From the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Nathan

Literally 60 mil (a measurement of distance), the Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud) says 120 mil, doubling it. It is written that Saul ran 180 mil in one day—180 mil from the battlefield in the land of the Philistines, from the field of battle until Shiloh. He heard that the Luchos (Tablets of the Covenant) were captured; the Luchos were in the hand of Goliath. In a millisecond, he arrived back at the battlefield, another 60 mil, and pounced on Goliath. He snatched the Luchos from him, and with the Luchos—which weigh about a ton, several tons of sapphire stone—he ran with the Luchos in his hand another 60 mil. A marathon is 42 km, and everyone needs a million ambulances, people are already dying—here we are talking about 180 km, 180 mil. How did he do it? But the moment he became jealous of David, his strength left him. When a person is jealous of the Tzaddik (righteous leader)—David is the Tzaddik Emes (True Tzaddik)—even though Saul was "head and shoulders above the rest," "In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil," "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey"—this refers to King Saul. But you are jealous of David, the True Tzaddik; you cannot tolerate that there is such a Tzaddik who fights Goliath. The moment you were jealous of the Tzaddik and did not listen to the voice of Shmuel (Samuel) to wait one more second... the Tzaddik arrived at 12:00 PM, and at 11:59 and thirty seconds, Saul offered the burnt offering. Doeg told him, "Enough, everyone has left you, you are the last one left on the battlefield." Just 30 more seconds—and Shmuel arrives. "You have acted foolishly." For 30 seconds, you lost an eternal kingdom, for "now Hashem would have established your kingdom forever." Saul was supposed to be the king of the world, he and his sons for all generations. David is the True Tzaddik; he doesn't need to be revealed at all, no one needs to know about him. He can be in the innermost chambers, in a cave underground, playing his harp. With his harp, he can bring salvations. "Our feet were standing within your gates, O Jerusalem"—how were our feet standing in the battles, in the wars with the Philistines, Ammonites, and Moabites? Suddenly Ammon and Moab arrive—we told everyone to learn 2 Chronicles chapter 20, one must read it 7 times—millions of soldiers arrive from Ammon and Moab, and in Judah, there is no bow, shield, or spear. "If a shield or spear be seen among forty thousand in Israel"—there was no shield, no spear. It is written in 1 Samuel chapter 13 that there wasn't even a kitchen knife, only wooden knives. The Philistines did not allow them to hold any knife or any metal tool; they had to sharpen and polish their plowshares in the land of the Philistines. "If a shield or spear be seen among forty thousand in Israel"—when Deborah and Yael went out to war, there was no shield and no spear. There were also no Ananei HaKavod (Clouds of Glory). When Moses was there, there were still Clouds of Glory; here, there weren't even Clouds of Glory, no spear, no shield. There was also no one to say, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." That didn't exist either. Therefore, the Song of Deborah is greater than the Song of the Sea [at the Exodus], says the Zohar—page 2b—that the Song of Deborah and the Prayer of Hannah are greater than the Song of the Sea. Because during the Song of the Sea, they still had the Clouds of Glory; the Clouds of Glory began on the 15th, and they crossed the sea on the 21st. But here, there was nothing. "If a shield or spear be seen among forty thousand in Israel." The Ba'al HaTurim (Rabbi Jacob ben Asher) says: If there is one Jew who keeps Shabbat among forty thousand, he can protect all forty thousand. If there is one synagogue in some kibbutz and there is a minyan (quorum of ten) there, even on Shabbat, the synagogue protects the entire kibbutz so that missiles won't fall there and there won't be stabbings. So one in forty thousand can protect all forty thousand, even if they are not Shabbat observers and he is a Shabbat observer. Because through his power, they will all eventually keep Shabbat. If there is one true Shabbat observer among forty thousand who experiences 'oneg' (delight) from the Shabbat—the Shabbat is not a prison for him, he feels delight and he doesn't wait for the Shabbat to leave, he waits to extend it—then he can illuminate all forty thousand so that they all do teshuvah (repentance). Rabbi Akiva said, "If I had been in the Sanhedrin (High Court), no person would have ever been killed." Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah says, "Once in seven years." Rabbi Tarfon says, "Once in seventy years." The Rabbis say, "Once in seventy years." Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva say, "If we had been in the Sanhedrin, it would have never killed a person." So how would there be awe and fear? How would it be "so that they shall hear and fear"? After all, you are allowing bloodshed in Israel! But if Rabbi Akiva sat in the Sanhedrin—if the Tzaddik sits in the Sanhedrin—all the murderers do teshuvah. There is no murderer who doesn't do teshuvah. Even a Jewish murderer must say the blessing "Who has not made me a gentile"; he is obligated in all the Morning Blessings even if he murdered a thousand people. He must do teshuvah. Menashe murdered a thousand people every day—not just once, a thousand people every day for 22 years. This was his daily bread, a regular thing. So it is brought in Sanhedrin 109b and 103b. A thousand people every day—let's do the math: 22 years, 365 days times 20 is 7,300, plus another 730 is 8,030, times a thousand people a day is 8 million and 30 thousand. More than Hitler, may his name be erased. And he did teshuvah, because a Jew always does teshuvah. A Jew—Rabbi Akiva says, if we were in the Sanhedrin, anyone who arrives at the Sanhedrin and sees the Tzaddik immediately does teshuvah. Anyone who reads Likutey Halachos (the main work of Rabbi Nathan) immediately does teshuvah. Anyone who arrives at the Tziyon (the grave of the Tzaddik) immediately does teshuvah. Because this is the Rav (Teacher) and the Talmid (Student) upon whom the world has looked since the creation of the world. This is the Rav and the Talmid for whom they have waited 5,700 years. They waited for the Rav and the Talmid because in 5760—forty se'ah (a measure of volume) which is 5,760—then the light of Mashiach (Messiah) begins, the light of the Resurrection of the Dead. As it is brought in Heichal HaBerachah, that in [this time] there will be the Resurrection of the Dead. What is the Resurrection of the Dead? That everyone does teshuvah. When people read the Likutey Halachos of Rabbi Nathan, everyone does teshuvah. When Rabbi Akiva is in the Sanhedrin, everyone does teshuvah. There is no need to punish. We only punish lest he kill again, but if he sees Rabbi Akiva, he will not murder anymore. Even if he serves idols, he will do teshuvah and stop serving idols, like Menashe. And this was the intention of Nachshon ben Aminadav; therefore, the word "Nasi" (Prince/Leader) is not written regarding Nachshon ben Aminadav. He is the only one for whom "Nasi" is not written. We read the Portion of the Princes, and no one noticed this—he is the only one. Because of the humility of Nachshon ben Aminadav, Hashem knew that if "Nasi" were written, he would faint, he would die. Hashem knew it was impossible to write the word "Nasi" in the Torah [for him] because he would die. If it were written "Nasi," he would say, "This is a lie, I am not a prince, I am only a servant, a servant of the Jewish people." Rabbi Nathan was a servant of the entire Jewish people. What Rabbi Nathan went through—persecutions, humiliations, prisons—no mortal in the world has ever gone through. So said Rabbi Shabtai Yudelevitz, that every time he reads the stories about Rabbi Nathan [he sees] such a thing never existed. Even King David did not go through what Rabbi Nathan went through; there was nothing like it. Moshe Hyinkis said, "This man will not enter Breslov; I will not allow it under any circumstances, not as long as I am alive, he will not enter." You can see all this in Siach Sarfei Kodesh, Part VI. He went to the Governor and said to the Governor, "Listen, this man is not entering here, under no circumstances." At 그 moment, he expired. At that moment, his soul went up—to Gehenna (purgatory) or Gan Eden (Paradise), I don't know exactly what the Rebbe said, but that he would rectify him. The Rebbe promised he would rectify him. Be that as it may, the Governor—a man collapses in his office, in the magnificent office with the magnificent armchairs on the magnificent red carpet. He collapses on the carpet, entirely covered in blood, blood flowing from his throat. Soon they will accuse him [Rabbi Nathan] of a blood libel! "Get him out of here! Go, take him out!" There were no wagons outside, no carriages—back then there were no cars and no airplanes. How will we fly him out? To where? "I don't care right now, take him out on the first wagon you find!" They found a wagon entirely full of filth, garbage, "fragrant" smells, pleasant smells—like Joseph the Tzaddik, to distinguish—and they immediately put him on the wagon. They brought him home, and he was already dead. Just as he said—Moshe Hyinkis was a prophet, a true prophet. He said, "Rabbi Nathan will not enter the city while I am alive," and that is exactly how it was. Whoever is a prophet is a prophet to the end; that was Moshe Hyinkis. And like Moshe Hyinkis, there were many others like him, who at every corner Rabbi Nathan went, they informed on him that he was a sorcerer, that he was the Mashiach. Because the law in all the nations of the world until 50 years ago was that anyone who says he is Mashiach is immediately