For information
contact: Breslov
World
Center Israel 5 Meah She'arim St.
Jerusalem, ISRAEL
world@breslov.com
02-500-2935 (Main Office)
02-537-9880 (fax)
054-4862935 (cellular)
United States
world-us@breslov.com
(516)791-1800 ext. 112
(347)351-2858 (cellular)
(516)791-7272 (fax)
| Rabbi Nachman's
Secret of Happiness by Rabbi
Nasan
Maimon Long
ago, Rabbi
Nachman of
Breslov had recognized Simcha as the key to success in religion and
coming
truly close to HaShem. In stressing the importance of Simcha he went so
far as saying that depression - the antithesis of Simcha - constitutes
"the main bite of the serpent (the Yetzer Harah)". How far should a
person
struggle to remain steadfast and avoid depression? The lesson is best
illustrated
by the following story Rabbi Nachman told to his disciples:
"But
what is
the antidote for the person who feels so heavy, so depressed, that no
words
of encouragement or advice have any effect?"
There was once a
poor man
who earned a living digging clay and selling it. Once, while digging
clay,
he discovered a precious stone which was obviously worth a great deal.
Since he had no idea of it's worth, he took it to an expert to tell him
Its value. The expert answered, "No one here will be able to afford
such
a stone. Go to London, the capital, and there you will be able to sell
it." The man was so poor that he could not afford to make the journey.
He sold everything he had, and went from house to house, collecting
funds
for the trip. Finally he had enough to take him as far as the
sea. He then
went to
board a ship,
but he did not have any money. He went to the ship's captain and showed
him the jewel. The captain immediately welcomed him aboard the ship
with
great honor, assuming he was a very trustworthy person. He gave the
poor
man a special first class cabin, and treated him like a wealthy
personage.
The poor man's cabin had a view of the sea, and he sat there,
constantly
looking at the diamond and rejoicing. He was especially particular to
do
this during his meals, since eating in good spirits is highly
beneficial
for digestion. Then one day, he sat down to eat, with the diamond lying
in front of him on the table where he could enjoy it. Sifting there he
dozed off. Meanwhile, the mess boy came and cleared the table, shaking
the tablecloth with it's crumbs and the diamond into the sea. When he
woke
up and realized what had happened, he almost went mad with grief.
Besides,
the captain was a ruthless man who would not hesitate to kill him for
his
fare. Having no other choice, he continued to act happy, as if nothing
had happened. The captain would usually speak to him a few hours every
day, and on this day, he put himself in good spirits, so that the
captain
was not aware that anything was wrong. The captain said to him, "I want
to buy a large quantity of wheat and I will be able to Sell it in
London
for a huge profit. But I am afraid that I will be accused of stealing
from
the king's treasury. Therefore, I will arrange for the wheat to be
bought
in your name. I will pay you well for your trouble." The poor man
agreed.
But as soon as they arrived in London the captain died. The entire
shipload
of wheat was in the poor man's name and it was worth many times as much
as the diamond. Rabbi
Nachman
concluded,
"The diamond did not belong to the poor man, and the proof is that he
did
not keep it. The wheat, however, did belong to him, and the proof is
that
he kept it. But he got what he deserved only because he remained happy.
* It is up
to each
of us never
to lose hope, and like the poor man in the story to whom everything
appeared
lost, force oneself to be happy. Even a faked, ungenuine, happiness,
has
the power to transform our situation and lead us to genuine
joy. But what
is the
antidote
for the person who feels so heavy, so depressed, that no words of
encouragement
or advise have any effect? To the one who feels he has reached the end
of his rope ... feeling so low and discouraged about himself that he
can
only term himself "dead." Rabbi Nachman throws a lifeline: He stresses
the statement of the Gemara that in the future,
Hashem will
resurrect
the entire body through a certain bone known as the "Luz". Invisible to
the eye, the Luz defies destruction. Placed on a stone and pounded
repeatedly
with a sledgehammer, eventually the sledgehammer will break in two and
the stone will shatter into a thousand pieces - but the Luz will remain
intact and unharmed. "Thus we see," says Rabbi Nachman, "that no matter
how low a person has fallen, there exists an indestructible part in
him,
that can form the basis for a new resurrection - a new life."
Focus on your Luz
, advises
Rabbi Nachman. Ask HaShem to help you find that indestructible part,
that
essence of yourself that no sin or misfortune can erase. Bind yourself
to it. Concentrate on it. Allow it to gladden you and make
you
happy.
Then, even if you find yourself in the deepest, darkest pit without the
slightest trace of hope or light - still, you will always find your way
out. On a
larger
scale, the failure
to find the "good point," is responsible for undermining all our
relationships-especially
in marriage. All conflict arises from an inability to see the good in
another
person. Fault-finders abound.
The
key is,
explains Rabbi
Nachman, to zero in on the good point -- the pure, untarnishable,
indestructible,
utterly redeeming feature that exists in each and every one of us, and
use it to rebuild our image of others and ourselves.
Ki Besimcha
Taitzayhu - "through
simcha you will go out," the posuk says. it is simcha that shines a
light
for a person, releasing him from any type of exile.
In the zechus of
this great
Tzaddik who taught this lesson of Simcha may Hashem allow us to exit
from
our present galus, with the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of
the
Bais Hamikdash speedily in our days. Amain.
|