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Post 200 – Bridging Purim to Pesach

Continuing with the theme from my most recent post based on Rebbe Nachman’s thought, Purim 2, the relationship of Purim to Pesach, I want to offer a connection between the two days that will build a bridge between our celebrations today and the upcoming preparation and celebration of Passover in a month. I have been reflecting all day on the contrast between Purim and Pesach in how we see Gd’s role in our lives.

One of the interesting things about Megillat Esther is that Gd is missing from the text. This is the only biblical work in which Gd doesn’t make an appearance. The historian in me particular finds this fascinating as there are other versions and parts to Esther in which Gd is again to be found (see the article The Other Side of Esther for one perspective on this historical approach). The rabbi and spiritual coach in me finds Gd’s absence to be in line with the traditional suggestion of how we are to read Esther as a story in which Gd is hidden but always behind the scenes, a lesson about how not “seeing” Gd’s hand doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Contrast this to Passover, in which Gd becomes the main character of the Seder night. The Haggadah is a rabbinic compilation of Gd’s story of rescuing the children of Israel from slavery. Moses is not mentioned except in one offhandedly quoted verse towards the latter half of the main, story section of the Haggadah. Gd is as revealed to us as we could possibly imagine, with the theme of the night being that Passover night is the Leil Shimurim, the night of protection. This is the night when nothing can harm us. Spiritually, this is the night we come to recognize that all that does occur has Gd’s involvement.

As such, if we think about how the two days of Purim and Pesach relate, it is in the dual way we experience spirituality and the Divine in our lives. Many times we have periods in our lives when things will happen that seem to be chance, out of sync, leading us along a journey we cannot figure out. We have no roadmap, no clear sense of what is going on. It is in those times when we struggle to maintain faith that things are moving along a path for a purpose. We can’t see the bigger picture. That is, we can’t see it until we can step back and reveal to ourselves how a variety of choices and events lead us to this moment. It is in that discovery when we can see Gd behind the scenes, we can experience that faith we have been struggling to feel. Purim is the hidden, the chaos, the sense of the random. Pesach is that moment when things become crystal clear, when we see what led us to where we are.

As we wrap up our celebration of Purim and begin the month long arduous journey to the celebration of the Israelites emergence from slavery to freedom, Passover, may we make this is a time of working towards revealing the seemingly hidden in our lives.

Are you struggling with your spiritual growth? Faith? Feeling lost in the midst of the journey of life? Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com

Book Notes # 1 – New Series – How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain

As I continue to expand my reach, I am starting a third series. In addition to my posts on Tanya and Likkutei Etzos (Rebbe Nachman’s Advice), this post marks the first of a series on notes from books I am reading. My goal is to use this space to engage with my reading on a deeper level and to share with my readership some interesting ideas to ponder. I am not sure as to the exact format of this new series, so stay tuned for my experimentation to see what works best for me.

The first book we will explore is How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain, by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman.

Chapter 1 – The Enlightenment of a Troubled Kid

The “it” – the transformation we seek – is what most people refer to as Enlightenment, with a big “E.” Eastern philosophy makes a big deal out big “E” Enlightenment, but in the West, philosophers talk about another form of enlightenment, a small “e” mini-experience that provides u with new insights about ourselves and the world.
p. 4

This is seemingly the thesis of the book, to look at the two types of Enlightenment as it relates to how we learn how to resee the world. Most of us wish we could see the world in a different way. The goal of this book is going to be to show how we know this is possibility from a neuroscience perspective. I think the neurological studies as related to spirituality, meaning and religion are wonderful enhancers to our understanding of how we people operate. For those who wonder if this removes the mystery, I think it goes back to a line I find myself saying time and again, just because we understand the science of something doesn’t remove the sense of the miracle of what we are witnessing.

