Transcription of talk given by R. Shlomo to the Sufi HealingOrder, Leicester, N.C. 1981.
Starts with introductory remarks, and R. Shlomo asking everyone tomove close Very good sound quality The Rabbi tunes his guitar. It needs it.
{Song: L'cha Dodi (tune only) {Song: Days are coming (English) {Song: Hinei Yamim: P54.
Whistled and hummed: One of the early war-horses; {Takes wing, but mic was inadequate.
ON SPIRITUAL HUNGER, AND PROPHECY: COMMENTARY ON: "there will be a hunger, but the hunger will notbe for bread, but to hear the word of the LORD" (Isiah __ __) {628} Ok, Shalom again, my sweetest friends.
I'm sure you know this passage anyway, it's a passage fromthe Prophets. And -- we're living in a hungry world. Very very hungry. And you know, if you're hungry for bread, you become ugly, because you're so hungry, you can't bear it. When you're hungry for God, the more you're hungry, the more beautiful you are. 		People who are hungry for bread hate each other; they think, Ah, you're taking away my piece of bread. But people who are hungry for God -- you know -- isn't it the greatest privilege to make somebody else also hungry? And when you're hungry for bread,you're empty. When you're hungry for God, you're so full. {1} Basically there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are the empty people, who are hungry for bread, and the full people, who are hungry for God.
But what I would like to share with you -- So why did the Prophet tell us this 2000 years ago? Let me just tell you something sweetest friends, since most of you people are first time -- I mean in this lifetime. I'm sure we met somewhere else, long time ago; I hope we meet again.
You know my most darling friends, I'm sure you all read the Prophets. But I'm not sure if it's known to you: The Prophets were not like little shleppers standing on the street corners of Jerusalem, you know. Like, nebbuch, you know, a little doped up, or anything. Like really hungry for bread, if someone came through, you'd like a bagel with lox, you know,Jewish, you know. He says no, don't disturb me now, I'm prophesying; {700} meet me after the show, you know.
I don't know if some of you know, that the Prophets -- you know, God's prophecy, real prophecy -- especially before the destruction of the Temple -- the Prophets were not people who had nothing to eat, they were the richest people in the world. And perfect people. Physically, mentally, spiritually, divinely. And the way they were prophesying on street corners, was not they were standing on a rainy day, and they didn't have a raincoat, and some other shleppers were standing around. Do you know that every prophet had, like, a little school for prophecy. And they had hundred of thousands of young people with them, and all those instruments. Because God's prophecy doesn't come up on you, -- {spoken like a street-corner lout:} you're just standing there,you know, looking at the red light.
And most of the time, all the time, they were standing somewhere, and they began singing and playing. And then suddenly the gates of heaven were open, and they prophesied.
And most of the time, while they were prophesying, anybody who was listening to that prophecy was not just listening [as if] to the radio, television, and [remarking, like an overworked philanthropist] Ach, 2000 years from now there'll be a hungry world, Mazel tov: Can I give you a check, dated for -- [Surely the Rabbi does not intend to imply that it is proper to write a post-dated check!
Fact is, as memory serves, I once heard him say, probably Modi'in 80s, that once a poor shlepper in galutz came to himand wanted to up go to eretz Israel, and he said, I don'thave money now, ask me later, and the guy never came back,and the Rabbi repented to the hevre not having written El Ala rubber check.
l3 *** When you get to the Pearly Gates, the firstthing that the Heavenly Court will examine will be yourbank balance. If you do not have an overdraft, theywill say, Why did you not give more to tzdaka? *** ] The thing is, anybody who heard the Prophet also prophesied. They mamash saw it.
Because a true prophet is not someone who tells you, I had aprophecy, and you -- Hah, why should you have prophecy, look atyourself, where you are, really --- You're not even a payingmember here, I mean, whadaya think, you know. You didn't eventwent -- [the Rabbi refines his grammar] go to my School yet; Ihave a 3 years' course. And -- if you pay extra, you can make itin two years, right.
----- THE RABBI SUMMARIZES THE JEWISH ATTITUDE TOWARD CELIBACY I have to tell you this stupid joke; a girl came up -- at onetime we had a House of Love & Prayer in San Francisco, maybe someof you know. And a girl comes, really like doped up, like crazy. She comes in, and she says, you know, I saved up $2000 and now, my-- holy man, whatever she called him -- initiated me. I said to her: You know, I'm just -- without hurting yourfeelings -- I just don't have the feeling that my father Avrahamcharged $2000 for initiating somebody to know about God; it justdoesn't make sense to me. She says to me, How dare you , comparing Abraham to my guru. Ok, I'm sorry (I says, mamash.) I asked her: Ok, let me ask you, so what did the guru do toyou, you know, now that you're initiated, what happened to you. 	She says, He turned me off from sex, and turned me on to toG_d. So I gave her a kiss and says, You know, God don't mindsharing.
Well anyway, you know, I'm just -- wanted to break theseriousness. But ah -- ----- {ON SPIRITUAL HUNGER AND PROPHECY, CONT.} But you know the Propets? The Prophets, when theyprophecied, they lifted you and me up to the highest level. So I just wanted to share this with you.
You know what the Prophet is really telling us. There will be a time, when there'll be a hunger in the world. So why does he tell it to us now? When it comes, we'll know about it.
I want you to open your hearts, sweetest friends. The Prophet is telling us, there will be a time, there'll be such a hunger in the world. People will be so hungry. And the Prophet tells you -- I want you to know one thing. At that time,when someone comes and tells you, I'm hungry for bread, don't believe them. They're ashamed to tell you they're hungry for God.
