The Life of Rebbe Nachman

THE LIFE OF REBBE NACHMAN

Rebbe Nachman was born on a Sabbath, the first day of Nissan, 5532 (April 4, 1772), in Medzeboz, the town of his famed great- grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov. His father, Reb Simcha, was the son of Rabbi Nachman Horodenker,1 a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and a member of his household. Feiga, his mother, was the daughter of Udel, the Baal Shem Tov"s only daughter, and she was said to be a divinely inspired Tzadekes. Rebbe Nachman had a brother Yechiel, who was later rabbi in Kremenchug, another brother, Yisroel the Dead,2 and a sister Perle.3 His two uncles, also sons of Udel, were Rabbi Ephraim of Sudlikov, author of the Degel Machneh Ephraim, and Rabbi Baruch of Tulchin and later of Medzeboz.

Rebbe Nachman's birth occurred at a time when the Chassidic movement founded by the Baal Shem Tov was beginning to ebb. . Shabbos HaGodol, the day he entered into the Covenant of Abraham, (April 11, 1772), was the very day that the dire edict of Cherem was pronounced against the Chassidim.4 Less than a half year later, Rabbi Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezritch and spiritual heir of the Baal Shem Tov, was to pass away.

All of Rebbe Nachman's childhood was spent in Medzeboz. Shortly after his Bar Mitzvah at the age of thirteen, he was married to Sashia,5 daughter of Rabbi Ephraim of Ossatin. He then moved in with his father-in-law in Ossatin, where he was to live for the next five years.

Even at this young age, Rebbe Nachman was already attracting a following. His first disciple, Reb Shimon ben Baer, attached himself to Rebbe Nachman shortly after his wedding, and remained his lifelong follower.

When Rebbe Nachman was about eighteen, his mother-in-law passed away. When his father-in-law remarried, the new mistress of the house made it very difficult for the young Tzaddik to engage in usual devotions. He then moved to the nearby town of Medvedevka, where he was to live for ten years.

Supported by the Medvedevka community, the young Rebbe began to attract a substantial following. It was here that he was joined by Rabbi David of Tchehrin, who in turn attracted his friends, Rabbi Shmuel Isaac and Rabbi Yudel of Dashiv. Rabbi Yudel was a great Kabbalist in his own right, and was previously a disciple of Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz and of his father-in-law, Rabbi Leib of Trastnitz. Rabbi Yudel and Rabbi Shmuel Isaac would travel 150 miles from Dashiv to Medvedevka to be with their Rebbe.6

Another important disciple attracted to the young Tzaddik was the renowned Rabbi Yekusiel, Maggid of Terhovitza. One of the foremost disciples of Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezritch, he was a close associate of Rebbe Nachum of Tchernuble. Although advanced in years and a renowned Tzaddik in his own right, he became an ardent follower and disciple of the young Rebbe Nachman.7

It was from Medvedevka that Rebbe Nachman set out on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On his return he stopped in Shpola to visit Rabbi Leib, the Zeideh or ``Grandfather'' of Shpola, who was later to become his chief antagonist. He also visited the renowned Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of Chabad, in an attempt to make peace between him and Rabbi Abraham Kalisker in the Holy Land.8. After his return, Rebbe Nachman remained in Medvedevka for little over a year.

On the first day of Elul, 5560 (August 23, 1800), his oldest daughter Udel was married to Rabbi Yoske, son of Rabbi Avraham Dov of Chemelnik. Immediately after the wedding, he settled in Zlatipolia, where a crowd of over a hundred flocked to him on his first Rosh HaShanah there. The community invited him to bring his following to the large synagogue for the second day of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

Rebbe Nachman did not approve of the cantor who was to lead the Neila service that Yom Kippur. When the cantor found himself unable to complete the service, Rebbe Nachman made light of it. Enraged, the cantor went to Shpola, a mere eighteen miles away, and complained to Rabbi Leib. This triggered what was to become a lifelong conflict on the part of the Shpola Zeideh.

