The Sudilkover Rebbe, shlit"a, dancing in Uman, Rosh Hashanah 5775 / 2014

"God is Good for Everything"

From The Power of Prayer (Breslov Tehillim), Vol. III (Breslov Research Institute, in-progress)

Dedicated to the speedy refuah sheleimah of Eliezer Dovid ben Perel, Rabbi Dovid Zeitlin

Psalm 145

“God is good for everything, and His mercies are upon all His works.”[1] God is good for everything—this alludes to prayer. A person who believes in God knows that He is “good for everything”—healing, sustenance, or whatever one needs. Therefore, he will direct his efforts primarily toward God, such as through prayer, and not be preoccupied with various strategies. One who doesn’t believe in God, however, will pursue all sorts of worldly solutions to his problems. For example, if such a person becomes sick, he will pursue all sorts of medical treatments. The herbs required may not be available locally, or the local varieties may be of inferior quality. However,God is good for everything. No matter which ailment needs healing, God is always available.

Prayer leads to universal peace. Thus, the verse concludes, “And His mercies are upon all His works.” When people turn to God as the ultimate power, Divine mercy will be drawn forth to all creatures. Consequently, all creatures will have mercy upon one another, and there will be peace among them. As it is written, “And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. … They shall not harm or destroy” (Isaiah 11:6, 9), for there will be peace between them. Thus, His mercies are upon all His works. [In other words, God will instill mercy in the hearts of all creatures, and they will treat each other accordingly.] As our Sages teach, “Whoever shows mercy to God’s creatures is granted mercy from Heaven.”[2] This is borne out by the verse, “And [God] will give you mercy, and He will have mercy upon you” (Deuteronomy 13:18) (based on Likutey Moharan I, 14:11).

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[1] This verse is usually rendered, “God is good to all.” However, Rebbe Nachman homiletically interprets it as translated here.

[2] Shabbat 151b.

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Balancing Act

From Breslov.org:

Rebbe Nachman, z”l, explains that the letters of the word for obstacles, meniot, can be rearranged to be read as ne’imut, which means pleasantness. The natural barriers and obstacles of our material existence help to balance us and enable healthy spiritual connection, whose “ways are ways of pleasantness.”

Reb Nosson, z”l, uses this concept to explain why there is a mitzvah to eat on the day before Yom Kippur. Our sages explains that one who eats on the ninth of Tishrei and fasts on Yom Kippur, which is the tenth of Tishrei, is considered to have fasted through both days. The pre-fast meal is what enables us to access the intense light of Yom Kippur in a balanced way, so that it can transform our entire year.

Dear God! Please help me eat well on the day before Yom Kippur and fast on Yom Kippur. Show me how to eat as a Jew should and connect to the light and vitality of the holy fast. Help me make use of the natural barriers that You have provided to properly access the immense spiritual beauty of Your world.