The Power of the Tzaddik: Passing Through Fire and Water and Above All Names
Lesson No. 419 | Sunday, 18 Tishrei, 3rd day of Chol HaMoed Sukkos 5765 - Yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of our Holy Rebbe - Part 1.
When a person believes in the true tzaddik, he merits supernal protection and can pass through the storms of life, fire and water, completely unscathed. This article presents the wondrous journey of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov to the Land of Israel in the midst of wars and tempests, revealing how his absolute self-nullification elevated him to a level that is above all names.
"When you pass through the waters, I am with you, and through the rivers, they shall not wash you away; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
When a person believes in the true tzaddik, he can pass through water, through bullets, through artillery shells, and even through an atomic blast. Who said this verse? Our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. When Rebbe Nachman crossed the sea and traveled to the Land of Israel, it was at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. He was in Acre (Akko) when Napoleon's cannons roared, and the entire way, from the moment he left his home until he returned in peace, he walked with this verse.
The moment a person recites this verse, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov immediately descend. Rebbe Nachman revealed that the holy Patriarchs are hinted at in this verse. Together with them, all Seven Shepherds descend. When Moshe, the Faithful Shepherd, is present, Rebbe Nachman is also present, and with him are all the tzaddikim, including King Solomon who built the Holy Temple. The moment a person says the verse, 'When you pass through the waters, I am with you,' all the tzaddikim are with him.
Preparation for Absolute Mesirus Nefesh (Self-Sacrifice)
Rebbe Nachman traveled alone on warships, fully prepared for the possibility that they might want to sell him as a slave. The book Chesed LeAvraham mentions that in those days, when people traveled to the Land of Israel, there were pirates who would throw passengers into the sea and take all their money, or sell them into slavery. There were no police forces or means of communication back then, and people would simply disappear on the roads. Rebbe Nachman took this danger into account and prepared for it in advance.
Rebbe Nachman said: "I prepared myself to be sold as a slave, and that I would end up with some Arab sheikh as a shepherd. I would not have a calendar and everything would be forgotten from me, and nevertheless, I had the strength to fulfill all 613 mitzvot." He attained the spiritual fulfillment of the entire Torah, such that even without a calendar to track Shabbos, Pesach, and Yom Kippur, he was capable of fulfilling everything in every way, even if he were sold to the Ishmaelites.
When the Thoughts of the World Overturn
When they arrived in Rhodes, the ship's captain almost swore on his life out of sheer astonishment. He said: "I was about to sell them as slaves! I could have received hundreds of thousands of dollars for them. For two such excellent slaves, full of grace and wisdom, I could have gotten a fortune. And what are you bringing me here? A few pennies to redeem them? It is a shame and a disgrace!"
That captain, who was extremely cruel and testified about himself that his lineage traced back to the lords of the Philistines, admitted that he did not understand what had happened to him. "When I see a Jew, the first thing I do is take revenge on him and throw him into the sea," he said. "But here, I don't know what invisible hands are overturning my thoughts. Higher powers are thwarting my mind." In the end, he asked for only a meager sum to appease the hundred sailors on the ship.
From here we learn a tremendous principle: Whenever one comes to the tzaddik, all the thoughts of the entire world are overturned. Even a cruel captain from the lords of the Philistines loses control over his thoughts and his ship.
Above All Names
The ship anchored near Acre, and when the captain heard the thunder of the war's artillery shells, he was seized with fear and distanced himself slightly. Suddenly, a massive storm wind, like a hurricane, struck the ship and blew them all the way to Rhodes. But the truth is, this hurricane was Rebbe Nachman himself. Rebbe Nachman is the strongest storm wind in the world, a tremendous spiritual force that can blow and navigate all the ships in the world.
Out of this immense power, Rebbe Nachman said about himself in Yiddish: "Un ich hab gar kein nomen nit" – and I have no name at all. There are holy Names of Hashem that may not be erased: Havayah, Elokim, Tzevaos, Kel Shaddai, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. But Rebbe Nachman testifies about himself that he reached such a high spiritual attainment that he is located above all names. His absolute self-nullification to the Infinite One, Blessed be He, brings him to a level where he has no name at all in the world.
Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 419
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