Despite the bitter conflict, Rebbe Nachman remained in Zlatipolia for two years. During the summer of 5562 (1802), he was in Berditchov for a wedding and received support from the sainted Rabbi Levi Yitzchok. After consulting with his uncle, Rabbi Baruch, in Tulchin, he reached the decision to relocate in Breslov.

On the way from Zlatipolia to Breslov, Rebbe Nachman spent several days in Uman. Passing through the old cemetery, where thousands of martyrs of the Uman massacre are buried, he said that this would be a choice location for his ultimate rest. He also came in contact with the Maskilim, Chaikel Hurwitz9 and his two sons-in-law, Hersch Ber Hurwitz and Moshe Landau.10 They came to jeer, but were greatly impressed with his wisdom and invited him to remain in Uman. These two events were later to have a great effect in influencing Rebbe Nachman to spend his last months in Uman.

Rebbe Nachman arrived in Breslov on Tuesday, the 10th of Elul, 5562 (Sept. 3, 1802).11 It was here that our detailed knowledge of Rebbe Nachman's life and teachings actually begins.

Breslov is situated just nine miles to the south of Nemerov, where there lived the Young Rabbi Nathan, son of a wealthy businessman, Reb Naftali Hertz. He was an outstanding scholar, seeking a true way to serve G-d. When a good friend, Reb Lipa, described Rebbe Nachman's first Sabbath in Breslov, he decided that here he would find a mentor. Together with his close friend Reb Naftali, he set out for Breslov early Sunday morning.

Rabbi Nathan's first encounter with Rebbe Nachman took place on Sunday, the 22nd of Elul, 5562 (Sept. 18, 1802),12 and it must be counted among the significant encounters in religious history. Rebbe Nachman was thirty years old, and at twenty-two, Rabbi Nathan was eight years his junior. Young as they both were, their meeting sparked a flame that still burns brightly.

Despite tremendous opposition from his family, Rabbi Nathan became a close follower of Rebbe Nachman. A week later he returned for Rosh HaShanah and recorded his new master's lesson. At first, Rabbi Nathan wrote these lessons down informally, but by Chanukah he formalized these notes and began reviewing them with Rebbe Nachman.

Rabbi Nathan was in Breslov again for the Sabbath of Chanukah, and a third time on Rosh Chodesh Shevat. He stayed with his master for the month between Purim and Passover when the latter returned to Medvedevka for the wedding of his daughter Sarah. It was around this time that Rebbe Nachman told his favorite disciple to begin setting the main points of his teachings in alphabetical order, forming the basis of the Sefer HaMidos.

Rebbe Nachman said that his followers would always be called Breslover Chassidim. He began his custom of meeting with them six times a year to deliver a lesson. These meetings were held in Breslov on Rosh HaShanah, on the Sabbath of Chanukah, and on Shavuos. He would also visit his brother-in-law Rabbi Zvi in Tchehrin, and Rabbi Yekusiel in Terhovitza, where he spoke on Shabbos Shira, Shabbos Nachmu, and another unscheduled Sabbath in the winter.

During the summer of 5563 (1803), Rebbe Nachman met with some opposition on the part of his uncle Rabbi Baruch, because of his alleged lack of respect for the Baal Shem Tov. This opposition was to last for almost five years. One of Rabbi Baruch's disciples, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi of Savran, was to become a great persecutor of the Breslover Chassidim after the passing of both Rebbe Nachman and Rabbi Baruch.

In the beginning of Cheshvan 5565 (1804), Rebbe Nachman's daughter Miriam was married to Rabbi Pinchas, son of Rabbi Leibush of Volochisk. Rebbe Nachman"s first son, Shlomo Ephraim, was born several months later, just before Rosh Chodosh Nissan. Between Passover and Shavuos, Rebbe Nachman took a mysterious journey to Sharograd, where he spent two weeks.13

It was also during this year that many of Rebbe Nachman"s writings were systematized. Toward the beginning of the year he told Rabbi Nathan to arrange them in order and to copy the main points of each lesson. This was to form the basis of Kitzur Likutey Moharan, an abridgement of his major work. Later that year, he told Rabbi Nathan to copy all his lessons in order.

