The Essential Rabbi Nachman

Translated by Avraham Greenbaum

INTRODUCTION
"Deep waters are the words of the mouth of a man, a fowin stream, the source of
wisdom" !"roverbs #$%&'(
The initial letters of the last four )ebrew words in the verse, Nachal Nove*a +e,or
-hochmah , "a fowin stream, source of wisdom" . form an acrostic of the name
Na-h+aN (
Amidst the confusin choices, contradictions and e/tremes confrontin us on every
side in today*s world, never has the "fowin stream, the source of wisdom" . Rabbi
Nachman*s voice of honest truth, sanity, ,indness and sound uidance for life . been
more essential and necessary for each one of us and for the entire world0
T)E E11ENT2A3 RA442 NA-)+AN is a rich treasury of his inspirin sayins and
profound teachins on all aspects of life with a wide selection of his artlessly beautiful,
witty and profoundly deep tales and parables( These are amon the most priceless
5ewels of the 6ewish heritae and have universal application to people of all
bac,rounds and beliefs( The selections included here have been newly translated
from the oriinal sources into the simplest possible lanuae of today in order for
Rabbi Nachman to spea, to each one of us softly, clearly and directly, heart to heart(
Rabbi Nachman is "a tree with sustenance, shade and shelter for all" !cf( Daniel &%7' (
Everyone who ,nows his wor,s has his or her own favorite passaes( At certain
5unctures in life what may once have seemed opa8ue beins to radiate with meanin(
Any selection is bound to be personal . 2 am sorry if due to lac, of space or for some
other reason 2 have omitted what others would have included( 2 have aimed to provide
a wide selection of Rabbi Nachman*s most fundamental teachins on faith, hope,
courae, simplicity, and 5oy, spiritual rowth, prayer from the heart, desire and lonin,
purity of thouht and purity of heart, 2srael and +ashiach(
After readin from the Torah in the Temple on the Day of Atonement, the )ih "riest
would say% "+ore than 2 have read to you is written in this Torah scroll" ! 9oma :$b' (
3i,ewise, in addition to the tremendous spiritual wealth in the selections of Rabbi
Nachman included in the present volume, there are also many more abundant riches
for further e/ploration in the oriinal collections of Rabbi Nachman*s sayins,
teachins and stories, almost all of which are today available in authoritative Enlish
translations with e/tensive commentary(
9et the very availability of so many volumes may itself be dauntin to those who are
not sure where to bein(
T)E E11ENT2A3 RA442 NA-)+AN is for those who see, one boo, that covers the
entire span of Rabbi Nachman*s ideas, teachins and tales( Those with access to the
)ebrew oriinals will readily see that many of the intricacies of the Rebbe*s da;;lin
hermeneutics based on multiple 4iblical, Talmudic, +idrashic, )alachic and <abalistic
sources have been omitted, while in some cases lenthy passaes have been briefy
summari;ed( The purpose has been to provide a clear thread of meanin for those
whose primary concern is to discover Rabbi Nachman*s actual messae and how to
apply it(
2 am deeply rateful to all those who have iven their enerous support to the writin
and printin of this boo,, and in particular to Elyahu = Esther 4ortnic,, 4ill 4ron,
1hemaia +athe, Eliyahu Reiter, >onda Roth, T;vi = Dafna 1mall and 6ac, = El,a
1oussana as well as to those who wish to remain anonymous( ?ith God*s help, may
this wor, contribute to spreadin the words of Rabbi Nachman far and wide
throuhout the entire world, inspirin men and women, youn and old everywhere to
search in their hearts and 5oin toether, turnin to God to serve )im with one accord
until "the earth shall be @lled with the ,nowlede of God as the waters cover the sea"
!2saiah ##%7' (
AARA)A+ 9E)B1)CA GREEN4AC+ Director, A;amra 2nstitute
9erushalayim 2r )a<odesh, E& Elul FG::
THE LIFE OF RABBI NACHMAN
)e was the true "live man," the li,e of whom there has never been( At all times he was
truly alive( )is life was always new life( There are countless radations in the life and
vitality found in the world( Real life is the life of true wisdom, and the essence of
wisdom is to labor and endeavor to ,now and ac,nowlede God, ?ho is the 3ife of
life( The closer one comes to God, the more one*s life is enuine life( The rihteous
are constantly attached to true life( 4ut the life which the Rebbe himself achieved was
on an altoether hiher, more e/alted plane, the li,e of which no man has ever tasted(
4ecause the Rebbe had lon life, the truly ood life(
-hayey +oharan
INTRODUCTION
Rabbi Nachman was born on # Nissan FFHE !& April #GGE' in the C,rainian town of
+ed;ebo;, where his reat.randfather, Rabbi 2srael, the 4aal 1hem Tov, founder of
the -hassidic movement, had lived and was buried(
Rabbi Nachman*s father, Reb 1imchah, was the son of Reb Nachman )oroden,er,
who had been one of the 4aal 1hem Tov*s closest disciples and a member of his
household( Rabbi Nachman*s mother was >eia, dauhter of the 4aal 1hem Tov*s
dauhter, Bdel( Rabbi Nachman as,ed that when invo,in his merit people should
refer to him as Nachman ben !son of' >eia(
As a youn boy he hid his devotions from everyone, performin lon ablutions in the
cold mi,veh pool even in the heart of winter and secludin himself in the forests for
lenthy periods of prayer and meditation in addition to prodiious study(
+arriae
2n accordance with the custom of his time, he was married at the ae of #H soon after
becomin 4ar +it;vah( )is wife was 1ashia, dauhter of Rabbi Ephraim of Bssatin, a
villae near the town of +edvedev,a ( 2n their EE years of marriae they had eiht
children, but four . includin two sons . died in childhood( >our dauhters survived,
with ,nown descendants until today(
>rom the time of his marriae Rabbi Nachman lived in Bssatin with his father.in.law,
continuin his studies and devotions until he attained uni8ue levels of sanctity and
holy spirit as well as bein fully conversant with the entire array of 4iblical, Talmudic,
)alachic, +idrashic and <abalistic literature( At @rst he was un,nown to all e/cept one
disciple @ve years his senior, Reb 1himon ben 4aer, who attached himself to him
shortly after his marriae and became his lifelon follower(
At the ae of #$ Rabbi Nachman left his father.in.law*s home to live in +edvedev,a,
where he spent the ne/t ten years( 2t was there that his reatness @rst became
revealed, and he rapidly ained an ardent followin includin some distinuished
scholars and <abalists and the octoenarian Rabbi 9e,usiel, the +aid of Terhovit;,
one of the senior leaders of the -hassidic movement( Rabbi Nachman emphasi;ed
faith, prayer and ever.renewed spiritual rowth( 4ecause of his practice of hearin the
personal confessions of his adherents, they were oriinally ,nown as the Aiduyni,ers .
-onfessors(
"ilrimae to 2srael
2t was from +edvedev,a that Rabbi Nachman set forth on his pilrimae to the land of
2srael in the early summer of #G7$ despite its bein at the center of a ma5or land and
sea war between 4ritain and Tur,ey aainst the >rench( Rabbi Nachman*s #&.month
trip was frauht with every possible obstacle and he was repeatedly in mortal daner,
but he accomplished his oal of wal,in in the )oly 3and ( )e visited the holy sites in
the north, but apparently not 6erusalem ( Despite his capture by pirates on his
homeward 5ourney, Rabbi Nachman returned safely to +edvedev,a in summer #G77(
1oon afterwards he moved to the town of Ilatipolia , where he spent two years( 2t was
then that the opposition he suffered for most of the rest of his life bean in earnest
under the leadership of Rabbi 3eib, the Ieidah !Grandfather' of 1hpola(
4reslov
2n #$JE at the ae of HJ Rabbi Nachman left Ilatipolia to settle in the town of 4reslov ,
where he spent most of the remainin eiht years of his life( Bn enterin the town he
said that his followers would always be ,nown as the 4reslover -hassidim, pointin
out that the name 4Re13oA has the same letters as 3eA 4a1aR, a "heart of fesh"
!E;e,iel H:%E:' (
Aery soon after his arrival Rabbi Nachman was 5oined by the EE.year.old Nathan .
Nosson . 1ternhart; from the nearby town of Nemirov ( Reb Nosson became Rabbi
Nachman*s closest follower and transcribed almost all his teachins( After Rabbi
Nachman left the world, Reb Nosson established what has become the worldwide
4reslov -hassidic movement( Rebbe Nachman said of Reb Nosson% "?ere it not for
Reb Nosson, not a sinle pae of my teachins would have remained"(
2n the eiht years that followed this fateful encounter Rabbi Nachman radiated fresh
Torah with his every word and esture . a Torah in which the sublime spiritual heihts
he attained were interwoven with events in the lives of his family and followers aainst
the wider bac,drop of the Russian "ale of 1ettlement and the rowin pliht of its
6ewish population( Rabbi Nachman*s Torah discourses, conversations, stories and
parables and accompanyin episodes in his life were faithfully recorded by Reb
Nosson(
Rabbi Nachman had reat hopes for his baby son 1hlomo Ephraim born in sprin
#$JF, but a year later in summer #$J: the baby died and Rabbi Nachman mourned
him deeply( )is loss prompted Rabbi Nachman to venture on a new path which found
e/pression in the stories he now bean to tell, later printed as 1ipurey +aasiot(
Rabbi Nachman*s wife 1ashia died in summer #$JG( Not lon afterwards he remarried
but had no children with his second wife( Durin this period Rabbi Nachman
contracted tuberculosis, and when he started couhin he predicted that this illness
would eventually ta,e his life(
2n autumn #$JG he 5ourneyed across war.torn Europe to 3ember ! 3vov ', where he
received medical treatment while pursuin other purposes ,nown to him alone(
3ember was becomin a center of the incipient assimilationist movement(
Returnin from 3ember to 4reslov in #$J$, Rabbi Nachman de@ed the rowin
waves of doubt, s,epticism and rationalism to ive ever reater emphasis to faith,
simplicity, personal prayer, devotion and happiness(
Cman
2n summer #$#J Rabbi Nachman made his @nal 5ourney to the town of Cman , throuh
which he had passed eiht years earlier on his way to 4reslov, and whose old 6ewish
cemetery he had chosen as his place of burial( This was the burial site of the martyrs
who sancti@ed God*s Name in Cman in #G:$ . less than four years before Rabbi
Nachman*s birth . when tens of thousands of 6ews who refused to betray their faith
were slauhtered in the space of three days( >orty years later Cman had become a
leadin center of the assimilationist movement(
Rabbi Nachman spent @ve months in Cman, durin which he had lenthy discussions
with three leadin proponents of assimilation, who held him in the hihest reard(
Despite his illness he celebrated Rosh )ashanah of FFG# K #$#J with several hundred
followers( Durin the @rst day of the festival his situation deteriorated seriously and he
couhed up lare 8uantities of blood( Nevertheless, despite his reat wea,ness, he
ave his customary teachin on the second evenin, spea,in for many hours( This
was his last lesson(
Eihteen days later on #$ Tishri FFG# K #: Bctober #$#J . fourth day of the festival of
1uccot . Rabbi Nachman departed this life and was buried in the old cemetery of
Cman amidst the martyrs of the #G:$ massacre(
Rabbi Nachman lives on until today in the @re of his teachins and the ;eal of his
followers to print and spread them( 2t was Reb Nosson who too, the initiative to print
Rabbi Nachman*s discourses !3i,utey +oharan', stories !1ipurey +aasiot' and
conversations !1ichot )aran and -hayey +oharan' as well as his own discourses and
commentaries(
Reb Nosson initiated visits to Rabbi Nachman*s ravesite and the annual Rosh
)ashanah atherin of his followers, the 4reslover -hassidim, in Cman, where he built
a synaoue( Cman remained the main center of the 4reslover -hassidim until after
the >irst ?orld ?ar, when it shifted to 2srael , and from there the movement has
spread to become worldwide(
SOURCES
The oriinal source of each of the teachins, sayins, tales and parables contained in
this collection is cited with the te/t( The reat ma5ority were heard directly from the
mouth of Rabbi Nachman and recorded, often immediately, by his closest disciple and
scribe, Rabbi Nathan . Nosson . 1ternhart; !#G$J.#$&&'( "?ere it not for Reb
Nosson," said Rabbi Nachman, "not a sinle pae of my teachins would have
remained0" Bther sayins and stories are drawn from oral traditions handed down from
eneration to eneration by Rabbi Nachman*s followers, the 4reslover -hassidim, and
printed as referenced below(
Alim LiTerufah -ollected letters of Reb Nosson(
Avaneha Barzel 1tories and teachins of Rabbi Nachman and his disciples collected
by Rabbi 1hmuel )orowit; !#7JH.#7GH'(
Chayey Moharan "The 3ife of Rabbi Nachman", translated by Avraham Greenbaum
as "T;addi," !4reslov Research 2nstitute'% 2ntimate bioraphical portrait of Rabbi
Nachman by Reb Nosson includin numerous conversations, information relatin to
the Rebbe*s lessons, and many of his sayins, stories, dreams and visions(
o!hvey Ohr 1tories and teachins of Rabbi Nachman and his disciples compiled by
Reb Avraham -ha;an !#$&7.#7#G', the son of Reb Nachman of Tulchin, who was Reb
Nosson*s leadin disciple(
Li"u#ey Hala!ho# 4y Reb Nosson( $.volume e/ploration of the laws of 1hulchan
Aruch !the code of Torah law' in the liht of Rabbi Nachman*s teachins, illuminin all
areas of Torah with the insihts of -hassidut(
Li"u#ey Moharan lit( "Gleanins of our +aster, Rabbi Nachman"% the primary
collection of Rabbi Nachman*s ma5or Torah discourses with many shorter teachins(
E/tensive portions are now available in Enlish translation with commentary from
4reslov Research 2nstitute( 1ome of the e/tracts from 3i,utey +oharan included in the
present volume contain e/planatory losses added by Reb Nosson in his abbreviated
version, <it;ur 3i,utey +oharan, or his 3i,utey Eit;ot, translated by Avraham
Greenbaum as "Rabbi Nachman*s Advice" !4reslov Research 2nstitute', a
compendium of practical teachins from 3i,utey +oharan arraned by sub5ect(
Netiv T;addi, 3etters of Reb Nosson b*Reb 9ehuda, a student of Reb Nosson, who
settled in Tiberias(
R$ %i#z!ha" Brei#er !#$$:.#7&H' An ardent, hihly charismatic 4reslover chassid who
spread 4reslover teachins in his native "oland prior to the holocaust, in which he lost
his life(
Sefer HaMi&&o# lit( "The 4oo, of Attributes", translated as "The Aleph.4et 4oo,"
!4reslov Research 2nstitute'% A collection of stri,in aphorisms by Rabbi Nachman
arraned by sub5ect and containin the distilled wisdom of the Torah on all aspects of
life(
Sia!h Sarfey o&e'h Anecdotes and teachins of Rabbi Nachman, Reb Nosson and
the 4reslover -hassidim with previously unpublished stories and sayins from the
4reslover oral tradition( Transcribed by Reb Avraham ?eit;handler based on
conversations with Reb 3evi 9it;cho, 4ender !#$7G.#7$7'(
Si!ho# Haran "-onversations of Rabbi Nachman", translated as "Rabbi Nachman*s
?isdom" !4reslov Research 2nstitute'( -ollected insihts and practical uidance on all
sub5ects, transcribed by Rabbi Nosson(
Si(urey Maa'io# lit( "Tales of Deeds", translated as "Rabbi Nachman*s 1tories"
!4reslov Research 2nstitute'( Thirteen ma5or tales and some additional parables about
,ins, princesses, ores, pirates, maical stones, sinin animals and other ama;in
wonders conveyin profoundest mystical secrets(
Si(urim Ni)aim Anecdotes, teachins and previously unpublished stories of Rabbi
Nachman collected by Reb 1hmuel )orowit; !#7JH.#7GH'(
Tovo# *i!hrono# 4reslover traditions compiled by Reb Avraham 1ternhart; !#$:E.