You know when someone knocks on your door, a neighbor, and says, you know, could I have some eggs, I'm making a cake. You know what they mean? Gevaldt am I hungry. I'm so hungry for some holy words. I'm so hungry for one friend. Can't you just give me a hug. I'm so lonely. You know, when people stop you on the street and say to you,what time is it, you think they don't have a watch. Maybe they have two watches. But you know what they're telling you. My life is just -- slipping by. Just don't know what to do with my life any more. You imagine you're standing on 42nd [or: ?47th?] street, and somebody asks you, where's 48th St. You think they can't read? But you know what they mean: I don't where to go. I don't know where to go. You know, sometimes children come home from school, and the mother says to them, are you hungry. Say: Yes, I was so hungry. And the mother says, Good I'll give you a peanut -- some peanut-butter. It's cute, right -- Those mothers are the failure of our generation. Your child is not hungry for a peanut butter sandwich. They're hungry. They were sitting in school for five hours, and nobody kissed them. Nobody told them how sweet they are, how beautiful they are.
And you know what, it's strange. The people who are a little bit hungry for God, for something holy, they tell you. The people who are desperately hungry, they're ashamed to tell you. Because they're so desperate. They are so desperate. And they don't want you to know how desperate they are.
So we're living in a world where all of us, you and I, we can do so much! So much.
----- .p R. Shlomo on healing: From Tape 84-18-KP, Leiceister NC SOHealing Order (which copyrights same). Presumably talk given in 1984 to SO Healing Order, Leiceister, NC.
You know friends, the difference between healing somebody spiritually, mentally, divinely, and physically: it's very simple.
You know, physical healing takes time.
You know why, because God created the world in 6 days, and our body is part of the 6 days. It takes time.  Our soul -- was not created in 6 days; our soul is part of God -- beyond creation. To cure my soul -- no time at all. No time. [As R. Shlomo says clearly: 'no time at all' means: in this dimension of Being -- what we call, loosely, 'eternity' -- ,the parameter of 'time' is not applicable.] But it takes somebody else's soul. Somebody else's Divine spark. Somebody else's utmost utmost holiness, to fix my soul.{FNsa-2a} And today, everybody is aware, that most of the time, when my body is so sick and weary, it's because I just can't find a person who'll fix my soul.
You know friends -- I'm sure you know more than I do -- but - that's what it is. {961} { N.B.: Tape position is given by Counter reading on myASPEC El-Cheapo table-top player, where a 45-minute side of a90-minute tape totals about {1475}, and where units of {100}start at 2 minutes and augment by 10 seconds to {800}, thenceby 20 seconds to [{1400}-{1300}= 4 minutes 10 seconds.} le Behind all this jive blowing off steam, I am trying to be accountable to scholarly criteria, so that others can correct my mistakes without extraneous difficulty.} What's a sign of a good doctor?
Imagine, (God forbid), somebody is sick, lying in their bed,desperate, at the end; one doctor after the other walks in: Which one is a good doctor -- how do you know?: Very simple. The doctor who walks in, he didn't even examine you, he didn't give you medication, he didn't say anything; but the moment he walks in, you feel better -- that is a real doctor. Because he's fixing your soul. He did something to you, without medication.
STORY: THE MEZRICHER MAGGID ON HEALING There's an unbelievable story. One of our holiest masters,who lived about 200 years ago, the MEZRICHER MAGGID -- very special -- And -- A wealthy man from Vilna, a city in Russia, came to him. And he [the wealthy man(?)] told him all sorts of things.
And he [the Mezritcher Maggid] says, I just want you to know one thing: It's not the doctor who's curing, it's God's messenger, an angel, who goes with the doctor, who cures: He says: A little doctor has a little angel, and a great doctor has a great angel. And the man says to him, you know Rabbi, I came to talk to you about my business. And he [the Mezritcher Maggid] says [again] the same thing: I just want you to remember this.
[The wealthy man] thinks, ah, He's senile, y'know, obviously he doesn't -- wants to talk to him about business, he talks to me about angels -- crazy. Walks out. Comes home and he says, Y'know, he's not a Holy Master, he's crazy.
Two weeks later, has a heart attack, whatever he has, he's just about dying. At that time the Czar of Russia was in Vilna, and the Czar of Russia had a doctor -- obviously a good doctor, right. But since he was such a wealthy man, the children arranged that this great doctor should come to visit their father, who's just about dying.
The great doctor is walking in, and he sees the man is dying in a minute. He says, can you PLEASE rush to a drugstore,whatever it's called in Russia, and get me this real heavy medicine. They're rushing out for this real heavy medicine. So before he's giving him the medicine, he says, let me examine him one more time. He examines him, and he says: Ah, this is too strong; you gotta go back, get me something less. They're running, let's say come back in 10 minutes, less strong medicine, examines him again, and -- he says, this is too strong, get me something less.
This goes on 5 times, and he hasn't given the medication yet,and the patient is already sitting up. And the doctor says: You know this is crazy, when I walked in you were dying. I haven't given you any medication yet, and you're sitting up already.
Ah, he says, I tell you something crazy: I once heard this holy man telling me, it's not the doctor who's curing, it's God's messenger -- like, God gives the doctor -- the power to heal.
Whatever you [ enlightened folk ] call an angel; an angel is-- certain energy -- which God gives you. And a little doctor has a little angel, and a big doctor has a big angel.
The doctor says, you know, I gotta meet this great rabbi. And this doctor, you know, became later on in our history, one of the holiest masters. Very holy master.
