Today, the 19th of Adar, marks the day of the Hillula (anniversary of passing) of Feiga the Prophetess—the mother of our holy Rebbe Nachman. Feiga was the granddaughter of the Baal Shem Tov, the daughter of the righteous Adel. She married Rabbi Simcha, the father of our holy Rebbe, and in the year 5532 (1772), they brought into the world the soul of the Hidden Light—Rebbe Nachman ben Simcha ben Feiga, zy"a (may his merit protect us). On Wednesday, the 19th of Adar, 5561 (1801), Feiga the Prophetess passed away and was buried alongside her great grandfather, the "Light of the Seven Seas," the Baal Shem Tov. Her exact burial place today is unknown. In honor of the day of the Hillula, we present for the first time a collection of lessons from the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), from the "Siach Sarfei Kodesh" regarding Feiga the Prophetess, the mother of our holy Rebbe, zy"a:

Feiga the Prophetess would speak with the Baal Shem Tov after his passing

Rabbi Baruch of Medzhybizh said that he had not seen the Baal Shem Tov for several years; he could no longer find him at his Tziyun (gravesite) in Medzhybizh. However, Feiga, the mother of our holy Rebbe and sister of Rabbi Baruch, traveled to the grave of the Baal Shem Tov and said to him: "Er iz do"—He is here. She would speak with the Baal Shem Tov. But Rabbi Baruch did not merit this; he did not merit to speak with the Baal Shem Tov. Once, he saw the Baal Shem Tov and asked him: "Where are you?" He replied: "I am only found with Rabbi Nachman." The Baal Shem Tov is now found at the grave of Rebbe Nachman; that is where he stands. Those who travel to the Baal Shem Tov—he is found with the Rebbe.

Feiga the Prophetess would perform kavanos (mystical intentions), and in this merit, she merited to bring down the soul of our Rebbe to the world

A person might study Torah for twenty hours, but if he goes outside and has an improper sight (forbidden gaze)—everything is burned for him, everything evaporates, everything goes to the klipos (forces of evil). With every improper sight, everything evaporates, everything is burned; not even one percent remains for him. A person comes to this world only for the sake of shmiras einayim (guarding the eyes); this is the entire test. Therefore, guarding the eyes is the "breaking of the vessels." The Gaon of Vilna writes in "Even Shleimah" that a person's entire trial is only to guard the eyes, not to see immodesty. He sees demons; it is written in "Megaleh Amukos" (Ophan 191) that a person sees demons, and only at the Resurrection of the Dead will he see a woman. Now, he sees only demons, spirits, and the "mishka d'chivya" (skin of the snake). A person sees only the skin of the snake; he does not see a human form at all, he only sees the skin of the snake. He must fight this desire all day long. From the moment he is born, he must fight this desire and eradicate it completely, and then he can bring down souls like Rebbe Nachman. Just as Rabbi Simcha, the father of our holy Rebbe, eradicated desire, he brought a soul like Rebbe Nachman. Just as Feiga, the mother of our holy Rebbe and daughter of Adel (the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov), eradicated desire, she was then able to bring down such a soul. She was a prophetess; she asked Hashem, "Where is Rabbi Simcha?" Feiga, the mother of our holy and awesome Rebbe, was called "Feiga the Prophetess." If a person marries someone named Feiga, she is named after the Rebbe's mother, who was the granddaughter of the Baal Shem Tov and who saw the kavanos (mystical intentions). (Chayei Moharan 115: Rabbi Simcha, the father of our Rebbe zt"l, was a very, very great misboded (practitioner of Hisbodedus), and he would disappear from his home for long periods of time. Before the conception of our Rebbe zt"l, his wife did not know if he would arrive for Shabbos. Because of this, she turned to her righteous mother, Marat Adel, the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov, to ask her and seek her advice. Her mother gave her special kavanos to intend while kneading the dough for the challos and placing them in the oven in honor of Shabbos. All of this was on the Thursday before Shabbos. When this did not help, she went again on Friday morning to seek her mother's advice, and then she gave her other kavanos to intend while lighting the candles in honor of Shabbos, which was a significant time before Shabbos. Again, it did not help her, and she did not know where he was. Then, in her bitterness of heart, she went to prostrate herself on the Tziyun (gravesite) of the Baal Shem Tov, and in her prayer, she asked her grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov: "Where is my husband?" She then heard a voice: "Do not worry, he will arrive by Shabbos; he is already within the techum (Sabbath boundary)." And so it was. Indeed, in honor of Shabbos, Rabbi Simcha arrived, and then they were blessed with the soul of our holy Rebbe).

