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We are presenting collected letters of Reb Noson , the outstanding disciple of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. (Letters printed in Eternally Yours ) [Editor's note: The following account was written by our comrades in Breslov to those in Tcherin describing the passing of the light of our eyes, the tzaddik, foundation of the world, our teacher, Reb Nosson of Breslov, of sainted memory, who passed away in the year 5605, on Friday, Erev Shabbat, the 10th or Tevet.] With thanks to God, 5605. May He Who said "Enough!" to His world say "Enough!" to our troubles! May God comfort us. Woe for the calamity that has stricken us! We have been left alone like a mast on a mountain top, like a flagpole on the top of a hill! For, because of our sins, our splendor and pride, the crown of our heads, our souls’ beloved, was taken from us – our master,teacher and rav, Reb Nosson, of sainted memory – on Friday, Erev Shabbat, the 10th of Tevet, Parashat Vayigash, an hour before the arrival of Shabbat. May we be expiation for his rest? His condition began to deteriorate on Saturday night, Motzay Shabbat Parashat Mikeitz. That Shabbat, i.e. Parashat Mikeitz, when he came to the Third Meal to teach Torah, his opening words where these: “Even though it is embarrassing to say – since every speaker says it – it nonetheless needs to be said. You should know that we all must have our last moments and die, and we will all have to lie with our feet to the door.” He said these words with great awe. He then taught the lesson “Rabbi Shimon rejoiced” (Likutey Moharan I,61) on the subject of advice, of having faith in the sages and about the printing of books. He also taught the idea that when the soul ascends on high, its true perfection is that it should remain down below as well (see Likutey Moharan II,7:4). Afterwards he was extremely happy. That Friday night prior to this he gave a lesson about the Menorah and he danced by himself. After leaving the table he spoke about the Yom Kippur service. The words left his mouth like bolts of fire as he said, “The High Priest, when he entered the Holy of Holies, stood in the place where he stood and entered the place where he entered. See before whom you are entering! ‘One, one plus one…’ (Yom Kippur Musaf Liturgy). And a Torah scholar is greater than the High Priest, as it written, “She (the Torah) is more precious than pearls’” (Horiyot 13a). Prior to this he related a dream he dreamt which hinted at his passing. On Motzay Shabbat Parshat Mikeitz he entered the room where we had held the Third Meal and taught a lesson connected to Parashat Mikeitz. At the conclusion of the lesson he gave an explanation of the Mishnah (Avot 1:6), “Acquire a rav(teacher) and buy, K’Nei, a friend.” This is what he said, “’Aquire a rav’; and if you do not know who the rav is, “k”Nei a friend’ – the KaNeh, the pen,should be your friend. A person must draw himself close to a rebbe. And when there is no rebbe he should attach himself to the pen (i.e. to the rebbe’s writings).” Reb Noson wept as he recited Havdalah, and in the middle of the night he grew very weak. His strength waned with every passing day. On Monday, Reb Zev Lubarski came to him. Reb Noson spoke to him about the Rebbe’s Rosh HaShanah, exhorting him in the strongest terms to travel to Uman for Rosh HaShanah. That Wednesday night after the Evening Prayers we were standing before him. The aforementioned Reb Zev, who had also come, was standing to the side and Reb David from Tulchin was standing in front of him. Reb Noson said to Reb David, “Do not block Zev. At least let him gaze at me. The Rebbe also once told someone, ‘Look at me. It will be a great benefit to you.’” “We must get together,” Reb Noson said. Reb Zev asked him, “Where?” “In the Next World,” he responded. He then told an awesome story about the Sefer HaNisraf(“The Burned Book”), which was burned while the Rebbe was in Lemberg. Reb Noson transcribed the book from the Rebbe’s dictation in three and a half hours. “I walked out afterwards,” he said, “as if from the Idra” [The Idra was where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed some of the deepest mysteries of the Zohar.] Reb Noson then said, “It was only by Divine help that I just told you this story.” At midnight he recited Tikkun Chatzot. After reciting Chatzot, about three hours before daybreak, he took up his pen for three and a half hours and composed part of a Torah discourse based on the Mishnah, “One is permitted to water a dry field during the Intermediate Days of the Festival…”(Moed Katan 1a; which was incorporated into his final discourse – see Likutey Halakhot, Rosh Chodesh 7). Later Reb Meir Yehudah came to him. Reb Noson said, “Even if a person is the worst sinner, the most important thing is that he hold onto the Rebbe. Then he will certainly repent and be rectified.” On Wednesday a number of our comrades were standing in his presence and he said, “Your main job will be to print books. ‘Let your wellsprings flow outwards!’” He also spoke about “the 72 strings” (Likutey Moharan II,8). Thursday morning two hours before daybreak Reb Meir Yehudah and Reb Leibtze came to Reb