But you know what he did? He didn't stop being a doctor. On the contrary, he became even a bigger doctor. But what he did,what he learned from this whole thing: that you have to cure the soul first. First you have to cure the soul.
So you know, by the holy masters in the Hasidic tradition, the way to fix somebody's soul is -- that this person gives you apiece of paper [kvitl] and writes down on the paper their name,and the name of their mother. Or their father _______ . Mostly their mother. And they fix your name. And then, if it's OK, let me look at you.
And -- something is happening to the world. I'm sure you know better than I do. The world realizes: we have to cure each other's soul. But you know in Hasidic tradition, in kabbalistic terms,it's very special. You cure the body -- you do not "cure" the soul; you 'fix' the soul. Fixing [tikkun]. Fixing is something very deep. You see, curing takes time. Fixing -- if you know how to do it -- you just do something, and do nothing, and it's there,right.
And I just want to bless you and me, all of us: because fixing -- you know you can walk on the street and smile to yourself, or sing a song. And a sad person pass by, and you fix their soul without even knowing that they passed you, right. Fixing.
And if you don't mind, friends, let me tell you *** THE STORY OF THE GREAT FIXER *** This is the story told by the holy Ba'al Shem Tov's grandson,it's a very deep story, and -- just open your hearts.
Because this is the most important thing I want to share with you.
You know what the greatest fixer in the world is -- what is it -- what the world needs most -- {Someone in the audience: Love} You're right. Yeah, But let me go one step deeper. You know I'll tell you -- {Like Willy the Wimp} "I love you - yeah, I love you -- {A bit more jive, Pierrot in front of theApollo, to the Moon} Yeah, I love you baby -- "It's very cute; Iwon't fix you. [N.B.: One loses in transcription R. Shlomo's fine dramaticsense, the range of characterizations with which he couldironically evoke the various character-types, and variouslevels of mauvais foi. And also his Brooklyn inflections,which are quite refreshing.] R. SHLOMO'S TELLING OF THIS TALE ON THIS TAPE MERITSDISTRIBUTION. Multi-dimensionally richer than the edit inShlomo Stories.
You need utmost joy and bliss. Mamash you need joy. Simpleas it is. Actually people who hate, don't know what joy is, right. Goes without saying.
Ok, now, according to kabbalistic tradition, in a sad way,all of us, sadness, has a little bit the dust of paganism on it. Cause if your really believe in God, if you really believe thatG_D is doing everything, so what are you sad about. " What are youkretzhing about. God is taking care of it, whadayou want, y'know? You're in good hands, y'know." Imagine I'm sitting in the hospital (God forbid), and thegreatest doctor in the world, he can cure me in a second -- {Likea kvetch} "Argh, I'm so sick" -- {Like a Brooklyn cab-driver}Whadaya want, you got the best doctor --- Argh -- {Like aManhattan philosopher}: Stupid; means you don't believe in thedoctor, right.
Ok, this is the story:
The story is, that the King of the World - Sadness -- wantedto see if really the world really is still in good shape -- ifeverybody in the world is sad.
Because you know, sweetest friends, what makes a sad personhappy. If if he meets somebody else who's also sad. {In an Idiots' Delight voice}: "What a joy, what a joy" -- right.
Have you ever seen two sad people, the way they meet -- theyreally experience joy. Someone says, I want you to know, myfather died, my mother died, this one died, this one died -- Theother ones says, Let me just add, a few more names -- y'know? Andthey're crying, they went wild, this -- I don't even know whatkind of joy this was, unbelievable, right -- And someone says,you know, this one is sick, and this one is sick, this one is sick-- "Let me tell you, this one had an accident, this one had anaccident, this one -- oh, I forgot to tell you the most importantthing -- this one had an accident also." Ok, so the king is walkiing around all over the world -- theKing Sadness -- and he comes back to his capitol overjoyed. Hiskingdom is just so strong -- the whole world is sad. He is notmet one happy person; what a joy. And his kingdom is reallyeverlasting.
Before he enters the capital, the most horrible thing ishappening to him.
He sees, in a broken down house, on a broken down porch, on abroken table, a broken chair, a man is sitting there, playingmaybe guitar or harp, anything. He has a plate, and he has somelittle leftover food in his plate -- and he's singing. And he'shappy! [To make a proper halachic shabbat, at which one must feastat great leisure and with great satisfaction, one needs, at aminimum, two pieces of bread, each at least the size of anolive; and a pinch of salt. I think I once read : youshould also have something else to eat, maybe, at a minimum,2 more olives. But I have not yet found the latter pointconfirmed.] It's the end of the world. Because one happy person can savethe whole world. One happy person can destroy his kingdom.
Gotta get rid of him.
So the King walks up, the King is not in his Uniform,not inhis Kingly garbs, and he walks up and he says to him: {A bit like a card-sharp, or a cop} Hey, friend-- who are you.
[I said R. Shlomo had great dramatic sense. One componentthere was a natural timing, varying the speed of delivery.} He says to him, {Innocent, fresh}:
You don't know who I am?:
{Declaiming an announcement}:
I am the Great Fixer.
{Nearly whispered}:
I am the Great Fixer.
Just that you know that I'm walking on the street on theworld -- And I yell -- on top of my lungs -- {Like a town crier:} I AM THE GR--EA--EA--T FIXER! -- {Nearly whisper}:
Is anything broken?
Bring me your broken hearts -- your broken lives -- yourbroken worlds. [It this stage one sees that R. Shlomo was starting toidentify his job with that of The Great Fixer.] {Very close to whisper}: I'll fix it.
