Yesterday was the Tenth of Tevet, a minor (yet very important) fast day on the Jewish calendar, and the yarzheit of Reb Nosson of Breslev, so I'm reposting this to share with you once again.
During our Passover trip to the Ukraine, we had the opportunity to the gravesite of the very great Reb Nosson, the student of Rebbi Nachman of Breslev. This was my second trip to this special location, and while this time winter still had its grasp on the area, the beauty and peaceful countryside location was just as lovely as I remembered. You can see my recent posts showing the Old Cemetary In Bratslav, The Soliterman Family Mill In Bratslav, and Mass Holocaust Gravesites In Bratslav, to get an even better look at our visit.
The Ukraine is a very interesting country, with lots of rich (and sad) Jewish history, and while there is prosperity in cities like Kiev, the countryside often looks as though time has just stopped.The small city of Bratslav is one of those places, sparse and empty, which makes the location that much interesting, and while it is a 2.5 hour drive from Uman, and a 4 hour plus drive from Kiev, it is well worth the drive. Just be prepared for tons and tons of potholes in the road, which slows down the journey.
To quote Wikipedia: "Rev Nosson of Breslov (January 22, 1780 – December 20, 1844), whose name was Nosson Sternhartz, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Nosson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death. Rebbe Nachman himself said, "Were it not for Reb Nosson, not a page of my writings would have remained."
For more information about Reb Nosson, you can refer to this post from Wikipedia. And now, won't you join me as we look around a bit?