However, before delving into the intricacies of our brain and the concept of experiencing enlightenment/Enlightenment, the author offers a few points about his journey into studying the science of the brain. For example, in describing a summer internship he participated in, he speaks the first time he had his brain imaged by an fMRI. While going through this exam, he describes having a series of small “e” enlightenment moments, of which one thought was:

no one can know for certain what is going in another person’s mind and brain… I realized we can never even fully know what is going on inside our own mind because there are just too many variables involved.
p. 9

Knowledge of others and of ourselves is naturally limited. In relation to the people around us, we can only know what they reveal to us. In terms of our own mind, it is almost impossible to hone in on every single thing we see, hear, and absorb every second. As such, the process to eureka moments requires discipline, dedication and an openness to experience the moment as a moment, not just as something contrived.

As he continued to describe his search for understanding these aha moments, the author describes what I would suggest was one of his most meaningful moments:

All I had ever wanted to do was eradicate doubt and I ended up finding out that the only certainty is Doubt.
p. 13

This point really drove home the message of this book as well as our general explorations in life. We work hard to try and make meaning out of the chaos we see in life, yet absolute confirmation of everything being for a reason and orderly is impossible. We will always remain with some level of doubt, at least as it pertains to “absolute” knowledge. The cover for this doubt is faith (something I have been exploring in many of my more recent posts, especially those pertaining to Rebbe Nachman’s distilled thoughts from Likkutei Etzot.

Our Brains are wired for Enlightenment

Another fundamental point the book explores is how our brain is wired to experience enlightenment.

Neurologically speaking, small enlightenment experiences appear to be associated with the most recently evolved structures in our brain, structures that help us find meaning and purpose in our lives. These same neurological circuits help us to regulate our emotions and to generate empathy and compassion toward others. In others word, neurological enlightenment – and in particular, our ability to observe ourselves as being separate from our daily thoughts and feelings – improves our inner state of well-being and our ability to cooperate with others without conflict.
p. 19

As we will discover, the physical structure that is our brain is designed to experience these moments. Does this take away from belief? For some, it plays into the hands of those who would suggest that claims of a higher being, divinity, etc are just the psychological trappings of our minds. Yet, I think we must be humble enough to go back to the words above about how their is only doubt. And in fact, chapter one ends on this note, for our authors are clear:

People may or may not actually be connected to God or the supernatural, but ultimately there is something very powerful going on inside the brain.
p. 25

This line for me is perhaps the most powerful in that it clearly states the flexibility of our different perspectives about science and religion/spirituality. As we continue to look at this book, chapter by chapter, I hope to go deeper into some of the arguments and points these authors make and see how we can get a better understanding of the partnership between mind and spirit.

Rebbe Nachman’s Advice # 15 – Purim 2 – the relationship of Purim to Pesach

Tonight we celebrate Purim. We celebrate this day with four rituals:

Reading Megillat Esther at night and during the day
Mishloah Manot – sending gifts of food to friends
Matanot L’Evyonim – giving food/money to those less fortunate to be able to celebrate Purim
Seudat Purim – A special celebratory meal on the day

These four mitzvot speak to the joy of survival, remembering through reading, celebrating with food, connecting to others and caring for others. Interestingly, there is a fifth mitzvah of Purim, though not directly related to Purim. The Shulchan Aruch states:

שואלים בהלכות פסח קודם לפסח שלשים יום

We learn the halakhot of Pesach for 30 days before Pesach.
429:1

Since Purim is 30 days before Pesach, we would therefore need to start the study of laws of Pesach on Purim. There are various connections between the two holidays, from the idea that the crucial moments of Megillat Esther took place around Passover, to the common theme of the two days of going from persecution to freedom. Perhaps we can argue that by studying about Pesach on Purim, we bring those two days together.

Another way to look at this is the following from Rebbe Nachman:

פּוּרִים הוּא הֲכָנָה לְפֶסַח. עַל־יְדֵי מִצְווֹת שֶׁל פּוּרִים זוֹכִין לִהְיוֹת נִשְׁמָרִין מֵחָמֵץ בְּפֶסַח: (לק”ת סי’ ע”ד)

Purim is a preparation for Pesach. Through the mitzvah of Purim we are protected from chametz on Pesach (Likutey Moharan II, 74)

The mitzvot of Purim that Rebbe Nachman is referring to are the four primary commands of the day. Through the remembering, celebrating with food, connecting to others and caring for others. we are showing that we are not selfish, filled with “leaven” a symbol of arrogance. There is a trope in mystical thought that part of our mission before Passover is to remove our spiritual chametz, our arrogance. Through celebrating with others and making sure others can celebrate, we begin the process of removing the husk of seeing the world just through our eyes. We put ourselves in relationship with others, which requires a certain basic humility. And we show this by beginning our reflections about Pesach on Purim, literally bridging the two days together.

