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harm him at all. A person’s true danger in this world is to lose In practical terms, when a person attains true knowledge, he will “I have very much yearned to bring everyone to deed:
that knowledge of Hashem. Therefore, we must repeatedly plead entirely eradicate his every problem. As Rabbi Nachman teaches: that every individual should obligate himself to learn a
at length with Hashem, “Graciously give knowledge,” so that we “Know that all kinds of trouble and all sufferings are due only to a certain amount of material every day without exception,
will not lose this wonderful knowledge, which a is our highest person’s lack of knowledge, because a person who has knowledge and the like.”
protection. and knows that everything is under the providence of
Hashem, may He be blessed, does not suffer and does not [Rabbi Nachman] said that the power of the Torah is
The Just King feel any trouble…” (ibid. 2050). so great that it can liberate people from the sins to which

Therefore, in any trouble that you may have, anything that upsets they are habituated, heaven forbid—even people who are
Someone told me that recently he had been on trial on a very very far from holiness, people who have been trapped in
serious charge. He knew in his mind that there is none other than and disturbs you—any argument, conflict, falling out, entrapment, an evil snare until they are habituated to sin (heaven
conflict, worry, doubt, unclarity, anything at all!—put it into the
He and that the judge is only a puppet of Hashem, and so forth, blessing, “You Who graciously grant.” Engage in this at length, forbid, may the Compassionate One have mercy, may
but he nevertheless fell prey to great anxiety. He bolstered himself the Compassionate One save us). If they will make a
with faith, but he still felt afraid. Therefore, he understood that over and over and over again, keeping in mind that you wish to
know Hashem. Do not stop reciting the blessing until you feel that
this faith was not yet sufficiently integrated into his heart, and firm rule and a strong obligation to learn a certain
he was afraid that at the time of judgment, when he saw the judge you have received the knowledge to know what to do and that you amount of material every day, however they may
understand what Hashem is teaching you in this situation and how
and plaintiff before his eyes, he might become flustered and lose to find Hashem in what you are going through, and how you will be, they will certainly be able to emerge from their
his faith entirely. Therefore, before the judgment he spent two evil pitfall with the help of the Torah, because the
hours reciting the blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” emerge from this circumstance stronger, believing in Hashem more power of the Torah is very great.
and knowing Him more.
and every time he repeated the words, “Graciously give us from
Yourself…,” he thought and felt in his heart that he wishes to know To sum up, we have learned an iron-clad principle: unclear
that there is no other than He, and that only Hashem will determine The Sole Salvation awareness is equivalent to a weak will, and clear awareness
what the decree will be, because He is the King of judgment, the is equivalent to a strong will!
Judge of all the earth, and that the human judge and plaintiff are The complete redemption that will come in the messianic future
all puppets that cannot harm him and do him evil. And he pleaded will consist of the perfection of knowledge. As Rabbi Nachman Therefore, when you want to attain a specific goal, you
with Hashem to help him keep from losing this knowledge and to teaches, the entirety of the exile corresponds to a lack of knowledge must first of all engage in focused and high-quality learning
help him so that no other thought will enter his heart. Afterwards, (Likutei Moharan I 21). Therefore, in the messianic future, “The earth every day. That will lead you to clearly understand that
at the time of the judgment, he felt wondrously calm and settled. will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem like water covering the your entire life depends upon reaching that goal. This
He saw that Hashem heard his prayer and was helping him so that he sea” (Isaiah 11:9), and “No longer will one man teach his neighbor understanding will strengthen your intent and help you
was not perturbed by anything, but he only saw Hashem before his or his brother, saying, ‘Know Hashem,’ because everyone will know engage in the work of the will.
eyes at every moment. It goes without saying that he experienced Me, from their smallest to their greatest” (Jeremiah 31:33).
great salvations in this trial. The judge himself defended him, and
rebuked and reprimanded the plaintiff, and he was completely As I have explained, all of a person’s needs are encompassed in the
exonerated. blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge.” All of the blessings
in the Shemoneh Esrei are subsumed to that blessing, because in
all of them a person’s central intent is to attain knowledge, as I will
“Give Joy to the Soul of Your Servant” (Psalms 86:4)
now describe in detail.
That which was said about fears applies equally to other As an introductory observation, whenever in the Shemoneh
psychological problems suffered by people who are called Esrei we make a request such as “Save us,” “Be gracious to us”