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life to the pit and hurled stones at me. Water has poured over in a number of places). In matters of physicality, a person must In such a situation, Hashem’s true compassion will be expressed
my head…’ (Lamentations 3:52-54).” Like a drowning man, like a express a great deal of thanks to Hashem and accept judgments and in rescuing the person immediately from the mortal danger of
person who is about to die—no less!—he cries out to be rescued sufferings with love. And he must not demand anything insistently, transgressing Hashem’s will.
from pride and from evil thoughts. He cannot wait long for his because a person does not truly know what is good for him.
salvation, because he feels that his every imperfection is death. “If We Are Like Your Children…”
He cannot allow himself to abandon Hashem or pray weakly that Clearly, a person cannot ask for an apartment or a car in the same
“if Hashem gives, He gives, and if not, things are not so terrible,” 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
heaven forbid. Rather, he cries out, prays and pleads to receive against himself, as the Gemara states, and he is liable to be injured. bring about salvation. They believed completely that Hashem
what he needs immediately. 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
must be insistent in making our requests of Hashem and he went
When people read these prayers, they do not understand what home, he encountered a longstanding problem to which he had seen one’s might is effective. They stood before Hashem stubbornly and
lies in each word. They may even think that Rabbi Natan is no solution. Influenced by what I said, he addressed Hashem: “I without compromise, strong and insistent. For instance, Choni the
Circle Maker made a circle, stood in it, and said: “I will not leave
somewhat exaggerating, heaven forbid, that perhaps he is blowing need a solution. Save me right now!” Miraculously, the matter was here until You will have compassion upon Your children.” That was
things somewhat out of proportion, heaven forbid, perhaps he 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
is somewhat extreme, heaven forbid. It may sound humorous to later, as he was preparing a salad, the knife leaped from his hand until Hashem did what he wanted. Therefore, Shimon ben Shetach
them that a person who has food in the house and who is alive and and he sustained a deep and dangerous laceration. He asked himself
well feels as though he is dangerously ill, as though he is hovering 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,
Who then does your will, like a son who nestles up to his father,
between life and death. But in truth it is those people that we to teach him that he had been wrong to insist that Hashem give him who then does what he wants?” (Ta’anit 19a).
must laugh at and weep for, because they do not have any sense something physical. I told him that he was certainly correct, and I
of eternal life, and they do not understand that everything in this cautioned my students that what I was teaching them only applies Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says that this is relevant not only
world is vanity of vanities, that this prayer is true life and that every to spiritual matters. In the physical realm, “contemplating one’s for Choni the Circle Maker. Rather, every Jew can be like a child
blemish is literally death. prayer” is forbidden and dangerous. Therefore, when we pray for before God (Sichot Haran 7):
something in the physical realm, we must say: “If this is Your will
But even a person who senses that his every spiritual blemish is 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
death can still wonder about Rabbi Natan. “Why are you crying out know exactly what is good for me.”
so much? You are so holy and pure. You married at the age of 13. before Hashem, may He be blessed, pleading for
You went through the entire Talmud and you are expert in all of 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
the holy texts. And you had the merit of carrying on the legacy of want, help me overcome the trait of anger, the craving for eating, father. After all, hasn’t Hashem, may He be blessed,
the great master of the generations, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. All or some other addiction,” because Hashem certainly wants this. called us His children, as in the verse, “You are children
of your days are holy, profoundly dedicated to spreading Torah, to He certainly wants you to possess faith, to be calm, serene and to Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1)?
bringing people close to the Torah and to every holy matter. You completely patient. Hashem wants you to be holy and pure, far
deserve universal admiration. So why do you cry out so much? Are from all cravings and animalistic desires, and far from taking drugs, Therefore, it is very good for a person to express his
you truly in danger?” smoking, drinking and gambling, and He wants you to know the speech and unhappiness to Him, may He be blessed, like
entire Torah. He created you for all of this. After all, did He create a son who complains before his father with movements
But these tzaddikim did not fool themselves even regarding the you to be an animal on two legs? In fact, Hashem’s own honor is that invite Hashem’s graciousness and compassion.
subtlest spiritual imperfection. They visualized each danger to which brought about when a Jew is holy and pure (as I have explained).
they were exposed so vividly that they literally saw it before their It may appear to the person that because of the way
eyes, and they cried out from the depths of their hearts. And when he has acted he is not like a son before Hashem, may
they prayed, they knew, “If I do not gain what I am asking for, my He be blessed. Yet hasn’t Hashem, may He be blessed,
life is not a life.”