On this Purim, may we experience the joy of the day and may this celebration be the opening steps to a deep and meaningful Passover preparation season.

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 54

Chapter 33 – This chapter discusses how we can find a sense of joy in reflecting on Gd’s unity. This is a difficult concept to see as it presumes a sense of self-nullification that most of us haven’t reached in life. We reflect on what it means that Gd is the only “real” existence, being both within and around existence. The goal of the intellectual contemplation is a deepen our faith in finding the light in the midst of darkness, find joy in the midst of sadness.

Episode 54

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Do you want to work on taking the actions of your life and find meaning in all you do and who you are? Are you struggling with your spiritual growth. Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com

Rebbe Nachman’s Advice # 14 – Purim – Joyfulness overcomes the harshness of life

In about 24 hours, we will be celebrating Purim. Purim is a joyous holiday, celebrating the events described in Megillat Esther. For Rebbe Nachman, the joy we put into celebrating this holiday goes much further than merely lifting our spirits. It has a deeper meaning, as we see in his words below:

א. עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת פּוּרִים בְּהַמְחָאַת כַּף וְרִקּוּדִין, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה מַמְשִׁיכִין בְּחִינַת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה בְּנִגְלֶה וְנִסְתָּר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הֶאָרָה הַנִּפְלָאָה שֶׁל מָרְדְּכַי וְאֶסְתֵּר, וְזוֹכִין לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר כָּרָאוּי, וּמַכְנִיעִין קְלִפּוֹת הָמָן עֲמָלֵק יִמַּח שְׁמָם. וְנִתְבַּטֵּל הַגַּאֲוָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְהַכְּפִירוֹת, וְנִמְשָׁךְ אֱמוּנָה גְּדוֹלָה וְחָכְמָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְחַיִּים וַאֲרִיכוּת יָמִים, וּמַמְתִּיקִין כָּל הַדִּינִים וְנִתְבַּטְּלִין כָּל הַגְּזֵרוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל: (לק”א סי’ י’ אות ח’ ט’)

Our joy and clapping and dancing on Purim make us worthy of receiving the Torah in its two aspects, revealed and hidden. For the great revelation that came about through Mordechai and Esther was “receiving the Torah.” Through this we are able to fulfill the mitzva of counting the Omer in the proper way. The kelipah of Haman the Amalekite (may his name be blotted out) is crushed. The force of pride, idolatry and atheism is broken. Great faith, holy wisdom and true life and length of days are brought into the world. The severity of God’s harsh judgements is sweetened, and all the harsh decrees against Israel are revoked (10:8).

From my perspective, to understand Rebbe Nachman’s words, we must first look back on a passage from the Talmud in tractate Shabbat (88a) which claims the holiday of Purim as a second opportunity for the Jewish nation to accept upon itself the fulfillment of the Torah, this time out of free will.

״וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר״, אָמַר רַב אַבְדִּימִי בַּר חָמָא בַּר חַסָּא: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית, וְאָמַר לָהֶם: אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים הַתּוֹרָה מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם. אָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב: מִכָּאן מוֹדָעָא רַבָּה לְאוֹרָיְיתָא. אָמַר רָבָא: אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הֲדוּר קַבְּלוּהָ בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, דִּכְתִיב: ״קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים״ — קִיְּימוּ מַה שֶּׁקִּיבְּלוּ כְּבָר

The Gemara cites additional homiletic interpretations on the topic of the revelation at Sinai. The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17). Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Ḥasa said: the Jewish people actually stood beneath the mountain, and the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there will be your burial. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: From here there is a substantial caveat to the obligation to fulfill the Torah. The Jewish people can claim that they were coerced into accepting the Torah, and it is therefore not binding. Rava said: Even so, they again accepted it willingly in the time of Ahasuerus, as it is written: “The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them” (Esther 9:27), and he taught: The Jews ordained what they had already taken upon themselves through coercion at Sinai.