{Back to matter-of-fact tones, as one off-duty craftsman toanother} And he says, you know, people give me a few penniesfor it, and I buy myself a feast.
And REB NACHMAN says, the way you tell the story, you have tosay, "And a feast-ele is a feast-ele". [When I came on the scene, about 84 Modi'in, R. Shlomo wouldbe quite particular how his students re-told his stories. Hewanted them told as he had told them. I guess he was passingon a tradition, but others at Modi'in would know.] {Nearly whispering}: A feast-ele is a feast-ele. You think sadpeople know how to eat? They push it down their throat. Reallyto receive G_d's light [or possibly R. Shlomo said: life] whenyou eat, you gotta be a Great Fixer. And a feast-ele is a feastele.
{Back to narrative tones, Brooklyn style}: Ok, the King knows wha the he has to do. Runs back to hispalace. The next day, the Great Fixer walks down the streets of theworld, and he yells I AM THE GR--EA--EA--T FIXER! People open the windows and they say, didn't you hear, a newdecree from the king, no more fixing in my kingdom.
{Like one of the little people of the world, doing their bestto live decently, and trying to stay out of the trouble --the sort the CP-USA et seqq loved to make into reluctantheros}: Hmm, That's a bad scene. But what can you do, y'know.
But he has to have a feastele -- there has to be one feast inthe world.
[Now here the story picks up Reb Nachman's particular quality -- he may have taken more of his structure from Christianmythology than he realized -- not the notion of a feast perse; that's too obvious; but the notion of a symbolic act ofarchetypal importance. Anyhow, R. Nachman was a great, luxurious story-teller. Some other Jewish myths pick that up -- Bialik in a retoldstory of the quest to Awaken King David -- and also Wilde'sSalome. } He walks around on the streets, and there he sees a rich manchopping wood. He says to him, "You know, it doesn't befit a richman to chop wood. Ah, why don't you let me do it." Ok, he chops wood all day, gets a few pennies, buys something-- And Reb Nachman says: The feastele was a feastele. [R. Shlomo may have been reading off the original R. Nachmantale -- Yiddish, I assume - and freely translating/adaptingas he spoke. R. David Herzberg, from whom I got this tape,may know.] And he's sitting there, in utter bliss, and singing a song.
The King is back.
{Kings's lines are all with an undertone of impatience.} The King says, "Hey, Brother, how are you doing today?". And he says: Did you hear, the king is more crazy than ever. 	And he says, What happened? He says, You know something, the King forbids -- Fixing. 		"So what did you do?" He says, I'm chopping wood; and in fact I have a date for tomorrow also chopping wood. [Note that it is part of the story, as R. Shlomo retells it,that the Fixer is in the pattern of the Fool -- alwaysinnocent, apparently naive, but by that "one talent" ableintutively to call on the natural wisdom accessible to thosewho follow the way of Heaven.] Hm. The King goes back.
The next day, he's going to his job-ele there choppping wood,and the man says, I'm sorry, there's a new decree, no morechopping wood in the country.
Bad scene; Ok, we'll do something else.
He walks through the streets, and he looks through thewindow, he sees a rich woman sweeping the floor. He says to her,What's the matter, you know. She says, I just couldn't find amaid today. [A typical enough conversation anywhere in Israel -- almostanyone can demand an explanation and/or get an argument fromanyone else.] He says, I'll do it for you gladly. Sweeps the floor, gets a fewpennies; and Reb Nachman says: The feastele was a feastele.
And he's sitting in utter bliss, singing a song.
The King is back.
And the King says to him: "Hey-y-y -- Brother ---: What'sgoing on?" He says, you know the king is more and more crazy, no morechopping wood. {Undertone of gloating}: "What did you do?" Well, he says, I'm sweeping floors; and in fact I'm goingback tomorrow to sweep floors. [But how can the Great Fixer, who's obviously buddy-buddywith all the angels, sweep floors? Menial work -- ratherdemeaning, is it not? Nope, not in your own country, on your own land. The First Aliyah said that. ] Ok, goes without saying, the king decrees no more sweepingfloors. Whatever he does, the King -- wants to cut out the feast.
Ok, finally it comes to a point, he can't do anything. Has atremendous idea. He sees a sign, that the king is looking for soldiers. {pronounced with a light Bwooklyn accent; soldchers}. _____ And soldiers are paid once in half a year. He walks up there and he says, Could I become a soldier, {sounds a bit like R. Shlomo walking up to the box office atCarnegie Hall and asking if he could play a concert there} but I'd like to be paid 2 pennies every night. They tell him,it's the first time we ever hear such a thing but -- why not. ["but -- why not". [fr. Heb: lama lo] That is a commonresponse in Israel, when someone suggests something that isagainst the rules, but tolerably sensible.] Ok, he becomes a soldier, gets a big sword, and he doesn'tknow what to do with it, walks up and down, smiles a little bit,and pretends he's busy and happy; {FNsa-Charliechaplin} at nighthe goes to the office, gets two pennies, has a little feast -- The king is back.
The king says, `Hey ----- What's going on.' He says, Y'know, I -- I told you, the king is crazy. 'So what did you do?' He says, I became a soldier, and I'm paid every night; I havea job now for half a year, every night I'm getting 2 pennies.' The king is back, and he says: Soldiers are to get paid onlyonce in half a year.
This time was really a bad scene. Because they only told himat night -- {R. Shlomo in hushed tones, as if something awful}: -- that he won't get paid until another half a year. And he must have a feast.
