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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 danger, because their cravings and evil traits still rule over them
to reach the goodness that he seeks—and there is no with tremendous force. Thus, they are sitting on a powder keg that
other. can explode at any moment.

The profit of this world cannot be imagined—i.e., what In truth, a person who proceeds diligently on this path and in Nowhere to Run
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. A precious Jew, a student of mine, approached me and told me
With only what the Creator, may He be blessed, has Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was the most important author on this very sadly, “I have come to the conclusion that from a spiritual
prepared for him, he can stretch out his hand and earn topic, because he dedicated many talks to the absolute goal of standpoint I am safer leaving Israel.” I asked him what this was
a great deal. ‘No eye has seen…’ (Isaiah 64:3).” establishing hitbodedut as a regular, ongoing discipline. In order to all about, and he told me about a close friend of his, a Breslover
bolster your commitment to this practice properly, it is worthwhile Hasid. He was someone who served God and who attracted and
Likutei Moharan II 55 learning Bisdei Ya’ar, in which I deal at length with this entire encouraged young followers from overseas. Every year, he would
subject in pragmatic terms, describing the utility and tremendous take Jews with him to Uman, each time bringing more and more.
profit that a person who engages in hitbodedut will attain. Recently, that friend made aliyah to Israel, and shortly afterwards,
he fell prey to the enticements of licentiousness. As a result, he
To Taste the Hidden Light abandoned Judaism entirely, without retaining the slightest vestige!
I told my student that presumably this person did not engage in an
The Good Life Begins Today! The essence of hitbodedut is a daily overall personal accounting. hour of hitbodedut and a personal accounting, and so everything
As Rabbi Nachman states: “A person who wants to taste the in his life had merely been superficial. My student responded
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov has put the billion-dollar proposal, the hidden light … must raise the trait of fear to its source. And how indignantly, “Definitely not, Rabbi. Not only did he engage in an
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 hour of hitbodedut every day, but many times he would take me
business, fully guaranteed: you will attain a perfect rectification of person judges and evaluates himself in all of his dealings” (Likutei and others with him to do hitbodedut in the field!”
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 At that moment, something clicked. I understood. I was receiving
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 the most painful evidence for what I am teaching you here. From
righteous redeemer. You will rectify everything and attain all good. he should be doing. He should examine his deeds and rectify them my student’s story—which came in addition to many other such
In addition, you will not be subject to any judgment from above. properly in accordance with the judgment and assessment of the stories that I have heard—I reached the shocking conclusion that
All files and indictments against you will be utterly annulled. That Torah. And as a result of judging and evaluating himself that way, even hitbodedut, which is the highest and greatest practice, does
means that you will live a life of happiness and felicity in this world he sweetens and nullifies judgment from above, because when there not change a person. Only a persistent discipline that is serious
and, after 120 years, you will enter the Garden of Eden without is judgment below, there is no judgment above” (ibid. 169). and focused on the will changes a person. I said to him: “My dear
undergoing judgment, and you will attain many more earnings student, although your friend did an hour of hitbodedut a day,
without measure. You must review this well. In truth, everyone must engage in a he did not do half an hour a day of the work of the will to nullify
detailed accounting of everything that he did from yesterday until the craving of licentiousness and to guard his eyes. Therefore, he
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 fell. Without a half hour of the work of the will, a person has no
hours. He must repent for all of his transgressions and pray over free choice. A fall cannot be prevented. Every day without a fall is
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 accounted a miracle—and we do not rely on miracles.”
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.