#7FF'(
RABBI NACHMAN+S SON, OF DELI,HT
In (rai'e of #he Torah of Mo'e'
No other beliefs and customs compare with our faith(
Their wise men invented customs usin human reason(
+oses ascended on hih arbed in a cloud(
The Necessary E/istent spo,e with him each time, so he distanced himself from
woman(
Despised, sic,ly and oppressed thouh we are,
?e received a ood teachin from him . God*s wisdom, which comes forth from
nothinness(
+oses . ,in in 9eshurun . and our faith are li,e two inseparable brothers(
Neither his soul nor his pure body deviated from one another(
I'rael an& #he na#ion'
As numerous as their souls, so are their many opinions and diverse aruments(
Their forms of worship are new, havin arisen only recently(
Their thouhts are not our thouhts, and our ways are not their ways(
Bur souls are one% we do not turn aside to their many imaes(
The (o-er of #he 'oul
+y stron, wise soul% ?hy have you not ta,en pity on yourselfL ?hy have you
forotten the -raftsman who raised you, ?ho has fed you sweet dainties and clothed
you in purpleL
Now you are trampled by the foc, and under the feet of ross worldly desires( 9ou are
bare and na,ed( 9our festive wine has turned into a cup of tears(
4e stron0 Renew your strenth( Don*t be li,e a reat elephant or camel that even
when pulled alon by the nose by a mouse will still not ,ic, free, only throuh folly
since he doesn*t ,now his own strenth(
4ut you, my wise, stron soul% ?hat will you do on the day of rec,onin and what will
you answer the Bne ?ho sent you on your missionL Don*t loo, for feetin pleasures,
for your body is frail and lowly, while time roars ahead, and this could be your body*s
last day(
"ierce your heart of stone and shine from there to me with a little limpse of your face,
which is briht as the sun, beautiful as the moon( Don*t be still and silent0 Raise your
sweet voice in sons and than,s(
Bpen your mouth and brin forth your pleasant words before the )oly Bne blessed be
)e( Raise your eyes on hih and remember your ancient love(
,o&+' .lory in na#ure
Rivers, streams, channels of abundant waters, and seas reat and small,
?ondrous, diverse in colors, tastes and characters,
1warmin with creatures small and reat . each one contains species without number(
All laud and praise God with all their limbs(
They constantly utter words and never deny their Ruler(
"recious 5ewels and pearls lint in their depths%
)idden within them are the lihts of their vessels(
De'#iny of #he 'oul
The souls hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory
"ine constantly to become one with their 1ource(
The soul draws life and ,indness from the ,indnesses of David(
1he has not lost the race of the spirit drippin from Eden *s arden(
"alatial dwellins and tents of peace are mar,ed out for each and every soul with
sins of ma5esty(
"?hat has God doneL" the anels will as,, racin on their missions li,e shootin stars(
>ar remote from all delihts will be those whose paths are corrupted(
They will be left hunry and disraced with only the hollow of the slin as their lot(
3et us not be lost0 3et us return to God0
3et us accept bad and ood with love and bedec, ourselves in honor of our eternal
>ather(
The holy lan&
The earth was created surrounded by spheres, with many lands and states around it(
The children of man all have their lanuaes and beliefs(
The buds, fowers and fruits of the earth
And even the collapse of states are throuh her winds(
The earth alone endures, with the spheres encompassin around her(
Torah (ro#e!#' from im(uri#y
Demons and spirits fy throuh the air,
)earin God*s decree and holdin sway over the four root ,inds of damae% the o/,
the pit, the tooth and @re(
2n three ways li,e anels, in three li,e men,
They fee in the face of the holy -ovenant, of which it is said, ")e shall surely be
circumcised"(
1tri,in as if with rods in their weird forms,
1pell.weavers and maicians compel them by ad5urin them with names(
4ut the holy Torah protects us from all impuritiesM
-harity saves from terrible deaths(
The 'ufferin. of e/ile
"rophecy we do not have(
?ith the teeth of the nations nashin aainst the uni8ue people, we are bereft of
understandin(
They discuss how to administer the bitter cup of sorrows(
?e shall bear their yo,e until the "oor Bne arrives(
Ma'hia!h
The son shall e/plore his father*s treasures(
?ith a crown of lory the beloved son is crowned(
Then we shall sin a new son(
Bur <in0 Each and every one will point with a @ner of fesh(
The Torah will be unforettably sealed in each one*s heart(
Death will be consumed for ever li,e the fadin scent of incense(
1piritual healin
3et us ac8uire a heart of wisdom to understand the desin of our body, the proportions
of its 5oints and the structure of its limbs(
This necessary understandin helps us to ,now the -reator ?ho formed all these
creations,
?ho heals all sic,ness and each one*s pains . the blind and the lame, the leprous and
afficted, he who worries and he who is in pain(
3et us eat only to sustain our souls, restrainin our natural cravins(
-ha;a,000 4e stron000
THE UNI0UE CHARM OF RABBI NACHMAN
The world needs me very much indeed( ?ithout me, the world cannot e/ist at all(
9ou yourself ,now how much you need me( All the T;addi,im also need me, because
they too need to improve( Even the nations of the world need me( 2 could draw the
entiles to God and brin them closer to the faith of 2srael( )owever% "Enouh for the
servant to be li,e his +aster" ! 4erachot F$b' (
-hayey +oharan NE&$, EFJ.#
O O O
2 am a river that cleanses from all stains(
2 am a most beautiful, most ama;in tree with most ama;in branches( And down
below, 2 am literally under the round(
2 am a wonder, and my soul is very wondrous(
2 am the elder of elders(
2 am the holy elder, who reveals thins which the Ancient of Days concealed(
-hayey +oharan NE&F, EF:, EGE, E$7, HHE
O O O
2 will lead you on a new path which no man has ever traveled before( 2t is really a very
old path, and yet it is completely new(
Tovot Iichronot p( #JG
O O O
2n time to come, 2 will sin a son which will be the world to come of all the T;addi,im
and -hassidim(
-hayey +oharan NE:G
O O O
+y teachins and conversations are not only for you, but for "those who are here((((
and for those who are not here" . the future enerations !Deuteronomy E7%#&M Rashi
ad loc(' ( 9ou must also teach your children all the lessons and ideas and stories that 2
have revealed to you( "And you shall ma,e them ,nown to your children and your
children*s children0" !ibid( &%7' (
1ichot )aran NEJ7
O O O
2 can turn a person into a ood 6ew and ma,e him 5ust li,e me0 3iterally000
-hayey +oharan NEHJ
O O O
+y mission is a secret( 2t is such a secret that even when 2 reveal the secret, it still
remains a secret(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.F&
O O O
Rabbi 1himon bar 9ochai, author of the Iohar , was uni8ue, as everyone ,nows( >rom
the time of Rabbi 1himon until the AR2 !Rabbi 9it;cha, 3uria #FH&.GE' , there were no
new revelations li,e Rabbi 1himon*s( Bnly the AR2 revealed entirely new and oriinal
teachins which no.one could reveal until his time( After the Ari, no new teachins
were revealed until the comin of the 4aal 1hem Tov !#:7$.#G:J' , who was also
totally uni8ue and who revealed completely new teachins(
> rom the time of the 4aal 1hem Tov until today there have been no new revelations
on such a level( Cntil now, the world has been sustained only by the revelations of the
4aal 1hem Tov(
Then 2 came alon000 And now 2 am startin to reveal totally awesome, e/alted, oriinal
teachins(
-hayey +oharan NEG7
O O O
2 ,now wisdom that cannot be revealed( 2f 2 were to bein to reveal this wisdom,
people would be nourished by the sheer deliht of understandin it( They would no
loner eat or drin,( Every soul would lon to hear this wisdom and the whole world
would rind to a halt( "eople would leave their present lives in search of the sweet
beauty of this wisdom( 4ut 2 cannot reveal this wisdom to man,ind(
1ichot )aran N#$#
O O O
The 'on. an& &an!e of my Torah'
As yet the world has not had the least taste of me( ?ere they only to hear one of my
lessons with its true melody and dance, they would pass into a state of complete
surrender( 2 mean the whole world . even the animals and plants0 Everythin in
e/istence would be nulli@ed( Their very souls would e/pire from overwhelmin deliht(
Thin, of the power of music and dance( 1omeone who truly understands music can
play melodies that sprin from its very essence and have the power to draw the very
soul of the listener after their every nuance( The listener becomes totally subordinate
to the melody, surrenderin himself to its drawin power( The melody penetrates and
arouses him, drawin him alon with it(
This is even more so with dance( A real dancer can dance in such a way that his body
e/presses every subtle shade of the music he is dancin to( Every limb of his body
moves in perfect unison with the music( 1ometimes the music calls for a movement of
the head, the les or the arms( 2t may call for the dancer to bend down or swin
around( The movements of the body must be in perfect harmony with the music(
Now thin, of a melody with words( 2n a perfect son, the words are connected to the
melody in every detail( The son e/presses in words e/actly what the music
e/presses throuh the beauty of the melody( Now add the element of dance% the
dance e/presses in terms of bodily movement what the words and music e/press in
their terms( Everythin wor,s in complete harmony(
?hen the words, melody and dance are all interrelated and interwoven in perfect unity,
anyone who e/periences them will be so overwhelmed with deliht that his soul will
literally e/pire and he will fall into a state of complete surrender( This is the reatest of
all pleasures( Anyone who hasn*t tasted this ,nows nothin of pleasure(
Those present when such a player sins and dances are powerless% they simply
e/pire with yearnin and deliht( The closer a person is to the melody and dance and
the deeper his understandin, the more the movements of the music and dance will
come naturally because of the drawin power of the deliht they cause( )is pleasure
at the music and dance draws him in and ta,es over( )e 8uite spontaneously starts
movin, sinin and dancin(
3i,ewise, the closer someone is to my teachins, the more natural and easy will the
movements of their holy son and dance become(
)appy is the eye that sees this, for even in the ne/t world, not everyone will be worthy
of hearin and seein this( "Bnly those who labor on the eve of 1habbat will eat on
1habbat("
-hayey +oharan NH&J
2t occurred to me that 2 ouht to ta,e my wife and o off to some remote place where 2
could live in secrecy out of everyone*s siht( >rom time to time 2 would step out into
the street and ta,e a loo, at the world and lauh at everyone and everythin(
-hayey +oharan NEF7
O O O
?hen somebody thin,s of me they become li,e a newborn babe(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#G
O O O
Nobody ever loses out on my account(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.E$
O O O
God has ranted me that whenever people spea, of me , their thouhts will turn to
repentance(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.&G
O O O
2 encounter reat opposition and people as, many 8uestions about me( And with one
silence 2 answer all the 8uestions(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.F7
O O O
May1e one &ro( -ill en#er
?hy have 2 revealed so many ama;in teachins and stories and shared so many of
my thouhts with youL 3et me e/plain it with a parable(
There was once a ,in whose only son became so ill that all the doctors despaired of
curin him( +eanwhile, a doctor of outstandin wisdom came and the ,in beed him
to try his best to cure the prince( The doctor told him truthfully that the chances of the
prince bein cured were very remote, but if they tried one last thin , there was a very
faint possibility that the prince would be cured (
"4ut 2 don*t ,now if 2 should tell you what this method is," said the doctor, "because it
will be very hard indeed to apply it("
?hen the ,in pressed him to reveal the method , the doctor said% "9ou must
understand that your son*s illness is so desperate that it is now 8uite impossible to put
even a sinle drop of medicine in his mouth( )owever, there are certain remedies
which are so priceless that a sinle small bottle costs thousands and thousands of
old pieces( Now you must @ll barrels and barrels full of these precious remedies and
pour them in buc,etfuls over your son( Bbviously these precious remedies will almost
all o to waste, but the prince will become slihtly stroner( And it may be that as they
are poured all over him, one tiny drop will enter his mouth and he miht be healed("
The ,in immediately areed and ave instructions to do what the doctor had
suested , and this was how the prince was healed(
"recisely because we are so crushed by the sic,ness of our souls, the T;addi,, the
faithful doctor, is forced to pour priceless remedies over us, even thouh it would seem
that virtually all of them will o to waste( Nevertheless, the sweet scent is absorbed(
And in the fullness of time, maybe we will allow one drop to enter into our mouths and
our inner bein, and then there will be some hope for us to be healed spiritually and
physically(
-hayey +oharan NH7#
O O O
1ometimes 2 tell a person somethin but it has no effect until my words are passed
from this person to the ne/t and from one friend to another( Eventually they reach a
particular individual and penetrate deep inside his heart( Then they carry out their
mission to perfection, stirrin and arousin him(
1ichot )aran NEJ$
2f you saw a reat treasure you would surely rush to di it up , even if it meant ettin
very muddy and dirty(
Am 2 not the treasury of fear of )eavenL Then why don*t people run after me to et itL
The way to attain it is with your lips and heart( 9ou must be bold enouh to as, for it( 2t
is "in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it" !Deuteronomy HJ%#&' (
-hayey +oharan NE7F
O O O
The ,oo& 2ine
2 am a "new container full of old wine" ! Avot &%G' (
-hayey +oharan NE$7
O O O
Bnce, an important trader was travelin with a consinment of @ne )unarian wine(
Durin the 5ourney his assistant and the carriae driver said to him, ")ere we are,
travelin with all this wine( 2t*s a very hard 5ourney . ive us a little taste of the wine("
)e areed to let them have a small taste(
A few days later, the assistant happened to be in a small town with some people who
were drin,in wine and praisin it e/travaantly( They said it was )unarian(
"3et me have a taste," said the assistant( They ave him some, and he said, "This isn*t
@ne )unarian wine at all0" They were most offended and told him to leave, but he
insisted% "2 ,now very well that this wine isn*t )unarian, because 2 was with a wine
merchant who had enuine )unarian wine and he ave me some to try( 2 ,now what
it really tastes li,e(" 4ut they inored him(
4ut when the +ashiach comes, then they*ll ,now( The time will come for the @ne old
wine stored up for the rihteous to be served( Bthers will be fooled into believin that
inferior Romanian, ?allachsian and 1trovitsarian wines are @ne old vintae wines( 4ut
none of my followers will be fooled, because they*ve already tasted the ood wine0
-hayey +oharan NE:J
O O O
2n time to come the whole world will be 4reslover -hassidim(
"2 will ive you a heart of fesh, 3eA 4a1aR" !E;e,iel H:%E:' ( Read the word not as
4a1aR but as 4o1eR, "lad" !+idrash' ( Everyone will be lad at their friends* ood
fortune(
The letters of the words 3eA 4o1eR, a lad heart, spell out the word 4Re13oA(
-hayey +oharan NHH7
TEACHIN,S
>A2T)
The world reards faith as somethin minor, but 2 consider faith as bein of the
reatest importance(
The way to faith is throuh simplicity, without sophistry or philosophy(
1ichot )aran NHH
O O O
4elieve in somethin
2t is better to be a fool who believes in everythin than to be so clever that you do not
believe in anythin(
2f you believe in everythin, some of your beliefs may be foolish but you will also
believe in the truth( )owever, when a person is too clever and does not want to
believe in anythin, he may bein by ridiculin falsehood and folly but can easily end
up so s,eptical of everythin that he even denies the truth(
1ichot )aran N#JH
O O O
There must be 8uestions
There are many searchin 8uestions about God( 4ut it is only @ttin and proper that
this should be so( 2ndeed, such 8uestions enhance the reatness of God and show
)is e/altedness( God is so reat and e/alted that )e is beyond our ability to
understand )im( 2t is obvious ly impossible for us , with our limited human intellience,
to understand )is ways ( 2nevitably there are thins that baffe us, and this is only
@ttin( 2f God*s ways were in accordance with the limits of our meaer understandin,
there would be no difference between )is understandin and ours, and this is
inconceivable(
3i,utey +oharan 22, FE
O O O
4elievin is seein
2f you as, a believer to e/plain why he has faith, he will certainly not be able to ive
you a reason, because faith is applicable only where one does not understand the
reason( 9et , because of his complete faith, whatever the believer himself believes in is
perfectly clear and self.evident as if he sees it with his own eyes (
3i,utey +oharan, 2, :E
O O O
Rely on God
2t is very ood to rely on God completely( As each day beins, entrust your every
movement and those of all who depend on you into God*s hands, as,in that
everythin should o accordin to )is will(
9ou will then not need to worry about whether or not thins are oin as they should,
because you are relyin on God( 2f )e wants thins to o differently from the way you
may wish, you will be willin to accept everythin the way )e wants it(
1ichot )aran NE
O O O
2f you have faith, you are truly alive
?hen you have faith, every day is @lled with ood( ?hen thins o well, it is certainly
ood( 4ut even if thins o wron and you suffer, this is also ood( >or you trust that
God will have mercy and will eventually send ood( Everythin must be ood, because
everythin comes from God(
A person who lac,s faith is not truly alive, because as soon as somethin bad
happens he ives up all hope( )e has no way to comfort himself because, havin no
faith, he has placed himself outside God*s providence and therefore , for him, there is
no ood at all(
2f you have faith, you will have a ood and beautiful life(
1ichot )aran NFH
O O O
>aith in yourself
9ou must have faith in yourself0
9ou must have enouh faith in God*s oodness to believe that you are important to
)im( )ave faith that you too are precious in God*s eyes( 1o reat is God*s oodness
that each and every person is reat and important in )is eyes(
4ein humble does not mean you must put yourself in a state of constricted
consciousness( -onstantly as, God to brin you to true humility and to have faith in
yourself( 1ome T;addi,im suffer opposition only because they do not have faith in
themselves0
1ichot )aran N#&J
O O O
1pea, out your faith
>aith depends on a person*s mouth( ?e must say that we believe . say it out loud0 "2
will ma,e 9our faithfulness ,nown with my mouth " !"salms $7% E ' (
?hen a person is e/p eriencin a crisis of faith, or even passin doubts, it is very
bene@cial to say aloud% "2 believe0" 1imply ivin e/pression to your faith in words is
itself an act of faith, and this can brin you to true faith(
3i,ewise you should also be very careful never to say anythin which implies even the
slihtest lac, of faith, let alone total disbelief ( Even if you are a believer in your heart,
never e/press disbelief even as a 5o,e . not even if you are merely 8uotin someone
else to ridicule their opinion( To do this is very wron and can be very damain to
your faith( Even as a 5o,e it is forbidden say anythin which implies disrespect of God(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &&
O O O
The cry of the heart
The word < a 1h9A . a "dif@culty" or "8uestion" . consists of the initial letters of the
verse " 1h *ma 9 .<.A.< < oli E ,ra% )ear, God, my voice . 2 cry((((" !"salms EG%G' (