Noson and he said, “The angel Dumah comes to a person after he is buried, splits open his stomach and dumps its contents onto his face (see Shabbat 151b). Oy! Especially when the person’s stomach is full of medicines, this punishment is like a burning fire! But the Rebbe will certainly rectify everything.” In the morning during the Morning Prayers, Reb Noson grew extremely weak. It was then that the tzaddeket Adil, the Rebbe’s daughter, came to him. She said to us, “Why are you silent?! You must cry out in prayer for his recovery.” But Reb Noson did not agree because, he said, he has many enemies. Rather, he instructed us how we should pray for him. He said that we should ask in our hitbodedut that it be counted to his merit that he wrote down the Rebbe’s teachings, arranged tem properly and make them distinctive; and that even not he still wants to print. “Your very lives depend on me,” he said. Reb Zvi from Teplik also came to him and Reb Noson asked him if he had received the money from the landowner yet. Reb Noson said to him, “Give me your money and I will watch over it for you until the World to Come.” “My ancestors accumulated down below and I have accumulated up above” (Bava Batra 11a), he said. He then instructed us to recite many Psalms “however you can.” Thursday night we read Reb Noson two of the Rebbe’s stories, #1 and #2 (see Rabbi Nachman’s Stories). Prior to daybreak he told us to bring him hot water for a bath. Before it was brought he spoke a great deal – it was almost as if he were giving his last will and testament. “You must hold yourselves together with a great love. You are good, kosher people but you are shlamazelnikers(losers)!” He suddenly said to all those present, “Three tragedies occurred in the month of Tevet. What were they?” No-one remembered and he answered himself, “Ezra the Scribe died, the Torah was translated into Greek, and the city wall was breached(i.e. the Babylonian king, Nevuchadnezzar, laid siege to Jerusalem). Well, when Ezra the Scribe passes away and treif posul(i.e. atheism,heresy and false ideologies) get the upper hand, as we find today when there are thousands and tens of thousands of treif posul… I trust, though, that one page of the Rebbe’s teachings will be enough to rectify everything. I therefore instruct you that your work should be to print the books, to fulfill ‘Let your wellsprings flow outwards.’ You must be strong with money, desire and effort!” He said to his son Reb Yitzchak, “You too must give five hundred silver rules for this. If not, then give sixty silver rubles.” He also said, “Even with the harsh and bitter punishments that exist, in the end they still want to oppose sucah a Rebbe as this! Oy!” In the morning Reb Noson put on his tzitzit and tefilin and prayed with all his might. He said Selichot(penitential prayers for the fast day) and he cried during the reading of the Torah. After prayers Reb Noson studied, finishing the commentary of the SHaKh on a section of the large Suhlcahn Arukh. Those around him suggested that he study in the small [abridged] Shulchan Arukh. “It is an effort for you to study in the larger edition,” they said. But Reb Noson replied, “Do not be so loyal to me.” Afterward he recited Psalms. He then told Nachman, the son of Ozer, to bring him kil tuv, “all good,” but the did not know what Reb Noson meant. He explained, “Bring me the Tanakh(Bible) – this is “all good.” Later on he sent for candles and he said, “The Shabbat candles, the Festival candles and the Chanukah candles are all one concept! I have mountains upon mountains of the most wondrous, amazing teachings on the subject, but I just do not have the strength to say them.” He subsequently addressed Reb Nachman from Tulchin and quoted the verse, “’Go to Yosef and do whatever he tell you’(Genesis 41,55). The main thing is to be attached to tzaddikim.” He later told all of us to go to the mikveh and we went. When we returned from the mikveh his condition had greatly deteriorated. The tzaddeket Adil came to him and asked, “What? Has your condition worsened?” Reb Noson answered, “It is with great kindness.” He did not speak with us any more. We only hear him saying, “May God bless you and keep you,” the blessing “Who brings on sleep…,” “the Gracious One Who forgives abundantly,” “Who sanctifies the Shabbat,” “Blessed are You in holiness” and Echad, “One.” This lasted for about an hour and a half. He passed away in a state of great calm and serenity moments after the time for lighting the Shabbat candles. He was buried on Motzay Shabbat, amidst great honor, even from the mitnagdim. I will not elaborate any further in writing. So much could be said about this that the skins of all the rams of Neviot could not contain the account. Please,please, out friends and brothers! Fortify yourselves mightily to support our master and teacher’s household! Let the gold flow from your pockets to publish his holy books! This is the thing he stressed most of all! May God comfort us and gladden our broken hearts. For as you all know, Reb Noson’s sole desire and yearning was to rejoice in God and in His holy Torah. Form all our comrades in Breslov, 5605 |
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