#rabbi nachman of breslov

[anchorsnreignbows]

When I was a child and my brother was a teen starting to be interested in Breslov, I would sometimes convince him to take me with him to Hitbodedut in the nearby ”forest”. Since you’re supposed to be completely alone he’d get really far from me (we set a time and place for meeting again).

During hitbodedut, people usually speak to god directly, from the heart, and often yell out to him. Well I was a child in a dark forest alone, jackals somewhere around me howling at the moon, so instead of calling out “Tate” I’d call out my brother’s name, with perhaps the same spiritual intensity.

I don’t believe in god nowadays, but this is how I understand the term Tzelem Elohim.

she asked me if i believed in god and i told her that when i was four i almost drowned in a public pool and in my panic mistook a stranger for my father. i clawed my way up his leg. four years later he’d send my parents a picture of the scars alongside a tin of cookies. he said, “i hope she’s still okay. i carry her with me. it isn’t every day you save a life. it isn’t every day you feel like you were here for a reason. when it does happen, you have to cherish that memory. for once, i had a purpose. just being there was enough. she tore me open but she taught me a lot about love.”

[joemerl]

“If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?”

— Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

[shalom-iamcominghome]

Drop the 3 book titles 👀

The Holy Fire: The Teachings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto by Nehemia Polen (ISBN: 978-0765760265)

The Empty Chair: Finding Hope and Joy―Timeless Wisdom from a Hasidic Master, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov edited by Moshe Mykoff (ISBN: 978-1879045675)

Seventh Heaven: Celebrating Shabbat with Rebbe Nachman of Breslov by Moshe Mykoff (ISBN: 978-1683362883)

I've ordered The Empty Chair since it's cheaper on ThriftBooks versus Amazon, but I'm definitely planning on reading all of these. We spoke at length about mental health and fears of antisemitism this time around, and my rabbi was very enthusiastic about the books he talked about. I'm very much looking forward to hearing more chassidic thoughts - I'm endlessly fascinated by that movement, personally.

[anonymousdandelion]

for my sake, the world was created; for the world's sake, I was created.

[nebylitsa]

Set aside time each day to meditate and pray alone in a room or some meadow and express your innermost thoughts and feelings and personal prayers to God. [...] If at times you find yourself unable to speak to God or even open your mouth, the very fact that you are there before [It] wanting and yearning to speak is itself very good. You can even turn your very inability to speak into a prayer. Tell God that you feel so far away that you cannot even speak to [It]! Ask [It] to have mercy on you and open your mouth to tell [It] what you need. [...] If you cannot speak at all [...] even saying a single word is also very beneficial. If you can only say one word, keep strong and repeat that word over and over again, countless times. Even if you spend day after day meditating with that word, this in itself is very good. If you are persistent and repeat that word countless times, God will have mercy and open your mouth, and you will be able to express yourself. [...] You can shout and scream with a “still, small voice” without anybody hearing you. Everybody can do this. Imagine the sound of such a scream in your mind. Imagine the shout exactly as it would sound. Concentrate on hearing the scream in your mind until you are literally screaming with this soundless “still, small voice” - and nobody else will hear anything.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov on the Hasidic practice of hitbodedut

[sefaradweb]

Rosh Hashaná en Ucrania

🇪🇸 Unos 34.000 judíos jasídicos peregrinaron a la ciudad ucraniana de Uman para celebrar Rosh Hashaná, el año nuevo judío, a pesar de los bombardeos rusos y las dificultades para viajar, agravadas por el ataque iraní contra Israel en octubre de 2024. Esta ciudad, donde está enterrado el rabino Najman de Breslov, ha sido un lugar de peregrinación durante años. Aunque muchos peregrinos enfrentaron la cancelación de vuelos desde Israel, lograron llegar para rezar, cantar y bailar junto a la tumba del rabino. Uman, bajo toque de queda y estrictas medidas de seguridad, no fue atacada durante las festividades, y los peregrinos manifestaron su apoyo a Ucrania, mientras aportaban una ayuda económica crucial para la ciudad en guerra.