?hen you cry out in your heart, this itself is an aspect of faith( 9ou may have many
doubts and 8uestions, but when you cry out in your heart it shows that you still have a
spar, of true faith(
?ithout this spar, you would not cry out at all( 9our very cry is therefore an aspect of
faith( Cnderstand this(
This cry can also brin you to faith( The cry itself is an aspect of faith , but it is still very
wea,( 9et this very cry can elevate and strenthen your faith until all your 8uestions
disappear(
Even if you have not yet attained this, the cry itself is very bene@cial(
1ichot )aran N#&:
O O O
>aith in every limb
There are various ,inds of faith( There is faith that is only in the heart( 4ut a person
must have so much faith that it spreads to all his limbs( Thus the <abalistic writins
mention that when washin one*s hands to eat bread, one should raise them towards
the head in order to receive holiness( 9our faith must e/tend into your hands in order
to believe that by raisin them towards your head you receive holiness( ?ithout faith, it
is a meaninless esture, for "All your commandments are faith" !"salms ##7%$:' (
2f you are stron in your faith, you will eventually come to understand what you believe
in( The stroner your faith, the reater your understandin will become( At the outset
you have no option but to have faith, because you cannot understand the matter, but
throuh faith you will come to understand it(
There will then be new, more e/alted levels that will still be hidden from you and
beyond your ability to understand( )ere aain you will have to ma,e the effort to
believe( 9ou must always start with faith reardin the levels that are as yet hidden
from you, but eventually you will understand them as well( This is an onoin process(
9our faith must be so stron that it spreads to every one of your limbs( This faith will
brin you to true wisdom(
3i,utey +oharan 2, 7#
O O O
>aith in God, not in the means
+any people ma,e the mista,e of turnin the means throuh which somethin comes
about into an intermediary between themselves and God( They do believe in God, but
they also believe in the intermediary, sayin that we have no option but to depend
upon a particular means in order to brin about a certain result( >or e/ample, they put
their faith in their business activities as the cause of their livelihood, placin all the
emphasis on their own endeavors as if God would somehow not be able to provide
their livelihood without them( 3i,ewise people put all the emphasis on the means
throuh which a cure comes about . the medicine . as if without medicine God does
not have the power to heal( That is not so( The )oly Bne, blessed be )e, is the -ause
of all causes, and there is absolute ly no need for any one particular means( Even
while resortin to a iven means to try to brin somethin about, we must believe only
in God, and not put our faith in the means(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :E
O O O
<now it in your heart
"<now this day and consider it in your heart that )a1hem is God in heaven above and
on earth belowM there is no other" !Deuteronomy &%H7 ' (
The only way to ,now God is throuh complete faith( Bnly faith can brin you to true
,nowlede and perception of God*s reatness% "And 2 will betroth you to +e with faith ,
and you shall ,now God 0 " !)osea E%EE' (
+any passaes tell us to ,now God% "<now this day and consider it in your heart ((( "
!Deuteronomy &%H7 ' ( "<now the God of your father" !2 -hronicles E$%7' ( "<now that
)a1hem is God" !"salms #JJ%H' ( These verses teach us to ,now and be mindful of
God*s presence at all times and not to foret )im for a moment(
Great ,ins constantly remind their sub5ects that they have a ruler( 1oldiers in
particular are trained to ,now who their ,in and master is . "2n order that )is fear
should be on their faces" !E/odus EJ%#G ' . so that they should serve their master
unconditionally ( 1ubordinates are constantly told, "<now that you have a lord and
master(" The intention is that they should ,eep this in mind and never foret it, in order
not do anythin aainst his will(
The same is true of the <indom of )eaven ( ?e are told% "<now the God of your
father0" <now it and don*t ever foret it0 "<now this day and consider it in your heart,
that )a1hem is God0" "<now that )a1hem is God0"
?e need to be reminded time and time aain( Everyone ,nows in eneral terms that
")a1hem is God" ( )owever, the distractions and temptations of this vain world cause
many to foret it much of the time( This is why the Torah reminds us% "<now that
)a1hem is God0" "<now the God of your father0" That is to say% 4rin this ,nowlede
deep within yourself until it is bound tihtly in your mind and heart at all times( This is
the meanin of "<now this day and consider it in your heart that )a1hem is God("
"erfect ,nowlede is when you bind your mind to your heart so that you ,now in your
heart that ")a1hem is God(" ?hen you brin this ,nowlede into your heart, you will
be @lled with deep awe, fear and reverence of God and you will not sin(
Each person*s ,nowlede and awareness of God are uni8ue to himself accordin to
the hori;ons of his heart( Bur basic ,nowlede of God derives from what we have
been tauht by our holy forefathers, who struled all their lives to divest themselves
of all material attachments( They con8uered all their neative traits and desires,
releasin themselves from the root of evil( This was how they came to true reconition
and understandin of their -reator(
They have left this ood heritae to us and our duty is to accept it with the utmost 5oy(
")appy are we0 )ow ood is our portion0 )ow pleasant is our lot0 )ow beautiful is our
heritae0" !+ornin "rayers' (
?hen the Torah tells us to ",now" God, it is teachin us to brin this holy ,nowlede
into our minds and thouhts and bind it in our hearts constantly at all times in order
that ")is fear will be upon our faces so that we will not sin" !E/odus EJ%#G' (
1ichot )aran NE#G
O O O
The ood life
The non.believers have no life even in this world( As soon as thins o aainst them,
and certainly when trouble stri,es, they simply have nowhere to turn( 1ince they
attribute everythin to nature, they are left with nothin to fortify them(
4ut one who has faith and believes in God has a very ood life( Even when trouble
stri,es, he can still fortify himself with his trust in God, because he ,nows that
everythin is for the best( Either this sufferin will cleanse him of his sins or eventually
brin him some reat bene@t( >or God*s intention is certainly for ood( Therefore the
man of faith always has a ood life both in this world and the ne/t(
The non.believers, however, have no life either in this world or the ne/t( Those who
really ,now them see that they are always rac,ed with sufferin( They endure constant
pain and an/iety because thins never o e/actly as they want( All their days are @lled
with pain and aner(
2n this world it is impossible for everythin to o the way one wants it( Those who
inore the true, endurin purpose of life, satisfyin only their material desires, are
doomed to a life of constant pain and sufferin without havin any way to console
themselves(
4ut if you have true faith, your main hope is in the world to come and you therefore
have a very ood life( ?hatever happens to you, you have faith that everythin is for
ood . whether it comes to remind you to repent or to atone for your sins so that you
may be worthy of the everlastin ood of the world to come(
9our sins and wrondoin may cause you reat anuish( 9ou may suffer the worst
aonies of reret( 9et your very contrition over your sins actually increases your days
and adds to your life, for "The fear of God increases one*s days" !"roverbs #J%EG ' (
9ou may e/perience reat pain when you reret your sins( 9ou may feel deeply
ashamed when contemplatin God*s e/alted reatness( 9ou may crine in fear of
punishment( ?hatever form it ta,es , this sufferin is caused by your very fear of God,
and "The fear of God increases one*s days(" 9our very pain and an/iety add to your
days(
2f you are a person of faith, you will @nd it easier to repent( True repentance must
balance the sin( 9ou have to endure pain and sufferin in e8ual measure to the
en5oyment derived from the sin(
1ince you believe in God, you will never be able to have complete en5oyment from any
sin because any wron you do will be with mi/ed feelins and in the full ,nowlede
that it will end bitterly ( 9ou ,now the bitter punishment for each sin, so that if you
succumb to temptation you are @lled with rerets even as you sin( 2t is therefore much
easier for you to repent because you do not have to endure unbearable pans of
repentance since the pleasure from your sin was never very reat(
>or the non.believers, however, repentance is more of a burden( )avin suffered little
pain or remorse at the time of the sin, they are oblied to suffer when they repent in
order to balance the pleasure of the sin(
1ichot )aran N#JE
O O O
The main thin is faith0
The main thin is faith0 Every person must search within himself and strenthen
himself in faith( >or there are people who suffer the worst illnesses and affictions only
because of fallen faith, because, "God will send you wondrous plaues, reat and
faithful plaues and reat and faithful sic,nesses" !Deuteronomy E$%F7' ( The plaues
and sic,nesses are "faithful" because they come on account of a lac, of faith( >allen
faith causes "wondrous" plaues, for which no medicine, prayer or ancestral merit is of
any avail(((
The remedy is to di down until we @nd the waters that nurture faith( These are the
waters of counsel . the spiritual pathways that enable us to deepen our faith, as it is
written, "2 will ac,nowlede 9our Name, for 9ou have done wonders, PsendinQ
counsels from afar, nurturin faith" !2saiah EF%#' ( True spiritual counsel nurtures faith,
enablin it to row(
The cry from the heart
True counsel sprins from the depths of the heart( ?hen the crisis of faith is so reat
that even wordless cries cannot help, one has to cry from the heart alone% "Their heart
cried out to God" !3amentations E%#$ ' ( The heart alone cries without our lettin out a
sound( ">rom the depths 2 call out to God" !"salms #HJ%#' . from the depths of the
heart( And from the depths of the heart comes uidance, for "li,e deep waters, so is
counsel in the heart of man" !"roverbs EJ%F' ( ?hen shouts and screams no loner
help because faith has collapsed, one must cry from the depths of the heart without
lettin out a sound( This is how true counsel is revealed, for "li,e deep waters, so is
counsel in the heart of man("
And throuh the true uidance and counsel that are revealed in the world !with each
person ,nowin in his own heart what he must do' faith is able to row, as it is written,
"-ounsels from afar, nurturin faith(" Then everythin can be recti@ed( >or true counsel
is a "wonder" . "2 will ac,nowlede 9our Name, for 9ou have done wonders , counsels
from afar((((" This ma,es it possible to heal the " wondrous plaues" sent by God(
"rayer also brins about "wonders", as it is written, "Awesome in praises Pi(e( prayerQ,
performin wonders " !E/odus #F%## ' ( The same is true of ancestral merit% "2n front of
their fathers )e performed wonders " !"salms G$%#E' (
3i,utey +oharan 22, F
The >uture 1on
The destined future renewal of the world will come about throuh faith(
?hen the world is renewed in the future, it will be overned throuh wonders and
providence alone in a way that transcend s nature( >or the future renewal of the world
will come about throuh the land of 2srael , which in its very essence depends on "the
power of )is wor,s" !"salms ###%:M see Rashi on Genesis #%#' . namely, ,nowin that
God created the world(
And in the future the )oly Bne, blessed be )e, will renew the entire world throuh the
land of 2srael , for then it will be revealed that God created everythin( The essential
holiness of the land of 2srael lies in the fact that )is providence is there all the time%
"-onstantly the eyes of )a1hem your God are upon it from the beinnin of the year
until the end of the year" !Deuteronomy ##%#E ' ( And in time to come, when )e
renews the entire world throuh the land of 2srael , the entire world will be overned
throuh providence alone, 5ust li,e the land of 2srael ( Nature will then be totally
nulli@ed and the world will be overned throuh providence and wonders alone, not
accordin to nature(
A new son will then be aroused% "1in to God a new son, for )e has performed
wonders" !"salms 7$%#' ( This is the son of the future . the son of providence and
wonders( >or then the world will be overned throuh providence and wonders( There
is a son of nature% " The heavens tell the lory of God and the @rmament relates the
wor, of )is hands" !"salms #7% E ' ( This is the son and melody of nature praisin the
span of the heavens( These are the sons and praises we offer to God over the
present order, whereby )e overns the world throuh nature( 2n the future, however, a
new son of providence and wonders will be aroused, for the world will then be
overned throuh providence alone(
This new son of the future is the 1inle, Double, Triple and Ruadruple son of
<indness throuh which the future renewal of the world will come about, as it is
written% "The world shall be built with ,indness" ! "salms $7%H' (
3i,utey +oharan 22, $
12+"32-2T9
No sophistication is needed in servin God . only simplicity, sincerity and faith(
1implicity is hiher than all else( >or God is certainly hiher than everythin else, and
God is ultimately simple0
1ichot )aran N#J#
O O O
The reatest wisdom is not to be wise
Even after all the wisdom and sophistication . even if you possess true wisdom . you
must cast aside all wisdom and sophistication and serve God with complete innocence
and simplicity, with no sophistication whatever(
The reatest wisdom of all is not to be wise at all( The truth is that no. one in the world
is wise, for "there is no wisdom and no understandin ( before God" !"roverbs
E#%HJ ' ( The main thin God wants is the heart(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &&
O O O
The <in*s beloved child
Throw aside all wisdom and clever ideas and serve God with simplicity( +a,e sure that
your deeds are reater than your wisdom, because the main thin is not study but its
practical application( This obviously applies to most ordinary people*s clever ideas,
which are mere folly, but it even applies to enuine wisdom( ?hen it comes to servin
God, even a person whose head is @lled with enuine wisdom should set it all aside
and serve God simply and innocently(
1ometimes it may even be necessary to behave in a way that seems foolish in order to
serve God and carry out )is will( ?e may have to roll around in mud and mire for the
sa,e of servin God and ,eepin )is commandments( This applies not only to e/plicit
mit;vot( Anythin that God want s us to do is also called a mit;vah( 1ometimes one
has to throw oneself into the very mud and mire to perform a certain deed that will be
pleasin to God(
Bne whose love of God is suf@ciently stron becomes )is dearly beloved child( God
will show him abundant love and ,indness, permittin him to e/plore the <in*s hidden
store.chambers and even to understand what is beyond wisdom, includin the
deepest of all secrets, such as why the rihteous suffer and the wic,ed prosper(
3i,utey +oharan 22, F
O O O
The essence of 6udaism
?hen a person follows his own mind and clever ideas, he can fall into many pitfalls
and errors and come to reat evil( Tremendous damae has been caused by such
people , li,e the infamous reat villains who , throuh their intellience and cunnin,
have led the entire world astray (
The essence of 6udaism is to conduct oneself in pure innocence and simplicity, with no
sophistication whatever( +a,e sure that whatever you do, God is there( Don*t heed
your own honor( 2f it enhance s God*s lory, do it( 2f not, then don*t( This way, you can
be certain you will never stumble(
4e careful to act with true innocence and simplicity but not foolishly( 1ophistication,
however, is 8uite unnecessary( 1implicity, innocence and faith can brin you to the
hihest level of 5oy(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #E
Don*t be too strinent
Don*t follow e/cessive strinencies in your practice of the Torah( "God does not rule
over )is creatures with tyranny" ! Avodah Iarah Ha' . "The Torah was not iven to
ministerin anels" ! 4erachot EFb' (
Bur rabbis have tauht that it is proper for each person to choose for himself one
mit;vah to observe with particular care in all its @ne details ! 1habbat ##$b '( 9et even
with your chosen mit;vah, you should not be e/cessively strict to the point of folly(
Don*t let it ma,e you depressed( 1imply try to ,eep the mit;vah carefully in all its @ner
points, but without e/cessive punctiliousness(
As for the other mit;vot, simply follow the essential laws without addin e/tra
strinencies( 2f only we could ,eep all the mit;vot of the Torah accordin to the simple
interpretation of the law without see,in to o beyond it0
There is no need to loo, for e/tra strinencies% this is foolish and confusin( The
essence of servin God is simplicity and sincerity( "ray much, study much Torah and
carry out many ood deeds without see,in out or inventin unnecessary restrictions(
1imply follow the path of our forefathers( "The Torah was not iven to ministerin
anels("
There is nothin that you absolutely must do or else( 2f you can, you can( 4ut if you
cannot% "God e/empts a person under duress" ! 4ava <ama E$b' (
1ichot )aran NEHF
6B9
2t is a reat mit;vah to be happy always0
+a,e every effort to maintain a happy, positive outloo, at all times( 2t is a natural
human tendency to become discouraed and depressed because of the hard sh i ps
of life% everyone has their full share of sufferin( That is why you must force yourself to
be happy at all times( Cse every possible way to brin yourself to 5oy, even by 5o,in or
actin a little cra;y0
3i,utey +oharan 22, E&
O O O
2f you are happy, the whole world bene@ts (
Netiv T;addi, G#
O O O
A happy front
Even if you are upset and unhappy, you can at least put on a happy front( At @rst you
may not feel enuinely happy in your heart( Even so, if you act happy you will
eventually attain true happiness and 5oy(
1ichot )aran NG&
O O O
Good humor
)avin a sense of humor is ood on three conditions% #( 9ou do not insult others( E(
9ou are not vular( H( 9ou do not present yourself in a ood liht to the detriment of
others(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#H
O O O
>indin the ood points
9ou must search for the ood in yourself(
?hen you start loo,in deep within yourself, you may thin, there is no ood in you at
all( 9ou may feel you are full of evil% a neative voice inside you may try to drive you
into depression( 4ut you must not allow yourself to fall into depression( 1earch until
you @nd some little ood in you( >or how could it be that you never did anythin ood
in your whole lifeL
?hen you start to e/amine the ood you have done, you may see many faws( +aybe
you did what you did for the wron reasons and with the wron attitude( Even so, how
could it be that your mit;vah or ood deed contains no ood at allL 2t must contain
some element of ood(
9ou must search and search until you @nd some ood point within you to ive you new
life and happiness( ?hen you discover the ood that is still inside you, you literally
swin the scales from uilt to merit( This will enable you to return to God( The ood
you @nd inside you will ive you new life and brin 5oy to your soul(
)avin found one ood point, you must continue searchin until you @nd another(
Even if you thin, this ood point is also full of faws, you must still search for some
ood in it( 2n the same way, you must continue @ndin more and more ood points(
This is how sons are made0 2n essence, music is made by siftin the ood from the
bad( The musician has to @nd the "ood spirit" . the ood air . and re5ect the bad( A
musical instrument is a vessel containin air( The musician produces the sounds by
causin the air to vibrate( )is tas, is to move his hands on the instrument in such a
way as to produce ood spirit, "ood vibrations", while avoidin the "bad vibrations" .
