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292 | A New Light
That is why Rabbi Nachman said that a person praying for spiritual
matters should feel that he is hanging by his hands from a wall. A
person must pray as though he is about to die at any minute. Is it
possible for a person to live with the feeling that he will continue
to sin? Is it possible for him to make peace with that? Is it possible
to accept that? Certainly not! A person’s self-encouragement does
not mean that he tolerates the evil in his life. When a person clearly
understands that every blemish in his life is death, he cries out to
Hashem, heedless of anything else: “I am not ready to continue
sinning, I am not ready to waste my life in darkness. I am about
to drown! I do not want to die!” That is how the tzaddikim stood
and prayed insistently. The Holy One, blessed be He, wants you
to feel that you are in a state of emergency, and He wants you to
stand and make demands. The tsaddikim told their students to be
stubborn in prayer. How can a person be stubborn in prayer? Is he
permitted to obligate and test Hashem? The answer is yes (as has
been discussed at length).
Whom Are We Encouraging?
Rabbi Natan of Breslov wrote the most inspiring book in the
world, Likutei Tefillot, which is entirely based upon this path,
and he also wrote the most encouraging book in the world, Likutei
Halachot, which is entirely filled with awesome approaches to
encouraging every person. All of these words of encouragement
are aimed at strengthening a person who truly feels that every sin
that he commits is death and who is shattered by all of the evil in
him. Therefore, he requires 23 hours a day of encouragement and
joy in order to be able to stand before Hashem for one hour a day
and break his heart with all his might.
But if a person sins and is lustful, and he thinks that this is normal,
what kind of encouragement does he need? The encouragement
to continue sleeping away his life? In this regard, Rabbi Natan
described the type of person for whom he wrote Likutei Halachot:
I am not addressing a person who does not think about
his ultimate purpose, what his end will be when he is
lying on the earth, etc. (at the time of his death). Such 10
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a person to improve” (Eichah Rabbati). The Torah has the power to
subjugate the tremendous evil inclination that overwhelms a person
and prevents him from walking on the path of life. As our sages
said, “If this reprobate encounters you, drag him to the study hall”
(Kiddushin 30b). And they also quoted God as saying, “I created
the evil inclination, and I created the Torah as its antidote” (ibid.).
Thus, the greatest tool with which to conquer the evil inclination is
deep practical learning and review.
2. As a person engages in his daily learning of advice and practical
ideas, he will find that God’s wondrous individual providence will
provide him with the inspiration that he needs that day, so that he
may draw down heavenly assistance to help him overcome his evil
inclination.
3. This type of learning inspires a person to do the work of the will
seriously. Hashem created man in such a way that by nature he is
egotistical, self-interested and focused on his own benefit. Everyone
wants a good life, peace in the home, a decent income, health, and
goodness for his family. Everyone wants to be saved from troubles
and misfortune. And in spirituality, everyone wants to succeed in
learning Torah, in acquiring good traits, and in becoming a true,
holy and pure sage who has faith and who engages in prayer.
Therefore, when we are aware of the substantial benefits that
we will attain when we succeed and the losses that we will sustain
if we do not succeed, our human nature is aroused to want that
which will benefit and help us, and which will keep us far from
harmful and injurious elements. We are all familiar with our nature
embedded within us. We must direct it properly and use it for the
good.
In short: When a person is aware of the benefits of attaining his
goal and vice versa, his will to change is aroused, and he is thus
impelled to engage seriously in the work of the will.
4. Relatively few obstacles stand in the way of learning. Learning
is not especially hard and does not make unusual demands on a
person. Therefore, it is possible to regularly implement this advice,
which arouses the will.