Be Prepared…Just in Case…
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Why Uman? Uman Copyright © R.Levy, 2013. Contact: reuvenorrivka@hotmail.com. Why Uman?Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld Z’tl (a gadol of the previous generation, who used to have a chevruta with the Lubabitcher Rebbe and was one of four Rabbanim that R. Feinstein Z’tl would consult before his major Halachic rulings), said “There is nothing more important for a person to do in this lifetime than to go to the kever of Rabbi Nachman in Uman. There is nothing a person can do or achieve in this world which can affect the past and future of his Neshama as visiting R. Nachman’s grave.” What did Rabbi Nachman say about it?Rabbi Nachman took an oath in front of two kosher witnesses and said “whoever comes to my gravesite, recites the Tikkun Klali and gives a peruta (small coin) to charity, I will take that person out of Gehinnom”. This refers not only to the Gehinnom we face in the world to come, but also the Gehinnom which we struggle with in this world. Not for all the money in the world…A story is told of Rabbi Shmuel Shapira (one of the leading Rabbis of previous generations) who once met with Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz. Rav Horowitz had successfully managed to get to the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman, which was very hard to reach in those days, as Ukraine was at that time behind the Russian ‘iron curtain’. Rabbi Shapira requested from Rabbi Horowitz that he sell to him just one of the times Rav Horowitz had visited the grave of Rav Nachman. In return, Rav Shapira offered to pay him with a great spiritual gain from his own mitzvot. Rabbi Shmuel Shapira replied that in return for receiving the merit of one visit to Rav Nachman’s grave, he would give to Rav Shapira, written on signed document, a transfer of all of the mitzvot that he had ever done in his entire life until that day and all those mitzvot he would do for the rest of his life and, in addition, all of his Olam Haba!” All those present at the time trembled when they heard this. The Olam Haba of Rav Shmuel Shapira! of whom the Admor of Gur testified that two thirds of the world stood in the merit of his (R. Shmuel Shapira’s) Shmirat Enayim! Rav Horowitz stepped backwards and cried out, “no, no. I am fooling myself. I am not prepared to sell for anything in this world, for any price which you could offer me, such a great thing as this.” Can Rabbi Nachman really pull me out of Gehinnom?A person might think that Rav Nachman’s promise to pull him out of Gehinnom is simply a ‘turn of phrase’ or ‘mashal’ (parable) for some spiritual teaching, but this is not correct. Rabbi Nachman was very clear in his words and he knew the severity of making a false oath. In fact, the concept of pulling someone out of Gehinnom is not new. It is explicitly written about in the Gemara (Chagigah, 15b). There, Rabbi Yochanan explains to the Rabbis that when he dies he will go into Gehinnon and pull out Acher (the holy sage Elisha Ben Abuya, who had become a heretic after entering the ‘Pardes’ with R. Akiva). “Who will stop me if I take him out by the hand?” R. Yochanan explains. When Rav Yochanan subsequently passes away, the Gemara testifies that the smoke which had until that point emitted from Acher’s grave stopped. They then said in eulogy to R. Yochanan, “even the watchman at the entrance [to Gehinnom] could not stop you, Rabbenu.” In the World to Come, the world of truth, the Zaddikim are in charge of the angels. Fortunate is a person indeed who binds themselves to the true Zaddikim whilst he is in this world, and who will then merit their protection in the next. Saved from the Heavenly tribunal…There are a number of occurrences of people who, after have been to Uman, subsequently suffer a clinical death, eg following road traffic accidents (I’m aware, bli neder, of at least three such occurrences). At the Heavenly Tribunal, where all looked very black and onerous, on each occasion, Rabbi Nachman walked in and simply took the person out of the Court Room. No one stopped him. “Leave him,” R. Nachman is quoted as saying, “he is one of mine”. These individuals then returned back to life, and subsequently (and not surprisingly) made complete teshuva. One such story was told by a man who came to Uman on Rosh Hashana just for the ‘party’. He never once went into the Kever, and his only connection to Rabbi Nachman was that as he was getting into the taxi to leave Uman, he turned towards the Kever and said “see you later Rabbi!”. He later said that was what had saved him. All the more so, one who tries to bind himself to the Tzaddik by learning his teachings and following his advice. For such a person, Rabbenu promises to rectify his Neshama from its root in Adam HaRishon all the way to its final gilgul (reincarnation) in Yemot HaMashiach. HitbodedutRabbi Nachman writes that the practice of Hitbodedut (personal prayer) surpasses all other forms of avodat Hashem. It is the greatest expression of our own individual, personal service of Hashem. Many people have a built-in resistance to talking to G-d. They say that they’re too busy, or they don’t know what to say, they feel bored, frustrated or stupid. Dr Zev Ballen, an eminent psychologist, writes in his new book Emuna Coaching, that whatever the excuse, our resistance to talking to G-d is actually rooted in a fear of finding ourselves and not liking what we find. However, talking to G-d is not at all difficult. Even two words (or just one word – “HASHEM!”) count as an act of personal prayer. Once a person gets used to the idea, he can truly rectify his soul simply through personal prayer each day. When a person speaks out the innermost thoughts and feelings of his heart to the Creator of the World, like he would speak to a good friend, Hashem guides that person along his own unique path to lead him to his ultimate soul correction. What do I say in Hitbodedut?The following are suggestions, as each person’s personal prayers are really a unique expression of his own Neshama. What results can I expect from a visit to Rabbi Nachman?No two people are the same. No two Neshamot are the same. No two people’s tasks in life or their tikkunim are the same. So too, the results of a visit to Rav Nachman are not the same for everyone. Some people have amazing spiritual experiences at the Kever. Some see visions of Rabbi Nachman, some hear him speaking to them, others break down in tears. Still others can visit every year for 10 years, and feel nothing special at all. We can