Rebbe Nachman suggests one element of celebrating with joy on Purim is to reenact our recommitment to Torah out of our desire and effort, not out of a fear of negative consequences if we didn’t. This is exemplified in the mitzvah of counting the Omer, which is the counting to the celebration of the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the moment of the revealed Torah. Yet we know we cannot live with the revealed alone, with just the surface. We must work to see and accept the hidden. This is a core component of Purim, in that Gd is hidden (not mentioned in the biblical version of the story) and yet we come to reaffirm our acceptance of Torah and Gd.

When we rejoice, we break the hold of darkness that so often plagues us collectively and individually. We sweeten the harshness and find we see the world with our positive sight instead of our negative sight. When we rejoice, we reveal what is often hidden, which is the happiness, contentment and joy of our lives. The darkness easily overtakes the light and so we need to put in the effort to turn that around.

In working with people on their spiritual challenges and fostering spiritual growth, part of my role is to help bring out that which is hidden, making it into something revealed. Once we reveal the hidden, the depth of what we want, we can then begin to plan and implement the changes we want to make in our lives.

May this Purim be a time of bringing forth the hidden in our lives, bringing positive feelings to the surface and breaking the hold of the darkness which is hindering our true growth.

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 53

End of Chapter 32. We discuss how to be both loving of our fellow while also potentially feeling hatred. We focus on the need to be close and caring of most to potentially bring them back to the path of spiritual growth and Torah observance. I reflect on how this latter complexity of love and hate living together in a person is about hating the action but finding the “good heart” that exists in most, while also acknowledging that there are situations when this would be almost impossible to do.

Episode 53

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Rebbe Nachman’s Advice # 13 – Having Faith will help stay the course

Today, I find myself coming back to the issue of faith and trust. Whenever we embark on a new journey, a New Beginning, we embark on a path along the route of the unknown. In truth, we do this every day of our lives, even when we believe that today is no different than yesterday. When we start out the day, we have no idea how the day will go, yet, most of us go about the day presuming things will work themselves out. For example, by the middle of the day, a meeting I had scheduled was changed to an earlier time, a plan I had made was rescinded and I accomplished a couple of things I hadn’t expected when I got up later than I had planned. What allowed me to stay calm was the sense that this was all part of the road I was supposed to be on today.

In the following passage from Rebbe Nachman, we see his perspective on how faith allows us to overcome the obstacles placed before us and the pitfalls that can be felt when we recognize that our faith is not 100 percent. And while today I was able to remain calm enough in the midst of changes, many times, I know the experience of how a change can leave us feeling lost, showing that we are struggling to “trust the process.”