the dissonant winds of loom and depression(
?hen a person refuses to allow himself to fall into despair but instead vitali;es himself
by see,in out and atherin toether his positive points, this produces melodies, and
he can then pray, sin and ive than,s to God(
?hen a person reconi;es the wron he has done and how rossly materialistic and
impure he is, he can become so depressed that he is completely incapable of prayin(
)e simply cannot open his mouth to God( This is because of the deep sorrow and
heaviness that overcome him when he sees his overwhelmin distance from God(
4ut @ndin your ood points can ive you new life( Even if you ,now you have done
wron and caused damae and that you are far from God, you must search until you
@nd the ood that is still inside you( This will ive you new life and ma,e you truly
happy( 9ou are certainly entitled to feel the reatest 5oy over every ood point you @nd
in yourself, because each ood point comes from the holy soul within you( The new life
and 5oy you will ain from this path will enable you to pray, sin and ive than,s to
God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E$E
O O O
True humility
A person should never let his own smallness insini@cance and humility cover up his
true reatness( >or sometimes a person downrades himself to e/cess and forets
that he still has many ama;in attributes(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.H&
O O O
A settled mind
The main reason why people are far from God is because their minds are not settled
and they do not pause to consider the purpose of their e/istence( 4ut when a person
is happy, his mind becomes settled and he is able to understand thins clearly(
1omeone who is an/ious and depressed @nds it impossible to direct his thouhts
where he wants( 2t is hard for him to calm and settle his mind( Bnly when a person is
happy can he direct his thouhts wherever he wants and settle his mind(
6oy is the world of freedom . "for you shall o out with 5oy " !2saiah FF%#E' ( Throuh
5oy we become free and leave our e/ile( ?hen a person maintains a happy, 5oyous
attitude, his mind and thouhts become free and he is no loner in e/ile( )e can then
direct his thouhts as he wants and settle his mind so as to focus on his oal and draw
close to God(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #J
O O O
6oin the dance
1ometimes a roup of people happily dancin toether ta,e hold of someone who is
standin miserable and depressed on the outside( They pull him into the dance circle
despite himself, forcin him to re5oice with them(
1imilarly, when a person is happy, his pain and sadness may move to the sidelines (
4ut a hiher level is to pursue the sadness itself and "pull it into the dance circle,"
turnin it into 5oy(
2f you truly set your mind to it, you will @nd that even amidst your worst troubles and
sufferin there is always a way you can turn all your sadness into 5oy( True 5oy is when
you forcibly transform your very sadness and depression into happiness(
3i,utey +oharan 22, EH
O O O
The difference between bro,enheartedness and depression
)avin a bro,en heart and bein depressed are two 8uite different thins(
Depression is rooted in the unholy "other side" and God hates it( 4ut bein
bro,enhearted and contrite over one*s sins and shortcomins is very dear and
precious to God(
2t would be very ood to be bro,enhearted all day( 4ut this could easily throw most
people into loom and depression( 9ou should therefore set aside some time each day
for heartbrea,( 1eclude yourself with God for a iven time and brea, your heart with
reret over your sins( Then be happy for the rest of the day(
1ichot )aran N&#
O O O
4ein loomy and depressed is li,e bein anry with God for not satisfyin one*s
desires( 4ut someone with a bro,en heart is li,e a small child pleadin with his father
or cryin out and complainin to him for bein distant(
1ichot )aran N&E
O O O
After heartbrea, comes 5oy( 4ein happy later on is a true sin of havin a bro,en
heart(
1ichot )aran N&F
O O O
)old onto the ood times
9ou should always try to be happy and serve God with 5oy, and even if you sometimes
fall short of your level, you can still encourae yourself by thin,in of earlier times
when you did have a taste of the liht(
A number of blind people can all ta,e hold of one sihted person and follow him
trustinly( A blind man trusts his stic, and follows it even thouh he sees nothin( )ow
much more should you follow your own self . because the liht did shine on you
previously, arousin and inspirin you to serve God(
+aybe you feel you have fallen and that your eyes and heart are closed( Even so, you
should still hold onto those earlier days( 6ust as you were aroused and encouraed to
serve God then, strenthen yourself now by followin the sense of arousal you felt
then( God will soon help you and )is liht will shine on you aain(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EEE
T)E "CR"B1E B> 32>E
2f a person doesn*t focus on the purpose, what is the point of his lifeL
3i,utey +oharan 2, E:$
O O O
+a,e a pro@t from this world
The pro@t you can ain from this world is indescribable( 9ou don*t even need to lay out
money to ma,e a pro@t from this world( All you need to do is reach out and ta,e
advantae of the many opportunities God constantly provides for you to ma,e a very
reat pro@t(
3i,utey +oharan 22, FF
O O O
Each mit;vah creates a lamp
Each mit;vah that a person does in this world creates a lamp with which he can
e/plore the treasure house of the <in after he dies( This is the ultimate bliss of the life
to come(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EGF
O O O
Reward of the world to come
?e call the reward in the world to come "ood" because there is simply no other term
to describe it( 9et even the word "ood" is 8uite inade8uate, because this reward is far
beyond ood( 1till, the only way to e/plain it to people is by callin it ood, althouh in
truth, "no eye has seen it, other than God" !2saiah :&%H' (
1ichot )aran NFF
O O O
2srael *s destiny
The 2sraelite man was created to have dominion over the anels, and this is 2srael *s
ultimate destiny( Each one must ma,e certain that he attains his destiny and rules over
the anels(
4ut you must uard yourself carefully to ensure that you have the strenth to stand
@rm in this dominion and not let the ministerin anels cast you down out of 5ealousy(
The way to stand @rm is by bindin yourself to the souls of 2srael ( This is
accomplished by bind in yourself to the true leaders of 2srael , the T;addi,im(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #
O O O
>rom level to level
A person must lon to attain the hihest possible level( And he must not allow himself
to fall from even the smallest level(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.GJ
O O O
?hen a person rises from level to level in this world, never ceasin to ma,e fresh
advances in servin God, so too in the world to come he will continue risin from level
to level(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.$F
O O O
2n this world it is completely impossible for a person to ,now where he is holdin ( Not
,nowin where one stands is one of the main tests in life(
3i,utey )alachot, 9oreh Deah, 1hevuos E%#G
>ree will
Everythin you see in the world . everythin that e/ists . is there for the sa,e of free
will, in order to test people( The entire world and all that it contains were created to
ive man free will(
1ichot )aran NHJJM -hayey +oharan NF#7
O O O
>or the sa,e of one small pleasure lastin a mere 8uarter of an hour, a person can
lose the whole of this world toether with the world to come0
3i,utey +oharan 22, #J$
O O O
?hat is free willL 2f you want, you do it , and if you don*t want, you don*t do it(
3i,utey +oharan 22, ##J
O O O
+an is uni8ue in his reatness( ?hen a person does li,e this with his hands, a
movement li,e this ta,es place in all the worlds0 And when he does li,e that with his
hands, a movement li,e that ta,es place in all the worlds0
2f you could turn a person inside out, you would see that thousands upon thousands of
worlds depend on every sinle sinew of his body(
-hayey +oharan NFJ&.F
O O O
The hard part of anythin one has to do for God is the part left to one*s own free will(
These are the thins that one has to decide for oneself without bein e/plicitly
commanded or as,ed to do them( 2t is then entirely up to oneself to do as one
chooses(
2n all acts of devotion, somethin is always left for the individual to decide for himself
without bein instructed one way or the other( )e must ma,e his own choice( 2t is in
the area where free will comes into play that the main wor, lies( There is always room
for doubt about what God really wants, since )e has iven no instructions as to what
to do(
-hayey +oharan N#7G
O O O
Different ,inds of life
Even if a person dies at the ae of eihty, he may still have had a short life if he failed
to improve himself and spent all his years on vain pursuits(
?e only need to live a little . as lon as we live riht0
-hayey +oharan NFG:
O O O
2n this world many people of little substance are considered reat while enuine merit
is unreconi;ed( There are many different ,inds of life( 1ome lead very troubled lives
thouh this may not always be outwardly apparent( There are different derees of
troubled lives( Bne person*s sufferin is never 8uite li,e another*s( Even the life of a
person who does not endure actual sufferin may not necessarily be comparable to
that of somebody else in a similar cateory, because the various forms of life differ
mar,edly from one another(
9ou cannot compare the life of a horse to that of a man( 6ust as there are enormous
differences between life forms on the physical plane, so there are reat differences in
the 8uality of people*s spiritual lives(
True life is to deliht in God( 1ome people achieve this even in this worldM others not at
all( 1piritual life contains the same multiplicity of radations that e/ist on the level of
physical life(
-hayey +oharan N&JJ
O O O
)ave you loo,ed up at the s,y todayL
?hen you loo, outside, what do you seeL The mar,et, waons, horses, people
runnin in all directions(L >ifty years from now the mar,et will be completely different,
with different horses and waons, different merchandise and different people( 2 won*t
be here and you won*t be here(
Then let me as, you now% )ow come you are so busy and preoccupied that you don*t
even have time to loo, up at the s,yL
<ochvey Bhr
O O O
?hatL
9ou do spea, with peopleL 9ou should as, them% ?hatL
?)ATLLL
2t is riht to put this 8uestion to people who don*t thin, about their purpose in life%
"?hatL"
3ife is full of needless friction and aruments, distractions, obstacles, complaints,
claims and counterclaims((( 9ou have many reasons and e/cuses as to why you are
far from God(
Even so, after all this, at the end of everythin . what is oin to be with youL ?hat will
you do at the very endL
?hat will you answer the Bne ?ho sent youL
9ou surely understand that you are but a straner on this earth( All the days of the
years of our empty vanity are "li,e a passin shadow and a scattered cloud"(
All this a man ,nows very well( 2f so, what do you thin,L ?)ATLLL
)eed these words carefully and brin them deep inside your heart( Don*t throw them
behind your bac,( "Turn them and turn them over and over aain" . so that you may
ain your soul as your pri;e(
1ichot )aran NE$:
O O O
-ry out
2maine yourself in the middle of the sea, with a storm rain to the very heart of the
heavens( 9ou are hanin by a hairsbreadth( 9ou have no idea what to do( 9ou don*t
even have time to cry out( 9ou can only raise your eyes and lift up your heart to God(
9ou should constantly lift up your heart to God in e/actly the same way( Go aside and
cry out to God( >or everyone is in reat daner in this world . as you ,now very well
deep inside your soul( Cnderstand these words very carefully(
1ichot )aran N##G
O O O
The "ran,ster
The Evil Cre is li,e a pran,ster runnin throuh a crowd wavin his tihtly closed
hand( No. one ,nows what*s in it( )e oes up to each person as,in, "?hat do you
thin, 2 have in my handL"
Each person imaines the closed hand contains e/actly what he most desires, and
that is why everyone runs after this pran,ster, believin the hand contains e/actly what
they want( 4ut afterwards he opens his hand . and it*s completely empty0
The same is true of the Evil Cre( )e tric,s the whole world into followin him(
Everyone thin,s his hand contains what they desire( 4ut in the end he opens his hand
. and it*s empty0 No desire is ever ful@lled0
1ichot )aran N:
1unbeams
All the pleasures of this world are li,e sunbeams in a dar, room( They may seem solid,
but when a person tries to rasp hold of a sunbeam, he @nds nothin in his hand( The
same is true of all worldly desires(
1ichot )aran N:
O O O
1omethin else inside you
+ost of the thins a person fears cannot harm him at all( 4ut this only becomes clear
to him when he is dead, lyin on the round with his feet to the door( )e will then have
true clarity of mind, and he will loo, at himself and understand the truth( )e will see
that his fear of the various people standin in his way was vain and foolish( All that
fear was for nothin . for what could a mere mortal do to himL
The same oes for his desires and temptations( 3yin there dead, he will reali;e that
he wasted his days( )e will ,now that his stronest desires were mere foolishness( >or
who really forced himL Bnly then will he clearly see the truth(
There is a very deep point in all this( There is somethin inside a person that ma,es
him afraid of various thins( The person may fully understand that the thins he fears
cannot harm him at all, yet he cannot help bein terri@ed( This is because of that
somethin within him that causes him to be afraid(
+any people have ridiculous phobias which they themselves ,now to be unrounded,
yet they cannot control them( >or e/ample , when a person is ta,en by surprise by a
roup of people comin at him from behind with fearful shouts, he instantly feels fear
even before he is consciously aware of what it is behind him( 1ince the ob5ect of his
fear has not yet entered his conscious mind, why should he be afraid if not because of
this innate somethin that causes him to fearL
The same is true of desire( Even when a person ,nows that his desire is vain and
foolish, somethin inside him continues to feel the desire( )ere aain, it is not the
person who desires, but somethin else within him(
2f you learn to understand yourself, you can easily rid yourself of all fears and desires(
Bnce you reali;e that they are baseless and that only this somethin inside you
