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fullness of life in accordance with [his] will” (Psalms 145:16). A problems is to spend a long amount of time on the blessing, will occur in the messianic future because of knowledge. Knowledge
person’s lifeforce is drawn to him in accordance with his intentions “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” because the root of all will increase and everyone will know Hashem. As a result of that
and his prayer, because these two constitute the essence of his psychological problems is a lack of knowledge. This is clear and self- knowledge, they will be absorbed into His oneness, and they will
nefesh. evident. However, it may be understood on a deeper level. What is live eternal life as He does, because by means of knowledge we are
that deeper level? To know Hashem means to attain complete faith, included in Him. As the wise man stated: ‘If I would know Him,
“The Patriarchs Instituted the Prayers” and Rabbi Nachman says that the soul and faith correspond to each I would be Him’” (Likutei Moharan I 21). And so life corresponds
other (Likutei Moharan I 173). Thus, every flaw in the soul is a flaw in to wisdom (which is related to knowledge). As the verse states,
Rabbi Nachman writes: “Know that the essential way to bond faith. When a person recites the blessing, “He Who graciously gives “Wisdom gives life to those who possess it” (Ecclesiastes 7:12).
with and cling to Hashem, may He be blessed, is with prayer. knowledge” at length and intends to know Hashem, he rectifies and
The third blessing, “He Who is holy,” alludes to knowledge,
Prayer is the gate through which we come to Hashem, may He be fulfills his faith. Accordingly, he rectifies and heals his soul. insofar as the kabbalah refers to mochin—i.e., wisdom,
blessed, and from there we know Him” (Likutei Moharan II 84). The There are many people who, although they are not categorized understanding and knowledge—as “holy.” As Rabbi Nachman
essence of our bond—i.e., our clinging—to Hashem is our will. The
essence of bonding is love and desire. What binds two friends who as being psychologically ill, nevertheless suffer greatly from teaches, “The level of supernal wisdom corresponds to the level
intense psychological problems. Anxieties, worries and fears are
of the Holy of Holies, because intellect is called holiness” (Likutei
love each other? It is their will, which inheres in their hearts and not 11
in their words. If a person expresses words of closeness and bonding psychological diseases that affect many people on various levels. Moharan I 61 and et al.). Therefore, the Gemara teaches that holiness
Many people live with a feeling that something bad is going to
is connected to knowledge: “Why was the blessing requesting
to someone else but his heart is absent, not only does his speech happen to them or to those dear to them—whether illness, accident understanding placed directly after the blessing requesting holiness?
fail to bind them together but it separates and disconnects them.
Related to this, Rabbi Natan teaches: “Abraham corresponds to or terrorist attack. Sometimes these feelings are so severe that they It is because the verse states, ‘They will sanctify the Holy One
lead to night terrors and paralysis. But even people who suffer
of Jacob and revere the God of Israel’ (Isaiah 29:23), followed
kindness, which is love, yearning, bonding and clinging to Hashem,
may He be blessed. The entire level of Abraham corresponds to from low-grade anxiety suffer significantly from worries that bore immediately by ‘and those erring in spirit will know understanding’
through their minds for hours at a time.
(ibid. 24)” (Megillah 17b).
kindness and love. This is because Abraham was the first person
to begin to engage in prayer completely and to draw the way of A person who has knowledge and knows that there is no other
prayer into the world” (Likutei Halachot: Tefillah 5:2). than He is not afraid of anyone or anything in the world. A person “Who Knows if He Will Return and Reconsider” (Joel
who knows that Hashem is only good and does good is not afraid 2:14)
Therefore, the essence of a person’s inspiration and the beginning
of his prayer result from his desire, yearning, love and pining that something bad will happen to him, because there is no evil in The fourth blessing, as discussed at length above, is “He Who
for Hashem, because his will is the heart of his prayer. That is the world. Therefore, a person who suffers from fears, even slightly, graciously gives knowledge.”
must recite the prayer of “He Who graciously gives knowledge” at
alluded to in our sages’ words that “the patriarchs instituted the length and ask Hashem for knowledge. He must review the words
prayers” (Berachot 26b). The Hebrew word for “patriarchs,” avot, The fifth blessing, “He Who desires repentance” is entirely
is related to the word avah, “desire.” That alludes to the will, as many times and know that there is no other than He, and that there about knowledge. As the Gemara states: “Why was the blessing
is no evil in the world. He must know that there is no independent
in the verse, “Hashem your God did not desire—avah—to listen requesting repentance placed directly after the blessing requesting
to Balaam” (Deuteronomy 23:6) and in “You desired—avita—praise reality in the world and that no one in the world can harm him, understanding? It is because the verse states, ‘When his heart will
because he is solely in Hashem’s hands. Because he currently
from clumps of dust” (Yomim Noraim Machzor). Thus, Rabbi Tzadok lacks this knowledge, he must recite “He Who graciously gives understand, he will repent and be healed’” (ibid. 29:10). Therefore,
Hacohen teaches that the essence of the superior quality of the repentance depends on the blessing of “He Who graciously gives
patriarchs was due to their strong will: “The patriarchs are called knowledge” a great deal and at length to complete his knowledge, knowledge.” In order to repent, a person needs knowledge. And his
so that all of his fears will leave him.
eitanim (Rosh Hashanah 11a). I have heard that this word means repentance is itself a return to knowledge, because all distance from
‘stubborn.’ This means that they had a powerful desire burning Hashem is distance from knowledge, and when a person repents he
like fire, which would not be quiet and rest until it would returns to know Hashem. Therefore, in this blessing, we request,
be fulfilled” (Tzidkat Hatzaddik 248). “Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah,” and not “Teach