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Progress in Life Manna. Their Torah was their profession. They all learned Torah Every individual is obligated to dedicate at least half an
straight from the source, at the peak of spirituality, at the apex of hour every day to the work of the will!
A person who is not busy earning a living but who devotes the revelation of the Shechinah. Not for day or two days or ten
most of his time to learning Torah is apparently free of physical years, but for 40 years! 600,000 scholars who were the elite of Everyone is filled with good intentions, but not everyone succeeds
preoccupations, and thus free to work on rectifying himself and the elite. Do you know anyone who learns in this way, in such in actualizing what he wants. When a person’s will remains in his
doing spiritual work. But practically speaking, if he does not devote conditions and on such a level? heart, it is very weak, and a person can only attain small things
special time to the work of the will, he will not attain a true and with it. The heart is alive and dynamic. It does not stay still, but it
firm intent, and therefore he will not see tangible results. Even And if that were not enough, they witnessed miracles and races throughout the entire day, and a person’s intentions change
though he is learning many things and attending many classes, and wonders. It is exceedingly difficult to envision the stunning influence with tremendous rapidity. Therefore, there is no time for his
he is aroused to aspire to many goals, he wants to attain everything that such events have on a person. Nevertheless, let us remind intentions to gain a foundation and to be built up. They are weak
with only a minor amount of intent. Therefore, he does not acquire ourselves of a fraction of what all of us know about: ten awesome and easily forgotten. Regarding this, our sages say, “Matters within
anything, and he sees no tangible changes in himself. That is because plagues, each of which lasted an entire week. Changes of nature the heart are not actual” (Kiddushin 49b). It is true that matters in
he is scattered among many goals, instead of devoting his intentions such as had never before existed or even been heard of. All of them a person’s heart are very significant, because no good will is lost
to a single purpose. He does not set time aside to increase his focus saw Hashem’s presence and Hashem’s providence right before their (Zohar: Terumah). But since they have no practical expression, they
and desire on attaining just one goal until he will gather enough eyes. And after all of that, at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds certainly do not lead to any essential change. On the other hand,
intention to acquire it. And so in actuality he does not acquire they saw miracles and wonders five times greater than what they a will for which we set aside time and a framework is actual, viable
anything…. had seen in all ten plagues. The sea split and dried up! This left a and stable. It is not a “tower flying in the air” (Sanhedrin 106b), but
powerful impression upon all of the nations for decades. something planted deep in the ground. “Even if all of the winds of
Work upon the will must be all-inclusive and persistent (as we will the world came and blow against it, they would not move it from
learn). Even if a person has good conditions for attaining a strong In addition, the day-to-day routine in the desert was wondrous and its place!” (Avot 3:17).
and firm will, if he goes from one intent to another, from one focus miraculous: clouds of glory, manna and quail, the well of Miriam
to another, in actuality he will not acquire anything, but remain that accompanied them everywhere they went, their clothes, which I have gathered a great deal of material about the will: wonderful
empty. The Gemara says of such a person: “If you try to grasp too cleaned themselves and grew with a person, and more, as described source texts from the rishonim and the acharonim, matters that
much, you will grasp nothing.” Only when a person progresses with in our sages’ midrashim. illuminate the eyes and restore the soul, passages that inspire and
one focus at a time and performs the proper work will he achieve encourage—enough texts to fill a number of volumes. But in this
and go forward. Regarding this, it is said: “If you grasp just a little, Above all, the children of Israel saw and heard the Holy One, book I quote only a very few of them. If it were my sole intention
it will remain in your grasp.” blessed be He, Himself. At the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, even a to gather sources and ideas on the topic of the will, I would not at
maidservant saw Hashem, as it were, and everyone could point and all have dedicated myself to write this book. There are many fine
In truth, this sad phenomenon is very well-known: good and say, “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). And at people who are capable of anthologizing this material, editing it and
decent people who have learned in yeshivas and kollels for decades Mt. Sinai, Hashem spoke with every one of the children of Israel presenting it properly and intelligently—and it would be a good and
have not made significant achievements in their learning and do face to face. Every Jewish man and woman saw the sounds and fitting thing to do so. But I know deeply that without a practical
not know the Talmud. Sadly, we see kollel students who cannot heard Hashem Himself state, “I am Hashem your God” and “You tool these passages will not have the desired effect. And the power
even explain a simple halachah without stammering. Why? Because shall not have any other gods”! of the will is so great and awesome that it is a terrible pity to leave it
they learn without ambition, without intent. They do not set goals in the category of pleasant and exciting ideas. We need to translate
for themselves, and they are not single-minded in their resolve. And What Happened? the will into practical work—and then its power will automatically
Therefore, although they will receive reward for their learning, be revealed in all of its beauty, majesty and splendor. Then these
heaven will show them that they could have accomplished much One might expect that in such conditions, over the course of matters will grow in truth and depth. Without this practical tool,
more, immeasurably so. Heaven will show them that with the 40 years the entire nation of Israel would have attained the peak there is no point to learning the sources. Therefore, I have brought
of perfection, holiness and refined and noble traits. But the Ari the reader my contribution to the Torah, the particular portion