causes the fear or desire, you will be able to overcome everythin(
9ou have free will, and you can easily train your mind to avoid the thin inside you that
causes these fears and desires(
1ichot )aran N$H
O O O
9ou don*t need to be cra;y
Even if you thin, you are cra;y, if you want, you need not be cra;y(
3i,utey )alachot, Netilat 9adayim :%HG
O O O
To taste the hidden liht
Bne who wants to taste the taste of the hidden liht . the secrets of the Torah that will
be revealed in time to come . must elevate the attribute of fear to its root(
This is done throuh 6udment( E/amine yourself and your life and carefully weih all
your various activities and interests ( This will enable you to dispel all your fears of
people and forces other than God( These are called "fallen fears"( 9ou will then be
able to elevate your fear and attain true awe of )eaven(
?hen a person fails to e/amine and 5ude himself, he is e/amined and 5uded from on
hih( God can use any means )e desires to e/ecute )is 5udments% )e has the power
to clothe them in anythin in the world( All thins are )is messeners
This is visible in practice( ?hen somethin bad happens to a person, the precipitatin
cause often seems 8uite insini@cant( Bne would never have e/pected such a tiny
thin to cause such a train of illness, sufferin and other dire conse8uences( ?hat has
happened is that the Divine decree aainst the person has been clothed in these
mundane circumstances in order to send him what he deserves(
)owever, when a person ta,es the initiative to e/amine and 5ude himself, the
heavenly decree is removed and there is no need to fear anythin( ?orldly ob5ects and
occurrences will no loner veil and cloa, God*s decree( Ta,in stoc, of oneself dispels
the heavenly 5udment, because the person is already suf@ciently aroused and
spiritually awa,e not to need thins of this world to sha,e him( )e has elevated fear to
its root% he is not afraid of anyone or anythin e/cept God( This will enable him to
attain God*s hidden liht(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #F
O O O
?isdom for life
This world e/ists only to brin about God*s eternal purpose(
There is no need to be upset about whether or not you have money( Even with money,
you could waste away your days( The world deceives us completely( 2t ma,es us thin,
we are constantly ainin but we end up with nothin( "eople spend years wor,in to
ma,e money, but in the end, when they come to the @nal rec,onin, they are left with
nothin in their hands( Even when someone becomes rich, in the end he is ta,en from
his money(
+an and wealth cannot remain toether( Either the money is ta,en from the man or
the man from his money( No. one has ever stayed with his money( ?here is all the
money people have been ma,in since the beinnin of timeL "eople have always
been busy ma,in money . so where is all the moneyL 2t has all become absolutely
nothin0
?ho can say that he serves God accordin to God*s true reatnessL 1omeone who
has even the faintest conception of God*s reatness cannot understand how anyone
could claim to serve )im( Even the hihest anel cannot boast that he is able to serve
God(
The main thin is desire( Always lon and yearn to come closer to God(
+any people would li,e to serve God but not all have the same desire( There are
many different levels of desire( Even in one and the same person, the intensity of his
desire may chane from moment to moment( The main thin is to yearn constantly for
God . and in between, to pray, study and ,eep )is commandments(
Nor is there any need for sophistication( 6ust be sincere and simple( Even in your
sincerity, you must not be foolish( 4ut sophistication is totally unnecessary(
2t is no ood to be old( ?hether it*s an old -hassid or an old T;addi,, bein old is no
ood( 4e new each day( Always ma,e a fresh start( The only thin that improves with
ae is a pi, which becomes stroner as it rows older ! 1habbat GGb' (
Nor is there any need to be e/treme( 1ervin God is not fanaticism( The real fanatics
are those who pursue the material world without servin God( "eople consider it
fanatical when a person completely abandons the material world to immerse himself
wholly in devotion( 9et even this is unnecessary( 9ou can serve God without oin to
e/tremes(
Ta,e my advice and don*t let the world fool you( No. one ever came to a ood end by
pursuin worldliness( Even those who hold the entire world in their hands end up
badly, losin out both in themselves and for enerations to come(
2f the world is nothin, what can you doL To ,now what to do in this world you need
help from )eaven( 4ut as the people of 2srael , we need no further help( ?e already
,now what we must do, because the Torah teaches us what to do(
"eople say you should not see, reatness, but 2 say you should see, only reatness(
3oo, for the reatest possible T;addi,( -hoose only the reatest T;addi, as your
teacher(
The passions that wear man down do not really e/ist( ?e have to eat and drin, and do
what is necessary to sustain the body( 3i,ewise, we must have children( All this is
necessary, and can be accomplished in holiness and purity(
+an*s mind has the power to withstand all temptations( Every person has the potential
of wisdom( 9ou must brin out this potential wisdom and ma,e it actual( ?ith this
potential wisdom alone you can overcome all temptations(
9ou may have succumbed to the desires of this world and sinned in many ways( 9ou
may have damaed your mind, leavin it wea, and confused( 4ut you still have some
intellience( ?ith this alone you can overcome all desires( Bne rain of intellience
can stand aainst the whole world and all its temptations( ?herever you are, you can
be close to God( 9ou can approach God and serve )im even in the lowest pit of hell(
2t needs tremendous effort, or help from God . or both . in order to subdue the
impurities in the mind until you want nothin in this world and everythin is the same to
you( Then, "?hen you wal, it will lead you, when you lie down it will watch over you,
and when you wa,e up, it will comfort you" !"roverbs :%EE ' (
?hen you have puri@ed your mind, there is no difference between this world, the
rave, and the ne/t world( ?hen you only desire God and )is Torah, all are the same(
2n all three you can be attached to God and his Torah(
)owever, if you are attached to this world, there is an aoni;in difference( This world
is spread before you while the rave is tiht and narrow( 4ut when you purify your
mind, all will be the same(
1ichot )aran NF#
O O O
The rave
Don*t say that "the pit and the rave will be your refue" ! Avot &%EE ' ( 2n this world you
have the burden of ma,in a livin and many other worries( 9ou miht et bitten by a
fea, but you won*t feel it because your thouhts are preoccupied with your livelihood
and other concerns(
2n the rave, however, there are no other distractions( 9ou can then hear even the
sound of the maots crawlin towards you and feel the pain of their every bite, with
nothin to distract your mind from this terrible sufferin( God help us0
1ichot )aran N$&
O O O
Doorway to life
>or a T;addi,, death is 5ust li,e oin from one room to another(
1ichot )aran N#F:
O O O
?hat is there for you to be afraid of about dyinL The world there is far more beautiful
than here(
-hayey +oharan N&&F
"ray and study and pray(
?hat should a man do in this worldL )e must only pray and study and pray(
1ichot )aran NE$G
1ERA2NG GBD
4e very eaer to serve God( Do as much as you can every day and every moment(
The main thin is practical action( 1tudy as much as you can( -arry out many mit;vot(
1pend a lot of time prayin and pourin out your heart to God( Do as much as you
possibly can(
Even so, do not allow yourself to be rushed on account of the many devotions you
may encounter in Torah literature( +aybe you wonder, "?hen will 2 be able to practice
even one of these devotions, let alone all of themL"
Don*t allow such thouhts to frustrate you( 2t is no ood to rush and try to achieve
everythin at once( Go forward steadily, step by step(
2f you are overhasty, tryin to rasp everythin at once, you may become totally
confused, li,e when a house burns down and people snatch the most worthless items
in their panic(
Go forward steadily, one step at a time( 2f you are unable to do everythin, that is not
your fault( God e/empts those under duress(
There may be many thins that you cannot do( Even so, you should lon and yearn to
ful@ll them( The lonin itself is a reat thin . for God desires the heart(
1ichot )aran NEG
O O O
"eople are often very confused as to the best way to serve God( 1ometimes it seems
necessary to follow one practice, but later this appears to have been wron and
another way seems better( This can cause a person to become very confused and
disturbed(
4ut why do you need to confuse yourselfL ?hatever you do, you do0 As lon as you
don* t do anythin bad, heaven forbid(
1ichot )aran NE:7
O O O
Everythin depends on a person*s wor, and effort, nothin else( ?ith wor, and effort,
everyone can reach reat levels(
-hayey +oharan NEHJ
O O O
A little is also ood(
Avaneha 4ar;el
O O O
1toc,in up on credits
A store,eeper will sell on credit, allowin the buyer to pay later(
?hy not do the same with spiritual oodsL 1ay a few "salms, learn some Torah or
carry out some other mit;vot so that they are put aside ready for some time of need(
The time will indeed come when you will need them( 9ou will then be able to ma,e use
of your reward without havin to as, the store,eeper for credit(
1ichot )aran NEG#
O O O
Abraham was one0
"Abraham was one, and he inherited the land" !E;e,iel HH%E&' (
?hy does E;e,iel stress that Abraham was oneL 4ecause Abraham based his whole
service of God on the fact that he was alone( )e loo,ed on himself as the only person
in the world . as if everythin was up to him . and paid no attention whatever to all the
other people who had turned away from God and who were puttin obstacles in his
way( Abraham paid no attention to his father or any of the other people who tried to
stop him( )e carried on as if he was alone in the world( That is the meanin of
E;e,iel*s statement% "Abraham was one("
2n the same way, anyone who wants to bein servin God can do so only if he thin,s
of himself as bein alone in the world so that everythin is up to him( )e must pay no
attention whatever to anyone who tries to hold him bac, . not even if it is his own
father and mother or in.laws, wife and children( )e should pay no attention to any
others who try to moc, him or entice him to ive up or otherwise stand in his way( 6ust
as "Abraham was one", so too he must loo, on himself as if he is alone in the world
and everythin depends on him(
3i,utey +oharan 22, beinnin
O O O
Bne who wants to turn aside from evil but sees that there is no truth in the world must
act as if he is cra;y(
1efer )a+iddot, Emet NH#
O O O
>or the sa,e of the mit;vah
A person should be so honest that when he performs the mit;vot in all their @ne points,
he does it for God*s sa,e and not merely to impress others( Even if he is completely
alone with no. one watchin, he should still carry them all out with the same care(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EF#
O O O
+a,in a start
The ,ey to everythin is the way you start( All beinnins are hard, because you need
to swin thins around from one direction to the very opposite( 4ut once you have
made a start, you will soon become accustomed to your new direction and it will no
loner be so dif@cult(
Therefore you must marshal all your strenth and steel yourself to ma,e an eneretic
start( 9ou must bein each time with ever.renewed @re and passion for God( 1tart as if
you had never beun before at all(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :E
O O O
3enthen your days
1ee that you ma,e your days very lon( ?ith every new day and moment, ma,e sure
that your time is loner, fuller and richer with added holiness( 9ou must continually
e/tend your days, @llin them with reater holiness and purity( This is the secret of
lon life(
?hen you start each new day, at @rst the day is very short( ?hat you need to
accomplish spiritually today may weih heavily upon you( 2t ta,es reat determination
not to be discouraed as you feel the weiht of the devotions you have to underta,e
today(
4e couraeous0 Don*t lose heart( +a,e a start even if at @rst thins seem heavy,
forced and dif@cult( 2f you are determined enouh, you will @nd that they will become
easier and that you can accomplish what you must in God*s service(
Every hour of the day, see that you e/tend and enrich that hour by @llin it with e/tra
holiness( Do the same every day of your life( 3et each day be @lled with more holiness
than the day before( 9ou will then be blessed with lenth of days(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :J
Removin the shadow to reveal the liht
1trive to nullify every one of your neative traits until you become absolute ly nothin
before God(
1tart with one trait until you nullify it completely( Then wor, on your other traits, one by
one, until they are totally non.e/istent(
The more you nullify your neative traits, the more God*s lory will shine and be
revealed in you, until "The earth radiates with )is lory" !E;e,iel &H%E' (
God*s lory is li,e liht( The larer an ob5ect standin in front of a source of liht, the
reater the shadow it casts( ?hen you set up a thin rod in front of the sun, it throws
only a small shadow( A larer ob5ect throws a bier shadow, while a reat structure
throws an even larer shadow( The shadow is caused by the obstruction of the liht(
The same is true of God*s lory( ?hen somethin material stands in front of somethin
spiritual, it casts a shadow( The denser the material, the more shadow it casts(
The deeper you are sun, in some neative trait or worldly desire, the reater the
shadow it casts over God*s lory, causin )is liht to be hidden from you( 4ut as you
nullify these traits and desires, you also remove this shadow and the liht of God*s
lory is revealed(
?hen you succeed in nullifyin the shadow completely, turnin everythin into
absolute nothinness, then God*s lory is revealed in all the world ( There is nothin to
hide the liht and cause a shadow( And then, "The whole earth is @lled with )is lory"
!2saiah :%H' (
1ichot )aran N#H:
O O O
>or )is lory
Every person must minimi;e his own honor and ma/imi;e God*s honor( Bne who
pursues worldly honor will not be worthy of e/periencin God*s lory( Even if he attains
some worldly status, people will constantly loo, at him as,ance and want to ,now who
he is that he should be accorded such respect( 4ut one who fees from honor .