Because Reb Nachman says, A feastele has to be featele, therehas to be one person in the world {R. Shlomo's voice rises, at a steady crescendo/accelerando, to almost a shout, and then drops -- quietly, and at ameasured pace }: -- who's keeping the world upwith his joy.
{In a once-upon-a-time voice}:
But leave it up to the Great Fixer -- He goes to a pawn shop,pawns his sword. And he has enough money, with his sword -- with his money --to live half a year.
But he must have a sword, so he buys himself some silverpaper, and he's a fixer, right, he knows how to do it, sticks on a little silver paper, looks like a sword. And he walks up and down, he's happy. And a feastele is afeastele.
I'm coming to the end, {polite laughter {FN4} [In Reb Nachman's tales, you pass one world into another,until you forget how many removes you have made. This summer I saw a Picasso picture -- the well-knownWoman in a Red Hat, I think -- where he painted about 2 or 3frames around the picture. Whimsy within whimsy. Alev said; When the old Muslims tell a story, aroundthe campfire, it starts about something that happened thatday --- One might say: This is to point out that it is not a'suspension of disblief', but a reminder that the miraculousconstantly inheres within the everyday.] now you have to open your hearts.
I'm afraid King Sadness is taking hold of some of you, you know; it's too much joy, y'know. {FN5} Ok, hold it. {FN5a} {With a 'now we'll settle accounts' intonation}: So: The king is back. And the king says: `So: How ya doing?' He says, 'This is crazy, I pawned my sword, and I have enoughmoney for half a year.' But you know my sweetest friends, for a soldier to pawn hissword, it's death penalty. Hah! This time the kings thinks, I don't have to worry anymore. Tomorrow, I'm going to kill you.
{Previous sentence intoned with very soft, deliberate menance. l3 One may recall that R. Shlomo was a young boy when theCarlebach's left Nazi-occupied Vienna.} {slight pause} The king is overjoyed. The next morning he goes to prisonand says {with the affectation of polite nonchalance typical of a USAof a mid-level manager, eg Dennis Ross}: 'Is there anybody who has to be executed today?' Y'know, the world always finds somebody to be killed, you know. They say {also in relaxed, business-as-usual tones}: Yes, we have this man here, he has to be executed today. The king says {bombastic, the madness just beginning to peek through}: I personally will supervise the execution. And I will appoint thesoldier who has to kill this person.
Ok, all the soldiers are lined up, the king walks around {sounding a bit like a USA Marine who's starting to scentblood &/or a steak}, like a king, so that -- the Fixer doesn't recognize him -- herecognizes the Great Fixer, he walks up to him, and he says, " !!! I, THE KING OF THE WORLD, APPOINT YOU -- to kill thisman! {And in a tone of menance from one privy to a dirty secretthat he imagines having uncovered in another} With your sword.
_____ {One word after-word; can't pick up.} Leave it up to The Great Fixer.
The Fixer says, my dear king, let me tell you something. I've never killed a person, and {with an understated laugh, as if he had just beeninterrupted, by a sergeant in muddy fatigues, while holdingup a properly chilled chablis to the sunlight prior totasting it, at the Prudential Tower restaurant of course} I really have no intention of ever killing anybody, so {politely, with a slight upturn at the end, to indicate thathe is waiting for the fellow to take his leave} you'll have to appoint somebody else. The king starts yelling like a wild beat, 'You crazy, what'sgoing on here--arrghhhh!!! If you don't kill this person, I'llkill you, y'know. The Great Fixer. {As if to say, this shadow of evil thought he could kill TheGreat Fixer?} And you know friends, only sad people are afraid of everyone,right. If you're filled with joy, you're not afraid of anything. ?You know how to? fix it.
Says to the king, Let me tell you something my dear king. Are you really sure that this person was guilty?
Ok, this is TOO MUCH!!!! THE KING STARTS YELLING like --can't bear it, he says, WHADAYA MEAN!!!! `if he's guilty or not' Itell you to kill him!
The Great Fixer realizes he can't talk to the king; he turnsto the whole world. [The protagonists in Reb Nachman's mythology, beingarchetypes, always have the option of stepping out ofcharacter and addressing the whole world -- (one might findanalogies with Blake)] [ Everyone knows -- as Ben Zion Solomon pointed out to me --that for R. Shlomo, Reb Nachman was one of his main men. It's in typing this story that I've realized how R. Shlomo'sgift for story-telling -- here rather wasted on those wellbred goyim -- parallels Reb Nachman's story-crafting poeticgenius of invention -- for Reb Nachman's stories exhibit amastery of form that I'd noticed only in some of Plato'sdialogs, tho Shakespeare & Betthoven come up with some prettygood counterpoint sometimes.] He says, Brothers and Sisters, let me tell you something. I want you to know, I'm the Great Fixer. I know magic. And I know onething. When somebody is guilty, then the soldier pulls out hissword, and it's a sword, and he kills him. If a person is notguilty, then -- then the sword turns into silver paper! --- and -- ah -- Ok -- Pulls Out! -- It's silver paper.
Ok -- so -- the little man goes home, and the Great Fixergoes home, and Reb Nachman said: And the feastele was a feastele.
{Polite applause, and one guitar chord.} {END RECORDING, SIDE A} {1451} {TEACHING RESUMES ON SIDE B} {Like David Herzberg said, it was a great story; well worthpresenting into English. And R. Shlomo told it very well, withsuch youthful vigour, and excellent elocution, like from Brooklyn. This one we pass around. } ================================================================= .p START SIDE B Start is blank, maybe 2 minutes. (From 2 sided copying of a less- than-45-minute/side tape onto a TDK Type I 90. (ca. 47 min.) {086} Ok, let's knock in another good song. Can we have like a littlestronger. Stronger harmony.
