Rebbe Nachman lived from 1776-1810. He was the great grandson of the Ba'al Shem Tov and started a Hassidic sect, the Breslov Hassidim, that focus even more than many other hassidic groups on joyful service of God. They haven't had a living Rebbe since Nachman's death. Many modern scholars suggest that Rebbe Nachman suffered from depression or maybe bipolar disorder. This Study Sheet focuses on two of his most famous teachings, which we might translate to English as "Don't worry; Be happy!"
We start with a Breslov folksong, that comes in several versions, including this one:
רבי נחמן מברסלב כך אומר
לא/אסור להתייאש
אם הגיע זמן קשה
רק לשמוח יש
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says this:
Don't / It's forbidden to despair.
If a difficult time comes,
One should only be happy!
As of this writing, you can find the song online at several sites including Zemereshet (several versions and a couple recordings) and:
Actually, in the written record, its seems that Rebbe Nachman probably didn't say either of those word-for-word. But there is one report (Chayei Moharan) out of several of the teaching on despair that reports "It's forbidden to despair." Here's that report and a couple other core Nachman texts on "Don't worry; Be happy!"
(א) (מט) בְּעֵת שֶׁאָמַר הַתּוֹרָה וָאֶתְחַנַּן הַנִּדְפָּס בְּלִקּוּטֵי תִנְיָנָא סִימָן ע"ח. וְשָׁם מְדַבֵּר מֵעִנְיַן שֶׁאָסוּר לְיַאֵשׁ עַצְמוֹ לְעוֹלָם אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְאָמַר אָז בְּזוֹ הַלָּשׁוֹן: "מֶען טָאר זִיךְ נִישְׁט מְיַאֵשׁ זַיין. גִּיוַאלְד זַייט אַייךְ נִישְׁט מְיַאֵשׁ" [אָסוּר לְהִתְיָאֵשׁ, אַהָהּ אַל תִּתְיָאֲשׁוּ] וּמָשַׁךְ מְאֹד תֵּבַת גִיוַואלְד [אַהָהּ] כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמַּזְהִיר וְצוֹעֵק מֵעֹמֶק הַלֵּב:
At the time he spoke the torah on Va'etchanan, which was published in Likutei [Moharan], Part II, section 78, and he's speaking there about it being always forbidden to bring oneself to despair, however things are, heaven forfend. And he said it this way: "Men tor zich nisht m'ya'esh zayn. Gevalt! Zayy aych nisht m'ya'esh!" [It is forbidden to despair! Oy! [or: Bloody murder!] Don't despair!" And he really drew out the word "gevalt" as one who does who cautions and cries out from the heart's depths.
(ג) וְהָעִקָּר – לְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר, [כִּי אֵין שׁוּם יֵאוּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם כְּלָל. (וְאָמַר אָז בְּזֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן: קַיין יִאוּשׁ אִיז גָאר נִיט פַאר הַאנְדִין), וּמָשַׁךְ מְאֹד אֵלּוּ הַתֵּבוֹת "קַיין יִאוּשׁ וְכוּ'" וַאֲמָרָם בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל וּבְעַמְקוּת נִפְלָא וְנוֹרָא מְאֹד, כְּדֵי לְהוֹרוֹת וּלְרַמֵּז לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְדוֹרוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְיָאֵשׁ בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן בָּעוֹלָם, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יַעֲבֹר עָלָיו מָה], וְאֵיךְ שֶׁהוּא, אֲפִלּוּ אִם נָפַל לְמָקוֹם שֶׁנָּפַל, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, מֵאַחַר שֶׁמְּחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ בַּמֶּה שֶׁהוּא, עֲדַיִן יֵשׁ לוֹ תִּקְוָה לָשׁוּב וְלַחֲזֹר אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ.
(3) The main thing is to encourage oneself in every way possible {for there is no such thing as despair! (What he said was: Kein yiush iz gor nit fahr-handin !) He drew out these words Kein yiush…, and said them emphatically and with very amazing and awesome depth, in order to instruct and hint to each and every person throughout the generations not to despair under any circumstances, no matter what happens to him.} And be what may, even if one has fallen to where he has fallen, God spare us, since he encourages himself with something, he still has hope of repenting and returning to God.
(א) מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד, וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר לְהַרְחִיק הָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ.
(ב) וְכָל הַחוֹלַאַת הַבָּאִין עַל הָאָדָם, כֻּלָּם בָּאִין רַק מִקִּלְקוּל הַשִּׂמְחָה. ...
(א) וְהַכְּלָל, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַתְגַּבֵּר מְאֹד בְּכָל הַכֹּחוֹת, לִהְיוֹת אַךְ שָׂמֵחַ תָּמִיד. כִּי טֶבַע הָאָדָם – לִמְשֹׁךְ עַצְמוֹ לְמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְעַצְבוּת מֵחֲמַת פִּגְעֵי וּמִקְרֵי הַזְּמַן, וְכָל אָדָם מָלֵא יִסּוּרִים, עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד וּלְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר יוּכַל, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּמִלֵּי דִּשְׁטוּתָא.
(ב) אַף שֶׁגַּם לֵב נִשְׁבָּר הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד, עִם כָּל זֶה הוּא רַק בְּאֵיזוֹ שָׁעָה, וְרָאוּי לִקְבֹּעַ לוֹ אֵיזֶה שָׁעָה בַּיּוֹם לְשַׁבֵּר לִבּוֹ וּלְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, כַּמּוּבָא אֶצְלֵנוּ, אֲבָל כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה. כִּי מִלֵּב נִשְׁבָּר בְּקַל יְכוֹלִין לָבוֹא לְמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, יוֹתֵר מֵאֲשֶׁר יְכוֹלִין לִכָּשֵׁל עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לָבוֹא לְאֵיזֶה הוֹלֵלוּת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי זֶה קָרוֹב יוֹתֵר לָבוֹא מִלֵּב נִשְׁבָּר לְמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה.
(ג) עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד, רַק בְּשָׁעָה מְיֻחֶדֶת יִהְיֶה לוֹ לֵב נִשְׁבָּר:
(1) It is a great mitzvah to always be happy, and to make every effort to determinedly keep depression and gloom at bay.
(2) All the illnesses that afflict people are due only to flawed joy. ... [Rebbe Nachman here gives an extended drash about the relationship of joy, song, and dance to illness and sorrow, and God's role as the great Healer/Dancer.]
(1) 2. The rule is that a person has to be very determined and put all his strength into being nothing but happy at all times. For human nature is to draw itself to gloom and depression on account of life’s vicissitudes and misfortunes. And every human being is filled with suffering. Therefore, a person has to exercise great effort in forcing himself to be happy at all times, and to bring himself to joy in any way he can—even with silliness.
(2) And though contrition, too, is very good, nevertheless, that is only for a brief period. It is right to set aside for oneself some time in the day for feeling remorse and speaking one’s piece in the presence of the Blessed One, as is brought in our works. But the entire [rest] of the day one needs to be happy. For contrition more easily leads to depression, than erring through joy, God forbid, leads to some sort of frivolity, God forbid. For this is the more likely: that contrition will lead to gloom.
(3) One should therefore always be happy, and only at the designated time have a broken heart.