illustrate this with a parable told by Rabbi Nachman. A man has a dream. In the dream he sees there is treasure under a certain bridge in Warsaw. He wakes up, ponders the dream momentarily and then ignores it. However, he keeps having the same dream each night. Eventually, he decides he has to go to Warsaw to see if the treasure really exists. He arrives there and finds the bridge which he dreamed about and starts to dig under it. A local policeman sees him and comes over, demanding an explanation as to why he is digging under this bridge. He realizes that he has no choice but to tell him the truth about his dream. The policeman hears the story and starts laughing. ‘Stupid Jew’ he tells him, “do you really believe in such nonsense?” “I myself had a dream last night that there was treasure under the floor of a certain Jew living on Pushka Street in Breslov. Who believes such nonsense!” The man, who lived on Pushka Street in Breslov, realized the policeman was talking about his house and rushes home. He looks under his own floor and finds there the treasure. What’s the parable teaching us? Sometimes you have to travel to a distant place to realize that the treasure you seek is actually right there at home. In the context of our journey to Uman, sometimes the results don’t start to show until we get back home. Sometimes, we make this choice without even realizing it – and I’m not talking about those times when we make the wrong choices by mistake, I’m talking about actually making the right choice, but not realizing it. There was once a man who made his living by collecting copper. Each day he would search around the marketplace looking for scraps of the metal to sell. One day he came across a pile of gold, just lying there, waiting to be taken. What did he do? He dropped the copper and ran to pick up the gold. The above parable speaks about us. We may go around filling our lives with relatively lowly pursuits (such as pursuing the materiality of this world through seeking career or financial success). However, when we merit seeing the true value in this world, such as Torah, Mitzvot and getting close to Hashem, we then drop our previously held materialistic desires and just run after the truth. This can happen on a conscious level (for example, a person sees clearly the truth of Hashem’s holy Torah and makes a conscious decision to dedicate his life to fulfilling Hashem’s will) but, it can also happen on an unconscious level. The Gemara says in a number of places (eg Megillah, 3a) “ee lo chazi, mazlei chazi”, meaning “even if the person doesn’t see, his soul sees”. In other words, we can arrive at the kever of a holy Tzaddik and come away without any apparent spiritual lift. However, our Neshama was, without us realizing it, on fire, dancing and singing in the holy light which radiated from the Tzadik. We’ve changed, but we haven’t, at that point, become consciously aware of it. Suddenly, however, the materiality of the world loses its appeal, and we start to have thoughts of sincere teshuva. Chopping off the arms and legs of aveirotRav Nachman said that he can ‘chop off the arms and legs of our aveirot’. A story is told of a chasid who brought his secular friend to Uman. This friend had been known for his partying and womanising. He wasn’t terribly interested in being in Uman and did not have a particularly inspiring experience there. However, not long after he returned to Israel, the secular friend called up the Chasid, and exclaimed to him “What have you done to me!?! I can’t enjoy it any more!!” (meaning he had suddenly lost all his enjoyment from his partying). Our journey in this world is only a temporary one. The delights and temptations which the Yetzer Hara places in front of us offer a temporary high, but an ultimate low, as we lose both this world and the World to Come as a result. May Hashem give us the strength to run only after the truth. |
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPilgrimage to Rebbe Nachman’s grave Tomb of Nachman of Breslov Every Rosh Hashana, there is a major pilgrimage by tens of thousands of Hasidim and others from around the world to the burial site of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, located on the former site of the Jewish cemetery in a rebuilt synagogue. Rebbe Nachman spent the last five months of his life in Uman, and specifically requested to be buried here. As believed by the Breslov Hassidim, before his death he solemnly promised to intercede on behalf of anyone who would come to pray on his grave on Rosh Hashana, “be he the worst of sinners”; thus, a pilgrimage to this grave provides the best chance of getting unscathed through the stern judgement which, according to Jewish faith, God passes on everybody on Yom Kippur. |
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 Breslov Research Institute https://breslov.org/ Short History of the Annual Kibutz in Uman on Rohs HshannahA Little HistoryWe have been witnessing remarkable events lately. History has suddenly come alive, and is no longer confined to school texts and dust-covered history books. The drama is continuing to unfold before our eyes in Eastern Europe and what was once the Soviet Union. Newspapers have been filled with pictures of one massive statue after another being toppled by a crowd that has had enough. We can’t keep up with the dizzying pace of events that has put books, maps and even newspapers out of date before they are printed. In Uman a tiny dot on the map a gate has cracked open. Which indeed they could well have done had it not been for Reb Noson, only thirty at the time of the Rebbe’s passing. After the Rebbe’s burial that Sukkos of 1810, all the chassidim who had been with him in Uman journeyed back to their respective home towns to confront their private thoughts as the harsh Ukrainian winter set in. Although not the most senior of his chassidim, Reb Noson had been closest to the Rebbe during his lifetime, and was of course devastated by his early passing. He could not accept that this was the end of the story. As the weeks passed, all kinds of statements the Rebbe had made over the years kept running through his mind especially about the power of visiting his gravesite. Within a few months, with the snow still thick on the ground, Reb Noson hired a carriage and journeyed from village to village picking up those who had been Rebbe Nachman’s followers for their first pilgrimage to Uman to pray at the Rebbe’s Tzion (grave) on Rosh Chodesh Shevat (January), 1811. When Rebbe Nachman first became sick, he told his followers that if they would