Rebbe Natan Says -Gems of Wisdom

This week (10 Tevet) is the yahrtzeit (date of passing) of Rebbe Natan of Breslev, Rebbe Nachman’s prime disciple who passed on Rebbe Nachman’s teachings for the benefit of the entire world. A giant in Torah, Rebbe Natan shelved his own rabbinical career and personal interests to spread the light of his holy teacher Rebbe Nachman.

In Rebbe Natan’s blessed and saintly memory, we are pleased to present a taste of his well-known sayings, gleaned from Siach Sarfei Kodesh by Rabbi Avraham Weitzhandler, osb”m:

Hashem’s Truth

A person must ask Hashem to lead him on the path of His truth, because a person’s own truth can mislead him, for it’s not absolute truth – not like Hashem’s truth, and that’s what King David asked (Psalm 25:5), “Guide me in Your truth,” in other words: guide me in the path of Your truth, Hashem.

Lust and Jealousy

A person who is honest with himself according to his current spiritual level and knows that he suffers from lust and jealousy still has hope. But, if it’s not enough that he suffers from lust and jealousy and he wants honor too, then all these bad character traits remove him from the real world and destroy any chance of his making teshuva.

Lust and Prayer

The only way to get rid of lustful habits is to pray to Hashem. You can’t break a lustful habit, for even if you do break one lustful habit, you now have two instead; the only way to get rid of lust is to uproot it completely, and only prayer can do that. If you break something in half, you end up with two parts, each of which can grow back to whole proportions and knock a person down. Only prayer is effective.

Mashiach

Even if I would live until the very end of the Sixth millennium and I would see that the Geula (full Redemption) had not yet arrived, even so, I’d still pray with full emuna for the coming of Mashiach.

Mashiach will have a difficult job with the Chassidim, even much more than with the heretics, because the heretics will see just one of his miracles and all their philosophies will dissipate, but not so with the Chassidim.

Hashem’s Way

When a person agrees to the way Hashem directs his life and wants Hashem to direct his life, then things turn out according to the way he wants.

Negative Thoughts

It’s worth living in this world of suffering and troubles for seventy years, even if  a person never did anything good, just to guard himself and avoid one negative thought at least – that in itself is worth it.

Rebbe Nachman’s Advice

By way of Rebbe Nachman’s advice, you can bring the whole world close to our Father in Heaven.

Happy Eyes

Happy are the eyes that saw Rebbe Nachman; happy are the eyes that saw the eyes that saw Rebbe Nachman.

Keep on Drumming

A patch gechopt und freilach geklopt – even though you get hit, keep on playing your drums in joy.

The Real You

When we call someone by his name, we do not think about the body of that person, that is to say his physical appearance. Rather, we think about his essence and what he really is, that is to say, his immaterial aspect, or soul. The reason is that each person’s body is a mere collection of flesh and bones, but certainly not the person himself.

The Mighty Warrior

A governor or high official usually works his entire life to attain his position of authority and influence. Yet in the war, the brave soldier who withstands the most difficult and life-threatening challenges wins battlefield promotions and moves quickly up the ranks. In like manner, the soul that is challenged with extreme difficulties, yet prevails with emuna despite the seemingly hopeless battles it had to fight, earns lofty spiritual levels in much less time than other souls who are less challenged and therefore must work a lifetime to achieve the same thing.

May Rebbe Natan’s holy memory plead in our behalf before the Heavenly throne, amen!