🇺🇸 Around 34,000 Hasidic Jews made a pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, despite Russian bombings and travel difficulties exacerbated by the Iranian attack on Israel in October 2024. Uman, where Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried, has long been a pilgrimage site. Although many pilgrims faced flight cancellations from Israel, they managed to arrive to pray, sing, and dance by the rabbi's tomb. Uman, under curfew and strict security, was not attacked during the festivities, and the pilgrims expressed their support for Ukraine while providing crucial economic aid to the war-torn city.

[casualfruit]

I'd recommend not getting a Hebrew tattoo unless you either know the language or have a connection to Judaism. you run the risk of having a typo tattooed on your body without recognising it, and potentially culturally appropriating judaism if the term of origin you're tattooing is connected to a religious practice.

the term you thought to tattoo on you, "kol ha'olam kulo [...]" is from an Israeli song that was inspired by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, I believe this song has a deep cultural significance in Israel due to its message.

sorry, idk if you're Jewish or not, but Jewish culture isn't really for goyim, you usually wouldn't tattoo yourself with a quote belonging to a minority without having a connection to that minority, because that's cultural appropriation.

Hi anon! First, I just want to thank you for making me laugh first thing in the morning, because I needed that.

Second, I appreciate you not even bothering to read my blog title, which very prominently displays the phrase “REVENGE OF THE JEWFRO”, something that should indicate a high likelihood that I am, in fact, Jewish. I’m honestly not sure how you managed to miss that while navigating to my blog to send me this ask, but congrats on pulling it off!

Furthermore, I really like how you didn’t check my blog under any Judaism/Jewish-related tags, because if you did you would see a lot of content (including a lot about me musing about my Jewish identity!) over the course of the nine-ish years I’ve had this blog.

As it happens, I am staunchly anti-Zionist, so that’s the only thing that might make me reconsider getting that phrase as a tattoo. Maybe. I might get it anyway because it’s a good message and I’m sort of collecting them on my body in various languages, and I’ve wanted a Hebrew tattoo for about five years now.

If you’re Jewish, dear anon, I’m honestly a little surprised you fucked this up so badly. If you’re a goy (which I doubt, since goyim don’t tend to use the word “goy”), shut the fuck up lmaoooo

Anyway, thanks again for this ridiculous message, and stay away from callout posts because clearly you do less than zero research before making wild assumptions about other people.

[pargolettasworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KgUp9Gusdk

When this song started playing, I was on the fence about it.  I wasn’t entirely convinced that Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s famous words about courage and the concept of “lounge music” were two great tastes that tasted great together.  But four and a half minutes later, I was completely on board.  As this song goes on, it picks up from relaxed lounge music into a sort of quiet but joyful confidence.  This is the music of optimism, and it’s exactly the kind of mood you want when you’re trying to cross a very narrow bridge knowing that the trick is not to be afraid.  This music won’t let you be afraid.  You listen to this, and you will know that you can cross any bridge, no matter how narrow.

[pleasestopthese]

nine people i'd like to get to know better

Tagged by: @civilcervant

Last song: kol haolam kulo by rabbi nachman of breslov, performed by everybody who was just at shabbat dinner in hebrew, german and ukrainian. if we're talking recorded performances though it was sleeping giant by herbie hancock, on crossings.

Favourite colour: greens that tend a little blue. phthalate green is my phone bsckground.

Last TV show: fargo season 5, best fucking season so far, it was damn near perfect (not enough black people wth it's fuckin minnesota), dot and munch are the best written characters in the whole series.

Last movie: the boy and the heron. it was cute. when miyazaki doesn't be fascist in his movies they're better than the ones where he does.

Sweet/spicy/savoury: spicy sweet is my favorite flavor combo.

Relationship status: there's a text i'm afraid to look at.

Last thing I googled: wordstar postscript. i'm trying to figure out how to get output from wordstar 4.0 that my laser printer will understand in spite of having no way to connect it to freedos. printer hack people get at me.

Current obsession: stationery. i have a magnetic clipboard folio showing up in a few days i'm unreasonably excited about and also a telescoping pen case so i can finally look at all my massive collection of pens in one place and stop adding to it.