continue to follow his pathways and work to develop and purify themselves, even people who had not known him in his lifetime would become attached to them, and they in turn would make more followers …for I have accomplished and I will accomplish. In the years after his passing, the Rebbe’s promise began to come true. His leading followers all had many disciples of their own, and so the Breslov movement began to grow. Because of the draw of the Rebbe’s Tzion, it was natural for Uman to become more and more of a focus. This was especially so after 1866, when Reb Noson’s leading pupil, Reb Nachman of Tulchin, moved there. The Breslov community in Uman became a vibrant center of spirituality and devotion. Seeking Jews would travel to Uman from all over Ukraine, White Russia, Lithuania and even as far away as Poland in search of the living Torah of Rebbe Nachman. That should have been it, but it wasn’t. Under Stalin you did not put in an appeal to preserve a Jewish cemetery if you valued your life. Still, in the rubble left after the Nazi desecration, Reb Zavel Lubarski was able to find traces of two poles which had stood at the head and foot of the grave to support a rail. The plot of land containing Rebbe’s grave was then acquired by a Breslover Chassid, Reb Daniel, the ger (convert). The exact position of the grave having been located, the house was designed in such a way that its exterior wall would run alongside it, and the grave was thus inconspicuously protected in the private yard of the house. After Reb Daniel emigrated to Israel, the house came into the hands of a non-Jewish couple, who have lived there, until the property was purchased by the Vaad in 1997. The successive ravages of the Bolsheviks and the Nazis and the rigors of Stalinism forced the remnants of the Breslover Chassidim in Ukraine to go underground. Any visits they made to the Tzion had to be covert. But in the meantime those who had emigrated had established new Breslov centers in Israel and America, and these were expanding rapidly. Until the 1960s all access to Uman was completely barred to Jews from outside Russia, but that did not prevent people from studying and practicing Rebbe Nachman’s teachings, and hearing from their elders about what Uman stood for. The first little chink in the Iron Curtain opened up in the summer of 1963, when a student of the late Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld met with Reb Michal Dorfman in Moscow and told him of his wish to travel to Uman, an impossibility at that time. Reb Michal agreed to meet him in Kiev and accompany him to Uman. Being caught would have meant immediate exile to Siberia, but the trip came off, opening a door to Uman for the first time in over thirty years. The following winter a group of eleven people from the United States traveled to Uman under the leadership of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld. More trips followed, but owing to the presence of military installations nearby, the Soviets circumscribed the visitors in every conceivable way. You had to travel all the way to Kiev just to apply for the special visa required to visit Uman, and visas were as often as not refused. Even when they were granted, it was forbidden to visit Uman unaccompanied, and certainly not to stay in the town overnight. Reb Noson once said, Even if the road to Uman were paved with knives, I would crawl there just so I could be at Rebbe Nachman’s grave. For the most devoted Breslovers, visiting Rebbe Nachman’s Tzion was the dream of a lifetime. People resorted to all kinds of stratagems to get around the Soviet obstinacy, sometimes putting themselves at considerable risk to travel to Uman even without a visa. One of the main principles of Breslov teaching is that the obstacles to any holy goal are only sent in order to increase one’s yearning and determination to achieve it. How many prayers flowed forth in the endeavor to get to Uman! And they were answered. One way or another, there was a steady trickle of visitors to the Tzion. No where was this more evident than in the desire of the Breslover Chassidim to be by the Rebbe for the Rosh HaShanah kibutz (“gathering”). The Kibutz It was Reb Noson who spelled out what the Rebbe meant. Just as his chassidim had come to him for Rosh HaShanah during his lifetime, so they should in the future come to his gravesite. When Reb Noson arranged the first pilgrimage to the Rebbe’s Tzion in the winter of 1811, one of his main intentions was to impress this on the other chassidim. Hwever, out of the hundreds that had come for the Rebbe’s last Rosh HaShanah, only about sixty travelled to Uman the following year. Even so, this was enough to encourage Reb Noson to feel that the Rosh HaShanah gathering could continue, and indeed with each year the numbers grew. At first the Breslover Chassidim would pray in the local synagogue. Within ten years, however, there were so many visitors that they could not all be accommodated there. Each year somewhere else had to be found to hold the services. Reb Noson used to make the arrangements, and it soon became clear to him that the only practical solution was to build a Breslover shul in Uman. The enormous costs involved made this an awesome undertaking, but by Rosh HaShanah 1829 Reb Noson realized he had no alternative. He feared that if Rosh HaShanah came and he was unable to secure a large enough place, the overcrowding would discourage people from coming, which might put an end to the annual Rosh HaShanah gatherings. But the joy was short-lived. With uncanny timing, the forces of hatred against Breslov Chassidus, which had for years been simmering and fermenting more or less underground, finally erupted into open warfare. Antagonism to Rebbe Nachman’s teachings had always existed among those who found them too much of an assault on their own complacent attitudes. After the Rebbe’s passing, the opposition was directed against the Breslov Chassidim in general, but especially against Reb Noson, who was doing more than anyone to spread the Rebbe’s teachings. It was now unleashed with unmitigated fury. What followed was, unfortunately, not one of the finer moments in Jewish history. Reb Noson’s opponents denounced him to the Russian authorities as a false prophet whose activities were against the interests of the Czar and therefore treasonable. Reb Noson was promptly arrested, exiled to Nemirov, the town of his birth, and placed under house arrest. A week before Rosh HaShanah 1835, Reb Noson secretly left Nemirov in the middle of the night to go to Uman. His hope was that if