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232 | A New Light
“As you see me, everything that I toiled and
worked hard for and brought about through my
service from when I started until today—I could
now bring all of that about in a single day.”
Afterwards, on another occasion, he told him that now
he could bring all of that about in a single hour. And
afterwards he said that now he could bring all of that
about in a single minute.
Understand clearly the meaning of these words. At
the time that he said this to R. Shimon, he had already
attained a great deal. And he had already said a number
of times that all of his previous work and attainments
were nothing compared to what he attained now, even
though they too had been extraordinarily mighty and
elevated. This occurred a number of times, because even
before he went to the land of Israel, his attainments were
extremely high, without measure. And afterwards, when
he returned from the land of Israel, all of his attainments
from before he had gone were literally like nothing in his
eyes, and he was ashamed of them. Afterwards as well,
he constantly rose higher and higher without measure,
beyond what the mouth can speak and the heart think,
etc., etc. (as may be understood in part from the stories related
earlier). And afterwards, he said that which was related
above. See, look and understand the earlier stories, and
then understand a little of the immense greatness of
these matters.
Also, I heard that he said: “When people attain
complete knowledge, in a quarter hour they can
achieve in their service of Hashem, may He be
blessed, what another person must toil to achieve
in 70 years.”
Chapter Six: | 249
then begin to perceive his cravings as death. And in accordance
with his visualization of his danger he cries out to Hashem.
A person will cry out to Hashem in keeping with how intensely
and vividly he visualizes in his heart how every sin, craving and
addiction is a burning fire, a gaping abyss. If his perception is not
living and vivid, his outcry will be weak. Even if he engages in
prayer with full intent, that is not the complete prayer that has
the power to tear up and nullify every decree. But if he perceives
in his heart the full gravity of the situation, a terrible outcry will 8
well up from within him, and he will be able to swiftly bring about
salvations and great changes.
The Ignited Heart
In Kokhavei Ohr, Rabbi Avraham ben Nachman Halevi Chazzan
relates that Rabbi Natan once spoke about the tremendous fire that
burned in the heart of the patriarch Abraham, who was the first
person to serve the Creator day and night with utter devotion in
order to make His name known in the world. In the midst of Rabbi
Natan’s holy talk, one of the listeners sadly exclaimed, “Where
could we find a person with such a heart today?” Rabbi Natan
rebuked him, “You too have such a heart, but you don’t ignite
it!” Rabbi Avraham adds: “That is because every person, even the
lowest of the low, possesses free choice. Everyone can attain the
highest levels. As our sages state, every person must say, ‘When
will my deeds reach the deeds of my forefathers?’ (Tana Devei Eliyahu
Rabbah 25).” We must follow in the footsteps of our forefathers
and arouse our hearts so that we will stand in prayer with the same
feeling of terrible danger that our forefathers felt when they prayed.
Therefore, before I discuss the high level of crying out to Hashem,
which brings about salvations swiftly, it is important to note that the
first stage in the work of the will is to arouse the heart to experience
a sense of danger. And a person accomplishes that by means of his
visualizations in his heart. When a person who requires salvation
immediately feels that without it he is in terrible danger, his prayer
will be an outcry for immediate salvation, and Hashem will answer
it immediately. But if he does not feel danger, that means that he