“Mesirus Hatenu’os”

Photo by Boogie ("Everybody Street")

Otzar Nachmani , sec. 219

Collected Talks of Rabbi Nachman Burstein zatzal

Translated by Dovid Sears

The following describes a Breslover practice that reflects the acknowledgement of hashgacha pratis (divine providence) in every detail of our lives. Please see the sources in Sichos ha-Ran that the author cites. This strengthens a person’s ability to “go with the flow” in all aspects of daily life. DS

I heard from many Breslover Chassidim, and in particularlar from Reb Yankel Melamed (Rabbi Yaakov Kalmanovitch of Yerushalayim), zal, that it was customary to “give over” all of one’s movements and gestures to Hashem (“mesirus hatenu’os,” a practice the Rebbe describes in Sichos ha-Ran # 2 and # 238)—right after reciting “Modeh Ani” in the morning and washing their hands, etc.

This was the nusach [i.e., the basic verbal formula, more or less]: Ribbono shel Olam! Master of the Universe! I cast my burden upon You, and rely upon You alone. I entrust all of my movements this day, and all those of my children and whoever depends on me, as well as all of my conduct and all aspects of the entire day—that everything should be according to Your beneficent Will, in keeping with the view of our holy Rebbe, “tzaddik yesod olam,” the “flowing brook, source of wisdom,” Rabbeinu Nachman ben Feige, may his merits shield us, amen.

On Shabbos they would add “the entire Shabbos,” and on Yom Tov, “the entire Yom Tov.”

I also remember that the chassid, Reb Shmuel Shapiro, zal, used to recite the “giving over” of his movements before praying Ma’ariv. He would combine it with the prayer cited by the Bi’ur Halakhah (additional glosses of the Chofetz Chaim on Mishnah Berurah, Orach Chaim, sec. 3, re. the three prayers of thanksgiving) in the name of the Talmud Yerushalmi, that it is good to recite before Ma’ariv: May it be Your Will, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that just as I was in darkness and You brought me into the light, so may You bring me from darkness to light… (see there for the full prayer).