he was already there, his opponents might at least leave him in peace for the Days of Awe. Undeterred, they reported him to the authorities, and the night before Rosh HaShanah, the police arrived with drawn weapons in order to capture Reb Noson, who was led through the streets like a common criminal. However, due to the intervention of Uman’s leading maskilim, whom the authorities knew and trusted, and with whom Reb Noson had always maintained a relationship, a deal was struck permitting him to remain in Uman for Rosh HaShanah. Later, whenever Reb Noson would recall the suffering he endured to spend that Rosh HaShanah in Uman, he would say that it was more meaningful than any other Rosh HaShanah he had ever experienced. With the steady spread of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings, the annual Rosh HaShanah gatherings attracted visitors from further afield. By the early 1900s people were coming from Poland and even from Israel, where the beginnings of a Breslov community were forming. Despite the hardships of pre-modern travel, Uman remained fairly accessible until 1917, when the Russian border was closed. The chassidim in Poland then started holding their own Rosh HaShanah gathering in Lublin, while the Breslovers in Jerusalem established another. In the 1940s Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz, a grandson of Reb Noson who had moved to Israel shortly before the war, started an annual gathering in Meron at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar. The violent repression of Jewish religious activity in Russia forced the Rosh HaShanah gatherings in Uman underground. Nevertheless, even after the Second World War, the few remaining Breslover Chassidim in Russia continued holding a secret Rosh HaShanah minyan in Uman despite the risk of imprisonment. However, with the shift of the Breslov movement to Israel and the U.S., the main Rosh HaShanah gatherings were those held in Israel. By the 1970s and ’80s the gatherings held in Meron and Jerusalem were each attracting many thousands, while smaller gatherings were held in New York, and later in Manchester, England. The gatherings in Meron and Jerusalem were major events, involving a whole organizational infrastructure to arrange accommodation, meals and so on. The two days of intense prayer, communal eating, chassidic study sessions, song and dance created a unique atmosphere that made a deep impression on many who had never been in Uman and never dreamed that they would ever go. From time to time during the Rosh HaShanah dancing, a few people would sing the traditional Breslover song, Uman, Uman, Rosh HaShanah… But the idea of actually being in Uman for Rosh HaShanah was as laughable as Avraham and Sarah having a baby in their old age. Yet they did! And so too the Breslovers came back to Uman in spite of the Iron Curtain! The draw of Rebbe Nachman’s Tzion never lost its hold over the imagination of the Breslover Chassidim. By the early ’80s more and more organized groups were traveling to Uman from the U.S., Britain and even Israel. The Russian authorities turned down all requests to arrange a tour to coincide with Rosh HaShanah they still wouldn’t even allow visitors to stay in Uman overnight but the Breslovers kept on asking… and praying… And in 1988 it happened. After protracted negotiations, the Soviet facade began to crack, and the authorities finally gave permission for two hundred-fifty people to spend Rosh HaShanah in Uman. Even after agreeing, they kept on changing their minds, creating innumerable difficulties along the way. Nevertheless, by a miracle, it came off. Uman’s one and only hotel an old, shabby, delapidated building more like an army barracks was innundated with chassidim, who sang, danced and poured out their hearts in prayer, leaving the bemused locals to stare at the strange specter in total wonderment. The following year, over a thousand people came. A large, empty factory site was rented some ten minutes walk from the gravesite. The production halls were hastily converted into a synagogue, dining hall and dormitories, and food was flown in from Israel. Elderly Jews who had lived their entire lives in Uman began stepping forward out of nowhere to join the festivities. The sight of so many of their emancipated brethren literally dancing in the streets finally convinced them that they could at last drop the paranoid attitudes which had perforce become second nature during the long years of Stalinist, Nazi and post-Stalinist persecution. By Rosh HaShanah 1990, the number of visitors had doubled to two thousand, and an even larger factory site was acquired two minutes from the gravesite. As Rebbe Nachman once said: Every year people say that previous years were better and times are not as good as they were before. But the opposite is true. God now directs the world better than ever (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #307) |
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Rosh Hashanna With the TzadikCHAPNUMB 3 To help put this in perspective, traveling to the tzaddikim is hardly a new idea our Sages allude to it in the Talmud. In the time of the Holy Temple, the shofar was not heard on Shabbos except in the Temple [where the Sanhedrin sat]. When the Temple was destroyed, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai instituted the custom of sounding the shofar wherever a bet din (rabbinical court the tzaddikim) convened (Rosh HaShanah 29b). Thus the custom of traveling to spend Rosh HaShanah with the tzaddikim goes back thousands of years. That his followers should travel to him for Rosh HaShanah was one of the things Rebbe Nachman was most emphatic about. Although many other chassidim traveled to the Tzaddikim for Rosh HaShanah, there was no one who was as insistent about the matter as Rebbe Nachman (Tzaddik #23). He said, “My Rosh HaShanah is completely new. God gave me the gift of knowing what Rosh HaShanah is” (ibid. #406). Rebbe Nachman said that on Rosh HaShanah he was able to help people in certain ways that he simply was not able to the rest of the year (Tzaddik #406). He put so much stress on the importance of his Rosh HaShanah that he exclaimed, “My very essence is Rosh HaShanah!” (ibid. #403). The Head Rosh HaShanah has an entirely different character than Pesach, Shavuos or Sukkos. It is the Day of Judgement. Our health, our wealth, indeed our very lives are at stake. In a sense, Rosh HaShanah is a repeat of Creation. In order to create anything new, there is always an element of judgment. What form should this new creation