With his close friend Rabbi Naftali dictating, Rabbi Nathan spent three months copying the diverse manuscripts, completing the task shortly before Shavuos. On Friday, the 17th of Sivan, 5565 (1805), this manuscript was given to be bound. On the same Friday, Rebbe Nachman revealed the secret of the Ten Psalms, discussed in Rebbe Nachman's Wisdom (#141). The manuscript was bound on the following Thursday. This was to become the first part of Rebbe Nachman's magnum opus, the Likutey Moharan.

When the manuscript was completed, Rebbe Nachman told his disciple about another work that he was initiating. Completed early in 5566 and copied by Rabbi Nathan later that winter, this was later known as the Burned Book (Sefer HaNisraf). A short while later, a third work, later called the Hidden Book (Sefer HaGanuz), was also completed. Rebbe Nachman's followers knew of the existence of this third work, but it was never revealed to them. Around Chanukah, the Sefer Hamidos was also finally completed.

Early that summer, Rebbe Nachman sent Rabbi Yudel and Rabbi Shmuel Isaac14 to the surrounding communities with the task of reading portions of the Burned Book and distributing pages copied from the manuscript of Likutey Moharan.

Rebbe Nachman's fifteen month old son, Shlomo Ephraim was suffering from tuberculosis, and he asked these two messengers to pray for him. Despite their prayers, however, Rebbe Nachman's young son passed away shortly after Shavuos 5566 (1806).

Rebbe Nachman had great promise for his young son and mourned him very deeply. He then spoke of the ``Master of the Field,'' whose task it is to correct all souls.15 He also spoke at length about the Messiah, and Rabbi Nathan wrote the discussion in a Hidden Scroll (Megilas Sesarim) in a cryptic abbreviated form. Rebbe Nachman instructed that this never be revealed, but a copy is known to exist among the Breslover Chassidim. During this mournful summer, Rebbe Nachman began telling his tales, beginning with the story of the Lost Princess.

On Yom Kippur 5567 (1806) a fire broke out in Breslov during Kol Nidrei service. Soldiers enteredthe synagogue and beat the congregants because they would not help fight the fire.

During succos, Rabbi Nathtan was forced to move to Mohilev, sixty miles from Breslov. Because of the distance, his visits became restricted to the regular times of gatherin.

Around Chanuka that year, Rabbi Nachman had another son, Yaakov. This child died in his early childhood. As wasa his usual custom, Rabbi Nachman went to Tchehrin for Shabbos Shira (7 Shevat). His daughter Sarah lived in nearby Kremenchug and he stayed there several weeks until she gave birth to a son, Israel. When Sarah suddenly became ill a few days after the child’s circumcision, Rabbi Nachman hurried back to Breslov. He then began his fateful journey to Novoarch.

Like his journeys to Kamentz and Sharograd, his flight to Novoarch was surrounded with mystery. Leaving a week before Purim, he spent the festival with the Rabbi of Novoarch, a distant relative. From there he travelled to Ostrog, where he summoned his wife, Sashia who was dying from tuberculosis. She arrived in Ostrog for Shabbos Hagados (10 Nissan), but was not satisfied with the medical facilities there and isisted on visiting the physicians in Saslov.

They arrived in Saslov on Sunday, just four days before the Passover. Despite the medical attention available there, Sashia passed away on the eve of Shavuos. From there, Rabbi Nachman travelled through Brody and Dubna, finally returning home to Breslov in the summer.

It was during this journey that Rabbi Nachman contracted tuberculosis. As soon as he began coughing, he predicted that this sickness would take his life. When asked the reason for the trip, he told the story of the Spider and the Fly.

During the summer, he became engaged to his second wife, the daughter of Rabbi Yechezkel Trachtenberg of Brody. The wedding took place in the 15^th of Elul, 5567 (Sept. 18, 1807).

