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You can search through the full text of this book on the web at ittp//books.google.com4Positive Living: From Learning to Earning and Yearning for G-d.These booklets was written by Rabbi Eleazer Shlomo Shick, shlit"a( Mohorosh ), Renowned Breslover leader, Rosh Yeshiva, and author of over 2 hundred books, All based on the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov zy"e and of his student Rabbi Nosson of Breslov. For More Information Or to Get The Books Go To WWW.Mohorosh.orgContents . A System of Learning . A Voice Calls Out to g-d . All Will Be Well . Be Happy . don’t complain . Easy Money . Illusions . Only Today . Striking It Rich 10. The Divine Conversation oO On DU PWN BPGooale 3A System of LearningA SYSTEM OF LEARNING Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and His Holy Disciples Whatever a person learned in this world and found it impossible to truly understand, he will merit to understand perfectly in the World-to-come. [Sefer HaMidos, Limud. 8]. Habitual learning supersedes the fulfillment of all the mitzvos. [Loc. Cit. 33] A person should study even if he doesn't understand. [Loc. Cit. 38]Contents 1. Introduction 2. Preconceived Notions and Assumptions 3. The Importance of Learning Shulchan Aruch 4. Rabbi Nachman on Torah Study 5. Rabbi Nachman on SimplicityIntroduction Blessed is the G'd of the Jews who has not denied us a redeemer, and in our exile has sent us in every generation holy, righteous people, tzadikim, who teach us the way we must travel to rise up toward G'd and succeed in attaining eternal bounty. Each tzadik proposes amendments, corrections, and advancements, so that we remain loyal in our faith in G'd, blessed is He, and joyfully fulfill the sacred Torah with its commandments . They bring upon us the pleasure of G'd's presence and illuminate our soul with His light that glows upon the entire world, as stated by the prophet Yechezkel (43), “And the world glows from His glory." In the latter generations we had the G'd given privilege of receiving the great tzadik and source of eternal wisdom, Rabbeinu Nachman of Breslov, who illuminated the world with his hallowed proposals, ways, and behavior, to draw 8Positive Living - A System of Learning close, strengthen, and support all souls on behalf of G'd. He paved the way for each individual - even the worst of the worst - to return to G'd and to bring illumination to his soul. There is nothing - neither method of service, nor system of sanctity, no mitzva or good character trait - that he did not discuss, all of which are cited at length in his sacred works and in those of his holy disciples. He especially spoke at great length to strengthen and encourage Jewish souls to study the sacred Torah, and to study it in vast amounts of learning, in order that they attain bekius [Widespread Torah knowledge]. And it was his holy wish that every Jew know every portion of the Torah - the hidden parts and the revealed parts: Tanach; the six orders of Mishna; Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi; Tosefta; all the Midrashim; all the works of the Zohar and the Tikunim; the writings of the Ariza"l; all the works of the codifiers - the Rambam, Tur, Shulchan Aruch, and their commentaries (See Sichos Horan [Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom. it was compiled by Rav Nosson, his chief disciple, from his major talks] 28 and 76). Thank G'd for his 9Positive Living - A System of Learning generosity to us in granting us this exposition, and for enabling us to place before the Jewish people, a remarkable system of learning - a system of how each and every one can constantly review Torah and get to know all parts of it. Through G'd's great mercy and generosity this booklet has caused a great response throughout the world, for tens of thousands of copies have been printed and spread literally throughout the entire world. Wherever Jews live it has been received with great joy, and thank G'd, has convinced thousands of Jews to dedicate themselves to great perseverance in the study of our sacred Torah. We now have the privilege of presenting it in the English language. May Hashem help us reprint it time and again to increase the number of Jews who persevere in the study of our sacred Torah, following the suggestions outlined by our great Master, Rabbeinu Nachman of Breslov.Positive Living - A System of Learning It is necessary to emphasize that although this booklet speaks at considerable length about the idea of learning bekius, it is not our intent, G'd forbid, to minimize study in depth. G'd in his generosity has allowed us the merit of composing another work titled Torah Lishmoh in which we explain in great detail the wondrous position of one who studies in depth. The work Torah Lishmoh also includes ideas and counsel on how to study in depth, in accord with the system of our Master, the kibble of blessed memory. This booklet, however, was written particularly for individuals who are generally involved in earning a living, and most of the day are very occupied. So too for single men and Yeshiva students who have difficulty in grasping Torah learning. The different problems and. Difficulties in life cause many people to encounter great hardships and confusions when it comes to Torah study. For them this booklet will, with G'd's help, be very inspirational. Fortunate are they and fortunate will they be, if they fulfill what is written in this booklet. They will succeed in their study of Torah and will rise 1Positive Living - A System of Learning both in Torah knowledge and in fear of HaShem. The collective experience of the many people who have tried and tested the suggestions outlined in this booklet have proven it tremendously successful. All the young men who - G'd preserve us - have become evildoers, or have simply left the yeshiva at a young age and gone out and joined the work force; or those who simply go around doing nothing, (which leads to many worse things) - all this takes place because of reasons discussed within this booklet . Had they been in the habit of a decent system of learning in their early years, they would have succeeded greatly, and . would have grown into wondrous Jewish trees, yielding sweet bountiful fruits. They would have been experts in the Torah and would have filled the yeshivas, the botey midroshim [Houses of study] and the kollelim [Houses of study specifically for young men after their wedding]. May G'd illuminate our perceptions with the light of his sacred Torah. May we merit to add 12Positive Living - A System of Learning seats and students in the botey midroshim. May we merit to increase the number of students learning in the yeshivos, and increase their study of our sacred Torah in great diligence and powerful desire. For one who develops the habit of learning in this way, even if all the world's crises should come upon him, Gd forbid; even if he has already gone through all sorts of hardships in his lifetime, including all kinds of pettiness, losses and descents; the light of the Torah will revive him and lead him out of the darkness that he has fallen into. This booklet has the effect of bringing a person to desire the Torah - to have powerful desire to review and to get to know all parts of the sacred Torah. Whoever has an eye for truth, - whoever is clear- minded and clear-hearted (See Likutey MaHaran, 1:61) - and knows what is happening to the youth of our generation, will admit the truth to be exactly as described in this booklet. We beg of the G'd of Truth, that our words be accepted, and that whoever studies this amazing 13Positive Living - A System of Learning booklet will be aroused vigorously to set for himself fixed lessons in study of the sacred Torah sequently. And in the Torah's merit, may we saved from all the troubles of our times, and draw upon ourselves the pleasantness of G'd's divine vitality, being included with Him entirely from now forever, Amen. Preconceived Notions and Assumptions Our Rebbe of blessed memory said that those who want to enter the Divine service must get rid of preconceived notions and assumptions. All these preconceived notions held by beginners in the service of Gd, are only fantasies and foolishness. These preconceived notions and assumptions cause man to fall away from Divine service by leading him to _ excessive introspection.Positive Living - A System of Learning When a man is too particular, he wonders whether he is fulfilling his obligations in serving G'd. But the Rebbe said that it is impossible for any human to fulfill his obligations perfectly. "G'd doesn't demand the impossible from man" (Avoda Zora 3), "nor was the Torah given to the angels" (Kidushin 74). The Torah wasn't meant to be harsh. About people who are too careful and add extra restrictions, the Torah says (Vayikra 18), “you shall live with them," not "you shall die with them." (see Mesechta Yoma 85a). These people don't have any life in them. They are always depressed because they think they are not fulfilling their obligations with the commandments that they do. Nor do they have any joy from the commandments which they do so carefully. The commandments of G'd were made to bring happiness and joy into the hearts of man. This happiness can only be obtained through serving G'd with simplicity without adding extra restrictions that G'd does not ask of us at all. And ye t, these people say that they aren't adding restrictions at all. Truly one should throw away all the preconceived notions and 15Positive Living - A System of Learning assumptions and worship G'd in purity and simplicity. This is the wisdom above all wisdoms: to realize that ultimate wisdom is beyond you. "There is no wisdom, understanding, or advice - against G'd." (Proverbs 21:30) This means that man's wisdom and understanding - compared to G'd - is nothingness. The main thing that G'd requires is heart. Specifically in matters of spending your time, where one goes away from G'd's service because he doesn't know what to do with his time. Or one who set learning periods for himself and ultimately did not fulfill them. His heart is then broken completely. Often you think that your time isn't good for anything. This too is due to excessive restriction and caution creating goals and obligations that you cannot fulfill. The most important element in serving G'd is joy. Through joy you expand your understanding and will always think clearly.Positive Living - A System of Learning Joy expands the mind. When you are joyful you will easily learn the portion that you have set for yourself. When you don't have time, strengthen and enliven yourself with the essence of your Jewishness, - that "G'd didn't create you a non- Jew." Don't go away from G'd because you do not have sufficient time for learning. Such thoughts are the seduction of the evil inclination which wants to catch you in his trap of depression and sadness, feelings that come from excessive care and restrictions. Because of this it is proper to heed our Rebbe of blessed memory who paved a pleasant and easy way to learning our holy Torah (see Sichos HoRan, Paragraph 76). His opinion is that every Jew should set aside set times to learn our Torah sequentially. Start from the beginning and don't review until you finish all of it. Then start again. For example; begin a regular lesson in MishnayotPositive Living - A System of Learning and don't review it, just study ahead through all the six orders entirely. When you finish them, begin again. Likewise, a regular lesson in Gemara. Begin with the tractate Berachos and study page after page without review until you finish the whole "Shas" -- all the Talmud tractates. Likewise the four parts of the Shulchan Aruch [Code of Jewish Law]. Begin at the beginning of Orach Chayim and go on to finish Yoreh Deah, Even HoeEzer and Choshen Mishpot; then begin again. So too the Midrashim, the holy Zohar and the Tikunim. We are referring to the -original Hebrew text for those who understand Hebrew, or to an English translation for those who don't. The Rebbe talked to us a lot about the fact that it is good to learn quickly and not to be too careful in your learning. Learn with simplicity and diligence. Don't confuse yourself by shifting from one matter to the next. Try to understand eachPositive Living - A System of Learning matter simply. If at times you can't understand something, don't spend too much time on it but go forward. Most of the time you will understand later what you couldn't understand at first. The Rebbe said that just saying the words is also considered study. Just say the words and you will eventually understand them. Don't be upset that you cannot learn everything immediately. Put your mind into your learning. Say the learning with diligence and you will eventually understand it. The value of quantitative learning is more important than any other kind of learning, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Avodah Zorah 19a) "Study the words and then penetrate to understand them even if you don't know what you are saying, as King David said (Psalms 119), “Learn, my soul, to satisfy yourself." Through this method you will quickly merit to learn a lot. YouPositive Living - A System of Learning will merit to finish the books you wanted to finish many times. And you will be able to understand the second or third time everything you weren't able to understand at first. Truly this is an ideal system and method of learning. Through this you can merit to learn a lot of Torah and to finish many works. You will also be able to understand much more than if you learned very cautiously. This caution causes great confusion in learning. Some people stopped learning completely because they were learning too cautiously. But if you train yourself to learn quickly without so much caution, the Torah will remain in your hands and you will merit to learn much Gemara, Poskim, T'nach, Midrashim, the Zohar and other Kabbalah works. Surely if you follow your preconceived notions and assumptions and do not look ahead at your eternal purpose, then these issues will be inconsequential to you. Because you want to be a teacher, a gaon [Talmudic genius] and a rosh yeshiva, so that your name should be spread 20Positive Living - A System of Learning throughout the land. Your actions then are comparable to the generation of the dispersion (Genesis 1 1) who built a tower and its head was in the sky." Their main goal was to make a name for themselves; as it says in the holy Zohar (1:25b) on the verse, "These are the developments of the sky and the earth." There are five kinds of people in the mixed multitude and the third kind is called "the group of strong men." The Torah says about them, "they are the strong men of yore, the men of renown." They are from the group that said, "Let us build a city and a tower ... and we will make a name for ourselves building synagogues and houses of study, and placing Torah scrolls inside with crowns on them. All this is just to glorify themselves - not for the sake of the mitzva." This attitude leads to mocking the pure and holy words of our Rebbe of blessed memory. Not only won't such people accept them, but they talk against them and prevent others from listening to them. But the pure and the righteous who 21Positive Living - A System of Learning look carefully at their purpose, understand that they will not live forever; and the time will come when they must shed their bodies, and then their soul will rise above. To them do | direct my words. Every young man wishes to be a masmid [Diligent Torah scholar] and to merit to finish Shas and the four parts of the Shulchan Aruch. The main obstacle to this is the many preconceived notions and assumptions in the heart of man. One of these notions is that when a person opens the Gemara he immediately wants to understand it in depth with all the Rishonim. [Early Talmudic commentaries] These people aren't yet ready to learn the Gemara in depth because they haven't yet finished learning it as bekius [Quick simple learning]. Especially in these times when the filth that has spread throughout the world touches young people's minds and sullies them, rendering them unable to learn with depth at all. Since they do not immediately grasp what they learn in detail - with the views of the Rishonim - 2Positive Living - A System of Learning they are discouraged and give up learning completely. The little they do learn, they study only under compulsion of their fathers or out of fear of the Rosh Yeshiva. Most of them waste their time completely. The Rishonim have already protested this. In the work, Orchos Tzadikim an early sage writes: (Chapter 27, Maalas HaTorah) Torah was forgotten in this generation even more, because contemporary lomdim [Torah learners] try to imitate the Rishonim by discoursing in pilpil [Torah debate] as they did. But they cannot compare to the French sages at all! Their minds were wide open - Torah was their craft - and they were totally dedicated to it day and night. That is why their pilpul was fruitful. But the contemporaries have no such knowledge. They spend about half a day at this study, confusing each other and waisting most of the day. Their learning is as secondary as possible while bitul [Time-waisting] is their major occupation. 