Rav Nachman of Horodonka zt"l
הרב נחמן בן יצחק מהורדנקא זצ"ל
Tammuz 2 , 5525
Rav Nachman of Horodonka zt"l
“His faith and emunah are as strong as iron foundations,” testified his rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov.
He travelled to Eretz Yisroel on several occasions with the intention to move there; once around the year ת''ק before the Baal Shem passed away, and then once more around תקכ''ד after the Baal Shem Tov’s passing.
(Some say he visited the tziyun of the Holy Baal Shem and was told to go to Eretz Yisroel by the holy Baal Shem Tov himself. When he came in תק''ב, it was to meet with Rav Eliezer of Amsterdam. According to this tradition, he made three trips to Eretz Yisroel.)
His travels to Eretz Yisroel required great self-sacrifice. He settled in Tiveria. He passed away on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz תקכ''ה and was laid to rest in Tiveria.
His son Rav Simchah married Feiga, the daughter of Yechiel and Adel (daughter of the Baal Shem Tov) and they named their son Rav Nachman (of Breslov) after him.
He is cited by Rav Moshe Chaim Ephraim in Degel Machneh Ephraim many times.
For example:
Degel Machneh Ephraim Parashas Bamidbar
They should not come and see how the “holy” is swallowed up for they would die. The hint here is based on what I heard from my grandfather, the holy Baal Shem Tov. Sometimes someone comes to the tzaddik to study his deeds and actions and learn from them. It can happen that the tzaddik is experiencing a momentary state of small mindedness called katnus, a state of mental immaturity or constricted consciousness. If the person learns ( or receives) from the tzaddik while the latter is in such a state, not realizing that he should not do so, he can be negatively affected.
This is similar to what once happened when someone visited the well-known tzaddik Moharan (probably Rav Nachman Horodenker) and observed him drinking his coffee while wrapped in his tallis and tefillin. This man then went home and began to do the same! This verse is therefore a warning: when you to observe, if you see that the holy was swallowed up-- that is, if you arrive at one of those times when the tzaddik is in a small-minded state of katnus and his sanctity has been swallowed up and cannot be discerned-- better to come back a different time and observe the tzaddik when he is in a state of gadlus, (in a state of mature thought and expanded consciousness) and only then learn from observing him.
Understand this, for those who listen lack understanding and they may not comprehend. There are other positive things here and G-d willing when I am well, I shall explain them. [This unfortunately did not seem to have occurred.]
Stories of Rav Nachman of Horodonka zt"l
The Ba’al Shem Tov was once sitting together with his chevraya kaddisha, studying the mystical kavonos of the mikve. When the Ba’al Shem taught certain kavonos some of the talmidim present were surprised and they pointed out an apparent issue with the Ba’al Shem’s teaching: “Rebbe, how can this be? Doesn’t the holy Arizal explain and teach these kavonos differently?”
When the Ba’al Shem heard their question, he leaned his head back and sank into a deep state of rapture and dveikus; his face blazed like a torch, his eyes bulged and his soul soared heavenward to the higher lofty realms.
The chevraya were all seized with trembling and awe, all of them except Rav Nachman Horodenka who was greatly annoyed with himself; he felt more and more drowsy. “How can this be? The Ba’al Shem’s neshoma rises to spiritual heights and all the talmidim sit here in awe and fear, and I am tired and sleepy?!” He fought to remain awake, he tried to pry his eyes open – but to no avail, and as he battled the sleep and fatigue that overtook him he simply lost consciousness and drifted off into a doze. He slept, and he dreamed, and he saw a vision:
A great commotion was going on and a large mass of people were running and making their way somewhere and he ran after them. “Where are you all running to?” he asked, out of breath.
“Our holy Rav is about to speak and teach us,” they replied as they ran.
“Who is your Rav?” he asked, but they were all in such a rush that no one answered Rav Nachman.
Rav Nachman followed them and they reached a large building that was very handsome, beautiful and stately, filled with people from one end to the other. They all appeared important and sagely and among them suddenly was none other than the holy Ba’al Shem Tov, who made his way to the front and began to teach, the same derosha on kavonos hamikve that Rav Nachman had just heard. Just then a young Tzaddik stood by the Ba’al Shem and began to counter and contradict the Ba’al Shem Tov’s teachings.
“Who is this Rav?” asked Rav Nachman and he was told that he was the Arizal. The argument between the holy Arizal and the holy Ba’al Shem Tov continued and they debated back and forth until finally at the conclusion the Arizal agreed to the interpretation and explanation of the Ba’al Shem Tov.
Suddenly, Rav Nachman awoke; he was back among the talmidim, sitting among them as they discussed the Ba’al Shem’s apparent contradiction to the Arizal’s kavonos hamikve. As Rav Nachman awoke, the Ba’al Shem turned to him and said, “Nu, I took you along so you could testify as to who is right. Now tell them all whose kavonos are correct and testify before them what you saw and who won the argument.”
Needless to say on whose behalf Rav Nachman testified, and the Ba’al Shem concluded his derosha and left. (Shivchei HaBa’al Shem)
After Rav Nachman Horodenka had moved to Eretz Yisrael, he was often awakened after chatzos by someone knocking at his window. Whenever this occurred he would dress and go outside. When asked where he was going, he explained that he was being summoned to a levaya to accompany one of the great Tzaddikim who had passed away outside Eretz Yisrael in Chutz LaAretz and was now being buried here in Eretz Yisrael. Sometimes he took another companion. One of his companions to these wondrous levayos once opened the shutters after especially loud and persistent knocking woke them one night. He said that although it was after midnight when he looked outside, the sky was bright and sunny as if it were midday and a throng of many thousands of people dressed in finery, wearing the fur hats known as spodiks were all rushing to the levaya of a great Tzaddik who had just passed away in Chutz LaAretz. (Kisvei Rav Yoshe Prager of Brisk p. 84)