Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Rav Kenig in Monsey
Thursday, October 22, 2015
“Avraham Was One”
Hashmatah: Likutey Moharan Tinyana
The following teaching is not
numbered, but was included by Reb Noson at the beginning of Likutey Moharan
Part II (“Tinyana”), which he first published in 1811, the year after our
teacher Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s passing. Thereafter, the two parts were
published together. We do not know why Reb Noson decided not to include this
teaching in the sequence of the lessons, but we may speculate that by placing
it at the beginning of Part II, he saw it as a general directive to all who
would embark upon the path of Divine service.
This translation and original commentary
(based on traditional sources) were authored by Rabbi Chaim Kramer and Rabbi
Moshe Mykoff, as edited by Rabbi Ozer Bergman, for the Breslov Research
Institute (BRI) English edition of Likutey Moharan, Vol. XII,
pp. 2-5. We are grateful to the publisher for allowing us to post excerpts from
this and other BRI books.
“Avraham Was One”
“ Echad hayah Avraham (Avraham was one)” (Ezekiel 33:24).
Avraham worshipped God only because
he was “one”—because he considered himself alone in the world. He paid no
attention whatsoever to people who turned him away from God and hindered him,
or his father or others who would interfere. Rather, it was as if he was the
only one in the world. This is the meaning of “Avraham was one.”
And it is the same for anyone who
wants to embark upon the service of God. The only way for him to get started is
by thinking that other than himself, there is absolutely no one else in the
world. He should pay no attention to anyone who would hinder him, such as his
father and mother, or his father‑in‑law, and his wife and children, or the
like; or to the obstacles that he has from other people who ridicule, instigate
against or obstruct his service of God. He has to be unconcerned with them and
pay them no mind. Rather, he should adopt an “Avraham was one” attitude—as if
he is the only one in the world, as discussed above.
COMMENTARY
Avraham was one. During the reign of King Tzidkiyahu, with most of the Holy Land in ruins,
God sent the prophet Yechezkel to rebuke the Jewish people (Radak). Although the Jews were guilty of the atrocities enumerated
(loc. cit.), they nonetheless considered themselves deserving of the Land. The
full verse reads: “The Word of God came to me, saying, ‘Son of Man, the
inhabitants of these ruins in the Land of Israel speak, claiming, ‘Avraham was
one, yet he was granted possession of the Land. We are many; the Land has
[surely] been given to us as a heritage.”‘ Commenting on this verse, Rashi cites Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s
explanation of the Jewish people’s reasoning: Avraham was given only one
mitzvah, circumcision yet he inherited the Land; we, who have been charged with
numerous commandments, certainly have been granted possession of the Land.
Avraham worshipped God only because he was one ... alone in the world. Rebbe Nachman reads the words “Avraham
was one” as alluding to what it was that enabled Avraham to stand up against an
entire world of idolaters and proclaim his belief in the one, true God. In the
context of our lesson, “Avraham was one” teaches that the first patriarch of
the Jews saw himself as though he were alone in the world, as the Rebbe
explains next.
Not his father or anyone else.... The Midrash teaches that Avraham’s father, Terach, was an
idolater. After Avraham destroyed his father’s statues, Terach turned his son
over to the ruler of the land, Nimrod, who had Avraham thrown into the furnace
at Ur Kasdim for refusing to worship idolatry (Bereishit Rabbah 38:13). Despite great adversity, even the
threat of death, Avraham was not swayed by those who sought to deter him from
serving God. Rebbe Nachman explains that Avraham succeeded in overcoming all
opposition because he paid no mind to everyone else—i.e., for him, it was as if
these obstacles did not exist. It made no difference what got in his way;
neither Terach’s power over Avraham as his father, nor Nimrod’s power over
Avraham as the preeminent ruler of the region, could force him to be untrue to
his belief.
And it is the same for anyone ... as discussed
above. Rebbe Nachman now applies his teaching about “Avraham was one” to
all those who desire to serve God and come closer to Him. Such a person must
pay no heed to anyone who seeks to undermine his determination, whether through
logical arguments or emotional pleas. This is true even of the opposition of
those closest to him, including parents, spouse, children and in‑laws, all of
whom believe they have his best interest at heart. The most important thing in
life is serving God. One’s spiritual attainments are the only things that remain
with a person after passing from the world. Therefore, the Rebbe teaches, a
person has to adopt an “Avraham was one” attitude, as if he is alone with God
in the world. Only this will enable him to “inherit the Land”—i.e., attain the
World to Come.
In Likutey Tefilot, Reb Noson links this teaching with the words of
the psalmist: “I look to the right and see no one who knows me. I have nowhere
to escape, no one who looks out for my soul. I cried out to You, 0 God! I said,
‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living...’ “ (Psalms 142:5‑6).
Reb Noson writes that not a day goes by without a person encountering some new
obstacle to his devotions and fresh opposition to his worship of God. Let him
pray that he not to be influenced by these hindrances or pay them any mind, and
let him plead for mercy and assistance in overcoming all challenges to his
following the true path to God (Likutey
Tefilot I, #149).
