The Tzadik Is Like A Tree - there must always be controversy around him

The Tzadik Is Like A Tree

(teaching by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov)

 Chayei Moharan 401-402

Rebbe Nachman said: “All of the great Tzadikim reached their specific exalted level but remained there, I however, thank G-d every minute I become a new person”. He then gave a reason why people are against him, “For the tzadik is comparable to a tree (as in the verse “A tzadik blossoms like a palm tree), and every tzadik before he reaches his level there must be some kind of controversy surrounding him; people who are against him. For our sages say (Sanhedrin 7) controversy is comparable to water, and water is what is needed to make the tree grow. So each tzadik needed some kind of controversy in order to reach their level. I, however, need that there be controversy surrounding me always, and people always against me, because every time I need to grow higher and higher and cannot remain on the same level. For if I would know that I am standing now on the same level that I did an hour ago, I would feel as if there is no reason for me to be in this world.”  

Another time when Rebbe Nachmans students were complaining how hard it is for them to bear the suffering from all the controversy and persecution, he answered them: “Believe me, I have the power to put an end to all the controversy and to make peace, that there not be one person against me, but what can I do there are exalted levels and sanctuaries that it is impossible to reach without this kind of persecution. We see proof of this from Moshe Rabeinu, certainly he had magnetism and the ability to draw all the Jewish people towards him, as it says “And Moshe gathered all the people”, nevertheless we see when it says “They looked after Moshe”, and our sages say what they say and even more than that (that they called him a glutton and accused him of adultery -Sanhedrin 110, targum Yonatan and baal haturim on bamidmar 16:10, kidushin 33b, tanchuma shmos 33:8). And all this because there are certain things that a person cannot reach without having on himself controversy, that people are against him, etc. Like a tree, the more water you pour around it the higher it grows.   

 

חיי מוהר"ן תא-תא 

אָמַר, כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים הִגִּיעוּ לַמַּעֲלָה וְלַמַּדְרֵגָה שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ, אֲבָל עָמְדוּ בָּזֶה, וַאֲנִי בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם בְּכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע נַעֲשֶׂה אִישׁ אַחֵר. וְנָתַן טַעַם לָזֶה שֶׁחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו, כִּי הַצַּדִּיק נִקְרָא אִילָן, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ שָׁרָשִׁים וַעֲנָפִים וְכוּ', וְכָל צַדִּיק קדֶם שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָתוֹ יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַחֲלקֶת. כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סַנְהֶדְּרִין ז.) הַאי תִּגְרָא דַּמְיָא לְבִדְקָא דְמַיָּא, נִמְצָא שֶׁהַמַּחֲלקֶת הוּא בְּחִינַת מַיִם, וְהַמַּיִם הַיְנוּ הַמַּחֲלקֶת מְרִימִין אוֹתוֹ. אֲבָל אֲנִי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עָלַי מַחֲלקֶת תָּמִיד, כִּי אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ בְּכָל פַּעַם וּבְכָל רֶגַע מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא. אִלּוּ הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֲנִי עוֹמֵד עַכְשָׁו כְּמוֹ בַּשָּׁעָה הַקּוֹדֶמֶת, לא הָיִיתִי רוֹצֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּלָל בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם:

       

שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵאַנְשֵׁי-שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ גַּם-כֵּן כְּעֵין זֶה וּבְסִגְנוֹן אַחֵר קְצָת. פַּעַם אַחַת הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי-שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ קוֹבְלִים לְפָנָיו שֶׁקָּשָׁה לָהֶם לִסְבּל עִנְיַן הַמַּחֲלקֶת וְהָרְדִיפוֹת וְכוּ', עָנָה וְאָמַר לָהֶם תַּאֲמִינוּ לִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדִי כּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם עִם כָּל הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלּא יִהְיֶה שׁוּם חוֹלֵק עָלַי, אֲבָל מַה אֶעֱשֶׂה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַדְרֵגוֹת וְהֵיכָלוֹת כָּאֵלּוּ שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבא אֲלֵיהֶם רַק עַל-יְדֵי מַחֲלקֶת. וְהָרְאָיָה, כִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה לוֹ כּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁךְ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלָיו, כְּדִכְתִיב (שְׁמוֹת ל"ה): "וַיַּקְהֵל משֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", כִּי הוּא הָיָה הַדַּעַת שֶׁל כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָיָה בְּכחוֹ לְהַקְהִיל וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ אֶת כֻּלָּם אֵלָיו, וְאַף-עַל-פִּי-כֵן מַה כְּתִיב (שָׁם ל"ג): "וְהִבִּיטוּ אַחֲרֵי משֶׁה" וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה מַה שֶּׁדָּרְשׁוּ וְכוּ' וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה עוֹד[1]. וְכָל זֶה כִּי יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים כָּאֵלּוּ שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם רַק עַל-יְדֵי מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו וְכוּ'. וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סַנְהֶדְרִין ז.): 'הַאי תִּגְרָא דַּמְיָא לְבִדְקָא דְמַיָּא' שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "פּוֹטֵר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן" וְכוּ' וּכְתִיב (דְבָרִים כ): "כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה". וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה (שֶׁקּוֹרִין בֵּיימְל) כָּל מַה שֶּׁשּׁוֹפְכִין מַיִם סְבִיבוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר, הוּא גָּדֵל בְּיוֹתֵר:

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[1]  עיין קדושין לג:, מדרש תנחומא שמות לג:ח, גמ' סנהדרין קי., תרגום יונתן ובעל הטורים על במדבר טז:ד.

"May my soul be like dirt to everyone"

During the nine minutes of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth Jewish month, a time which according to Kabalah is auspicious for bringing down spiritual sustenance to the world, the Judges in Amsterdam issued their decision regarding Israel's extradition request of the Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov explains the meaning of our three time daily prayer "May my soul be like dirt to everyone", that just as the dirt on the ground everyone tramples on it yet it provides for the world all sources of sustenance and good things, all food and livelihood, gold and precious stones come from the ground, so too the Tzaddik who has fully integrated this prayer becomes the stamping ground for all to trample on and in that way he is able to provide sustenance both spiritual and physical for the entire world. For a Tzaddik pays no attention at all to his own needs or his own honor only to the needs and honor of the world around him, and he is willing to lower himself for all to step on in order to accomplish this.

Rebbe Nachman goes on and explains "May my soul be like dirt to everyone", that just like the earth has a gravitational force and everyone is naturally pulled towards it, so too the Tzaddik has a gravitational force and all are pulled towards him. Some understand that it is in order to recieve teaching and guidance from him, while others don't understand and are convinced that there must be something strangely wrong here and therefore make it thier business to speak evil about him, cause him harm and constantly chase him for nothing. Either way there is a gravitational force and it is up to each individual to use it for good or for bad.