Rebbe Nachman on Faith, Part 2
This is a delightful treasury of the memorable expressions and metaphors that Rebbe Nachman of Breslev used to describe himself. “I am a river that cleanses from all stains…”
Faith in Every Limb
There are various kinds of faith. There is faith that is only in the heart. But a person must have so much faith that it spreads to all his limbs. Thus the Kabalistic writings mention that when washing one’s hands to eat bread, one should raise them towards the head in order to receive holiness. Your faith must extend into your hands in order to believe that by raising them towards your head you receive holiness. Without faith, it is a meaningless gesture, for “All your commandments are faith” (Psalms 119:86).
If you are strong in your faith, you will eventually come to understand what you believe in. The stronger your faith, the greater your understanding will become. At the outset you have no option but to have faith, because you cannot understand the matter, but through faith you will come to understand it.
There will then be new, more exalted levels that will still be hidden from you and beyond your ability to understand. Here again you will have to make the effort to believe. You must always start with faith regarding the levels that are as yet hidden from you, but eventually you will understand them as well. This is an ongoing process. Your faith must be so strong that it spreads to every one of your limbs. This faith will bring you to true wisdom. (Likutey Moharan I, 91).
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Faith in God, Not in the Means
Many people make the mistake of turning the means through which something comes about into an intermediary between themselves and God. They do believe in God, but they also believe in the intermediary, saying that we have no option but to depend upon a particular means in order to bring about a certain result. For example, they put their faith in their business activities as the cause of their livelihood, placing all the emphasis on their own endeavors as if God would somehow not be able to provide their livelihood without them. Likewise people put all the emphasis on the means through which a cure comes about – the medicine – as if without medicine God does not have the power to heal. That is not so. The Holy One, blessed be He, is the Cause of all causes, and there is absolutely no need for any one particular means. Even while resorting to a given means to try to bring something about, we must believe only in God, and not put our faith in the means. (Likutey Moharan I, 62).
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Know it in Your Heart
“Know this day and consider it in your heart that Hashem is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other”. (Deuteronomy 4:39 )
The only way to know God is through complete faith. Only faith can bring you to true knowledge and perception of God’s greatness: “And I will betroth you to Me with faith , and you shall know God ! ” (Hosea 2:22).
Many passages tell us to know God: “Know this day and consider it in your heart … ” (Deuteronomy 4:39 ) . “Know the God of your father” (I Chronicles 28:9) . “Know that Hashem is God” (Psalms 100:3) . These verses teach us to know and be mindful of God’s presence at all times and not to forget Him for a moment.
Great kings constantly remind their subjects that they have a ruler. Soldiers in particular are trained to know who their king and master is – “In order that His fear should be on their faces” (Exodus 20:17 ) – so that they should serve their master unconditionally . Subordinates are constantly told, “Know that you have a lord and master.” The intention is that they should keep this in mind and never forget it, in order not do anything against his will.
The same is true of the Kingdom of Heaven . We are told: “Know the God of your father!” Know it and don’t ever forget it! “Know this day and consider it in your heart, that Hashem is God!” “Know that Hashem is God!”
We need to be reminded time and time again. Everyone knows in general terms that “Hashem is God” . However, the distractions and temptations of this vain world cause many to forget it much of the time. This is why the Torah reminds us: “Know that Hashem is God!” “Know the God of your father!” That is to say: Bring this knowledge deep within yourself until it is bound tightly in your mind and heart at all times. This is the meaning of “Know this day and consider it in your heart that Hashem is God.”
Perfect knowledge is when you bind your mind to your heart so that you know in your heart that “Hashem is God.” When you bring this knowledge into your heart, you will be filled with deep awe, fear and reverence of God and you will not sin.
Each person’s knowledge and awareness of God are unique to himself according to the horizons of his heart. Our basic knowledge of God derives from what we have been taught by our holy forefathers, who struggled all their lives to divest themselves of all material attachments. They conquered all their negative traits and desires, releasing themselves from the root of evil. This was how they came to true recognition and understanding of their Creator.
They have left this good heritage to us and our duty is to accept it with the utmost joy. “Happy are we! How good is our portion! How pleasant is our lot! How beautiful is our heritage!” (Morning Prayers).
When the Torah tells us to “know” God, it is teaching us to bring this holy knowledge into our minds and thoughts and bind it in our hearts constantly at all times in order that “His fear will be upon our faces so that we will not sin” (Exodus 20:17). (Sichot Haran #217).
To be continued.
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