You know friends, don't be concerned if the harmony is good. You know, I always say, people who are afraid to do wrong, are also afraid to do right. Who cares, just do it, right? Afterthat, it will be OK. {121} NEW SONG: Song: It's predictable but strong; I don't think I recognize it. Some nice shuffling of keys. R. Shlomo takes wing on this one. Like a hawk.
Maybe first word 'Ki':
Tune only 6/8 (?):
THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY A ROUGH TRANSCRIPTION,THO IT SEEMS TO WORK. Also, I'm figuring this out on my C-soprano halil, which I thinkis a half-tone sharp. But if I score the following a half-tonelower, its filled with accidentals.
6/8 Chorus:
A3 B^2 ag / A3 D3 / A2 ga B^2 ag / A3-A3 / A2 ga B^2	ag /	 A3 D3 / de F ed gE& dc / D3-D3 / Repeat Chorus with slight variants:
A2 ga B^2 ag / A3 D3 / A2 ga B^2 ag / A3-A3 / A2 ga B^2 ag / A3 D3 / de F ed gE dc / D3-D2 +A! / to verse Verse:
+D& d^ de +F&e dd^ / D3 -A3 Ditto / D3--D2 a [repeat line 1 of verse] !B^&a b^c D&d^ dd^ / D3 -A2 !-de F2 ed aE& dc / D3--D3 R. Shlomo: "Put life into it!" R. Shlomo: "Let's go!" {200} {300} {335} Song: Tune only: (K)eil Adon (BZ Shlomo Shabbas, #22) , fromShabbat Shaharit: With this song, R. Shlomo hits his stride R. Shlomo: "Wake Up!" ------ .p ON HEALING: FURTHER TEACHING Ok sweetest friends, I just want to share one more thing with you. {400} And keep on singing in your heart, OK. Because basically you'renot permitted to stop -- ever.
Imagine if the most most most -- absolutely the most sickperson in the world -- absolutely the most incurable person in theworld -- for one day a year they would be well. What wouldhappen: They'd make it.
Because -- you know what happens to people when they're --incurably sick -- and they can't walk, they can't move. They giveup. `Listen, I can't do it anymore.' One day a year you can do it -- so you can do it. Ah, you need fixing; sure; we'll fix you; wait. You know what the first thing is, if you want to cure aperson, or fix a person, for one minute, make them whole again. For one minute.
You know, if someone comes to you broken, what's the FirstAid -- mentally and spiritually to a person. You know what first aid is? You're not sick. Yes, sure,you're sick, I'll cure you later. Just for one minute -- don't besick. Please. For one minute. One minute.
And here I want to share the deepet depths with you. You now what it is to pray -- to stand before God? For oneminute, when I'm standing before God, I'm not sick. For oneminute.
And you know friends: What does it mean to meet somebody wholoves you a lot, or someone who loves you a little bit. When you meet someone who love you a little bit, you're stillbroken, you're still sick. Maybe you're not so sad. When you meet someone who loves you really, you love them somuch, you're not sick. You're so whole at that moment. You're sowhole.
You know, take on a world level. The world is so muchtalking about peace. Imagine if you could establish -- oneminute, peace in the world. For one minute. And you know, would have peace the next day. For the worlddoesn't believe in it; they don't believe there'll ever be peace. Because they're so sick for so many thousands of years, theycannot imagine that some day people really love each other. Forone second. One second.
And here I want to tell you the utmost deepest depths. Maysound simple.
You know, the Bible says, God says: 'Love' -- sadly enough,it's translated 'your neighbor' which is -- King James should livelong, wherever he is, but Nebuch, you know, his Hebrew wasn't sogood. And a few more things weren't so good about him. Hecompletely mistranslates the Bible, you know. It goes withoutsaying. No really, if I wouldn't know the Bible in Hebrew, I wouldlook at King James translation, I would say, you know, Why,another Peyton Place or something; what's going on there. It'sdisgusting. Mamash disgusting.
But let me share with you. Doesn't say 'love your neighbor'. I mean, what is my neighbor, from the same street, the same city. I mean, who has the same bank? What does neighbor mean? REFERENCES: Leviticus 19:18 (Kedoshim) Hebrew: OANAo aoia aeOa- V-AhavaT L-R`aKha K-MOKha Leviticus 19:18, King James: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Rev. Standard: "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Ditto JPS (1962 rev, 1967, as in UAHC Standard Mish-mash). Quoted ditto, NT, St. Mathew, 19:19 New Ebonite: "Be cool, baby. V'AChU [That's how I hear it, but surely: R`aKha , Yes?] means, the person standing next to you. And I want you to openyour hears.
God doesn't say, you have to love the whole world forever. Every person you meet, for that one minute -- for that one momentfor that one moment -- turn your whole heart to them. Turn yourwhole heart to them.
And you know friends, if you could only, only do that. You know how deep this is? You know how deep this is?
God doesn't ask me to love you forever. Maybe I don't carefor you so much. Maybe you're not even the same wavelength,you're not plugged into the same thing. My soul and your soul, asmuch as they're part of God -- they're not connected so much. {FN7} But for one second -- obviously right now , you're standing beforeme, right.
And -- I want you to know the deepest depths, friends.
