Breslov Research Institute
Encyclopedia
Breslov Research Institute is a pioneering publisher
of classic and contemporary Breslov
texts in English
. Established in 1979, BRI has produced the first English translation of all the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
(1772–1810) and selected works of Reb Noson
(1780–1844), the Rebbe's closest disciple; studies of the Rebbe's teachings on individual subjects; contemporary Breslov biographies
; and self-help book
s which apply Rebbe Nachman's teachings to daily life. BRI currently has over 100 titles in print, many of which it has also translated into Hebrew
, Spanish
, Russian
and French
. BRI maintains offices in Jerusalem and New York
.
work of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld, who brought the teachings of Rebbe Nachman to American shores beginning in the late 1940s. While Rabbi Rosenfeld primarily taught students in the New York area and disseminated his lectures on tape, he encouraged one of his students, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
, to produce an English translation of a key Breslov text, Shevachey V'Sichot HaRan (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom), in 1973, which Rabbi Rosenfeld edited. In 1979, one year after Rabbi Rosenfeld's death, his son-in-law, Chaim Kramer, established the Breslov Research Institute to continue the effort to publish Breslov teachings in English.
BRI also published Until the Mashiach, an annotated chronology of the life of Rebbe Nachman, and Crossing the Narrow Bridge, an original work which spelled out the main concepts of Breslov Hasidut in a down-to-earth manner.
Beginning in 1984, BRI undertook the translation, annotation and commentary of Rebbe Nachman's magnum opus
, Likutey Moharan. As of 2010, the series stands at 13 published volumes. The complete series is projected as 15 volumes, plus an index volume.
(charity) was published as More Blessed To Give. And a collection of personal histories of men who traveled to Uman
for the annual Rosh Hashana pilgrimage to Rebbe Nachman's grave
was published as Rebbe Nachman and the Knights of the Rosh HaShanah Table.
To date, BRI has published all the writings of Rebbe Nachman and selected writings of Reb Noson. It has also published original works by contemporary Breslov authors presenting Rebbe Nachman's teachings on prayer, hitbodedut
, tefillin
, Shabbat
, Jewish holiday
s, Mashiach, the Land of Israel
, the Sefirot, and Uman
(burial place of Rebbe Nachman). It has published a series of illustrated children's books
based on Rebbe Nachman's parables.
BRI has produced a number of audio recordings of traditional Breslov songs and melodies, plus two books of Breslov sheet music
.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
of classic and contemporary Breslov
Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism...
texts in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Established in 1979, BRI has produced the first English translation of all the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement....
(1772–1810) and selected works of Reb Noson
Nathan of Breslov
Nathan of Breslov , also known as Reb Noson, born Nathan Sternhartz, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death...
(1780–1844), the Rebbe's closest disciple; studies of the Rebbe's teachings on individual subjects; contemporary Breslov biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
; and self-help book
Self-help book
Self-help books are books written with the stated intention to instruct any readers on a number of personal problems. They take their name from Self-Help, the Victorian best-seller, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help...
s which apply Rebbe Nachman's teachings to daily life. BRI currently has over 100 titles in print, many of which it has also translated into Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. BRI maintains offices in Jerusalem and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
The founding of Breslov Research Institute was an outgrowth of the outreachOrthodox Judaism outreach
Orthodox Jewish outreach commonly referred to as Kiruv or Keruv , is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-Orthodox Jews to believe in God, engage in Torah study, and practice the Mitzvot in the hope that they will live according to Orthodox Jewish law...
work of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld, who brought the teachings of Rebbe Nachman to American shores beginning in the late 1940s. While Rabbi Rosenfeld primarily taught students in the New York area and disseminated his lectures on tape, he encouraged one of his students, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and...
, to produce an English translation of a key Breslov text, Shevachey V'Sichot HaRan (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom), in 1973, which Rabbi Rosenfeld edited. In 1979, one year after Rabbi Rosenfeld's death, his son-in-law, Chaim Kramer, established the Breslov Research Institute to continue the effort to publish Breslov teachings in English.
1980s
In the 1980s, BRI produced the first English translations of important Breslov texts, including:- Rabbi Nachman's Stories (translation and commentary of Sippurey Ma'asiyot, Rebbe Nachman's parableParableA parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons, or a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human...
s and stories) - Rabbi Nachman's Tikkun (on the Tikkun HaKlaliTikkun HaKlaliTikkun HaKlali Rectification"), also known as The General Remedy, is a set of ten Psalms whose recital serves as teshuvah for all sins — in particular the sin of wasted seed through involuntary nocturnal emission or masturbation...
) - Tzaddik (translation of Chayey Moharan)
- Advice (translation of Likutey Eitzot)
- The Aleph-Bet Book (translation of Sefer HaMiddot)
BRI also published Until the Mashiach, an annotated chronology of the life of Rebbe Nachman, and Crossing the Narrow Bridge, an original work which spelled out the main concepts of Breslov Hasidut in a down-to-earth manner.
Beginning in 1984, BRI undertook the translation, annotation and commentary of Rebbe Nachman's magnum opus
Magnum opus
Magnum opus , from the Latin meaning "great work", refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of a writer, artist, or composer.-Related terms:Sometimes the term magnum opus is used to refer to simply "a great work" rather than "the...
, Likutey Moharan. As of 2010, the series stands at 13 published volumes. The complete series is projected as 15 volumes, plus an index volume.
1990s
During the 1990s, BRI produced a definitive biography of Reb Noson, the Rebbe's closest disciple (Through Fire and Water), and translated and compiled Reb Noson's prolific letters in a 4-volume set (Eternally Yours).2000s
In the 2000s, BRI produced the first English translation of the Kitzur Likutey Moharan (Abridged Likutey Moharan) and compilations of Breslov teachings on Pirkei Avot and the Chumash. A collection of the Rebbe's teachings on tzedakahTzedakah
Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on the Hebrew word meaning righteousness, fairness or justice...
(charity) was published as More Blessed To Give. And a collection of personal histories of men who traveled to Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....
for the annual Rosh Hashana pilgrimage to Rebbe Nachman's grave
Rosh Hashana kibbutz (Breslov)
The Rosh Hashana kibbutz is a large prayer assemblage of Breslover Hasidim held on the Jewish New Year. It specifically refers to the pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Hasidim to the city of Uman, Ukraine, but also refers to sizable Rosh Hashana gatherings of Breslover Hasidim in other locales...
was published as Rebbe Nachman and the Knights of the Rosh HaShanah Table.
To date, BRI has published all the writings of Rebbe Nachman and selected writings of Reb Noson. It has also published original works by contemporary Breslov authors presenting Rebbe Nachman's teachings on prayer, hitbodedut
Hitbodedut
Hitbodedut refers to an unstructured, spontaneous and individualized form of prayer and meditation taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov...
, tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
, Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s, Mashiach, the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, the Sefirot, and Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....
(burial place of Rebbe Nachman). It has published a series of illustrated children's books
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
based on Rebbe Nachman's parables.
BRI has produced a number of audio recordings of traditional Breslov songs and melodies, plus two books of Breslov sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
.