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or “Redeem us,” we must bear in mind that we want to receive They Will Not Be Able to Harm Me The Three-Plied Cord
knowledge. All of our requests, outcries and pleas are basically
one: to attain knowledge. What do we need to be saved from? A person’s awareness that “there is no other than He” removes all The simple meaning of the word nefesh is a person’s lifeforce. But
We need to be saved from egotism. That is because egotism is of his fears—not only fears and worries resulting from dreams and nefesh can also mean “will” and “prayer.”
the absolute opposite of knowledge. Knowledge means that we delusions, but even fear of actual dangers. For instance, if a person
know that there is no other than He, whereas egotism is a person’s who is standing trial on a serious charge has perfect knowledge, he We find nefesh in the sense of “will” in the words of Abraham to
foolish and false feeling that he is a something: “I and no other” will be unafraid and unworried, because he knows that the judge the Hittites: “If it is acceptable to your nefesh that I bury my dead
(Isaiah 47:8). Therefore, in our every request for salvation, we must and the plaintiff are only puppets, and that he is solely in the hands before me” (Genesis 23:8), meaning, “If you want to help me bury
plead to be saved from egotism and instead experience ourselves as of Hashem, Who will do him only good. With the power of this my wife.” Rashi there defines “your nefesh” as “your will.” And in
nothingness, knowing that there is no other than He and that there knowledge, a person can remove all judgments, as is famously the verse, “My nefesh is not for this nation” (Jeremiah 15:1), Rashi
is no “I.” When we experience our nothingness and know that taught in Nefesh Hachaim (Gate 3, Chapter 12): explains this to mean “my will.”
there is no other than He, that itself is redemption!
The following is truly a great matter and a wonderful And we find nefesh in the sense of “prayer” in the words of
The Beginning of Knowledge regimen with which a person can remove and nullify Hannah: “I poured out my nefesh before Hashem” (Samuel I 1:15)
all judgments and other wills against him, so that they and Rashi explains: “What is nefesh? That is prayer” (Berachot 8b).
The first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei, “Shield of Abraham,” will not be able to control him and they will make no
relates to knowledge in its entirety. Before we make any request, impression on him. Both will and prayer are called nefesh because they are equal
we must first praise Hashem. We must stand before Him and know in their character and quality. The will constitutes the character
and lifeforce of prayer. Therefore, the Ralbag comments on this
that He is the sole and supernal power, “the great, the mighty and He must realize firmly in his heart: “Hashem is the true
the awesome.” In this blessing, we make mention of the patriarchs, God and there is no power at all other than He in this verse: “This means that she prayed to express all of her will
who knew Hashem and made His name known in the world. world and all other worlds, and everything is filled solely to Hashem.”
Redemption is knowledge (as noted earlier). Therefore, when you with His simple oneness, may His name be blessed.” The Nefesh Hachaim adds an original and inspiring comment
say the words, “Bring a redeemer to the children of their children,” on this verse, linking the quality of a person’s prayer to the purity
have in mind that the Holy One, blessed be He, will illuminate us In his heart, he must nullify completely and ignore of his will (Gate 2, Chapter 15): “[Hannah] poured forth all of her
with knowledge in the merit of the patriarchs. And when you ask nefesh in her prayer before Him, may He be blessed. Therefore,
Hashem to bring a redeemer “for the sake of His name,” have in completely any other power and will in the world, and she said, ‘I poured out my nefesh….’ The phrase ‘pouring out’
mind that His name will be revealed. “His name” is the knowledge subjugate his pure thought and cling in the purity of his means to pour out entirely (as is known from the Gemara). This
that Hashem is one and His name is one. When Hashem’s name is thought only to the singular Master, blessed be He. indicates that she no longer had any will for this-worldly
revealed, all people in the world will know and recognize Him.
Then [Hashem], may He be blessed, will satisfy him matters, because nefesh means ‘will,’ as in the verse: ‘That which
In the second blessing, “He Who gives life to the dead,” in the and nullify all other powers and intents in the world your nefesh says, I will do for you’ (Samuel I 20:4), and the general
words “boundlessly saving” and “causes salvation to sprout,” bear before him, so that they will not be able to do anything will is connected to the entirety of the nefesh.”
in mind that Hashem will save us from all heresy and egotism, and at all to him. Incidentally, it is possible to infer from the three-fold connection
we will attain knowledge. In this blessing, we affirm that Hashem of lifeforce, will and prayer—which are all called nefesh—that a
“supports the fallen,” “heals the ill,” and “frees the imprisoned.” Amazing stories are told about Jews who kept this advice and person’s prayer spoken with will generates a corresponding amount
All of this comes about when we have knowledge, because (as was experienced supernatural miracles, rescues and salvations from of lifeforce. This sheds light on Rabbi Nachman’s statement that
previously explained), all imperfections exist because of a lack of terrible dangers. At any rate, we see from these holy words that “we receive the essence of [our] lifeforce from prayer” (Likutei
knowledge. The revival of the dead itself comes about by means of when a person truly knows Hashem and knows that there is none Moharan I 9 and also 2). This is because lifeforce is drawn to a person
knowledge. As Rabbi Nachman teaches, “The essence of eternal life else but He, he nullifies all powers in the world, and they cannot in accordance with his will. As the verse states: “You give everyone