{A BRIEF CRITIQUE OF POLYTHEISM, PAGANISM, & ALL-PURPOSE IDOLATRY} You know, whatever you think of God is, sadly enough,whatever you think of yourself. If I'm convinced that I'm acreep, I can fool you, but the truth is, my god is also a bitcreepy, right. 'Cause I'm G_d's image, right; that much I know. I'm G_d's image.
If my God is just -- so exalted -- then I must be exaltedalso, right. If I have one little taste that God is the Holy of Holiest,and the most Perfect of more [or: most] Perfect, that means Ihave it inside of me. I have it inside of me.
{THE VISIT OF THE CHOTKOVER REBBE TO THE YESHIVA IN LUBLIN} You know friends, when we stood at Mt. Sinai, when God spoketo us, the miracle was not only that God spoke to us. You knowthat at that moment we were all 100% -- physically, mentally,spiritually, completely perfect.
And you want you to know -- I just got a book, just wasprinted in Israel, and I just got it, Without -- I don't know if you know a little bit about theJews in Poland, before the second World War. In the city of Lublin, one of the holiest and greatestRabbis, opened a new school. And really he took in 400, the mostgifted , gifted children, of the age of 5 to 17. Really.
Sadly enough, after the war there were only 7 left.
But when he opened that school, his holy master, theCHOTKOVER, came to Lublin.
Now listen to this unbelievable thing. He arrived in Lublinon Thursday, he left Monday night. Listen to this, and this is --eye-witnesses. Those 4 days, when he was there for the opening of the school, it was like standing on Mt. Sinai. Opening a schoolto study G_d's Law. Nobody died in Lublin. Can you imagine --not one person died. Because there a spirit of affection -- somuch G_dliness in the city - and nobody died.
And you know sweetest friends, dying doesn't mean onlyphysically -- I don't have to tell you. We die a million times aday. A million times a day.
If you could -- just lift yourself up to those few moments --one moment a day I'm alive. One moment a day -- one moment a dayI love one person.
And I just want to bless you and me, we should be so holy, togive it over to our children, the one moment -- the holiness ofone moment, one moment.
You know, and the people who have those one moments, they'llmake it. Always make it. {2} {711} Friends, can we sing one song, but real strong, like mad,like unheard of, like never before. Never before and never after. {715} Song: (K)eil Adon (again): {765} {THE NEED TO EXPRESS JOY} Listen friends: You know something -- you know how much youcure your heart and your soul when you're clapping your hands { Cf. Chinese? Or Hare Krishna?} According to kabbalistic tradition -- you know everybody knowsthat the air in Jerusalem is the most pure air in the world. [Haya Leiter said, when she first came to Jerusalem, 20 yearsago or more, you could still smell the pine forest. Now ithas too much auto traffic, and a bad problem with airpollution, including much that blows up from the seacoast. If we lose this country again, that could be the keystonethat we kicked out.} And when you're clapping your hands, wherever you stand, itbecomes the air of Jerusalem, the air of the holy Temple. It'sjust really like -- unbelievable.
And you know when you purify the air around you, and youinhale good air, you know just -- your soul feels so good. So the_____?ESER? tells us like this, is after you clap for a fewminutes, you get up to dance, it means you're really inhaling holyair. But if you clap like a dog, you're sitting there clap clapclap, and you don't feel like getting up, then it wasn't for real. 	Ok. That's all there is to it. Ok, let's see again. {796) {800} {900} {1000} {1020} {FURTHER REMARKS ON HEALING BY PHYSICAL PROJECTION OF ENERGY} One sec, one sec. Don't stop. .... I need one more thing, beforewe say good-bye to each other. I need you, really all of you, canyou all come here very close, let's be on top of each other,because sometimes when you're filled with joy, you can sometimescure each other's soul in one minute. In one split second. ....Ok, we are slowly beginning. .... {3} {DANCING. [Here, no reference to mixed dancing should besupposed.]} You know, dancing is so holy, and so special. What do youthink God did before `HE' created the world. And sometimes whenthings are very bad, `HE' tries to keep on dancing, despiteeverything.
{1064} {STORY OF THE OHR HA-MEIR} Ok, now the story is like this.
Just to give you a little rest; I want you really now to openyour hearts, in the deepest way.
One of our holiest masters, about 150 years ago, he wascalled OHR HAMEIR, the shining light. And he was one of thegreatest pupils of the great Seer of Lublin.
And one night he stopped at an inn, a "kretchmer." And you know, he was like a very holy rabbi, so the Innkeepersays, you know, I have a very special room for you. He gave himthis beautiful room, there was a big clock hanging on the wall. All night long the Ohr HaMeir couldn't sleep. He walked upand down, up and down, up and down. You know, a little woodenhouse, like those ketchmers -- a wooden house, you walk right, thewhole house bends right; you walk left, the whole house -- So the poor innkeeper couldn't sleep either. So finally 3 o'clock, he thinks it's no use trying, let'smake some hot tea and bring it to the holy rabbi. He knocks on the door, and he brings him some tea, and hesays, holy Rabbi, you don't like the bed or something, you don'tsleep? Oh he says, no, (God forbid), it's a beautiful room,. He says, why can't you sleep? He says, let me ask you something. This big clock hanging on the wall, is it by any chance the clockof my holy master, the Seer of Lublin. So he says, yes, but don't think I stole it -- his son washere, and he was here for two weeks, and he couldn't pay, so hepawned this clock, and he will come back in a few weeks to redeemit. But he says, I don't understand, what has your sleeping to dowith the clock. He says, my dear friend, I tell you; let me tell yousomething. There are two kinds of clock in the world. Let's say,a clocks says, 1, 2, 3, 4 -- all the clocks in the world say, {R.Shlomo's intonation gets slower and slower, more and morediscouraged} 1 hour less, 1 hour less, 1 hour less -- 1 hour less,1 hour less -- oy vey, you hear this, you think, who needs thewhole thing , let's go to sleep, forget the whole thing.
