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No One Is Born Perfect they believed with a tremendous, powerful faith in Hashem, but they
lacked faith in themselves—i.e., that Hashem, being all-powerful,
It is crucial to be aware that all of the tzaddikim had cravings and can make them into great and awesome tzaddikim. Therefore, after
evil traits. A well-known story (from Tiferet Yisrael on Kiddushin 4:14) they reached a certain level, they stopped in accordance with the
relates that a king sent an artist to paint Moses’ portrait and then level of their faith.
showed it to a physiognomist. The physiognomist said that this was
the portray of an evil man who possessed the worst traits. When Rabbi Nachman once told Rabbi Natan that when a person’s
Moses learned of this, he explained that by his nature he had been faith is small, he must toil in serving Hashem, but when a person
filled with evil traits and a terrible craving to murder, but he had has complete faith, he can serve Hashem easily. Rabbi Natan was
worked on himself for 60 years until he was entirely purified, and 8 very surprised. He had thought that he has faith, yet everything
he became truly great. Similarly, Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest was very difficult for him. Rabbi Nachman intuited his thoughts
Torah figures of all generations, began learning Torah at an adult and rebuked him: “You may have faith, but you do not have faith
age after long years in which he had been an ignoramus who hated in yourself” (ibid.). A person must believe that he is important
the sages. and precious in Hashem’s eyes just as he is, that Hashem wants to
bring him close and that Hashem can give him every level—and not
When we truly appreciate the nature of the dangers to which we only that, but Hashem waits, yearns and looks forward to doing
are exposed, our prayers and outcries become entirely different. so. When a person has such faith, he has the vessel to draw down
Caleb, one of the 12 spies sent into the land of Israel, risked his life complete salvation.
to go to the most dangerous place in the land of Israel—the city of
Hebron—in order to pray at the gravesites of the patriarchs. This Dear reader, you must believe that Hashem wants to bring you
was because of the great distress he was in. On the one hand, ten close to Him and that He wants to help you do complete and
of the other spies were pressuring him relentlessly to acquiesce to full teshuvah—not so that you will be “religious” or “someone
their defamation of the land of Israel. On the other hand, he felt who did teshuvah,” but that you will reach all spiritual levels and
that disparaging the Holy Land and disagreeing with Moses would stages. If you work on point after point with complete faith and cry
be worse than death. In his adversity, he resolved not to pay any out with all your might, you will certainly reach these levels and
attention to any external factors (Zohar: Shelach). Instead, he was stages, because Hashem is all-powerful, and He only waits and looks
determined to do the right thing, even at the cost of the greatest self- forward to help you attain every sort of holiness.
sacrifice. And in keeping with his sense of the imminent presence
of death, he prayed alongside the graves of the holy patriarchs The greatest faith is to believe in yourself: to believe that Hashem
with total dedication. He cried out with all his might, as a person loves you and wants to bring you close to Him, to believe that
does when he is in mortal peril. Therefore, he attained greatness, Hashem is all-powerful and that He can bring the lowest person
extraordinary levels and tremendous rewards. close to Him—yes, even you. As a result of believing in that, you
will know and understand that all that remains for you to do is to
want with all your heart. This intent is up to you. It is easy work.
Endangered As I Am If you want and want, if you enhance your will and beseech the
Master of intent to give you complete intent, you will certainly
In light of this, I came to an understanding of Rabbi Natan’s attain all spiritual levels. Therefore, Rabbi Nachman says, “The
Likutei Tefillot (Collected Prayers). Likutei Tefillot is more teshuvah of a person who is a man of faith is relatively easy” (Sichot
than just a book of prayers. It is a book of learning how to pray. Pay Haran 102).
attention to Rabbi Natan’s words as he prays for his life (Prayer 18):