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with all of our fervor and might, and in this way we will certainly craving is burning in him. Since he wants to fulfill his craving or order to see essential and swift change, that is not enough. He must
bring about salvations. addiction (this latter is nothing but a magnified craving), and since, make a greater effort.
in addition, he has sinned and transgressed so many times, he does
A Person Who Acquires the World-to-Come in a not feel the danger of death. Moreover, he wants and desires to sin. Know, dear reader, that the work of the will exists on more than
Single Hour When he is in such a state, it is impossible to say anything to him one level. There is complete work of the will and incomplete work
about being aware of the danger. As a first step, such a person must of the will. In complete work of the will, we attain instantaneous
cry out to Hashem on his level. He must start by crying out to spiritual salvation because we have prepared ourselves, and so
Let me underscore that when we engage in the work of the will, Hashem to nullify his cravings and desires entirely and uproot them we immediately receive the Creator’s help. Thus, a person can
we must request immediate salvation. When a person learns about from his heart. Until Hashem nullifies his craving, he will be unable attain very great changes with tremendous rapidity (as we will learn
teshuvah, he finds out that it is a long and gradual process, and to feel that his sinning subjects him to mortal danger. further on).
it is impossible to skip steps. That is true. It is impossible to skip
steps—but it is equally impossible to continue sinning. To continue Every person who is ruled by his appetites and addictions must As we learned earlier in the name of Rabbi Yerucham Leibovitz,
in that way is unthinkable. It is a deadly danger. Therefore, cry out engage in the work of the will regarding the craving that most “Nothing was given, whether material or spiritual, until man came
to Hashem, Who is all-powerful and Who can give you complete powerfully overpowers him and overwhelms his mind. At a time and brought it out of the ground. And how did he bring it out?
knowledge, faith and perfect prayers. Ask Him to attain salvation that the craving is not engulfing you, you must engage in strong Through prayer.” And with what sort of prayer do we bring forth
this moment, because you can no longer bear matters as they are. and proper service, visualizing the dangers and consequences of and receive spiritual attainments? After all, not all prayers are
If you possess a strong and absolute intent to no long continue your craving and addiction. Even before dealing with the spiritual equally efficacious. In order to receive our salvation, we require
sinning, and complete faith that Hashem can help you progress in consequences, visualize the physical danger and the great suffering complete prayer—and that is solely the prayer of a true outcry. As
a single moment, you can bring everything about “on the spot,” that this craving causes you. As a result, cry out and ask Hashem to we learned in the name of Rabbi Yechezkel Levinstein: “The quality
because Hashem is beyond time and beyond all of the spiritual save you. Say to Hashem: “I do not feel any danger, any suffering, of prayer expressed as an outcry is determined by the degree to
principles. I do not see the results. I literally cannot see. I am like a blind which a person’s heart is in it.” And as Rabbi Nachman taught us:
person held hostage. I am killing myself with my own hands. I “The main thing is, ‘From the belly of Sheol, I cried out’ (Jonah
This is all based on the simple faith that Hashem is all-powerful— 2:3).”
meaning that He is all-powerful without any limitation. Therefore, must experience my danger in order to attain perfection of the
will, nullify my craving and be redeemed from my addiction. But
Joseph learned all languages in a single night. And our sages say I cannot, because I am so steeped in craving that I lust and yearn Know that it is possible to produce immeasurably more from every
that when King David sat down with Samuel the prophet to plan for the craving itself. Thus, I am literally dead. I have no feeling. “half hour.” It is absolutely possible to bring about tremendous
the construction of the Temple, he learned more than a veteran Therefore, I do not ask You to save me from danger, but I ask changes in a very short amount of time! Imagine a person who has
student could in a few years’ time (Chronicles I 28, Rashi). When You to give me life, to do the miracle of reviving me from the the latest model car, but who drives at 20 kilometers an hour. It
there is a need to rectify the world, Hashem can nullify all of the dead, so that I will have a heart, so that I will have eyes to see my is true that it will get him to his destination, but only after a very
spiritual principles and all limitations. And no rectification of the reality and the terrible danger that I am in. I beg You to give me long time. If he pushes down harder on the gas pedal, he will arrive
world is greater than a person’s fulfilling his role faithfully and who, wholeness of intent to escape my craving, to want and want and much sooner. Isn’t it a pity not to do so? So do not sleep. Cry out
to that end, cries out and asks Hashem to help him conform to pray that You completely nullify all of my craving, my addiction, to Hashem. The power of your outcry will be commensurate with
Hashem’s will. the greatness of your will. To the degree that you possess wholeness
that is destroying my life.”
of faith, your prayer will be accepted. And just as complete prayer
Therefore, there is truly “a person who acquires his world in brings about immediate salvations in physial affairs, so too in
The path described in this book not only is very efficacious in
one hour,” as the Gemara tells about Rabbi Elazar ben Durdiya, rescuing a person who wants to attain spiritual levels, but it can help spiritual matters the work of complete will brings about immediate
who was steeped in sin in a terrible way, and who was told that his everyone who wants to live a good life in this world. On this path, a salvation.
teshuvah was not accepted (Avodah Zarah 17a). What did he do?
person cries out to Hashem to give him intent, so that he will want
The first stage is wholeness of faith (as discussed earlier at length).
When our faith is whole and strong, when we know that Hashem