minimi;in his own honor and ma/imi;in that of God . will attain God*s lory(
The test of true repentance is when a person remains silent in the face of ridicule and
abuse, patiently acceptin all the insults thrown at him( This is how he slauhters his
evil inclination, and then he will be worthy of God*s lory(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :
<NB?2NG GBD
2t is impossible to e/plain to someone else how you personally perceive God*s
reatness( 9ou can*t even e/plain it to yourself from one day to the ne/t( Tomorrow
you will not be able to recapture completely the understandin you had today(
2t is impossible to describe one*s perceptions of God( They are so lofty . hiher than
hih0 They cannot be put into words(
1ichot )aran N#
O O O
The oal of ,nowlede% to ,now that we ,now nothin
The ultimate oal of all ,nowlede of God is to reali;e that one ,nows nothin( 9et
even this is unattainable( A person may come to reali;e his own inorance, but only in
a certain area on a particular level( There is still the ne/t level, which he has not even
touched( )e does not ,now enouh about the ne/t level to bein to reali;e his
inorance( No matter how hih he climbs, there is always the ne/t step( A person
therefore ,nows nothin% he cannot even understand his own inorance( >or there will
always be a level of inorance beyond his present level of perception(
1ichot )aran NH
The more you draw yourself to God, the more you must reali;e how far you are from
)im( ?hen a person believes that he has succeeded in achievin closeness to God
and understandin of )im, it is a sin that he does not ,now anythin at all( 2f he did,
he would understand that he is very far from God and ,nows absolutely nothin,
because God*s reatness is without limits(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :H
O O O
)ints, messaes and uidance
9ou should refect on the different situations and occurrences that God sends your
way day by day( Each day has its own thouhts, words and deeds( They are all
completely uni8ue to that day( God "contracts" )is in@nite, endless Godliness in such a
way that Godliness is present even in the innermost point of the @nite material world in
which man @nds himself( Thus God sends to each individual the thouhts, words and
deeds appropriate for the day, the person and the place( ?ithin them are hints
intended to draw the person closer to God*s service(
This is why you should pay attention to what happens to you and consider what it may
sinify( Thin, about the thouhts, words and deeds that God sends you each day in
order to understand )is hints to you to draw closer to )im at every moment( This
applies to everyone, no matter who and in what circumstances (
4ut be cautious when thin,in about these thins% you must stay within certain limits
and not delve to e/cess, because otherwise it is possible to stray beyond the bounds
of holiness( >lyin off into speculation can be danerous( 1tay within the limits of
human understandin and steadily e/pand your hori;ons without tryin to step beyond
your level, because "you may not investiate that which is too wondrous for you"
! -haiah #Ha' (
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
O O O
The seven lamps of the head
To ain spiritual understandin and awareness, you must sanctify the seven "lamps" of
your head% your mouth, nostrils, ears and eyes(
Guard your mouth from spea,in any falsehood(
1anctify your nostrils with the fear of )eaven, as it is written% "(((he will scent the fear
of God" !2saiah ##%H' ( The way to sanctify the nostrils is throuh mee,ness and
humility( 9ou must be patient and not let aner burn inside you, even if people treat
you badly(
Cse your ears to listen to the words of the 1aes% believe in what they say( The way to
sanctify your ears is throuh discretion and loyalty( 2f people tell you secrets, be sure
to ,eep them and not reveal them to anyone(
3ower your eyes and avert them from evil(
1anctifyin the seven "lamps" of the head can brin you to complete spiritual
understandin and awareness( 9our heart will then burn with passion for God,
because the activity of the mind enerates heat and fervor in the heart( The more you
occupy your mind with thouhts of Torah and devotion, the more your heart will burn
for God( The deeper your understandin, the reater your fervor will become( This
fervor puri@es the heart, protectin it from becomin infamed with evil desires, which
merely pollute it( ?hen a person*s heart is pure, he will never be at a loss for words
when he spea,s to God( )e will always @nd new words and new approaches(
Bne who sancti@es the seven "lamps of the head" can attain awesome levels of
perception of God( These heihts of understandin are a blessin from God which is
bestowed from above without any preliminaries and introductions( This is the ift of
ruach ha,odesh % holy spirit(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E#
O O O
Eternal life
God alone has eternal life because )e lives to eternity( 9et a person who is mered
with his root . namely with God . also lives to eternity( 4ein mered in God*s oneness
he lives eternally, li,e God( 3i,ewise, only God has perfection, and besides )im all are
lac,in( 9et one who is mered with God has complete perfection(
2n essence, the way to mere with God is throuh ,nowin )im, as the sae said% "2f 2
,new )im, 2 would be )im"( >or man*s essence is his mind( ?herever a person*s mind
and thouhts are , that is where the entire person is( Thus one who attains ,nowlede
and understandin of God is literally in that place( The reater one*s ,nowlede, the
more one becomes absorbed in the root% God(
No matter what a person lac,s, be it livelihood, children, health or anythin else, it is
only because of a lac, of Godly ,nowlede and awareness( 1ome people lac, all
,nowlede of God yet appear to en5oy the best of everythin( 4ut in truth everythin
they have is nothin( -onversely, when one who possesses complete ,nowlede lac,
s somethin , this lac, is truly nothin, for "2f you have ac8uired ,nowlede, what do
you lac,, and if you lac, ,nowlede, what have you ac8uired L " ! Nedarim &#a' ( All
completeness or lac, of completeness depends on one*s depth of Godly ,nowlede
and awareness(
Aner and cruelty result from a lac, of Godly ,nowlede and awareness, for "aner
rests in the lap of fools" !Ecclesiastes G%7' ( This is why a sic, person is prone to
aner, bein sub5ect to stern 5udments, which ta,e the form of constricted
consciousness, ma,in him anry(
)owever, in time to come Godly ,nowlede and awareness will be revealed and all will
,now God, "for the earth will be full of the ,nowlede of God ( " !2saiah ##%7' (
Accordinly aner will then no loner e/ist, "and the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and
the leopard with the ,id( and the cow and the bear shall feed( they shall not do evil and
they shall not destroy, for the earth shall be full of the ,nowlede of God ( " ! ibid( :.
7 ' ( At present it is impossible for them to live toether because of aner( 4ut in time
to come they will be able to live toether because the aner will no loner e/ist on
account of the ,nowlede which will then be revealed(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E#
O O O
Cnanswerable 8uestions
There are certain 8uestions that trouble many people, such as how we can have free
will if God ,nows the future( 9ou must accept that it is beyond the capacity of the
human mind to understand such thins, because the answers lie on a level of wisdom
so transcendent that the human mind is unable to fathom it( This wisdom can never
enter the human mind, but it encompasses the mind from the outside( 2f a person
could rasp this wisdom, he would no loner be human but an anel(
The very fact that we cannot understand the mystery of free will is precisely what ives
us our freedom( 2n time to come, men*s minds will e/pand and the secrets of free will
and providence will be revealed( >ree will as such will then disappear( +an*s mind will
emere from its limitations and he will become li,e an anel havin no free will(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E#
O O O
God is in everythin
The whole earth is full of God*s lory( No place is devoid of God, ?ho @lls all the
worlds and transcends all the worlds(
Therefore even one whose occupation involves contact with non.believers cannot
e/cuse himself from servin God on account of bein constantly surrounded by ross
materialism( Godliness can be found everywhere, in all material thins and even in the
lanuaes of the nations( ?ithout Godliness they could not e/ist or endure at all( 2t is
5ust that as the levels descend, Godliness becomes increasinly "contracted" and
veiled in many arments(
Accordinly, even if you are sun, in the very lair of evil on the lowest of all levels, even
if you believe you are so far from God that it is impossible for you to draw closer, you
can still @nd Godliness in the very place to which you have sun,( There too you can
attach yourself to )im and repent with all your heart( Even there, God is not far away(
2t is 5ust that the veils are thic,er(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HH
O O O
God*s lory cries out from all thins, for "The whole earth is @lled with )is lory" !2saiah
:%H' ( Even the stories of the nations cry out with God*s lory% "3et the nations tell of
)is lory0" !"salms 7:%H' ( )is lory is refected even in their tales and stories(
God*s lory cries out, callin and sinalin you to draw closer( >or God wants you with
all )is love and ,indness(
1ometimes your prayers become li,e fames and the words fow from your lips with
burnin fervor and desire( This is God*s own liht within you, callin you to draw near(
9our fervent passion is a spar, of God*s own essence . for ")e is your praise, )e is
your God" !Deuteronomy #J%E# ' ( God )imself is your praise and prayer( 1ometimes
you can literally pray before God )imself(
And even when God withdraws and seems far away, you must still pray to )im( 9ou
must actually cast your prayers, throwin them towards God from afar, as it says% "
-ast your burden upon God" !"salms FF%EH' ( ")appy is the man who ,nows how to
cast arrows" ! Ti,,uney Iohar ' ( These "arrows" are the prayers that must be thrown
towards God(
1ichot )aran NFE
The concealment within the concealment
There is nothin in the world that does not contain Godliness, however hidden it may
be( There are two levels of concealment( The @rst is simple concealmentM the second
is the "concealment within the concealment"(
?hen God is hidden with only one deree of concealment, it can certainly be hard to
@nd )im( 9et with reat effort and searchin it is possible, because at least you ,now
that God is hidden from you( )owever in the "concealment within the concealment",
the very fact that God is hidden is itself concealed( The person has no idea that God is
hidden from him( 2t is then very hard indeed to @nd )im(
Godliness becomes concealed as a result of sin( ?hen a person commits a sin and
then repeats it, the sin becomes permissible in his eyes, and this is what causes the
@rst concealment( The more the person sins, the deeper he falls into the "concealment
within the concealment"( 9et even in the "concealment within the concealment"
Godliness is present, because without )is life.force nothin in the world could e/ist(
Throuh devotion to the Torah you can strip away all the veils and reveal God*s
presence even when the "concealment within the concealment" is most intense( At last
the unremittin cry of the Torah is heard% ")ow lon, thouhtless people, will you
continue lovin thouhtlessnessL" !"roverbs #%EE' ( 2n the end you will be able to
return to God reardless of where you have fallen(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F:
O O O
A taste of the world to come
?hen a person ,nows that everythin that happens to him is for his own ood, this is
a foretaste of the world to come( To be serene and patient reardless of what you
encounter in life is the hihest level of ,nowlede and understandin of God( )ave
faith that everythin is for your ultimate ood(
3i,utey +oharan 2, &
O O O
The world to come that we can e/perience even in this world, when God helps us at
certain moments, is 8uite indescribable0
-hayey +oharan N&$:
)2T4BDEDCT% +ED2TAT2BN AND "ER1BNA3 "RA9ER
1et aside time each day to meditate and pray alone in a room or some meadow and
e/press your innermost thouhts and feelins and personal prayers to God( Cse every
,ind of appeal and arument( Cse words that will endear you to God and win )is favor(
"lead with God to draw you closer and let you truly serve )im( This is )itbodedut(
9ou should hold these conversations in whatever lanuae you spea, best( Bur set
prayers are said in )ebrew, but if this is not one*s native lanuae, it is dif@cult to use it
to ive e/pression to all one*s innermost thouhts and feelins and the heart is less
drawn after the words( 2t is easier to pour out your heart and say everythin you need
in your own lanuae(
9ou should tell God everythin you feel, be it contrition and lonin to repent over the
past or re8uests and supplications to come truly close to God from now on, each
person accordin to his level(
4e very careful to et into the habit of spendin time every day on your personal
prayers and meditation( >i/ a reular time for this and then be happy for the rest of the
day0
)itbodedut is of the reatest value( 2t is the way to come closer to God, because it
includes everythin else( No matter what you lac, in your service of God, even if you
feel totally remote from )is service, tell God everythin and as, )im for all that you
need(
2f at times you @nd yourself unable to spea, to God or even open your mouth, the very
fact that you are there before )im wantin and yearnin to spea, is itself very ood(
9ou can even turn your very inability to spea, into a prayer( Tell God that you feel so
far away that you cannot even spea, to )im0 As, )im to have mercy on you and open
your mouth to tell )im what you need(
+any reat and famous T;addi,im have said that all their achievements came only
throuh )itbodedut( Anyone with understandin can reconi;e the supreme value of
this practice, which ascends to the most sublime heihts( This advice applies to
everyone e8ually, from the very least to the very reatest( Everyone is capable of
practicin it and can attain reat levels( )appy are all who persist in it(
2t is also ood to turn Torah teachins into prayers( ?hen you study or hear a teachin
of a true T;addi,, ma,e a prayer out of it( As, God when you too will be able to ful@ll
this teachin( Tell )im how far from it you are and be )im to help you attain
everythin contained in the lesson(
A person of understandin who wants the truth will be led by God in the path of truth,
and he will learn how to practice )itbodedut and offer words of race and sound
aruments to persuade God to brin him to true service(
)itbodedut rises to a very hih place( This applies especially to turnin Torah
teachins into prayers, which creates the reatest deliht above(
)itbodedut is the hihest level% it is reater than everythin(
3i,utey +oharan 22, EF
O O O
3i,e a person tal,in to his friend
?hen God helps with )itbodedut, it is li,e a person tal,in to his friend(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 77
O O O
The oriins of prayer
"rayer oriinally bean with each person pourin out his heart before God in his own
words and lanuae( This is e/plained by Rambam !+aimonides' in his -ode of Torah
3aw !"rayer #%&' , where he states that personal prayer was the main form of prayer
prior to the institution of the set prayers by the +en of the Great Assembly(
Accordin to the law, even today the oriinal form of prayer remains primary( 4esides
followin the order of prayers established by the +en of the Great Assembly, it is
e/tremely bene@cial to ma,e a reular practice of offer in your own prayers and
re8uests from the depths of your heart in the lanuae you understand best, as,in
God to help you serve )im truly( This is the essence of prayer, and this is the way all
the T;addi,im attained their hih levels(
1ichot )aran NEE7
O O O
4ypassin the bandits
There is another advantae in e/pressin yourself to God in your own words( Bne can
recite e/istin prayers and supplications, but these are already ,nown to the
destroyers and malinin forces that lie in wait alon the paths of these prayers( They
,now these paths only too well(
2t is li,e on a public hihway( +urderers and robbers lur, there all the time waitin for
the unwary, because they ,now the road( 4ut when a person oes on a new path that
is as yet un,nown, they are not there to ambush him(
1imilarly, when you tal, to God in your own words, this is a new pathway, an oriinal
prayer that sprins directly from your heart( Accordinly the malinin forces are not
lyin there in wait( Even so, you should also recite "salms and other supplications as
well as your personal prayers(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 7G
O O O
)itbodedut is for everyone
>rom the smallest to the reatest, it is impossible to be a truly ood person without
)itbodedut(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #JJ
O O O
"ray for everythin
9ou must pray for everythin( Even if your arment is torn and you need another, you
should pray to God to ive you somethin to wear(
Do this for everythin% ma,e it a habit to pray for all your needs, reat or small( 9our
main prayers should be for fundamentals% that God should help you to serve )im and
draw closer( Even so, you should also pray for minor thins(
God may ive you food and clothin and everythin else you need in life even without
your as,in for them( )owever, you are then li,e an animal( God provides all livin
creatures with their food( 4ut if you do not draw your needs throuh prayer, your
livelihood is li,e that of an animal( A man must draw his vitality and all his needs from
God only throuh prayer(
2s it beneath your dinity to pray even for somethin minorL 9ou must pray for
everythin, even the most minor thins(
1ichot )aran NEHH
1tart with than,s
?hen a person wants to pray to God and as, for what he needs, he should @rst than,
God for all of )is past ,indnesses and only then as, for what he needs( 4ecause if he
starts by as,in only for what he needs, God says, ")ave you nothin to than, +e for
thenL"
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.E
O O O
Tal, to God a lot
Tal, to God a lot0 Thin, carefully about your purpose in this world and what you are
doin with your life( Ta,e yourself in hand( "lead with God to have mercy on you and
help you serve )im( +a,e up your own pleas and aruments in your own words, usin
whatever lanuae you spea, best(
Anyone who follows this practice for a period of time each day will certainly succeed in
@ndin God( Even if you thin, you have been doin this for days and years without
achievin what you want, ,eep @rm and persist, because in the end you will reach your
oal(
This was how <in David composed the 4oo, of "salms( <in David*s main time for
his private prayers to God was when he lay on his bed at niht( )e would hide under
