Tormented Master : The Life and Spiritual Quest of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (Jewish Lights Classic Reprint) Book

This was the only Art Green book they had available, so I got it, half-expecting to be way out of my depth, but it was actually pretty understandable with my meager knowledge of the history of Hasidism. I was able to understand every thing except the most mystifying (ha) parts about Kabbalah.

The parallel's between R Nachman's thought and Christianity were often - just BAM in your face. Also: How much of R Nachmans internal pain was a result of just taking teaching about sin too seriously? I think it's fair to say in 2019 that he was also a manic depressive or bipolar or had anxiety or something. Today, Judaism doesn't talk about sin too much, esp liberal ones (especially about sex!), but how do you foster an awareness of it and a desire to avoid it without making yourself an eternal sufferer like R Nachman? Avoiding messianic claims might be a good start!

As Green says at one point, since so much of the material by Rebbe Nachman/Nathan of Bratslav is half-concealed allusion to R Nachman's own life, a biography is a logical way to explore his teachings. Nonetheless, the two excurses at the end of the book were both very good outlines of his thoughts, and I had to reread 'Faith, Doubt, and Reason' multiple to feel like I had gotten everything out of - a really really good piece of writing and argument, one that perhaps explains R Nachman's relevance and importance to 'seekers' (as Green puts it) who are living over 200 years since R Nachman passed away. The individual soul's yearning for Gd, confronted with Gd's simultaneous nonexistence and immanence, as the only reason to continue believing and doing...doubt as the sign of faith and the need for continued and strengthened faith...good stuff!!!