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Now this is entirely clear and understandable. There is no way Every intelligent person can understand that there is no clearcut,
to stand firm in the war of life without engaging in a great deal of across-the-board answer to this question. The answer varies
prayer. If you pray a little, you will succeed a little. If you pay a considerably from one person to the next, and from one period in
great deal, you will succeed a great deal. There is no other counsel. a person’s life to another. In essence, it makes sense that a person
begin with the central issues in his life. But sometimes a person lacks
This is not only speaking about a person who wants to change the vessels to work on these issues—meaning that he does not have
nature and reach the levels of the supernal seraphim. Even to be a enough fortitude and patience. As a result, he would be broken and
simple Jew and fulfill the Creator’s will in the simplest way requires fall along the way, heaven forbid. Therefore, it is preferable that
a person to engage in a great deal of prayer. That is because such a person work on issues that constitute the foundation and
tests, difficulties and cravings lay siege to everyone. The hour of basis of all things in serving Hashem, such as joy, self-confidence,
hitbodedut that includes half an hour of the work of the will is the faith and prayer—matters without which it is impossible to advance.
sole guarantee that a person will not fall in that war. Similarly, sometimes a person works on and acquires a seemingly
“small” attainment, and that gives him a powerful impetus to go on
According to Rabbi Nachman’s statement that the weapon is a to acquire great things. Therefore, a person has to entreat Hashem
large amount of prayer, a person who does not engage in the work and pray to Him a great deal, asking Him to enlighten his eyes and
of the will is like a soldier who is standing in the battlefield without show him what issue to work on at this initial stage. And he also has
a a weapon. This is appalling—but it is exactly so! Try for a minute to consult with his rabbi. Then heaven will direct him on the right
to imagine yourself on a battlefield, with blood, fire and columns and proper path.
of smoke, with tanks, fighter jets, bombs falling everywhere, ear-
splitting explosions rocking the earth, bursts of gunfire spraying out Still, it is possible to offer a few general pointers to every person
from enemy positions, the cries of the wounded, and horrific sights who is seeking Hashem. First of all, if you have burning problems
everywhere. Now try to imagine that a soldier is sent into this fury in your life, it isn’t relevant to ask what issue you should work on.
without weapons, exposed, and he is told, “Go into the chaos.” Obviously, first of all you must deal with those urgent problems.
Does he have a chance of surviving? Can you imagine that he has The work of the will is a “hospital for all of life.” If a sick person is
even a slim possibility of not dying? This is an almost immediate admitted into the hospital unable to breathe or experiencing a heart
death sentence. attack, and he also has some broken bones, the hospital doesn’t
deal with the broken bones. First, it addresses the most critical
Whoever does not engage in the work of the will appears exactly issues. Only when these are stabilized do the doctors turn to his
like that soldier. That is a very great pity, because this is a death other problems and deal with them in order of priority.
sentence, God have mercy.
This means that only when a person’s life is functioning more or
To Uproot the Evil less smoothly can he ask how to start this work. But if he is “not
breathing,” heaven forbid—meaning, he has huge debts, a terrible
Practically speaking, a person who does not engage in the work relationship with his wife, a severe addiction, and so forth-- or a
of the will has no possibility of doing teshuvah. That is because severe addiction—he must first of all work on solving that (as will
teshuvah means that a deep change occurs within a person’s inner be explained).
being, within his entire inner world. You can leave behind being
secular, but how will being secular leave you behind? You can
abandon evil, but how will evil abandon you? The Rambam explains