Page 246 - 20780

Chapter Six: | 243 246 | A New Light Chapter Six: | 235

brings us our salvation and that we must stretch our hands out Mei’eliyahu (Part 4, p. 252) in the name of Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv He went and sat between two [groups of] mountains
to receive it, the work of the will becomes qualitatively different Broide (the Elder of Kelm). and hills.
than it was before (as will be explained in depth, with the help of
heaven). He would ask: He said: “Mountains and hills, request compassion on
my behalf.”
We Cry Out for Life How did the holy forefathers and all of the great ones
of the world attain their level? How is it that their might They told him: “Before we request on your behalf, we
As stated above, Hashem wants to save everyone spiritually, and was superior to ours? will request on our own behalf. As the verse states, ‘The
He is always able to do so. He is only waiting for us to prepare mountains will move and the hills totter’ (Isaiah 54:10).”
our vessel. What is that vessel? It is our strong and whole will. I And he answered:
understood from the story about Rabbi Nachman hanging from the He said: “Heaven and earth, request compassion on
wall that a person’s strong will, as expressed in an authentic outcry They knew of the enormous power that lies in the my behalf.”
from the depth of his heart, constitutes the complete vessel that visualization of the heart. The evil inclination also knows
brings about every sort of salvation. The simplest reason that we do this secret well, and it prosecutes its war entirely by They said: “Before we request on your behalf, we will
not change spiritually is that our will to change in spiritual matters making constant use of visualizations and illusions, in request on our own behalf. As the verse states, ‘The
is infinitely weaker than our will to be saved from the danger of which it traps our hearts, snaring us in its net. We can heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will rot
death, and so we do not cry out for spiritual life in the same way only battle against it by using its own weapon—i.e., by away like a garment (Isaiah 51:6).”
that we cry out for physical life. utilizing many images on the side of holiness.
He said: “Sun and moon, request compassion on my
Know that in order to be effective and receive the spiritual We see here a literal application of what Rabbi Nachman says:
abundance and heavenly assistance that Hashem deeply wants to that a person should visualize his danger. A person should always behalf.”
give us, we must want to receive that spiritual salvation with a recall the story of Rabbi Nachman as he hung from the wall, about
strong and powerful will that leads to an outcry of truth from the to fall and with no one to save him. He should visualize in great They said to him: “Before we request on your behalf,
depths of our heart. It is impossible to speak of an outcry of the detail that he himself is hanging from the wall, about to plunge we will request on our own behalf. As the verse states,
heart unless a person truly feels that his spiritual danger is at least down at any moment. And with that he should cry out to Hashem ‘The moon will be ashamed and the sun abashed’ (Isaiah
as terrible as his physical danger. with all his might and plead for what he needs spiritually. 24:23).”

He said: “Stars and constellations, request compassion
A Critical Situation People Steeped in Craving Cannot See on my behalf.”

As a result of the story of the drowning student and the stories A person’s outcry emerges in accordance with the imagery in
about Rabbi Nachman, I came to realize that the entirety of the his heart. He knows that it is forbidden to commit a sin. He knows They told him: “Before we request on your behalf, we
work of the will is to feel that one is in literal danger, in terrible that his cravings distance him from Hashem, from his goals and will request on our own behalf. As the verse states, ‘All
and immediate jeopardy. Wholeness of the will means that we feel from the truth, and that his addictions cast him down even lower of the host of heaven will melt’ (Isaiah 34:4).”
that our situation is critical and that we have no time. We need our than Gehennom and will lead him to absolute destruction. But he
salvation here and now. That is the essence of the work of the does not feel afraid and he does not have any sense of danger. He said, “The matter depends only on me.” He put
will! Even though he knows that his addiction is ruining his life (as his head between his knees and sobbed and wept until
was described in Chapter Four: The Laws of Life), he feels his soul left.
The problem is that we think that we have time and that the no danger. Why doesn’t he feel fear and danger? It is because his
situation is not critical. Thus, even as we pray, we think to ourselves: A heavenly voice came forth and said, “Rabbi Elazar