Otzar
Nachmani #231
Collected Talks
of Rabbi Nachman Burstein, zatzal
Translated by
Dovid Sears
People often ask
in amazement, “What’s with you Breslover Chassidim? You dance every day after davenning
Shacharis and Ma’ariv. Today isn’t Purim or Simchas Torah, what are you
celebrating?” We reply: There are many reasons for these rikkudim
(dances).
1) Our Rebbe [Rabbi Nachman], of blessed memory,
writes in Likutey Moharan (Lesson 10, “Vi-eileh ha-Mishpatim”),
that through dancing and clapping hands, heaven’s harsh judgments are
“sweetened”; see there at length. And many other lessons in Likutey Moharan
discuss clapping hands during prayer (Lessons 4, 45, and 46). Therefore, we
fulfill our Rebbe’s holy teachings. Indeed, Chazal state that [since the
destruction of the Holy Temple] each day is more accursed than its predecessor,
may the Merciful One save us (Sotah 49a). So it is urgently necessary
that harsh judgments on the world be mitigated. That’s why we clap our hands
during prayer, and right afterward, we dance: so that the harsh judgments on
the world will be sweetened, as our Rebbe taught. Thus, all Breslover Chassidim
fulfill his words in simplicity every day, including on Shabbos and Yom Tov and
even during the Three Weeks [of mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem and
the Holy Temple], except for the Nine Days. We believe with a whole heart that
this truly has a great effect, and surely nullifies many harsh decrees on the
world; Hashem derivers gratification from this (so to speak), and the divine
wrath is assuaged.
2) Another reason for the rikkud after davening
in the morning is so that we will begin the day bi-simchah—with joy. For
our Rebbe said, “Mitzvah gedolah lihiyos bi-simchah tamid, it is a great
mitzvah to be happy constantly!” And dancing makes a person happy.
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