In Tammuz 30,000 Holy Martyrs of Uman Died

The article before us dives into the depth of the secret of the Awesome Days of Tammuz 5528 (1768) – days of fearsome judgment and supreme light combined, in which thirty thousand holy martyrs were killed in Uman, days that were meant to be the beginning of the Geulah (Redemption). Through a connection between the words of Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory), the Zohar, and the hidden writings of the Arizal and our holy Rebbe Nachman, a powerful insight is revealed: specifically at the moments of the peak of darkness – the closeness of Hashem is revealed with an intensity that is unsurpassed, and all the great tikkunim (rectifications) of the generations depend on a person's ability to achieve bittul (self-nullification), to cry, and to be born anew every day – until he merits the light of bittul of Techiyas HaMeisim (the Resurrection of the Dead), the awesome light of our Rebbe.

This article by our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, was written in Tammuz 5776 (2016).

"The Awesome Days of the 6th, 7th, and 8th of Tammuz, the holy and awesome days of the martyrs of Uman in the year 5528 (1768), four years before the soul of our holy and awesome Rebbe Nachman descended to the world. This was meant to be a year of Geulah (Redemption), as Moharanat (Rabbi Nosson of Breslov) explains in Hilchos Chovel B'Chaveiro 3. During these three days, approximately thirty thousand souls were killed for the sanctification of His Blessed Name, through all the most unusual deaths in the world, the likes of which had never been seen since the beginning of time. Every time there is meant to be a revelation of the awesome Shechinah (Divine Presence) and a Geulah for the Jewish people—when the 'breath of life from above' descends and it is an eis ratzon (time of favor) for the revelation of the Shechinah’s glory—suddenly the opposite occurs, in the aspect of 'You take away their breath, they perish' [Torah 66]."

"For the Tosafos (commentary on the Talmud) in Bava Metzia 114b reveals to us regarding the revelation of Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet), may he be remembered for good, to that widow, about whom it is said, 'I have commanded a widow woman [to sustain you].' The holy Zohar asks in Parshas Pekudei 186: When did Hashem command her? Rather, before the soul descends to the world, Hashem commands it regarding all the paths and tracks it must pass through, whom to visit, and whom to support. Therefore, it is written 'tet' (give), but we read it as 'titen' (you shall give). The holy Zohar says that in the merit of her giving Eliyahu HaNavi her last half-spoonful of flour, Hashem gave rain upon the face of the earth. Through this, everyone cried out, 'Hashem is the G-d, Hashem is the G-d!' Thus, Nadav and Avihu received their tikkun (rectification), for which they were destined—to bring down fire from heaven. However, [the fire] consumed them a minute before the time of their revelation, as they had said, 'When will these two elders die?'—something even Dathan and Abiram did not say; they only said, 'Why do you lift yourselves up?', but they never dreamed, Heaven forbid, of the death of Moshe and Aharon—especially since Moshe and Aharon were the father and uncle of Nadav and Avihu."

"The 'Asarah Maamaros' explains in the essay 'Chakor Din' that what Nadav and Avihu said—'When will these two elders die?' [Sanhedrin 52a]—refers to the verse at the end of Parshas Mishpatim (24:1): 'And to Moshe He said, come up to Hashem, you and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and prostrate yourselves from afar... and Moshe alone shall approach Hashem.' After a Bat Kol (Heavenly Voice) went out saying, 'Elders of Israel, until here,' and 'Nadav and Avihu, until here,' Nadav and Avihu saw Aharon going with Moshe. They were certain that Aharon would ascend with Moshe to the heavens, to the Rakia Shechakim (the skies of the heavens) [Megaleh Amukos 99]. And who is it that ascends to heaven and descends? For besides Eliyahu HaNavi, no one merits to descend from heaven. If so, Nadav and Avihu understood that Moshe and Aharon were now ascending to heaven and presumably would not descend again."

"For Moshe merited to descend three times after forty days. Regarding Eliyahu HaNavi, it is said in the Zohar (Ki Tisa 190) that Hashem said to him, 'What are you doing here (poh), Eliyahu?' The Zohar in Parshas Naso expounds: 'What are you doing here (poh)'—do not read it as 'poh' (here) but as 'peh' (mouth). If you want the 'peh' (mouth) of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, you must go to all the bris milah (circumcision) ceremonies and be like a nursing child: 'Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me'."

