Na Nach Nachma
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Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman is a Hebrew language mantra used by some sub-groups of the Breslov group of Hasidic Jews. The complete phrase is Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'uman. It is a sound-poem based on the four Hebrew letters of the name Nachman, referring to the founder of the Breslov movement, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, along with a reference to his burial place in Uman, Ukraine.
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[edit] History of the mantra
Although Na Nach Nachma is based on the name of Rebbe Nachman, he himself did not use it, and it was unknown in his day. However, he did say that repeating one word over and over was an effective form of meditation (Likutei Moharan Tinyana #96). His own personal mantra was Ribono shel Olam (Master of the Universe) which he pronounced with the Yiddish intonation as: Ree-BOY-noy shell OY-lahm. Many Breslover Hasidim today still prefer this mantra.
The Na Nach Nachma phrase was "revealed" and taught by Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser, a controversial Breslov figure in the 20th century. Odesser was born in 1905 in Tiberias, Israel. He was among the first Breslover Hasidim in Israel, having learned about the movement from Rabbi Yisroel Halpern when he was a young yeshiva student. Odesser's parents, who were Karliner Hasidim, strongly opposed his joining the Breslov movement, and worked hard to discourage him. Young Odesser went through many hardships, but he remained steadfast to the Breslov way.
When he was only 17 years old, Odesser was overcome with weakness and hunger on the Fast of Tammuz. He decided to eat. But immediately after eating, he felt great sorrow at having succumbed to his own physical temptations. Then a powerful thought came to him: "Go into your room!" He obeyed the inner voice, went to the bookcase, and randomly opened a book. In the book was a piece of paper that he would later call "The Letter from Heaven." In fact, it was composed by a Hasidic Jew from the Slonimer Sect named Ashkenazi (the handwriting in the note bears no resemblance to that of Rebbe Nachman). Ashkenazi had only intended to play a practical joke on the saited, but gullible Odesser, yet the latter took it earnestly. The paper contained a greeting, some text that referred to the Fast of Tammuz, and the Na Nach Nachma mantra. It read as follows:
It was very hard for me to descend to you, my precious student, to tell you that I benefited greatly from your service. And to you I say, my fire will burn until the coming of the Messiah -- be strong and courageous in your service -- Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman. And with this I shall tell you a secret: Full and heaped up from line to line, and with strong devotional service you will understand it. And the sign is: They will say you are not fasting on the 17th of Tammuz.
Odesser believed the letter to be a message of consolation, directly from Rebbe Nachman's spirit to himself here on earth. At this point, Ashkenazi did not have the heart to reveal the true origin of the letter. Odesser adopted Na Nach Nachma as his personal meditation, and became so totally identified with it that he later said, "I am Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman." (This quote appears on Odesser's tombstone in Jerusalem.)
[edit] Pronunciation and meaning of the phrase
During his lifetime, Rebbe Nachman spoke of a "Song of Redemption" that would be revealed before the coming of the Jewish Messiah. This song would be in a "single, double, triple, quadruple" form. (Likutei Moharan II, #8). The Na Nach Nachma phrase has such a structure (keeping in mind that Hebrew often omits the vowels):
- Na (one Hebrew letter: Nun) -- נ
- NaCH (Two Hebrew letters: Nun-Chet) -- נח
- NaCHMa (Three Hebrew letters: Nun-Chet-Mem) -- נחמ
- NaCHMaN (Four Hebrew letters: Nun-Chet-Mem-Nun) -- נחמן
- Me'Uman (a double entendre: it can mean "from Uman" -- Rebbe Nachman's burial place and can also mean "trustworthy.") -- מאומן
The mantra is pronounced with a soft A sound as in "ah" and a guttural KH sound as in German "ach." It is usually accented as follows:
Nah-nakh-nakhmah-nakhman-meh-oo-mahn.
Speakers of Yiddish and German have also noted that na nach can mean "now to," which would loosely translate the phrase as "Now to Nachman from Uman," that is, traveling to the Rebbe on pilgrimage to his gravesite or in one's heart.
