New Life

Sichos HaRan 98

Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom (Breslov Research Institute), pp. 227-229.

In memory of Dr. Lewis Sears

Leib ben Yitzchok Yaakov, a”h

Yahrtzeit: 30 Shevat, Rosh Chodesh Adar

When you say the Psalms it is as great as if King David himself were saying them.

King David wrote the Psalms with divine inspiration—the Holy Breath.[1] This Holy Breath is still in the words of the Psalms. When you recite the Psalms, your own breath arouses, the Holy Breath in these words. When you say the Psalms, it is therefore as if King David himself were chanting them.

It is best for the sick to trust only in G-d. They should trust that saying the Psalms will help them.

Faith is a support and staff.

One leans and depends on G-d just as one leans on a staff or cane. King David said (Ps. 18:19), “G-d has been my staff.” He could lean on G-d like on a physical support.

It is written (Ex. 21:19), “ If he rises and walks about outside on his staff, then he shall be cleared.” One is healed through the staff of faith.

It is also written (Isa. 11:1), “And a staff shall come forth out of the stock of Jesse.” This verse speaks of the Messiah who will emanate from David. (He will hold the healing staff of faith.)

It is also written (Lam. 4:20), “The breath of our nostrils, G-d’s Messiah.” (The staff of healing will arise through the Holy Breath that King David placed in the Psalms.)

Regarding the Messianic age it is written (Zech. 8:4), “There shall yet sit old men and women in the broad places of Jerusalem for many days, every man with his staff in his hand.”

From this verse the Talmud learns that Tzaddikim will resurrect the dead in the Messianic age.[2] The staff that they hold will be that of Elisha, used to resurrect the son of the Shunammite. Thus it is written (2 Ki. 4:31), “And you shall place the staff on the boy’s face.” (This is the healing staff of faith.)

[Reb Noson adds: This is not recorded completely or perfectly. Despite the fact that the major portion is no longer available, the little that was understood and recalled is included here.]

Winter is pregnancy and summer is birth.[3]

The Rebbe then spoke wondrous words, but they were mostly forgotten. He spoke of the summer which was then approaching. This took place in Nissan, shortly before Pesach, on the third day after the Bris (circumcision) of the Rebbe’s son, Shlomo Ephriam, of blessed memory.[4]

The Rebbe then said that in the winter all plants and grasses die. Their strength is dissipated and they are like the dead. But when the summer comes, they awaken and return to life.

It is written (Gen. 24:63), “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field.” The Talmud teaches us that this meditation was prayer.[5]

When summer begins to approach, it is very good to meditate in the fields. This is a time when you can pray to G-d with longing and yearning.

Meditation and prayer is SIChah. A bush of the field is a SlaCh. When every bush (SlaCh) of the field begins to return to life and grow, they all yearn to be included in prayer and meditation (SIChah).

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[1] Cf. Likutey Moharan 156.

[2] Pesachim 68a; Zohar I, 114b, 135a.

[3] Chayay Moharan 17a (#13).

[4] The child was born shortly before Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5565 (March 1805). Yemey Moharnat 7b; Chayay Moharan 9a (#27).

[5] Berakhos 26b.