23Positive Living - A System of Learning Everyone wants to learn Tosofos [Early Talmudic commentaries written by the French sages] and chidushim [Novellae - new insights in Torah], and chidushim upon chidushim before they know what Talmud is all about. How can they succeed if they do the opposite of what the Talmud Sages said? A person should always study the words [of the Talmud] even if he will forget them and even if he doesn't understand what he is saying. A person must first learn the text [of the entire Talmud] and then learn the reasoning. As a result of the difficulty of learning - the iyun [In-depth learning] and the pilpul - many people drop [Talmud] study completely, saying, "What do | care for extraneous reasoning? | wish | knew the volumes inside!" If they would learn Talmud dedicatedly day and night they would become experts in it and would have an appetite for learning. For consistent learning would grant 24Positive Living - A System of Learning them the ability to understand with ease. They would thus grow in perfect yir'ass Shomayim [Fear of G'd] and there would be an increase of talmidim [Students] who would be constantly involved in Torah. Now, however, because of the burdensomeness of the lectures, the Halocha [Jewish Law] has become a deadweight which they do not even wish to look at. As a result they are busy with fads and scoffing; are confused; waste their time; and have no yirass Shomayim at all. All this was written well over four hundred years ago. Surely in our time when the darkness has spread over the world; when dissoluteness and evil desires make holes in the souls of the youth of Israel; when so many stumble because of the sin of masturbation - a sin that many encounter great difficulty to get out of; when minds are confused and hearts are full of crookedness and questions; truly then, who is ready to learn in depth immediately? Their minds are greatly damaged. And because these young men don't 25Positive Living - A System of Learning have the tools for learning in depth - when they are put under pressure to learn in depth - they grow too lazy to learn Torah at all. They waste much of the day in foolish chatter with the Gemara open. Idleness leads to boredom, and boredom to sin. The evil impulse only has power over one who sits in idleness, and so they grow more and more bitter. When the end of the day comes and they make an accounting to themselves, they find that they haven't even completed a single chapter of Mishnayos, one complete page of Gemara or one section of Shulchan Aruch. All of this is a result of excessive cleverness, - of attempting to immediately penetrate to the depths of what one is studying. Meanwhile many days, months, and years of youth pass in nothingness. By the time of their wedding they have not once completed the six orders of the Mishnah, or the four sections ofPositive Living - A System of Learning the Shulchan Aruch, and certainly not the entire Shass. It has still not dawned upon them that it is possible for them to finish all of the Mishnayos, Gemara Shulchan Aruch, etc., - by learning in the simple system described by our Rebbe of blessed memory. Therefore, my dear brother, follow my advice and G'd will be with you. Aside from the learning period that you have in the yeshiva - (Use this learing period for in-depth learning and review it many times. Anything that is difficult to you, ask your rebbi, rosh yeshiva or mashgiach), - make for yourself a period of simple learning. Learn Mishnayos in sequence. Open the Mishnayos from the beginning of Berachos. Then learn diligently one chapter after another, tractate after tractate. Even if at the beginning you have many problems with your learning, don't worry about it, rather continue learning diligently. If you do 7Positive Living - A System of Learning this, you will eventually get to know the six orders of the Mishna well. Then set aside time to learn Shass by simply starting with Berachos and learning page after page diligently until you finish all the tractates. Learn Shulchan Aruch the same way. Even though at the beginning the learning will be a heavy burden for you, and they will laugh at you, saying "This too is considered learning?!", You my son, my beloved brother, have mercy on your soul and learn Torah day and night. The many reviews and training which you have given yourself in your youth will be with you all the days of your life. Remember that all learning has to be just for the purpose of serving Gd, - that is, for your soul - which is a part of G'd. Just as bread is nourishment for the body, the Torah is nourishment for the soul [See Likutay Moharan 11:8]. Why do you dissipate all your strength on nourishment for your body, and not spend time on the nourishment of your soul? Every word of Torah is nourishment for eternity. 28Positive Living - A System of Learning Look in the Tikuney Zohar where it says, "Every righteous person has a world for himself. Every person who merits to learn one halacha inherits one world." All the more so for one who merits to learn a complete tractate or two or more. Shir HaShirim [Song of Songs 8] speaks of sixty queens - the sixty tractates. Every tractate is a queen by itself, and fortunate is the one who learns them in this world. Happy is the person who merits to finish at least one tractate - for he inherits one entire world. All the more so for someone who merits to finish all the sixty tractates. We have a tradition in the name of the Rebbe, that anyone fortunate enough to finish the entire Shas adds to himself a Tzelem Elokim [The Divine Image] This the greatest joy of all the worlds. There is great happiness upon finishing a tractate. as Abaye said (Shaboss 118), "I serve credit whenever | see a scholar finish a tractate, 29Positive Living - A System of Learning and | make a holiday for the students." Look in the words of the Rama, in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Dei'ah (246:26) "When one finishes a tractate it is a mitzva to rejoice and make a festive meal. It is considered a seudas mitzva [A holiday meal, and a mitzvah to partake of]. His source is the Pesikta Zuta [Parshas Tzav], "Whoever completes a tractate has to make a yomtov [A holiday]." When one merits to learn Gemara and Poskim diligently according to the system of our Rebbe of blessed memory, he then merits the biggest joy and pleasure in this world and in the World to come. Therefore, my friend, the main thing is to rid yourself of fantasy. Know that every word of Torah and prayer is your nourishment in the next world. "If you have learned much Torah you have much reward coming to you" (Avos chapter 2). And do not think otherwise. Our Rebbe of blessed memory said (Sichos HaRan Paragraph 23),Happy is one who every day eats some chapters of Mishnayos, afterwards drinks some 30Positive Living - A System of Learning chapters of Psalms - and dresses himself with Mitzvos. Only this will lengthen your days in the future world. Therefore why do you heed the evil inclination which says that this isn't considered learning or the like. Our Sages of blessed memory said (Avoda Zora 17b), "Learn even though you forget, even though you don't know what you are saying."In the holy Zohar(111:85) "When a man learns Torah and stutters because he doesn't understand what he is saying each word goes up above and G'd rejoices with it." By regular reciting, your mind and intellect will be opened. Remember the saying of our Sages of blessed memory (Midrash Rabba to Song of Songs 2:6), "Through the merit of Torah and the learners of Torah, the world will be saved." Who knows, perhaps through your setting a specified time to labor in Torah every day, learning T'nach, Mishna, Gemara, Halacha, and Midrash systematically, you will save the whole world. In the Tana Dvey Eliyahu Zuta (Chapter 2) it says," 31Positive Living - A System of Learning when a man reads Torah, Prophets, Scriptures; learns Halacha, Midrash, and Gemara with its pilpul, - all for the name of Hashem - the holy spirit immediately rests upon him." My brother, how does nonsense compare with this great illumination? Why do you heed those who say this isn't learning? The day will come when you will have to enter the king's palace. There they will examine the chapters of Mishnayos, pages of Gemara, sections of Shulchan Aruch and chapters of Psalms which you studied in this world. Our Sages of blessed memory said (Midrash Koheles 6:13), "since the days of man are vanity and they are like a passing shadow, what enjoyment does man have? Let him busy himself with the words of Torah. They are life. Let him learn diligently every spare time he has. " Our Sages of blessed memory said (Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos 9:5), "Just as a child must nurse every hour of the day so, must a Jew learn Torah every hour of the day."Positive Living - A System of Learning Do not think there is any greater Divine service than learning Torah. For our Sages of blessed memory said (Talmud Yerushalmi, P'eah, Chapter One), "Even all the commandments of the Torah do not equal one statement of learning Torah." Always make a new beginning in learning Torah. Learn with renewed desire. The Torah should always be beloved by you as if you just received it, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Eruvin 54a) "the words of Torah are beloved by the people who study it; every hour is like the first hour." Consequently, despite whatever you have transgressed until now, even masturbation G'd forbid, do not get depressed. Heeding our Rebbe of blessed memory and setting times for studying and reviewing the Torah, will eventually purify you of all your sins. You will not have what to fear, because your soul will be surrounded with chapters of Mishnayos, pages of Gemara and sections of Shulchan Aruch. Our Sages of 33Positive Living - A System of Learning blessed memory have said (Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana 4 law 8) "Once you have accepted upon yourself the yoke of Torah it is as if you have never sinned at all. They said (Menachos 110a), “Whoever learns Torah doesn't need an olah, a chatos, a mincha, nor an oshom, (different sacrifices brought to atone for sins), because the Torah ties a man to G'd." Our Sages of blessed memory said (Chagiga 3b) "words of Torah direct those who study them along the ways of life." Midrash Raba (Naso) says, "The Torah is called light, because it shines forth before man what to do." It teaches man the will of G'd, thus the reward for learning Torah is very great, as our Rebbe of blessed memory said, (Safer Hamidos Limud: 10) "Every piece of knowledge in the laws of the Torah, - whether in the commandments between man and G'd, or between man and his fellowman - this knowledge itself brings success to the soul." Devarim Raba says, "The soul and the Torah are compared to a candle; the soul as it says 34Positive Living - A System of Learning (Mishley 20), 'The candle of G'd is the soul of man’, the Torah as it says (ibid. 4) 'Because the commandments are a candle and the Torah light.' G'd says to man, "My candle is in your hands and your candle is in My hands. If you watch over My candle, | will watch over yours, but if you put out My candle, so will | put out yours." When you are diligent in Torah, HaShems' light shines upon you, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Sota 21 a), "The Scriptures describe the Torah as light, to teach you that just as the light protects a person so does the Torah. ‘When you walk it will lead you (Proverbs 6:22) - meaning in this world - 'And when you lie down it will watch over you' - meaning in the World to come." Many young men, even those who are newlywed, tend to "take it easy" in their learning. This results from excessive stringencies 35Positive Living - A System of Learning in order to learn Torah and perform mitzvos with the maximal hidur [Perfection]. (See Likutey Halochos, Krias HaTorah, 6:6). His desire is great to learn with deliberation and good understanding. When he sees he cannot achieve this, he comes to the conclusion (with his flawed mind) that otherwise it is not considered learning at all. Since he feels his mind is not ready for such learning he doesn't bother to learn at all. This thinking is common among workers, householders or older people who have suffered troubles, trials, and confusions in their lives. They come to the conclusion that they will never be scholars, so why learn? Instead of learning, they take in their hands newspapers and irreligious books. They then get their outlook on life from scoffers, heretics, and adulterers, may G'd save us. Meanwhile they waste valuable time - a manifestation of G'd's illumination - for one who merits to see and understand. Truly if they would merit calmness of mind they would 36Positive Living - A System of Learning realize that today or tomorrow they will have to leave this mundane world. "What will | answer the gatekeeper when he asks about the Torah and Mishna | have learned?" [Shabbos 31a] Our Sages of blessed memory said (Ketubot 59a), "Idleness leads to licentiousness; idleness leads to lunacy." You must make the utmost effort to heed yourself from idleness. If you will accustom yourself to learn in the way of our Robbe of blessed memory perfectly and simply, you will forever want to learn. If any confusion or disturbance arises you will not become become distressed or depressed but will wait until it passes. Then you w will continue to learn, knowing that this is your portion forever. Every Mishna, chapter of Psalms, or word that is addressed to G'd, will never be lost. Every day, every hour, and every moment of Torah goes up above. The. days are spiritual spheres of Gdliness, And will be shown to every one in the World to come. 37Positive Living - A System of Learning Therefore, when you come home after a day of hard work, open the Mishnayos and recite a couple of chapters. Similarly for the Gemara and Shulchan Aruch. Learn anything you choose. Use the original Hebrew text if you have a background of understanding Hebrew. If not use an English translation.(Today, almost every basic Hebrew work is available with English translation.) Start from the beginning and continue on sequentially. Recite page after page, making an effort to understand as much as possible at the moment. What you still do not understand don't ponder too much. Just recite the words sequentially and continue on. By reading on and gaining more general knowledge, you~ will eventually understand all the things you did not understand previously. Should you think "this is only a joke and isn't considered learning at all" - think again. Just because you don't understand every word are you to throw everything away and take into your hands a newspaper, put on the radio, or sit with scoffers and talk idle? Quite the opposite! If you train yourself in this wondrous way of learning, you will merit to feel all kinds of illumination in 38Positive Living - A System of Learning the study of our holy Torah. As our Sages of blessed memory said (Yevomos 117), on the verse "Like the water reflects a face to a face, so is the heart of man to another." [Proverbs 27] This refers to the words of the Torah. Rashi explains, "To the degree that you put your face and heart into it, so will you understand it." Our Rebbe said (Sichos HoRan 17), "When the Torah will show you love, you will not want any reward in the future world; you will just want the Torah itself." How you show yourself to the Torah is the way the Torah will show itself to you. Whatever attitude you adopt toward the Torah, the Torah will reflect to you. Our Sages of blessed memory said (Gittin 43a) "A man doesn't understand the Torah's words unless he errs in them" meaning, only if the learning comes hard to him. Difficulty in learning may be a result of many things. Here are a few examples. A young man who was tainted with much masturbation G'd forbid, and his mind is very much confused ; a newlywed who is worried about earning a living and is 39Positive Living - A System of Learning working hard all day long; an older person whose days until now have been in darkness and does not feel hope for his future. Let them all remember the statement of our Sages of blessed memory (Sanhedrin 100a) "whoever blackens his face over the words of Torah in this world, G'd will make His glory shine upon them in the future world. Our Sages said (Avodah Zorah 2a) "in the future G'd will hold a Torah-scroll in His bosom and say, "Whoever occupied himself with Torah shall come and get his reward." So why get so depressed? Why not heed the words of the Rebbe? When you will train yourself in this holy and powerful way of learning, you will forever be busy with some Torah lesson. Whether it be Tanach or Mishnayos, Gemara or Midrash, Shulchan Aruch or the Zohar, you will always be involved in learning. Even when you are in transit on a train or bus - even if you are sitting in your store, the Torah will always be waiting for you. And remember, this is your portion forever. 40Positive Living - A System of Learning There is another big reason why most people are too lazy to learn Torah. This reason is forgetfulness - one forgets what he learns. It is almost impossible to remember all that you have learned and since you forget, it seems that it was all for nothing. For this reason people get so lazy that many of them do not at all open up a Tanach, Mishna, Gemara or Midrash, - a result of brokenness and impatience. Surely the damage of [not guarding the covenant] also contributes greatly to forgetfulness. It upsets the mind, and brings feelings of depression and despair. As a result of this, young men are broken like a potsherd and conclude to give up learning completely, seeing that they soon forget what they have learned. However, this conclusion is absolutely false as our Rebbe of blessed memory said (Sichos HoRan 26) "Know that they remind man [in the World-to-Come] whatever he learned in this world, even if he forgot." The source of this is 4Positive Living - A System of Learning the Sha'ar HaMitzvos of the Arizal [Rabeinu Yitzchak Luria of blessed memory the kabbalistic master of the sixteenth century], which states (Parshas VaEschanan) “Forgetfulness in people leads them to laziness and drowziness, which cause them to stop learning completely. They stop learning because they think they will forget. Know that you do not toil in vain, because in the World-to-come you will be reminded of all that you have forgotten." In Midrash Koheleth Raba (1:34) it says, "This is the hardship of Torah - that a man learns and forgets. It is for man's good that he learns and forgets. Because if a man learned and didn't forget, he would occupy himself with Torah for two or three years; then he would go to his labors and wouldn't learn again. However, since man learns and forgets, he does not forsake the Torah." 42Positive Living - A System of Learning Our Rebbe of blessed memory told a nice parable about the matter of learning and forgetting. Men were hired to fill wine barrels. But the wine barrels had holes, and everything that was poured into the barrels ran out. The fools said, "Since it runs out why should we bother to fill them?" But the wise man said, "What do | care? They are paying me by the day, and my wages won't be withheld if the barrels are not filled. | was hired for the day and it is not my concern if it flows out." So too, even though you forget what you learn, your reward won't be withheld. On the contrary, when one forgets what he has learned, and then learns it again, he learns with a new desire. For it seems altogether new to him, as if he has never learnt it before. Midrash Raba (Parshas Vayochi 97:5) teaches, that just as fish - which live in water - when a raindrop falls from above they take it with thirst 43Positive Living - A System of Learning as if they had never tasted a drop of water before. So too the Jews - who live in the waters of the Torah - when they hear something new, they accept it with thirst as if they hadn't heard a word of Torah before. Therefore, what does it matter if you forget? Through your many reviews of the Torah you will time after time merit to finish all the scriptures, Mishnayos, Gemara, and Midrashim. Ultimately you will receive the Torah as a gift, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Yerushalmi Horayos, 111:5 with P'ney Moshe), "All the forty days that Moshe was on the mountain, he kept learning Torah and forgetting it. Finally it was given to him as a gift. Why was it made so difficult for him? To provide a reply to those who learn and forget, that they should not say, 'Why toil for nothing?’ Their reply is from Moshe who reviewed and learned even though he forgot, until finally it was given to him as a gift."Positive Living - A System of Learning The Sages said (Sanhedrin 100a), "whoever starves himself for words of Torah in this world, G'd will satiate him in the World-to-come, @-. it says in Psalms (36), ‘They will be nurtured from the fat of Your house, and from a pleasant brook will You cause them to drink.’ " The simile is to a hungry person who eats with a hearty appetitive. The hungrier he is, the more he eats. So too with Torah-study. You must feel yourself hungry as if you have never learned before. This way you will learn with renewed desire every time. Through learning this way, you will merit to have the light of G'd shine upon you, from the bounty of the heavenly stream in the World-to-come. This will be your delight and reward. And there in the world above, you will be privileged to understand everything you failed to understand in this world. Not only that, but also the depths of the Torah will be revealed to you. Your eyes will shine with the secrets hidden in the holy Torah. It is therefore very wrong for you to grow depressed at all, even if you forget what you have learned. 