The eighth of Av

Monday, December 22, 2014

Rabbi Nachman of Breslav

רבי נחמן מברסלב

Rebbe Nachman never claimed that he was the Messiah. He taught the general Hasidic concept of the “Tzaddik Ha-Dor”- צדיק הדור (Tzaddik of the Generation), which is the idea that in every generation, a special, saintly person is born who could potentially become the Jewish Messiah if conditions were right in the world. Otherwise, this Tzaddik lives and dies the same as any other holy man.

Toward the end of his life, he said, "My fire will burn until the coming of Mashiach" -האש שלי תוקד עד ביאת המשיח -indicating that the Messiah had not yet arrived.

Breslover Chasidim do not believe that Rabbi Nachman was the Messiah, but they do believe that the light of his teachings continues to illuminate the paths of Jews from many disparate backgrounds. In the book “Chayei Moharan”- חיי מורן (p.266) it relates that Rabbi Nachman said "All the benefits Messiah can do for Israel, I can do; the only difference is Messiah will decree and it will happen, but I -- (and he stopped and did not say more) [alternate version: I cannot finish yet]".

Rabbi Nachman died at the young age of 38 on the 4^th day of Succoth (18^th Tishrei) 18^th October 1810 and was buried in Uman. To this day thousands of his followers make the pilgrimage to his grave on Rosh Hashanah- the Jewish New Year.

Among his popular teachings are:

It is a great mitzvah to be happy always

מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד

1449=18

If you believe that you can cause damage

אם אתה מאמין שיכולים לקלקל

3064+5 words=18

Then believe that you can rectify

תאמין שיכולים לתקן

3357+3 words=18

And know that man needs to pass over a very very narrow bridge-

but the main thing is to have no fear at all

וְדַע שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבר עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאד מְאד וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר שֶׁלּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל

3424+14 words=3438=18

My fire will burn until the coming of Mashiach

האש שלי תוקד עד ביאת המשיח

2006=8

The gematria of the name “Rabbi Nachman from Uman”- רבי נחמן מאומן is 1797+3 words =1800.

The gematria of the words Rabbi Nachman Breslav- רבי נחמן ברסלב is 1304=8.

The gematria of the words “The General Rectification”- HaTikkun HaKlali- התיקון הכללי is 666=18.

The number 666 has special significance as it corresponds to the dimensions of the Luchot (6*6*6 Tefachim) and the 216 letters in the Explicit Name of Hashem.