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that this alone is the true path that leads a person danger, because their cravings and evil traits still rule over them Chapter Five:
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 Business of Life

In truth, a person who proceeds diligently on this path and in Nowhere to Run
following this counsel will attain all of the good in the world. Many My dear brother, until now you have read about ideas that are
books have discussed at length the importance of this practice. A precious Jew, a student of mine, approached me and told me very pleasing, very encouraging, very true. You have heard that
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was the most important author on this very sadly, “I have come to the conclusion that from a spiritual you can transform yourself with a simple, pragmatic discipline
topic, because he dedicated many talks to the absolute goal of standpoint I am safer leaving Israel.” I asked him what this was that is called “the work of the will.” You have been introduced
establishing hitbodedut as a regular, ongoing discipline. In order to all about, and he told me about a close friend of his, a Breslover to the spiritual principles—the laws of life— that have shown you
bolster your commitment to this practice properly, it is worthwhile Hasid. He was someone who served God and who attracted and the sole and surest way to attain everything that you want without
learning Bisdei Ya’ar, in which I deal at length with this entire encouraged young followers from overseas. Every year, he would limitation—the way to reach and attain the level of the greatest
subject in pragmatic terms, describing the utility and tremendous take Jews with him to Uman, each time bringing more and more. people of the generations, the greatest lights of truth, without
profit that a person who engages in hitbodedut will attain. Recently, that friend made aliyah to Israel, and shortly afterwards, exaggeration.
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! Listen, dear reader. Everything that you have read here can
I told my student that presumably this person did not engage in an change your life entirely,entirely--absolutely! Or, heaven forbid, it
The essence of hitbodedut is a daily overall personal accounting. hour of hitbodedut and a personal accounting, and so everything can enter the archives of your mind alongside the millions of other
As Rabbi Nachman states: “A person who wants to taste the in his life had merely been superficial. My student responded facts stored there. Everything depends on what you will read in this
hidden light … must raise the trait of fear to its source. And how indignantly, “Definitely not, Rabbi. Not only did he engage in an chapter.
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
person judges and evaluates himself in all of his dealings” (Likutei and others with him to do hitbodedut in the field!” A Billion Dollars!
Moharan I 15). Elsewhere, he expands on this: “A person sweetens
judgment by judging himself. That is to say, he should judge and At that moment, something clicked. I understood. I was receiving Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the mostnoted tzaddik of 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 generations, who worked and achieved everything that the most
he should be doing. He should examine his deeds and rectify them my student’s story—which came in addition to many other such eminent leaders of the generations achieved, came and paved the
properly in accordance with the judgment and assessment of the stories that I have heard—I reached the shocking conclusion that way for everyone to be like him, literally, in the simple sense! He
Torah. And as a result of judging and evaluating himself that way, even hitbodedut, which is the highest and greatest practice, does knew that it is not enough to have explanations, it is not enough to
he sweetens and nullifies judgment from above, because when there not change a person. Only a persistent discipline that is serious have ideas, it is not enough to have rules, it is not enough to have
is judgment below, there is no judgment above” (ibid. 169). and focused on the will changes a person. I said to him: “My dear theories. Therefore, he paved a path of practical advice for
student, although your friend did an hour of hitbodedut a day, everyone. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov has given us a gift. If you
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 take the gift, you receive the entire basket. However, if you have
detailed accounting of everything that he did from yesterday until the craving of licentiousness and to guard his eyes. Therefore, he read and enjoyed what you read, but stopped there, and you have
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 not performed the simple activity—to stretch forth your hand and
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 take the gift that you will receive here—then everything that you
his failures. That is the principal aspect of hitbodedut that we are accounted a miracle—and we do not rely on miracles.” read will affect you for just a day or two, or a week at most, and
obligated to engage in every day. It is something wondrous and then you will return to exactly where you were before. Your life
very much necessary. It is a tremendous rectification that a person will remain exactly as it was before you read this book—and that
may not neglect in any way whatsoever. is a pity.