Rebbe Nachman: The Secret of Glory and How to Find the Good in Every Jew

Lesson No. 2072 | (No. 106) - 21 Kislev and the Eve of 24 Kislev 5752

According to the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, every Jew is a garment and the glory of the King of Kings. When we find the points of glory in every person, we build the Tefillin of Hashem, merit to receive insults with love, and create a new heart even for those who are furthest away.

The verse states:

"He who considers a matter wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in Hashem, happy is he" (Proverbs 16:20).

Seemingly, the simple meaning is that a person must examine everything with his intellect through a thousand checks and precautions. However, the "Pele Yoeitz" explains the verse in the exact opposite way: "He who considers a matter wisely" means that he does not place his intellect into any material matter. He is not interested in any worldly affairs. Because he trusts in Hashem, he does not immerse his head in any material worry, and this is "and whoever trusts in Hashem, happy is he."

Breaking Free from Habits and Starting Anew

The light of Chanukah symbolizes the beginning of something entirely new. The "Sfas Emes" explains the concept of "until the foot departs from the marketplace" – until habit departs. A person has habits; he can live a hundred and twenty years with the same habit he acquired by age twenty, without any renewal. They tell him: "Sir, what you did at age eighteen, you are doing at age a hundred and twenty!".

But the true spiritual work is to do a new work every day: to delve deeper into the Torah, to delve deeper into the verses and the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, and to leave behind the matters of this world. Why was the "Yid Hakadosh" of Peshischa called by this name? Because for him, every day, every second, and every thousandth of a second, there was a tremendous renewal, to the point that the difference between his spiritual work yesterday and his work today was like the difference between a non-Jew and a Jew. This is the new dedication – the light that continuously increases every day.

Every Jew is a Garment of the King

Reb Noson explains in Hilchos Hoda'ah that the light of Chanukah is the light of glory. As Rebbe Nachman explains in Torah 17 (Likutey Moharan Part I), whoever sees the glory in each and every Jew, all the secrets of awe and love are revealed to him.

Every Jew is a garment of the King, a crown of the King. The King has six hundred thousand crowns, and as the Midrash says, every precious stone you find – place it in the King's crown. Our work is to judge every Jew favorably, to take him and place him as a crown upon the head.

Receiving Insults with Love: Diamonds Through the Window

Rebbe Nachman teaches that through stillness and silence, one merits the crown. Usually, when a person suffers an insult, he becomes strict and offended. But what are you offended about? Who insulted you? They told you the truth! They told you that you are not a tzaddik, that you do not guard your eyes, that you are far away. What do you want, for them to give you a kiss for walking around with your eyes wide open? Be grateful for the truth!

Rabbi Avraham ben Rav Nachman explains that this is not considered an insult at all, but rather an admission of the truth. A person who does you such a favor and tells you the truth elevates you to tremendous spiritual levels and brings you into the supernal chambers.

This is comparable to a person to whom someone comes and throws a sack of a million diamonds. He does not understand their value and shouts: "Leave me alone, these are just pieces of glass and stones!". The good friend takes the diamonds and throws them to him through the window, breaking his windows. The man files a lawsuit against him in court for twenty thousand shekels in damages to the windows. A wise man comes to him and says: "You received a billion dollars here! Why are you busy with lawsuits? Send him a beautiful gift!". If a person knew what gifts and diamonds are being thrown at him through insults, he would kiss these people and buy them gifts worth thousands of dollars.

A Scratch from the King's Garment

You must know that they are not insulting you at all; these are merely illusions. You must judge everyone favorably, even those who oppose you. After all, every Jew is a garment of the King. Hashem is clothed in six hundred thousand garments.

If a Jew hurt you, it is as if you took a garment of the King, and there was a button or a pin there that scratched you. Because of a small scratch, will you take the King's garment and tear it? It is the King's garment! Give the King honor. Every praise found in a Jew clothes the King in garments of glory.

The Tefillin of Hashem

In Torah 17, it is explained that the glory of Israel is the aspect of the Tefillin of Hashem, as it is written:

"And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on the earth" (I Chronicles 17:21).

In these Tefillin, there are six hundred thousand letters, corresponding to the souls of Israel. If I invalidate a Jew, it is as if I take a letter in the Tefillin of Hashem, make a small cut in it, and invalidate it. It is forbidden for any letter to be flawed. When we find the good in every Jew, we build the Tefillin of Hashem, crown Him, and give strength to Israel.

Creating a New Heart Through Prayer

There are people, heretics, who speak against Hashem, may He be blessed. Where does this stem from? Rebbe Nachman explains that they simply have no heart. Through evil thoughts, their heart was burned and blocked. It is like the parable of the fox that ate the heart of the donkey, and when the lion looked for the heart, the fox told him: "If he had a heart, he would not have been brazen toward the king." So too with the heretics – if they had a heart, they would not oppose the King of Kings.

So what is the advice? How do we rectify them? Not through blows or arguments. Rebbe Nachman says that if a person sits in a closed room and prays with intention, word by word and letter by letter, he creates a new heart for those who are far away. The more you pray with intention, the more you will create hearts for them, and they will return in teshuvah (repentance) on their own.

When we glorify the King by finding the glory in every Jew, we make a "birthday" for the King – Yom Ginusya d'Malka. The Kingship is magnified, an awesome fear falls upon the entire world and even upon the angels, and whoever merits this, all the secrets in the world will be revealed to him from Heaven.

Part 1 of 3 — Lesson No. 2072

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