Two days after Yom Kippur 5568, Rabbi Nachman sent his attendant, Reb Michel, to Rabbi Nathan with instructions to bring his manuscript of Lekutei Moharan. He was instructed to write a table of contents for the manuscript and also complete the Burned Book. Both these tasks were completed that day.

The day after Simchas Torah, Rabbi Nachman left for Lemberg (Lvov), where he sought treatment for his tuberculosis. It wasa at this time that he decided to publish the Lekutey Moharan. During Shevat and Teves (Jan. 1808) copies were sent to various leaders for approval for publication. Letters of approbation were secured from Rabbi Avraham Eliezer Horowitz, the Seer of Lublin (26 Teves); Rabbi Israel the Maggid of Kosnitz (4 Shevat); Rabbi Avraham Chaim of Zlatshiv (20 Shevat); Rabbi Meir of Brody (25 Shevat); and Rabbi Ephraim Zalman of Brody. Shortly before Purim, he sent Rabbi David of Tcherin with instructions to have the Likutey Moharan published in Ostrog. It was printed by Reb Shmuel ben Yesachar Baer Segal, and was completed shortly before Rosh HaShanah of the following year.

Reb Shimon had accompanied Rabbi Nachman to Lemberg, and shortly before Passover the Rebbe sent him back to Breslov with instructions to destroy both the original and Rabbi Nathan’s copy of the Burned Book. After an eight month absence, Rabbi Nachman finally returned to Breslov on the 8th of Tammuz, 5568.

A month later, Rabbbi Nathan also moved to Nemerov, where he could be near his master again after a near absence of two years. With the publication of the Lekutey Moharan, he immediately began working on a sequel, based on Rabbi Nachman’s more recent lessons. This was to be the second part of Lekutey Moharan, and it was published shortly after the Rebbe’s demise.

Shortly before Rosh Hashanah 5569, Rabbi Nachman distributed manuscripts of the second part of Sefer Hammios to be copied by his followers. Around this time the Shochet of Teplik brought him a beautifully hand carved chair that had taken six months to make. This is the chair that was smuggled piece by piece out of Russia and now stands in the Breslover Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Nachman spent the year 5569 quietly recuperating from his illness. After Rosh HaShanah, he sent his brother Rabbi Yechiel, along with Rabbi Nathan and Reb Naftoli, to pray for him at the grave of the Baal Shem Tov in Medzeboz. Although he continued to instruct his followers he no longer travelled abroad. On Shabbos Shira he fondly recalled how he used to travel to speak to his followers on that Shabbath.

In the summer of 5569 (1809), Rabbi Nachman’s daughter Miriam left for the Holy Land, where her husband and father-in-law had setteled four years earlier. Despite his infirmity, the Rebbe accompanied her on foot, saying, "One must walk with his own feet to the Land of Israel."

During the same summer, Rabbi Nathan was sent to Berdichov to collect a debt from Rabbi Nachman’s brother-in-law. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the saint of Berdichov, was then travelling through Walachia and Moldovia. It was at this time that Rabbi Nachman called Rabbi Levi Yitzchok the glory of our congregation, likening him to the Teffilin on the head of Israel.

Before Succos of 5570 (1809), it was impossible to obtain Esrogim until a day before the festival. The saintly Rabbi Levi Yitzchok passed away on the 25th of Tishrei ( Oct. 5, 1809), and Rabbi Nachman alluded to this long before the news reached Breslov. During the ensuing winter, the Rebbe completed his storytelling with the tales of the Master of Prayer and the Seven Beggars.

Rabbi Nachman was then thinking of moving to Uman, and sent several of his followers from Teplik to investigate. His resolve to relocate was strengthened when his daughter Udel’s child passed away on Shabbos Hagadol. There were also many fires in Breslov during Passover but the Rebbe’s house was untouched.

The fire was to reach Rabbi Nachman’s house on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 5570 (May 5 1810). His house burned to the ground on that Friday evening, and he spent the night on a nearby mountain. He spent the remainder of the Sabbath in Reb Shimshon’s house. His belongings had been brought to the home of Reb Zelig, and he moved there after the Sabbath.

