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than the person in this entire description. My 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
troubles, the pangs of my soul, and the ailments lessons that he has been learning, then the inner sense that every will (Likutei Moharan I 124):
of my heart are exceedingly more than all of this. sin and every craving constitutes death awakens within him. Then
There are no words in the world with which I can he can argue before Hashem with all his might and with an outcry “A song, a melody, for the conductor” (Psalms). The
express myself. It is very grievous for me, Master of his heart: Hebrew word for “conductor” can be translated as
of the entire universe, it is very grievous for me, Master of the universe, I need You to rescue me. “conqueror.” Thus, this phrase from Psalms may be
my Father in heaven, it is very grievous for me— Please rescue me right now. Did You create me so rendered, “Sing to the One Who rejoices when people
more so than any other type of bitterness. My that I would be like an animal? You created me as conquer Him” (Pesachim 119a). When a person speaks
soul grieves. My heart moans within me, “My a member of the human race, but right now I am to the Holy One, blessed be He, and in his speech he
insides, my insides, I writhe in pain!” (Jeremiah not a human being. Why am I acting in such a way employs arguments and requests, he is showing that he
4:19). Hashem, how many are those who cause me that I am an animal, a beast on two legs? Rescue wants to conquer the Holy One, blessed be He, as it
grief! How many rise up against me! me, save me! You must help me immediately, right were. And Hashem, may He be blessed, gains pleasure
from this. Therefore, Hashem sends this person words
Rabbi Natan visualized cravings and sins as swords, deadly now! I cannot continue in this way for even one so that he will be able to conquer Him, as it were, so
poison and evil, ravening beasts. He imagined thousands of arrows second more. This is worse than every prison, that Hashem will receive pleasure. Without that help,
whose poison and venom festered in his body, he saw himself as every type of dungeon, and the harshest and it would certainly be impossible for creatures of flesh
imprisoned and as being pursued by scorpions and thousands of bitterest punishments. Master of the universe, in and blood to conquer the Holy One, blessed be He. So
people intending to kill him. Clearly, his outcry was absolute and every craving I lose my heart entirely, I lose that Hashem, may He be blessed, Himself sends this person
genuine, and his prayer swiftly saved him. 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
If a person does not recognize the spiritual danger he is in because 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
he has sinned so many times that doing so seems permissible, he in terrible danger. I have no strength left. In one to ask Hashem for anything, he can ask Hashem to draw him close,
must cry out about this itself: that he has lost all of the simple because that is why he was created (Sichot Haran 69):
sensitivity and awareness of the fear of heaven. He must beg Hashem more moment, I will be lost. You must save me!
forcefully and powerfully to help him be able to feel this, and he Even if it appears to a person that Hashem, may He be
must cry out to Hashem even more strongly than before and ask Contemplating One’s Prayer blessed, does not want to draw him close because he has
Him to keep him from stumbling again. He should say: “Master of
the world, I am no longer sensitive to the presence of death. I have I have been asked: Isn’t this type of approach called “contemplating brought about a great deal of [spiritual] damage, and even
transgressed so many times that doing so seems permissible to me. one’s prayer”? The Gemara states: “Three things cause [heaven to] now he is not acting properly and in accordance with His
If, heaven forbid, I will transgress one more time, I might even think take note of a person’s sins. These are: [standing near] a leaning will, may He be blessed, he must nevertheless encourage
that doing so is a mitzvah. Therefore, I cannot afford to transgress wall, contemplating one’s prayer, and wishing heavenly punishment himself greatly until Hashem will have compassion on
even once more. That would truly be my end. I need You to have on someone else.” And the Gemara adds that “a person who him and draw him close to serve Him, because “despite
compassion on me and save me right away.” Everyone must pray contemplates his prayer ends up with a pained heart” (Berachot everything, I want to be a Jew!” Thus, he wants to
from his own place, from his own point of truth. But the common 55a). The commentators explain that this is speaking of a person conquer Hashem, may He be blessed, as it were. And
denominator is that a person’s prayer must be uncompromising and who thinks that his prayer will certainly be accepted. In keeping with Hashem, may He be blessed, derives pleasure from the
completely fervent. Come to Hashem with the intent to cry out this, the halachah states: “Do not think: ‘It is fitting that the Holy fact that people conquer Him, as it were.
and with the intent to receive. One, blessed be He, will do what I have asked for, since I prayed
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,

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