And so, a brief piece about faith.
Reb Yitzchok Breiter, who introduced Breslov chassidut to Poland close to 100 years ago
(he died a martyr’s death at the hands of the accursed Nazis). Among his works is The Seven Pillars. Here are some excerpts from the second chapter, entitled “The
Pillar of Godly Revelation.”
Godliness is revealed to a person continuously, day and night. On very rare occasions
it is a full-fledged revelation: the person is actually called and he hears. On such
occasions his eyes light up and he truly yearns to come close to God.
However, the spiritual energy is usually contained in thoughts of laziness and
depression; sluggishness and lack of interest; sometimes even in heresy, confusion,
delusions or lust....
The rule one must keep in mind is that whatever s/he hears or sees, whatever
interaction one has with another person, whether family or strangers—and in
particular from spouse and children—is all an invitation from God. This is the
rectification that Heaven is giving him....
This is the meaning of the Gemara: From the day the Temple was destroyed prophecy (a
form of reproof) was taken from the prophets and given to the lunatics and fools (Bava
Batra 12b). That is, what people tell you, even though they are totally
unjustified in what they say, contains a message....
So, too, in the arguments of the Talmud. Even though both Sages were moved by Heaven to
state their opinions and to bring proof for them from the Torah, one has to follow the
opinion favored by the Talmud’s principles of deciding halakha (Jewish
law)....
“[The verse] VaYiKRA (And [God] called) to Moshe” (Leviticus 1:1) with its small aleph hints to this; that in every experience that a person
has, is hidden God’s call to him, a whisper.