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when he works on attaining a calm mind and reminds himself of the And Hashem is happy when people do so, because that is His entire It Is Good to Cry Out
lessons that he has been learning, then the inner sense that every will (Likutei Moharan I 124):
sin and every craving constitutes death awakens within him. Then It is important to understand the nature of an outcry. An
he can argue before Hashem with all his might and with an outcry “A song, a melody, for the conductor” (Psalms). The outcry to Hashem is a state in which a person calls out from the
of his heart: Hebrew word for “conductor” can be translated as deepest place in his heart. As the verse states, “Their heart cried
“conqueror.” Thus, this phrase from Psalms may be out to Hashem” (Lamentations 2:18). He feels his troubles vividly
Master of the universe, I need You to rescue me. rendered, “Sing to the One Who rejoices when people and distinctly, and he reaches the most genuine intent. The Pele
Please rescue me right now. Did You create me so conquer Him” (Pesachim 119a). When a person speaks Yoetz explains (Tza’akah): “The meaning of the word ‘outcry’ is
that I would be like an animal? You created me as to the Holy One, blessed be He, and in his speech he that a person raises his voice in prayer from the depths of his heart”
a member of the human race, but right now I am employs arguments and requests, he is showing that he because “a fire is burning in him and, due to his pain, he cannot
not a human being. Why am I acting in such a way wants to conquer the Holy One, blessed be He, as it keep from crying out loud.”
that I am an animal, a beast on two legs? Rescue were. And Hashem, may He be blessed, gains pleasure
me, save me! You must help me immediately, right from this. Therefore, Hashem sends this person words The cry bursts out, but it is something deeply internal.
now! I cannot continue in this way for even one so that he will be able to conquer Him, as it were, so It is an expression of an inner, burning intent that pulses
within a person. Therefore, telling someone to cry out to
second more. This is worse than every prison, that Hashem will receive pleasure. Without that help, Hashem is not practical advice. Rather, practical advice is
every type of dungeon, and the harshest and it would certainly be impossible for creatures of flesh telling him to attain forceful and complete intent, with a
bitterest punishments. Master of the universe, in and blood to conquer the Holy One, blessed be He. So settled mind and with proper visualization in his heart, and
every craving I lose my heart entirely, I lose that Hashem, may He be blessed, Himself sends this person that will lead to a true outcry.
which is most precious to me. I lose my life because words and arguments to conquer Him.
of my foolishness, because of my delusions. Day When a person cries out about his spiritual state, that means
after day, I am swept away. I am drowning and Even if this person is the lowest of the low, even if he has no right that he has attained whole and forceful intent. He truly intends to
in terrible danger. I have no strength left. In one to ask Hashem for anything, he can ask Hashem to draw him close, change. His outcry to Hashem contains the wholeness of his will,
more moment, I will be lost. You must save me! because that is why he was created (Sichot Haran 69): and thus it is the perfection of the work of the will. The fact that
you are able to come to Hashem and express your intentions every
Contemplating One’s Prayer Even if it appears to a person that Hashem, may He be day is very important and makes an impression in heaven. But go
beyond that and have the ambition to attain a will that is so forceful
blessed, does not want to draw him close because he has
brought about a great deal of [spiritual] damage, and even and strong that it will bring you to truly cry out to Hashem. That is
I have been asked: Isn’t this type of approach called “contemplating the wholeness of will. The holy Zohar states explicitly that “a whole
one’s prayer”? The Gemara states: “Three things cause [heaven to] now he is not acting properly and in accordance with His will” is an outcry (Zohar: Shemot 19b).
take note of a person’s sins. These are: [standing near] a leaning will, may He be blessed, he must nevertheless encourage
wall, contemplating one’s prayer, and wishing heavenly punishment himself greatly until Hashem will have compassion on Rabbi Berachia said: When the Holy One, blessed
on someone else.” And the Gemara adds that “a person who him and draw him close to serve Him, because “despite be He, told Samuel, “I regret that I made Saul king,”
contemplates his prayer ends up with a pained heart” (Berachot everything, I want to be a Jew!” Thus, he wants to the verse states that “Samuel grew upset, and he cried
55a). The commentators explain that this is speaking of a person conquer Hashem, may He be blessed, as it were. And out to Hashem the entire night” (Samuel I 15:11). He set
who thinks that his prayer will certainly be accepted. In keeping with Hashem, may He be blessed, derives pleasure from the everything aside and engaged in crying out, because
this, the halachah states: “Do not think: ‘It is fitting that the Holy fact that people conquer Him, as it were.
One, blessed be He, will do what I have asked for, since I prayed that is closer to the Holy One, blessed be He, than
properly.’ To the contrary, that attitude will cause a person’s sins When a person devotes time to the work of the will every day, anything else.

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