the covers and pour out his heart to God( <in David said% " Every niht 2 converse
from my bed in tears(" !"salms :%G' ( )appy is the person who ma,es this a reular
practice, because it is supremely e/alted(
1ichot )aran N:$
O O O
3i,e a child pleadin with his father
2t is very ood to pour out your heart to God li,e a child pleadin with his father(
Doesn*t God call us )is childrenL "9ou are children to the 3ord your God"
!Deuteronomy #&%#' ( Therefore it is ood to e/press your thouhts and feelins and
all your troubles to God, li,e a child nain and complainin to his father(
Even if you thin, you have done so much wron that you are no loner one of God*s
children, remember that God still calls you )is child( As the Rabbis tauht% ">or better
or worse, you are always called )is children" ! <iddushin H:a' (
Even if you thin, God has re5ected you and told you that you are no loner )is child,
you must still say% "3et )im do )is will . but 2 must do my part and continue actin as
)is child("
)ow ood it is when you can arouse your heart and plead with God until tears stream
from your eyes and you stand li,e a little child cryin before his >ather(
-onfusin thouht s may enter your mind, but if you stand @rm, God will send you
another thouht to encourae you( 9ou may thin, you are no loner one of God*s
children( 4ut if you do your part, God will eventually send you thouhts of
encouraement(
1ichot )aran NG
O O O
-on8uerin God
"1in to the Bne who re5oices when con8uered" ! "esachim ##7a' (
1ometimes you must con8uer even God0 9ou may thin, that God has re5ected you
because of your sins and that you are still not doin )is will( Even so, you must remain
very @rm and throw yourself before )im( 1tretch out your hands and plead with God to
have mercy on you and draw you to )is service( -ry out% "No matter what, 2 want to be
a 6ew0"
This is how you overcome God( God has reat 5oy when you con8uer )im in this way(
1ichot )aran N:7
O O O
?antin to cry
2t is ood to tal, to God and pray with so much feelin that you shed tears li,e a child
cryin to his father( 4ut if you pray with the constant thouht that you want to cry, this
can be hihly distractin and may prevent you sayin the prayers with all your heart(
?hen you say your prayers, separate yourself from all other thouhts and focus only
on the words you are sayin to God, 5ust as a person spea,s to his friend( 9our heart
will then be naturally aroused and you will come to enuine tears(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 7F
O O O
Even one word
2f you cannot spea, at all in your )itbodedut, even sayin a sinle word is also very
bene@cial (
2f you can only say one word, ,eep stron and repeat that word over and over aain,
countless times( Even if you spend day after day meditatin with that word, this in itself
is very ood( 2f you are persistent and repeat that word countless times, God will have
mercy and open your mouth, and you will be able to e/press yourself(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 7:
O O O
Ribono 1hel Blam
Even if the only thin you can say in your )itbodedut is Ribono 1hel Blam0 "+aster of
the ?orld0" this is also very ood(
-hayey +oharan N&&J
O O O
The difference between depression and a bro,en heart is that when you have a
bro,en heart, you can be standin in a crowd of people and still turn around and say,
"+aster of the ?orld0"
1ichot )aran NEH#
O O O
The silent scream
9ou can shout and scream with a "still, small voice" without anybody hearin you(
Everybody can do this( 2maine the sound of such a scream in your mind( 2maine the
shout e/actly as it would sound( -oncentrate on hearin the scream in your mind until
you are literally screamin with this soundless "still, small voice" . and nobody else will
hear anythin(
This is actually a scream and not mere imaination( 6ust as there are channels that
brin the sound from your luns to your lips, so there are nerves that brin the sound
to the brain( 9ou can draw the sound throuh these nerves, literally brinin it into your
head( ?hen you do this, you are actually shoutin inside your brain(
?hen you imaine this scream in your mind, the sound actually rins inside your brain(
9ou can stand in a crowd of people screamin this way and no. one hears you(
2t could be that when you do this, a faint sound may escape your mouth( This is
because the sound travelin throuh the nerves to the brain can also activate the
vocal orans, and they may then produce some sound( 4ut it will be very faint(
2t is much easier to shout in this way without words( ?hen you wish to e/press
yourself in words, it is harder to hold the voice in the mind without lettin a sound
escape your lips( ?ithout words, it is much easier(
1ichot )aran N#:
Today 2 am startin
Durin your )itbodedut, it is ood to say% "Today 2 am startin to attach myself to 9ou0"
+a,e a new start each time, because everythin that comes later is always in
accordance with the beinnin(
No matter what happens, it is always ood to ma,e a new start each time and say,
"Today 2 am beinnin(((" 2f thins were already ood, now they will be even better0
And if they were not ood before, then you certainly need to start anew(
-hayey +oharan N&HG
O O O
Every heartbeat a fame of yearnin
A 6ewish heart should be so stronly drawn to God that every heartbeat is a fame
yearnin for God(
Even when you are sittin with other people, you can lift your hands and your heart to
God and cry out to )im with soulful lonin(
1ichot )aran NEHJ
O O O
The power of desire
?hen you spea, to God, ma,e it a habit to e/press your lonin and yearnin to
e/tricate yourself from evil and attain true ood( "uttin your lonin into words is the
way to draw your spiritual power from the realm of the potential and possible to the
realm of the real and actual(
3onin and yearnin alone create potential spiritual power, but the words of your
prayers and conversations with God brin this spiritual power into the realm of the
actual so that it becomes reali;ed in actual fact( This is the way to accomplish what
you yearn for(
3etters of Torah are present throuhout the -reation( 4y e/pressin and articulatin
your yearnin and desire in words, you invest these letters with new vitality and power
for ood( This brins you new life and strenth and draws oodness and blessin into
all the worlds( Numberless souls are stirred to ma,e their own return to God, all
throuh your words of prayer to your +a,er(
)ow precious are the lonin and yearnin that you e/press before God( The main
thin is actually to articulate the words( +a,e this your reular practice and devote
time to it every day( This will bene@t the entire world(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H#
O O O
A settled mind
2t is a reat achievement to be able to settle your mind for a period of time each day
and reret what you must( Not everyone is able to attain mental calm and tran8uility
for a time every day( The day fies past and is one, and a person @nds that not once
in all his life did he have time to settle his mind(
+a,e every effort to set aside time to review your life calmly( Thin, about all your
different activities and interests and how you behave( -onsider carefully if this is how
you should spend your days(
1omeone who does not meditate cannot attain wisdom( )e may occasionally be able
to thin, clearly, but not for any lenth of time( )is power of concentration remains
wea, and unsustainable ( )e will never reali;e the folly of this world(
4ut one who has a clear, settled mind can understand that everythin is madness and
vanity(
1ichot )aran N&G
The spider*s web
9ou want to spea, to God but @nd it hardL 9ou are li,e a warrior who irds his loins to
overcome a mihty wall but when he comes to the ate, he @nds it bloc,ed with a
spider*s web( -ould anythin be more foolish than to run away from the battle because
the ate is covered with a spider*s webL
The main thin is speech( ?ith speech you can win every battle( 2t is possible to
meditate in thouht, but the most important thin is to e/press yourself in words(
9ou may @nd it dif@cult to spea, to God( 9ou may also @nd it dif@cult to spea, to a true
T;addi,( This is only because you are shy and letharic and lac, suf@cient boldness(
This is silly0 )ere you are, ready to use your speech to overcome the reat battle
aainst the evil ure inside you( 9ou are on the vere of victory% you are ready to
brea, down the walls and open the ates with your words(
1hould you hold bac, because of a minor barrier caused by a lac, of con@denceL This
is nothin but a spider*s web coverin the walls you want to brea, down with your
words(
1ichot )aran NEHE
O O O
But in the meadows
)itbodedut is best done outside the town in a place where rass rows, because the
rass will awa,en your heart(
)ow ood it is to pray to God and meditate in the meadows amidst the rass and the
trees( ?hen a man oes out to the meadows to pray, every blade of rass, every plant
and fower all enter his prayers and help him, puttin power and strenth into his
words(
3i,utey +oharan 22, ##M 1ichot )aran NEEG
O O O
9our own place
2t is very ood to have your own room where you can be alone and enae in Torah
study, prayer, meditation and private conversation with God( Even 5ust to sit in such a
room is also hihly bene@cial (
2f you do not have your own room, you can still seclude yourself and tal, to God( 9ou
can ma,e your own room under your Tallit( 6ust drape your Tallit over your eyes and
spea, to God as much as you desire(
9ou can also seclude yourself with God when you lie in bed under the covers( This
was <in David*s custom, as it is written% "Each niht 2 converse from my bed" !"salms
:%G' (
9ou can also sit down with some boo, and let others imaine you are studyin when in
fact you are spea,in to God( There are many other methods you can use if you truly
want to practice )itbodedut ( Nothin is loftier than )itbodedut, which is the root and
foundation of holiness, purity and repentance(
1ichot )aran NEG&.F
O O O
2t is ood to choose somewhere to sit day and niht enaed in Torah, prayer and
devotion( ?hen you need to eat, run to some house and 8uic,ly rab a piece of bread
or the li,e to appease your huner and then o bac, to servin God(
1ichot )aran NE&$
O O O
)itbodedut at niht
The best time for )itbodedut is at niht , when everyone is asleep( 2deally you should
o to a place outside the city and follow a solitary path where people don*t even o
durin the day(
Empty your heart and mind of all your mundane preoccupations and then wor, to
nullify all your neative traits, one after the other, until in the end you nullify all sense
of self completely( >irst wor, on one character trait, then another and another, until you
reach the point where you are free of any self.centeredness and any sense of
independent e/istence(
9ou must be as nothin in your own eyes( Then you will be worthy of attainin true
self.nulli@cation and your soul will be mered with its root( The whole universe will be
mered with you in your 1ource( 9ou and everythin with you will be mered in the
Cnity of God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, FE
O O O
The main time for )itbodedut is at niht( 1eclude yourself and e/press yourself to
God( 1pea, with all your heart and search out the oodness in your soul( >ind the
ood points that are inside you and cleanse them of all evil until you pour out your
heart li,e water before God( This is the way to subdue all lust and desire and attain
true happiness( 9ou will develop a ood memory, and thus you will constantly
remember the world to come, never losin siht of the end oal and purpose of this
life( This is the way to repent and return to God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
O O O
?ater wears away stone
Even if many days and years pass and it seems as if you have accomplished nothin
with your prayers and conversations with God, don*t ive up0 Every sinle word ma,es
an impression(
"?ater wears away stone" !6ob #&% #7 ' ( 2t may seem that water drippin on hard
stone could not ma,e any impression, yet when water drips on stone continuously for
many years, it can literally wear a hole in the stone( ?e actually see this(
Even if your heart is li,e stone and it seems that your words of prayer are ma,in no
impression at all, still, as the days and years pass, your heart of stone will also be
softened( >or% "?ater wears away stone"(
1ichot )aran NEH&
O O O
?hen +ashiach comes
There are certainly worthy people who do not practice )itbodedut( 4ut 2 call them
confused( ?hen +ashiach suddenly comes and calls them, they will be disoriented
and confused(
4ut those who practice )itbodedut will be li,e a person who wa,es up from a restful
sleep with a calm, settled mind( This is how we will be when +ashiach comes% our
minds will be calm and settled, without panic or confusion(
1ichot )aran NEE$
T)E "B?ER B> 1"EE-)
"rayer must be spo,en out in actual words . literally( 2t is not enouh to thin, the
prayers( 2t is true that God ,nows what we are thin,in( 4ut the words have to be
spo,en, because speech is the vessel with which we receive the fow of blessins(
Accordin to our words, so is the blessin we receive (
Bne who perfects his speech can receive abundant blessins throuh the vessels he
forms with his words( This is why we must actually articulate our prayers with our
mouths(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H&
O O O
Guard your tonue
Never let a word of wic,edness leave your mouth( Don*t ever say you will be wic,ed or
commit a sin, even if you mean it as a 5o,e and have no intention of carryin out your
words(
The words themselves can be very damain( They can compel you to ful@ll them
even thouh you did not mean them seriously(
This was what caused <in 6ehu*s downfall, because he said, "Ahab served 4aal a
little, but 6ehu will serve him very much" ! 22 <ins #J%#$ ' ( ?hen <in 6ehu said these
words, he had no intention of committin idolatry( )e said them only to tric, the 4aal
worshipers, as e/plained in the followin verse( 9et these words were his downfall,
because he later came to commit idolatry(
>rom this the Talmud learns that "a covenant is made with the lips" ! 1anhedrin #JEa' (
9ou should therefore be very careful about what you say(
1ichot )aran NEHG
O O O
1pea,in deroatorily about other people reinforces the hold of fantasy and illusion
over us( ?hen people use bad lanuae and spea, deroatorily about others, their
spiritual awareness and understandin are withdrawn from them and they fall from the
love of God and descend into animalistic passions and desires( The source of these
passions and desires is man*s faculty of imaination, which is part of his animal
nature( 2maination feeds on falsehood and slander and is directly opposed to the
faculty of memory with which we ,eep our true situation in this life and our eternal
destiny in the forefront of our minds(
Those who abuse lanuae fall into foretfulness, which is the death of the heart(
Their heart dies within them and they never remember that the true oal of our life in
this world is the eternal life of the world to come( 1uch people are dead even in their
lifetime, because they have no conception of their true oal and purpose(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
O O O
1peech is the breath of the lips of the )oly Bne, blessed be )e( To abuse it is to turn it
into a "rain storm wind" !"salms #&$%$' ( This rain storm wind is the reat accuser
. the source of all man*s trials and challenes( This wild spirit erodes man*s very fesh(
2t is the root of all the slander, falsehood and evil that people spea, about each other(
2t is called the "end of all fesh" !Genesis :%#H ' because it wastes and destroys man*s
fesh and his very life( All this is the result of abusin speech(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H$
The hammer
A certain ,in sent his son far away to study( The son eventually returned to the ,in*s
palace fully versed in all the arts and sciences( Bne day the ,in told his son to ta,e a
particular stone that was as bi as a millstone and brin it up to the top foor of the
palace( 4ut the stone was so heavy that the prince could not even lift it up( )e was
very upset that he could not ful@ll his father*s wish(
Eventually the ,in said to his son, "Did you really imaine that 2 meant you to do the
impossible and carry the stone 5ust as it is up thereL Even with all your wisdom, how
were you supposed to do such a thinL That was not what 2 meant( 2 wanted you to
ta,e a bi hammer and smash the stone into little pieces( This is how you will be able
to brin it up to the top foor("
2n the same way, God commands us to "lift our heart with our hands up to God in the
heavens" !3amentations H%&# ' ( Bur heart is a "heart of stone" !E;e,iel H:%E:' , a very
heavy stone( There is no possible way to raise it to God e/cept by ta,in a hammer
and brea,in and smashin the heart of stone(
The "hammer" is speech0
-hayey +oharan N&&#
O O O
+other of children
1peech is a "mother of children" !"salms ##H%7' ( 6ust as a mother always stays with
her child and never forets him even if he oes to the @lthiest of places, so the power
of speech never leaves a person even if he @nds himself in the @lthiest of places(
Even one who has sun, to the lowest level can always remind himself of God*s
presence if he spea,s words of holiness% Torah and prayer( Reardless of his situation,
he should try to spea, words of Torah and prayer, meditate and spea, to God, and he
should discuss matters of faith with his teacher and friends( This way he will always be
able to remind himself of God*s presence reardless of how far he is from God, even if
he falls to the "@lthy places"( )is faculty of speech will not desert him, and he will never
be able to foret God(
Cnderstand the tremendous power of speech( 2t can save you from destruction(
3i,utey +oharan 2, G$
O O O
2f you ,now how
1peech has tremendous power( 2f you ,now how, you can even whisper to a un so
that it cannot shoot(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 7:
"RA9ER
"rayer is the root of all attachment and devotion to God( "rayer is the ate throuh
which we approach God, and throuh prayer we may come to ,now )im(
3i,utey +oharan 22, $&
O O O
"rayer helps for everythin
"rayer helps for everythin( Even if a person is unable to study Torah, he will be able
to do so if he prays for it( Everythin ood can be attained throuh prayer% Torah,
devotion, holiness((( everythin ood in all the worlds0 Amen(
3i,utey +oharan 22, ###
O O O
"The world was created for me"
"Every person must say% The whole world was created for me" ! 1anhedrin HGa' (
2f the world was created for me, it is therefore my constant obliation to e/amine and
consider what is needed to repair the world and provide everyone*s needs, and to pray
for them(
3i,utey +oharan #, F
4e bold
The secret of prayer is to be bold( ?e must have the audacity to as, God for
everythin we need . even if we need to as, )im to wor, miracles for us( Bnly with
boldness and darin can we stand up and pray to God(
?hen we consider God*s utter reatness . if we can form any conception of it at all .
