ADAPTED FROM HIS AUDIO SHIUR ON SICHOS HARAN 143
Rebbe Nachman’s words reveal the future
Parshas Shoftim teaches about prophecy, that “a prophet from among you…to him you shall listen” (Devarim 18:15). Rebbe Nachman explained that this prophetic light continues to shine in every generation through the Torah of the tzaddik. He spoke about the greatness of the Torah that he taught in his shiurim and in his sichos, and especially in his sefer Likutey Moharan. Rebbe Nachman said that a person whose mind is deep enough can grasp that there is ru’ach hakodesh, a heavenly spirit of prophecy in all his teachings. A person learning the words of Rebbe Nachman can actually foresee the future if he delves deeply enough and knows how to read the words correctly.
Reb Noson gives an example of this, which happened just one year before Rebbe Nachman’s histalkus (passing). Rebbe Nachman gave the shiur which is recorded as Torah Samekh–Zayin in Likutey Moharan Tinyana entitled, “Bereishis – Le’einei Kol Yisrael.” “Bereishis” is the first word of the Torah, and “le’einei kol Yisrael” are the last words of the Torah. Rebbe Nachman tied these two together to show that there is a connection between the beginning and the end of Torah.
Rebbe Nachman spoke about how BeREiShIS (בראשית) can be rearranged to spell the words ROSh BaYiS (ראש בית), the head of the world (See Tikkuney Zohar #3, 18b). This refers to the tzaddik emes who is the channel for all the shefa (bounty) that the world receives. The Gemara states that a voice came from Heaven each day proclaiming that all the shefa of the entire world came purely in the zekhus of the holy Tanna Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa (Ta’anis 24b).
Shefa means all types of blessings that come from Heaven. In fact, Heaven itself derives its power from the tzaddik emes, tzaddik yesod olam. He is the foundation not only of the earth but of the entire Creation. Therefore, kivyakhol, Heaven derives its power from the tzaddik emes and then transmits it to the world in the form of shefa. That means that the tzaddik emes transfers the shefa to the whole world, as the heavenly voice stated about Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa.
In this Torah, Rebbe Nachman speaks about the rosh bayis who is nistalek, who passes away. This is a great tragedy that affects the entire world and brings about darkness. It is in the category of the churban Beis HaMikdash. When the Beis HaMikdash stood, it sent out a light that emanated throughout the entire world. After it was destroyed, that light turned into a destructive fire. Similarly, the light of the tzaddik emes shines throughout the world. His histalkus brings about destructive fire, which results in physical fires. In the past, there were fires that destroyed entire villages or cities after great tzaddikim were nistalek.
When Rebbe Nachman said this Torah, no one at the time understood what he meant. It was said on Shabbos, and no one was aware of the fact that two days earlier, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, one of the greatest tzaddikim at that time, had been nistalek. The news of his passing had not yet reached Breslov, where Rebbe Nachman was, so it was impossible for him or his talmidim to be aware of his histalkus. Rebbe Nachman said this Torah in a very sad, low tone, and no one could understand why he spoke that way or what he was trying to bring out with his words. Two days later, the tragic news arrived, and the talmidim understood how Rebbe Nachman’s words had contained a prophecy of the histalkus of that tzaddik emes.
His prophecy continues even today
Rebbe Nachman said that if a person looks deeply into his words, he can actually foretell the future. If a person is honest, he can look back in retrospect and see that different events were predicted in Rebbe Nachman’s words. Even today, one who learns Rebbe Nachman’s teachings with true depth, understanding and faith can actually foresee the future day by day. When things occur, especially with Rebbe Nachman’s talmidim, he is able to see that there was actually a hint to what happened in Rebbe Nachman’s words.
A person who is zokheh to get to Rebbe Nachman‘s tziyun finds that his journey is described in detail in the words of Likutey Moharan. A person undergoing great difficulty getting to Eretz Yisrael can find in Rebbe Nachman’s words the details of his own journey as well, and also, advice on how to overcome these meniyos, obstacles. Rebbe Nachman said that he has a place in his heart for every single talmid of the future. They are all his concern, and he will do his best to rectify their shortcomings and to assist them in performing mitzvos and in rising mi’dargah l’dargah, from one level to the next