take? What will be best, taking all the different factors into account? Should we go ahead at all? Rosh HaShanah is no different. It requires, from God’s side, a new creation: a New Year. The year to come has not yet been, and needs to be brought into existence. Creation. Just as construction of a building requires a blueprint, so too, the construction of the year needs a specific plan. Just as an architect draws up the blueprints for the building, so is God the architect for the year. His plans are prepared and drafted on Rosh HaShanah. So Rosh HaShanah is not merely the first day of the Jewish calendar. It is the outline for the entire year. Aside from his many other considerations, Rebbe Nachman places paramount importance on Rosh HaShanah because he wants to impress upon us the significance of the head what we can accomplish if we attempt to begin the year properly and have our heads our thoughts in the right place. Therefore, Rebbe Nachman teaches: We must be wise on Rosh HaShanah we should only think good, positive thoughts: that God will be good to us and give us a good year, and that we will do our best to live the way we know we should. And, because Rosh HaShanah is associated with thought rather than speech, the Rebbe also counsels us to be very careful to speak as little as possible on the first day of Rosh HaShanah (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #21). The Shofar We can see now that Rosh HaShanah is the day that the rest of the year depends on even the rest of the world. As the Rebbe said: “The entire world is dependent upon my Rosh HaShanah” (Tzaddik #405). So what is it that Rebbe Nachman wants us to gain from this day? Rosh HaShanah is actually a marvelous goodness to the world, and as the Rebbe teaches, God gave Rosh HaShanah out of great kindness (Likutey Moharan II, 1:14). When we begin to fathom the remarkable role that the tzaddik can play on this day, we realize why it is considered such a goodness and, in fact, presents us with a unique opportunity. On Rosh HaShanah, all of creation comes before God to be judged (Rosh HaShanah 16a). We are judged for every act, every word, even every thought. If we truly believe this, we know that we have cause for concern. Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichov used to say, “When Elul comes around, I feel the fear in my shoulders” (Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen). So what are we to do? Repent! Yes, but if things are as bad as we think they are, what chance do we have? The charge sheet may be pages long. The credit sheet is at best so-so. Rebbe Nachman teaches that people should travel to the Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah. Why? Since decrees pertaining to the entire year are issued on Rosh HaShanah, this is the best time to mitigate and sweeten any decree. But how can this be done? Each individual decree has a precise and specific way of its own to be mitigated. A decree can only be sweetened at its source found in a specific place in God’s thought (the Upper Wisdom). If we want to turn every judgment into compassion and kindness, we need to rise to each one of these sources individually. This is the concept of the honey in which we dip the apple, for traveling to the tzaddik is the means of sweetening the decrees for the entire year. This is quite an undertaking for anyone, but Rebbe Nachman tells us that there is a level of Divine Wisdom where all individual wisdoms are merged in unity an all-inclusive Wisdom so exalted that it encompasses the sources of all individual judgments. Since all individual decrees ultimately emanate from this all-inclusive Wisdom, someone who is able to rise to this level actually has the ability to sweeten all decrees without having to mitigate each and every one individually. Certain outstanding Tzaddikim have this power, and this is why people go to them for Rosh HaShanah. Each person comes with his individual problems, his personal limitations, his own good and bad. The Tzaddik, because he can rise to the highest source, can take each constriction, each judgment and decree, and sweeten it, and thus kindness and compassion are aroused for the entire year (Likutey Moharan I, 61:6,7). Rosh HaShanah is a day of judgment, when dire decrees can be issued against a person or his family, God forbid. Yet it also contains its own antidote against strict judgment. Therefore, even if a person fell short of what he should have been during the year, he has a chance, a good chance, to make amends and begin afresh. The New Year brings with it an opportunity for a new start, so that even if the charge sheet is indeed long, the seemingly impossible task of setting everything right can be made much easier by traveling to the Tzaddik. |
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Spiritual Preperations for Rosh HashannahGetting ReadyThe practical business of getting to Uman can involve a great deal of thought and preparation, yet this should not allow us to neglect the spiritual preparations necessary for the Day of Judgment. Elul, the last month of the Jewish year, has an intrinsic quality that makes it particularly conducive to repentance, and the spiritual advances we make in this period prepare us beautifully for the Day of Judgment. Cleansing. Getting ready for Rosh HaShanah is much like preparing to meet the King. Few of us today have had any exposure to true royalty, nor have we grown up with that sense of respect and reverence for kings and powerful rulers that previous generations had. Today our impressions of those who rule are all too often colored by the widespread scandals surrounding so many leading figures and our awareness of their true nature. This may make it difficult for us to imagine the awe evoked in a person who comes before a king. Yet we are not, of course, even talking about being brought before an earthly ruler. On Rosh HaShanah, we are brought before the King of the Universe, who will scrutinize us in profound and uncomfortable detail. We have to be ready! One goes before a king dressed appropriately. The clothes a person wears and the way he wears them are among the greatest indicators of his personality and what he has made of himself. Just as we have physical clothes, so too we have spiritual clothes. These are made up of our thoughts, words and actions, which literally envelop our soul, giving exact expression to who and what we really are. Coming before the Almighty, our spiritual garments must be scrubbed as clean as they can be. The month of Elul is specifically the time when we concentrate