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are absolutely true. Nevertheless, they weaken a person’s prayer. One may confidently say that his will to change is extremely weak.
He knows that he deserves punishment, that he has still not done He wants to achieve great things and rectify himself, yet without
teshuvah, and that Hashem is just in all that He does. Nevertheless, effort, dedication and self-sacrifice! Does he truly expect to bypass
the absolute truth is that Hashem wants each person to live. Period. the spiritual rules?
Similarly, as we learned before, Rabbi Meir teaches us that even To Be Effective and to Change
if heaven has decreed and sealed a death sentence against a person, 6
with wholeness of faith he can nullify the decree. That means that No prayer and no good intent are ever lost. As the holy Zohar
even though heaven’s judgment is certainly true and correct, with writes, “No good will is lost” (Terumah 150b). A minute of prayer
perfect prayer we can abrogate it and live. Thus, after the prophet or a word of prayer, even only raising one’s eyes to heaven—these
told King Hezekiah that the heavenly judgment against him was
sealed, he prayed from the depths of his heart, and the decree was are very important and precious. But in order for a person to
transform himself, he must engage in a minimum of a focused half
nullified immediately. That was because he believed that although hour every day. Then he is called “a master of will.” Then he is
the prophet had told him that he would die, Hashem wanted him said to “open for Me an opening.” And the more that such work
to live.
that a person engages in, the more he is given, the more blessing
Similarly, even if a person knows that he is wicked, unworthy he receives. In general, when we understand this and we engage in
and sinful, and this is all true, Hashem wants to save him, because half an hour every day, then from time to time we are inspired and
Hashem wants to save and rescue everyone. That is because the Hashem helps us engage in the work of intention for an entire hour,
purpose of the world is that we live, recognize the Creator and two hours, or even more. But the main thing is to engage in no less
believe in Him. “I will not die, but I will live, and I will tell the than half an hour. We must not allow the day to pass without this
deeds of God” (Psalms 118:17). “Not the dead will praise God and daily work, this daily investment.
not all of those who descend to silence” (Psalms 115:17).
One time, a Jew was inspired by my words regarding the
Hashem wants to rescue everyone, even the greatest wrongdoer rectification of the covenant, and he understood that this
and sinner. In fact, Hashem especially wants to save such a person, constitutes a person’s central rectification and purpose. Therefore,
because Hashem certainly wants him to live and repair his deeds. for a period, of time he devoted a few hours every day only to
Hashem does not want the death of the evil person, but wants him this. He reported to me that he could not have predicted how, in
to return from his evil ways so that he will live. Therefore, when we such a short period he literally saw a change of nature in himself
pray, we must believe with a wholeness of faith that Hashem wants so that he grew entirely cleansed of cravings that in the past had
us to live: both in the physical sense and in the spiritual sense of engrossed and enthralled him. A person can also reach this level if
doing complete teshuvah. he does half an hour every day. The difference is that what took
this Jew several weeks will take someone who works half an hour
Therefore, cry out to Hashem with one thought only: “I need to a day several months. But what do you care how much time it will
be saved immediately, and You want to save me! Rescue me! Give take? Just do your part!
me what I need! Save me! All other truths must step aside. First
of all, give me life. Then, after that, help me rectify what I must You Set the Pace
rectify, do teshuvah, change, and so forth. But now there is no
place for any such thoughts—only for being saved here and now, All of this means that this half hour is the absolute minimum. If a
because that is Your true will.” person is in a great rush to uproot some bad element within himself,