Tags: @magspag @e-glyde @lunaticobscurity @2peachy @gehe-lihiyot-androgynos-varda @darrylayo @imblessedtoexist @its-gita-time @arjache

[ashes-in-a-jar]

That one very old Hassidic story by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov where a king had a prophecy that an infection in the crops will make everyone lose their minds. The king conferred with his closest and most trusted advisor who suggested they should save up crops from this year so they can be saved but the king argued that there won't be enough to save everyone in the kingdom, meaning only the two of them will remain sane while everyone goes mad.

The king's solution was to eat the crop alongside everyone else but mark their foreheads with the word 'insane' so they will at least know they've gone mad

[koheletgirl]

when rabbi nachman of breslov wrote "the whole world is a very narrow bridge and the key is to be entirely unafraid" he was talking about me playing tears of the kingdom

[rabbishlomonachman]

How To Pray and Meditate: From Hitbodedut to Devekut. All People of positive intent are welcome!

#beitemunah, #jewish #meditation #breslov #prayer #torah

[globalworship]

Interfaith Canticle of Praise with Creation (art by JA Swanson)

John August Swanson is one of my favorite artists, who specializes in the artform of serigraphs. I was delighted to meet him a few years before his death in 2021.

"His art reflected his strong heritage of storytelling, inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. Swanson’s narratives are direct and easily understood. He addressed human values, cultural roots, and the quest for self-discovery through visual images. These include Bible stories and celebrations, circuses, concerts, and operas. He optimistically embraced life and spiritual transformation." https://johnaugustswanson.com/about-the-artist/

Here's a fascinating poster he created in 2015 with wisdom from 3 different Abrahamic faiths. Details are below the image.

+++

Description from the webpage for the poster:

A Prayer Before Nature, by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, is hand-drawn in the style of David Jones at the top of this poster.

Beneath this prayer are a series of small paintings depicting six of the Canticles of St. Francis of Assisi. Swanson repainted these images from the images bordering his 2002 serigraph, FRANCIS AND THE WOLF.

Centered beneath these images is text drawn from a Turkish Muslim woman’s description of her daily prayers (called Salat).

Swanson brought these elements together to underscore the similarities and universality of the message.

+++

All art and information is from this webpage, where you can buy the poster for only $15. https://johnaugustswanson.com/catalog/canticle-poster/

His studio continues to post his art at https://www.facebook.com/JohnAugustSwansonStudio

[lennart11412]

1. “It is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and whoever holds on to her is happy.” (

Proverbs 3:18

)

For Jews, this is arguably the most well-known line in the Book of Proverbs, especially because it may be the origin of the idea that wisdom, or more specifically Torah (in the classical Jewish interpretation), is a “tree of life” (etz hayim in Hebrew).

Etz hayim serves as a source of inspiration for everything from Jewish jewelry to the names of synagogues and prayer books. It is also a focal point of the Torah service on Shabbat mornings, in which the line and similar ones from Proverbs are sung as the Torah is taken out.

2. “Happy are those who find wisdom…for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. She is more precious than rubies; All of your goods cannot equal her.” (

Proverbs 3:13-15

)

While Proverbs is an ancient text, these lines prove that some wisdom is timeless. In our modern consumerist culture, it’s tempting to spend our energy chasing more money, a flashy car or the newest phone. Centuries and centuries later, Proverbs is here to remind us that knowledge is worth more than anything.

3. “A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up.” (

Proverbs 24:16

)

There are plenty of instances throughout the Tanakh where even the greatest leaders made mistakes and faced hardships and challenges, such as Moses killing the Egyptian or Joseph taunting his brothers. Jewish texts also extensively talk about what it means to be a righteous person, or a tzadik. According to Proverbs 24:16, resilience and determination are central attributes to living a righteous life. But no one gets everything right on the first try.