our energies on cleansing our spiritual selves. There is no more effective way to cleanse ourselves than through taking care about the way we speak. What we say, and the way we say it, accurately reflects our inner essence, because it is speech that expresses our da’at our mind and inner consciousness. Speech is the mother of action, since the way we articulate our inner thoughts and desires has a decisive influence over the things we do. Speech is the intermediary between thought and action. Thus the way we speak is an indication of the degree to which our lives are devoted to the holy. There are people who have made themselves a world where not a word they say concerns God. Their mouths are full of criticism, ridicule, cynicism and sarcasm, and they only have ears for similar talk from others. The exquisite Godliness which exists in all things remains hidden and unrevealed to them. The one truth is the existence of God. If we can stick to the truth, and use our language to assert and reveal His presence, we thereby have an awesome power to channel Godliness directly into the mundane world we live in. Godliness can then dwell in the world. As a start, this can be as simple as making it a point, when something good happens to you, to acknowledge where it came from! Hisbodedus. Thanking God for the good in our lives is one of the best ways to start a session of Hisbodedus the private prayer and meditation in one’s native tongue, that Rebbe Nachman advocated as the highest level of devotion. It is particularly important to set aside time for this practice during Elul. It can be a very rewarding experience to make a detailed list of all the things we have to be grateful for, from our health, strength, faculties, family, home, livelihood… to the mitzvos we have the privilege of performing every day… and the very fact that we are Jews, with a holy soul that will endure for ever. By focusing on the good and developing a positive outlook we put ourselves in a far stronger position to grapple with the evil within us. Hisbodedus is the time to take a calm, honest look at ourselves to see where we need to improve. Changing entrenched habits can be difficult. The first step is to ask God to help. The essence of hisbodedus is simplicity to express ourselves to God in simple, straightforward language the way we would talk to an intimate friend. Shortly before Rebbe Nachman passed away, when he was seriously ill, his grandson, Yisroel, came into him. The Rebbe said: Pray to God that I should become well again. The little boy went aside and said: God! God! Let my zeida be well! The adults in the room started smiling, but Rebbe Nachman said: This is how we have to ask things of God. What other way is there to pray? (Tzaddik #439). Hisbodedus is the key to repentance: each session is a practical workshop in self-cleansing. Study. Rebbe Nachman suggested to some of his followers to read through the entire TaNaKh (Bible) during the period from the beginning of Elul up till the end of Sukkos (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #251). The study of the Zohar and Tikkuney Zohar is also extrememly beneficial during this period: the very language used in these works is so holy that it has the power to motivate us to serve God. The same holds true of the teachings of Rebbe Nachman in his Likutey Moharan, The Aleph-Bet Book, Rabbi Nachman’s Stories and Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom (see Kokhavey Or, p. 77f #26,27). Some Breslover Chassidim try to go through all of these works during this period. Another important aid to repentance is reciting Psalms (Likutey Moharan I, 73). Pidyon Nefesh Redemption. The day before Rosh HaShanah is a very good time for presenting a pidyon charity money given to the Tzaddik in order to redeem oneself in the eyes of Heaven and cleanse one’s soul (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #214). Nowadays, Breslover Chassidim give this redemption money to an elder of the community.
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Difficulties & Obstacles; Encouragement & AdviceUman Uman Rosh Hashannah This applies even to those who have already had a taste of an Uman Rosh HaShanah and who normally find it hard to imagine ever going anywhere else how much more does it apply to those who are contemplating going for the first time. Today the trip to Uman ought to be almost as easy as booking your tickets and packing a suitcase. Even so, while the collapse of the Soviet Union eliminated many of the obstacles that existed, others cropped up. Few people are in the happy position of not having to wonder how to finance such a trip. One of the first things to do is to pray for the necessary funds… and then start saving! The Breslover Chassidim of old used to put aside a special savings box at the beginning of the year and add at least a few coins every so often. For those whose yearning to go is very strong, the necessary funds often have a way of appearing at the very moment when things seem most hopeless. Rebbe Nachman explicitly stated: “I have already made it my business to take care of the expenses of those who come to me for Rosh HaShanah (Siach Sarfei Kodesh 1-27).” Many today can testify to this as an actuality! Another obstacle most people come up against is their sense of responsibility to their families, community and the like. Understandably, wives have always had great difficulties with the idea of being left at home with the children on this holiday. Yet it is important to point out that the husband, as in many other realms of Jewish life, is considered the family’s representative in the long term, the benefits from the trip to Uman are enjoyed by the rest of the family as well. As for the short term, Reb Noson once remarked: “It is one of God’s miracles that Yom Kippur comes right after Rosh HaShanah. This way, the members of the family have to forgive each other!” (Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen; Siach Sarfei Kodesh 1-665). Even after dealing with all the other issues, there may well still be a nagging voice inside that keeps saying, I can only get a good night’s sleep in my own bed… I won’t be able to eat the kind of food I’m used to… the davening will be so crowded… wouldn’t it be just as good to stay at home? Surely my kavanah in davening will be much better I won’t have the distractions of an unfamiliar place! These were exactly the points one of his followers put to Rebbe Nachman, saying he much preferred being with him when things were quieter. The Rebbe responded: “Whether you eat or don’t