45Positive Living - A System of Learning My beloved son, learn diligently, and go on to read through our entire holy Torah - the Scriptures, the Mishnayos, Talmud Bavli, Yerushalmi, Tosefta, all the Midrashim and all the books of the holy Zohar. Learn through all the great Halachic works: the Rambam, Tur, and Shulchan Aruch. Even if there are many matters that you don't understand or that you forget - know that nothing is lost. In the World to come you will merit to understand it all, together with it's inner meaning. The Sages said in the Midrash (Koheles Raba 2:1): Rabbi Chizkiya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Zavdi, "All the Torah you learn in this world is like vapor compared to the Torah of the World-to-come. In the present world a man learns and forgets. But about the future world it is written, (Yirmiyahu 31), "| have put the Torah inside them."Positive Living - A System of Learning They say in Midrash Tanchuma: Rabbi Aba said, "It wasn't necessary for the Torah to be given to Israel in this world. Why? Because everyone will learn it 1'rom G'd in the World-to-come. Why was it given in this world? So that when G'd comes to teach them in the World-to-come, they will all be familiar with it. Thus if you heard the Torah in this world, you will hear it from G'd in the World-to-come They also say, (Yalkut Yeshaya 479): G'd said, "In this world Israel learns Torah from mortals, therefore they forget it. It was given through Moshe who was mortal, and just as a mortal passes away, so does his learning. As it is written, (Proverbs 23:5) 'As quickly as you look at it, it is gone.' But in the future, Israel will learn only from the mouth of G'd, as is said, (Yeshaya 54:13) 'All your children are students of G'd.' 47Positive Living - A System of Learning Analogously, ‘They will no longer teach each other. ‘Just as G'd is eternal so is His teaching. Whatever they learn from Him they will never forget, as is said, (Ob.17) 'The House of Jacob will inherit its inheritance,’ - meaning the Torah - about which was said, (Dt. 33:4) 'The Torah was commanded to us by Moshe, as an inheritance to the gatherings of Jacob.' Therefore, never become depressed when you forget what you have learned, since this is how G'd created man. Likewise, do not worry and say "There is so much to learn! When will | merit to attain all this?" Our Sages of blessed memory said (Vayikra Rabba, 19:2): The fool says, "Who can learn the whole Torah? Nezikin has thirty chapters! Keilim has thirty chapters! When will | ever end it all?" The smart fellow says, "I will learn two laws today and two laws tomorrow until I'll have learnt the entire Torah." Similarly (Bamidbar Rabba 13:11): 48Positive Living - A System of Learning Why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? [The fruits of] most trees - the olive, the grape, the date-palm - are harvested in a single harvest. But figs are plucked little by little. So too, is the Torah. Today you learn a little and so again tomorrow, for the Torah is not completed in a single year nor in two." In Sifrey we read: A scholar learns two or three things at a time, - two or three chapters a day, two or three sections on a Sabbath. After a while he becomes wealthy. About him is written (Proverbs 13), "He who gathered piecemeal will have a lot." But if you will say, "Today | won't read Scriptures, today | won't study Mishnayos, but rather ‘tomorrow | will learn," you will remain with nothing. About him it is said (Proverbs 10) "He who slumbers at the time of harvest is a spoiled child." 49Positive Living - A System of Learning Now, my very dear friend, after all the elementary truth related above, and after carefully considering what you have done until now and how your mind has been harmed - flee from all the illusions, falsehoods, and temptations of the evil inclination! Flee to the Torah - as our Rebbe taught us - with purity and absolute simplicity. Learn Torah for its own sake, that is for the sake of your soul and for no other purpose. Learn strictly so that your soul should cling to G'd with great love and desire. For G'd and the Torah are one. As our Sages of blessed memory said in Midrash Shemos Rabba (33:1), "G'd said to Israel, 'l sold you My Torah, and it is as if | sold Myself along with it They will take Me a Terumah." The Torah is the means of revealing His G'dliness. Therefore, when you learn Torah with love and desire you reveal your love and desire for G'd. This is the perfection of learning. Sifrey (Section of Eikev) says: 50Positive Living - A System of Learning Perhaps you will say, "I am learning Torah so that | will be called a sage, that | will head a yeshiva, or that | will earn longevity in the World-to- come?" The Torah declares "To love HaShem your G'd" - just learn; honor will ultimately come. Set yourself times for regular learning sessions in Scripture, Mishna, Gemara, Midrash and whatever else you may choose. At first it will be hard for you. Physically, because you are accustomed to taking it easy and waisting your time with idle talk. Now, when you come to learn Torah and serve G'd, it is contrary to your habits, and the change is very difficult for you. It may also be hard for you psychologically, because of scoffers who will oppose you both from within and from without. People with crooked minds offer opinions that are the opposite of truth, and thereby uproot souls from G'd and the holy Torah. 51Positive Living - A System of Learning In any case, if you train yourself to learn in the way shown by our Rebbe of blessed memory - with purity and absolute simplicity - reciting in sequence Scripture, Mishna, Gemara, Midrash, etc. then even if you don't understand everything at first, put you keep on repeating the cycle, you will come to feel the greatest satisfaction and pleasure of your life. Because there is no greater pleasure than learning the holy Torah in purity and complete simplicity for the sake of G'd. And our Sages of blessed memory said (Zohar Chadash to Ruth) "if you merit the holy Torah, every letter will be an angel to help you." [See Zohar 111:73] Even if you have become defiled, specifically through masturbation, G'd forbid, don't let that depress you. The Rebbe of blessed memory once said to our teacher Rav Nosson of blessed memory [See Sichot Horan 19], "Do you know the power of the Torah? If a man sets time every day to learn so much and so much Torah, the 52Positive Living - A System of Learning Torah itself will take him out of the mud. [There is a tradition among Breslover Chasidim that the Robbe was specifically referring to the reciting of 18 chapters of Mishnayos a day. See S'fas HaNachal to Likutay Moharan 1:1]" The holy Zohar declares, "A man can only attain permanent purification, through words of Torah; since the words of the Torah cannot be defiled." Eliyahu the prophet said, (Tana Davey Eliyahu Raba 18): "Words of Torah are a mikveh [Ritualarium], purifying the Jews wherever they live. Come and see how great the power of Torah is. It purifies the sinners of Israel when they repent, even from worshipping other gods, as is said, [Yechezkael 36:25] "I will throw pure water on you and you will become purified, from all your defilement and from all your idol worship | will purify you." Water means words of Torah, as is said, [Yeshaya 55:1. See Baba Kama 17a] "All those who are thirsty for water, come and 53Positive Living - A System of Learning drink." Specifically, if you are still young and don't yet bear the burden of making a living, if you will train yourself in this way to review very many chapters of Mishnayos, pages of Gemara, sections of Shulchan Aruch and whatever else you may set for yourself, you will be forever in the habit of doing this even until you reach an old age. Midrash Kohelet Raba (11:14) quotes the verse, - "Be happy, chosen one, with your youth," and explains it: "What caused you to be the chosen one in your elder? The Torah you learned in your youth!" We have seen among our colleagues, that those who heeded our Rebbe of blessed memory and trained themselves to recite Torah constantly, merited over the years to finish many times the whole Torah - Tanach, Mishnayos, Talmud Bavli, Yerushalmi, Tosefta, the Midrashim, the holy Zohar and the Tikunim. Through much reviewing, they remember everything. And if some do not 54Positive Living - A System of Learning merit remembering everything, at least in the World-to-come they have waiting for them the pleasures which await them. Fortunate are they and fortunate are their portions. Eliyahu the prophet said (Tana Dvey Eliyahu Raba 4): "There was no prophet like Moshe who knew G'd face to face. Just as the light emanating from G'd remains forever and ever, so too did the light emanating from Moses' face accompany him to the grave, as is said, [Det. 34:8] "Moses was one hundred and twenty years old; his eyes hadn't dimmed nor had his face lost its freshness." [This is true] not only [of] Moshe but also of every scholar who occupies himself with Torah from his childhood unto old age. He does not truly die but lives forever as is said (1 Samuel, 25), "My master's soul will be bound in the bonds of life with HaShem your G'd." The righteous scholar is always linked to G'd; just as G'd - may His name be blessed - is alive forever and ever, so too, a scholar who busies himself with Torah all his life is still among the living, and is never [considered] 55Positive Living - A System of Learning dead. Where is his soul? Under the Divine Throne." So, why be so influenced by what people say or laugh at you? You must worry about yourself, as no one else will worry about you. Remember, no one understands you as you do yourself. You watch the days and nights flying by, and you can't stop them for one single moment. In a little while, you'll be approaching the next world, as this is the way of all man. So reflect: just because you don't have such a good head, are you free from learning Torah? Train yourself to learn in the wondrous way of our Rebbe of blessed memory. Then you will have it good from your youth thru your old age. As our Sages of blessed memory said (Soferim 16), "The Torah watches you from all evil, from childhood until old age, and gives you good future and hope." Even though it seems difficult for you at the beginning and it appears to you as if it isn't considered learning at all, my dear brother, before you canPositive Living - A System of Learning feel the sweetness of the Torah, you must accept the Torah upon yourself as if it were a burden. Our Sages of blesed memory say in Devarim Raba (50:3) "Just like [olives] are at first bitter and ultimately their oil is sweet, so are the words of Torah; a man struggles with them at first and ultimately tastes their sweetness, as it says (lyov 8) "Your beginning will be cramped and your end will be very great." Surely at first, many kinds of bitterness are felt, and it seems as if the Torah is bitter. However, the reason it seems bitter is because one feels the bitterness of his sins. Especially breaches of the sexual covenant, through which one sullied his soul, causing great feelings of bitterness. Now that one begins to cleanse his soul, he begins to feel pain and agony, in the form of many doubts and questions, especially concerning this advice: "is this considered learning? Is this a system?" 57Positive Living - A System of Learning But when you merit to perceive and realize what you have done until now, you will easily understand that you cannot immediately feel the sweetness and pleasantness of the Torah. If you will set aside your own personal opinion, and undertake the Torah ‘like an ox to its burden’ [Tana D'vei Eliyahu Chapter 1], you Will ultimately merit love of the Torah, and will never want to part from it, as you will feel your soul afire. The Torah will bring you to humility, especially when you learn with simplicity - following the system of our Rebbe of blessed memory. Your very own being will become insignificant and you will merit clinging to the light of G'd which is clothed in the letters of the Torah. When you attain true humility, you will attain a strong desire to feel the pleasantness of G'd and to visit His palace. An abundance of knowledge will shine upon you with powerful illumination, and you will come to love every Jew. You will not be an "angry scholar" [See Sichot Horan 249] who 58Positive Living - A System of Learning uproots men from this world and from the World-to-come - by causing dispute and arguments; by showing others that they don't know anything at all; by proclaiming that others don't even come up to their ankles in Torah knowledge - despising whomever they encounter. Not so the person who learns Torah for Its' own sake. He sits in his corner studying, with no one even aware of him. He privileges to finish book after book, exploring through all parts of our holy Torah. The light of the Torah encompasses him and _ illuminates his soul. Fortunate is he and fortunate is his lot. There is much to be said on this topic, and it is fitting to be speaken of at length, as the Torah is our life and lengthens our days. But, since much has already been said, we will therefore be brief. G'd granting there will be further opportunity to discourse at length, good words and clear proof to heed the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory. My dear brother, what has past has past. Now however, arise upon your feet and run 59Positive Living - A System of Learning to the holy Torah. Set for yourself a simple program in Mishnayot, Shas, the four volumes of the Shulchan Aruch, and whatever more you choose. Recite and recite page after page until you merit to finish the complete work. Then begin again. Don't be discouraged that many years have already passed before you merited the privilege of doing this. Don't worry and don't be discouraged, for our Sages of blessed memory in Shemos Raba (33:8) said: "Moshe commanded the Torah to us as an inheritance. " [Det. 33:4] it is an inheritance for Jewry forever. A parable: A prince was captured and taken to a foreign land. After many years he was finally released. He is not ashamed to return home even after many years because he says, "I am returning to my parents’ inheritance." Similarly, a scholar who left the Torah and busied himself with other things even for many years, when he wants to return is not embarrassed, because he says, "I am going back to my parents’ inheritance." 60Positive Living - A System of Learning So let us make a beginning right now, to utilize every spare moment that we have. Time is a precious commodity that must be carefully guarded, for there is no loss like the loss of time. One can't buy back time for any amount of money. When man comes to the final day and hour of his life, he would pay all the money in the world to be able to live some more. But nothing helps then. Time was created for learning Torah and service of G'd, as our Sages of blessed memory said in Midrash Shochar Tov (Psalms 39): "The cure for the tongue is the tree of life" [Proverbs 15:4] - that is the Torah which is called "the tree of life for those who uphold it." [Ibid 3:18] From here you learn that G'd gave the Torah to the Jews solely that they should not busy themselves with gossip or idle talk. As King David said, "who wants to buy the World-to- come?" The people asked him, "How can one buy it?" He replied, "Very uncostly." And he wrote, "who is the man who wants life? Who 61Positive Living - A System of Learning wishes to see good) Guard your tongue from evil." [Psalms 34:12] Whoever has a strong mind of his own will perceive and comprehend that the way of our Rebbe of blessed memory. is true, easy, and pleasant. In any event, whoever will accept will accept, and whoever wishes to ignore will ignore. We have done our share. We thank G'd for every free favor He has granted us, giving us a share and portion in His Pleasantness, Amen. The Importance of Learning Shulchan Aruch Our Rebbe of blessed memory placed great emphasis on the learning of the Poskim - the codifiers of the Halacha [Jewish Law] - more than on any other books of study. He said it is fitting to learn all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch from beginning to end in sequence. If you can study the four parts of the Shulchan Aruch with all its commentaries, fine. If not, at least learn the four Parts of the "small" Shulchan Aruch - the editionPositive Living - A System of Learning that was published in small volumes containing the Mechaber [The name given to the work of Rabbi Yosof Cairo - the main author of the Shulchan Aruch. Mechaber literally means author], Rama [An abbreviation for Rabbi Moshe Issarles - the second great codifier of the Shulchan Aruch. it can easily be distinguished between the words of the Mochabor and the Rama, for the formers words are always in larger type as the letters are much smaller] and Ba'eir Heiteiv [The Ba'eir Heiteiv was written bv Rabbi Yehuda Ashkenazi of Tiktin, it is a condensed work of all the final rulings of the later Poskim]. (Again, we are referring to the original Hebrew text for those who understand it, or to an English translation for those who don't.) This is a very good remedy for clarifying the confusion of good and bad that has resulted from one's sins. By studying a posek who clarifies what is kosher and what is not, what is permitted and what forbidden, the pure and the defiled - the good is separated from the bad. Our Rebbe said [See Sichot Horan 29], "Every Jew Is obligated to learn poskim every single day without exception." 63Positive Living - A System of Learning Even if you are short of time, you must learn at least one paragraph of Shulchan Aruch wherever it may be - that is even if it is out of the sequence of your regular Shulchan Aruch study. For you must learn some law of the Shulchan Aruch every single day of your life. When you aren't pressed for time, learn in sequence all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch day after day. When you finish all four, start again, continuing in sequence as before. (See Sichos HoRan, 29.) Likutey Maharan (1:8) states that there are four elements to creation: fire, wind, water, and earth. Their Divine roots are the four letters of the Divine Name [Yod, Keh, Vav, Keh] and when they enter below, are mixed of good and bad. Man's main service is to separate the evil from the good and to eliminate it, so that the four letters of the Divine Name will illuminate before him constantly. Separating the bad from the good and eliminating it is done through prayer and Torah study, and specifically through entering the depths of Halacha by studying the 64Positive Living - A System of Learning Poskim. Aspects of both good and evil are reflected in the Torah in terms of the permitted and the forbidden, the undefiled and the defiled, the kosher and the unfit. As long as you haven't clarified the Halacha, the creation is a mixture of good and bad, and you cannot separate the bad to eliminate it. This is an aspect of the verse, [Proverbs 11] "He who seeks out evil will find it." - until one merits studying and clarifying the Halacha and determining what is forbidden and what is permissible. Then the separation of good from evil is accomplished.