לד. אֱמוּנָה הִיא בְּחִינַת כֹּחַ הַגֹּדֶל וְכֹחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ וְהִיא בְּחִינַת אֲרִיכַת אַפַּיִם. הַיְנוּ, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵימָה, הוּא גֹּדֶל וְצוֹמֵחַ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ אֲפִלּוּ אִם יַעֲבֹר עָלָיו מָה, כִּי אֵין יוּכַל לְבַלְבְּלוֹ שׁוּם בִּלְבּוּל וּמוֹנֵעַ, רַק הוּא מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ לִסְבֹּל כָּל מַה שֶּׁיַּעֲבֹר עָלָיו. כִּי כָּל הַבִּלְבּוּלִים וְהַמְּנִיעוֹת מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ מִתְקָרֵב לְיִרְאֵי הַשֵּׁם, הַכֹּל הוּא מֵחֲמַת עַצְבוּת וְעַצְלוּת וּכְבֵדוּת שֶׁבָּא מֵחֲמַת חֶסְרוֹן אֱמוּנָה. כִּי אִם הָיָה לוֹ אֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵימָה בְּהָאֱמֶת כָּרָאוּי, בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה רָץ וּמִזְדָּרֵז מְאֹד לְהִתְקָרֵב לָהֶם. וְכֵן מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי, הוּא גַּם כֵּן מֵחֲמַת עַצְבוּת וּכְבֵדוּת שֶׁבָּא מֵחֶסְרוֹן אֱמוּנָה, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי אִם הָיָה לוֹ אֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵימָה, וְהָיָה מַאֲמִין שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עוֹמֵד עָלָיו וְשׁוֹמֵעַ כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שֶׁיּוֹצֵא מִפִּיו וּמַאֲזִין לְקוֹל תְּפִלָּתוֹ, בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת וְחֵשֶׁק גָּדוֹל. אַךְ עִקַּר בִּלְבּוּל הַתְּפִלָּה הוּא מֵחֲמַת חֶסְרוֹן אֱמוּנָה. וְכֵן כָּל הַהִתְרַחֲקוּת מִצַּדִּיקִים וִירֵאִים וּמֵעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם בֶּאֱמֶת, הַכֹּל מֵחֲמַת חֶסְרוֹן אֱמוּנָה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי זֶה בָּא עָלָיו עַצְבוּת וְעַצְלוּת וּכְבֵדוּת כַּנַּ”ל. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵימָה אֵין יָכוֹל לְמֹנְעוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר, רַק מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ לִסְבֹּל הַכֹּל, וְגֹדֶל וְצוֹמֵחַ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה’ אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה: (לק”א סי’ קנ”ה)

Faith contains the power of growth. A person with perfect faith will grow and develop in his devotion to God no matter what he may have to go through. Regardless of the obstacles or difficulties he may encounter, nothing will throw him off course. He will accept whatever he experiences with patience. People who are put off by the obstacles and difficulties which confront them when they try to serve God have a certain lack of faith. They are left with a feeling of heaviness and depression, a lack of enthusiasm. Why is it that people don’t make real efforts to draw closer to those who lead lives of piety and justice? If they really had faith they would run to them as fast as they could. Why do people not pray properly? If they had genuine faith, they would really believe that God stands over them while they are praying and hears every word that emerges from their lips. Then they would pray with tremendous fire and yearning. But instead they are listless and depressed. It is because they lack this real faith. That is why they are far from the Tzaddikim, from the pious and just, and from true devotion to God. When a person has genuine faith nothing can stand in his way. No matter what happens he will grow in the service of God (155).

What is interesting about this passage is that in addition to offering the contrast between the one who has genuine faith to stay the course even when led astray vs. the one who gets overwhelmed and overcome by the obstacles placed in front of him/her, Rebbe Nachman also discusses what real faith would look. If we had genuine faith, we would be more comfortable surrounding ourselves with others who have genuine faith. If we really believed, we would never allow prayer to be something perfunctory. Being truly faithful will allow us to always strive and grow in our spirituality.

Touching on this latter point, I think there is a depth to this statement. When we are frustrated, angry, depressed, sad, how do we react? Do we allow it to take us down, drive us away from our desired path? Do we give up easily? Let’s be real. The answer to all of these questions will be yes at times. It is the rare individual that can always step over the obstacles without losing a step. Most of us struggle with times we get tripped up. Yet, even in those moments, if we can find our pathways for continued spiritual work, whether in prayer, in being in the company of others who are living a faith driven life, or with some other spiritual practice, then we can allow that faith to lead us back to the path we are working towards traversing.

May each of us cultivate this genuine faith in all of the spiritual work we do in our lives.

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 52

First part of chapter 52. This episode discusses the Alter Rebbe’s understanding of V’Ahavta Reiacha Kamocha, You should Love your Fellow as Yourself. We explore how this verse is a message of connecting to each other on a soul level, as if all of us are “soulmates.” I point out how this line is a fundamental element of bringing a prayer quorum “together” and the implications of this verse for our spiritual growth.

