Category Archives: Rav Nachman of Breslov

Medinat Yisrael

War of Independence – 1948

Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz, a leading figure in the Breslov community in Kremenchug and Uman and later in Eretz Yisrael, lived through the turbulent years of early Zionism, culminating in the War of Independence in 1948 and the stablishment of the State of Israel. He once told his disciple, Rabbi Gedaliah Kenig, "The medinah (secular state) is the klippah (husk) that precedes the fruit – but it is also a shemirah (protection) on the fruit.”

In a similar vein, Reb Gedaliah once explained to his disciples that despite the problems created by secular Zionism, we must appreciate that because of the existence of the medinah, tens of thousands of Jews put on Tefillin, keep Shabbos, etc.

(source: http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2009/02/medinat-yisrael.html )

#107.

(#107, Sichos HaRan – Reb Nachmans Wisdom)

It is written, ‘A fool believes all things’ (Proverbs 15:15). It is good to be such a fool. If you believe even that which is false and foolish, you will also believe the truth. You are better off than he who is sophisticated and skeptical of everything.

One can begin by ridiculing foolishness and falsehood. Eventually he will ridicule everything and end up denying even the truth. As one of our greatest sages once said, ‘It is better that I be called a fool all my life and not be wicked even one moment before God (Eidiyot 5:6).

Sichos HaRan/ Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #103 ( http://www.breslov.org/torah/wisdom/100-109.html)

I heard the Rebbe say, ‘Why worry about livelihood. The only thing to worry about is that you may die of hunger if you cannot afford food. And if you die, what is so terrible? You must die anyway.

[#250 Sichos HaRan Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom by Reb Noson of Nemirov]

(Just my two cents on this above quote since I feel that others are understanding the quote differently to me, kind of defeating the purpose for me posting it

I think the point of the message is clearly sarcastic. Of course R’ Nachman wants people to work, he just says not to *worry* about it. The point of the quote is it just paints things in terms of the extremes. The reality is, no matter how bad things get for the majority of people that doesnt mean you are going to starve to death. And if G-d forbid a person reaches that stage, you dont have to *worry* because it is inevitable because we all have to die anyway. The key thing is not to be upset, depressed or worry. Just take things in your stride)