
Sefirah (pl. sefirot): one of the ten Divine emanations through
which all entities on all levels of creation came into being
and are continually recreated ex nihilo. These emanations
are: Keter, Chokhmah, Binah, [Da’at,] Chesed, Gevurah,
Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malkhut.
188
G lo ssary
Shabbat: the Jewish Sabbath, beginning at sundown on Friday

afternoon and ending on Saturday night with the appearance
of three medium-sized stars in the night sky
Shema: a declaration of faith in the Oneness of God and a
commitment to fulfilling His commandments, comprised of
verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 and Numbers
15:37-41. Recited daily during morning and evening prayers,
and before going to sleep.
Shofar: ram’s horn, traditionally blown during Rosh HaShanah
morning prayer services
Shulchan Arukh: Code of Jewish Law, compiled by Rabbi
Yosef Caro (1488-1575), the benchmark of halakhah for all
Jews
Siddur: Jewish prayer book
Sukkah: a thatch-covered structure of three or four walls used
as a residence during the festival of Sukkot
Sukkot: biblical festival commemorating God’s benevolent
care of the Jewish people during their forty-year sojourn
in the desert, and His continuing Providence over material
blessing
Talmud: the Jewish Oral Law, expounded by the rabbinical
leaders between approximately 50 B.C.E. and 500 C.E. The
first part of the Talmud, called the Mishnah, was codified
by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 188 C.E. The second
part, called the Gemara, was edited by Rav Ashi and Ravina
around 505 C.E.
Tanakh: acronym for Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim (Torah, Prophets,
Writings), comprising the twenty-four books of the Hebrew
Bible
Tefilin: mitzvah of wearing special leather boxes on the head
and the arm during morning prayers (except on Shabbat
and Jewish festivals); the boxes themselves, which contain
biblical verses declaring the Oneness of God and the
miracles of the Exodus from Egypt
189
Tikkun (pl.tikkunim): repair, correction, refinement, perfection,

spiritual rectification
Tikkun HaKlali: Rebbe Nachman’s “General Remedy,” the
recital of ten specific Psalms that rectify sins (especially
sexual transgressions) at their root
Torah: the Written Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai
Tzaddik (pl. Tzaddikim): a righteous person; in Chassidic
thought, one who has purified his heart of all evil, making
himself a channel for Divine revelation and true compassion
Tzitzit: specially spun and tied strings which Jewish men
are required to affix to their four-cornered garments, as
stipulated in Numbers 15:37-41 and discussed in Menachot
43b
Yesod: foundation; when capitalized, refers to one of the Ten
Sefirot
YHVH: the ineffable four-letter Name of God, also known as the
Tetragrammaton
Yom Kippur: the Day of Atonement, on which Jewish males age
thirteen and over and Jewish females age twelve and over
are required to fast from sundown until the appearance of
three medium-sized stars the following night
Zohar: the greatest classic of Kabbalah, a mystical commentary
on the Torah authored by the school of Rabbi Shimon bar
Yochai, a Mishnaic Sage and leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva,
during the second century C.E.
190
In memory of
Rabbi Zvi Aryeh ben R’ Yisrael Abba z”l
Zipporah bat R’ Refael Eliezer a”h
•••
Zvi (Hirsh) ben Chaim Menachem z”l
Leah bat R’ Aharon Yosef a”h

In memory of
David ben Yosef Mizrahi

Deal, NJ
•••
Jackie ben Shalom Freedman
Manchester, England

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What is the book about?

What is the book about?

What are some of the main topics discussed in the book?

What are some of the main topics discussed in the book?

REBBE

No part of this book may be translated, reproduced,

For further information:

We’ve never seen anything like it in the Jewish

And what an experience it is!

to Rebbe Nachman’s grave? And are Rebbe Nachman’s

Rebbe Nachman was the great-grandson of Rabbi

While the Baal Shem Tov inspired his disciples to

The Rebbe furthered the goals of the Chassidic move­

at the age of thirty-eight. He was buried in Uman the

In Jewish history, every great teacher became

grateful to Reb Noson, for without him, not one page of

Even without a living rebbe, Breslov Chassidut expand­

Breslov is the name of the town in the western

movement and there are no known Breslover Chassidim

While Rebbe Nachman lived and taught in the

Between 25,000 to 30,000 Jews from the surrounding

before he passed away. At that time, Rebbe Nachman

At first glance it doesn’t seem possible. How can

life rafts to those who would become engulfed in the

Someone once asked Rebbe Nachman, “What is the

What is free will? It is the ability to choose to do

“What’s so amazing about it?” you may ask. Well, con-

We learn from this teaching that God is hidden — He

As Rebbe Nachman said, “God is always with you. He is

What Does This Mean To Me

so irresponsibly. We can’t just walk away from every

how strong is your ability to follow it through, despite

Before he passed away, Reb Noson was heard sighing very

Of all of Rebbe Nachman’s major teachings, sim-

If asked to describe a “simple” person, you might

the Goldbergs and the Schwartzes? True, these gadgets

What Does This Mean To Me

steps. The results are harmony within, peace at home

Rebbe Nachman teaches: It is a great mitzvah to be

You’d think that being told to be happy is super­

Depression, though, is your worst enemy. Rebbe

the necessary faith, courage and strength to face our

What Does This Mean To Me

sadness makes a person feel he’s missing something.

There is peace that lacks a mouth. And there is a peace

Peace is one of those things that everyone wishes

The friction within a family is a counterpart of the wars

It’s even worse for a person who lives alone. Rebbe

us could attain inner peace, we could bring peace to the

What Does This Mean To Me

all the tumult around him. Because he is willing to

Rebbe Nachman adds that certain Jewish practices

When asked how things are, a person should reply that

Sometimes life seems to be little more than an end-

us aware that there is Somebody behind all the problems

receiving financial support, Reb Noson was helped by

What Does This Mean To Me

proclaiming to all that there is never a reason for

God’s way is to focus on the good. Even if there are

The Rebbe furthered the goals of the Chassidic move

Even without a living rebbe, Breslov Chassidut expand

You’d think that being told to be happy is super

* This lesson is developed at length in a separate publication, Azamra!

Faith is the foundation of the world. More specif

• Believing that I, too, have the ability to become a

• Avoiding extramarital affairs

The formal prayers that Jews recite morning, after