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what teshuvah is: “What is teshuvah? It means that a transgressor Now this is entirely clear and understandable. There is no way Every intelligent person can understand that there is no clearcut,
abandons his transgression, removes it from his thought and 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
resolves in his heart never to do it again” (Hilchot Teshuvah: 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
Chapter 2). It is not enough to leave the transgression. We must 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
uproot it entirely. 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
How will you remove from your mind and heart everything that 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
you have seen and done, everything that you have absorbed over simple Jew and fulfill the Creator’s will in the simplest way requires fall along the way, heaven forbid. Therefore, it is preferable that
the years when you were far from holiness? How will you erase all a person to engage in a great deal of prayer. That is because such a person work on issues that constitute the foundation and
of the impressions of all of the thoughts, words, deeds and feelings tests, difficulties and cravings lay siege to everyone. The hour of basis of all things in serving Hashem, such as joy, self-confidence,
that have been embedded and burned into your heart? How will you 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.
truly regret the things that once gave you satisfaction and pleasure, sole guarantee that a person will not fall in that war. Similarly, sometimes a person works on and acquires a seemingly
and which you still desire? How will you uproot those feelings and “small” attainment, and that gives him a powerful impetus to go on
thrills that absorbed you then, and eradicate them completely until According to Rabbi Nachman’s statement that the weapon is a to acquire great things. Therefore, a person has to entreat Hashem
“the One Who knows secrets will testify that this person will never 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
again return to that transgression” (ibid.)? How will you be able to 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
say: “I am someone else, and not that person who committed these 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
deeds” (ibid.)? to imagine yourself on a battlefield, with blood, fire and columns and proper path.
of smoke, with tanks, fighter jets, bombs falling everywhere, ear-
A person who do not devote time to the work of the will does not splitting explosions rocking the earth, bursts of gunfire spraying out Still, it is possible to offer a few general pointers to every person
attain true, inner teshuvah! Practically speaking, he does not have from enemy positions, the cries of the wounded, and horrific sights who is seeking Hashem. First of all, if you have burning problems
free choice. He is as far from serving Hashem and rectifying himself 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.
as East is from West, because he does not possess the principal tool without weapons, exposed, and he is told, “Go into the chaos.” Obviously, first of all you must deal with those urgent problems.
with which a person can have an effect and bring about changes in 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
himself. 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
Do Not Be Easy Prey 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.
Prayer is everything: prayer is the weapon, prayer is teshuvah,
prayer is free choice. That is because prayer is the will, the essence sentence, God have mercy.
of life is the will, and a person is led in the way that he wants to This means that only when a person’s life is functioning more or
go. When you want something, you choose it! Your evil inclination To Uproot the Evil less smoothly can he ask how to start this work. But if he is “not
will allow you to do everything except pray, because if you possess breathing,” heaven forbid—meaning, he has huge debts, a terrible
prayer and the work of the will, it is in deep trouble. Therefore, it Practically speaking, a person who does not engage in the work relationship with his wife, a severe addiction, and so forth-- or a
steals every person’s principal weapon and causes him to wander 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
about in this world like a soldier in the midst of a battlefield without teshuvah means that a deep change occurs within a person’s inner be explained).
a weapon, like a “sitting duck.” being, within his entire inner world. You can leave behind being
secular, but how will being secular leave you behind? You can
As we have learned, the Gemara states that everyone has an abandon evil, but how will evil abandon you? The Rambam explains