HIS ATTAINMENTS I heard the following conversation which the Rebbe had with R' Shimon281R' Shimon ben Ber, Rebbe Nachman's first follower (see Kokhavey Or, p. 23, #17). when R’Shimon returned from over the border. R' Shimon had been away and had not seen the Rebbe for more than three years. I do not know the exact details, but something happened in Medvedevka that caused the Rebbe to become upset with him.
God caused the Rebbe’s words to be fulfilled. A short time later, R' Shimon traveled to the vicinity of the Don River, some one hundred leagues282In Tovot Zikhronot, p. 14, we find that a league or parsah is used to designate a Russian mal, equivalent to ten verst or 6.629 miles. At its closest point near Liski, the Don River is 325 miles from Medvedevka. from Medvedevka. This is deep in Russia where Jews are a tiny minority, less than one in a thousand. They were an even smaller minority many years ago when this event took place.283Up until the eighteenth century, this area had been closed to Jews completely. A number later settled there, but were driven out under the provisions of the “Jewish Constitution” of 1804. This roughly corresponds to the time of R' Shimon's return.
R' Shimon traveled to this area intending to remain for a short while. But God willed that the Rebbe’s words be fulfilled, and R' Shimon was forced to remain there for several years. What happened during this time would consume many volumes. R' Shimon lived among non-Jews during this time and was subject to untold difficulties and temptations.
While R' Shimon was away, the Rebbe moved from Zlatipolia and settled in Breslov. By the time R' Shimon returned, the Rebbe had already lived here for two or three years.
The Rebbe told R' Shimon, “I have advanced as much between the time you left and today, as I advanced between the day I was born and the time you left.”
The Rebbe constantly rose higher and higher, from one level to the next. What he meant was that he had advanced through as many levels during the three years of R' Shimon’s absence as he had advanced from his birth until that time.
When R' Shimon left, the Rebbe had already been in the Holy Land. He had already gone through years of self-discipline. Even before reaching the Holy Land, he had attained an awesome level of greatness and a most wonderful perception into the deepest mysteries. He was already on a level never before seen or heard. Then, after a traumatic journey, he was able to reach the Holy Land and return in peace. It was in the Holy Land that the Rebbe attained what he did.
He himself said, “What I perceived before coming to the Land of Israel was literally nothing. I am ashamed of the limited scope of my teachings before then.”
After returning, he elevated himself from one level to the next every day and every hour. When R' Shimon left him, he had already been back from the Hoy Land for several years. Just try to imagine the high level that he stood upon at that time. After all this, R' Shimon was separated from him for a little over three years. The Rebbe could still say that he had advanced as much during those three years as he had advanced from the time he was born until R' Shimon left.
שָׁמַעתִּי מֵאֲנָשִׁים שֶׁאָמַר לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן (תלמידו ושמשו) בְּעֵת שֶׁבָּא מֵעֵבֶר לַגְּרֶענִיץ (מֵעֵבֶר לַגְּבוּל) שֶׁנִּתְרַחֵק לְשָׁם אֵיזֶה שָׁנִים וְלֹא רָאָה אֶת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, עֵרֶךְ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְיוֹתֵר, מֵחֲמַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה בְּמֶעדְוֶועדִוְוקֶע שֶׁהִקְפִּיד עָלָיו רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל וְכוּ', וְאֵינִי בָּקִי בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֹּאת הֵיטֵב.
HIS ATTAINMENTS
I heard the following conversation which the Rebbe had with R' Shimon281R' Shimon ben Ber, Rebbe Nachman's first follower (see Kokhavey Or, p. 23, #17). when R’Shimon returned from over the border. R' Shimon had been away and had not seen the Rebbe for more than three years. I do not know the exact details, but something happened in Medvedevka that caused the Rebbe to become upset with him.
וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ פַּעַם אַחַת: "אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְשַׁלֶּחֲךָ (שֶׁקּוֹרִין פַאר שִׁיקֶען) מֵעֵבֶר לַנָּהָר דַּאן".
The Rebbe said, “I am banishing you to the other side of the Don River.”
וְסִבֵּב הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ סִבּוֹת שֶׁבְּסָמוּךְ מְאֹד נִתְגַּלְגֵּל הַדָּבָר שֶׁנָּסַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְשָׁם לִסְבִיבוֹת נְהַר דַּאן הַנַּ"ל שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק בְּעֵרֶךְ מֵאָה פַּרְסָאוֹת וְיוֹתֵר מִמֶּעדְוֶועדִוְוקֶע. כִּי שָׁם עִקַּר מְדִינַת רוּסְיָא כַּיָּדוּעַ, וִיהוּדִים אֵינָם נִמְצָאִים שָׁם כִּי אִם אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף. וּבִפְרָט לִפְנֵי כַּמָּה שָׁנִים.
God caused the Rebbe’s words to be fulfilled. A short time later, R' Shimon traveled to the vicinity of the Don River, some one hundred leagues282In Tovot Zikhronot, p. 14, we find that a league or parsah is used to designate a Russian mal, equivalent to ten verst or 6.629 miles. At its closest point near Liski, the Don River is 325 miles from Medvedevka. from Medvedevka. This is deep in Russia where Jews are a tiny minority, less than one in a thousand. They were an even smaller minority many years ago when this event took place.283Up until the eighteenth century, this area had been closed to Jews completely. A number later settled there, but were driven out under the provisions of the “Jewish Constitution” of 1804. This roughly corresponds to the time of R' Shimon's return.
וְנָסַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְשָׁם לְפִי שָׁעָה. וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ סִבֵּב שֶׁנִּתְקַיֵּם דִּבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, וְהֻכְרַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְהִתְעַכֵּב שָׁם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים. וּמַה שֶּׁעָבַר עַל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּאוֹתָן הַשָּׁנִים יִקְצְרוּ הֲמוֹן יְרִיעוֹת. כִּי הָיָה דָּר בֵּין הַגּוֹיִים כַּמָּה שָׁנִים וְכוּ'. וְהָיָה לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שָׁם כַּמָּה נִסְיוֹנוֹת.
