For the elevation of the souls of the pure and righteous who were murdered for the sanctification of His name, may their blood be avenged.
From the teachings of our master, the light of the world, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, may his merit protect us.
“And on the fifth day, he shall bring his offering…” (Numbers 7:36)
The essence of man’s existence and purpose is to reveal the unity of the blessed Creator in the world. And the main way to reveal His unity is through the breaking of desires.
Every desire and every pleasure that a person has in this world comes from the side of the other, from the side of impurity. And when a person breaks his desire, he thereby breaks the power of the other and reveals the unity of the blessed Creator.
And my master, my father, and my teacher, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, of blessed memory, said that the main advice for breaking desires is to engage in Torah and prayer with all one’s might.
For the Torah is the “bread of the poor,” and it is also the “bread of the rich.” When a person engages in the Torah, he receives from it according to his level. If he is poor, he receives from it according to his poverty, and if he is rich, he receives from it according to his wealth.
And our master said that the main way to break the desire for food, which is the head of all desires, is by eating with holiness and purity. And he said that a person should be careful to eat only kosher food, and he should also be careful to eat only what is necessary for the health of his body, and not to fill his belly with delicacies.
And when a person eats with holiness and purity, he thereby breaks the desire for food, and he also breaks all the other desires that are dependent on it. And then he merits to feel the taste of the Torah, and he merits to feel the sweetness of the fear of Heaven.
And our master said that the main thing is to begin. A person should not say, “How can I break my desires? It is too hard for me.” Rather, he should begin, and G-d will help him.
And so, my dear brothers, let us strengthen ourselves in this matter. Let us be careful to eat with holiness and purity. Let us be careful to engage in Torah and prayer with all our might. And then we will merit to break all our desires, and we will merit to reveal the unity of the blessed Creator in the world. Amen, may it be His will.
A Jew. This is our identity. The essence of our being. A Jew is connected to G-d. He speaks to Him, knows Him, and feels Him. And from this connection, he draws his entire life force.
And our forefather Jacob declared in his will to his sons, when they gathered around his bed: “Perhaps, G-d forbid, there is some flaw in my bed.” That is, perhaps one of my sons is not completely with G-d, and his heart is divided, and there are other calculations besides the calculation of Heaven. To which they all answered as one, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one.” Just as in your heart there is only One, so too in our hearts there is only One.
From the moment a person gets up in the morning, he must know and feel that he is a servant of G-d. Every action and every movement he makes is connected to the blessed Creator. When he puts on his clothes, when he washes his hands, when he makes a blessing, and in everything he does throughout the day, he is connected to his Creator.
And a person who lives this way, his life is full of meaning. His life is true. His life is good. He has the merit of feeling the Creator at every moment, and he feels good.
And so, we do not need to seek temporary pleasures. We do not need to look for things that will give us a momentary good feeling. We have the real thing. We have the good that is eternal.
And our forefather Jacob, before his passing, commanded his sons to be engaged in Torah and mitzvot, and he told them that through this they would merit to inherit the world to come. And he said to them: “My sons, I beg you, do not be among those who sit in the corners and do not be among those who count the stars. For your inheritance is not in this world, but in the world to come.”
And so, when a person is connected to G-d, he is not afraid of anything. He knows that everything is from G-d, and everything is for the best. He knows that even the difficult things that happen to him are for his benefit, and they come to elevate him and to purify him.
And so, my dear brothers, let us strengthen ourselves in our connection to G-d. Let us live a life of Torah and mitzvot. Let us be connected to our Creator, and then we will merit a good and long life, in this world and in the world to come. Amen, may it be His will.
A person must know and believe with perfect faith that everything that happens in the world is for the best. Even the things that seem bad to us, in the end, are for our good. And when a person knows this, he lives a life of joy and happiness. He is not afraid of anything, and he does not worry about anything. He knows that everything is in the hands of Heaven, and everything that G-d does is for the best.
And our master, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, of blessed memory, said that the main test of a person’s faith is when he is in a state of smallness, when things are not going well for him. At that time, he must strengthen himself in his faith and know that this is also for the best.
And he said that the main way to strengthen one’s faith is by talking to G-d. A person should talk to G-d in his own words, like a son talking to his father. He should pour out his heart to G-d, and he should ask G-d to help him to strengthen his faith.
And when a person talks to G-d, G-d helps him. G-d gives him the strength to overcome his tests, and He helps him to see the good in everything.
And so, my dear brothers, let us strengthen ourselves in this matter. Let us talk to G-d every day. Let us pour out our hearts to Him. Let us ask Him to help us to strengthen our faith. And then we will merit to live a life of joy and happiness, a life of faith and trust in G-d. Amen, may it be His will.
