אות - קסב

The Rebbe once fasted from Shabbat to Shabbat while living in Zlatipolia. 269 Rebbe Nachman moved to Zlatipolia sixteen months after returning from Israel, during Elul 5560 (September 1800). He remained there for two years and then moved to Breslov ( Tzaddik #11). By Friday afternoon, he was so weak that he had to be carried to the mikvah . He said that the reason he became so faint was because knowledge of his fasts had become public.

The Rebbe lived in town and had his private room where he could practice his devotions. Still, he would often walk in the woods and fields and seclude himself in prayer.

I once walked with the Rebbe through Medvedevka, where he lived earlier. 270 The Rebbe lived in Medvedevka from his eighteenth year (1790) until he moved to Zlatipolia (see Tzaddik #11). Reb Noson was with the Rebbe in Medvedevka for the wedding of the Rebbe's daughter, Sarah, shortly after the move to Breslov ( Yemey Moharnat #3). We strolled all through the fields and hills. The Rebbe gestured toward the hills and meadows and said, “See all these fields and hills around the city. See all the other places near the town. I was in all these places. I went to each of them many times and secluded myself in prayer.”

The Rebbe pointed to a mountain near the city. He said, “There is a very high place on top of that mountain, and in the middle of it there is a small depression. I would climb to the top and seclude myself there. This was my favorite place; I would go there many times. There were also other places.”

All this took place in Medvedevka, where the Rebbe was already a renowned tzaddik. This is aside from the many times he engaged in hisbodedut earlier, when he lived in a nearby village (see “ His Wisdom ” #117) . Earlier as well, when the Rebbe lived in Medzeboz and later in Zlatipola, and here in Breslov, the Rebbe would spend much time every day doing hitbodedut . Many times he spent the whole day in hitbodedut .