## Sichot HaRan Chapter 140

###### Sichot HaRan 140:1
[Sichot HaRan 140:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:1)

כְּשֶׁאָמַר לִי, עִנְיָן הַנִּדְפָּס בְּלִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא (סִימָן פ"ו) עַל פָּסוּק (שְׁמוֹת ו): "מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וּמֵעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה", שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי קַטְנוּת אֱמוּנָה צְרִיכִין לַעֲבוֹדוֹת קָשׁוֹת וְכוּ' עַיֵּן שָׁם, עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו כְּמִשְׁתּוֹמֵם וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתַי הָיוּ תְּמֵהִים בְּעִנְיָן זֶה. כִּי נִדְמֶה לִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי אֱמוּנָה קְצָת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe’s lesson on the verse, “And they did not listen to Moses because of their constricted spirit and cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9) appears in *Likutey Moharan* II, 86. This lesson states that through lack of faith one must work harder in one’s devotions.²¹⁶ 61:8). Reb Noson had arrived in Breslov on Saturday night for *Selichot* and spoke to the Rebbe after the service. A week later on Rosh HaShanah, the lesson, “Rabbi Shimon rejoiced,” mentioned below, was revealed (*Yemey Moharnat* #25; *Tzaddik* #185). When the Rebbe addressed this lesson to me, I was quite shocked. I always thought of myself as having faith and could not understand his implication.

footnotes:
²¹⁶ This lesson was given shortly before Rosh HaShanah 5558/1797 (Parparaot LeChokhmah


###### Sichot HaRan 140:2
[Sichot HaRan 140:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:2)

עָנָה וְאָמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן גְּעָרָה קְצָת כְּאוֹמֵר: "וְאִם יֵשׁ לְךָ אֱמוּנָה, אֵין לְךָ אֱמוּנָה בְּעַצְמְךָ" (הָאסְטִי אִין דִּיר קַיין אֱמוּנָה נִיט).

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
When I mentioned this to the Rebbe, he answered me with some impatience, “*Hast-di in dir kein emunah nit* – You may have faith, but you have no faith in yourself.”


###### Sichot HaRan 140:3
[Sichot HaRan 140:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:3)

וְהִזְכִּיר מִיָּד מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: כִּי מִי בַז לְיוֹם קְטַנּוֹת, מִי גָּרַם לַצַּדִּיקִים שִׁיִּתְבַּזְבֵּז שֻׁלְחָנָם לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא? קַטְנוּת שֶׁהָיָה בָּהֶם בְּעַצְמָן. שֶׁלֹּא הֶאֱמִינוּ בָּהֶם בְּעַצְמָן.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe told me this: It is written, “Who is scornful on the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). The Talmud comments on this verse, “Why are the tables of the tzaddikim *despised* in the World to Come? Because of their own *smallness*” (*Sotah* 48b). That is, because they do not believe in themselves.


###### Sichot HaRan 140:4
[Sichot HaRan 140:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:4)

(וְרַשִׁ"י ז"ל פֵּרֵשׁ שָׁם כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ – קַטְנוּת אֱמוּנָה). אֲבָל מִדִּקְדּוּק לְשׁוֹן הַגְּמָרָא, שֶׁאָמְרוּ שָׁם קַטְנוּת שֶׁהָיָה בָּהֶם, נִרְאֶה מְבֹאָר דִּבְרֵי רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, שֶׁעִקַּר קַטְנוּת הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁלָּהֶן הָיָה בָּהֶן בְּעַצְמָן.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
*Rashi* explains “their own smallness” to mean that their faith was small. But the exact words of the Talmud literally say, “the smallness they had in themselves.” Hence, the Rebbe’s comment that their main lack was that of confidence in themselves.


###### Sichot HaRan 140:5
[Sichot HaRan 140:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:5)

וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ לְפִי זֶה שֶׁלֹּא הֶאֱמִינוּ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שֶׁהוּא טוֹב לַכֹּל וְהֵם חֲשׁוּבִים וּגְדוֹלִים בְּעֵינָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ. וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה הָיָה בָּהֶם קַטְנוּת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Talmud concludes by stating, “There were some among them who did not believe in God.” If they were tzaddikim, how is this possible? But according to the Rebbe’s interpretation, this means that they did not have enough faith in God’s goodness to believe they were important to Him.


###### Sichot HaRan 140:6
[Sichot HaRan 140:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:6)

וְזֶה הָיָה עִקַּר קַטְנוּת הָאֱמוּנָה שֶׁלָּהֶם, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הֶאֱמִינוּ בָּהֶם בְּעַצְמָן. (וְיֵשׁ לְכַוֵּן גַּם פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י לָזֶה).

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
This is why the Talmud speaks of their “smallness.” Their lack of belief was really lack of faith in themselves. This can also be fitted into *Rashi’s* commentary.


###### Sichot HaRan 140:7
[Sichot HaRan 140:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:7)

וְהַכְּלָל הַמּוּבָן מִדְּבָרָיו: שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ אֱמוּנָה בְּעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁגַּם הוּא חָבִיב בְּעֵינֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. כִּי לְפִי גְּדֻלַּת טוֹבָתוֹ שֶׁל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, גַּם הוּא גָּדוֹל וְחָשׁוּב בְּעֵינָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The main lesson here is that you must have faith in yourself. Believe that even you are dear in the eyes of God. A measure of God’s goodness is every individual’s importance to Him.


###### Sichot HaRan 140:8
[Sichot HaRan 140:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:8)

וּכְבָר מְבֹאָר עִנְיָן זֶה כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים: שֶׁאֵין זֶה עֲנָוָה לִהְיוֹת בְּמֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת ח"ו, וּצְרִיכִין לְבַקֵּשׁ הַרְבֵּה מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִזְכּוֹת לְדַרְכֵי עֲנָוָה בֶּאֱמֶת וְכוּ'. (עַיֵּן בְּלִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא סִימָן כ"ב וּבְסִימָן ע"ב, וְעוֹד בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת).

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
Experiencing humility does not mean putting yourself into a state of constricted consciousness, but rather that you should constantly ask God to help you achieve true humility.²¹⁷ II, 22 and 72.

footnotes:
²¹⁷ This is discussed at length in Likutey Moharan


###### Sichot HaRan 140:9
[Sichot HaRan 140:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/140:9)

גַּם אַחַר־כָּךְ בְּסָמוּךְ, אַחַר שֶׁאָמַר עִנְיָן הַנַּ"ל, הִגִּיעַ רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְאָמַר אָז הַתּוֹרָה "חָדִי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן" (סִימָן ס"א בְּחֵלֶק רִאשׁוֹן). וְשָׁם הִזְכִּיר עִנְיַן חֶסְרוֹן אֱמוּנָה בְּעַצְמוֹ (עַיֵּן שָׁם בְּאוֹת ה' מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב שָׁם). וְיֵשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם מַחֲלוֹקֶת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם אֱמוּנָה בְּעַצְמָן וְכוּ':

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
Shortly after the Rebbe taught the above lesson, he gave another lesson on the section of the *Zohar* beginning, “Rabbi Shimon rejoiced” (*Zohar* II, 128a). There he states that there are tzaddikim who suffer from opposition because of their lack of faith in themselves (*Likutey Moharan* I, 61:5).