[Zohar 111:73a] Our teacher Rabbi Nosson of blessed memory writes in Likutey Halachos (Pesach #4) "The main function of the exile to Egypt was to amend the sin of Adam who damaged the tree of distinguishing between good and evil. The redemption from Egypt took place in the merit of the Torah as is written, (Shemos 3), "When you take this nation out from Egypt, you will worship G'd on this mountain. “meaning Mount Sinai where the Torah was given. Then, at Mount 65Positive Living - A System of Learning Sinai, the delight of the World-to-come, - which are the laws of the Torah - shone upon them. For the laws of the Torah which one learns, particularly if one merits to make a new discovery within them, are an aspect of the delight of the World-to-come. When a new Halacha is discovered, new insights and knowledge are gained. Knowledge is the main delight of the World-to-come (See Likutey Maharan 11:2). Also know, that "G'd and the Torah are one." To the degree that you draw yourself to the laws of the Torah, you draw to yourself the pleasant sweetness of the World-to- come - a perception of G'dliness. Our Sages of blessed memory said, (Shemos Raba 33:1) "G'd said to the Jews, | sold you My Torah, | sold Myself, as it were, along with it - 'They will take Mea Terumah. [Shemos 25:2]' When the Jews were still in Egypt subject to harsh servitude, it is said, (Shemos 1) "They embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and bricks." Our Sages of blessed 66Positive Living - A System of Learning memory explained this [See Zohar Pinchus 22a], as alluding to Torah study. "With hard labor" alludes to the difficulty created by questions; “with mortar" alludes to the difficulty of the Talmud's discussions; and "[with the] bricks" alludes to clarifying the Halacha. Everything was confused - good with bad bad with good - which is the worst part of the bitter exile. The Torah is only good as is said (Proverbs 4), "I have given you a good portion, My Torah do not leave" and G'd is only good, as is said, (Psalms 25), "Good and upright is G'd." Likewise, (Psalms 34) "Taste and see that G'd is good." Our main task regarding the halachos of the Torah is to discover and reveal the G’dliness that is enclothed in every detail of creation. "The Torah is called light [Taanis 7a] as it illuminates man what he must do. And because the Torah teaches man how to fulfill G'd's will, the reward for learning Torah is very great." (Bemidbar Raba 22) When Israel was still in Egypt, before they received the Torah, they hadn't yet merited clear 67Positive Living - A System of Learning halachic rulings. Thus the exile was lengthened and their lives embittered, causing them to feel the harshness of their enslavement and their distance from G'd. G'd was generous to us and illuminated our path by giving us the Torah. We were privileged to leave Egypt and to receive the Torah, which includes clarification of the Halacha, teaching us how to act in every aspect of this world. G'd granted us a great favor and provided us with the illumination that emits from our acceptance of the Torah. The intellectual pursuit, derivative from accepting the Torah, is the clarification of Halacha. Halacha teaches us how to proceed and behave in every minute detail on this world, linking it to G'd blessed is He, and perceiving His divinity from every detail of creation. Through the halochos of the Torah one turns ordinary physical materials into spirituality. Wool becomes tzitzis [The fringes, made of wool, 68Positive Living - A System of Learning mandatory to be placed on all four cornered garments], and animal hides become tefilin [The phylacteries] and Siferay Torah [Torah scrolls]. A rams horn becomes, a shofar [The rams horn which is sounded on Rosh Hashana - the Jewish New Year], and so on. Through the halochos of the Torah, the entire world sings the praises of G'd. For Halacha reveals that the worlds ultimate purpose is His service - to demonstrate that there is no other power than He. The ultimate method of repairing all breaches caused by sin both by the first man Adam, as well as by all other people throughout history seeking to making amends for their transgressions - is by clarifying for oneself the clear Halacha - G'd's will. This is called '.'selecting the good from the bad." By fulfilling the Torah, the "good" - which is the Divine illumination, remains - whereas the "evil" which is the obscuring of the divine illumination, is illuminated. This is why our Rebbe of blessed memory warned so much about the importance of studying halacha. About this our Sages said (Mechilta to Beshalach), " "You shall study all of his statutes. [Shemos 69Positive Living - A System of Learning 13:10]' - these are the halochos." Similarly they said (Tosefta Sota 8), " ‘You shall build your house [Det. 22:8]' - these are the halachos." Achieving the clarification of halacha, and even more so, achieving the clarity required to rule on halacha, is the basic principle of G'd's statutes. So too must one's home be built upon the foundation of Halacha. For in this way one will not deviate from the path of the Torah all the days of his life. Likutey Maharan (11:21) states, that when you create chidushey Torah [Torah novellas - new insights in Torah] you must set up soldiers before and after your chidushim. This is necessary in order that your chidushim do not come to harm. This is done through the studying of the poskim. One must learn the poskim before one's own novella as well as afterwards. In the work S'fas HaNachal [A most wondrous and thorough commentary on all of the Likutay Moharan, written by the great Tzaddik and Breslover leader, Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Schik 70Positive Living - A System of Learning Shli'ta] we learn the meaning of this. One who seeks to create new chidushim in Torah, must have a firm grasp on the Shulchon Aruch. He must see to it that there is not the least contradiction between his chidushim and the Shulchan Aruch. Nor should one seek to create a new Halacha. Our Rebbe of blessed memory cautioned strongly, that many scholars have an evil desire to come up with new halachos. This leads to many problems and ultimately to great dissension among Jews. Those who study Torah and are creative in their study must be careful to put the Shulchan Aruch in front and in back of them, using it as their guideline, and not moving from its basic halachos. The main purpose and goal of creating chidushey Torah should be to renew and refresh the individual - to support, strengthen, and uplift him In fulfilling the Shulchan Aruch. The chidushim should be geared in bringing the individual as close as possible to HaShem blessed be He. When one places the Shulchan Aruch as 71Positive Living - A System of Learning his goal, and uses it as his support as well, he is confident that he is traveling on the right path. Entering the depths of Halacha is achieved through prayer. Likutey Maharan (1:8) discusses in length how the main source of intelligence is obtained through prayer. [See S'fas HaNachal there] On the concept of prayer, our Rebbe of blessed memory very often counseled, that a person should spend time alone with G'd every single day. Find yourself a special place where people aren't around and tell G'd everything that's on your heart. Tell Him everything till the very minutest detail. Plead with G'd and talk to Him as you would to a friend, or as a son to his father. The Rebbe said explicitly (Likutey Maharan 11:100), "No one, big or small, can be a true Jew if he does not isolate himself with G'd." Get into the habit of talking to G'd openly and in complete simplicity. Beg and plead before Him that you merit to fulfill the entire Torah. This prayer rises to an extremely high and awesome place, and arouses incomparably great delight up 72Positive Living - A System of Learning Above. [See Likutay Moharan 11:25] Not everyone merits to engage in this precious prayer, for it depends on the extent of your faith - on how much you realize. That nothing exists without G'd, and that G'd's presence is everywhere. Once this concept becomes clear to you, you will forever be engaged in speaking to G'd and pouring out your heart before Him. Every movement you make indicates G'd's presence, for everything is G'dliness, only garbed in the forms our eyes perceive. This garb leads to the dissension between the two inclinations. (See Likutey Maharan 1:62). The good inclination brings faith into the heart of man, - that one should believe in G'd and place his trust in Him. The evil inclination, on the other hand, brings heresy and doubt into the heart of man. When one merits to believe and feel wholeheartedly how 'G'd's glory fills the entire world' [Yeshaya 6], and that G'd is present while you pray and listens to your every word, then you will surely pray with great enthusiasm, and be very careful in directing your words. [[See Likutay Moharan 1:62. Also see Sanhedrin 22a "One who prays 73Positive Living - A System of Learning should regard himself as if the Shechina (Divine Presence) is before him, as it says (Psalms 16) 'I put G'd before me always'] But because a man is not fully aware of this, he is not enthusiastic nor precise in his prayers. The level of one's intellect, knowledge, and faith, determines his enthusiasm and caution in prayer. Knowledge and faith emerge from the good inclination in one's heart, whereas concealment of knowledge - heresies and doubts - emerge from the evil inclination. These doubts and confusions hardens man's heart and ensnare him in evil. The remedy for this dissension of. the heart is to cure it at its root. This dissension of the yeitzer tov and yeitzer horah [The good and evil inclinations], has its root in a division within sanctity itself. This is a reference to the levels of sanctity, which begin at the highest sphere, and descends step by step until our lower world. Division of opinion within sanctity is the. division between the tanaim and amoraim [The Sages of the Mishna and Talmud], where one forbids and 74Positive Living - A System of Learning the other permits. This is at the highest level. As this power of division descends into materialistic things of this lower world, it results in the argumentativeness of the evil inclination. It causes people to think heretical thoughts and hides from them rational paths, denying them the ability to respond. This is at the lowest level. When one remedies the divisiveness within sanctity, he automatically cures and rids himself of the divisiveness brought about by the evil inclination. The evil inclination has no grip without the sacred divisiveness. The remedy for divisiveness, or division in sanctity, is to study firm halachic rulings. Halachic ruling means that peace has been made - a decision has been reached in a debate between the tanaim or amoraim. Through studying the rulings of the poskim one has linked himself with sanctified peace, and thus remedies division sanctified divisiveness. This leads to the elimination of the evil inclination's divisiveness in ones' own mind, thus permitting one to serve G'd with his entire heart. The gates of intellect are then opened before him as indicated by the words of the 75Positive Living - A System of Learning Psalmist (119:8), "I praise you with the straightness of my heart when | study your righteous statutes." The word ‘heart’ is written leyvov (plural), rather than leiv (singular), which implies utilizing both hearts both inclinations. When is this possible?'When | study your righteous statutes' - studying of the poskim. By studying the poskim - G'd's righteous statutes - one merits to unite the fragments of his heart. As a result, he no longer has questions about G'd's actions. By the studying of Shulchan Aruch, and by isolating oneself with G'd each day, one merits to acquire a true and pure heart. These two essential practices are the two major pillars of Breslover Chassidus. Our Rebbe of blessed memory spoke at great length of these two pillars, and requested of all his followers as well as of all Jewry, to fulfill them every day. [See Sichot Horan (29) and Likutay Moharan 11:25] That is to study the Shulchan Aruch consecutively, and to isolate oneself with G'd every day. In essence, both of 76Positive Living - A System of Learning the two are directly dependent on one another. Insofar as one merits being able to communicate whenever necessary with G'd, and speaks to Him with absolute sincerity and simplicity - to that degree is his mind purified and his intellect clarified meriting attaining the depths of the halacha. Also will all his general and specific questions find answers. One will neither have questions about G'd nor about His Torah. He will know that G'd's ways are righteous and upright, and the halacha will be clear before him. He will likewise not have any questions about any Jew, nor will he be confused by any creature in the entire world. His heart and his mind will be constantly linked and dedicated to G'd. Through studying the halachos of the Torah, based on the 13 Principles by which Torah law is derived [The Braitha D'Reb Yishmael, which is the introduction to the Safrah (Toras Kohanim)], one draws upon himself illumination from G'd's 13 Attributes of Mercy. [See the Kisvai HaAri'zal - Pri Etz Chaim Sha'ar T'filas Hashachar] There, G'd 7Positive Living - A System of Learning revealed his elementary Oneness, that all is one, and there is no disunity at all. For He is capable of unifying two opposites in one, just as He makes peace in the heavens between two absolute contradictions, as our Sages stated (Chagiga 12a) "Why are the heavens called shomayim? For they are a combination of fire - eish, and water -meyim. This teaches us that G'd blended them with one another and made the sky of them." We find a similar statement in Bereshis Raba (4:9), "The Holy One blessed is He took fire and water and blended them and from them created the sky - Shomayim." This is why the last of the 13 Principles by which Torah law is derived, is the principle of two verses that contradict one another until a third verse decides between them. This principle is the basic remedy achieved by the preceding 12 Principles. They are aspects of the halachos, which lead a man to attain illumination from the 13 Attributes of Mercy. All the questions, and the changes found in different parts of Torah, all 78Positive Living - A System of Learning the divisions within sanctity that exists between the tanaim or amoraim or between any two righteous Jews, serves -- to reveal that all different actions derive from one pure Unity, blessed is He. For all the various activities throughout creation, all derive from the letters of the Torah. And just as every letter has a distinct form of its own, and every combination of letters shape words of their own, analogously, all the various creatures in the world have each an identity of their own. The truth however is, that all the letters, words, and paragraphs of the Torah, by their very differences from one another, make it possible to recognize G'd, blessed be He. For the Torah was given to reveal the presence of our Creator - as the Torah is the name of G'd. (See Tikuney Zohar, Tikun 10) It is impossible to appreciate perfect unity of the Creator without His Torah, in its present shape of letters and words. And because it is very difficult to fully comprehend the depths of the Torah, it therefore seems at times that there are modifications, questions, or contradictions within the Torah. Such as the example of two 79Positive Living - A System of Learning verses that contradict one another. Before the third verse comes to decide in favor of one of the original two, it seems to us as if - G'd forbid - there was a mistake in the Torah. All this is because of our limited perception, for we do not fully comprehend the Torah. This is why HaShem had mercy upon us, and through His Sages, gave us the approachways to the Torah. By applying the 13 Principles of deriving Torah law, they resolved all the conflicts and contradictions. We hereby obtain the power to believe and to know, that just as the entire Torah is ultimately unified, despite all the questions we previously had, the same is true for all the queries we might have had about the existing things in this world. No matter how different they seem from one another, they all are one and relate back to the First Source - a concept that is incomprehensible for our limited intelligences. In this lies the advantage of studying Shulchan Aruch, - the Halacha - which is called 'the word of G'd', as stated by our Sages (Shaboss 138b), 'The word of G'd' [Amos 8] - this is Halacha." The more one 80Positive Living - A System of Learning studies Halacha, the closer one draws himself to G'd, as they are the words of G'd Himself. How even more so, when you also merit to cling to HaShem blessed is He, through isolation and prayer. You then attract divinity to yourself. This is stated by our Sages in Sifrey (to Parashas Naso), " ‘May G'd raise his face to you [Bamidbar 6:26]' - when you stand in prayer." For prayer means drawing G'd's illumination upon yourself. And by having divinity with you, you merit the privilege of clarifying the Halacha. This is corroborated by a statement of our Sages (Sanhedrin 93b), "And G'd is with him [Samuel 1 18:14]'- the Halacha is as he says." By drawing divinity towards yourself, you are privileged to be accurate in determining the Halacha. This was especially true of King David (who was the subject of the Gemara in Sanhedrin). Because he prayed so very much, he thereby drew divinity to himself, as a result of which the Halacha was as he determined it. In truth, the privilege of having G'd with you, and the Halacha being as you say, 81Positive Living - A System of Learning is a direct function of labor and toil in serving G'd through Torah study and prayer. This is true, provided it is done for His sake without any personal intentions. Torah-study requires absolute dedication and great perseverance as indicated by our Sages (Berachos 63b) " ‘if a man dies in a tent [Bamidbar 19:14] - the Torah only lasts by a person who puts himself to death for it." Similarly (Vayikra 26), "If you will walk in my statutes," to which Rashi comments, "on condition that you labor in the study of Torah." Labor is the key word. The main part of laboring in Torah is to first clarify one's personal occupation with the Torah - that its purpose should be solely to perform G'd's will. One should not learn Torah for his own personal advantage, to show off or to antagonize others. Nor should he make it a means for his personal aggrandizement, spiritual or physical. This is especially true in the study of Halacha, which one must study solely to fulfill G'd's will, not to deviate even an iota from the Shulchan Aruch. For if one learns not for the sake of performing what he learns, it were better that he had never 82Positive Living - A System of Learning been created. (Yerushalmi Shaboss 1). Our Sages remarked (Bemidbar Raba 10:14), "The learning is not as important as the action, for the action atones for the person's misdeeds." One must beg greatly of G'd that he may be granted the privilege of determining the final conclusion of the Gemara, which in other words, is the Halacha. This can only be done with G'd's help, as our Sages stated (Megila 6b), "Accurate learning requires Divine assistance." When one learns this way, he will truly merit Divine assistance and the Halacha will be as he says. Not only will he cling to G'd through his study of Torah, but he will also arouse other Jewish souls to the Torah and to their Creator. He will teach them how they too can study Torah in order that they may fulfill it. King David's major activity all his life was in prayer and praises to G'd, and in teaching Torah to the public, which is why he merited to determine the Halachic conclusions of the Oral Torah. 