Moses Forever

How does this all relate to messianism? First of all, he is a Tsaddiq, like the Ba’al Shem Tov, like Isaac Luria, like Rashbi, like Moses and Elijah…

In Kabbalistic terms, he is aligned or manifesting the yesod - firmament sphere. He is the channel through which messianic redemption and divine presence penetrates the world as a vessel. 

Secondly, as mentioned above, he continues the Hasidic tradition, like his great grandfather, by which he is spreading the Hasidic teachings, the spiritualism, the mystical practices, so that when these spread above and beyond, like the abundant spring bursting forth, this will bring it.

These are supporting roles to THE Messiah, Son of David. He does not speak of himself as Messiah, not anywhere.

Aspects Orchestra

But he does a lot besides that. He is compared to, by himself, Moses, or one like Moses, “another Moses” - בחינת משה bechinat Moshe. There is an idea of generational messiahs, small messiahs, not THE messiah. He alludes to this strongly, as a Moses, the Tsaddiq of his generation. 

The words here are subtle but particular. He is THE tsaddiq of the generation, like Moses, not just any other tsaddiq. He is different, set apart, superior to the other Tsaddiqim at his time around him. They are not on the same level. He doesn’t tell them that, he only speaks of himself. But the implications are there. 

He also says he is tsaddiq yesod olam. This is the phrase in the Bible where the Kabbalah draws the terms - the tsaddiq is the firmament of the world, or the eternal tsaddiq-yesod.

By this he is essentially saying that not only is he the Tsaddiq of the generation, but he is the Tsaddiq of all generations. This idea is that he is the spiritual mystical hero holding the world on his shoulders, just like Rashbi. 

He is also Tsaddiq Emet, the true Tsaddiq, the Tsaddiq of truth. His disciples must stick to him and stick with him, to strengthen him, while he carries the weight. They don't carry - he carries, they support him carrying the burden. 

This burden, as THE Tsaddiq, is expressed in terms of the different and often conflicting feelings he has. He may have been bi-polar or something.

It doesn’t matter what the diagnosis could have been. He was sad. And elated. He had mood swings. He was deeply troubled by Sabbatianism and by enlightenment / secularism. He was always troubled. His personal troubles and tragedies added on to this.

All this sadness and paradoxical feelings, including seeing the good in the secularizing enlightened Jews, was spiritualized - he was by this entering the husks of evil, and by this feeling all the evil and sadness in the world.

When we put all his parables in this context, they are spiritually meaningful - what he is doing is sharing his deeply conflicted and troubled soul. By sharing this, he is showing his internal world, he is inviting others to perhaps support him, he is managing his own spiritual burden.

The stories typically have a hero or several, and they have different feelings, and these different feelings and expressions are at odds, and he feels all of those.

That is one way to interpret his writings - that he is essentially all the main characters in his story. This is him, as the Tsaddiq, carrying the weight, feeling the conflicting emotions, the stress and sadness and more. 

What he Said

Here are a couple examples of texts by the beloved mysterious spiritual hero son Nachman, Hasidic prince, carrying the weight of the world, with his high sense of self and calling:

The matter is as follows: Each tzaddik of the generation is an aspect of Moshe. [Moshe] is an aspect of Mashiach, as it is written (Genesis 49:10), “Until Shiloh will come”—this is Mashiach. And ShILoH is numerically equivalent to MoSheH.

Thus, the Sages of the Talmud called one another “Moshe,” as it is written (Shabbat 101b): “Moshe, you said it well.” {“The earth was without form and empty… but the ruach -spirit of God hovered over the water’s surface” (Genesis 1:2) .}

Thus, when one originates some insight into the Torah, these original insights are an aspect of Moshe-Mashiach. As it is written in the Zohar (I, 192b): “the ruach-spirit of God”—this is the ruach -spirit of the Mashiach; “hovered over the water’s surface”—this is the Torah.

This is what we said, that the Torah insights which he originates are themselves an aspect of the Mashiach, for that is where his ruach -spirit hovers. This is “the ruach -breath of his mouth” (Psalms 33:6)—“a speaking ruach -breath” (Onkelos, Genesis 2:7).

Our Sages also teach (Sanhedrin 98b): Mashiach will suffer sickness on behalf of all Israel, as it is written (Isaiah 53:5), “He was stricken because of our transgressions.” As such, every tzaddik of the generation also suffers affliction for the Jewish people, to make it easier for them, for he is an aspect of the Mashiach, as above.

Likueti Moharan 1:118

And everyone must aim in his prayer, that he should tie himself to the Tzaddikei Hador/righteous saints of the Age, because every Tzaddik ha’Dor (of the generation) is an aspect of Moshe Mashiach (Moses-Messiah), as we have found, that the tzaddikim call each other "Moshe," as in [the saying of the sages]:

"Moshe, you have said well." And Moshe is an aspect of Mashiach, as is written (Gen. 49:10): "Until Shiloh comes" — this is Moshe (Zohar I 25b) Mashiach (Onkelos, Rashi).

And each and every prayer that everyone prays, is like a limb of the SheKhINah/Divine Presence, which are limbs of the miShKaN/Tabernacle, which no Israelite was able to put up piece to piece, each one in its place, except Moshe alone.

And therefore it is necessary to bring and tie all the prayers to the Tzaddik ha’Dor (of the generation), as is written (Exod. 39): "And they brought the Mishkan to Moshe," and he knows how to put up piece to piece and make it a complete structure, as is written (there, 40): "And Moshe set up the Mishkan."

Likuetei Moharan 2:6

If we just briefly review what we read at face value, we see a continuation of messianic motifs in the literature of the sages and other traditions, the spirit of Messiah in Genesis for example. We also have the Isaiah 53, which is prominent in Christianity as well, we saw it in Sabbatianism, and also in the Talmud. 

Ultimate Association

So Nachman is familiar with these passages and he deals with them, in his own way interprets and applies them - to himself essentially, as a Moses, a generational Tsaddiq.

What he does, is on the one hand he does not identify as THE Messiah, nor any type of Son of David, but then he will push the limits of everything else - Tsaddiq, generational and eternal, harbinger of Messiah, and various messianic elements in biblical and rabbinical literature he then “usurps” to this alternative messianic figure, who is not THE messiah, but is him, Nachman.

One last thing to remember, regarding Moses, is that he is one of the original figures associated with Tsaddiq-Yesod aspect (sphere), perhaps the first, the most important, but he is here emphasized. Among other reasons this serves to elevate the stature of this traditional figure of association.

And remember, in the messianic context, there is another significant tradition which understands the Deuteronomy 18:15, “a prophet from among your brethren like me will the LORD your G-d raise up for you, and you will hear him…”

That is the main insight ultimately for us from Nachman - for everything messianic, we understand his life, heritage, literature, etc. in this context, of mystical spiritual kabbalistic yesod Tsaddiq but elevated, eternal, generational and ultimate Moses aspect.