The World Is Full of Strife
Translated
by Aryeh Kaplan, from Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom (Breslov Research Institute)
Sichos
HaRan 77
The
world is full of strife.
There
are wars between the great world powers.
There
are conflicts within different localities.
There
are feuds among families.
There
is discord between neighbors.
There
is friction within a household, between man and wife, between parents and
children.
Life
is short. People die every day. The day that has passed will never return, and
death comes closer every day. Nevertheless, people still fight and never once
remember their goal in life.
All
strife is identical. The friction within a family is a counterpart of the wars
between nations. Each person in a household is the counterpart of a world
power, and their quarrels are the wars between those powers. The traits of each
nation are also reflected in these individuals. Some nations are known for
anger, others for bloodthirstiness. Each one has its particular trait. The
counterparts of these traits are found in each household.
You
may wish to live in peace. You have no desire for strife. Still, you are forced
into dispute and conflict.
Nations
are the same. A nation may desire peace and make many concessions to achieve
it. However, no matter how much it tries to remain neutral, it can still be
caught up in war. Two opposing sides can demand its allegiance until it is
drawn into war against its will.
The
same is true in a household.
Man
is a miniature world.
His
essence contains the world and everything in it.
A
man and his family contain the nations of the world, including all their
battles.
A
man living alone can become insane. Within him are all the warring nations. His
personality is that of the victorious nation. Each time a different nation is
victorious, he must change completely, and this can drive him insane. He is
alone and cannot express the war within him. But when one lives with others,
these battles are expressed toward his family and friends.
There
may be strife in the household of a Tzaddik. This, too, is a war between
nations.
It
is also the war between the twelve tribes, such as the conflict between Ephraim
and Judah.
When
the Messiah comes all wars will be abolished.
The
world will have eternal peace, as it is written: "They will neither hurt
nor destroy . . . for the knowledge of G-d will fill the world like the water
that covers the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).
©
1973 Breslov Research Institute