"I Have the Ability to Make Peace with the Entire World"

THE HOLY WORDS OF MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT"A, WHICH WERE SAID ON SHABBAT VA’ETCHANAN 5779, AND ARE BASED ON SECTION 402 IN THE HOLY BOOK CHAYEI MOHARAN (TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH AS “TZADDIK” BY BRESLOV RESEARCH INSTITUTE).

(From Chayei Moharan 402) "I heard from our people something similar to this, though in a slightly different style. Once, our people complained before him [Rebbe Nachman] that it was hard for them to endure the matter of controversy and persecutions, etc. He answered and said to them: ‘Believe me, I have the ability to make peace with the entire world, so that no one will oppose me. But what can I do, when there are such levels and palaces that it is impossible to reach except through controversy? And the proof is that Moshe Rabbeinu a”h certainly had the power to draw all of Israel to him, as it is written: “And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel”—for he was the mind (da’at) of all Israel, and he had the ability to assemble and draw them all to him. And even so, what is written? “And they looked after Moshe”, and our Sages of blessed memory expounded what they expounded, etc., and likewise in other similar matters. And all this is because there are such things that it is impossible to reach except through controversy, when they oppose him, etc. And our Sages of blessed memory said: ‘Discord is comparable to a gush of water,’ as it is said: “Releasing water is the beginning of strife”, etc., and it is written: “For is man a tree of the field.” And a tree of the field—the more water that is poured around it, the more it grows."

The words of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a: "Rabbeinu says there are levels that can only be reached through controversy. There is a bit of egotism here. The Tzaddik is the biggest egotist in the world. He wants everyone to oppose him, as long as he gains from the matter.

"Moshe Rabbeinu wanted the whole nation to oppose him. Such an egotist never existed since the creation of the world. He does everything he can so that they will oppose him, and he wants more levels, and more levels, and more levels—he only worries about himself all day. He said: ‘(Bring more controversy and more controversy.) What can I do, there are such levels that are impossible to reach without controversy. Controversy makes a vessel for the Infinite Light.’

"The Rebbe says he can draw the whole world to him—the Berditchever (Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev), the Shpaler [‘Der Shpaler Zeide’ – Rebbe Nachman’s greatest opponent], the Savraner [Rabbi Natan’s greatest opponent]. All of them I can draw to me in one second.

"The controversy about Moshe lasted 40 years—it is impossible to understand. They said about the manna that it was nothing but trouble, nothing but trouble. Really, was it nothing but trouble? There was no flavor that the manna did not take on, and they called it ‘this insubstantial food.’ Ice cream and popsicles—whatever you want. They said to Moshe: ‘Bring real ice cream; don’t bring me the “taste of” ice cream.’ Moshe said: ‘That is only in the Land of Israel—there, every fruit will be the size of a house…’"