QUESTION:
In a previous response [15874 – “Bresslov and Beyond”] the Rav said that not all the Gedolim agreed that Bresslov is the only path of completely serving Hashem. I want to ask a fundamental question about all this. On one hand, I think it’s impossible to ignore the lessons and teachings of Reb Nachman of Bresslov and his student Reb Nosson, and it seems that their teachings were prophetic for our generation today. Already a few hundred years ago, Reb Nachman and Reb Nosson of Bresslov identified so well how the problems of falling into despair, sadness, and problems with kedushah (personal holiness) and lack of spending time alone talking to Hashem are the roots of all issues, and they revealed wonderful advice on how to deal with these struggles, which previously had not been addressed that much. Reb Nachman and Reb Nosson saw that the time had come to start addressing these issues. On the other hand, when I learn the sefarim of Bresslov, I find statements that excessively praise the greatness of their teachings and how every single person needs to become immersed in these teachings, and if not, a person cannot become close to Hashem. Although I get much chizuk from the Bresslover sefarim, I feel that there are certain parts I don’t accept, such as what I just mentioned. I would rather take what I like and ignore these excessive, exaggerated praises of their own words of Torah. But someone told me that this is impossible to do, because he claims that the Torah teachings of Reb Nachman is the most wonderful Torah in the world and that it’s all the highest level of Ruach HaKodesh, far superior to all other sefarim, and that no one has the right to say which parts Reb Nachman was right about and which parts he isn’t right about. However, I am not at peace with all the excessive praise that Reb Nachman says about his own Torah. It’s a strong argument that’s hard to answer. Yet, the Ramchal says the same thing, because after the Ramchal wrote Derech Hashem and Daas Tevunos, he wrote that he got permission to reveal everything hidden in the Torah. Although the Ramchal’s words are written in a prophetic style without being proofs to everything he says – similar to the Arizal’s style – I find it hard to believe that the Ramchal could say that he revealed every secret of the Torah. But am I being a heretic and disparaging the Torah scholars of history because I don’t feel at peace in believing everything they said? My question boils down to: Should a person believe all the Torah of Bresslov [and the Ramchal’s Torah] even though they excessively praised their own Torah? Am I being disrespectful and brazen by asking this question? Or am I not obligated to believe in everything that Bresslov [and the Ramchal] said?
ANSWER:
You need to believe everything the tzaddikim said. But for every machlokes between tzaddikim, you need to apply the rule of “Their words and their words are the words of the living G-d.”
[The following uses terms of Kaballah]. The root of Rebbi Nachman’s Torah is in Chochmah Stimaah d’Arich [or Mocha Stimaah, hidden mind] and even more than that, it is rooted in Chochmah d’Radla. It is a wisdom that comes from ayin, which is Keser d’Radla. That is why the Torah of Rebbi Nachman is presented as a root of everything. But there is a level above this, which is Keser itself. That is the illumination of Mashiach, the very level of Keser, as it is written, “And the crows of royalty will be given to you.”
QUESTION
2) What is the meaning of the Bresslover teaching the “sefer Likutei Moharan is the most wondrous sefer which there is nothing like in the world from all the generations”?
ANSWER
It contains a flow of wondrous wisdom (Chochmah), like a “stream that flows as a source of wisdom.” The words of Rebbi Nachman seem to skip around from one topic to another, and it seems as if there isn’t much of a connection between one line and another, but upon deeper analysis, there is really a deep connection that binds together all of his words, it is all interconnected. In contrast to this, all other sefarim of Raboseinu (our holy teachers) revealed Torah that was logical, understandable, and deep, such as the sefarim of Chabad. Other paths formed a structure of wisdom, such as the teachings of the Reshash and the Leshem. Others formed an inner, logical exoskeleton behind all of the inner wisdom, and this is what the Ramchal and R’ Eizik Chaver (Pischei Shearim) did. Others encompassed all of the Torah in all its parts and arranged it all in a wondrous manner, such as the Gra. Each of them reached his place in Torah according to his personal root and his personal share.
QUESTION
3) Were there any Gedolim who were deeply familiar with the Torah of Reb Nachman and his student (Reb Nosson) who didn’t agree with them? And if yes, what problem did they see in this path?
