A “Treasure Trove” of Wonder

Otzar Nachmani, sec. 182

Collected talks of Rabbi Nachman Burstein

Translated by Dovid Sears

[The Hebrew word “yirah” may be translated as wonder, fear or awe.]

[Rabbi Nachman Burstein relates:]

I heard from Reb Levi Yitzchok [Bender] that the chassid, Reb Moshe Shmuel of Uman (one of the anshei ma’amad, those appointed to oversee the Breslov Kloyz), often attended Reb Avraham b’Reb Nachman Halevi Chazan during his last years. [Reb Moshe Shmuel] used to accompany him wherever he needed to go, and he used to escort him to the Rebbe’s holy tziyyun (grave site). Reb Moshe Shmuel told how once when he prostrated himself at the tziyyun, he overheard [the saintly Reb Avraham b’Reb Nachman] entreating with deveykus, “Ribono shel Olam! Master of the Universe! Have pity on me! Help me, that I should love You, and that I should fear You!” He repeated these words again and again.

[Reb Nachman Burstein adds:]

In Likutey Moharan I, 17, it states that holy love and fear cannot be received except through the tzaddik ha-dor, who reveals love and fear; see wondrous things there. The Rebbe once said, “I’m a treasure trove of yiras shomayim [fear of heaven; wonder or awe]” (Chayei Moharan 294). And it is brought in the Zohar (Tikkuney Zohar, Tikkun 10): “Torah without fear and love does not ascend above.” And the directive is brought in the Talmud Yerushalmi (Berakhos, end): “Act out of love, act out of fear”—on which the commentaries explain that love is the source of the 248 positive commandments, while fear is the source of the 365 negative commandments. From all this, it may be understood that the Rebbe’s tziyyun is the place to entreat Hashem for holy love and fear, in the merit of the tzaddik ha-dor who lies there; for he reveals love and fear.