Ein Yaakov 017b – Hilula – Yahrzeit of Rabbi Natan of Nemirov zal – 10th of Teveth – Turning Torah Into Tefilah

Ein Yaakov 017b – Hilula – Yahrzeit of Rabbi Natan of Nemirov zal – 10th of Teveth – Turning Torah Into Tefilah – Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal. Hilula – memorial Shiur about the events leading up to the passing of Rabbi Natan b’Rav Naftali Hertz Sternhartz zal of Nemirov on Erev Shabbat, the 10th of Teveth, 5605 (1844-12-20). Recorded the evening before the fast of the 10th of Teveth, 5731 (1971-01-06).
00:00 – Introduction. On the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Natan zal it is a custom to read the letter written by the students of Rabbi Natan in the city of Breslov to the students of Rabbi Natan in the city of Tcherin. On the Shabbat preceding his passing, Rabbi Natan zal spoke about the soul’s ability to remain in the physical world after death, hinting at his own histalkut (passing away). The Sefer haNisraf – the “Burnt Book” – a manuscript that Rebbe Nachman wrote and then had destroyed.
13:56 – “The Seforim we have of Rabbeinu zal today are all due to Rabbi Natan zal.”
14:25 – Rabbi Zvi Teplik zal.
15:00 – Rabbi Natan encouraged saying a lot of Tehillim… no matter if with more Kavana (concentration/intent) or less.
15:07 – Rabbi Natan’s last day: Sipurey Maasiot – the Stories of Rebbe Nachman.
15:19 – Rabbi Natan’s final requests to his students: To remain united with ahava and continue to publish Rebbe Nachman’s seforim .
15:53 – The three tragedies of the 10th of Teveth. The passing of Ezra HaSofer on the 9th of Teveth.
19:14 – The Zohar Hakodesh states that often when a Rabbi asks a question, it indicates that he has a new answer.
19:28 – Rabbi Nathan’s Chiddush – Torah innovation – regarding the historical events of the 9th and 10th of Teveth.
20:57 – Yerushalayim means “perfection of fear [of HaShem].”
23:04 – Rabbi Natan made a Siyum on Shulchan Aruch (the Codes of Torah Law) on the day of his passing. He ate a small seudah of bread and soup and bentched, adding words about Eretz Yisrael.
25:35 – Following his meal, Rabbi Natan spoke with Rabbi Nachman Tulchin zal. Then, after lighting the candles of Shabbat and saying Hamapil, Rabbi Natan passed away just before Shabbat, in peace, through Histalkut beNeshika – HaShem’s kiss.
27:23 – The kevura – burial – of Rabbi Natan took place on Motzei Shabbat.
30:07 – Words of encouragement for kavana during tefilah and Hitbodedut – private prayer in one’s own words, in seclusion.
32:22 – The most accomplished level of Hitbodedut – personal prayer – is to ask Hashem for the privilege to fulfill the words of Torah that one is learning. Rabbi Natan’s sefer Likutey Tefilot is a powerful example of “Turning Torah into Tefilah”.
37:01 – *”When the neshama of a tzaddik rises on his yahrzeit, the souls of his students rise with him.”

Indexing and Notes by S.Y. Wurtzel.