Once, while discussing Avraham’s
burning desire for God, Reb Noson said that Avraham was not only the first to
reveal God in the world but also die first to serve Him with such intensity and
sincerity. Hearing this, a disciple sitting nearby groaned. “How can we ever
attain such a burning desire?” he wondered aloud. Reb Noson rebuked the
disciple, saying, “You also have such a heart! But you don’t make it ‘hearty’
enough!” Reb Noson’s point was that everyone has free choice; there is no one
who is not free to strive for the highest levels. This is as our Sages teach (Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah #25:2): A person must always say, “When will my deeds reach the level of
my ancestors’ deeds?” (Magid Sichot).
A different
time, to prove a point he was making, Reb Noson brought an example from the
patriarch Yitzchak. His interlocutor objected that this was no proof, for
Yitzchak’s righteousness was beyond human comprehension and comparison. “What
do you think,” Reb Noson countered, “that Yitzchak did not have an evil
inclination which he had to overcome? If he didn’t, he could never have become
Yitzchak!” (ibid.).
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
“Lekh Lekha … Go to Yourself!”
Excerpt from Likutey Halakhos,
Hil. Geneivah 5:7-8
Translated by Dovid Sears (unedited)
The verse states, “Go to yourself”
(Genesis 12:1)—“yourself,” specifically. All your goings and travels [ultimately]
should be unto yourself alone; that is, to the essential point of truth, which
is your inner core and being.
For the “real you” is the holy soul
within; this is what constitutes the “whole man,” as is written in various holy
books and cited [by Rebbe Nachman] in Likutey Moharan I, 22. When the
term “I” is used, it denotes the essence of the soul, because the body is
called b’sar ha-adam, a person’s flesh, whereas the soul is a “portion
of Divinity Above” (Shefa Tal, beginning; Likutey Moharan I, 260;
et al.). This is particularly so of the souls of Israel, who originate
with Avraham, and about whom it states that they are “entirely true seed”
(Jeremiah 2:21).
Thus, “lekh lekha” means to go
to your essence: to the essential truth within, which is rooted in your very
being. Only this is called “I” when a person refers to himself, and only this
is meant by “you” or “yourself” when one speaks with another. All of your
goings, physically and spiritually, should lead to yourself, i.e., to the point
of truth that lies within. And you must pay no heed to the blandishments of
falsehood that darken the faces of creatures, so that it is extremely hard to
stand up to them unless one takes pity on himself by constantly seeking the
truth and not fooling himself.
The verse continues: “Go to yourself
[more literally, ‘betake yourself’], from your land, from your birth place, and
from your father’s house…” Because all sorts of darkness and lies come from
“your land”; that is, from the city and country where you were raised. For as
is known, the klippah (shell or husk) precedes the [development of] the
fruit. And in every land and locale, even though much good may be found there, there
is nevertheless much darkness that occludes the truth. In every land the masses
of people pursue material desires—wealth and honor in particular—as if this way
of life had been commanded at Sinai, heaven forbid. You must distance yourself
from this [environment], leave “your land” and go to yourself, which is the
point of truth within yourself. If you fix your gaze upon the truth, you will
understand well that [the pursuit of such desires] is not the way to reach the
ultimate goal, the World to Come.
Likewise, “your birth place”—you must
leave the evil and darkness within that is associated with your birth, as the
verse states, “Behold, I was born in sin…” (Psalms 51:5) and “They and their
fathers…” (Genesis 42:35, as interpreted homiletically in Likutey Moharan
I, 10, sec. 4).
“And from your father’s house”—this
is one’s family. For there is all sorts of nonsense and falsehood that clings
to a person from the side of his family, [for example, the delusions of those] who
take themselves to be of prestigious lineage, as if all of the honor in the
world were due them, and other such foolish ideas and confusions. Concerning
them all, G-d commanded that one go forth from them “to yourself,”
specifically—to the inner point of truth.
Then one will arrive at “the land I
shall show you”—which is the Land of Israel—“and I will make you into a great
nation.” This is what is meant by the “G-d of Avraham,” who personifies the
perfection of prayer and faith, [and of whom the verse states,] “And through him
shall be blessed all nations of the earth” (Genesis 18:18). [Prayer and faith]
are an aspect of the miraculous. And all of this is attained through truth.
This cannot be fully explained in
writing; however, everyone who desires the truth will understand. For it
already has been explained in [Rebbe Nachman’s] words that the obstacles
created by other people can be worse than those of the Evil Inclination, as
stated in his holy talks; see there. It is bad enough that there are obstructers
who are evil-doers or people of little worth or scoffers, who stand in the way of
truth with their words. But even G-d-fearing people sometimes are able to
confuse a person with their advice, that what he is doing is not good or
appropriate for him. There are many ramifications of this, beyond count. Therefore,
one who desires in truth must be careful to direct himself to the essential
point of truth within himself, according to his true needs. This is the meaning
of “go to yourself,” specifically.
This is reflected in [Rebbe
Nachman’s] story, “The Simpleton and the Sophisticate,” when the
Simpleton says, “This is his work, and this is my work,” [rather than compare
his shoes, despite their imperfections, to the those of another craftsman. He
is inner-directed, and not competing with others, or dependent on their
approval]. Therefore, one must pray and speak to G-d at length, with words of
truth, until one merits to draw nigh to the absolute truth constantly, and thus
attain all of the above.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)