ADAPTED FROM HIS AUDIO SHIUR ON SICHOS HARAN 192

Tzaddikim in every Generation

Rebbe Nachman said that if one believes in HaShem, then he must also believe that there are tzaddikim, because the two go together. Tiferes and Yesod, chad hu. HaShem and the tzaddik are one. One cannot exist without the other. Just as HaShem unquestionably exists, so too, there are surely tzaddikim in every generation.

Reb Noson wrote, “Understand this very, very deeply.” Do not ever let this stray from your mind. When a person learns in the Gemara and in Jewish history about the miracles that great tzaddikim performed and about how holy they were, he may have doubts, chas veshalom, and wonder about the existence of such exalted individuals in our time. If a person has that germ of doubt in his mind, he must stop and contemplate the words of Rebbe Nachman.

Reb Noson explains further: One can ask, “Are there tzaddikim today? Show me one today who could divide the waters of the Red Sea. Show me a Moshe Rabbeinu. If you cannot, at least show me a David HaMelekh, a Rabbi Akiva or a Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and I will accept that there are tzaddikim.”

The answer is that this claim of “Show me” existed in those days, too. Even in the time of Moshe Rabbeinu, when it would seem that there was no question that he was the tzaddik in that generation, a large percentage of the people, including those who were very learned and religious, still rebelled against him and did not believe that he was the tzaddik emes. Who could be a better tzaddik than Moshe Rabbeinu, the ra’aya mehemna, the faithful shepherd, the greatest tzaddik of all time? No generation had a leader and a tzaddik who was greater than he; and yet, there were still those who turned away and rebelled against him. Korach said, “We want a leader we can consider a tzaddik emes, not the one we have.” Many others rebelled as well, Rachmana litzlan, and we see the same thing happening in every generation.

Today, for example, people say, “If we would only have a tzaddik like the Baal Shem Tov living today, everyone would say there is a tzaddik emes.” They would be satisfied, and not search any further. But can we honestly say that we today are wiser and more learned than the generation of the Baal Shem Tov? The average person in those days was far more learned than the greatest gaonim of today; and yet it was not the simple people who rebelled against the Baal Shem Tov, but the leaders. Those people who were so learned could not see the light of the Baal Shem Tov. Therefore, we cannot say for certain that if we had this or the other tzaddik we would be satisfied.

There are definitely tzaddikim in every generation. If one does not believe it or see it, it is because that person’s neshamah is too dark to receive the light of the tzaddik emes. His neshamah lacks the receptacle for this light, which is emunah, emunas tzaddikim.

A person who has emunas tzaddikim will see the tzaddik emes and feel his existence. But without emunah in the tzaddik, it is impossible to see him no matter where you live, in what generation you live, and who the tzaddik emes is at that time. The key to understanding and knowing about the tzaddik — who definitely exists just as sure as HaShem exists — is to believe that there is such a tzaddik.

Belief in the Tzaddik Emes

Rebbe Nachman says that if a person believes in HaShem, he is forced to believe that there are also tzaddikim. A person who says that he truly, honestly believes in HaShem but does not believe in tzaddikim, not only is his emunah in tzaddikim lacking, but his emunah in HaShem, too, is worthless. His statements of faith are meaningless. It is impossible to believe in HaShem without simultaneously believing in the tzaddik emes, in tzaddikim amiti’im. When he has both, then both are solid. If he has one alone, that one is baseless. This is what Rebbe Nachman taught, and Reb Noson underscored it, stating clearly, “Haven me’od,” understand deeply that this is the basis of emunah.

This is especially crucial in the darkness of this generation, when practically everyone asks, “How do you find the tzaddik emes? Where do you find one that is recognized by the whole world? There are so many conflicts. Each person claims that his Rebbe is the greatest, and all the other Rebbes are worthless. With so much dissension, how can you say that there is a tzaddik emes in the world?” The answer is that there is more than one tzaddik in the world.

A Jew is supposed to believe that there are many tzaddikim, and to respect, honor and have faith in all of them. There is, of course, only one tzaddik emes — the trunk of the tree from which all the other branches, the tzaddikim, come forth. If he believes in all the tzaddikim without question and does not attack or discredit any one of them, he can be certain of having the tzaddik emes in that group of tzaddikim.

Reb Noson says that this kind of emunah is the key to finding the tzaddik emes. If you have simple emunah in all tzaddikim, you will eventually dig deeply enough and find out who the tzaddik emes is. Ashrei to the person who is zokheh to find the true light, the light of the tzaddik emes.