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entreaties, requests and pleas that He have compassion heaven judges a person for not having wanted to be like Hillel. means to be righteous. He doesn’t wear a kippah, not to mention
on us and give us merit, and bring us close to Him in Even if he could not accomplish that, he was still able to want! the fact that he is totally alienated from all of the commandments.
His vast compassion, so that we will be privileged to He has no concept of the commandments of the Sabbath, nor
fulfill everything that is discussed in each teaching. May To Want the Entire Torah does he know how to put on tefillin. In addition, he is completely
we pour our speech forth before Hashem, may He be devoid of any good character traits. Viewed in his entirety, he is
blessed, regarding everything that is discussed there, A mishnah states, “This is the way of Torah: eat bread with a composite of evil habits, a being completely comprised of sins
and evil. Therefore, if he marries a woman on condition that he
asking Him that we may be privileged to apply these salt, drink water in measure, sleep upon the ground, live a life is righteous, that condition renders the marriage null and void,
[directives], realize and reach them completely. of suffering, and toil in Torah. If you do so, ‘You are fortunate, because there is no way that he can be called righteous. Clearly, this
and it is good for you’ (Psalms 128:2). You are fortunate in this
The entire will of the righteous is that we desire to realize all of world and it is good for you in the world-to-come” (Avot 6:4). This marriage has not taken place!
their elevated teachings, because the principal factor is not learning mishnah has a practical halachic ramification for every Jew. Even But what does the holy Gemara state? The holy Gemara looks at
these teachings but translating them into deed. If in actuality you if a person cannot live like this, he can aspire to do so. Therefore, the situation through Hashem’s eyes and views it differently than
cannot apply what is written there, then want and yearn until you he is obligated to want to live in accordance with this mishnah in we would. If this man marries the woman on condition that he is
merit to attain it. Our prayers to be able to implement Rabbi its simple meaning: that even if he had nothing, he would want to righteous, then even if he is completely wicked, the marriage is
Nachman’s teachings are so elevated that Rabbi Nachman said that dedicate himself entirely to Torah. valid (at least, provisionally), because it is possible that he had a
they cause great delight in heaven, a delight that had never before thought of repentance.
arisen before Hashem. A person should have the same approach to the entire Torah
and to all of the statements of our sages that initially appear to be Because we cannot look into a person’s mind and heart, we cannot
This is very problematical: why do these prayers result in such beyond him. Do not think that a requirement is too much for you. know whether he really had a thought of repentance. Therefore,
great delights? The person reciting them did not actually do Do not say that it is not meant for you. Even if you cannot live this the law is that the woman is provisionally married to him. But if
anything. He only wanted and yearned. This proves clearly that a way, you can want to. And if you want to, heaven will view you Elijah the prophet would come and confirm that he indeed had a
person’s will and yearning constitute the essential factor that heaven and judge you as such. thought of repentance, then the marriage would be completely
desires. Even if in actuality he is still very far from what he wants, valid—even if this man had no concept of what it means to be
his prayers on these teachings, which express his desires, create the That is how you must relate to every Torah lesson that you hear righteous and what being righteous requires of him.
essence of delights in heaven that had never before arisen. and to every text that you read. When you learn about something
that you understand to be Hashem’s will, do not focus on whether
When Rabbi Nachman told his students how to turn his teachings or not you can live that way, but first of all desire it! One Small Intent
into prayers, he used the example of the fifth teaching in Likutei
Moharan. This is a very elevated teaching in which Rabbi Nachman That is the meaning of Rabbi Nachman’s request that people What is the meaning of the statement that the man “had a
tells that a person can know whether or not a judgment has been “make prayers of his teachings”—i.e., a person should want and thought of repentance”? That means that from this moment on he
decreed in heaven, and he discusses other extremely awesome levels pray to be able to fulfill everything that he learns about, even if he wants to live in conformity with Hashem’s will. If he has one such
of awareness. His students told him, “We do not need to pray for knows that it is far beyond him. As Rabbi Natan explains (from the thought, he is considered righteous. From this, we must conclude
this now, because we are very far from this level.” When they introduction to Likutei Tefillot): that heaven judges a person for his will. In consequence of this
looked at this accomplishment and saw how far it is beyond them, man’s good will, he is no longer in the category of a completely
they abandoned their will to attain it! Rabbi Nachman told them, Let us be strong with all our might to guard, do and wicked person. Rather, at this moment heaven considers him to be
“Read the teaching to me.” They read: “‘Every person must say: keep everything that is stated in every teaching [of Rabbi righteous.
The entire world was created only for me’ (Sanhedrin 37a). Thus, Nachman]. Let us consider our ways: how far we are
since the world was created for me, I must constantly concern from all of these matters mentioned in every teaching. And this is the halachah as codified in the Shulchan Aruch
myself with and focus on the rectification of the world, and on Let us pray and petition Hashem with a multitude of (Shulchan Aruch: Even Ha’ezer 38:31). The Shulchan Aruch