"For it is impossible to receive the Divine light, which doubles itself every single second, unless a person merits at every moment anew, and in every new second, to be like a baby once again. As our Rebbe explains in Torah 219, 'He has fulfilled His word' [Eichah 2:17]—'He tore His purple garment' (Biza purpira dilei). Regarding this, it is said, 'Hashem reigns, He is clothed in majesty; Hashem is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength.' For the garments of Hashem's splendor, which are renewed every moment and second with greater intensity and strength, can only be attained through 'If a man hides in secret places, will I not see him?' Only when a person turns into a complete 'nothing' (lo), only then 'will I see him' (er'enu) = 'When shall I come and appear before (er'aeh) the face of G-d?'. Only then can he see the majesty of Hashem in His garments of splendor, for 'in the place of His greatness, there you find His humility.' The more Hashem becomes great and exalted every moment and second, the more a person needs to nullify his existence (bittul) every moment and second."

"This is the secret of all the terrible killings in every generation, for in every generation Hashem is revealed more and more with greater intensity and strength. For this, a person needs to nullify himself more and more to the Or Ein Sof (Infinite Light), because the light of Hashem, may He be blessed, doubles itself every moment and second, and so it will be until the end of all generations. At Techiyas HaMeisim (the Resurrection of the Dead), there will be true bittul (nullification), for 'anyone who has pride in him, his dust does not stir for the Resurrection of the Dead.' At the Resurrection of the Dead, they will reach true bittul, which is the secret of the 'Parah Adumah' (Red Heifer), and the passing of the tzaddikim atones like the 'Parah Adumah'."

"And this we read before the 6th, 7th, and 8th of Tammuz, about which it is said, 'And he shall slaughter it before him.' Midrash Rabbah says: 'And Elazar shall take'—this refers to Nebuchadnezzar, who fulfilled the role of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) to burn the 'cow'—the entire Jewish people, in the aspect of 'They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your pious ones to the beasts of the earth.' Therefore, the highest level is that of the frog, which says [Mishlei 25:21-22]: 'If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on his head.'"

"And the flesh of Rabbi Akiva was sold in the meat markets. The Arizal says this was the flesh of demons, but Rabbi Akiva himself, who then merited the secret of the Tefillin of the head [Megaleh Amukos 72, 173], 'and his eye saw every precious thing.' For things that were not revealed to Moshe were revealed to Rabbi Akiva [Midrash Rabbah 19]. Moshe only merited the aspect of 'And you shall see My back'—the knot of the Tefillin—while Rabbi Akiva merited the secret of the 'Shin' of the Tefillin. This was achieved by being included in the kotz (the point) of the letter 'Daled' of the word 'Echad' (One)."

"This is what Moshe wanted from the Spies, 'to spy out (latur) the land.' 'I gave my heart to seek (latur) with wisdom' [Sfat Emet], that they should rise from Binah (Understanding) to Chochmah (Wisdom), in the secret of 'Latur Es HaAretz' (to spy out the land) [the first letters of which spell 'Leah']. But they went from 'Rechov to the entrance of Chamath' [the first letters of which spell 'Rachel'], and they remained in the aspect of Rachel. Therefore, on that night they arrived, all the destructions until the end of all generations were decreed."

"For we do not merit to reach the aspect of Leah, in the aspect of 'And Leah's eyes were soft'—the secret of crying, which is the secret of the tikkun (rectification). [For the phrase 'BeShimcha Yegilun Kol HaYom' (In Your Name they shall rejoice all day) has the first letters of 'Bechiyah' (crying)]. Through crying every night at Chatzos (the Midnight Lament), a person can reach the secret of bittul (nullification) and tikkun, so that every single day he will reach a completely new bittul that never existed before. Through this, we will be able to receive the new Divine light of every single day, which is in the aspect of 'pi shnayim' (a double portion). This is what Elisha asked of Eliyahu HaNavi—to merit every single day a new bittul of 'pi shnayim'."

"Thus, until we can receive the new Divine light of every single day which is in the aspect of 'pi shnayim,' we will no longer need the tikkun (rectification) of destructions. Instead, we will merit every single day the aspect of Techiyas HaMeisim (the Resurrection of the Dead), having vessels of humility and lowliness to see Hashem face to face. We will not need the aspect of 'He tore His purple garment,' but rather we will merit the eternal light of forever and ever, which is the light of our holy and awesome Rebbe Nachman—the light of bittul. For this reason, a person must occasionally leave the Land [of Israel] and go abroad [to Uman] in order to receive the new light of bittul [Arvit Prayer 4], and through this, there will be no more destructions, Heaven forbid."