Feiga the Prophetess came from the Upper World to hold our Rebbe so he would not fall from the Baal Shem Tov's push

At a Bar Mitzvah, one can merit all levels. The Rebbe told Rabbi Baruch of Medzhybizh that at the age of 13, he had already merited the level of the Baal Shem Tov. Then Rabbi Baruch pushed him. Our Rebbe's mother, Feiga, descended from the Upper World and caught him so he wouldn't fall. From here we know that the Rebbe's mother had passed away before this, because she descended from Heaven to save him. If he had fallen, he could have died from the fall. Feiga is "alive and existing"; when people name a child Feiga, it is not for nothing. We say "Rebbe Nachman ben Feiga." The Rebbe went through everything, but in a thousandth of a second, in a mere flash of inspiration.

The virtue of the name Feiga

It is brought here [in Siach Sarfei Kodesh] in Part II, section 143, regarding Rabbi Chaikel, that the Rebbe did not give a name [to his newborn daughter]. The Rebbe wanted to give the name Feiga. Three weeks passed, and the Rebbe still had not given a name. The opponents (Misnagdim) mocked and ridiculed. It happened to be a Monday or Thursday—the day of the Torah reading. Rabbi Chaikel said: "I can no longer bear the disgrace; everyone is mocking and laughing. What are we waiting for?" Rabbi Chaikel entered the Rebbe's room and said: "Rebbe, I can no longer bear this, I can no longer bear the questions and more questions. Enough questions, enough controversy! How much controversy...? Rebbe! Enough, until here! This disgrace can no longer be endured! Such humiliations they are putting us through in the streets; three weeks have passed and you haven't given a name. It has become a laughingstock... I can no longer withstand these humiliations!" "Fine," the Rebbe said. The Rebbe was not stubborn. "You want it? Fine." But the Rebbe wanted to give the name Feiga, and he couldn't [because his mother was still alive].

Feiga is not just any name; it is a name one must wait for, one must pray for. One cannot simply give the name Feiga; not everyone merits it. It is written in the "Noam Elimelech" that not everyone merits certain names. I recently saw in a book that if you are named after a Tzaddik, that Tzaddik after whom you are named will bring you into Gan Eden (Paradise). It is like the phrase "the curse of God is hung," which implies [the Tzaddik] says: "Bring him up, because he is called by my name, it is the Image of God." So the Tzaddik says—Abraham says: "If a person named Abraham enters Gehinnom (Purgatory), they will say that I entered Gehinnom! I do not agree! He is called by my name." If he is called Michael, after the Angel Michael, then the Angel Michael protects him: "I do not agree! They will say Michael entered Gehinnom! I do not agree!" When a person is named after Tzaddikim, those Tzaddikim after whom he is named will protect him in the future and will not allow him to enter Gehinnom.

[So the Rebbe] said: "Fine, you specifically want it? We will go tomorrow during the Torah reading, and you shall give her a name." Tomorrow was Thursday. "You'll see, tomorrow you will give her a name." He said: "Fine, what name?" "Chaya." As soon as they gave her the name, immediately after he called out the name, news arrived that the Rebbe's mother—she likely lived in Medzhybizh—Feiga, had passed away. Then he understood. He grabbed his hair and nearly tore it out, saying: "Until when will I interfere in the Rebbe's affairs!" He thought perhaps the next daughter would be named Feiga. But the next daughter passed away at the age of 5. He then understood that the Rebbe specifically wanted to call this daughter Feiga. The main intention was for the Rebbe's mother. We do not give names after the deceased [while they are alive], we give names after the living. So the main intention was for the Rebbe's mother. Feiga was in the category of a prophetess; she possessed Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration)! The Rebbe said: "Why don't you make your wives Breslovers?" A person can ensure his wife becomes a prophetess, that his wife possesses Ruach HaKodesh. He can bring his wife to immense levels if he himself ascends; if he ascends to immense levels, then his wife will also ascend to immense levels.