8.30.2013

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Kevrei Tzadikim
He was also very accustomed during his youth to run each time to the tomb of the Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be blessed, to request from him that should help him draw close to Hashem. He was accustomed to going there at night.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Cold Mikvas
During the winter, at times when it was very cold he would go to the tomb of the Baal Shem Tov at night, from there he would return and go to the mikva. There was one mikva outside the bathhouse and another mikva inside the bathhouse. He would choose to immerse in the outdoor mikva despite the great cold. He was already cold from traveling to the Baal Shem Tov's kever, since it was very far from his home to the cemetery and also from the cemetery to the mikva, aside from the considerable amount of time that he spent by the kever. Despite all this he would go and immerse specifically in outdoor mikva in order to torment himself (sigufim). All this was done secretly at nighttime.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Hidden Avoda
Rebbe Nasson heard from one that heard it directly from Rebbe Nachman's holy lips that at the time when he performed all these actions (sigufim) he was only six years old. He was so secretive with his actions, hiding them from other people that once he immersed in the mikva during the winter and when he returned from the immersion his payot were damp from the water. People around him wondered why anyone would wash their head in the winter, since it did not cross their minds that he had gone to the mikva but rather they thought he had washed his head. They were astonished that he had washed his head in such great cold weather and they considered it one of his childish acts, since he was very extremely hidden with his actions.
Also, all the many fasts that he fasted, not a single person in the world knew about them including his parents and relatives. Only his wife alone know about this and he would bound her by an oath not to reveal this to anyone. He would do many, many tricks to hide and conceal all the fasts that he fasted in a way that not a person know about them.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Trip tp Eretz Yisroel 
Regarding his trip to Eretz Yisroel there is much to tell regarding the great, tremendous and heavy suffering that he experienced going and returning. As well as great effort and self sacrifice and the many obstacles that he had before he merited to reach Eretz Yisroel.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 21)

Sigufim
We also understood from the things he told us, that in his youth, at the time when he worked very hard with great effort for Avodas Hashem, he used to do all sorts of Sigufim (self tormentations). As it appeared from his words he used to practice all forms of existing Sigufim including Gilgul Sheleg (rolling undressed in the snow) etc... He said the Siguf of holding back and not itching oneself, this is the biggest siguf of all. Meaning, when a person is bitten by things that are close to his body and it is human nature to itch himself each time he feels a bite, he would accept this as a Siguf and whould hold himself back not to scratch, not with his hands, not with his body nor with any other limb. He said this is a very large Siguf, since a person is still and the bites get even stronger and he is forbidden to move with his hands or any other limb, rather he feels each bite in his mind. This is a very large Siguf. Rebbe Nachman did all types of existing Sigufim. Doing them all with simplicity and truth until he merited to what he merited, fortunate is he.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 24)

Rebbe Nachman's High Level 
As a rule, in all aspects of holiness and separation, both those involving the desires, as well as those involving the bad attributes and also im all aspects of hard work, intensity, hassles and suffering for Hashem, in each and every one of these, Rebbe Nachman was a very wondrous innovation. He was completely removed of all the lusts and bad attributes with total completion, until there was not even left in him even a slight residue from any lust or bad attribute. He merited to reach a fearsomely high level, as high as could be reached. It is impossible to speak at all about the essence of his great level since "All that add, subtract".
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

Learn From Rebbe Nachman
Everything that we have told over until now, would be considered derogatory for Rebbe Nachman according to the great levels that he merited afterwards. Yet despite this we have related all the above regarding his spiritual service and path during his youth, in order that we should know and understand how there is freedom of choice and every person can merit very great levels if he wishes. Even though it seems to a person that spiritual worship is very heavy and hard, and they are not allowing him to enter the service of Hashem, since the lusts and bad attributes constantly chase after him. Still despite this he needs to be very stubborn in his service of Hashem and not look at all of this. In these stories a wise person will understand on his own, how even Rebbe Nachman passed through all these obstacles and heaviness. He passed through all of this and despite this merited to nullify it all since he truthfully wanted to serve Hashem and chose life with truth until he merited what he merited.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