But then -- the Seer of Lubolin's clock -- says,{exhuberantly -- with mounting excitement} 1 hour closer, 1 hourcloser -- so how can you go to sleep.
See, I want to bless you {FN6} that -- and me, all of us -- we need a completely -- mamash different clock system; real time change.
You know like -- have you every seen some people go to sleep-- they're so sad -- because(?) -- another day is gone. Anotherday is gone.
And I want to share something very deep with you. You know,God bless me in His infinite mercy, I have two little children,one is 3 and one is 6 -- and sadly enough I'm not always home,because I travel a little bit; [Ben Zion Solomon said to me: Every day, when R. Shlomo wasnot at home, he telephoned his children.] but whenever I'm home, for me the most utmost, most most importantholy function in the world is to put them to sleep -- You know children, when they go to sleep, they know exactlyif you put them to sleep on the level of one day less, one dayless. ?And? you tell them -- No(?) -- one day closer, tomorrowyou'll be even closer -- because then they want to sleep so fast,they'll sleep so good, that tomorrow ?you should? do it again, andeven deeper, right.
You know basically, sweetest friends, -- you know friendswith joy you can reach so high and so deep. You know Reb Nachman, our holy master, tells us, whatever isin this world and Heaven is the same thing. [That is "as above, so below", to which many refer.] Someone calls you up on the telephone, sobbing. You know, really,I need $100, things are so bad, can you please give me $100. Crying like a dog. You say, OK, listen, I love you , I'll giveyou a hundred dollars. Five minutes later they call up sobbingagain, oy, you know I made a mistake, I need $200. [Well-bred laughter from the gentile audience. Bet they didn't have overdrafts.] {REB NACHMAN: PRAY WITH JOY.} You're already like a little bit annoyed, you think, oy vey I'mnot answering the phone any more today. Two hours later the same person calls up again, sobbing andcrying, you know, I hate to impose upon you but I really -- you know my head -- I made a mistake, my Accountant, taxes -- I reallyneed $500, not -- Oy vey, I'm unplugging the phone, you know --I'm changing my phone number.
But imagine you call somebody with great joy -- and I say,listen brother, I have something for you to do, you can save mylife, your life, and the life of the world. Right now you can dothe greatest thing in the world, do me a big favor, great joy. He says Yeah, why not, what should I do for you. Listen Brother,dish me up some 100 matzas, you know, I need it. And two hours later you call up, I tell you something, thisis your day -- not only you can give me 100 matzas, God in HISinfinite mercy give you a chance to give me 200 matzas! -- you know what that means?! -- So Reb Nachman says, you know, if we have this kind offeeling, [it's] because God has the same feeling. You stand before God and you krech, _____ says, Oy, y'know,God I really don't know why YOU created me, y'know, I don't wantto argue with YOU, y'know, you didn't ask me before, not after,y'know, but let me tell YOU something, it's a B-A-D `scene',y'know -- but anyway I'm created now, and I'm living in theapartment, YOU know God, I don't -- {hopefully} do you know myaddress? YOU have a phone book, how do YOU upgrade it? Ok, YOUdon't want to tell me, I knew it. {4} {4} [Sounds like one of the shticks of Lenny Bruce. R. Zalman once said, as memory serves, maybe lst Ruach Camp,Abode, 70s, and as I'd retell it, that when he got out of the camp in Vichy France to Antwerp, and he's working withthe hosids in the diamond shop, still shocked by facistinhumanity into bitterness at everything, he asks them hestrongest anti-religious questions he can think of. Andinstead of getting mad and throwing him out they say, yes,this and that great teacher raised the same point. So as hetells it, he says, and that was when he began his turn back.]{FN8} What should I do in order for YOU to tell me. Cry more; Ok, I'mcrying enough. {5} God says OK, I'll give it to you, you know, really, thank you verymuch, I'll give you anything you need, but don't bother me again. And then you bother 'HIM' again, He says OK, he says, OK, oy,vey, again.
You come before God with great joy -- great joy -- all thegates of heaven are open. All the gates of heaven are open.
You know friends, we need -- gate-openers.
And let me tell you this little story, and I hope you took arest while I'll telling you the story. Not really, I don't want you to rest, ever. {Remark to someone in the audience...}: My manager forAlaska, brother. ..., STORY ABOUT HOLISTIC HEALING:
THE BAAL SHEM TOV AND THE THE THIEVES' MINYAN Ok, let me tell you.
At one time a person -- a child was very sick, he comes tothe Ba'al Shem the holy Master, and he says, my child is so sick. Ba'al Shem Tov says, wait. He goes down, you know the holy Ba'al Shem was so holy, heknew not only good people, he knew all the thieves. He comes backwith 10 thieves, a minyan of thieves. And they recite the Pslams, and the child gets well in notime. The next day all his holy pupils, the real holy people askhim, Rebbe, if you want to recite the Psalms, you have to bring 10thieves? Can't you take 10 decent people?
So the Ba'al Shem Tov says, don't you understand, the gates ofheaven were closed. I needed 10 thieves to break them open.
So I want to bless you to be holy thieves. {Cf. R. Shlomo at the Abode, Ruach, ca. 84 -- If the frontdoor is closed, you can always get in the back door.} Thank you so much. Shalom. {Polite applause.} 