4. “Just like iron sharpens iron, a man sharpens the wit of his friend.” (

Proverbs 27:17

)

The creation story outlined in Genesis includes a powerful statement from God: “It is not good for mankind to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) In the Torah, this leads to the creation of Eve whose existence relieves Adam from the burden of being the only human in existence. In Proverbs, we can understand this line to be an extension of that idea, especially since it led to a creation of its own: the ancient Jewish tradition of studying in pairs (havruta in Hebrew). In the Talmud (Taanit 7a), Rabbi Hanina cites this exact line from Proverbs to explain why Torah is best learned in pairs. Having a partner or havruta allows the learner to pose questions, consider other interpretations and master the subject at hand.        

5. “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but lawlessness covers the mouth of the wicked.” (

Proverbs 10:11

)

This line further explains what makes someone righteous: not only their actions, but also their speech. It’s also one of many examples from the Book of Proverbs that condemn lashon hara (Hebrew for “evil speech”). Gossip, slander and rumors all fall under the umbrella of lashon hara, which is forbidden in Judaism.

6. “If there is anxiety in a man’s mind, let him quash and transform it into joy with encouragement.” (

Proverbs 12:25

)

This sentiment is echoed again in Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart makes for good health; Despondency dries up the bones.”

Pursuing a life of joy and happiness, even in the face of hardship, is encouraged by various Jewish leaders, most notably by Rav Nachman, the founder of the Hasidic Breslov sect. Rav Nachman is widely known for declaring that “It is a great mitzvah to be happy” and “It is forbidden to be sad.” Rav Nachman’s teachings also acknowledged that struggle and sadness are inevitable and that these emotions should not be ignored, but faced and treated.

Happiness is difficult to achieve in isolation. So much of Judaism is about embracing community — some of the most important mitzvot involve what we can do for others, such as bikkur cholim, or visiting the sick — so it makes sense that this verse would not only encourage us to help our fellow humans, but to specifically bring them back to joy Proverbs 12:25 similarly reminds us of our power to make a change in someone else’s life. If you know someone is struggling, you have the ability (in many situations) to offer encouragement and support. Making someone joyful is of immeasurable value.

7. “Every clever man acts knowledgeably, but a foolish man exposes his stupidity.” (

Proverbs 13:16

)

This verse reminds us that we should always consider our actions carefully, and sometimes, it’s better to let people reveal themselves for who they really are, rather than working to expose someone as foolish. Proverbs 13:16 is referenced repeatedly in foundational Mussar texts, such as Orchot Tzaddikim (Hebrew for “The Ways of the Righteous”).

8. “He who guards his mouth and tongue protects himself from trouble.” (

Proverbs 21:23

)

This line can be likened to a common colloquial phrase: Think before you speak. Proverbs 10:11 already reminded us that righteousness means not participating in lashon hara. Proverbs 21:23 goes farther by showing us that by being mindful of our words, we are protecting ourselves from the many consequences that can come with gossiping or spreading rumors. Not only can we hurt others that way — we can also hurt ourselves.

9. “Grandchildren are the crown of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents.” (

Proverbs 17:6

)

Judaism encourages not only procreation, but also passing the Jewish tradition from generation to generation. This verse alludes to something deeper. Children will follow the example of those closest to them, so being a good role model and demonstrating what living a righteous life looks like for the next generation is just as important as imparting your own wisdom. However, it is also important to reflect on who was a mentor and role model to you. Through intergenerational reciprocity, we can understand that older generations are valuable to younger generations, just as youth are to their grandparents.

10. “More than any observance, protect your heart, for it is the source of life.” (

Proverbs 4:23

)

In a midrash, Rav Abba was cited as saying that “There are 248 commandments in the Torah corresponding to the organs that are in a human being; for each and every organ cries out at the person and says, ‘Perform a commandment with me so that we may live through its merit and you may lengthen your life.’” (Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 2:1) While modern science disagrees regarding our organ count, the underlying message stands on its own. What is a human without a heart? Without our hearts, how could we connect to Jewish tradition and the mitzvot?    

