Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and the Spirit of Nigun

Rabbi Shlomo Ettlinger owns and serves as principal at The Planalyst, Inc., in Monsey, New York, where he assists individual and business clients in understanding and planning their financial lives. Rabbi Shlomo Ettlinger is additionally a musician with a special interest in Jewish mysticism, a topic reflected in his compositions and performances as “Shin Shin Mem” with a local reggae-influenced Jewish band.

Rabbi Nachman was born in what is today Ukraine in 1772. He was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement that puts joy in life and communion with the divine at the heart of its teachings. As Hasidim, Rabbi Nachman and his followers placed great emphasis on the power of music and singing to help human beings develop spiritually. He composed numerous nigunim, mystical prayer-songs in Hebrew.

Among the quotations from Rabbi Nachman that have come down to us is one stating that song lies at the center of the universe.

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