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for holiness, learning Torah, giving thanks, singing in joy, and must be a pillar of Torah, prayer and kindness. Why, then, is this testifies that the entire generation—with the exception of Caleb and
more. You will find your every good intent within the psalms, and in actuality solely the level and inheritance of an elite few? The Joshua—needed to be reincarnated. That means that they did not
you will awaken that good intent as you recite them. That is the reason is not because it is hard to attain this; the reason is that only reach the ultimate level and rectification. And even a person who
central element of reciting psalms: to relate them to yourself and a few people know about the importance of the work of the will. does not understand about the rectifications of souls can understand
interpret all of King David’s battles in regard to your own personal Therefore, only a few work upon this most central and elevated from the Ari’s holy words that the people of that generation did
war, which is the war against the evil inclination and its battalions level. I call this “the secret of life” because only a few know of it. not attain their rectification—because if they had, the redemption
(Likutei Moharan II 125). Therefore, Rabbi Nachman tells that he would have come to them: Moses would have entered the land and
himself “would at times recite only the verses of psalms that express Therefore, we must be aware that the essential virtue of reciting built the Temple, and the entire world would have been rectified.
entreaties, requests and outcries to Hashem, may He be blessed. prayer and psalms and of visiting the gravesites of the tzaddikim is
He would recite only those verses and not the rest. He would recite that they all comprise golden opportunities for the work of will. But not only did they not attain their rectification, but they fell
all of these verses of the entire book of Psalms in one session” That is the time when the great King, the King of the world, invites to the most terrible behavior, to the lowest depths. If you open the
(Shivchei Haran 10). In this way, the recitation of psalms is not mere you to the house of His hidden treasures, and you may take as Chumash you will discover, to your chagrin, shameful behavior:
reading, but an awesome service of the will that purifies a person much as you want. “As much as you want” can be read to mean: complaints, weeping, the sin of the golden calf, the sin of those
and washes away his evil so that he truly attains repentance! in accordance with how much you want. You take an amount that who lusted after meat, the complainers, the sin of the spies, the
corresponds to how many times you repeat and verbally express rebellion of Korach and his company—always a new instance of
If we are already reciting psalms, it is a pity to do so only with your intentions. Every time you express your will, you receive some small-mindedness, some heresy, some accusation, some
our mouths and without the work of the heart and will. Such an redemption. We must be wise and utilize opportunities for proper ingratitude, some insolence—as though they were seeking excuses
approach is why people learn Torah for years and do not change, service, and certainly not waste them on nonsense. to fight with Hashem and with Moses His servant. And this was true
recite the book of Psalms thousands of times and do not change, not only of the people on the margins—the mixed multitude—but
recite the prayers in the siddur day after day and do not change, The work of the will is not difficult. “The matter is very close the greatest among them, including the heads of the courts. What
and visit the gravesites of tzaddikim and do not change. They could to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it” (Deuteronomy was going on?
live alongside the gravesites of tzaddikim for 50 years and yet still 30:14). A person must have intention in his heart and express that
possess all of their evil traits, without having lost a single gram. intention with his mouth, in his own words. Everyone can do this. Fill Your Mind with Good
But corresponding to the importance of what is an easy and simple
To Open the Gates service, a person’s evil inclination does everything to hide this This leads to one conclusion: the simple truth that must penetrate
wondrous thing from him. Therefore, the will remains a secret to every person’s awareness: that without engaging in personal work,
the majority of people in the world. Even for those who know that
I am not speaking about the virtues and importance of learning the central factor is the will, how to apply it remains a secret, and we do not change. Miracles do not change a person. The revelation
the Torah or about the virtues and importance of traveling to the so they remain far from doing so. How do we reveal this secret? of the Shechinah does not change a person, nor does learning
gravesites of tzaddikim and reciting psalms. Certainly, “fortunate Torah for decades in the presence of the greatest tzaddik. Even
is the person who grew up with the Torah and who toils in the How do we open the gate to the great treasure that is the will? seeing and hearing Hashem does not change a person. The sole
Torah” (Berachot 7a); fortunate is the person who travels to the element that brings about change is personal work. Without that,
holy gravesites; and fortunate is the person who fulfills even one Invest a Little and You Will Receive without End we cannot change. And without work, not only do people not
mitzvah or does anything that has to do with serving Hashem, even change, but they are in immense danger of falling ever lower until
if he does it on the lowest level. Regarding any of this, he will be Precious children of Israel, open your hearts so that the great they are beyond the possibility of being saved, beyond the ability
rewarded, because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not deprive secret may be revealed to you. There is a simple exercise that has to make a meaningful choice, because true choice depends on a
anyone of his reward (Bava Kama 38b). But a Jew has a goal, our life the power to place the greatest power in the world—the power person doing the work of the will. Therefore, even a person whose
in this world has a goal, and the holy Torah has a goal. Every Jew of the will—in your hand. That is not my personal insight. This profession is Torah, a person who meditates in the Torah day and
must become a fiery flame of holiness and faith; every Jew must has been the way of all the tzaddikim, who reached awesome, night, must dedicate time to the work of the will. If he does not
be clean and entirely pure of all cravings and bad traits; every Jew transcendent levels with the power of their will.