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What is the solution to all of this? The solution is to engage at length “normal.” Many people suffer nervousness, depression, emptiness, is the equivalent of “want.” And the Aramaic word ba’ei means
in reciting the blessing of “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” self-deprecation and self-blame. Their healing regimen is to engage both “beseech” and “need.” This is because a person beseeches
knowing that there is no other than He. A person who knows that at length in the blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” to Hashem to attain what he needs. A person who needs something
there is no other than He will not feel insulted by people, because repeat it over and over again, and to have in mind that they wish wants it and seeks it. Therefore, it is much easier for a person to
he sees that there are no people. When Shim’i ben Geira cursed to know that there is no other than He, and that a human being is have intent when he recites the blessing asking for health than when
King David fiercely, King David was not insulted and affronted, but no entity at all. he recites the blessing asking for the return of our judges, because
said: “He curses because Hashem told him, ‘Curse David.’ And we all need and want healing, but unfortunately we do not feel as
who will say, ‘Why have you done so?’” (Samuel II 16:10). At that A person who is aware of his own nothingness does not blame strongly that we need to be judged by righteousness men and that
moment, in the merit of this tremendous faith, King David became himself for his failures, because he knows that they all come from we need to live under the reign of Hashem. As a result, we do not
the fourth leg of the heavenly chariot! When a person possesses Hashem for his own good. He must pray to truly know that he must truly want that, and so we only read that blessing without will.
knowledge, not only does he not feel humiliated by people, but he use his free choice to rejoice in his portion in the past and present, And that is not called beseeching and prayer, because beseeching
receives wonderful spiritual gifts from every insult and provocation. and to strengthen himself with positive intentions for the future. He requires will.
must be happy despite his failures and descents, accepting them as
The Key to All Salvations his portion, and he must set aside time to ask Hashem to help him When we beseech Hashem to grant us matters that are close
from this moment onward. to our hearts—such as health and a decent income—we have a
strong will, because who does not want to be healed and to receive
You have reached the blessing, “He Who graciously gives Many people are consumed by unhealthy amounts of hatred
knowledge.” You have reached your healing! This blessing contains and jealousy. Their healing regimen must be to engage at length in income and blessing? However, even then our will is lacking in
the healing of the soul for any problem. With this, you eradicate reciting the blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” bearing our recital of the blessings. It is true that we all want health and
income. But where is this will at the time that we are praying? Do
your every fear, overcome every heavenly decree of suffering in mind that they wish to know Hashem and to know that Hashem
and all depression, and you begin to live a good and sweet life. is only good, does good, supervises a person and gives him exactly we actually want this at the time that we say the words? If not, our
will is one thing and our recital of the words another. We allow
When you attain the healing of the soul, you attain true joy. And what he needs. As you engage at length in the blessing of “He Who our natural desire for health to remain in our hearts as we make
when you have joy, you attain healing of the body. This blessing graciously gives knowledge,” have in mind that you wish to possess
contains the key to every type of salvation. Even finding one’s the knowledge that you receive everything you need from Hashem. our requests in prayer only with our mouths, so that there is no
connection between our will and the words that we speak. That is
spouse and having children depends on knowledge. As Rabbi
Nachman teaches: “The essence of birth comes about by means of not called prayer but reading.
knowledge…. When a person attains complete knowledge, he has To Receive Gifts As stated earlier, words of prayer are vessels with which to
children” (Likutei Moharan II 89). receive abundance. Each word constitutes a vessel, and many words
Many people suffer greatly from the sense that they are an object
So too, raising and educating children depends on a great deal of universal scorn. It goes without saying that they cannot accept constitute many vessels. Abundance descends from above without
of knowledge. Many times, parents have problems educating their criticism. Any critique tears them apart. They will brood on it for cease, and the more vessels a person has, the more abundance he
receives. But when is a word a vessel? Only when it is a word of
children because the parents lack knowledge—in consequence of hours on end, feeling stabbed in the heart. These hypersensitive
which they destroy their children with their own hands. Therefore, people suffer enormously. For days, even weeks and months, they prayer—not when it is a word of reading. Rabbi Yehudah Halevi
calls prayer without intent “the chirping of the starling.” That is
regarding every problem you have with your children, ask Hashem are hurt and wounded, and they cannot free themselves of these not prayer. It is only sounds, only chirping. Such words do not
to give you the knowledge to act in the way of Torah and faith. feelings. Many times, they are stung by something insignificant, or
Ask to receive knowledge on how on how to relate to your children they only imagine that people insulted them or maltreated them. constitute a vessel to receive abundance. A vessel means that a
person wants something. When he wants something, heaven will
properly. And pray that your child will receive the knowledge that Often, they understand intellectually that no one intended to
he needs so that he will keep away from bad friends and other evil disrespect them or that there was some sort of misunderstanding, give it to him. If a person speaks without wanting, that is a sign that
he does not want, and therefore that he does not need.
influences, and so that he will want things that are good for him, yet they still cannot free themselves from feeling abused.
such as Torah and prayer. Thus, a person’s prayer and beseeching mean that he binds

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