You Do Not Need Yichus
Rebbe Nachman said even if he was not a descendant of the G-dly Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be blessed and even if he came from the lowest Jewish family, he still would have merited what he merited, through his intense worship and hard effort that he greatly, greatly worked and toiled in the service of Hashem.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

High Levels Are A Result of Hard Work 
Rebbe Nachman was particularly stringent about those people that held the high levels of a Tzadik and the spiritual attainments he merits are due only to his soul, since he has a very high soul. He said this is not true, rather the main thing this is dependent on are his good deeds, hard work and sacrifices. He said explicitly, that any person in the world can merit the highest levels. As this is only dependent on a person's free will, if he wants to have mercy on himself and settle his mind very well to acknowledge what is truthfully good for him and "everything is according to the quantity of action".
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

Teachings of Rabbanue
Even the awesome miracles that we saw from Rebbe Nachman, his memory should be blessed, we are not bothering with those to recite them, since they are not considered praise at all for him, according to his tremendous level. We have only told over what is relevant to the Service of Hashem, to awaken the wise one who seeks truth. There is no excuse in the world and any person could merit high levels if he were to proceed and follow in the paths of Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, that are found in this book. However the main thing is to be very acquainted with prayers and requests. Especially to speak between yourself and your creator in your native tongue. To do much conversation in front of Hashem, to appease and convince Him and to plead before Him that he should bring you close to his service in truth. This paragraph is enough for all those that seek truth.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 27)

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8.02.2013

More Sichos Haran on Shmiras Habris

Proceed With Balance 
Even though a person has to be very - very quick in serving Hashem, to constantly push himself at every instant to accomplish a lot of holy service, since the main thing is action; to study a lot of Torah, to perform many Mitzvos and to do much prayer, begging an pouring out your heart in front of Hashem and so too with all other actions pertaining to the Service of Hashem. Still, do not become frightened when you see the Holy books describing many different holy services. Do not become frightened from this and say to yourself "When will I be able to accomplish even one of these described actions, certainly all of them". A person has to insure that he does not become confounded, trying to grab everything at once, rather he should proceed with ease and measurement, little by little. He should not become completely confused and confounded since he wants to do and grab everything all at once, due to this becoming completely confused. Just like when there is a fire, heaven forbid, due to the confusion people grab things they do not need. Instead a person should act with measurement and calmness, little by little.
(Sichos Haran 27)

If You Can Not do it then Yearn 
And if sometimes a person can not do anything at all in the service of Hashem, what can he do, Hashem acquits a person who can not do something against his will. He should accustom himself to always yearn, crave and desire for Hashem, since the yearning and desire in itself are very big things and all Hashem wants is the heart.
(Sichos Haran 27)

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Relationships of a Tzadik 
Rebbe Nachman said; relationships of a True Tzadik are very difficult for him. It is not enough that he does not have any lust at all, in fact the opposite he has real suffering from this, equivalent to a baby at the time of his Bris. It is exactly this pain that a Tzadik experiences at the time of a relationship and even more. A baby does not have knowledge, therefore his suffering is not that great. However a Tzadik who does have knowledge, his suffering is greater then that of the baby. This was to Rebbe Nachman a simple thing and he said that any person can merit to reach this level. As it appears from his words, his own holiness was much higher and greater then this.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 17)

Completely Clean
Rebbe Nachman said; by him man and woman are the same. Meaning, he does not receive any form of impure thoughts when he sees a woman. Instead everything is the same in his eyes and it is as if he is looking at a man.
A different time Rebbe Nachman said; he is not afraid, not from a woman and not from an angel. There is much to explain about this, since any person that has even a trace of fear whatsoever from impure thoughts of women, even if he is clean from this but is not clean with complete cleansing and he still has some fear from this, this person has to be afraid of an angle. However Rebbe Nachman boasted that he has no fear of this, therefore he does not fear angles.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 18)

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