30 Life-Changing Teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

“There is no despair in the world at all.” (Likutei Moharan II, 78)

“If you believe that it is possible to ruin, believe that it is also possible to repair.” (Likutei Moharan II, 112)

“The essence of speech is the soul.” (Likutei Moharan I, 51)

“There are famous people whose entire fame comes only through controversy.”

“In the eyes of the world, faith is something small, but to me, faith is something very great.” (Sichot HaRan 33)

“As you see me, surely you consider me a completely righteous man. Yet after committing a sin, it did not throw me down at all. I remained a decent person, just as before. Afterwards, I would simply do teshuva (repentance).” (Chayei Moharan 453)

“The time will yet come when even a simple, decent person will be considered a great novelty, like the Baal Shem Tov.” (Chayei Moharan 454)

“A person should never become old. Not an old tzaddik, and not an old chasid. Old age is a negative trait. One must constantly renew himself, begin again, and begin again.”

“There is a concept that everything can be transformed into good…”

“Darkness is darkness. The danger is that you may convince yourself it is light.”

“It is a great mitzvah to always be joyful, and to strengthen oneself with all one’s might to drive away sadness and depression. For all illnesses that come upon a person arise only from damaged joy.”

“Know that a person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. The main thing is not to be afraid at all.” (Likutei Moharan II, 48)

“When one hears music from a wicked musician, it becomes difficult for him to serve the Creator. But when he hears from a worthy and upright musician, then it benefits him greatly…” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah 3)

“Every person must say: ‘The whole world was created only for me.’ Therefore, since the world was created for me, I must constantly look to repair the world, to fill its lacks, and to pray for it.” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah 5)

“It is good for a person to accustom himself to revive his spirit with some melody, for melody is something very great and lofty.” (Sichot HaRan 273)

“Whoever has faith — his life is truly life, and he spends his days in goodness. When things go well, of course it is good. But even when it is not so, it is still good, for he trusts that God will yet have mercy on him and improve his end. Since everything comes from Him, everything is certainly for the good. But one who has no faith — his life is not life at all. For the moment any hardship befalls him, he has no vitality, no comfort, nothing to sustain him, since he has no faith at all.” (Sichot HaRan 53)

“The main test of every person in this world is in this craving for sexual immorality…” (Sichot HaRan 115)

“When wisdom is firm and complete, then it is possible to subdue all the enemies who pursue Israel.” (Likutei Moharan)

“The essence of a person is his mind. One who lacks understanding is not considered part of civilization.” (Likutei Moharan II)

“All suffering, troubles, and exile are only according to the measure of lack of understanding. When understanding is complete, then all lacks are completed.” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah 21)

“Eternal life belongs only to God, for He lives forever. But whoever becomes included in His root — that is, in Him, blessed be He — he too lives forever…” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah 21)

“Even in the concealment within the concealment, surely there too the Blessed One is present.” (Likutei Moharan I, Torah 56)

“Regarding thoughts — it is a great wonder and a sign of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He, how thoughts are placed in the mind in countless bundles, one on top of the other. And when a person needs something and remembers it, he pulls and extracts that matter which had been stored in thought, and recalls it. This is truly wondrous…” (Sichot HaRan 25)

“Know that it is possible to cry out in a great voice with a silent whisper, and no one else will hear it at all. The cry is with a ‘thin, silent voice,’ and this every person can do…” (Sichot HaRan 16)

“Regarding the study of the halachic decisors (the poskim), he warned most emphatically, more than about any other study. It is proper to learn the entire Shulchan Aruch, all four sections, from beginning to end in order.” (Sichot HaRan 29)

“The essence of a person is his intellect. Therefore, wherever one’s thoughts are, there is the whole person.” (Likutei Moharan I, 21)

“Indeed you are righteous people, but this was not my intention. I wanted you to be like wild animals that roar at night for entire nights.”

“It is known that studying the Zohar is extremely beneficial. And know that through learning the Zohar, one gains desire for all other forms of Torah study.” (Sichot HaRan 108)

“When one merits complete understanding, he can accomplish and serve God in fifteen minutes what another person would need seventy years of work and effort to achieve.” (Sichot HaRan 174)

“It is a great mitzvah to always be joyful.” (Likutei Moharan II, 24)