[edit] Controversies
Not all Breslover Hasidim use Na Nach Nachma (some groups actually oppose it) and not everyone believes it is an authentic writing from Rebbe Nachman. The following are some of the diverse opinions:
- Rabbi Odesser believed the "Letter from Heaven" was a genuine miracle, pointing out that the bookcase where the petek (note) appeared was locked at the time, and he had the only key. His followers believed in the miracle also. They continue to this day to chant the phrase as a "Song of Redemption" for the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Odesser's personal account of how he found the Letter has been translated into English under the title The Letter from Heaven: Rebbe Nachman's Song.
- In May 1984, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote a letter of approbation, endorsing Odesser's efforts to raise funds for publishing Rebbe Nachman's books. In this document, Feinstein said: "I am writing on behalf of a most unusual individual, Rabbi Yisroel Dov Odesser, shlita, from Israel. This individual is a gaon of Torah. I had the pleasure of recently meeting with him and was inspired by a secret document which he possesses." This seems to imply that Rabbi Feinstein thought the letter was authentic, although he did not explicitly say so. (The Letter from Heaven: Rebbe Nachman's Song, p. 2)
- Some people believe that the letter was a note written to someone by Rebbe Nachman when he visited Tiberias during his pilgrimage to Israel in the early 19th century. Somehow it was placed in the old book, but Odesser's finding it was a coincidence (or miracle of timing), as was the reference to someone eating on the Fast of Tammuz.
- Still others believe it was a well-intentioned forgery, written by one of Rabbi Odesser's fellow students in order to cheer him up after he got depressed from breaking his fast. (See The Writing on the Wall, which expresses this opinion.)
- Rabbi Zev Reichmann (head of the Yeshiva University Mechina Program, student of Rav Aaron Soloveitchik, and son of Rav Herschel Reichmann) notes that many within common Orthodox society hold the view that people who wear "Na Nach Nachma" yarmulkes (see below) are not considered to be real Breslovers. (This view clashes with the traditional Breslover notion that whoever, with a pure heart, considers himself to be a Breslover, is a Breslover. As noted on the Breslover Hasidim page, the Breslov movement is not centralized and does not have an official membership list.)
[edit] Popularity of the mantra today
Whatever the origins of this mantra, it is now very popular among certain sub-groups of Breslover Hasidim, and has been incorporated into both traditional and contemporary Jewish music. During the millennium fervor before the Year 2000, the Na Nach Nachma was widely distributed and publicized in Israel, appearing on bumper stickers, billboards, graffiti, etc. It has also been used on jewelery and amulets.
More recently, some people have begun to wear it on large white knitted yarmulkes with a little tassel on top. (These hats are a modification of a traditional white yarmulke that has been worn in Jerusalem for centuries. That style, in turn, apparently evolved from the medieval Jewish hat with the ball on top -- hence the tassel.) During the time that Reb Odesser was still alive, some of his followers were already wearing large white yarmulkes, but without the mantra on them. Na Nach Nachma yarmulkes in other colors are also appearing on the market now.
The mantra continues to be chanted by both Hasidic and non-Hasidic Jews, as well as some non-Jews who use it as a form of kabbalah meditation. Those who chant it are sometimes referred to as "Na-Nachers". Among some groups of Sephardic Jewish youth in Israel, it has become a sort of rallying cry for returning to traditional Judaism, although not necessarily to mainstream Breslov.
[edit] External links
- Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser page -- direct link to the section discussing the authenticity of the Letter from Heaven (including handwriting analysis, police lab analysis of the paper, etc.) and cites references to similar miraculous letters mentioned in the Talmud.
- Virtual Photo Gallery of Na Nach Nachma graffiti in Israel.
[edit] See also
- Yechi -- A Hebrew mantra that has become popular among certain Lubavitcher Hasidim.
[edit] Sources
- The Letter from Heaven: Rebbe Nachman's Song. an account of Rabbi Odesser's life and the story of the Na Nach Nachma, published by Netzach Yisroel Press, Israel, 1991, 1995.
- Young Buds of the Stream, letters to Zalman Shazar from Rabbi Odesser, English edition published by Netzach Yisroel Press, Israel 1995. Pages 37-43 contain a detailed explanation of the meaning of the mantra.
- Outpouring of the Soul, translated by Aryeh Kaplan. (Compilation of Nachman of Breslov's quotes on meditation and prayer). Breslov Research Institute, 1980.
