The Shadchan's Chair
Translated
by Avraham Greenbaum
From
Tzaddik: A Portrait of Rabbi Nachman
(Breslov Research Institute), 210
Shortly
before Rosh HaShanah 5569 (at the end of the summer of 5568 -1808) the shochet,
the ritual slaughterer, of Teplik brought the Rebbe a very special chair.
In the same period the Rebbe related a vision or dream he had had. They brought
him a chair. It was surrounded by fire.
"The
whole world was going to see this chair: men, women and children. On their way
back from there, all of a sudden they all became paired up with each other, and
marriage relationships were forged between them. All the leaders of the era
also went to see the chair. I asked, 'How far away is it, and for what reason
were marriage pairs suddenly formed?' I went in a circle around them in order
to get there, and I heard that Rosh HaShanah soon would be coming. I wasn't
sure whether to return or to remain there. I was undecided. I said in my heart,
'How can I stay here for Rosh HaShanah? However, intellectually I thought,
'Considering my physical weakness, why should I go back?' So there I was, and I
came to the chair, and there I saw Rosh HaShanah - the real, actual Rosh
HaShanah. The same with Yom Kippur - the real, actual Yom
Kippur. The same with Sukkot - the real actual Sukkot. And
I heard that they were shouting, 'Your new moons and festivals My soul hates'
(Isaiah 1:14). 'What business have you to judge the world? Rosh HaShanah itself
will judge.' Then they all fled, together with the leaders of the era. Everyone
fled.
"I
saw that the chair was inscribed with the forms of all the creatures in the
world - every single one was
inscribed there together, with his marriage partner next to him. This was the
reason why all the marriage pairs had been formed, because each one was able to
see and find his marriage partner there.
"Something
I had been studying during the previous few days now came into my mind. There
is a verse which says: 'His throne was fiery flames' (Daniel 7:9). The first
letters of the words Koursey SHevivln Di Nur spell out the word ShaDKhaN
- - matchmaker. Because
it was through the chair that the marriage pairs were made. Furthermore, the
word KouRSey ("throne," spelled khof-reish-samech-yud)
is made up of the initial letters of Rosh HaShanah (reish), Yom Kippur (yud,
khaf) and Sukkot (samech); this, too, is why Shemini Atzeret [the
last of the series of festivals celebrated during the Hebrew month of Tishrei]
is the time of the marital union of the Supernal Matron.
"
'What shall I do for my livelihood?' I asked. They told me I would be a
matchmaker.
"The
fire went around it in a circle - because the truth is that
Rosh HaShanah is a great goodness to the world. It is the season when the moon
is hidden, and of this it is said, 'Bring an atonement for Me' (Chullin 60b).
This is a great goodness to the whole world, because it is through this that we
are able to beg for atonement on Rosh HaShanah."
©
1987 The Breslov Research Institute