hanged. That's how it was in the Land of Israel with "that man" (Jesus); the moment he said he was Mashiach—even though he didn't say it explicitly, "Mashiach," he was silent, he said "you say it"—they immediately hanged him. Because anyone who says he is Mashiach will eventually start a rebellion against the Sultan, like Shabbetai Zvi, may his name be erased, who said he was Mashiach. Then the priest arrived and said, "If so, put him in the fire, let's see—like Rabbi Zira, let's put him in the fire." Rabbi Zira was a true Jew. "Let's put him in the fire." What does it mean to put in the fire? Every second Jew you put in the fire! A ship left the exile of Jerusalem and arrived at some country in Africa, it seems. The Governor came out and said, "Who are you? Passports, visas!" Everyone had "black visas" (illegal status), of course. So what will happen today? Anyone who has a black visa is put in prison. So what will happen to you? What are you, ISIS? Al-Qaeda? Who are you? They see long beards like Al-Qaeda. "Who are you?" "We are Jews." "Jews? What's the proof?" "We are circumcised." "Al-Qaeda is also circumcised, ISIS is also circumcised! What good will it do if you are circumcised? You know what," said the Governor, "I have an idea, an original, original, original idea. I once read the Tanakh (Bible)," so the Governor says to them. "I read about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. You know what? If you are true Jews, pure-blooded, let's put one in the fire. Let's see—if he burns, it's a sign you are not Jews, you are Al-Qaeda. If he doesn't burn, it's a sign you are Jews." Dread and fear fell upon them. Master of the World, what trials! We fled the exile of Jerusalem, we fled the Romans, "from the frying pan into the fire." This one wants to put us in the fire now! What will be? They said, "Give us 30 days." "Fine, take 30 days. But if he burns, know that I will know you are not Jews. A Jew does not burn. You put him in the fire, he doesn't burn. There is no such thing as a Jew burning." After 30 days, they told their dreams. On the last day, one said, "I dreamed of two 'Ki' and three 'Lo'." They said, "Two 'Ki'—that is 'Ki L'olam Chasdo' (For His kindness is eternal), 'Ki V'shem Kodsho Batachnu' (For in His holy name we trusted). I have two 'Ki', excellent!" He was an unlearned man; he only knew how to say Tehillim (Psalms) all day. Immediately they said, "You will enter the fire!" Because two 'Ki' and three 'Lo' refers to the verse: "When (Ki) you pass through the waters, I am with you... and through the rivers, they shall not (Lo) overflow you; when (Ki) you walk through the fire, you shall not (Lo) be burned, and the flame shall not (Lo) kindle upon you." And then three elders arrived—it was either Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or it was Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—and they said the entire "V'hu Rachum" (And He, being merciful) prayer. And this "V'hu Rachum" that we say every Monday and Thursday—the Bartenura says that the custom of Jerusalem was to say it every day. That's how it was 200 years ago, it was the custom of Jerusalem to say it every day. So a Jew can enter the fire like Rabbi Zira; every 30 days he entered the fire. Rabbah said, "This is not enough." The Ba'al HaHafla'ah says: This entire story there on page 7b [of Chullin] is not just a story; it was all because they needed to clarify the Halacha (law). Rabbi Zira said, Shmuel said—it is written in Chullin 8a—Rabbi Zira said, Shmuel said: "One who slaughters with a glowing knife..." What comes before what? Its sharpening (hiduda) before its heating (libuna), or its heating before its sharpening? There is a massive hint here. Because everyone who comes to Breslov dances on the tables, jumps, and in the end, he drinks whiskey or vodka. Why? Because there is no "sharpening." He doesn't sharpen his mind. He comes straight with "heating," with excitement. The Rebbe wants you to learn Yerushalmi, learn Ketzos HaChoshen, learn Nesivos HaMishpat. A person without Shas (the Talmud), without sharpening the intellect... the Rebbe says in Torah 62, then you have no "know what to answer a heretic." Because a person is full of evil thoughts from the day he is born, and he cannot purify them except through in-depth study (Iyun). There are "three wheels in the hollow of the brain," and this cannot happen unless it is filled with Torah and prayer—with Torah, with Gemara, with in-depth study. A person can defeat bad thoughts. He can travel to the Tziyon a billion times, he can bang his head against the wall a million trillion times—he cannot purify his mind except through in-depth study. The Rebbe says in Torah 101, 105, 62, and other teachings: A person thinks that because he became Breslov, he is exempt from studying Gemara. Today is the greatest Yahrtzeit, like Yom Kippur. "On this very day, the King of Babylon besieged [Jerusalem]"—what is "on this very day"?