A private conversation, not a performance
Nachman of Breslov urged his followers to seek solitude and speak to God in their own words. This practice is commonly called hitbodedut, a Hebrew term for secluded, personal prayer. Unlike set prayers recited from a prayer book, it could be an unplanned conversation: a person might describe worries, ask for help, express gratitude, or admit anger and confusion.
The point was not to produce polished religious language. In isolation, a person could speak with unusual candor—and, when emotion overwhelmed ordinary speech, cry out or shout. The woods offered a practical setting: a place away from other people where a loud, uninhibited prayer would not become a public display.
Why raise the voice?
For Nachman, prayer was meant to engage the whole person, not just the intellect. Holding distress inside could make it harder to bring honestly into the relationship with God; speaking it aloud gave the feeling a direct form. A shout was one possible expression of that openness, not the entire practice and not a requirement to scream every time someone prayed.
That distinction matters. The striking image is of a person alone in the trees, crying out—but the underlying discipline was broader: making time for direct, personal speech. Its lasting appeal lies in treating even messy, emotionally charged words as material for prayer, rather than waiting until one can speak calmly or beautifully.
