Rebbe Nachman of Breslov was no stranger to sadness. His two young sons passed away within a year of one another. His wife died of tuberculosis soon after. Rebbe Nachman suffered from the same pain-wracking disease for several years, before succumbing to it at the age of 38. Yet it is Rebbe Nachman who gave the Jews of Europe their "battle cry" during the years of the Holocaust:

Gevalt! Never despair! It is forbidden to give up hope!

These words were put to song by a Jewish theatre troupe in the tumultuous years before the Holocaust, and the song was heard in the ghettos and concentration camps during that terrible destruction. They were emblazoned across the wall of a building in the Warsaw Ghetto, and inscribed in the chambers of countless Jewish hearts.

And they are still being sung today. For just as Rebbe Nachman once remarked that "Wherever I go, I am only going to Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel)," it seems that wherever Jews go when they are searching for answers, their path always somehow leads them to Rebbe Nachman.

Rebbe Nachman's teachings - which weave together intricate arguments from the Talmud, mysteries from the Kabbalah and simple common sense - are based upon three basic principles: trust in G-d, optimism and joy.

But is it really possible to be happy when your world is crumbling into pieces before your very eyes? Can you be optimistic about the future when your present looks so grim? Or trust in G-d when it seems that there is no one "upstairs" who is listening to your prayers?

Rebbe Nachman says, yes. For no situation is so bleak that G-d cannot change it for the better - and the situation can change in the blink of an eye!

But before change can happen, the person has to want to believe that change is really possible. Before prayer can be effective, the person has to want to believe that her prayer will be answered. Before a person can retain a sense of hope, he has to want to believe that there is absolutely no reason for despair. In other words, a person has to want to believe that a solution exists before a solution can be found.

Since G-d's active presence in this world is often so deeply hidden from us - and it is, therefore, so easy to fall into despair - Rebbe Nachman advised his chassidim to dedicate an hour every day to actively strengthening their connection with G-d.

He called the practice hitbodedut - a time of focused, private meditation when a person is in deep conversation with G-d. Through openly speaking to G-d about one's fears, perceived obstacles or other negative beliefs, Rebbe Nachman taught that a person can eventually come to transform the negative into the positive and find a solution to every problem.

During hitbodedut, Rebbe Nachman told his followers to talk out loud to G-d, sing and even scream - in other words do whatever is necessary to open up the channels of communication. And if one is at a loss for words or shy to begin, he recommended the use of a mantra - even if consists of only one word - to get the conversation going.

The important thing, though, is to never lose hope. To remember that no hurt is too deep that it cannot be healed. No door is so tightly shut that it cannot be opened. No bridge is so narrow that it cannot be safely traversed.

You just have to open the door of your heart and take the first step - and trust that if you ask, G-d will help you find the path.

The following sayings of Rebbe Nachman are currently available in this series:

"If you believe that you can damage, then believe that you can fix. If you believe that you can harm, then believe that you can heal." 

B.

"All beginnings require that you unlock new doors. The key is giving and doing. Give charity and do kindness

"Teach me, dear G-d, to make a fresh start;  to break yesterday's patterns; to stop telling myself I can't - I'm not - when I am, I'm stuck - when I am eminently free."

D.

"Keep in mind that the essence of your prayers is the faith you have in them that they will be answered."

"Know! A person walks in life on a very narrow bridge.  The most important thing is not to be afraid."

F.

"Gevalt! Never despair! It is forbidden to give up hope."

"It is a great mitzvah to be always happy."

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