Page 56 - 20780

2

Chapter Two: | 49 56 | A New Light Chapter Two: | 41

sick; I didn’t have a study partner; I had no one to help me,” and that he undergoes every day and hour. And in keeping with what that a person cannot attain, even though he wants them. A person
so forth and so on. They will tell him: “Everything you say is true, we have learned in this chapter—that the essence of that judgment can be thwarted even when he very much desires something.
but we do not accept any of these excuses, because they are not concerns a person’s will—we see that a person’s intent determines
the real reason that you did not succeed. You did not succeed, you what kind of life he will live in this world: a life of comfort or of The Imrei Emet goes on to teach that we may justify the Chida’s
did not accomplish, and you did not prevail for one reason only: suffering, a life of frustration and bitterness or of joy, a life of statement by interpreting the phrase, “nothing can withstand
because you did not want to! ‘I can’t’ means ‘I don’t want to,’ feeling bad or of feeling good. [a person’s] will” as meaning that there is nothing that can
because a person who wants does.” prevent a person from exercising his will. This statement does
Thus, a person’s intent directly determines how his life will not claim that a person can attain everything that he wants, but
A person must constantly remind himself: “What a person does appear to him and how he will experience everything that he that although it is possible to prevent a person from exercising his
expresses who he is.” Think about this and consider it well: when must go through in this world. On the other hand, his intent is his will, it is not possible to prevent him from wanting, because his will
you want to do something, you are able to do it. If something most extraordinary tool to sweeten any judgments against him. If is free. A person can have many reasons and explanations for why
is important to you, you find the time, energy and ability for it. a person feels all sorts of depression and experiences unpleasant he did not succeed in life, but he cannot have any reason for why
From this, you may realize that with the help of a strong will you incidents or various kinds of troubles and problems, that indicates he did not want to succeed, because nothing can stand before the
can reach high attainments in your life. Consider your ways and that judgments are resting upon him. And that is because when will, oppose it or block it, because the power of will is always free.
deeds, consider your life, and you will see that you can reach every heaven recently judged him, he did not emerge innocent. If he
goal. Seeing this, you will realize that everything that you do in strengthens his good intentions to align himself with Hashem’s will, Thus, a person’s will is the only thing that is always completely
life is precisely what you want to do, because if you truly wanted heaven will consider him as being righteous, and in his coming free. A person cannot always change things in reality. But his free
something else, you would have reached another place in your judgment heaven will judge him positively. That will then manifest will is the force that motivates him to attain all goodness and serve
life. Your personal circumstances are irrelevant. The principal—the itself in his experiencing everything as easy and pleasant, with joy Hashem in all ways (as we shall explain). Therefore, first of all,
sole—factor is your will. Therefore, the first question that a person and a good feeling. exercise your will! It is true that the practical consequences will not
will be asked in heaven is about his will. The principal judgment be immediate, but the change in your will is immediate, and so you
will be in regard to his will. That is the simple meaning of Rabbi An Illustration are already considered as though you have acted, and you already
Nachman’s statement that “what a person wants, he does.” grasp the principal factor, which is the exercise of your will. And
that principal factor is always available to you. Even if you have
The principle that Hashem judges a person in accordance with
I have discussed this principle at length in order to inspire you to difficult, insuperable obstacles, your will is always free.
utilize your abilities. In most cases, when a person applies even a his will is based upon the axiom that was earlier discussed: that a
person always has free choice, and the essence of that free choice
little bit of will, he finds solutions to every obstacle and difficulty, lies in his will. Therefore, a person is judged for his will. I will Moreover, even if in actuality you cannot accomplish something
and he receives the strength and energy to do everything he needs or change a situation, you can always exercise your will. A person’s
to do. But sometimes a person faces obstacles that he absolutely illustrate these axioms in the following story to make them easier to will is so free that even if a loaded gun is pointed at him and he is
understand, and with that I will bring this chapter to a close.
cannot overcome, and in such a case his excuses are completely told, “Do not want,” and he says the words, “I do not want,” in his
justified. In heaven, he will be told that everything that he claims Due to a state of emergency, the rabbinic leaders of the generation heart, he can want without cease. This intention in his heart is the
is true, and that he really did face overwhelming obstacles. But in met and issued a proclamation calling upon the public to gather essence of his free will, because his will is an inner matter that no
the same breath, they will ask him: “But why didn’t you want? It together for a mass prayer meeting. All of the community rabbis, one else can touch. It is in his hands alone. Further on, this book
is true that you could not actually accomplish. But you were able leaders and heads of yeshivas told their congregants and students to will discuss how we can always move from the exercise of the will to
to want—so why didn’t you? If you would have only wanted, you participate. They said that every individual was absolutely obligated actual change. But first we must clearly understand that everything
would have been helped, because ‘in the way that a person wishes to heed the words of the sages, the leaders of the generation, and begins with will.
to go, he is led.’ If you had only strengthened yourself to want— to participate in praying on behalf of the public, and that no one
and you certainly could always have done that—heaven would have had the right to separate himself and stand off to the side.
guided you. You would have seen and found a great many paths