eat; whether you sleep or don’t sleep; whether you concentrate on your prayers or you don’t concentrate properly… just make sure you are with me for Rosh HaShanah”. Reb Noson adds: “All the distractions the man mentioned were purely imaginary. They were the promptings of the evil inclination because thank God it was perfectly evident that in the main people prayed with deeper concentration among the assembled chassidim on Rosh HaShanah than they would have done if they had prayed in their own home towns” (Tzaddik #404). Every effort and sacrifice, large or small, that we make in our journey to the Tzaddik is precious. Two of Rebbe Nachman’s closest followers, Reb Yudel and Reb Shmuel Isaac, used to travel long distances to get from their homes to the Rebbe. At one point they wanted to move to the same region so as to be close to him all the time, and so they did. The Rebbe then told them he greatly missed their journeys to him. With every single step they would take on their way an angel was created. They said, But what about all our efforts and running before we finally hired the coach to bring us? They are also included, replied the Rebbe. Every one of those steps also creates an angel. Just before his last Rosh HaShanah in Uman, the Rebbe spoke about this again and said: “Oh to have the merit to see the clear, radiant light of the roads you travel to be with” (Tzaddik #291). |
Tomb of Nachman of Breslov
Being Prepared for War or Natural DisasterBy Tamar Yonah30September2012 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/5050#.U7Dm5lGk2b8 This morning, erev chag (before the holiday), I sent my husband out shopping for last minute groceries I would need for the Sukkot Holiday. The grocery store and parking lot were a mad house! You couldn’t find a parking space. You couldn’t find a free shopping cart, all were in use. Check out lines went towards the back of the store, as everyone having just coming out of the Shabbat (Sabbath) now needed more groceries to prepare for the next day of festive meals for the family. …and this was not even a war.
The Iranian Leader, Achmadinejad has threatened to annihilate the State of Israel. PM Netanyahu spoke at the U.N. last week about ‘red lines’ and gas masks and home front command ‘suggestions and recommendations’ have been distributed to the population these last several motnhs. …And you are still not prepared in case a war should break out?
Now, none of us want a war, and we do not KNOW that there will be a war. But we must be prepared, just in case. None of the items you will need for your family are frivolous. You will need them down the line in any case, and it is better to be prepared, even minimally, than having to be caught with your pants down, and then running to the grocery in hopes it is open, has food on it’s shelves, and is not an intolerable mad house which in itself is a nightmare.
I have just finished a quite intense interview with Dr. William Forstchen, author of the book, “One Second After” about what would happen after an EMP nuclear attack over your skies. The interview is unnerving, but packed full of information – information that is vital for all to know. Ironically, a friend of mine in Jerusalem, Howard Linett, who is a Terrorism Expert, Tactical Instructor, Expert Witness, Author and columnist for ‘survival’ type magazines sent me an article he wrote (hastily) and asked if I would publish it. My interview and his piece had no connection, but the timing does give a portending that we should ALL be making (even minimal) preparations. Here is his piece below, and here is the link to the interview I did on the topic of a nuclear attack. Pass them around to your friends and family. You could be saving lives.
———————————————— How to Stock Your Disaster PantryWorried about having enough food to last through the next mega-storm? Here’s our guide to a sensible backup food supply that will sustain a family for a month. |
Longer-Term Food Storagehttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/food-storage/longer-term-food-supply?lang=eng
Foods Lasting 30 Years or MoreProperly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (24°C/75°F or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought, according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for many products has increased to 30 years or more (see chart below for new estimates of shelf life).
Product RecommendationsThe following suggested amounts are for one adult.
You may also want to add other items to your longer-term storage such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil. To meet nutritional needs, also store foods containing vitamin C and other essential nutrients. Packaging RecommendationsRecommended containers for longer-term storage include the following:
These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Storage ConditionsStorage life can be significantly impacted by the following conditions:
Dry Products for Longer-Term Food StorageProducts intended for longer-term storage must be dry (about 10% or less moisture content).
PETE Bottles For Longer-Term StorageBottles made of PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic can be used with oxygen absorbers to store products such as wheat, corn, and dry beans. PETE bottles are identified on the container with the letters PETE or PET under the recycle symbol. Packaging in PETE Bottles
Where to Get Oxygen Absorber Packets Oxygen AbsorbersOxygen absorbers protect dry foods from insect damage and help preserve product quality. They are used when dry foods are packaged in sealed containers. Oxygen absorbers can be purchased from home storage centers and Church Distribution Services, or they can be ordered from store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Oxygen absorbers are not an effective treatment method for plastic buckets, milk bottles, or other types of plastic bottles not identified as PETE or PET under the recycle symbol (see right).
Foil Pouches For Longer-Term StorageWhat type of pouch is available at home storage centers, at Distribution Services, and online at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org? Pouch Sealer InstructionsFor Portable Operation of AIE (and ME) 305 A1 Sealers
Filling pouches
Sealing pouches
Testing seals
Notes
Plastic Buckets For Longer-Term StoragePlastic buckets may be used to store food commodities that are dry (about 10 percent moisture or less) and low in oil content. Only buckets made of food-grade plastic with gaskets in the lid seals should be used. Buckets that have held nonfood items should not be used.