R' Shimon traveled to this area intending to remain for a short while. But God willed that the Rebbe’s words be fulfilled, and R' Shimon was forced to remain there for several years. What happened during this time would consume many volumes. R' Shimon lived among non-Jews during this time and was subject to untold difficulties and temptations.
וּבְתוֹךְ כָּךְ בְּאוֹתָן הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שָׁם, בְּתוֹךְ כָּךְ יָצָא רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, מִזְּלַאטִיפָּאלֶע וְקָבַע דִּירָתוֹ פֹּה בְּרֶסְלַב. וְיָשַׁב כָּאן לְעֵרֶךְ שְׁתַּיִם אוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים. וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְכָאן.
While R' Shimon was away, the Rebbe moved from Zlatipolia and settled in Breslov. By the time R' Shimon returned, the Rebbe had already lived here for two or three years.
וְאָמַר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל: "דַּע, שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה חִלּוּק אֶצְלִי מִיּוֹם לֵדָתִי עַד הַיּוֹם שֶׁיָּצָאתָ מִמֶּנִּי, כְּמוֹ כֵן יֵשׁ חִלּוּק עַכְשָׁו בֵּין הַיּוֹם שֶׁיָּצָאתָ מִמֶּנִּי לְבֵין הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה".
The Rebbe told R' Shimon, “I have advanced as much between the time you left and today, as I advanced between the day I was born and the time you left.”
כְּלוֹמַר, כָּל כָּךְ עָלָה מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה וּמִשָּׁם לְהַלָּן יוֹתֵר, גָּבוֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבוֹהַּ לְמַעְלָה, עַד שֶׁנֶּעְתַּק בְּאֵלּוּ הַשָּׁנִים מַדְרֵגוֹת רַבּוֹת כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּק אֶצְלוֹ בֵּין אוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן לְבֵין עַכְשָׁו כְּמוֹ הַחִלּוּק שֶׁהָיָה בֵּין יוֹם לֵדָתוֹ לְאוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן.
The Rebbe constantly rose higher and higher, from one level to the next. What he meant was that he had advanced through as many levels during the three years of R' Shimon’s absence as he had advanced from his birth until that time.
וּמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מֹחַ בְּקָדְקֳדוֹ יוּכַל לְהָבִין מְעַט מִגְּדֻלַּת רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, מֵעִנְיָן זֶה.
This should give you some idea of the Rebbe’s greatness.
כִּי בְּעֵת שֶׁיָּצָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ כְּבָר הָיָה רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל מַה שֶּׁעָבַר עַל רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל קֹדֶם זֶה, וְכָל הַגְּדוֹלוֹת וְהַנּוֹרָאוֹת וְהַנִּפְלָאוֹת פִּלְאֵי פְּלָאוֹת שֶׁזָּכָה לְהַשִּׂיג הַשָּׂגוֹת עֲצוּמוֹת וְנוֹרָאוֹת שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁמְעוּ וְלֹא נִרְאוּ בָּעוֹלָם קֹדֶם שֶׁהָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכוּ' וְאַחַר־כָּךְ כָּל הַצָּרוֹת וְהַהַרְפַּתְקָאוֹת וְכוּ' שֶׁעָבַר עָלָיו קֹדֶם שֶׁהָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד שֶׁזָּכָה לָבוֹא לְשָׁם וְלַחֲזֹר מִשָּׁם בְּשָׁלוֹם וְכוּ', וְהִשִּׂיג שָׁם מַה שֶּׁהִשִּׂיג וְכוּ'.
When R' Shimon left, the Rebbe had already been in the Holy Land. He had already gone through years of self-discipline. Even before reaching the Holy Land, he had attained an awesome level of greatness and a most wonderful perception into the deepest mysteries. He was already on a level never before seen or heard. Then, after a traumatic journey, he was able to reach the Holy Land and return in peace. It was in the Holy Land that the Rebbe attained what he did.
וְאָמַר שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁיָּדַע קֹדֶם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא כְּלֹא מַמָּשׁ. וְהָיָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מְאֹד מְאֹד עִם דַּרְכֵי תּוֹרָתוֹ וְהַשָּׂגָתוֹ שֶׁיָּדַע קֹדֶם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכוּ'.
He himself said, “What I perceived before coming to the Land of Israel was literally nothing. I am ashamed of the limited scope of my teachings before then.”
וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָלַךְ מַעְלָה מַעְלָה בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל שָׁעָה וְכוּ'. וּבְעֵת שֶׁנָּסַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ כְּבָר הָיָה אֵיזֶה שָׁנִים אַחַר בִּיאָתוֹ מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. רְאֵה וְהָבֵן וְהַבֵּט בְּאֵיזֶה מַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה עָמַד אָז. וְאַחַר כָּל אֵלֶּה כְּשֶׁנִּתְרַחֵק רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים אוֹ יוֹתֵר קְצָת, אָמַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּק בֵּין הַשָּׂגָתוֹ בְּעֵת שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ וּבֵין עַכְשָׁו כְּמוֹ הַחִלּוּק שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין יוֹם לֵדָתוֹ לְיוֹם שֶׁיָּצָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ.
After returning, he elevated himself from one level to the next every day and every hour. When R' Shimon left him, he had already been back from the Hoy Land for several years. Just try to imagine the high level that he stood upon at that time. After all this, R' Shimon was separated from him for a little over three years. The Rebbe could still say that he had advanced as much during those three years as he had advanced from the time he was born until R' Shimon left.