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164 | A New Light                                    Chapter Six:   | 189               188 | A New Light

 Then you will no longer need any explanations, because you will   That is the faith that Hashem wants to rescue us, save us and heal   I had swallowed—“Master of the universe, You have
 see changes occurring right before your eyes.  us. Without full faith in this, our prayers will be very weak.  to rescue me!”

 This  is  like explaining the taste of  ice cream to a person who   Wholeness of will makes it possible for a person to cry out to   I really hope that no one will ever experience what I
 has never in his life eaten ice cream. You can explain it to him for   Hashem from the heart. But in order for that outcry to be complete,   went through. Everyone can understand that it is hard
 hours, but he will not understand. Even if he thinks he understands,   he must have wholeness of faith, because (as I have explained at   to describe the feelings I had in those fateful moments.
 he does not really understand. But let him taste once, and he will   length elsewhere) a person’s prayer is accepted in accordance with   An outcry like that, the feelings in my heart that I had
 immediately understand everything, and he  will  not need  any   his faith,  since “faith is prayer”  (Likutei Moharan I  9).  The  more
 explanations. The same applies to the work of the will. “Taste and   whole a person’s faith, the more effective is his prayer. “Complete   then—I had never felt anything like that in all my life.
 see that Hashem is good” (Psalms 34:4). A person who meets with   prayer” is an outcome of wholeness of faith. When a person’s faith   Thank God, right after I cried out, I felt something push
 the Creator every day and dedicates time to the will sees, feels and   is whole, his prayer is strong and absolute. It has powerful intent.  me strongly from behind. It was a large wave, which lifted
 understands this in the clearest way. But if a person does not do so,                        me up and threw me onto the shore. My friend, who was
 no amount of explanations will help him.  What does wholeness of faith mean? Regarding the basic principles   beginning to worry, ran up to me, and when he saw that
          of  faith,  everyone  is equal. It  is clear to  everyone  that there  is           I was exhausted and almost blue, he immediately called
 To summarize:  everyone must  every day  engage in  the   no other than Hashem, that only Hashem can rescue us, and that   for  medical assistance.  I  received  treatment,  and with
 work of  making a  personal  accounting, repenting,  giving   there is no other being to turn to, that our sole counsel is to pray   Hashem’s kindness, I quickly recovered.
 thanks and praying. That is the most wondrous advice in the   and cry out to  Hashem. However,  that is not yet  wholeness  of
 world. But the main jewel in the crown is the work of the   faith. Wholeness of faith means that you believe that Hashem
 will. During the time of hitbodedut, you must dedicate at   loves you and wants to rescue you, and that it makes no   A Complete Prayer
 least half an hour a day to pray to attain one goal until you   difference whether or not you are worthy! You believe in
 see fundamental changes.  Hashem’s compassion, in Hashem’s love for you as you are.       This story amazed and inspired me. At that moment, Hashem
          It makes no difference what you have done. You believe in                      opened  my heart and illuminated  my understanding. This story
          Hashem’s will to save you.                                                     provided me with the explanation of this Gemara. Through it, I
                                                                                         received an answer to a great many questions and the explanation
 Mark the Target  The student  who almost  drowned  and cried out to  Hashem,            of a great many issues (as I will discuss below). I thought about
          “You have to rescue me!” expressed the faith that Hashem wants                 these matters a great deal, reviewing them again and again in order
 Rabbi Nachman described the spiritual work that he engaged in   to save everyone and give everyone life. He had a very strong will   to clarify and elucidate them. I discovered a wonderful secret in
 as a youth (Likutei Moharan II 115):  because he was in a life-threatening situation. And that constitutes   them, one of the secrets of Creation. And after the great secrets
          the wholeness of the will (as will be explained). He sensed the truth          that I have already revealed to you in this book, I would like (with
 He related that he encouraged himself a great deal in   and believed that Hashem wants him to live (as will be explained   the  help of  heaven)  to  share  an additional secret  with  you that
 his  spiritual  practice and he allowed nothing at all  to   at length). As a result, he attained the perfect prayer about which   completes  the  picture.  It  is the  crowning touch,  and  everything
                                                                                         depends on it. Listen and you will be invigorated!
          the  Gemara  speaks—the  prayer  that is certainly accepted  and
 disturb him. His approach was to choose some upright   effective—and such a prayer immediately tears up every heavenly
 practice in  serving Hashem. He would  then begin to   judgment in all situations, literally.  Know that there are various levels of prayer, there are various
 implement that practice and way that he had chosen. He                                  levels of intent. In order for your prayer to be completely effective,
 implemented this practice for a period of time. Whenever   I contemplated these matters and prayed a great deal to Hashem   two central characteristics are needed: wholeness of faith  and
 he had any thoughts that distracted him from acting in   to illuminate my eyes, and Hashem helped me see that the case of   wholeness of will. In the cases that the Gemara describes and in
 that way so that he would act in another way, he would   this student in distress who cried out, “Hashem, You must rescue   the case of my student who almost drowned, there was certainly
 not heed these thoughts at all, but he would push them   me!” involved a great deal in terms of the complete faith that I   wholeness of will—all of these people wanted to live. But in order
          am speaking about here. That is because Hashem wants to rescue                 for a person’s prayer be complete, he also needs wholeness of faith.



































































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