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evil inclination that he cannot overcome—and not just an evil longer has any heavenly judgments against him and his life
inclination, but an evil inclination that rises up, grows stronger and in this world is good. His work gives him satisfaction, and
is renewed every day. The more a person grows, the more his it improves his entire life and his entire service of Hashem.
inclination grows—“whoever is greater than another has a greater
evil inclination” (Succah 52a). A person’s evil inclination pursues
him and seeks to kill him—no less than that. It is crafty and wily and
wraps itself in mitzvot, and it works on every person until his final We Go Out to Work
day, until his final breath, without ever giving up. This is a war that
lasts 120 years. When your enemy has the upper hand and you do Many people tell me that it is hard for them to pray at length
not possess any weapon to fight against him, you are lost. And the about a single issue. They say, “I understand the concept, and I
principal weapon, the sole counsel and the only power with which want to pray to eradicate a specific craving. I ask for help for a
we can conquer the evil inclination and even nullify it entirely is the minute or two, or five minutes … and that’s it. I run out of words.
work of the will! I’m no longer interested. I have nothing new to say, and I grow
bored. How can a person do this for half an hour—and not only
That is principally why people at all stages of spirituality remain that, but every day?”
on the same level and are unable to proceed and rise. For their
entire lives, they stay in the same place without rising from level to Rabbi Nachman himself addressed this question (Likutei Moharan
level and without advancing. They are unable to rise—but they are I 96):
certainly able to fall. In that direction, the way is wide open, and
tens upon tens of thousands fall like flies, may God help us, because [Rabbi Nachman] said, regarding hitbodedut, that he
they do not engage in the work of the will, which alone gives a would encourage himself strongly to be very steadfast
person the strength to stand firm in this war.
in doing hitbodedut, in speaking to Hashem, may He
But it does not have to be this way. Everyone has the power to be blessed, every day. He said that even when if a
rise from level to level every day of his life. Everyone has the power person cannot speak at all, even if a he can only
to stand firm in this war. But you must do the work of the will. say one phrase, that is also very good. He said that
Then you will reach every stage and level, because you hold the even if a person can only say one phrase, he should
weapon that gives you the power to stand firm! be tenacious and say that phrase over and over
again without number. Even if he spends a few
Who Is the Victor? days saying that one phrase only, that too is good.
He should be strong and firm, and say that phrase
When a person lacks a weapon, even if he has not yet fallen in endless times until Hashem, may He be blessed,
battle, even if he is still alive, he is already vanquished. The evil will have compassion on him and open his mouth,
inclination does not even have to conquer or kill him, because he is and he will be able to speak.
already in its hand, he is already overcome, he is already defeated.
It would be the work of five minutes for the evil inclination to Rabbi Nachman states that even if a person can only say one
completely overcome him. If the evil inclination does not do so, phrase, that is enough to last two minutes or five minutes. In fact,
that is only because it is comfortable with having the person in his repeat the phrase over and over for the entire half an hour. It
present condition. This person isn’t bothering it. The evil inclination doesn’t matter that you are repeating yourself. The main point is