Rabbi Nachman Golstein, Rav of Tcherin's Yahrtzeit

Guest Posting by David Friedman

L'iluy Nishmas my father, R' Chaim Ahron ben Yaakov Ber z'l - 17 Tamuz 5773

L'iluy Nishmas Ahron ben Dovid Shimon Halevi z'l - 9 Kislev 5771

L'iluy Nishmas Moshe Chaim z'l ben Berel Velvel n’y - 8 Kislev 5772

Lezchus Lerefua Sheleima for Nata Moshe ben Sarah Rivkah

Taanis Esther (13 Adar) is the yahrtzeit of the Tcheriner Rav, Reb Nachman Goldstein, zy’a, a student of Reb Noson and one of the greatest Breslover figures of his generation and ever after. He was the author of numerous sefarim, including Parpara'os L’Chokhmah (a classic commentary on Likutey Mohoran); Otzar Hayirah (an anthology of Breslover teachings based on Reb Noson's Likutey Eitzos); and Leshon Chassidim and Derekh Chassidim (excerpts from the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples, and the Maggid of Mezeritch and his disciples).

On the first day of Chanukah 5653, the Tcheriner Rav wrote that the phrase from the blessing להדליק נר חנוכה ("to light the Chanukah candle") equals 518; the phrase from the blessing על מקרא מגלה ("over the reading of the Megillah") equals 519; and his name, נחמן בן צבי אריה (Nachman ben Zvi Aryeh), equals 518. Thus, he links his name with the theme of the day he had this insight, Chanukah, and with Purim. (Chanukah and Purim have a special connection to each other, in that both are rabbinic holidays and they correspond to the related sefiros of Hod and Netzach in the Kabbalah.)

The Tcheriner Rav goes on to list many other remazim (hints) to his name. From here we can see a small glimpse of his ruach hakodesh -- because he passed away the following year on 13 Adar Beis, Ta'anis Esther 5654 (1894). (Kokhvey Ohr, Tzava'ah)

If I may add to this, the gematria of the day of his passing, י״ג אדר ב׳ תרנ״ד (Adar Beis 13, 5654), is equal to רבינו נחמן בן צבי אריה זיע״א (Rabbeinu Nachman ben Zvi Aryeh, may his merits shield us).