83Positive Living - A System of Learning King David asked for this, (Psalms 119), "By what means does a young person clarify the path he is to take, [in order] to fulfill [the commandments] as You have stated?" In other words, how does one who is distant from G'd, merit attaining a way of life that leads to Him? King David labored at this all his life, seeking to increase Divine glory and to bring the distant back to Him. He was therefore granted the privilege of locating the place on which the Holy Temple was built, for from there was where the Halachic instruction emerged. This our Sages noted (Ta'anis 16a), “Har HaMoriah - from there instruction went out to the world." [Moriah literally means “instruction."] This is indicated by the verse, "G'd loves the gates of Zion more than all the tents of Jacob [Psalms 87:2]", which our Sages interpreted (Berachos 8a), "G'd loves the gates that excel in Halacha more than all the houses of prayer and study." This is rather striking because after all, the houses of study are the places were the Halacha is studied. The point however is, that the purpose of studying Halacha should be to stir Jewish souls to their roots and bring them 84Positive Living - A System of Learning back to Jewish behavior. That is, to have them fulfill the Torah and the Halacha, which is G'd's word. Getting them to live according to the laws of Torah as found in the Shulchan Aruch, is the task of the loftiest tzadikim [The righteous] who cling to G'd constantly, and open fresh portals in the perception of His Divinity. Ultimately, they bring them all back to good, even the worst of the worst, illuminating their way to the roads of Torah and Halacha. The term "gates that excel in Halacha" refers to the halochos of the Torah which become roadmarks for recognizing the gates that lead to perceptions of divinity. In other words, the tzaddikim study the laws of Torah in such a wondrous way, and create such wondrous chidushim, which eventually lead all penitents back to G'd. By revealing the inner meanings of the Halacha, they show the Halachos to be extraordinary - how the Halachos open fresh portals to perception of divinity. And G'd loves these discoveries more than the studying done in the houses of prayer and study. For it is not the study that is primary, but rather the action. G'd loves the study of Torah which 85Positive Living - A System of Learning leads to action - when a person through his occupation with Torah and Halacha sets up milestones and guideposts which lead others back to G'd. These portals are similar to the gateways of the Holy Temple, which led people to the knowledge of G'd. Our Sages of blessed memory spoke so highly of those who occupy themselves with Halacha that they said (Yerushalmi Moed Katan 3:5) "Who is a scholar? One w o learns halachos." Especially when two people merit to study Halacha together, the greatness of this is beyond words. As our Sages of blessed memory said (Shabbos 63a), "Two scholars who sharpen each other in Halacha, Gd causes them to be successful. Two scholars who are pleasant to each other in Halacha, G'd listens to them. Two scholars who listen to each other on halachic matters, G'd heeds them. Two scholars who give each other credit in Halacha, G'd loves them." And above all when you help a fellow-Jew fulfill a halacha - this is foremost. As King Solomon said, (Koheles 4) 86Positive Living - A System of Learning "Two are better than one and they receive great reward in their toil, for if one falls the other will reestablish him - whereas one [alone] who falls there is no one to reestablish him." Our Sages of blessed memory interpreted this (Koheles Raba 4), " If he forgot a halacha, his colleague will restore it." The main advantage of two people learning Halacha together is, when one supports the other and looks at him with a good and helpful eye, wanting only the best for him. For "Torah is acquired only in a group" (Berachos 63a). The Sages said (Derech Eretz Zuta, 2), "Listen to the words of your friend, and if you want to cling to your friend's love, seek ways of helping him." What greater eternal good is there than to support your friend and bring him back to the way of good, - to the way of the Halacha. All the more so when you arouse him to learn Halachos every day. This is truly the will of G'd! When our Sages of blessed memory said, (Berachos 8a), "From the day the Holy Temple was destroyed G'd has only four cubits of 87Positive Living - A System of Learning Halacha in this world," - the word "Halacha" is referring to going in the ways of G'd. (To go, is the literal interpretation of the word halacha.) The four cubits represent the four letters of the Divine Holy Name, which is the space allotted every man - wherever he may be - in approaching G'd. You will merit G'd's illumination, the light of His Holy Name in your four cubits, by studying Halacha and praying in isolation. This will purify your thick materiality and separate the evil from the good, and G'd's pleasurable illumination will shine upon you. Know that you can come close to G'd from wherever you may be. For the major aspect of G'd's greatness is that even the distant ones may come closer to Him. "The study of Shulchan Aruch banishes thoughts of idolatry" (Sefer Hamidos "Posek" 3), and one merits faithfulness, as mentioned before. When you have faith you will always fear G'd. It is also mentioned in Sefer Hamidos ("Yirrah" 2) "a place where Halacha is decided is good for developing fear of Gd." Also, (ibid 3) "through learning Shulchan Aruch one attains fear of G'd." 88Positive Living - A System of Learning Therefore one should ask G'd every day to grant him the privilege of learning Shulchan Aruch daily, and in particular, to fulfill it - certainly not to deviate from it at all. See Yoreh Dei'ah [The second section of the Shulchan Aruch.] Chapter 246 (in Shach parag. 5 citing Perisha), that those laymen who only learn three or -four hours a day should not learn only Gemara, but should also learn halachic rulings so that they will know how to conduct themselves. The Sages said (Megila 28b), "One who learns halachos every day is assured a place in the World-to-come." This is particularly true for those laws which are needed regularly such as the laws of the Sabbath, which you must learn diligently. For our Sages of blessed memory said (Chagiga 10a), "The laws of the Sabbath are like mountains hanging by a hair - they have a small amount of Scripture and many laws." Likewise it is most important to study the laws of the holidays before the holidays - so that you may fulfill them correctly and at their proper time. (See Toras Kohanim to 89Positive Living - A System of Learning Emor and Midrash Raba to Song of Songs 1). Blessed is the person who merits to teach Halacha in public; he ranks with those who bring the public to righteousness. Especially when the subject matter is needed by the many. And never be embarrassed with public Torah learning. So did our Sages say in Vayikra Raba (19:3), "The sections of the Torah, even though they may seem repulsive to the one who teaches them in public - such as the halachos of body emissions, spots, menstruation, and maternity - G'd says, 'They are pleasing to Me.' In any event be sure to learn a regular lesson of Shulchan Aruch in sequence every day. Start from the beginning of Orach Chayim straight ahead until you complete it. Then continue onto Yoreh Dei'ah - afterwards Even Hoezer, and finally Choshen Mishpot. When you finish it all, begin again, and so on for the rest of your life. Our Rebbe of blessed memory insisted on this very strongly and said that it is a great remedy and an essential activity for all Jews. Surely the 90Positive Living - A System of Learning Rebbe meant that we should learn so that we may observe and fulfill, although there is definitely more meaning to it then that. For our Rebbe said explicitly about the instructions he gave to our colleagues (See Sichos Horan 115), “Every instruction | command you is a treasure - a remedy that helps for the past and for the future, after a man passes on, and for the days of Moshiach's coming; for the resurrection of the dead and for the future world. " It is truly amazing how far-reaching this is. So if you care for your soul and wish to perfect it, heed our Rebbe of blessed memory, and set for yourself a firmly fixed time to learn Shulchan Aruch every day. It is best to set for yourself two periods: One an ordinary lesson studying Mechaber, Rama, and Baeir Heiteiv immediately after the morning prayers while you are still wearing tallis and tefilin D'Rabeinu Taam [Tefilin D'Rabeinu Taam are the second pair of tefillin that ire customarily put on by many every day, after the mandatory tefilin D'Rashi. See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim chapter 34. The Rebbe stressed the importance of putting on the tefilin D'Rabeinu otPositive Living - A System of Learning Taam every day, and instructed all to do so from the day of Bar-Mitzvah on. See Likutay Halachos Tefilin 5:28]. Keep a small Shulchan Aruch in your talis bag so that you can learn halachos every day while still wearing the tefilin DRabeinu Taam. This is a great thing as you are fulfilling two very essential teachings of the Rebbe, for the Rebbe also advised us to put on tefilin DRabeinu Taam every day. This lesson will be sequential - studying some sections every day as much as time allows - until you merit completing all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch. Then begin again, and continue this way for the rest of your life. Don't try to grab everything at once - just learn some halachos every day. As Vayikra Raba (19:2) teaches, "The smart man says, ‘I will learn two halachos today, and two halachos tomorrow until | will finish them all." The second lesson should be an in-depth lesson: Tur with Beis Yosef [The Tur was the first edition of the Shulchan Aruch, written by Rabbi Yaakov ben HoRosh. It was later commentated on by 92Positive Living - A System of Learning Rabbi Yosef Cairo (the author of our present Shulchan Aruch), in his work, the Bais Yosef], together with the Shulchan Aruch and its major commentaries. Choose any area of Halacha that you wish to know - such as the halachos of Shaboss, Nidah or a holiday before it arrives. Review them well until you master them. Our Sages said (Shabbos 114a), "Who is a scholar which may be appointed a communal leader? Someone who can be asked any halacha, and can reply. One can only attain this by much review - as our Sages of blessed memory said in Vayikra Raba (3:1), "One who learns halachos and reviews them is much superior to one who learns halachos and does not review them." Through much review and familiarity with Halacha you will also ultimately merit to fulfill them. Even so, much prayer is needed - to pour out one's soul before G d - as our Sages of blessed memory said (Eiruvin 65a) "Halacha requires ‘tzilusa.'" [Although the word ‘4tzilusa" is usually 93Positive Living - A System of Learning translated "clarity," some works explain that it ‘means "prayer,"] - that one must ask G'd greatly to enable him to fulfill the Torah simply and forthrightly without any preconceived notions. And our Sages of blessed memory said (Midrash Tanchuma to Emor), ‘in the merit of the Torah that you will occupy yourselves with, | will hear and answer your prayers. Amen. Rabbi Nachman on Torah Study 1) The Rebbe once spoke about the current printing of sacred books. The number of printers had increased, publishing both recent and earlier works. They bad no lack of customers, for' every one was buying these volumes. The Rebbe said the Talmud teaches us that "The day will come, when the Torah will be forgotten among Jews. Therefore, many books are printed and bought, with people building up their ownPositive Living - A System of Learning libraries. Since, even the simplest tailor has books, the Torah is not forgotten. As each book is published, people rush to buy it, building up respectable collections. In this manner the Torah does not fall. into oblivion. What people do not realize is that these books are of no help unless people look into them and study their teachings. But today the ‘Torah has fallen very much, and few people study it. [For how can books prevent the Torah from being forgotten if nobody studies them?] 2) The Rebbe said, "I have a great longing to institute a rule that each person study a fixed amount in our sacred literature each day without fail. He said that this should even apply to those who are very far from holiness, even those who are caught in the evil trap [Eccl. 9:12.] and sin habitually, heaven forbid. Still, the strength of 95Positive Living - A System of Learning the Torah is so great that it can free them from their habitual sins. If even the worst sinner would take upon himself a set practice to study a fixed amount every day, he would be able to escape from the evil trap. The Torah's strength is so great that it can accomplish everything. [Reb Naftali asked the Rebbe if this applies to actual sinners and was answered in the affirmative, with a reference to Tikuney Zohar 3 (18b). Sichos Moharan 35a (#422), See Zohar '1:195b; Lekutey Halachos (Orech Chaim) Beizias HaPas 22.] A person's main goal should be to do good and serve G'd without sophistication. Every good and holy thing can be done with absolute simplicity. One can study much Torah, do much good, and spend much time in prayer, all without sophistication at all.Positive Living - A System of Learning The Rebbe continually warned us to always be happy. Much of this discussion is recorded in his holy works. However, ‘there were countless other times that he discussed this. 3) In our sacred literature [Koheles Rabbah 1:34] we find that G'd gave us the power to forget so that we should always appreciate the Torah like the first time we learned it. Because you forget, you can relearn a lesson or review, and it is like learning it anew. Therefore, you appreciate it as much as the first time. A good illustration is provided by men hired to fill leaky barrels. The more they pour into the barrels, the more leaks out. The fools complain, "Why are we working in vain? What good is it to fill the barrels if it all leaks out?" But the wise ones reply, "What difference does it make? Don't we get paid for 7Positive Living - A System of Learning every day we work? If the barrels leak our wages are not reduced." The same is true of your sacred studies. You might forget them, but your reward is not reduced. [Avos derabbi Nathan 27:3, VaYikra Rabbah 19:2] 4) If you want to study with continuous diligence, be careful never to speak against a fellow Jew. [This was said on the day before Rosh HaShanah 5571 (Sept. 28, 1810), shortly before the Rebbe's demise. It was given in response to a request for advice on how to achieve diligence in study. Chayay Moharan 10a (#34)] When the bride is beautiful, love is perfect. [Cf. Cant. 4:7] 98Positive Living - A System of Learning But, when the bride is blemished, love cannot be complete. The Torah is a bride. It is written (Deut. 33:4), "Moses charged us with the Torah, a heritage for the congregation of Jacob."' The Talmud says: Do not read MoRaShA- heritage -but Me'uRaSa-the betrothed. "Moses charged us with the Torah, the betrothed of the congregation of Jacob." [Berachos 57a, Pesachim 49b] Every Jew is a letter in the Torah. The six hundred thousand letters in the Torah parallel the six hundred thousand Jewish souls. [Zohar Chadash, Shir HaShirim 74d. Cf. Lekutey Mohd4ran 2:6, 14:3, 273] The Torah is the root of all Jewish souls. 99Positive Living - A System of Learning If there is a defect in a single Jew, it is also a blemish in the Torah. But if you are careful not to speak against any Jew, then vou will also find the Torah perfectly beautiful. You will then have a deep love for the Torah, for when the bride is beautiful, love is perfect. This great love will lead you to great diligence in your studies. It is written (Ps. 19:8), "G'd's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul." Each Jew represents a letter in the Torah. 100Positive Living - A System of Learning When people neither seek out nor speak of the flaws in their fellow Jews, then the Torah is perfect, with neither flaw nor blemish. When "G'd's Torah is perfect" then, "it restores the soul." When people have this great love for the Torah and can sense its true sweetness, then "it restores the soul." When people find the Torah without fault, then their love makes them worthy of continuous perseverance in its study. 5) The study of Zohar is extremely beneficial. Through studying the Zohar, you can attain enthusiasm for all your sacred studies. 101Positive Living - A System of Learning The very language of the Zohar is so holy, it can motivate you to serve G'd. The Zohar uses most forceful expressions in speaking about our duty toward G'd. When speaking of a person who does good, the Zohar says "Zakah .. . Worthy is he!" On the other hand, it cries out against a sinner, Vai! ... Woe! Woe is to him! Woe is to the soul who strays from serving G'd! Reading such expressions can greatly influence you to serve G'd. 6) When he used it in the Zohar, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai made the Aramaic Targum Language 102Positive Living - A System of Learning so holy that even other things written in this language have the power to arouse a person toward G'd. 7) The Rebbe said that every one of his lessons can be applied to the entire Bible and Oral Torah (that is, the entire literature of the Talmud and Midrash). 8) The Rebbe once spoke to me about innovating original concepts in the Torah. Speaking with wonder and awe, he said, "From where does one get a new concept? When one is worthy of innovation, his original thoughts are really very wondrous and mysterious. From where do they come?" An original idea is a revelation. of G'd, bringing something from nothingness to existence. 103Positive Living - A System of Learning At first you do not know the idea at all. It still exists within the Infinite in a state of nothingness. This is the source of all wisdom. Every new idea is drawn from this source. We therefore see G'd's revelation in each new idea. | discussed this with the Rebbe and said, "Don't | know this! Sometimes | must struggle desperately to innovate even a single word." [While at other times the heart is opened and many new ideas pour forth.]Positive Living - A System of Learning The Rebbe answered, "Even this is a great wonder and mystery." It may take great effort to come up with even one original word, but even this is one of G'd's miracles. For what is the source of even this one word? If you have a desire for the truth and a heart to understand, you can literally see the reality of G'd's existence. If you yourself can originate new ideas, you certainly see G'd's revelation in them. But even if vou cannot innovate yourself, you can still see G'd's reality and greatness in the wondrous flow of new concepts found in our sacred literature. It is written (Ps. 19:8), "G'd's witness is faithful." The holy Torah is a faithful witness of G'd. 105Positive Living - A System of Learning This is discussed at length in my work, Lekutey Halachos. 