Breslov Hasidism

Breslov (also Bratslav and Breslev) is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810), a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Its adherents strive to develop an intense, joyous relationship with God and receive guidance toward this goal from the teachings of Nachman.

The movement has had no central, living leader for the past 200 years, as Nachman did not designate a successor. As such, Breslov adherents are sometimes referred to as the "dead Hasidim" () since they have never had a formal Rebbe since Nachman's death. However, certain groups and communities under the Breslov banner refer to their leaders as "Rebbe".

The movement weathered strong opposition from virtually all other Hasidic movements in Ukraine throughout the 19th century, yet, at the same time, experienced growth in numbers of followers from Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. By World War I, thousands of Breslov Hasidim lived in the region. After the Bolshevik Revolution, communist persecution forced the Breslov Hasidic movement underground in Russia. Thousands of Breslov Hasidim were imprisoned or executed during Joseph Stalin's Great Purge and later during the Nazi period, both before and after Germany's invasion of Soviet Russia in 1941. The movement was regenerated in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel by those who escaped the persecutions of Europe, with large numbers of Yemenite Jews and other Mizrahi Jews joining the sect.

History

"Breslov" is the name used nowadays by Breslover followers for the town of Bratslav, where Nachman lived for the last eight years of his life before moving to Uman where he died. Bratslav is located on the Bug river (latitude 48.82 N., longitude 28.95 E.), midway between Tulchin to the south and Nemirov to the north— from each. Bratslav should not be confused with Wrocław, a town now located in Poland, called in German "Breslau", and also pronounced "Breslov" in Yiddish, which was a renowned Jewish center in its own right.

Prior to his arrival in Breslov in 1802, Nachman lived and taught in other towns in the Russian Empire, such as Ossatin, Medvedevka , Zlatopol, and Odessa. But upon his arrival in Breslov, he declared, "Today, we have planted the name of the Breslover Hasidim. This name will never disappear because my followers will always be called after the town of Breslov."

Later, followers said the name of the town dovetailed with Nachman's teachings. He encouraged Jews to remove the barriers that stood between themselves and a closer relationship with God. They noted that the Hebrew letters of the word ''Breslov'' (ברסלב) can be re-arranged to spell ''lev basar'' (לב בשר —the "ס" and "ש" sounds are interchangeable), "a heart of flesh", echoing the prophecy in Ezekiel (36:26): "I odwill take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (For this reason, some adherents spell the name of the Hasidut, "Breslev", stressing the ''lev'' (heart). Contemporary Breslov teacher Shmuel Moshe Kramer of Jerusalem also noted that the gematria ("numerical value") of the Hebrew letters of ''Breslov'' (ברסלב) is 294, as is the Hebrew spelling of ''Nachman ben Faiga'' (נחמן בן פיגא) (Nachman son fFaiga), the names of Nachman and his mother.

Religious approach

The Breslov approach places great emphasis on serving God through the sincerity of the heart, with much joy and living life as intensely as possible. Breslov's teachings particularly emphasize ''emunah'' (faith) and ''teshuvah'' (repentance) and that every Jew on any level of Divine service is required to yearn to return to God constantly, no matter how high or low they are situated on the spiritual echelon.

Breslover Hasidim see the study and fulfillment of Torah life as the means to a joyful existence, and their approach to worship is very personalized and emotional, with much clapping, singing, and dancing. Nachman said, "It is a great mitzvah ommandment or good deedto always be happy". In this same lesson, he notes that even leading intellectuals in the medical field will attest to depression and bitterness being the main cause of most mental and physical ailments.

Breslov teachings emphasize the importance of drawing people to the "true tzadik" as the key to rectifying the world, overcoming evil, and bringing people closer to God, according to Nachman and Nathan of Breslov. In Breslov thought, the "true tzadik" is Nachman himself.

Nachman also emphasized Jewish prayer. Besides the regular daily services in the synagogue, Nachman advised his followers to engage in ''hitbodedut'' (literally, "self-seclusion"), on a daily basis. Nachman claimed that every true tzaddik attained his lofty spiritual level almost uniquely because of ''hitbodedut''. Nachman explained that ''hitbodedut'' is the loftiest form of Divine service and that it is virtually impossible to be a good Jew without this practice. During ''hitbodedut'', the individual pours out his thoughts and concerns to God in his mother tongue, as if talking to a close personal friend. The goal is to establish complete unification with God and a clearer understanding of one's personal motives and goals.

A sub-group of the Breslov sect, colloquially known as '' Na Nachs'', uses the '' Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman'' mantra, which is based on a permutation of the Hebrew letters of Nachman's name. This mantra was not used by Nachman himself but was taught in the 20th century by Yisroel Ber Odesser. The ''NaNach'' movement, however, is highly controversial within the wider Breslov community because it places less emphasis on learning traditional Jewish texts such as the Talmud and more emphasis on ecstatic worship.

Nachman always maintained that his high spiritual level was due to his own efforts and not to his famous lineage or any other circumstances of his birth. He repeatedly insisted that all Jews could reach the same level as he and disagreed with those who thought that the main reason for a Rebbe's greatness was the superior level of his soul.

The Rosh Hashana kibbutz

Another specifically Breslov practice is the annual Rosh Hashanah kibbutz, a large gathering at the grave of Nachman in Uman, Ukraine, on the Jewish New Year. Nachman himself said:

During his lifetime, hundreds of followers spent the holiday with him; after his death, his closest disciple, Nathan of Breslov, organized an annual pilgrimage to his grave, starting with Rosh Hashana 1811, the year after Nachman's death. Until World War I, thousands of Hasidim from Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland joined the holiday prayer gathering. The Rosh Hashana kibbutz operated clandestinely, and on a smaller scale, under Communism, when public prayer gatherings were forbidden. The pilgrimage was officially re-instituted after the fall of Communism in 1989, and continues to this day, with upwards of 70,000 men and boys arriving each Rosh Hashana from all over the world.

Breslovers also make individual pilgrimages to their Rebbe's grave at other times of the year. Visiting the grave at any time is deemed beneficial, because Nachman said:

Important books

The main Hasidic texts revered and studied by Breslover Hasidim are those written by Nachman and Nathan. All of Nachman's teachings were transcribed by Nathan. Additionally, Nathan wrote some of his own works.

Note that, at the same time, Breslovers do not restrict themselves to Nachman's commentaries on the Torah, but also study many of the classic texts, including the Tanakh, Talmud, Midrash, and many others.
They may also study the writings of Rebbes from other dynasties.
In fact, Nachman claimed that while even a complete simpleton can become a pure and righteous Jew, the ideal study schedule of an extremely scholarly Hasid should include the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) with its commentaries, the entire Talmud with its commentaries, the entire Shulchan Aruch (code of law), all the Midrashic works, the Zohar and Tikkunei Zohar, the teachings of the Arizal, and other kabbalistic works, all over the course of a single year.
Today, many Breslov ''hasidim'' practice a daily review the ''Shulchan Aruch''.

Nachman's magnum opus is the two-volume ''Likutei Moharan'' (Collected essonsof Our Teacher, Rabbi Nachman), a collection of 411 lessons displaying in-depth familiarity and understanding of the many overt and esoteric concepts embedded in Tanakh

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