On this same Sunday, Rabbi Nachman received word from one of his Teplik followers that arrangements for him to move to Uman had been completed the previous week.

The Rebbi left Breslov on Tuesday morning, arriving in Uman on Thursday, the 5th of Iyar (May 9, 1810). Uman had been the scene of the great massacre of 1768 where thousands of Jews had been slaughtered by Gonta and his Haidmacks. Rabbi Nachman said that he now had the task of rectifying all these souls with his own death. It was also his desire to be buried in Uman’s martyr-filled cemetery.

Upon his arrival in Uman, Rabbi Nachman moved into the home of a Reb Nachman Nathan, who died the previous summer. He remained there until the day after Shavuos, when he moved in with Reb Yosef Shmuel. This house was cramped and did not have good ventilation, and right after Tisha B’Av the Rebbe moved into the house of a man from Lukatch, who had invited him to live there without charge. His new apartment was large and airy and had a good view overlooking a fragrant garden. It also had an excellent view of the old cemetery where the martyrs of the Uman massacre were buried. Rabbi Nachman praised this cemetery as the true beautiful garden.

Before Rosh Hashanah the Rebbi moved back to Reb Nachman Nathan’s house, where the community would worship on the holy days. His condition began to deteriorate on Rosh Hashanah, and he coughed up large quanities of blood. Still, on the night of Rosh Hashanah he gave his usual lesson, speaking at great length. This was to be the last time he would speak publicly.

His great weakness forced him to worship alone on the second day of Rosh Hashanah and again on Yom Kippur. Right after Yom Kippur, he dictated the remainder of his Rosh Hashanah lesson to Rabbi Nathan. This was to be his last lesson.

On the day after Yom Kippur, Rabbi Nachman asked to be moved back to the Lukatcher’s house. He was very particular about the position of his bed, as if he were choosing the exact place from which he would leave this world. By Succos his condition had deteriorated to the point where he had to remain seated in a chair in order to be able to breathe.

Rabbi Nachman’s last day was the 18th of Tishrei, the fourth day of Succos. The final hours of his life are vividly described in Rabbi Nathan’s diary.

"We laid him on the bed, dressed in his fine silk robe. He told Reb Shimon to arrange his clothes and button his sleeves so that his shirt should not protrude from the robe. He mentioned to Reb Shimon to arrange it properly.

"He then told us to wash the coughed up blood from his beard. We cleaned him, and he lay in bed feeling very free.

"He took a small ball of wax and rolled it between his fingers, as he often did toward his last days when thinking deep thoughts. Even in this last hour his thoughts were flying through awesome worlds, and he rolled this ball of candlewax between his fingers with great lucidity of mind..

……………………………….

"The house was filled with many people who had come to honor him. When they saw that the end was approaching , they began to say the prayers for Tzadikim in Maaver Yabok.

"We thought that he had already passed away and began crying "Rebbe! Rebbe!, to whom have you left us?"

"He heard our voice and lifted his head, turning his awesome face to us as if to say, "I’m not leaving you, heaven forbid!"

"It was not long before he passed away and was gathered to his fathers in great purity. Bright and clear, he passed away without any confusion whatsoever, without a single untoward gesture, in a state of awesome calmness.

"Many people from the burial committee were there. They all said that they had seen many people die with clarity of thought, but they had never seen anything like this.

"All this was what our meager understanding could perceive. But the true significance of his death cannot be comprehended at all. Whoever understands even a small amount of his greatness from his works, conversations and tales, will understand that it is utterly impossible to speak of such a wondrously unique passing from this world.

"What should I say? How can I speak? What shall I return to G-d for being worthy of standing there when his soul departed? If I had come into the world for this alone it would be sufficient."

So, on the 18th day of Tishrei, 5571 (October 16, 1810), at the age of 38 years, six months, and eighteen days, Rabbi Nachman left this earthly abode. Each day of his life had brought a spark of divine light to all mankind.

Early the next day, he was laid to rest in the old cemetery in Uman. His grave is a shrine until this very day, visited by his followers from all over the world.