9) The Rebbe said, "You may expound the Torah and innovate in any area you wish. "The only condition is that you may not use your interpretations to innovate or change any law. This is particularly true of innovations based on Drush and Sod, expository construction and esoteric resolution." From what the Rebbe said, we understood that you may expound and innovate according to your intellectual attainment, even in such Kabbalistic works as those of the holy Ari. The only stipulation is that you may not drive any religious practice or law in this manner.Positive Living - A System of Learning 10) The Rebbe was once speaking of the tremendous greatness of the Torah, and, its awesome secrets. He said "The entire T'kuny Zohar (a work of seventy chapters) is but a commentary on the one word Breishis, the first word in the Torah. "Thousands of volumes would not suffice to explain all the secrets found in the Tikuney Zohar. "Its study has no end. So great is the Tikuney Zohar that all the skins of Nevios would not be sufficient to contain its wisdom. "All this is but a commentary on a single word - Breishis (In the beginning). 107Positive Living - A System of Learning “Take the next word-bara-'He created’. A volume equal to the Tikuney Zohar, could also be written on it. It would contain an equal number of mysteries. "Now understand the depth of our Holy Torah. "A Tikuney Zohar could be written on each and every word. Each one contains inconceivable depth and mystery. "The Torah contains not one, but many words. Its greatness is beyond the ability of language to describe. 108Positive Living - A System of Learning Rabbi Nachman on Simplicity 103) Many times the Rebbe said that no sophistication is needed in serving G'd. All that is required is simplicity, sincerity, and faith. The Rebbe said that simplicity is the highest possible thing. G'd is certainly higher than all else. And G'd is ultimately simple. 104) | beard that the Rebbe once said, "my achievements came mainly through simplicity. | spent much time simply conversing with G'd and reciting the Psalms." This is how he achieved what he did. 109Positive Living - A System of Learning He said, "If | only knew that G'd would make me into the unique person that | am [regarded] today. | would have accomplished in one day what took me an entire year." [That is, the Rebbe would have been so enthusiastic, he would have done as much in a single day as he used to do in an entire year.] The Rebbe deeply yearned to serve G'd like the [unlearned] common people. He often said, "Ay! Ay! Prustick! Oh! Oh! Simplicity!" The Rebbe also said, "| have spoken with many great Tzadikim. They all said that they attained their high level through Prustick-absolute simplicity. They would do the simplest things, secluding themselves and conversation- with G'd. This is how they attained what they did. Happy are they." 110Positive Living - A System of Learning There were many things he told us to do. These did not involve deep intentions or the unification of the transcendental worlds through Yechudim. The things he told those close to him to do were simple acts of piety. 105) The Rebbe told his followers not to fast at all unless he prescribed it. [See Sichos Moharan 28a (#45)] He might tell one person to fast for a certain interval. To another he might prescribe undertaking a fast from, Sabbath to Sabbath. To a third he would say that once a week he should stay awake one night and abstain from eating animal products for twenty-four hours. [These practices were actually prescribed for Rabbi Nathan when he first met the Rebbe. Avanehah Barzel p. 12 (#9), Kochavay Or p. 12 (#4)] 414Positive Living - A System of Learning There were many whom the Rebbe told to fast on the day before Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon). He also told most of his followers to be careful to immerse in the Mikvah on days associated with festivity when Tachnun, the penitential prayer, is not said. [Cf. Avanehah Barzel p. 22 (#6)] He told this to many people. The Rebbe also told many people to study eighteen chapters of Mishneh every day. [This also applied to Rabbi Nathan.] The Rebbe prescribed many courses of study, a different one for each man. There was one course of study, however, that be prescribed for all, and that was the daily study of the codes. The Rebbe said that even when one has no time, he should still study at least one law 112Positive Living - A System of Learning in the Shulchan Aruch each day, no matter where that law might be. He said that this is ail important obligation for every Jew. Another practice that he universally prescribed was for us to seclude ourselves in prayer each day. He told us to express our thoughts before G'd and ask that He have mercy and allow us to achieve true devotion. This secluded prayer was to be in the language we normally spoke . . . This is already discussed at length ill the Rebbe's printed works. The Rebbe would specify various practices for each person. He would also change these practices even for a single individual. For example, the Rebbe might first tell a person to study eighteen chapters of Mishneh each day. After a while, the Rebe would exempt him from this and prescribe some new practice. [This 113Positive Living - A System of Learning apparently also occurred to Rabbi Nathan. On Shabbos Chanukah, the Rebbe told him to change his course of study to the codes, and then in the summer, it was changed again to the Kabbalah. Yemey Moharnat 7b] This is how the Rebbe acted toward his followers. He would tell one person to study a particular code each day, while another would be told to study a certain Mishneh every day. The Rebbe would look at the root of a man's soul and prescribe the practice necessary to correct each blemish. Each person then required a specific practice. There were other practices that be prescribed for all his followers, as discussed earlier. 114Positive Living - A System of Learning Still other practices were prescribed for many people. Others, were specific for particular individuals. The same was true with regard to time. There were some practices that the Rebbe prescribed for a man's entire lifetime. An example was the codes, which the Rebbe clearly told us to study every day of our life. In other cases, the Rebbe prescribed a certain practice for a given period of time, and then substituted another routine. Most of the practices prescribed by the Rebbe seemed very simple. However, they were all prescribed on the basis of awesome hidden mysteries and were very far from simple in their effect. The Rebbe, however, did not reveal any 115Positive Living - A System of Learning of these mysteries to us. He simply prescribed a routine and did what was necessary with it. The Rebbe said, "Everything | prescribe is helpful as a remedy both for the past and the future, as well as after death, in the Messianic age, during the resurrection, and in the Future Life." 116A Voice Calls Out To G'dContents 1. The Fight of Returning To G'd 2. The Advice of the Righteous 3. Meshiach 4. Escaping From Time 5. Today 6. The Gift of Forgetfulness 7. Forget the Past and Start Again 8. Hard Beginnings 9. Imprints of Holiness 10. Plain Talk With the Almighty 11. Finding the Divine Presence 12. A Time for Everything 13. Don't Give Up 14. Walking With G'd 15. The Prayer Pipeline | 16. The Prayer Pipeline II 17. Conclusion 18. Letters 19. Some Short Prayers 20. Ethics of Rabbi Nachman 118A VOICE CALLS OUT TO G'D 1, The Fight of Returning to G'd Rabbi Nachman of Breslov once said: "If you believe you are capable of destruction, then believe you are capable of repair." [Likutei Moharon II; 112] If you delve deeply into this amazing insight, you will realize that it involves the entire foundation of repentance -- returning to G'd. A tremendous feeling of heaviness and hopelessness fall upon the person who wants to return to G'd. These feelings arise so suddenly that one encounters great difficulty battling them. The fight is particularly hard for those who have already sinned by committing sexual offenses, by profaning the Shabbos, by eating non-kosher foods, or by falling in similar ways. The battle is even more difficult for those who led their lives contrary to the entire Torah. just when a spirit of holiness and purity inspire these people, caused by the righteous (explained later on), feelings of despair and hopelessness 119Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd vigorously try to subdue this holy spirit of repentance. Thoughts of depression and despair bother them, they worry about the terrible spiritual harm their actions have caused, and their consciences give them no rest. The answer though, the true answer, are the words of Rabbi Nachman: "If you believe you are capable of destruction, then believe you are capable of repair." [Likutei Moharon Il; 112] Someone who returns to G'd is truly great, and his repentance is very precious to G'd. The sages of blessed memory spoke very highly of such people. In the Talmud; "Rabbi Abah said, 'In the place the repentant stand, even the most perfectly righteous cannot stand." [Tractate Berachot 34b] In the Zohar; "Rabbi Yosie said, ‘We were taught that the place assigned to the penitent in the next world is so high that even the totally righteous are not allowed to enter there. The penitent are closest of all to the King since they are more devoted and strive more intently to draw near to Him." [Zohar on Genesis 129a]. It is also brought in the Zohar; ". . . to the place reserved for the repentant, even the completely righteous cannot attain, since the repentant are established in an exceedingly high place." [Zohar on Leviticus 16b] 120Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd Why then do all of these feelings of despair attack a person who wants to return to G'd, as well as doubts and distractions? Rabbi Nachman said: "A person's intentional sins incite him to deny G'd." [Sefer HaMidot; Amunah 22] Actually, G'd's Presence is never absent. Everything in the world is part of G'd's living force. The world of the minerals, the plants, all of the animals and mankind are all part of G'd's living force with which He has "Dressed Himself" G'd's "Clothes" are all of the creations of the world. The main purpose for which we are sent to the world is to reveal G'd's All Encompassing Presence. G'd Himself is found in every motion, fold, and detail of the universe. His Presence dwells among us and everything is composed completely of G'dliness. However, if a person sins, he causes G'd to separate and hide His Presence from him. The person would then be compared to the poor, unfortunate people of whom the Prophet Isaiah spoke: ".. . but if, because of your iniquities, you separated yourselves from G'd, and because of your sins, He hides His Face from you, not hearing you. . ." [Isaiah 59:2] In other words, G'd becomes angry if we sin, and His Presence, 121Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd [which is actually our faith in Him], would eventually depart from the world if we disregarded His Commandments. The Sages said: "In the beginning, before Israel sinned, the Divine Presence directed everyone, as the Torah says: '. . . since G'd, your L'rd goes through the midst of your camp.' [Deuteronomy 23:15] After they sinned, the Divine Presence departed from among them, as It says: '.. . so He should not see an unseemly thing in you and turn away from you.' [Deuteronomy 23:15]" [Tractate Succah 3b]. The righteous of each generation beg G'd day and night to let His Presence return to the world. These righteous leaders struggle very hard, and they make tremendous self-sacrifice. They are extremely devoted in prayer, they often speak encouraging words of faith with others, and discover and reveal new concepts and ideas of Torah. Through their prayers and struggles, ideas of G'dliness regain clarity in the world, and the Jewish people who come from the same spiritual sources, return to G'd as they awaken from the darkness of their misunderstandings. As the righteous continue to serve G'd, more and more of the misunderstandings of G'dliness fade away. 122Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd New clarity comes to the world, and more and more Jews wake up from their sleep -- realizing the need to return to G'd. The righteous leaders, or Tzadikim, draw upon themselves G'd's great Light by being constantly aware of His Presence in the world. They even wear themselves out by traveling from place to place -- talking with many people, in order that others may benefit from their tremendous awareness of G'd. Many Jews are inspired to return to G'd upon hearing their teachings and even by merely being in their presence. The Tzadikim even reveal concepts and ideas of G'dliness to sinners and transgressors. They explain to all how to return to G'd and how to fulfill the Torah even if they have already fallen, stumbled, or are just far away from G'dliness -- as each person knows in his own heart. Even with the great light of the righteous guiding them, those who want to return to G'd have to endure very hard tests since the power of free choice is very great. Crooked ideas and past evils are easily awoken with their hearts -- even after they have seriously considered and understand the need of returning to G'd. These evils only 123Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd come to confuse and distract, though. The test is even more difficult for the poor, misguided Jews who stumbled in sin with members of the Opposite sex -- by committing adultery, by having relations during the woman's impurity, as well as for those who violated other prohibitions of the Torah. All of the evils which overpowered these people become aroused and irritated at their desires for repentance -- So it remains quite difficult for these people to actually repent. These sinners, unintentional or otherwise, have crossed over the fences of holiness and purity which separate the Jews from the other nations of the world. They have assimilated among the other peoples of the world. Questions and doubts constantly plague them, but when they seek G'd, the Satan, (or Evil Urge), reminds them of their sins making them feel bitter. The Evil Urge then challenges their belief in G'd with doubt provoking questions. If they leave these questions unanswered, they will feel guilty since they already realize it is correct to believe in G'd, and this is essentially what all of these questions are about. All of this only brings them back to an even stronger bitterness. So it 124Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd goes -- questions, guilt, and bitterness; questions, guilt, and bitterness, until their spirits and hope give way right in front of their own eyes. Yet there is still no relief, and their consciences still bother them. "Why did | not have pity on my soul by doing good actions?" "How did | do such terrible things?" Or, "Why did | pervert myself, chasing after the filth of the Evil Urge?" When someone realizes the consequences of his actions and does not return to G'd, he suffers terribly. He becomes upset, his enthusiasm dwindles, and he becomes lost in the thick darkness of terrible depression. The darkness alone is enough to kill him, G'd forbid. 2. The Advice of the Righteous However, the true, righteous Tzadikim who have reached the place of G'd's Mercy and Greatness can help people out of even the lowest of situations. Aided by the power of their prayers and G'dly struggles, people become aroused to repent and return to G'd, as mentioned earlier 125Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd [See note on page 1], Therefore, all who want to return to G'd should draw close to these truly righteous leaders of our generation. They receive their knowledge of Torah and advice from an incredibly great, righteous Tzadik. This great Tzadik was appointed from above -- he was chosen from among the special leaders of each generation. He is compared to "Meshiach," (Messiah), who is called "the Wondrous Counselor." [Isaiah 9:5]. This Tzadik was worthy enough to reach the place of "Oneness of Oneness." in other words, the innermost secrets of the "Ancient of Days" were revealed to him. (Our perception of G'd as the "Ancient of Days" is our highest perception of Him. There, we realize His "age old wisdom and experience," so to speak. G'd as the "Ancient of Days" is as someone totally uninvolved with the world -- remaining far above its limitations). Oneness of Oneness is a place of incredible wisdom. The righteous leaders who receive their faith and knowledge from this specially appointed Tzadik can also give advice from "Oneness of Oneness." The advice received from there is Eternal -- totally impossible to contradict or overrule. 126Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd Actually, this is written in Psalms: "G'd's Advice stands forever." [Psalms 33:11] Receiving proper advice and applying it toward serving G'd are the first steps to take when returning to G'd. The main problem involved in serving G'd is confusion concerning what one should do or which advice he should follow. The Torah speaks of this problem of confusion. ". . . a flaming sword that revolves . . ." [Genesis 3:24] This sword was put to use after the first man sinned by eating from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." G'd warned Adam not to eat from this Tree, so when he disregarded G'd's Command, he was punished, and sent out of Paradise (the Garden of Eden), where the "Tree of Life" could still be found and abused by him. To keep Adam out, G'd placed this flaming, revolving sword at the entrance of the Garden. [See Genesis Chapters 2 and 3] All of the pictures, images, and fantasies which confuse a person, urging him to change his mind from one way of thinking to another, are all represented by this revolving sword. This confusion occurs when a person does not know 127Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd the proper way of approaching the "Tree of Life," which would enable him to merit Eternal Life. There is definitely advice for every person, revealing how to return to G'd from any place he might be. People do not always understand this advice, but if they did, it could save their souls from destruction. Their lack of understanding is related to Adam's sin. When Adam ate from the "Tree Containing Knowledge of Good and Evil," he then became aware of the importance of both good and evil. This confused him, and he could no longer tell the difference between right and wrong. Adam's sin also effects his descendants, so the Tree of Knowledge still confuses us when we are weak at clearly discerning right from wrong. This is what is written in Proverbs: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but at its end are the ways of death." [Proverbs 14:12] Therefore, when a person starts to serve G'd, he must be very careful to choose the right path. The great Tzadik mentioned earlier is compared to the "Holy of Holies." His advice comes from a very high source of intelligence which includes 128Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd the advice of all others. Actually, this great Tzadik possesses within him the roots of all souls since he is familiar with the source from which they all come into being. The severity of the judgments which are decreed on the world can be lightened when the judgments are appealed at their sources. When this happens, any limitations caused by the judgments are also lessened. The holy Tzadik mentioned before knows the roads and paths through even the thickest darkness and is even called "the one who knows the darkness." [Daniel 2:22] The advice he gives actually comes from this high place from which judgments are decreed, so his advice is all- encompassing, enlightening even the thickest darkness. He can help every individual according to his own special situation by lightening any judgments which may have been decreed against him. Being able to return to G'd is actually a very wondrous kindness. For, after a person ignored the good advice of the Torah, and even ruined the Torah's advice by sinning -- how can he still have a chance to accept the Torah's advice and 129Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd now return to G'd? Now that a person disregarded the Torah's advice, it should now have even less of a chance of helping him. The truth is that it remains quite difficult to return to G'd without the help of the righteous leaders of the generation. However, they can guide people back to G'd because they receive the light of Meshiach. Meshiach is familiar with even the roots of repentance, and he knows wondrous advice, drawn from the very source of the Torah. Meshiach is actually higher than the Torah Itself, and if a person is worthy enough to hear his wonderful advice and actually follow it, all of his sins will be changed to merits. This is the foundation of Yom-Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is related to the Great jubilee, the Fiftieth Gate -- the highest gate of repentance. Wonderful advice is given to all sinners from that highest place. Meshiach, and also the great Tzadik who is compared to him, can inspire people to return to G'd from any place they are, until they are filled with such yearning for holiness that they return to G'd on their own. 130Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd The main secret of Meshiach's advice is faith, which is represented by the Shabbos. If a person has faith, he will certainly turn back to G'd. Therefore, a person should trust in G'd, and strengthen himself specifically in the areas which the Evil Urge tries to make him fall. He should not be afraid of the Evil Urge, but instead, just keep increasing his faith in G'd. He should constantly work on his weaknesses, since the Evil Urge will constantly try to make a person fall by attacking him in his weak areas. The Evil Urge will really cause terrible damage if one lets thoughts of despair into his heart, such as: "It is too hard to ever atone for sins like these" or , It is absolutely no use fighting, it is a losing battle." It may be very difficult to fight off despair though, especially for those terribly distant souls who have "done what they have done," causing all sorts of spiritual harm by their actions. There are many people who were inspired to return to G'd many times and started to repent from the ways of evil, truthfully serving G'd. Afterward though, they again fell away from G'd, each according to his own failings. The Evil Urge constantly reminds them of these failures, which causes them to feel terribly despondent and 131Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd hopeless -- for they realize the terrible consequences of their sins, as well as their other failures in serving G'd. Really though, if one could turn around these tricks of the Evil Urge, he would give himself tremendous encouragement and strength. Now that a person understands that sin causes terrible spiritual harm, he has to realize that this is the same as saying: "I believe!" -- And since | believe, there is certainly hope for me, for if | believe | have caused harm through evil, then | must believe | can repair by repenting. This is what Rabbi Nachman said: "If you believe you are capable of destruction, then believe you can also repair." [Likutei Moharan II; 112] It is well known that the atheists, non-believers, and anti-religious do not believe they have caused any damage by sinning. This is because they have given nonsensical and foolish reasons for the Commandments of the Torah. However, the Jewish people are a holy nation, and we believe that sins cause terrible destruction and ruin in spiritual ways. They also incite the Evil Urge to start up with us. When we strengthen ourselves in the areas the Evil Urge attacks 132Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd though, we thereby cause him to help us instead. The plan of the Evil Urge is to continually tempt us into sin, until we rebel against G'd. The Evil Urge wants to make us crazy -- in order to make us deny the judgment, and even the judge, G'd forbid. This is what the sages said: ". . . today he will tell you to do this . . . until he tells you there is no G'd in the world." [Tractate Shabbos 108b] A person constantly has to outwit the Evil Urge by strengthening himself in every possible way he can think of, and thereby have mercy on himself Rabbi Nachman's insight is itself enough for a person to strengthen himself. For, if you truly believe you have caused harm by sinning, then this in itself is the beginning of repentance. This is a tremendous foundation, since a person can now have enough faith and hope to eventually correct all of the spiritual harm he has caused, not giving in to despair at all. This is what is written in Psalms: "All of Your Commandments are faith." [Psalms 119:86] The main purpose of the Commandments is to help us develop a complete faith in G'd. Eventually, we will be able to fully recognize G'd as "the One Who Spoke and the world came into existence. 133Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd The righteous leaders are so strong, that with their help, a Person can completely repent to G'd and even change around his sins to merits. This can come about when one has even the smallest amount of faith. For when a person has faith, one good deed which is especially pleasing to G'd will be enough to bring him back to G'd -- that is, with the help of the righteous. Therefore, every person should ask G'd to reveal the truly righteous leaders of the generation to him, since it is with their help that such wonderful salvations can come about. These righteous leaders receive their tremendous outlook and understanding of Torah from the great, wondrous Tzadik who is compared to Moses, our teacher, and to Meshiach -- and they have all been chosen from the great men of all generations. One must keep asking and begging G'd until he actually finds these righteous leaders -- for then his sins will be completely changed to merits. This is especially true for those poor, misguided souls who want to return to G'd now that they have committed so many sins.Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd It is even worth fighting off unnecessary sleep, in order to constantly pray and beg G'd to reveal to one the true Tzadik who can heal him and bring him to great, divine places, thereby saving his soul from destruction. This is what King Solomon cried out in Proverbs: "Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor napping to your eyelids -- but save yourself like a deer from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the snare." [Proverbs 6:4-5] A person should constantly fight off laziness and sleep, at least until he comes close to the Tzadik, who will pray for him and show him how to draw close to G'd. "Do this now my son, and save yourself When you have come into the hand of your neighbor; go, humble yourself, and acquire for yourself many friends." [Proverbs 6:3] The commentator Rashi explains that one should acquire many friends who will pray for him. The friends of which the verse speaks are the truly righteous who are called G'd's brothers and friends. A person should even allow himself to sometimes be stepped on or humbled, and should constantly ask G'd to help him find the truly righteous, begging Him with all of his strength -- until he actually finds them. Then, with their help, he will be able to deliver himself from evil and destruction. 135Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd It is written a little later on in Proverbs: "Limit your sleep, limit your rest, limit your folding of the hands to lie down, and your lackings will be fulfilled as a runner, and your want as a bodyguard." [Proverbs 6:10-11] In addition to its simple meaning, the verse can also mean: "You have to sacrifice your sleep and rest so you can have more time to search for the truly righteous leader who is called the ‘runner’ and ‘bodyguard’. " The righteous are called runners because they always go quickly from one spiritual level to the next, as it is written: ".. . If you will walk in My Ways. . . then I will give you places to go among those who stand by." [Zechariah 3:7] "Those who stand by" are the angels, yet the righteous can go among them, and are not limited to merely standing by. The righteous are also called bodyguards. This is because they shield all those who trust in G'd. Now then, this is the second meaning of the verse. "Only give yourself a little sleep and a little rest ... until you are worthy enough for the righteous to come to you like a runner and like a bodyguard, fulfilling all of your lackings."'O Rashi explains that things which you lack or do not have enough of will be given to you. All the things which you lack or do not have enough of, 136Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd material or spiritual, will all come to you as a runner and as a bodyguard, all in accordance to the righteous leader who you find. The righteous can bring down all favor and profit from both spiritual and physical realms by applying their tremendous knowledge of G'dliness to the situation. All lackings are then completely fulfilled, as it is said in the Talmud: "You have acquired knowledge, what then do you lack?" [Tractate Nedarim 41a] Therefore, all those who want to have pity on their souls should cry and yell out to G'd, even right now -- begging G'd to let them find a true Rebbe and leader who can bring them to a true knowledge of G'd. When a person finally finds a true Rebbe and leader, all of his sufferings will disappear and his whole situation will change and straighten out. The great Tzadik mentioned earlier, who is compared with Moses and with Meshiach, does his main learning with his disciples. They in turn learn with the other Jewish people, thereby helping them closer to G'd. These righteous leaders can even help people who are in the lowest of situations, and even those Jews who 137Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd disregarded the whole Torah. These righteous leaders can bring these other souls high above the limitations of place and time. G'd Himself is really above place and time, as explained by Rabbi Nachman, [Likutei Moharon ll; 6] but this whole subject is really very wondrous and hidden, impossible to fully understand with a mere mortal mind. You must realize though, that the main reason one feels the presence of time is because he does not understand -- that is, because he suffers from a lack of knowledge, relatively speaking. As one's intelligence grows larger, time becomes less significant, and one draws closer to the realm of Eternity or Infinity. You see, in a dream, the rational mind, or intelligence, departs. The dreamer is left only with imagination, and in fifteen minutes he can pass through the seventy years of his life. This is actually what happens in a dream -- it appears to the dreamer that he has passed through many seasons and years, but when he wakes up, he realizes that all of these seasons and years were only a short time. A person's intelligence returns to him at the end of his dreams, and it accounts 138Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd for these seventy or so years as about fifteen minutes. On the other hand, what one considers as seventy years, are really only fifteen minutes to another. This is all fairly difficult to understand though. If someone would come to another person while he was dreaming, and tell him that this dream which he comprehends as _ taking place over a long time period, is really nothing but fifteen minutes, the dreamer would not believe him at all. According to the dreamer's imagination, it seems as if he were passing through a very great time span. Now, even though it may appear to your mind that you have passed through seventy years during a dream, the whole stretch would only be about fifteen minutes for someone with a higher intelligence, and so on, higher and higher, until there is an intelligence so high, that even the time span considered a fairly long one for the intelligence immediately above your own, is negligible for his intelligence. This all goes on and on, until there is an intelligence so high, that for him, the whole span of time is virtually insignificant. His intelligence is so tremendous, that he considers all of time as less relevant than 139Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd seconds -- just as the seventy years which pass by in a dream are really only fifteen minutes. Think about this; there is an intelligence so high - - that for him, all of time is virtually insignificant. 3. Meshiach Meshiach will have passed through a very long span of time before he finally comes -- a span ranging from the creation of the world onward, and he will have gone through much suffering along the way. Even so, G'd will tell him: "You are My son; you were born this day."" This statement is very striking since, considering Meshiach's greatness, G'd should perhaps tell him how knowledgeable and experienced he is. However, because of Meshiach's tremendous outlook and intelligence, he will truly realize that all of his own intelligence is as nothing when compared with G'd's Own _ intelligence. Therefore, G'd will say to him: you were born this day." [Psalms 2:7] -- This day specifically, since all of his past experiences will be insignificant as if he had experienced them all on that very day. 140Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd 4, Escaping From Time The greatest foundation that Meshiach will reveal when he comes, is that nothing at all is limited to place or time. Meshiach himself will have reached such tremendous heights of G'dliness that he will truly realize his own insignificance as he stands before G'd -- the Infinite Master of All. Meshiach will be absorbed within a very high vision of G'dliness and will live and work with a most incredible sense of purpose. He will reveal all of the fantastic truths of G'd's Ways. Meshiach's revelation to mankind will be so great, that everyone will fully understand how G'd fills the universe, and how place and time are only limits and "vessels," created to help us reach G'd. From the great light revealed by Meshiach, everyone will realize that they neue) to thoroughly repent. This is what is written: ". . and a redeemer will come to Tzion, and to Jacob, one who causes sinners to repent." [Isaiah 59:20] It is impossible to truly return to G'd without first realizing that time and place are mere creations. 141Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd A person's awareness of the enslaving presence of time and place is dependent upon his knowledge. A person who has a_ greater knowledge will be closer to being above the realm of time and place and their limitations. Therefore, when a person sins (which only occurs when he is overcome by a spirit of foolishness, as the sages have said), [Tractate Sotah 3b] he will fall even further to the chains of time. This is because foolishness is the opposite of knowledge, and just as knowledge sets free, foolishness enslaves. The heart becomes bitter because of sin, the spirit falls, and sinners often become filled with despair and boredom. Anyone who has already experienced holiness and purity though, will eventually realize the enslavement his sins have caused him, and run back to G'd in repentance. These people are then lifted beyond the limits of place and time to the higher realms, as Rabbi Nachman said: "The day a person repents is above the limitations of time." [Sefer HaMidot; Tshuva II] If a person lets his thirst for G'd cool off though, he will again fall under the clutches of place and time. There, one could fall even further if he lets doubts and questions influence his thinking, for 142Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd then a spirit of despair could easily overpower him, causing him to feel he is not needed at all. This could all cause his awareness of the higher realms to be hidden from him. Eventually though, the person will come to understand that this bondage to time and place is being caused by his imperfect repentance and yearning for G'd. When the person finally repents with his whole being and yearns for G'd out of great thirst and desire, he will come to a spiritual paradise, completely above the limitations of time and place, where he will experience great pleasures and delights. This spiritual place is compared to the "World to Come, since the pleasing sensations and spiritual warmth which emanate from the rays" of the Divine Presence can be experienced in both of these places. However, just as before, if the person once again lets himself get old" -- by relaxing under his achievements of already being a Master of Repentance, this fantastic light will darken, and he will once more be subjected to time's menacing drawl. 143Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd In truth, every person is in a situation similar to this one of the repentant sinner. In fact, the cycle can be seen through the different times of day and their prayers. Repentance and beginning anew have to do specifically with the morning and the "Shachris," or morning prayers. Repentant sinners, as well as other Jews who start to serve G'd, usually begin by following the rituals and actions of the more experienced religious Jews, trying at first to go through at least part of the days the way they do -- by praying, learning, and working at serving G'd. They eventually start to pray according to the order which the sages laid down. They say the long passages of the sacrifices and the incense offerings, the "Shma Yisroel," where we accept the yoke of the kingdom of heaven -- by declaring G'd's Oneness, -- and by promising to love and obey Him, and also the "Amidah" prayer, the prayer of eighteen blessings -- the most intimate prayer, said softly while standing before G'd. The morning is a time which symbolizes growth and strengthening one's service to G'd. This 144Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd means different things for different people. However, newcomers usually start to strengthen their service to G'd by first taking on more and more of the other Commandments of the Torah, in addition to their praying. These repentant newcomers usually fail though in some way from properly serving G'd, and G'd must therefore subject them to a test of their loyalty. The person's Evil Urge will tempt him to sin -- for this is what makes the situation a test. This is well known and understood by all those who have attempted to enter the ranks of G'd's Service. Overcoming the Evil Urge is the main part of the test -- and one will need great strength to pass. The person will need tremendous, virtually inexhaustible reserves of energy as well as a special blend of clever- simplicity in order to strengthen himself in serving G'd. He cannot allow himself to fail because of any reason in the entire world. However, more than anything else, a person must be very careful not to feel small or worthless, since these feelings can cause a 145Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd person to fail the test by making him feel that he does not have a hope in the entire world. This deadly evil manifests itself in all sorts of ways -- keeping the victim at hand from praying with feeling, from being happy and from serving G'd in general. All of this is like the afternoon, the time for the “Mincha prayers, which is the main time that feelings of worthlessness grab on to a person. Therefore, one must take heed to the warning of the sages: "Always be extremely careful during the Mincha prayers." [Tractate Berachot 6b] Be very careful to pray with the proper intentions, in joy, knowing that G'd is listening to your prayers, and most important of all -- do not let feelings of worthlessness disturb you at all. Just as the different times of day have different qualities and personalities, so do the various times of a person's own life. A person's life is called day, and his departing and death are called night and darkness. This is what King Solomon wrote: "as long as the sun has not set." [Ecclesiastes 12:2] Therefore, after a man lives through half of his days, he reaches his afternoon -- which is related 146Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd to the afternoon itself -- the time for praying Mincha. This is the time that the Evil Urge pushes a person harder and harder. It is also the main time that thoughts of worthlessness bother a person. However, a person should not allow himself to fail due to any reason at all. He only has to have faith in the advice of the righteous men who cried out in a strong, powerful way, reminding us that "there is no reason at all for despair," for, it is written in Psalms: "G'd's Greatness has no comparison." [Psalms 145:3] G'd's Greatness also includes His tremendous Mercy; so when a person approaches G'd in _ repentance, remembering that He is All-Merciful, everything will then change around completely for the better. Bad will change to good, sadness to happiness, and even sins will be changed to merits, as the sages have said. [Tractate Yoma 86b] Really, a person should start to serve G'd while he is still young, since: "It is good for a man to place the yoke upon himself while he is still in his youth" [Lamentations 3:27] The sages said: Youth is a crown of roses" [Tractate Shabbos 152a] -- a beautiful, valuable time. 147Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd Yet, even people who have been strong in serving G'd from the time they were young must continue the fight as the years go by. This is because the Evil Urge will always try to block a person from the ways of life. This battle is even more difficult for the poor, misguided souls who did not even start to serve G'd while they were young. When these people realize that most of their years have passed, they hurry and return in repentance, yearning desperately to serve G'd. The Evil Urge strengthens his tortuous hold on them though, enticing them to chase after their appetites and desires. This is what the verse in Song of Songs cries out: “Tell me, oh you who My Soul Adores, where do you feed your flock, and where do you cause them to rest in the afternoon [Song of Songs 1:7]. Afternoon specifically, since this is the time that the flock usually rests -- due to the "heat" of increasing judgments. Therefore, a person must work at praying to G'd while he is still young, constantly asking G'd that he never weaken from serving Him. For, a person sometimes falls into sin as he grows older, especially after he has reached the middle of his life -- when his day starts to darken. These are 148Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd very difficult times; a person must therefore contemplate his approaching end, and should give himself encouragement -- in order to help himself serve G'd properly. This will help him nullify any judgments which may have been decreed against him, due to his Evil Urge, who "rides him" because of his dejection and feelings of abandonment -- all so characteristic of this time of Mincha. Therefore, especially during these later years, a person should seek out and attach himself to the true, righteous men of his generation, since they are compared to Moses, our teacher. They, like Moses, can lighten the judgments which have been decreed against a person -- by appealing to even the highest places above if necessary. 5. Today The true, righteous men of the generation receive their knowledge from the wondrous Tzadik who is compared to Meshiach. Therefore, they can reveal amazing, wonderful advice to all who are close to them. 149Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd Some of the most important advice they reveal concerns forgetting. A person should get into the habit of forgetting all that happened to him in the past, even if he already sinned or "messed up 99 many times by eating non-kosher foods; by stealing; by violating the Shabbos or Yomim- Tovim (Holy Days); by masturbating (spilling his seed); or by sinning in other ways. A person should forget about all of his transgressions, even if he violated the whole Torah. -- For now that one wants to return to G'd with repentance, he has to feel he is a totally new creation born again! Anyone who wants to have mercy upon himself by considering his eternal purpose, no matter what situation he is in at the time, only needs to realize that he is an absolutely new creation -- newly created with each day. it is because of this that we say all of the blessings of the morning prayers each and every day’, praising G'd again and again for everything He has given us, as explained in the Codes of Jewish Law. A person should always consider his work and divine service totally new each day. Every Jew fulfills lots of "Mitzvot," (Commandments) every day by wearing Tzitzis, (Fringes) on his garments; by putting on Tefilin, (Phylacteries); by loving his 150Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd friends like himself; by visiting the sick; by honoring his parents; and by many of his other actions and deeds. Most important of all, always try to feel that there has never before been a day like the one which you are experiencing right now, and that there will never again be a day like this one. The service to be done for G'd today is totally new. The obligations a person has are meant only for him. Every obligation is very special and can only be fulfilled at a particular time and place. Every individual has a unique way of serving G'd. We ourselves are chosen to fulfill these obligations and mitzvot, not the angels, and not the flaming, spiritual beings. The souls of the righteous basking in Paradise high above cannot complete the tasks either. The mitzvot were given only for the living. And only the living can actually give thanks to G'd. A person can give thanks to G'd every day, no matter how insignificant or lowly he may feel he is. Insignificance and lowness should not be excuses for despair. In fact, they are just the opposite. If someone realizes he is small and insignificant, he will add greater glory and sanctity to G'd's Name when he finally draws close to Him. 151Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd This is what is mentioned in the Zohar: Jethro then came; that great, supreme priest of the whole pagan world, and confessed his faith in the Holy One, saying: 'Now | know that G'd is greater than all of the Lords." [Exodus 18:11] The Holy One, Blessed be He, was then exalted in His Glory above and below, and He then gave the Torah in the completeness of His Dominion." [Zohar on Exodus 68a] When those who were far away from G'd come close to Him -- G'd's Greatness is most revealed. The most essential advice for fulfilling the Torah is to constantly begin anew. Someone who cannot seem to serve G'd due to temptations of the powerful exile which pull at his soul, body and money, should also try to reach G'dliness -- by merely beginning anew all of the time. This is compared to G'd's Name of "I Will Be What | Will Be" [See Exodus 3:14] -- Simply, | will prepare Myself to Be. Sometimes, a person must start over and over again many times in one day, until all of his beginnings combine to help him make a final, successful start at serving G'd. This is what the sages have said: "A good thought is never lost." [Zohar] Therefore, if a person constantly starts 152Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd anew, he will eventually serve G'd the way he should. The most important advice is to totally detach oneself from all of the sins he has committed up until this very second, disowning them by completely returning to G'd. Do not let any failures or unsuccessful beginnings count against you. instead, pretend that you never before began to serve G'd and that you are now beginning for the first time ever. In fact, a person will usually stumble and fall further and further from serving G'd if he allows himself to feel that he already started to serve G'd in the past. This is a big mistake. For instance, if someone starts to serve G'd, but later on falls from his level, then gets back up, but later falls again and again, he will eventually get frustrated with serving G'd and lose motivation to pick himself up when he falls. The best advice is therefore to forget everything which happened in the past. Even if a person already started anew thousands upon thousands of times, he should still start again whenever he fails, since now is the only time which counts. A person should prepare himself to serve G'd with 153Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd all of his might whether he feels he has to scream and cry out to G'd from the deep recesses of his heart; or whether he must drop everything in order to learn, pray, or do a certain mitzvah; or even if he merely has to remind himself of a certain good point he has. Other areas of serving G'd involve the same discipline; you must keep starting over and over again until you finally meet with success, and are consistently following the Ways of the Torah. Really, it does not matter how many times one has to start over before he is worthy of success, since the sages said that someone who sinned through his whole life, but repented at the end is forgiven for everything which he did. Forgiveness comes even easier for those who attempted to serve G'd earlier on in life. The main reason that people fail at serving G'd is because they let themselves feel they have already been tested long ago. Thoughts such as these are virtually a cue for the Evil Urge -- who causes these people to feel worthless, since they previously started to serve G'd, but later on failed in one way or another.Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd The Evil Urge wants to take people away from life by confusing them and urging them to give up. Therefore, you have to be very careful to go in the ways explained above -- especially to always start anew, irrelevant of the situation. You should totally forget about the occasions you may have sinned -- for any failures will not be counted against you at all. You should just keep repenting and starting over again -- until you reach the level of serving G'd which you should -- starting and ending your service of G'd with total perfection. Those who strengthen themselves in all of these ways will eventually be worthy of attaining tremendously high and wonderful things. 6. The Gift of Forgetfulness A true knowledge of all this is received mostly through the great Tzadik who has already attained great perfection. Therefore, it was Rabbi Nachman who once said: "Most people think of forgetting as a defect. 155Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd However, | consider that, at times it is very beneficial. If you did not forget, it would be utterly impossible to serve G'd. You would remember your entire past, and these memories would drag you down -- now allowing you to raise yourself to G'd. Whatever you did would be constantly disturbed by your memories of the past. Therefore, G'd has given you the power to forget and disregard the past. The past is gone forever and never need be brought back to mind. Because of your ability to forget, you are no longer disturbed by the past. This is very important to consider when serving G'd. Most people are distressed by past events, especially during prayer. When a person recites his prayers, his thoughts are constantly disturbed by memories of the past. He may think about his business or household affairs, worrying whether he might have done something wrong or forgotten something important. While attempting to serve G'd through prayer or study, he might become troubled by his many sins andPositive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd shortcomings. This is a universal problem and each person knows his own difficulties. The best advice for this is simply to forget. As soon as an event is over with, forget it completely and never think about it again. Understand this well, for it is a very important concept." [Sichos Haran (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom) 26] 7. Forget the Past and Start Again Everyone should get into the habit of forgetting all of his sins by repenting and by starting anew. This is what our teacher Moses made possible for us when he broke the tablets of the Ten Commandments after watching the people sin with the golden calf, a conglomeration of all the possible sins in the world, since it was a combination of idol worship, sexual perversions, and blood shed." [Midrash Tancuma; Parsha Ki- Tatzai] The Jews felt very guilty after their terrible sin, and when Moses realized this, he let the tablets fall and break. The sages said: "If the (first) 157Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd tablets had not broken, there would be no possibility of forgetting . . ." [Tractate Eruvin 54a] This requires a bit of an explanation. The first tablets broke before their miraculous appearance could make an impression on the Jewish people. If Israel had had a chance to realize the significance of the tablets while in their degenerate state of sin, they would have suffered from terrible shame, since they would have realized their gross unworthiness for such a revelation of G'dliness. Such a tremendous shame would be impossible to ever forget. However, since Moses let the tablets break, Israel could still repent to G'd, forget about their tremendous sin, and begin anew. Therefore, by letting the first set of the Ten Commandments break, Moses actually revealed the tremendous powers of being able to forget, establishing forever that repentance and starting anew are only possible with the ability to forget. This explains the connection between the final words of the Torah: and the awe which Moses revealed to the eyes of all Israel," [Deuteronomy 34:12] to the Torah's beginning: "In the beginning of G'd's creating the heavens and the 158Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd earth . .." (The Torah is read in a early cycle, and right after we end It's reading, we start again). The awe which Moses revealed to the Jews refers to this time when he let the tablets fall, as explained by Rashi. By letting them fall, Moses revealed and established that the most powerful, true way for the people to escape the guilt of their sins -- is by simply repenting and forgetting about them. This gives every person new strength to start again at serving G'd. Hinting at this specifically, the Torah begins again: "In the beginning . . Immediately after we learn the lesson of forgetting the past, we start the Torah again from "In the beginning . . ." [Genesis 1:1] This is the level of repentance we reach for every year on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), and during the Ten Days of Repentance. The most essential part of repentance is to realize you have to start serving G'd as if it were your first time. This idea sheds great light on the verse in Lamentations: "G'd, let us return to You, and then we will have truly returned, and our days will be renewed as of old." [Lamentations 5:21] Amen. 159Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd 8. Hard Beginnings Everyone should accustom themselves to repent and constantly start anew. It is forbidden for anyone at all to give up hope or feel despondent. This applies even if a person has failed thousands upon thousands of times. One must know that "all beginnings are hard." [Mechilta; Parsha Jethro] Feelings of heaviness will weigh a person down and try to push him back to his previous evils each time he resolves to start again, and with more and more force each time. Therefore, a person must begin to serve G'd by repenting with great yearning and desire. However, it is impossible to arouse such a desire for G'd and repentance unless one has already experienced the ecstasy of G'd's glorious Light, inspiring him to repent. Yet, how can G'd reveal His precious, delightful Light to someone who has not first drawn close to Him by repenting? It would be like strangers partaking of Kodshim (holy food), which is prohibited. [See Leviticus 22:] 160Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd If this is the case though, it is a vicious, revolving cycle and the question remains, how can a person start to return to G'd? G'd sometimes has extraordinary mercy on a person by letting some of His Divine Light shine forth to his thick darkness, in order to inspire him to return in repentance. Someone who is imprisoned in darkness cannot receive this light the way he should though, unless he immediately repents. Spiritual harm which his bad actions have caused make G'd's Light appear almost blinding. It is too much of a realization for one time, and even if the person is successful and does return to G'd, he will usually fall again as time goes on, since his present situation requires more sanctity than he ever had before. If he lacks this extra sanctity, he will fall right back down. Therefore, the most valuable advice is to constantly begin anew and never give in to despondency or despair since "all beginnings are hard." [Mechilta: Parsha Jethro] 161Positive Living - A Voice Calls Out To G'd 9. Imprints of Holiness The different exiles of the Jewish people are also related to these struggles of repentance. When the Jewish people merited to return to our land in the past redemptions, many Jews eventually sinned because they were not careful to sanctify themselves more than before. The land of Israel has tremendous holiness -- much more than the other lands of the world, so it should be shown greater respect and sanctity. The same is true, for example with someone who enters the King's Chambers -- he must be extra cautious to show proper respect or he will be sent away. When we came back to our land, many of the Jews were not respectful enough. This caused G'd's Wondrous Presence to appear as a blinding, overbright light. And this, in turn, became the chief cause of the "shattering of the vessels" which later took place there. When "vessels" are shattered, the "Other Side" (the side opposite sanctity and holiness), gains strength. As more and more of the vessels broke, 162