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are those vessels. It may be that in consequence of a person’s merits logic. As the Gemara tells, Balak’s ministers told Balaam: “Is there doubtful partnerships with doubtful people, they die young, they
and good deeds heaven wants want to generously give him a great a father who hates his son?” (Sanhedrin 105a). That is to say, does go to prison. And all of that because of drugs and alcohol.
amount of holiness and purity, fear of heaven, love of Hashem and Hashem hate the Jews, who are His children? And thirdly, he
more. But he must have a great amount of vessels. And therefore he acted against the purpose of the entire world, which is the ongoing As for the craving for sensuality, when it burns in a person, he no
must engage in much prayer. Even if, according to the reckonings existence and success of the nation of Israel. Nevertheless, the longer remembers and feels anything else! He does not see Hashem,
of heaven, he already deserves to receive, if he does not pray, he power of will is so great that he was led in the direction that he he does not see the Torah, he entirely loses his fear of heaven, and
will not receive. wanted to go. And all of this occurred to teach us that if it is he does not sense any danger. He has only one desire: to satisfy
true that a person is led in the way that he wants to go when he his craving at any price. That craving burns in him like an inferno,
Therefore, Rabbeinu Yerucham says (s.v. Bereishit) that although intends evil, how much more is it true when a person desires to do and nothing else interests him—whether the object of his craving
the holy matriarchs were promised children and they had many Hashem’s will and come close to Hashem. This principle supplies is a married woman or a non-Jewish, idolatrous woman, whether
merits, “without prayer, they would not have attained anything.” such a person with great impetus and extensive assistance from the act he contemplates is punishable by heavenly excision or by a
And the same applies to the holy patriarchs and to Hashem’s above to succeed in emerging from his evil and in attaining all court’s death sentence, and what effects his actions will have on his
promise to our forefathers to redeem them. If they did not pray, goodness in this world. family: on his wife and children.
they would not have been redeemed!
As we learned, he cannot overcome this craving. As a result,
Rabbeinu Yerucham concludes, “This is the measure: nothing is when it burns in him, he has no choice whatsoever, unless he can
given. A person himself is obligated to take them. If he does not set A person’s desire has the power to bring about what eradicate it. He may learn Torah—but at the moment that the
his mind to pray, he will not attain anything.” craving burns in him, everything that he understands, including the
he deeply yearns for, even if it is evil. As our sages losses that he envisions, disappears. It is erased and forgotten.
Thus, the Creator implemented a law in Creation that state, “In the way that a person wants to go…” (Makkot
when we pray we bring down abundance and we receive 10b). With his will, a person can even attain all of the And if this was the case throughout the generations, as described
all that we want. And so the Thus, the life of every person lovely things of this world, as long as nothing prevents in the Torah, in our generation it has multiplied severalfold. This
proceeds in accordance with his prayers. that—i.e., if he does not rightfully deserve it, because craving has risen to astronomical heights, because of all of the new
in that case it is withheld from him by heaven. If not technological devices to which an entire generation is addicted,
Fourth Law: When You Want, You Receive for that, by means of his desire a person would attain an entire generation that has grown progressively dysfunctional in
all that he wants. every domain, an entire generation that is exposed to all of the evil
The holy Gemara in Makkot (10b) teaches that “in the way that Tzidkat Hatzaddik 249 in the world and is incapable of unplugging itself, a generation that
a person wishes to go, he is led.” A person who wants something has come to terrible aberrations and perversions (although here is
is led in that direction. Even if he himself does not have the power not the place to discuss this topic at length). The main thing is that
to proceed, if he only wants, heaven leads him. Thus, the power this generation despairs of being able to change, because the evil
of the will is the force that determines the totality of a person’s inclination is stronger than a person, and nothing will help him.
existence. It is the engine of all life. This is clear, and requires Having Will, and Becoming a Master of Will Therefore, everyone—without exception—can fall. Consequently,
no proofs and evidence. That which we want we do, without any everyone is obligated to learn these laws well, because they give a
restrictions. And the Gemara says that this is a law in accordance Until this point, I have explained at length that a person is person hope.
with which Hashem guides the world: a person is led in the way led in accordance with his will. That is fine, but what does this
The craving for money drives a person out of his mind. He
that he wants to go. mean in practical terms? In order that this law may be practically allows himself to steal, lie, deceive, transgress the Torah, and much
understood, the following explanation is necessary.
more. Behavior that every human being understands to be evil and
that harms him and others, risky involvement in crimes and tax
Heaven values and appreciates a person’s every intent, even
evasion—when the craving for money burns in a person, he ignores