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is not a book of piety. It is not a book of inspiration, ethics or whether he wanted to act like Hillel, leading a life restoring what is lacking in the world and on praying on people’s
encouragement. It is a book of law whose ruling in this matter of suffering! behalf.” Rabbi Nachman silenced them and said: “Don’t your ears
determines whether the woman is considered married. And this has hear what your mouth is saying? … This teaches that every person
implications for questions of her subsequent divorce and marriage. Let us understand this in contemporary terms. Hillel the Elder is obligated to say that the entire world was created only for him.
If this woman will want to marry someone else, she will first require earned the equivalent of about 15 modern Israeli shekels for a If so, every person is under an obligation from which he cannot
a bill of divorce. That means that the halachah determines that day of work (about $5.00). He paid the study hall guardian seven excuse himself….” His intent was to tell them, “Even if you cannot
a person’s resolve to repent transforms him into a righteous and a half shekels to enter the study hall. He spent five shekels do something, you are obligated to want, yearn and pray for it.”
person! The commentators add, “Even if the items that this man on bread for his family, and he set aside two and a half shekels Thus, the entire intent of his words was to arouse a person to want.
stole are still in his possession, and he is not said to have repented for Sabbaths and holidays, when he didn’t work. That is to say,
until—[metaphorically speaking]—he casts the unclean creature Hillel afflicted himself and lived a life of want and penury that To Enter the Garden of Eden with Intent
from his hand, nevertheless, since he has resolved in his mind to is completely unimaginable to us. Although he was famished, he
return [what he stole], he is called righteous…” (Chelkat Mechokek). dedicated himself completely, devoting his time and energy, to In this way, we may understand the words of Rabbi Natan of
In other words, although according to the halachic parameters this learn Torah, giving half of his meager salary to enter the study hall. Breslov, who said that because of his Likutei Tefillot many people
man’s repentance is not considered complete until he will rectify were privileged to enter the Garden of Eden (Siach Sarfei Kodesh
his misdeeds, nevertheless, because he made a mental commitment That being the case, the Gemara’s statement that by his example I 397). That is because Likutei Tefillot is filled with awesome
to repent, heaven already judges, views and considers him to be Hillel obligates all poor people to undergo judgment is hard to prayers that express yearning and longing. There is no mitzvah or
righteous! understand. How could heaven challenge anyone, “Why weren’t any topic related to serving Hashem about which this book does
you like Hillel”? Could an ordinary person withstand and survive
This means that heaven knows that it takes time for a person such a reality? Is this what Hashem demands of every poor person— not contain wondrous prayers. When a person is able to recite
many entreaties and he fortifies his intent regarding every holy
to rectify his deeds. But heaven tells him, “Although you have in fact, of everyone? Why are all of the poor obligated halachically matter, heaven views him in accordance with his intent and not in
not yet completely rectified your deeds, you wish to. Therefore, for not having emulated Hillel, when what he did is reserved for
we already judge you favorably in accordance with your intent.” the elite of the elite? Who could live like this: to work at such accordance with the outcome, because that is the entirety of how
heaven judges a person. Therefore, when a person regularly recites
Heaven judges a person favorably in accordance with his intent, backbreaking labor and endure such poverty? Would someone who Likutei Tefillot, he is privileged to enter the Garden of Eden.
even if in actuality he cannot immediately rectify his misdeeds. lives like this have the time, will and presence of mind to think
Therefore, you must have the intent to rectify everything, even if about learning Torah, and in addition spend half of his income This explains another statement of Rabbi Natan about Likutei
you cannot actually do so. on his learning? If a man were to do so in our generation, his Tefillot: that since the publication of these prayers, people will
wife would throw him out of the house. That being the case, how have to give an account for every day that they do not recite them
A person can offer excuses for all of his failures: he did not will heaven make a demand of the poor that there is no way to
perform a mitzvah because his father kept him from doing so; he comprehend and, moreover, no way to attain? And so, the author (ibid. 395). This is problematical. Where do we find a requirement
in the Torah to recite the prayers in Likutei Tefillot? Does Rabbi
did not reach a certain spiritual level because his wife held him of the Tanya offers a frightening answer: the poor will not be Natan have the authority to add a mitzvah to the Torah? But this
back; he did not rectify his desires because he was too busy raising condemned because they did not act like Hillel, but because may be understood in light of the words of the Shulchan Aruch
his family and earning a living; or he was ill, or he didn’t have any they did not want to be like Hillel. A person is not judged on his Harav quoted earlier, which indicate that a person is judged for
money—and a long list of justifications of every description. But deeds and attainments but on his will.
he cannot claim that he was unable to want. A person can always his intent. A person will be told in heaven, “It is true that you
could not serve Hashem fully. But if you had recited Rabbi Natan’s
want. Therefore, heaven judges him in accordance with his will. Shulchan Aruch Harav is not a book of ethics dealing with prayers, you would have yearned for Torah, for prayer, for joy, for
elevated qualities, piety and purity, but a manual of halachah that giving charity, and for keeping every mitzvah.” In accordance with
“I Can’t” and “I Don’t Want To” dictates how we must act. This passage appears in black on white in this, heaven will judge him: “Why you didn’t want these things?”
a book of practical halachah and with straightforward words: that
Everything depends on a person’s will. The principal factor is the
Similarly, we see in everyday life that a person can accomplish