R’ Rosenfeld – Praises of Rebbe Nachman – Lesson 01a – Speaking About Tzaddikim Removes Harsh Decrees – Rebbe Nachman’s Childhood

Shevachey HaRan – Praises of Rebbe Nachman – is a biography written by his closest student, Reb Noson of Nemirov zal. The Life of Rebbe Nachman – Speaking About Tzaddikim Removes Harsh Decrees – Rebbe Nachman’s Childhood – Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal. This series of classes began shortly before Rosh Hashanah 5736 (late summer, 1975).

• 00:00 Introduction to Breslov chassidus and to the writings of and about Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
• 03:37 Rebbe Nachman is known as both Rebbe Nachman ben Simcha (his father) and Rebbe Nachman ben Feige (his mother).
• 04:50 Rebbe Nachman’s paternal grandfather was Rebbe Nachman Horodenker zal. The traditional spelling of Rebbe Nachman’s mother’s name פיגא – Feigeh – is with one yud.
• 07:02 Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai zal. Rebbe Nachman ben Simcha begematria is exactly Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai zal.
• 08:16 Rebbe Nachman established himself in the city of Breslov.
• 12:37 There are 50 degrees of wisdom. “Fifty Gates of Understanding were created in the world, and they were all given, except for one” (Rosh HaShanah 21b). Moshe Rabbeinu’s tefilah to enter Eretz Yisrael. VaEschanan is 515 b’gematria tefilah. He passed away on Har Nevo (‘noon’ is within ‘it’ – the 50th level of understanding). There is a tunnel between Har Nevo and Mearas HaMachpeleh, so the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu is in Chevron (Hebron). The name “Nachman” is MoaCH NooN – mind/wisdom of the 50th degree – he had the 50th degree of wisdom and Moshe Rabbeinu.
• 15:38 The greatest desire of Moshe Rabbeinu was to get to Eretz Yisrael. The gematria of “Rebbe Nachman ben Feigeh” (with one Yud) is 516 – indicating that he achieved the completion of Moshe Rabbeinu’s goal.
• 17:36 It is important to speak and hear about the lives of tzaddikim. Reference to Likutey Moharan 234.
• 20:15 Rebbe Nachman was born in Medzhibozh, Ukraine, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, 5532 “…just about 203 and a half years ago”. [From this statement we calculated the year in which this series of shiurim began.]
• 23:11 Rebbe Nachman began teaching at the time of his Bar Mitzvah and marriage. His first student was Reb Shimon, who is buried in Tzefas (Safed) near the Arizal.
• 25:28 “We are going to start with the sefer Shevachey HaRan, followed by Sichos HaRan. Rabbi Rosenfeld addresses the question: why record these lessons even though the information is written in a sefer? Because it is of infinite benefit to speak about the lives of tzaddikim.
• 29:42 “Right now it’s nighttime. But I state honestly, truthfully, that I believe much more that Rabbeinu zal is the Tzaddik Emes than I believe that it is nighttime now.”
• 30:23 Rebbe Nachman’s early childhood, before the age of six years old.