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The Perfection of the Will Hashem to nullify his cravings and evil traits, as a result of his sense For Hashem’s Honor
of danger (as above).
The “new light” in prayer is the light of complete faith. No
Saves Us from Death To Ask to Be Revived spiritual rule prevents you from requesting complete salvation
immediately. Say the following: “I don’t deserve it, but Hashem
There is a great difference between the prayer of a person who is As long as a person’s craving burns in him, he will never feel that will give it to me, because He does not want me to sin before
about to drown in the sea and the prayer of a person who is asking sin is death. His craving appears to him as the sweetest ingredient in Him anymore.” And cry out to Hashem: “Master of the universe,
to be saved from sinning. When a person prays for his life, he is existence, “the taste of life.” How can he see that this is death? At just because I sinned, does that mean that I should continue to
personally involved and he feels the danger strongly, and so he cries every moment that he visualizes the craving, he only makes it more sin? It is true that I don’t deserve anything—but should I continue
out from the depth of his heart—whereas in his prayer for spiritual and more appealing to himself, and he lacks free choice. to sin because I don’t deserve anything? It is true that I am not
matters, he does not feel that if he does not get what he asks for, worthy—but should I continue to sin because I am not worthy?
he is not really alive, because he does not see his spiritual danger as Therefore, in the work of the will, when a person prays for And just because I am so far from You, will You not save me? It is
literal death. Therefore, he accepts his situation. He “makes do.” It his spirituality, he must have a feeling of death: not that “I am all correct and absolutely true: I transgressed, I did wrong, I sinned.
does not burn so strongly in him. He prays to Hashem calmly. He going to die” but that “I am already dead!” He should cry out to But because of that, should I continue sinning? Hashem, You are
thinks, “If Hashem gives, He gives, and if not, that is not so terrible. Hashem: “Master of the world, the problem is not that I am going all-powerful. You transcend all powers. You transcend all rules.
Life will continue….” Therefore, his prayer is anemic. to die. I have already been dead for a while. I do not have any free I am Your child, and as long as I am in darkness, You Yourself
choice at all. I ask You for life. Give me life! Destroy my craving. experience great and tremendous sorrow. That is a desecration of
The perfection of the will manifests itself only when a person’s This craving is death. It is killing me. As long as I have this craving, Your name. I need salvation. Save me now, immediately, for Your
life is in danger. Then an outcry bursts from the depths of his heart. I am dead. As long as I have this craving, I do not feel danger. I do sake, for the sake of Your name, and for the sake of Your will….”
Therefore, in order to attain the perfect work of the will, a person not feel and recall anything. I do not recall Hashem and the Torah.
must feel the spiritual danger he is in. That is to say, he must feel I do not recall any obligation and faithfulness. I only want to fulfill As stated earlier, this complete and powerful prayer is prayer for
that if he does not receive what he is working on, his life is in my craving. I want to feel danger, but where am I in general? I the sake of Hashem, for the sake of His honor, for the sake of His
imminent and actual danger. He must feel that he absolutely needs have destroyed all of my feelings. Rescue me quickly and give me name, with love. Therefore, it is possible to cry out to Hashem and
what he is working on, that he must have it immediately, that his immediately, right now, a strong will to want only You. Give me make requests of Him without end, just as the tzaddikim prayed:
life is at stake! “If I do not get what I am working on at this very true fear of heaven and nullify my craving right away, because at “Not for my honor have I acted, nor for the honor of the house
minute, I am not even alive!” Therefore, Rabbi Nachman said that every moment I am in terrible danger. Revive me and help me so of my father, but for Your honor” (Ta’anit 20a). And with such
we must pray for spiritual salvation like a person praying for help as that from now on I will view sin like death and sweetness…” a prayer, they requested and brought about salvations and they
he is hanging by his hands from a wall and at every moment feels changed nature instantaneously. Thus, a verse states that Hannah
that he is about to fall to his death. This entire chapter is speaking to a person who has already spent prayed “on”—meaning, “for the sake of”—Hashem. She did not
a period of time working on his will and who is not at peace with pray to Hashem but for the sake of Hashem, for the sake of
When a person attains this feeling, he extends his will unreservedly the fact that he possesses cravings, and who wants to see a tangible the honor of Hashem. She was embittered, her heart burned, and
to the Creator, and receives what he asks for—on the spot! and immediate change. He sees that he is progressing very slowly, she cried out and poured out all her soul. Therefore, she could
Therefore, such work brings about salvation quickly. And we must and he is still committing many sins, and throughout the day he is make her request with all her might. Our Sages teach that she
learn clearly what the work is and what we are seeking. consumed by his cravings, and his evil desire repeatedly overcomes challenged Hashem. Yet not only was she not punished for this,
him, and so he seeks the proper way to bring about and experience but she brought about more salvations. She became pregnant and
This Is Not Enough new changes every day. This entire chapter has been written for gave birth to Samuel the prophet, who is compared to Moses and
such a person, so that he will receive the inspiration and vessels to Aaron. Every prayer for spiritual growth is a prayer for the sake
Whoever does the work of the will wants to change spiritually. do his work properly. And when his good will grows stronger and of Hashem, for the sake of Hashem’s will and for the sake of the
Therefore, he dedicates half an hour every day to that work. But in pushes away his evil will, he begins to return to sanity, and he can purpose for which Hashem created the entire world. We must pray