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104 | A New Light
operation, I caution them and tell them that if they do not deal
with the craving that is at the root of their problem the operation
will not help them, because the issue is not their stomach but their
craving, which the operation will not reduce. Only the work of the
will accomplishes that. I know many such people who underwent
this operation and after a short period of recovery regained all of
their former weight. Sadly, I even know some people who died as
a result of their overeating.
And many times a person with a craving for eating does not even
derive any enjoyment from the food, because of the compulsion
he feels to satisfy his craving. All of his eating is a struggle and the
pursuit of some delusion, and he is incapable of being at peace and
sitting down to eat calmly.
Harming Oneself
Similarly, people with lung diseases see right before their eyes
the grave consequences of their craving for smoking, due to which
they suffer and their entire families suffer. They undergo onerous
treatments and amputations, yet nevertheless immediately after
these painful and distressing operations and treatments they go out
and smoke. As soon as the longing for a cigarette is aroused in
such a person, he has no power to overcome his evil inclination,
even though this longing will result in terrible physical suffering.
He does not perceive his own misery and affliction. Moreover, he
does not consider all of the great Torah leaders who have issued
explicit condemnations of the desire for smoking. He does not see
the people on the street who suffer from his smoking, nor does he
see that he is desecrating the name of heaven.
We weep over those addicted to cigarettes. And what shall we
say to those who are afflicted by all of the terrible addictions of our
generation, such as alcohol and drugs? They too know that what
they are doing is wrong and forbidden, they see the bitter results
in themselves and in others, and they know that the downward
path is precipitous and swift. Yet they cannot overcome their
cravings. They kill themselves with their own hands, and they kill
their families as well. They incur enormous debts and enter into
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the smallest, and no good will is ever lost. But a person’s small
intentions do not grant him the title of “master of will.” That title
belongs to a person whose will is permanent, strong and present
every day. Only that person exemplifies the statement: “in the way 4
that a person wishes to go, he is led.” Only a person who has the
title of “master of will” is led. Therefore, firmly fix in your mind
the concept that “will” means setting aside time every day to focus
on your intent.
For instance, a person may want to cleanse himself of engaging in
the sin of gossip—however, he wants many other things as well. The
desire to guard his tongue does not accompany him unceasingly
from morning to evening. Rather, from time to time, as he hears
a lecture or learns about the topic, a desire awakens in him to
be cleansed of the sin of evil speech. Certainly, a person’s every
intention is very important. But all that this approach does is give
him the title of “someone who wants to guard his tongue.” And
it goes without saying that as long as he possesses evil traits he still
desires to gossip.
Only when a person sets aside time every day to speak with
Hashem and verbally express his intentions—that he does not want
to engage in any forbidden speech, that he wants to learn the laws
of guarding his tongue every day—and he entreats Hashem to help
him and give him knowledge so that he will never have the desire
to engage in worthless and evil speech, and so forth, can it be said
that he really wants to guard his tongue. Then he receives the title
of “a master of will.” And if he continues and does the work of the
will every day, heaven will lead him until he will be entirely cleansed
of all forbidden speech.
This is true for every craving and every addiction. A person who
truly wants to overcome a craving is obligated to attain the title of
“master of will,” to apply his will strongly and assertively, and to
engage in the work of engaging his will every day. It is not in his
power to overcome his cravings. Only the Holy One, blessed be
He, has the power to assure that he will be guided from heaven and
given the power to overcome his cravings and addictions. And the
only way to be led from heaven is to earn the title of a “master of
will.”