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work of the will is called “learning for its own sake,” because it is a person is just like an animal. Rather, I composed my
literally learning in order to know and implement Hashem’s will. book for a person who thinks deeply about what his end
will be, a person whose heart yearns and longs deeply to
The Vilna Gaon learned Mesillat Yesharim 101 times, and serve Hashem, may He be blessed, a person who knows
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov learned Reishit Chochmah “endless what overwhelming [tests] he will face (as we know).
times” (Shivchei Haran 7). That raises a question: presumably these
great Torah masters and geniuses knew the books clearly and It is this type of person whom my words are meant to
learned them by heart the first time they learned them. So why encourage and strengthen (Kochavei Ohr).
did they learn them so many times? The reason is that they wanted
to integrate that learning into their hearts and arouse their will, A person who senses the danger he is in requires a great
because the purpose of learning ethical literature is not to gain deal of encouragement.
knowledge but to build the will and fully acquire what one learns.
And here is a quote from another source about strong prayer for
If such giants learned a book hundreds of times in order to master spiritual goals that is immediately and wondrously effective (Beit
it, how much more must people of scant worth such as ourselves Avraham: Tetzaveh):
review our learning again and again with fervor and enthusiasm
until the material enters our hearts, arouses our will and brings “Command the children of Israel…” (Exodus 27:20). The
about its proper effect. Hebrew word for “command,” tetzaveh, is the acronym
of the phrase, tza’akat hadal takshiv vetoshe’a—“the
It is important to learn with enthusiasm, but it is even more outcry of the poor You heed and You save” (Siddur:
important to learn with unwavering regularity. Therefore, even if Nishmat Kol Chai). We learn (Zohar III 195a) that there are
on a certain day you have no free time and your mind is unsettled, three types of prayer: “a prayer of Moses,” “a prayer
so that you cannot learn in depth and with enthusiasm, do not of David” and “a prayer of the poor person.” Of these
abandon your learning entirely. Instead, show yourself that it is three, the greatest is “a prayer of the poor person.” His
possible to learn at least a few lines of text, even if you read them heart is broken within him because there is no heart as
hastily and superficially. The main thing is to keep up the regular
flow of daily learning so as not to allow your good will to cool off broken as the heart of a poor person. Therefore, the
entirely, heaven forbid. Holy One, blessed be He, accepts the outcry of the poor
person, takes heed of him and saves him.
Good Points of Learning
The holy rabbi, the author of Yesod Ha’olam, may
his merit protect us, said that in the phrase, “the outcry
Every resolution and good decision you make is very good. But
the most useful resolution to enhance your knowledge and arouse of the poor,” the word used for “poor” is dal. Dal can
your will is to engage in daily learning about the topic that you are also mean “to lift up,” as in the phrase, “My eyes were
working to acquire. Why is that learning so important and decisive lifted (dalu) to the heights” (Isaiah 38:14).
in the work of the will?
That means that when a Jew asks and pleads with
1. That learning is very effective because “the power of the the Holy One, blessed be He, “Raise me from my
Torah is very great” (Sichot Haran 19) and “the light within it causes

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