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5. As you have learned in this book, the core of the work of the you? Is this all that Hashem wants from you? To be an animal
will that leads to change is daily prayer in which a person verbally with sidelocks and a beard? It is right that you must rejoice in this
expresses his intentions. However, the first and necessary step is throughout the day, and it is really wonderful—but should you
learning. Learning is the “starter” of the work of Hashem, because be satisfied with that and give up all of your spiritual ambitions?
it gives a person the power to strengthen himself in prayer. Torah That is absolute falsehood! Your self-encouragement is fitting for
learning and prayer complement each other. As the verse states, the 23 hours of the day that begin right after you finish crying
“You shall know today and you shall place upon your heart” out to Hashem on behalf of your life. Then you are obligated to
(Deuteronomy 4:39). Learning the Torah corresponds to “you experience tremendous happiness and rejoice in your every good
shall know today”—you shall have the knowledge that you must point. Indeed, after you have cried out to Hashem with all your
revitalize and enhance the Torah every day. Then you engage in heart, you truly have tremendous cause to feel encouraged no
prayer and pleading, beseeching Hashem to inject your mental matter what you might go through, because you have performed
knowledge into your heart. That corresponds to “You shall place your responsibility and cried out to Hashem with all your heart.
upon your heart.” However, it is absolutely, completely forbidden for your self-
encouragement, faith or thanksgiving to weaken your prayers and
6. Rabbi Nachman says that when we learn Torah forcefully, all of outcries.
our prayers and requests are accepted. “Learning Torah forcefully”
means that a person spends time every day learning about the topic People have told me: “You have taught that we should go on
that he is working on. That learning has the power to help his good the path of giving thanks, of saying that everything is good and
inclination overcome his evil inclination. Also, learning Torah helps that there is no evil, and so forth. How can you suddenly change
a person understand the hints and advice that exist in all reality on direction?” I reply: “You are right. This is indeed a new light.
how to come close to Hashem. The Torah consists of the names But there is absolutely no contradiction. At the time that you do
of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus, learning the Torah helps a the work of the will on spiritual matters, Hashem wants you to
person subjugate the spirit of foolishness from which all sins result. make demands of Him. That is the purpose for which He created
As a result, his words will have grace in the eyes of Hashem, and you and the entire world. But after you have cried out, you must
Hashem will want him and accept his prayers (cf. Likutei Moharan I certainly give thanks to Hashem for everything.” We must clearly
1). Learning Torah in this way is called “learning Torah forcefully,” understand that there is no contradiction. In serving Hashem, there
because with this learning a person makes a special effort to insert is a time and place for everything. The totality of serving Hashem
all that he has learned into his mind, heart and life. means that we know how to rejoice, how to give thanks and how
to see the good throughout the entire day. Yet on the other hand
7. The essence of a person’s character and the measure of his we must know how to stand and pray with utter devotion, and
success correspond to his knowledge or awareness. “If you have battle for our lives in the strongest way imaginable. That is not a
acquired knowledge, what do you lack?” (Nedarim 41a). Only a contradiction. That is wholeness.
person’s awareness determines whether or not he will withstand
the tests that he undergoes. Learning Torah enhances a person’s To the degree that you are connected to goodness, faith and
awareness, and when he prays, he inserts that awareness into joy, you have the power to see Hashem’s love and kindness, and
his heart. As a result, he will certainly be able to withstand the thus you can cry out to Him from the depths of your heart. And
challenges of life. the more you cry out to Hashem, the more you can strengthen
yourself, because you are truly performing your work in the best
8. When a person is tested—for instance, when he is under possible way. And you cannot do more than that.
pressure or angry, or especially vulnerable—his mind is not settled.