הרב נתן מברסלב

Rav Noson Sternhartz of Breslov (15 Shevat 5540/1780–10 Tevet 5605/1844), known to all as Reb Noson and in English sources as Nathan of Breslov, was the talmid muvhak and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and the builder of Breslover chasidut after his rebbi’s petirah. Born in Nemirov to Rav Naftali Hertz Sternhartz, a wealthy merchant and talmid chacham, he married at thirteen Esther Shaindel, daughter of Rav Dovid Tzvi Auerbach, rav of Sharograd. Both his father and his father-in-law were opponents of chasidut, but the young iluy of Nemirov sought more than he had found: he traveled to talmidim of the Maggid of Mezritch, among them Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev — who loved him and called him “my Noson” — Rav Zusha of Anipoli, and Rav Baruch of Mezhibuzh. In 5562/1802 Rebbe Nachman settled in nearby Breslov; Reb Noson went to him, and remained bound to him until the Rebbe’s petirah in Uman in 5571/1810.

As the Rebbe’s scribe he set down the torot of Likutei Moharan, often reconstructing from his extraordinary memory lessons said on Shabbat and Yom Tov and submitting them afterward for the Rebbe’s correction, and rendering into Hebrew what the Rebbe had spoken in Yiddish. He marked scrupulously which lessons the Rebbe himself had reviewed, and kept his own comments distinct from his rebbi’s words; the Rebbe said of him that without Reb Noson, not a page of his writings would have remained.

After the petirah Reb Noson would not take the seat of Rebbe — for Breslov, the Rebbe remains Rebbe Nachman — but he carried the movement on his shoulders. In 5571/1811 he established the Rosh Hashanah kibbutz at the Rebbe’s tziyun in Uman, leading it every year for the rest of his life and later raising the funds to build the Breslover shul there. He set up a printing press in his own home and printed the Rebbe’s sefarim — Likutei Moharan, Sefer HaMiddot, Sippurei Ma’asiyot, the Tikkun HaKlali — and in 5582/1822 he traveled to Eretz Yisrael for several months. His own sefarim include Likutei Halachot, his great work weaving the Rebbe’s torot through the order of the Shulchan Aruch; Likutei Tefillot, prayers drawn from the lessons of Likutei Moharan; Chayei Moharan and Sichot HaRan, on the Rebbe’s life and conversations; and the record of his own days, Yemei Moharnat.

In the years 1834–1838 a wave of opposition to Breslov arose, led by the Rebbe of Savran; Reb Noson was denounced to the authorities, arrested, and confined to his native Nemirov, and he bore it all without turning from his rebbi’s path. In 5598/1838 he returned to Breslov, where he was niftar erev Shabbat, 10 Tevet 5605/1844, after pointing to Rav Nachman Chazan of Tulchin to lead the chevrah after him. He is buried in the old cemetery of Breslov, overlooking the River Bug.