Page 282 - 20780

Chapter Six: | 287 282 | A New Light Chapter Six: | 263

in a number of places). In matters of physicality, a person must In such a situation, Hashem’s true compassion will be expressed who need to be cut off from the land “cry out, Hashem hears and
express a great deal of thanks to Hashem and accept judgments and in rescuing the person immediately from the mortal danger of He rescues them from all their trouble.” Why? Because “Hashem
sufferings with love. And he must not demand anything insistently, transgressing Hashem’s will. is close to the brokenhearted and He saves the lowly of spirit.”
because a person does not truly know what is good for him. The Pele Yoetz comments (ibid.): “How great is the power of
“If We Are Like Your Children…” an outcry, for it nullifies the heavenly decree. As the verse states,
Clearly, a person cannot ask for an apartment or a car in the same ‘The face of Hashem is against those who do evil, to cut off their
way that he asks for life. If a person does so, he arouses judgment This was the way of all of the tzaddikim when they wanted to memory from the land. [But when] they cry out, Hashem hears.’”
against himself, as the Gemara states, and he is liable to be injured. bring about salvation. They believed completely that Hashem That means that when a person cries out, Hashem must, as it were,
One of my students told me that after he heard me state that we wants to save them, and they believed fully that prayer with all accept his request, even in physical matters. Therefore, it is possible
must be insistent in making our requests of Hashem and he went one’s might is effective. They stood before Hashem stubbornly and to tell Hashem, “You must save me.”
home, he encountered a longstanding problem to which he had seen
no solution. Influenced by what I said, he addressed Hashem: “I without compromise, strong and insistent. For instance, Choni the Rabbi Natan applies everything that we have learned here about
Circle Maker made a circle, stood in it, and said: “I will not leave
need a solution. Save me right now!” Miraculously, the matter was here until You will have compassion upon Your children.” That was an outcry to serve Hashem. He tells (Likutei Halachot: Nedarim 4)
straightened out in the most ideal way possible. But a few minutes his approach. He was like a son before God, and he was insistent how Rabbi Nachman gave a talk to his students on the topic of the
later, as he was preparing a salad, the knife leaped from his hand until Hashem did what he wanted. Therefore, Shimon ben Shetach greatness of the Creator:
and he sustained a deep and dangerous laceration. He asked himself
why Hashem had done this, and he concluded that this was meant told him, “What can I do about you, since you nestle up to God, In the midst of his holy talk about the greatness of the
Who then does your will, like a son who nestles up to his father,
to teach him that he had been wrong to insist that Hashem give him who then does what he wants?” (Ta’anit 19a). Creator, may He be blessed, he transitioned to speak
something physical. I told him that he was certainly correct, and I words of encouragement in order to inspire everyone
cautioned my students that what I was teaching them only applies Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says that this is relevant not only who fell from his service of Hashem, no matter how
to spiritual matters. In the physical realm, “contemplating one’s for Choni the Circle Maker. Rather, every Jew can be like a child low he might have fallen—everyone in accordance with
prayer” is forbidden and dangerous. Therefore, when we pray for before God (Sichot Haran 7): his situation, may the Compassionate One protect us.
something in the physical realm, we must say: “If this is Your will That is because the greatness of Hashem, may He be
and it is good for me, please give it to me. If not, thank You. You It is very good for a person to pour forth his speech
know exactly what is good for me.” blessed, is much higher than that of the Torah. [On the
before Hashem, may He be blessed, pleading for level of Hashem], everything can be rectified, etc., since
But in praying for spiritual goals, it is not relevant to say “If You Hashem’s compassion, like a son who nestles up to his teshuvah is higher than the Torah.
want, help me overcome the trait of anger, the craving for eating, father. After all, hasn’t Hashem, may He be blessed,
or some other addiction,” because Hashem certainly wants this. called us His children, as in the verse, “You are children I asked him, “But how can we attain that?”
He certainly wants you to possess faith, to be calm, serene and to Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1)?
completely patient. Hashem wants you to be holy and pure, far He answered, “People can attain this as long as
from all cravings and animalistic desires, and far from taking drugs, Therefore, it is very good for a person to express his they do not despair of crying out, praying and
smoking, drinking and gambling, and He wants you to know the speech and unhappiness to Him, may He be blessed, like pleading, but engage in crying out, praying and
entire Torah. He created you for all of this. After all, did He create a son who complains before his father with movements beseeching, and so forth. And a person does not
you to be an animal on two legs? In fact, Hashem’s own honor is that invite Hashem’s graciousness and compassion. have to toil forever before attaining the ability to
brought about when a Jew is holy and pure (as I have explained). rise up and so forth. That is because the essence of
It may appear to the person that because of the way teshuvah is crying out and calling out to Hashem,
he has acted he is not like a son before Hashem, may may He be blessed. As the verse states, “The face
He be blessed. Yet hasn’t Hashem, may He be blessed, of Hashem is against those who do evil, etc. [But