Episode 52

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Standing in someone else’s shoes

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

I was playing around with the Jetpack app (newer app to serve for wordpress.com) and came across prompt questions to write about. Interestingly, this was today’s question. I think this question is a great exercise in self reflection. At first glance, the question presumes we want to be someone we are not and that we have an image of who that person is. The answer we give could be a combination of our current personal struggles, our dreams and our perception of what life is like for the other person. Yet, we also know that this wish is perhaps a bit like how we see the grass is greener on the other side, thinking it better to be anywhere but here.

Nevertheless, let’s play this question out a little bit using a deeper dive. What are we looking for/at when we imagine life as someone else? Is it about looks, riches, the joy we perceive? Is it a momentary isolated picture on Facebook which makes us dream of that life? Do we see an immaculate house while living in clutter? Whatever the picture is of life in another’s shoes, when we have those moments, perhaps it is the opportune moment to take steps that lead us to a New Beginning.

The change we are seeking when dreaming of that other life might not even be about the facts we are imagining. They might be about a desire for someone different than what we are currently doing. Maybe it’s how we schedule the day. Maybe it is re-prioritizing the important and the unimportant. Or maybe it really is a desire to be different and that we should foster bigger change through small, goal oriented steps. Any which way we look at it, trying to imagine being another person can actually be beneficial if it comes from a cautious growth oriented mindset and not from a place of jealousy.

After all that, I am sorry to disappoint everyone but truth is, I don’t really have a desire to be someone else for a day. I am truly blessed to be who I am and have worked to recognize that the desires to be someone else where really all about how to be better in my own life.

Are you imaging your life would be different that it is? Wondering if you really are the person people see you as? Are you working on your spiritual growth? Faith? Feeling lost in the midst of the journey of life? Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com

Rebbe Nachman’s Advice # 4 – Faith gives us strength to be imperfect

Many posts of mine have focused on exploring imperfection (see here, here and here for some examples). I believe so much of our struggles in life come from not being to accept that we are the imperfect human. In the piece below, Rebbe Nachman offers us a perspective on how our faith can be a source of strength to embrace the need for growth.

י. צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד אֶת הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְקַלְקֵל חַ”ו. כִּי עַל־יְדֵי קִלְקוּל הָאֱמוּנָה אֵין יְכוֹלִין לְקַבֵּל מוּסָר מִמּוֹכִיחֵי אֱמֶת, וְנִתְקַלְקֵל הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְנַעֲשָׂה גֵּרוּשׁ וּמַחְלֹקֶת חַ”ו, וּבָאִים לִכְפִירוֹת וְלַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְלֶאֱמוּנוֹת כּוֹזְבִיּוֹת. כִּי הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא עִקַּר חוֹתָם הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְשֹׁמְרוֹ מְאֹד, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִשְׁמָר כָּל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה: (לק”א סי’ כ”ב אות א’ ב’)
Make sure that you never let your faith become weakened. A person whose faith is weak is unable to accept honest criticism. This is very damaging to the cause of peace because it results in all kinds of aggressiveness, exile and conflict. The end result is godlessness and idolatry, false ideologies and false religions. True faith is the foundation of everything. It is the seal of holiness. You must guard it well because through doing so you are protecting holiness itself (22:1,2).

When we struggle to have faith that our human foibles are not something to be ashamed of but are part of how we relate to our existence in relationship with the one true perfection, Gd, Rebbe Nachman suggests we can fall into very difficult spaces. When people cannot admit to mistakes, they often double down and open up the door to furthering the problem instead of trying to make things better by first saying, “oops, I messed up.” When we don’t hear the criticism, when we don’t acknowledge our errors, we are creating worlds of self-worship, self-aggrandizement, the hallmarks of false ideologies.

When we can cultivate, grow and protect our faith, we begin to find a deeper sense of sacredness, of personal and collective holiness. Life is a series of imperfect actions that we are working to overcome and with faith we can find the fortitude to learn from our mistakes to do always be improving.