These add to the earlier ones. Blossoms of wisdom gleaned from the conversations of Rebbe Nachman, previously existing only in manuscript form. The Rebbe spent most of his youth in the village of Ossatin190Confused by many later writers with the city of Gusyatin (or Husyatin) in the western Ukraine. Ossatin was a small village near Medvedevka and Smela, as we see here and in “His Praises” #20. near Medvedevka, where his father-in-law lived.191Rebbe Nachman lived with his father-in-law, R' Ephraim, from the time he was married shortly after his thirteenth birthday, until he was around eighteen (Tzaddik#2). This was near a large river192The Tiasman (or Tyasman) River, a tributary of the Dnieper. with many reeds and rushes growing on its banks.
The Rebbe’s holy way involved his taking at times a small boat which he rowed by himself along the river. He could not control the boat very well, but would still take it beyond the rushes where he could not be seen. It was here that he served God, secluding himself in meditation and prayer. The Rebbe himself writes that it was here that he attained what he did.
As he could not control his boat very well, when he came to the middle of the river, far from the shore, the boat would rock violently in the heavy current and seem ready to sink. The Rebbe had no idea how to remedy the situation and would lift his hands and cry out to God with true devotion.
The same thing happened later when he was in Tiberias. Attempting to escape the plague, he found himself on a narrow wall, hanging by his fingertips above the Sea of Galilee (see “His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land” #19). When he felt that he would surely fall, he cried out in his heart to God.
The Rebbe constantly repeated these stories. They were a lesson that he wanted to impress on our hearts and minds. Imagine that you are in the middle of the sea, with a storm raging to the very heart of the heavens. You are hanging on by a hairsbreadth, not knowing what to do. You do not even have time to cry out. You can only lift your eyes and heart to God.
You should always lift your heart to God like this. Seclude yourself and cry out to God. The danger is more than imaginary. As you know deep down in your soul, every man is in great danger in this world.
בִּכְפַר אוֹסְיַאטִין סָמוּךְ לָעִיר מֶעדְוֶוידִוְוקֶע, שָׁם הָיָה דָּר חָמִיו ז"ל. וְשָׁם הָיָה עִקַּר גִּדּוּלוֹ. וְשָׁם הוֹלֵךְ נָהָר גָּדוֹל וְעָלָיו גְּדֵלִים קָנֶה וָסוּף הַרְבֵּה לִמְאֹד מְאֹד.
These add to the earlier ones. Blossoms of wisdom gleaned from the conversations of Rebbe Nachman, previously existing only in manuscript form. The Rebbe spent most of his youth in the village of Ossatin190Confused by many later writers with the city of Gusyatin (or Husyatin) in the western Ukraine. Ossatin was a small village near Medvedevka and Smela, as we see here and in “His Praises” #20. near Medvedevka, where his father-in-law lived.191Rebbe Nachman lived with his father-in-law, R' Ephraim, from the time he was married shortly after his thirteenth birthday, until he was around eighteen (Tzaddik #2). This was near a large river192The Tiasman (or Tyasman) River, a tributary of the Dnieper. with many reeds and rushes growing on its banks.
הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁל אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ זצוק"ל שֶׁהָיָה לוֹקֵחַ לִפְעָמִים סְפִינָה קְטַנָּה וְשָׁט עִמָּהּ בְּעַצְמוֹ לְתוֹךְ הַנָּהָר הַנַּ"ל. אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל הֵיטֵב לְהַנְהִיג סְפִינָה זֹאת, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיָה שָׁט עִמָּהּ עַד אֲחוֹרֵי הַקָּנֶה וָסוּף, עַד הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ עוֹד. וְשָׁם עָשָׂה מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת. (אַשְׁרֵי לוֹ, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת זָכָה לְמַה שֶּׁזָּכָה כַּנִּרְאֶה בְּחוּשׁ בִּסְפָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים).
The Rebbe’s holy way involved his taking at times a small boat which he rowed by himself along the river. He could not control the boat very well, but would still take it beyond the rushes where he could not be seen. It was here that he served God, secluding himself in meditation and prayer. The Rebbe himself writes that it was here that he attained what he did.
מֵעִנְיַן הַסְּפִינָה הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁהָלַךְ עִם הַסְּפִינָה לְתוֹךְ הַנָּהָר וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע לְהַנְהִיג הַסְּפִינָה. וּכְשֶׁבָּא בְּתוֹךְ הַנָּהָר רָחוֹק מֵהַיַּבָּשָׁה וְלֹא יָדַע כְּלָל מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת, כִּי הַסְּפִינָה מִתְנוֹדֶדֶת וְכִמְעַט שֶׁטָּבַע ח"ו. וְאָז צָעַק לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְהֵרִים יָדָיו אֵלָיו כָּרָאוּי.
As he could not control his boat very well, when he came to the middle of the river, far from the shore, the boat would rock violently in the heavy current and seem ready to sink. The Rebbe had no idea how to remedy the situation and would lift his hands and cry out to God with true devotion.
וְכֵן כְּשֶׁהָיָה תָּלוּי בְּיָדָיו עַל הַחוֹמָה בִּטְבֶרְיָה כְּשֶׁרָצָה לִבְרֹחַ מֵהָעִפּוּשׁ רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן וְכוּ' וְרָאָה תַּחְתָּיו הַיָּם כִּנֶּרֶת וְכִמְעַט כִּמְעַט שֶׁיִּפֹּל (כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בְּסִפּוּר הַנְּסִיעָה שֶׁלּוֹ לְאֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל) אָז גַּם־כֵּן צָעַק בְּלִבּוֹ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּרָאוּי.
The same thing happened later when he was in Tiberias. Attempting to escape the plague, he found himself on a narrow wall, hanging by his fingertips above the Sea of Galilee (see “His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land” #19). When he felt that he would surely fall, he cried out in his heart to God.
וְהָיָה רָגִיל לְסַפֵּר זֹאת וְרָצָה לְהַכְנִיס בְּלִבֵּנוּ שֶׁכָּךְ צָרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לִצְעֹק לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלִשָּׂא לִבּוֹ אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא בְּאֶמְצַע הַיָּם תָּלוּי עַל חוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה, וְהָרוּחַ סְעָרָה סוֹעֵר עַד לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם, עַד שֶׁאֵין יוֹדְעִין מַה לַעֲשׂוֹת וְכִמְעַט אֵין פְּנַאי אֲפִלּוּ לִצְעֹק. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת בְּוַדַּאי אֵין לוֹ עֵצָה וּמָנוֹס כִּי־אִם לִשָּׂא עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
The Rebbe constantly repeated these stories. They were a lesson that he wanted to impress on our hearts and minds. Imagine that you are in the middle of the sea, with a storm raging to the very heart of the heavens. You are hanging on by a hairsbreadth, not knowing what to do. You do not even have time to cry out. You can only lift your eyes and heart to God.
וְכָךְ צְרִיכִין בְּכָל עֵת לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד וְלִצְעֹק לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. כִּי הָאָדָם בְּסַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר יוֹדֵעַ כָּל אֶחָד בְּנַפְשׁוֹ.
You should always lift your heart to God like this. Seclude yourself and cry out to God. The danger is more than imaginary. As you know deep down in your soul, every man is in great danger in this world.
וְהָבֵן הַדְּבָרִים הֵיטֵב:
Understand these words well.