Storage of Plastic Buckets
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Pearls of Emuna is a new pocket-sized gem that includes key Emuna principles, The Tikkun Klali, the Transliterated Tikkun Klali, and Perek Shira all in English. This is your new master key to blessings and salvations! 64 pages. Softcover. ISBN: 9-5000 |
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ISBN: 56-1024 |
 Emuna Essay, Hatikkun Haklali, Psalm 148, Pereq Shira Yalkut Siach B’Sadeh – Tikkun Klali A unique collection of prayers and songs of praise. Including: Siach B’Sadeh Essay, Hatikkun Haklali, Psalm 148, Pereq Shira. Your master key to blessings and salvation. Eng/Heb, 56 pages, soft cover.
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The Garden of Gratitude – English This book is the next step up the ladder of inner peace and self-realization from Rabbi Shalom Arush The Garden of Gratitude by Rabbi Shalom Arush and translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody is an ever-so-bright spiritual light that is guaranteed to illuminate your life in a way you can’t begin to imagine. This book is the next step up the ladder of inner peace and self-realization from Rabbi Shalom Arush’s multi-million copy international best-seller, The Garden of Emuna.Written in a reader-friendly and readily comprehensible style, The Garden of Gratitude explains how to make a quantum leap in your personal and spiritual growth – through gratefulness! The attribute of gratitude is a prerequisite to true happiness and success in all of our interpersonal relations, especially marriage.If life seems to be like a brick wall or a dead end, then learning to give thanks is the key to a new tomorrow. As you’ll see in this amazing book, gratitude defies nature and invokes miracles of every type. People surrounded by the darkness of supposedly-terminal diseases or apparently insurmountable debts saw the light of day after taking the advice of this book. Imagine that your life is a digital washing machine with 26 cycles, but you only know how to use 3 of them. The Garden of Gratitude will teach you how to learn the other 23 and get the most out of your life. Reading this unforgettable book will make a dramatic change in your life for the better and will do wonders for your interpersonal relationships. This book is something you owe yourself. Deluxe softcover, 384 pages. ISBN: 56-8000 |
The Garden of Peace – English
 The Garden of Peace, Rabbi Shalom Arush’s marital guide for men The Garden of Peace, Rabbi Shalom Arush’s marital guide for men. The benefits that a husband will attain both on a spiritual and a material level defy description, once a husband gets to the root of his marital problems and makes his wife first place in his life. The nagging and complaints will disappear, as well as the petty requests and the demands on his time. The husband will feel the benefit of Divine assistance and will succeed in whatever he does. Translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody. |
The Garden of Wisdom – English A Practical Guide to Happiness in Life The Garden of Wisdom A Practical Guide to Happiness in Life As we all know, the road to happiness is strewn with formidable obstacles and grueling challenges. Modern society is plagued with ruthless competition, never-ending comparisons between oneself and others, anxiety and depression, and a general feeling of dissatisfaction. The goal of inner peace is one that few truly attain, yet so many sell their birthright to happiness for a few inconsequential thrills.The Garden of Wisdom gives the modern reader a new lease on life, a way to say goodbye to a rat-race existence and hello to a life of meaning and tranquility. Here, you will learn the secret of simplicity, as well as its intrinsic power. Bestselling author Rabbi Shalom Arush presents readers with a practical methodology for assessing themselves and moving forward in life. You’ll surely find yourself within the coming pages…With The Garden of Wisdom, you’ll be one of those fortunate individuals who succeeds in learning that simple emuna – uncomplicated faith – is the master key to opening to true success in life. What could be better? Once you read this book, you won’t know how you ever lived without it.Discover the secret power of simple emuna and how it is your key to happiness and success.By world-renown spiritual guide and bestselling author Rabbi Shalom Arush, translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody. Paperback, 343 stimulating pages.
ISBN: 42-1113 |
The Garden of Riches The Garden of Riches – A Practical Guide to Financial Success by Rabbi Shalom Arush The Garden of Riches – A Practical Guide to Financial Success by Rabbi Shalom Arush is the English-language version of B’Gan Ha’osher, translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody. This book has already become immensely popular in Israel. It’s an amazingly enjoyable, reader-friendly and informative guidebook for attaining an adequate, stress-free income and a debt-free life; this is no small blessing in light of the global economy crumbling all around us. Even more, the book will help you achieve true riches – not just in terms of money, but in terms of lasting happiness and serenity. Rabbi Shalom Arush’s track record of helping people is no less than phenomenal. His internationally-acclaimed The Garden of Emuna has helped millions of people live better lives. His respective marital manuals for men and women – The Garden of Peace and Women’s Wisdom – have virtually deflated ballooning divorce statistics, both in Israel and abroad. This book will undoubtedly improve your income too. Whether you’ve a professional, an independent businessperson, a salaried worker or a student, The Garden of Riches will surely become your trusty companion and practical guide to a pleasurable, worry-free livelihood. Deluxe paperback, 254 pag ISBN: 42-1062 |
The Warriors of Transcendence
 The Warriors of Transcendence ISBN: 56-1000
The Warriors of Transcendence This captivating fantasy, reminiscent of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, takes the reader to a different world-which is, essentially, our world. A runaway bestseller in Israel, this book has now been rewritten as a screenplay for a Hollywood film, soon to be released. 484 page ISBN: 56-1000 |
