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to go free! That is not the case if a person wants more Rabbi Nachman of Breslov precisely describes the nature of the that speech “dwells with them in their uncleanness,” “and she goes
than one thing. Then his will is not truly will, because hitbodedut by means of which we attain this tremendous level. He with him even in a place of filth” (Likutei Moharan I 78).
a person’s mind cannot host that extra will. (Otiot Deliba teaches: “At first, a person should engage in many prayers and talks
105) … until he succeeds in nullifying an issue—i.e., in nullifying a trait All that the righteous Joseph could do was to speak with Hashem
and craving. Afterwards, he should engage [in this] again a great and pray, and he did so without end. Therefore, “the name of
deal … until he nullifies another trait and craving, and he should act heaven was perpetually in his mouth.” Similarly, when he was
in that way for a long time…, until he nullifies everything.” subjugated to harrowing daily blandishments (as the midrashim
The Secret of the Half Hour describe), what did he do? How did he remain strong? Like every
That is to say, Rabbi Nachman states that if a person engages in tzaddik who was in trouble and in danger, and like every Jew who
many prayers he will bring about a change of nature and nullify is in peril, he called out to Hashem: “Rescue me, save me! Waters
In “One Who Is Awake at Night,” Rabbi Nachman does not his cravings. But he directs a person not to diffuse his prayers by have risen up to my soul. My soul has been placed in irons….” He
speak about “half an hour.” Rather, he writes that a person should addressing a number of topics. Rather, each time he should take one did the work of the will, and he absolutely did not want to fail. As
pray at length for a few hours—specifically at night, and specifically
in a place where he is all alone, outside of town. But over the years, topic and invest all of his will and prayers in dealing with it until he the verse states, “He refused” (Genesis 39:8). He was unyielding in
his will not to surrender even a hairsbreadth to the enticements of
is effective and sees results and deliverance. Only afterwards should
as I have worked with Jews, I have seen that this is a discipline that he continue to another topic. That is the work of the will. This lust.
is very foreign to the people of our generation. And I have seen this is the great innovation of “One Who Is Awake at Night.”
in myself as well. Since I must travel for long hours every evening to What have we learned? That prayer changes nature, and that by
deliver talks, by the time I come home I am exhausted, and I cannot Very sadly, most people are still very far from this work—even means of prayer a person nullifies his evil nature. The righteous
utilize the precious nights to pray at length. Therefore, I have found those who already engage in an hour of hitbodedut. That is why Joseph changed nature entirely. He transformed himself into a
that I usually engage in my hour of a personal accounting during even people who dedicate an hour every day to their personal complete tzaddik, entirely good, entirely luminous. He became one
the day. And, because of my responsibilities to the public, I cannot rectification and to the work of prayer and hitbodedut do not of the seven shepherds. And he nullified not only his own evil but
always do this for as long as I would like. Therefore, I have had to advance (as discussed in Chapter Three, The Secret of Life). It is because the evil of all of Egypt. Alone, with the power of his prayer and will,
devote no more than half an hour of that daily hour to dealing with without dedicating at least half an hour to the work of the will it is he changed that most unclean place in the world, “the nakedness of
areas where I need to improve and progress, so that I can devote impossible to truly progress. the earth,” to a place that was prepared to receive and incorporate
the remaining time to my daily personal accounting. Hashem has the 70 pure souls of the house of Jacob. If not for the righteous
helped me to see from my own experience that if a person does Simply put, Rabbi Nachman tells each person: Every day, you Joseph, who prepared this place for them, they would have fallen
the former for half an hour, as long as he does it every day, he will must devote an hour to your personal work and to making a and been submerged there. Even such awesome tzaddikim as the
experience a great transformation. He will bring about deliverance personal accounting. Nevertheless, you see that because of all of family of Jacob and the tribes could not have withstood such a
and see great blessing—as long as he is consistent and steadfast in your evil inclinations and cravings you repeat many sins day after test. But this one Jew who engaged in this work brought about
doing this every day. day. Therefore, in addition to a personal accounting, you must accomplishment, rectification and purification for himself and for
engage in fundamental work as well. Choose one issue and focus all the entire nation of Israel that lasted generation after generation.
It is important to be cognizant that there is a world of difference of your prayer only on that for an extended period of time. Your
between a person who does such work for half an hour a day and imperfection in that area is due entirely to an insufficiency of prayer. And so with the power of his prayer he transformed the coarse
Egyptians, who were “steeped in licentiousness,” to the level of
a person who does such work for a few hours every night. The Every step forward in serving Hashem exacts a price of prayer. If righteousness. He had them all circumcised and raised them all to
“money” with which a person can acquire immediate spiritual gains you spread your prayers among many topics, you will not acquire
is his yearnings and intentions. A person who truly wants to change anything. But if you devote all of your time, intent and prayers to the level of “guarding the covenant”!
quickly must devote a few hours every night to engage in the work of a single issue, you will achieve the required amount of prayers, and Parenthetically, this provides wonderful encouragement for our
the will by praying for only one thing at a time. But Rabbi Nachman you will see an effect. In the most straightforward sense, you will generation. It appears to many people that our generation has
of Breslov said that it is impossible to require that of people nullify your evil traits and cravings. You will transform yourself, and descended to such places that the struggle is already lost, that there
as a whole. This is not a practice that can be universally followed. you will learn from your own experiences the principle that prayer isn’t anything to be done, that people are impervious to influence