ANSWER
They suspected that certain damages will come out of this path, and we can see this in our own generation today.
QUESTION
4) Why does the Torah of Likutei Moharan (Reb Nachman) and Likutei Halachos (Reb Nosson) focus so much on having a connection to the true tzaddik? While it is true that the Baal Shem Tov and his students taught about the need to connect to tzaddik, it is Bresslov uniquely which stresses how connection to the tzaddik is tied to everything, how only the tzaddik can sweeten all denim and how our every breath comes from the tzaddik, etc.
ANSWER
[Kabbalah]. It is Yesod d’Atik, which connects together Arich Anpin. That is rooted in Yesod of Adam Kadmon, which is the “new Shem Ma”H (45-letter name of Hashem).”
QUESTION
5) The Rav explained that every person has his own way of serving Hashem, and only individuals throughout the generations merited that their path became a general path for all others to take. Did that include the Ramchal, Baal Shem Tov, Rebbi Nachman, and all the mussar approaches? Why is it that Chassidus is going strong until today’s times whereas the mussar sefarim seem to be in the distance? Can it be that the paths of avodas Hashem which aren’t popular anymore today were only a prophecy needed for the generation that they were said in?
ANSWER
See answer 2. Understand this well!
[The following uses terms of Kaballah]. The root of Rebbi Nachman’s Torah is in Chochmah Stimaah d’Arich [or Mocha Stimaah, hidden mind] and even more than that, it is rooted in Chochmah d’Radla. It is a wisdom that comes from ayin, which is Keser d’Radla. That is why the Torah of Rebbi Nachman is presented as a root of everything. But there is a level above this, which is Keser itself. That is the illumination of Mashiach, the very level of Keser, as it is written, “And the crows of royalty will be given to you.”
QUESTION
2) What is the meaning of the Bresslover teaching the “sefer Likutei Moharan is the most wondrous sefer which there is nothing like in the world from all the generations”?
ANSWER
It contains a flow of wondrous wisdom (Chochmah), like a “stream that flows as a source of wisdom.” The words of Rebbi Nachman seem to skip around from one topic to another, and it seems as if there isn’t much of a connection between one line and another, but upon deeper analysis, there is really a deep connection that binds together all of his words, it is all interconnected. In contrast to this, all other sefarim of Raboseinu (our holy teachers) revealed Torah that was logical, understandable, and deep, such as the sefarim of Chabad. Other paths formed a structure of wisdom, such as the teachings of the Reshash and the Leshem. Others formed an inner, logical exoskeleton behind all of the inner wisdom, and this is what the Ramchal and R’ Eizik Chaver (Pischei Shearim) did. Others encompassed all of the Torah in all its parts and arranged it all in a wondrous manner, such as the Gra. Each of them reached his place in Torah according to his personal root and his personal share.
QUESTION
3) Were there any Gedolim who were deeply familiar with the Torah of Reb Nachman and his student (Reb Nosson) who didn’t agree with them? And if yes, what problem did they see in this path?
ANSWER
They suspected that certain damages will come out of this path, and we can see this in our own generation today.
QUESTION
4) Why does the Torah of Likutei Moharan (Reb Nachman) and Likutei Halachos (Reb Nosson) focus so much on having a connection to the true tzaddik? While it is true that the Baal Shem Tov and his students taught about the need to connect to tzaddik, it is Bresslov uniquely which stresses how connection to the tzaddik is tied to everything, how only the tzaddik can sweeten all denim and how our every breath comes from the tzaddik, etc.
ANSWER
[Kabbalah]. It is Yesod d’Atik, which connects together Arich Anpin. That is rooted in Yesod of Adam Kadmon, which is the “new Shem Ma”H (45-letter name of Hashem).”
QUESTION
5) The Rav explained that every person has his own way of serving Hashem, and only individuals throughout the generations merited that their path became a general path for all others to take. Did that include the Ramchal, Baal Shem Tov, Rebbi Nachman, and all the mussar approaches? Why is it that Chassidus is going strong until today’s times whereas the mussar sefarim seem to be in the distance? Can it be that the paths of avodas Hashem which aren’t popular anymore today were only a prophecy needed for the generation that they were said in?
ANSWER
See answer 2. Understand this well!
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