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Are you ready? Let us get under way. With success to us all…. that this alone is the true path that leads a person
to reach the goodness that he seeks—and there is no
other.
The profit of this world cannot be imagined—i.e., what In truth, a person who proceeds diligently on this path and in
a person can attain in this world. And for this, he following this counsel will attain all of the good in the world. Many
does not need to lay out his own expenditures. books have discussed at length the importance of this practice.
With only what the Creator, may He be blessed, has Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was the most important author on this
prepared for him, he can stretch out his hand and earn topic, because he dedicated many talks to the absolute goal of
a great deal. ‘No eye has seen…’ (Isaiah 64:3).” establishing hitbodedut as a regular, ongoing discipline. In order to
bolster your commitment to this practice properly, it is worthwhile
Likutei Moharan II 55 learning Bisdei Ya’ar, in which I deal at length with this entire
subject in pragmatic terms, describing the utility and tremendous
profit that a person who engages in hitbodedut will attain.
To Taste the Hidden Light
The Good Life Begins Today! The essence of hitbodedut is a daily overall personal accounting.
As Rabbi Nachman states: “A person who wants to taste the
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov has put the billion-dollar proposal, the hidden light … must raise the trait of fear to its source. And how
proposition of a lifetime, on the table. He offers us the following does he raise fear? With the level of judgment…. That is to say, a
business, fully guaranteed: you will attain a perfect rectification of person judges and evaluates himself in all of his dealings” (Likutei
the three levels of your soul—your nefesh, ruach and neshamah— Moharan I 15). Elsewhere, he expands on this: “A person sweetens
with all of the worlds that are dependent on you, a rectification that judgment by judging himself. That is to say, he should judge and
ranges from the time of Adam to the coming of the messiah, the evaluate everything that he does—i.e., whether it is something that
righteous redeemer. You will rectify everything and attain all good. he should be doing. He should examine his deeds and rectify them
In addition, you will not be subject to any judgment from above. properly in accordance with the judgment and assessment of the
All files and indictments against you will be utterly annulled. That Torah. And as a result of judging and evaluating himself that way,
means that you will live a life of happiness and felicity in this world he sweetens and nullifies judgment from above, because when there
and, after 120 years, you will enter the Garden of Eden without is judgment below, there is no judgment above” (ibid. 169).
undergoing judgment, and you will attain many more earnings
without measure. You must review this well. In truth, everyone must engage in a
detailed accounting of everything that he did from yesterday until
And what do you have to do? What is your role in this business? today. He must give thanks in detail for everything during those 24
hours. He must repent for all of his transgressions and pray over
Listen well! That which is required of you is to devote an hour his failures. That is the principal aspect of hitbodedut that we are
every day to meet with the Creator of the world. In this meeting, obligated to engage in every day. It is something wondrous and
thank the Creator for all of the good and kindness that He does very much necessary. It is a tremendous rectification that a person
for you. Tell the Creator everything that you have done that day. may not neglect in any way whatsoever.