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241002_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology, unreasonable risk and stormy weather + this day in history w/”you’re all going to die tonight” and our song of the day by Doyley & the Rejects on your #MorningMonarchy for October 2, 2024. Notes/Links: Winamp Releases Source Code, But Is It Really Open? https://hackaday.com/2024/09/24/winamp-releases-source-code-but-is-it-really-open/ ‘It hasn’t delivered’: The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240111-it-hasnt-delivered-the-spectacular-failure-of-self-checkout-technology Video: The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology (Audio) https://youtu.be/zDILuTQ_GKI Tiffany Williams & Dalton Mills – “Gold Watch And Chain” (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR_3Z0yB1CY Kamala Harris October surprise psyop! This dock strike is all staged. Kamala will come in and negotiate a deal that saves the day. The main stream media will make her out a hero! Bookmark this tweet! https://x.com/Sweetcaligurl07/status/1840789188133974296/video/1 https://x.com/RyanMattaMedia/status/1840903059049742763 Revealed: The US Government-Funded ‘Private Social Network’ Attacking Pesticide Critics https://sustainablepulse.com/2024/09/29/revealed-the-us-government-funded-private-social-network-attacking-pesticide-critics/ Cancer Risk from Pesticides Equivalent to Smoking – New US Study https://sustainablepulse.com/2024/08/06/cancer-risk-from-pesticides-equivalent-to-smoking-new-us-study/ Judge Orders EPA to Address Potential Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water; ‘The risk to health at exposure levels in United States drinking water is sufficiently high to trigger regulatory response by the EPA,’ Judge Edward Chen said. https://archive.is/hPBpi After 7 years of pursuing legal action, FluorideAction (FAN) has reportedly won their lawsuit against the EPA. https://x.com/decensorednews/status/1838945423794352544 EPA Must Reduce Fluoride’s IQ Risks to Children, Court Says https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/epa-must-reduce-fluorides-risks-to-childrens-iq-court-says Video: Fluoride in Water Poses “Unreasonable Risk” to Children, Federal Judge Rules (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM72aS88388 Town Meeting – “Moonlight On The Tracks” (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZohLB1wq7I Trading one war for another, Israeli Jews stream to Ukraine’s Uman for Rosh Hashanah; Ignoring warnings from authorities about ongoing Russian invasion, over 14,000 pilgrims arrive for annual new year festival at grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov https://www.timesofisrael.com/trading-one-war-for-another-israeli-jews-stream-to-ukraines-uman-for-rosh-hashanah/ Helene kills at least 90, homes and memories washed away https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hurricane-helene-wreaks-havoc-us-southeast-death-toll-rises-2024-09-29/ Hurricane Helene live updates: Death toll rises to 166 ahead of Biden, Harris visits https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/hurricane-helene/?id=113931821 Video: Hurricane Helene brought ‘historic devastation,’ Asheville, North Carolina mayor says (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3F5Id1cZZU Jesse Welles – “Autumn” (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p2Yo6iZzvk October 2014 – Page 3 – Media Monarchy https://mediamonarchy.com/2014/10/page/3/ Flashback: How #HongKong Protesters Get Around Official #Censorship (Oct. 2, 2014) https://mediamonarchy.com/how-hongkong-protesters-get-around/ #ThisDayInHistory/#MorningMonarchy: October 2, 2017 – Las Vegas concert goer says a woman told her and group of friends, “you’re all going to die tonight,” 45 minutes before shooting. (Audio) https://mediamonarchy.com/20171002morningmonarchy/ #PumpUpThaVolume: October 2, 2017 ♬ Prince & Tom Petty’s death day https://mediamonarchy.com/20171002pumpupthavolume/ #GoodNewsNextWeek: Cord-Cutting Winter Is Coming + Website Farms & Animals Return https://mediamonarc...

[pargolettasworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupl4XAdPfs

An old text, a new setting -- for Jewish music, two great tastes that taste great together!  Here, Cantor Abby Gostein has set a poem written by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (the originator of such immortal hits as “the whole world is a very narrow bridge, but the important thing is not to be afraid”) about the unique qualities of every individual’s prayer.  I do like this text, because it gets right down to the idea that everything, even an individual blade of grass, has the capacity for holiness, and that nothing is too small to be important.