Rabbi Nathan of Nemirov

Who was Rabbi Nathan

Rabbi Nathan is the disciple who wrote down the words of Rabbi Nachman. In Chayei Moharan he records what he was told his teacher said about him at the time he drew close:

His name appears explicitly in the book: as "האברך רבי נתן", who brought a teaching in writing the day after it was said (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תר״ז), and in the testimony about the manuscript of Chayei Moharan, "ספר חיי מוהר״ן כתיבת יד שכתב שם מורנו הרב רבי נתן" (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תרי״ד).

His bond with Rabbi Nachman

Rabbi Nachman came to Breslov in the month of Elul 5562. Rabbi Nathan describes the impression this made in nearby Nemirov, and how he himself drew close:

And in the same place he records his teacher's words about him:

The first Shabbat he spent with him was the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah 5563 (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות ע״ח), and the year 5566 was, in his words, "שנה הרביעית להתקרבותי אליו" (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות קנ״א).

Already at the time he drew close, Rabbi Nachman told him:

Chayei Moharan also collects things Rabbi Nachman said about Rabbi Nathan: of Rabbi Nathan and Rabbi Naftali he said "הם יהלומים" (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות של״ג); when Rabbi Nathan drew close, he praised him highly to his daughter Adel (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות של״ח); and to someone who said that Rabbi Nathan would yet become a tzaddik, he replied:

His role in preserving the teachings

Chayei Moharan records the words of the Maggid of Terhovitza, who heard a teaching from Rabbi Nachman and did not believe it could be written down:

Sometimes he wrote at his teacher's dictation, as Rabbi Nachman read to him from his own manuscript. This is how he described copying a teaching in Medvedevka:

Traces of this writing remain inside Likutei Moharan itself, in notes the writer made in the first person: "כל זה שמעתי מפיו הקדוש בעת שכתבתי לפניו" (ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה י״ט · אות ט׳), "בשעה שכתבתי לפניו תורה זאת… צוה עלי להתחיל התורה" (ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה כ״ב · אות כ״א), "וכשקבלתי מאתו תורות אלו בכתב" (ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה נ״ט · אות ו׳).

Some teachings have reached us in two versions: what he wrote himself as he heard it, and what he copied from his teacher's manuscript (another such version: ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה נ״ג · אות ד׳):

Writing and publishing

The teachings he wrote down were kept at first in scattered booklets, until Rabbi Nachman instructed him to put them in order:

The same section tells of the printing of Likutei Moharan:

He also copied for his teacher the book known as "the second book", the book Rabbi Nachman later ordered to be burned; it was his copy that was sent with two men to the towns:

The Alef-Bet book was also written this way, at Rabbi Nachman's dictation:

Chayei Moharan

Chayei Moharan is the book of talks and memories about Rabbi Nachman, and it is written in the first person: "נתקרבתי אליו", "כתבתי לפניו". At the end of the book there is a testimony about the manuscript:

The book was not all written in Rabbi Nachman's lifetime. In one section the writer mentions decrees issued "בימינו", sixteen years after his teacher's passing:

The writer also refers to his own work, Likutei Halachot (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות מ״ג). Likutei Halachot is not in the site's library at present.

The books

• Likutei Moharan: the teachings of Rabbi Nachman, which Rabbi Nathan wrote down, arranged and copied at his instruction (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות קפ״ד).
• Chayei Moharan: talks and memories about Rabbi Nachman, in Rabbi Nathan's own hand (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תרי״ד).
• Sefer HaMiddot, also called the Alef-Bet book (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות שע״ט): Rabbi Nathan wrote it down before Rabbi Nachman, at his dictation (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תל״ד).
• Likutei Halachot: his own work, to which he refers in Chayei Moharan (חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות מ״ג). Not in the site's library at present.

Sources for further reading

Every reference to a book leads to the full passage in the original Hebrew. To continue: Rabbi Nachman of Breslov · Chayei Moharan · Likutei Moharan

• Rabbi Nachman comes to Breslov and Rabbi Nathan draws close: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות קט״ו
• The first Shabbat after he drew close: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות ע״ח
• "If you are a worthy man, you will be able to hear much from me": חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות שס״ח
• Rabbi Nachman's words about Rabbi Nathan and Rabbi Naftali: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות של״ג
• His teacher's praise of Rabbi Nathan: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות של״ח
• "That not even one of my words will be lost": חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות שס״ז
• The teaching written down overnight: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תר״ז
• Copying from Rabbi Nachman's dictation in Medvedevka: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות ב׳
• The writer's note in Likutei Moharan: ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה י״ט · אות ט׳
• Two versions of one teaching: ליקוטי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · תורה מ״ו · אות ד׳
• Copying the teachings in order and printing Likutei Moharan: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות קפ״ד
• Copying "the second book": חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות קע״ה
• Writing the Alef-Bet book: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תל״ד
• The manuscript of Chayei Moharan: חיי מוהר״ן · חלק א׳ · אות תרי״ד