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times, he should engage in two hours of personal work a day, so evil inclination that he cannot overcome—and not just an evil longer has any heavenly judgments against him and his life
that he can devote two half hour periods to two items. If he can inclination, but an evil inclination that rises up, grows stronger and in this world is good. His work gives him satisfaction, and
only spend one half an hour on one item, he should spend five is renewed every day. The more a person grows, the more his it improves his entire life and his entire service of Hashem.
or ten minutes every day on the other urgent items in his life, inclination grows—“whoever is greater than another has a greater
since even because even that—when it is done in an ongoing and evil inclination” (Succah 52a). A person’s evil inclination pursues
consistent way—will have an effect, because these few minutes add him and seeks to kill him—no less than that. It is crafty and wily and
up to a large and considerable total over the course of the year. 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
The general principle is that there are no general principles, but 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
that “every wise person must act with mindfulness” (Proverbs 13:16) 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
and understand the fundamental idea that in order to change he 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
requires consistency and tenacity. When a person’s prayer acts like 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.
drops of water day after day falling on his heart of stone, in the end work of the will! I’m no longer interested. I have nothing new to say, and I grow
it will pierce that heart of stone and split all of its hard sinews. Then bored. How can a person do this for half an hour—and not only
Hashem will remove this person’s heart of stone from his flesh and That is principally why people at all stages of spirituality remain that, but every day?”
give him a heart of flesh and a proper spirit. Amen—so may it be on the same level and are unable to proceed and rise. For their
His will. 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
A New Outlook on the World 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
In accordance with everything that you have learned here, you be blessed, every day. He said that even when if a
may understand the depth of the simple truth in Rabbi Natan’s But it does not have to be this way. Everyone has the power to person cannot speak at all, even if a he can only
summarization of Rabbi Nachman’s teaching (Kitzur Likutei Moharan rise from level to level every day of his life. Everyone has the power say one phrase, that is also very good. He said that
I 2): to stand firm in this war. But you must do the work of the will.
Then you will reach every stage and level, because you hold the even if a person can only say one phrase, he should
A Jew’s essential weapon is prayer. In all of weapon that gives you the power to stand firm! be tenacious and say that phrase over and over
the wars in which a person must be victorious, again without number. Even if he spends a few
whether wars of the evil inclination or wars against Who Is the Victor? days saying that one phrase only, that too is good.
those who obstruct him and contend with him, he He should be strong and firm, and say that phrase
engages in prayer. That is the source of all of his When a person lacks a weapon, even if he has not yet fallen in endless times until Hashem, may He be blessed,
vitality. Therefore, a person who wants to truly battle, even if he is still alive, he is already vanquished. The evil will have compassion on him and open his mouth,
attain the holiness of being a Jew must engage in a 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.
great deal of prayers, requests and speeches to his 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
Maker, because that is the essence of the weapon completely overcome him. If the evil inclination does not do so, phrase, that is enough to last two minutes or five minutes. In fact,
with which to win the war. 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