and thin, of our own smallness and worthlessness, how can we stand up and pray
before )imL Even so, when we pray, we must cast our timidity aside and boldly as,
God for everythin we need( Bnly with bold assertiveness can we overcome the
obstacles and barriers that stand in the way of our service of God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HJ
O O O
Never insist
Never insist on anythin in your prayers( As, for what you want as a re8uest( 2f God
rants it, )e will rant it( And if not, then not0
Reardless of what you need . livelihood, children or anythin else . it is forbidden to
insist stubbornly that God should ful@l e/actly what you are as,in for, because this is
li,e ta,in somethin by force% it is a ,ind of robbery( 6ust pray and entreat God for
,indness and mercy(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EJ = #7:
God*s ,indness
God does us a reat ,indness by allowin us to use human terms when addressin
)im in prayer and by answerin our re8uests( 2f it were not for )is ,indness, it would
be completely inappropriate to address )im with names, descriptions and praises
consistin of mere words and letters( The fact that we are able to do so is all due to
God*s ,indness(
The reali;ation that, althouh God is e/alted beyond all human titles and praises, )e
permits us to address )im in human terms in order to bind ourselves to )im, should be
suf@cient to inspire us to pray with fervor and passion( This is a sin of )is reat love
and tender mercy( ?e should therefore at least be sincere when we address )im this
way, since it is only throuh )is love and mercy that we are able to do so at all(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #F
O O O
9ou must force yourself to pray
"ray with reat strenth, puttin all your power into the words of your prayers(
9ou must force yourself to pray( 1ome people say that a person should not force
himself to pray, but the opposite is true( 9ou must force yourself to put all your strenth
into your prayers(
True devotion is to bind the thouht to the word, focusin your mind on the words of
the prayers by listenin and payin careful attention to what you are sayin( This way
your inner power will enter your prayers automatically(
All your inner power waits for the moment when it is drawn into words of holiness(
?hen you focus your thouhts on what you are sayin, this power rushes forth into the
words( 1imply pay attention to the words and your inner power will enter your prayers
without your havin to force it(
1ichot )aran N::
O O O
?or,in yourself up
1ometimes you may feel no enthusiasm durin your prayers( 9ou should then act as if
you feel enthusiasm, ma,in your heart burn with the words of the prayers( This is
similar to the way a person can wor, himself up into such a temper that he actually
becomes anry( "eople then say, ")e*s ma,in himself anry ( "
1ometimes when you pray, you must li,ewise wor, yourself up into a passion( 9ou
must force yourself to put @re and emotion into the words( Eventually the enthusiasm
will become real% your heart will burn for God and you will pray with enuine fervor(
1ichot )aran NG&
O O O
3eapin into Gan Eden
"eople say one should pray 8uietly as if standin before a ,in( 4ut 2 say, pray with
cries and hand.clappin( This is the way to leap into Gan Eden with 5oy0
Tovot Iichronot p( #JG
O O O
"ray early
2t is best to pray early in the mornin( "rayer is of supreme importance . who ,nows if
you will be able to pray laterL +a,e every effort to pray as early as you possibly can(
1ichot )aran NH#
Nusach % 1tyles of prayer
-hassidus is not associated with any speci@c style of prayer( Bne can be a -hassid
and pray in Nusach Ash,ena;(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.7J
O O O
>indin yourself in the words
?hen recitin "salms and prayers, ma,e sure you @nd yourself in everythin you say(
2t is simple and easy to @nd yourself in all your prayers% you don*t need to be clever(
The "salms in particular were written for the entire community of 2srael and for each
and every individual( All of a person*s internal wars and strules and everythin else
he endures are all e/pressed in the "salms , which mainly relate to the war aainst the
evil ure and its forces( These are the main enemies see,in to ,eep a person from
the path of life and dra him down to the deepest hell if he is not on uard aainst
them( The entire 4oo, of "salms is about this war(
The foundation of all the different pathways to God lies in recitin "salms and other
supplications and offerin our own personal prayers from the heart, entreatin )im to
draw us closer to )is service( This is the only way to win the war( )appy is the man
who persistently prays and entreats God at all times and in all situations, because he
will certainly win the war(
+uch ood advice e/ists about different ways of comin closer to God, but in most
cases it is very hard to carry out the actual advice( Therefore the main thin is prayer
and supplication( Reardless of who you are or the circumstances in which you @nd
yourself, always try to offer some prayer and re8uest to God to ta,e you from dar,ness
to liht and brin you to complete repentance( Give )im no 8uiet until )e answers
you( Even if you cry to God for a very lon time and )e still seems very far away, if you
are persistent in your prayers, )e will certainly answer you eventually and draw you to
)is service(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #J#
O O O
The albanum
Even if you consider yourself a sinner, you must still ,eep @rm and ma,e every effort to
pray(
Tell yourself% +aybe 2 am far from God because of all my sins( 9et if so, there can be
no perfect prayer without me( Didn*t the Rabbis teach that "every prayer that does not
include the sinners of 2srael is not a true prayer" ! <eritot :a' ( This is because prayer
is li,e an incense offerin, and the Torah re8uires that the incense must contain
albanum even thouh , by itself, it has a foul smell (
Therefore even thouh 2 consider myself a sinner, 2 am an essential inredient in the
prayers and the service cannot be complete without me( 2f 2 am a sinner, 2 must
strenthen myself all the more to pray to God( 2 must have trust that in )is mercy )e
will accept my prayer, since the perfection of the prayer depends on me . the the
albanum in the incense(
6ust as the foul.smellin albanum is a vital inredient in the incense, so too my
tainted prayer is a vital inredient in the prayers of all 2srael ( ?ithout it, they will not be
complete(
1ichot )aran NE7F
O O O
The difference between spiritual and physical wor,
The reatest of all reliious devotions is still easier than ma,in a livin and tryin to
ac8uire worldly possessions0
)ow much effort a merchant devotes to ettin to the mar,et on time0 The moment
1habbat is over, he starts ettin busy( >irst he has to @nd a waon( Ne/t he must
hurry and load up his wares( Then he has to travel throuh the niht, drivin sleep
from his eyes and brea,in his whole body as he sits on top of the loaded waon(
After all this, he has to stand on his feet for the whole day in the free;in cold(((
The merchant has to endure all this hardship and discomfort for the sa,e of a mere
possibility% perhaps he will ma,e a pro@t0 )e miht e8ually well lose everythin
includin his e/penses, which is what usually happens( To ma,e a livin in this world,
people o to the reatest lenths, endurin e/treme hardship . all because of the
slender hope that they miht ma,e a small pro@t(
The reatest possible reliious devotion is prayer( And yet, when we stand up to pray,
we pray and we manae to complete the prayer000
-hayey +oharan NFF$
O O O
Gatherin fowers
?hen a person stands in prayer, recitin the words of the prayers, he is atherin
beautiful fowers and blossoms, li,e someone wal,in in a meadow pic,in lovely
fowers and blossoms one by one until they ma,e a bunch( Then he pic,s more, one
by one, until they ma,e another bunch, and he puts them toether( 1o he oes on,
pic,in and atherin more and more lovely bou8uets(
1o it is in prayer% one oes from letter to letter, until several letters are 5oined toether
to ma,e a syllable( Bne does the same to ma,e whole words( Then one 5oins toether
two words, and oes on, pic,in and atherin, until one completes a whole blessin(
Then one oes on pic,in more and more, and passes from the @rst blessin of the
Amidah prayer . the blessin of the fathers Abraham, 2saac and 6acob . to the second,
which spea,s of God*s miht ( Bne then proceeds to the third blessin, which spea,s
of )is holiness, and so on( ?ho can ade8uately praise the reat splendor of the
leanins and atherins one ma,es with the words of the prayerL
?hen speech comes forth, it comes from the soul( The utterance comes forth and is
heard by the ears, for "you must let your ears hear what you brin forth from your
mouth" ! 4erachot #F' ( The utterance then bes and pleads with the soul not to leave
it behind( As soon as the @rst letter comes forth . the 4eit of the word 4aruch ,
"4lessed" !openin word of the Amidah prayer' . the letter bes and pleads with the
soul not to part from it(
The letter says to the soul% ")ow could you allow yourself to become separated from
me, considerin the reat bond of love between usL 1ee my precious beauty, my
radiance, my splendor and lory0 )ow could you tear yourself away from me and leave
meL True, you have to continue with the prayer and ather more precious treasures
and delihts( 4ut how can you separate yourself from me and foret meL At least see
to it that, wherever you o afterwards, you never foret me or become cut off from
me("
All the more so when one @nishes a whole word% the word pleads and entreats in the
same manner, caressin and embracin the soul, refusin to let the soul move on( 9et
the truth is that one must o on% there are many more words to be said and many
more blessins and prayers to be recited before the conclusion of the service(
The solution is to ma,e the whole prayer into one . to ma,e it into a sinle unity, so
that each individual utterance contains all the utterances ma,in up the whole prayer(
>rom the beinnin of the prayer to the end it should all be one, so that when you
reach the very last word of the prayer you will still be standin at the very @rst word of
the prayer( This way you can pray the entire prayer and never be separated from even
the @rst letter of the prayer(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :F
O O O
1hinin truth into the dar,ness
"The wic,ed wal, on every side" !"salms #E %7' ( This means that the unholy
surrounds the holy, because "God made the one correspondin to the other"
! Ecclesiastes G%#& ' ( This applies especially to someone who has already succumbed
to the temptation to sin and is so attracted to the unholy that this is where his place is,
God forbid( "The wic,ed" . in the form of strane thouhts, feelins and temptations .
have this person surrounded "on every side("
?hen such a person e/periences a spiritual arousal and wants to return to God, he
@nds it very dif@cult to pray and e/press himself to God because of all the strane
thouhts and feelins surroundin him on every side( Each person e/periences this in
his own way( Bne @nds it impossible to brin out the words before God with the proper
reverence, love and vitality( None of one* s words and prayers are able to penetrate
the screens and barriers separatin one from God, and they remain down below(
Bnly when a person repents with enuine honesty and sincerity will he be able to
e/press himself acceptably with words of reverence and love sprinin from the
depths of a heart truly aroused( Then his radiant words will brea, throuh all the
barriers and coverins( And with them all the words and prayers that remained below
until now will also ascend(
)ow does one achieve thisL The ,ey is throuh truth, and everythin else depends on
this( 9ou must follow the path of truth . on your own level( >or, "The seal of the )oly
Bne, blessed be )e, is truth0" ! 1habbat FFa, 9oma :7b' ( Truth is the foundation of
everythin from beinnin to end( Truth is the head, the middle and end of the entire
creation(
?hen a person attains truth, it is as if God*s own liht is clothed in him, since truth is
God*s seal( 1omeone li,e this can rihtly say, "God is my liht and my salvation"
!"salms EG%#' ( 4ecause God shines to him, he can @nd plenty of openins to escape
the dar,ness and e/ile in which he is imprisoned(
2n reality many openins e/ist there( The Rabbis said, "2f a person comes to de@le
himself, there are many openins for him" ! 9oma H$b, +enachot E7b' ( 2f there are
many openins throuh which a person can fall, it follows that there are also many
openins throuh which he can escape( 2t is 5ust that "the fool oes in dar,ness"
! Ecclesiastes E%#& ' % he simply does not see the e/its, and he remains tied and
bound, unable to escape( That is, until he succeeds in spea,in to God truthfully(
?hen he does this, the words radiate with liht and God shines to him(
2t is only then that "the openin of 9our words shines lihtM it ives understandin to
the simple" !"salms ##7%#HJ' ( >or the shinin words themselves . words of truth .
show the person the openin( "2t ives understandin to the simple" . because those
simple people who are cauht in dar,ness and cannot see how to et out will thereby
understand and see the openin and then they can escape the dar,ness( "1ayin to
the prisoners, *Go forth0* and to those who are in dar,ness, *4e revealed0*" !2saiah
&7%7' (
4ut the truth has to be the complete truth% clean, clear and without blemish(
Anyone with sense and understandin should pray all his days to be able to say one
true word to God the way he should, even 5ust once in his life(
2f you are tryin to pray but cannot say a sinle word because you feel you have sun,
in to confusion and dar,ness, try to say what you say with truth, even on the most
elementary level( >or e/ample, say the words "God help me0" truthfully, even if you
cannot say them with any real enthusiasm( 6ust say the words honestly in whatever
way you can( ?ith a true word you will be able to see the openins in the dar,ness
and escape into the liht so as to pray properly(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##E
O O O
"rayin to impress
Bne who is dependent on other people @nds it easier to pray alone, because as soon
as he prays with others he becomes sub5ect to all ,inds of false motives( )is prayer
becomes a lie because he feels he must put on an act in order to impress others( This
is because he needs them for somethin( 1ome depend on others for their livelihood(
Even a person of independent means may still depend on others for his own self.
esteem , because he needs their approval or adulation ( 1uch needs can easily cause
a person to put on a false act for others as he prays(
1omeone else may be more honest( 4ein somewhat in awe of God, he would feel
ashamed to act out a cheap lie in his prayers merely to impress( )e would li,e to pray
truthfully . but his truth is e/cessive( And therefore it is not really the truth, because
there is no such thin as e/cess truth % there is only one truth (
1uch a person would be ashamed to thin, of himself as lyin outriht in his prayers, so
he tries to cover over the lie with truth( >or e/ample, he may want to ma,e a esture of
piety . perhaps a clap of the hands . to impress someone( Bnly he is ashamed to do it
merely to impress( Accordinly he deceives himself% his evil ure leads him on a trail of
thouht which persuades him that he really does need to ma,e such a esture as part
of his prayer( )e @nds a rationali;ation for his esture or handclap, a veneer of truth to
cover up the lie(
4ut he has much too much truth( >or the fact is that there is only one truth% to pray
truthfully to God and God alone( 4ut this person has multiple truths ( )e uses many
different truths to cover the underlyin falsehood( This is all because he depends on
others, and this is why he is @lled with false motives( )e produces a truth to persuade
himself that his intention is really this or that((( 9et in reality there is only one truth(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ::
O O O
2rrelevant thouhts
+any irrelevant thouhts may come into your mind while you pray( Don*t pay any
attention to them at all( 1imply do your part% say your prayers in the proper order,
inorin all disturbin thouhts(
These e/traneous thouhts are actually of reat bene@t( ?ithout them prayer would be
impossible( Tremendous malinin powers see, to denounce our prayers, but these
irrelevant thouhts disuise our prayers so that unholy forces disreard them, enablin
our prayers to enter on hih(
God ,nows our innermost thouhts( ?e may have distractin thouhts, yet God ,nows
that in the depths of our hearts, our thouhts are focused only on God( ?hen you pray,
your innermost thouhts are always directed toward God( God searches all hearts and
)e sees this innermost desire( )e sees throuh the disuise and accepts the prayer in
love(
"+any thouhts are in man*s heart, but God*s counsel is what stands" !"roverbs
#7%E# ' (
"+any thouhts are in man*s heart" . these are the many e/traneous thouhts a
person has when he prays( 9et "God*s counsel is what stands"( This means that there
is an innermost point in your heart where your thouhts are directed to God alone(
This innermost point is called "God*s counsel(" ?ithin this point, your intent is to God
alone( This can never fail, for "God*s counsel is what stands("
9ou therefore need pay no attention to irrelevant thouhts and distractions( 1imply
inore them and continue with your prayers(
1ichot )aran NGE
O O O
Distractions
1ome people say that if you pray with true inner intention and are wholly focused on
your prayers, you should not hear any outside disturbance because your devotion will
be stron enouh to bloc, out everythin else(
This is not true( Even the reatest T;addi, would be distracted and distressed if, while
prayin with outstandin intensity and devotion, someone approached him and
disturbed or ridiculed him(
1ichot )aran NE$&
O O O
?here to direct your thouhts
9ou should force yourselves to pray with reat devotion, powerfully bindin your
thouhts to each word( True devotion means listenin attentively to the words you are
sayin(
2t is not advisable to try to pray usin the mystical intentions of the prayers as found in
the <abalistic writins . and this applies even to people who are @t to study such
wor,s(
"erfect prayer is when you say the words of the prayers with complete simplicity%
4aruch Atah( "4lessed are 9ou(" 3isten carefully to what you are sayin% concentrate
on the meanin of the words(
2t is ridiculous to say that one should not force oneself to pray( Ruite the contrary% you
should pray with all your miht and put all your strenth into each letter of the words of
the prayers(
As to the disturbin thouhts that occur durin prayer% inore them completely( <eep
doin your part, oin systematically throuh the service in order, payin no attention
to any distractions( Turn your mind away from all such thouhts completely(
The prayer service and limbs of the body
2t is impossible to pray the entire service with complete devotion, but each person can
say a certain portion of the service with enuine feelin( Bne person may recite the
passaes dealin with the Temple incense offerin with reat feelin( 1omeone else
may pray best durin the "salms of "esu,ey DeIimra , the "Aerses of 1on"(
This is because the physical human body has a spiritual counterpart, each of whose
limbs corresponds to a portion of the prayer service( Each person is associated with a
particular limb of the transcendental form( ?hen he reaches the section of the service
relatin to his limb, he is aroused to reat devotion(
1ometimes you may pray a section of the service with reat devotion but suddenly the
feelin vanishes and you @nd it impossible to pray properly( Don*t be discouraed,
because this is inevitable% it means you have left your part of the spiritual form( >or the
rest of the service, 5ust try to say each word with perfect simplicity(
3i,e a child learnin to read
1ometimes you may ma,e reat efforts but @nd that you still cannot pray( No matter
what, do not allow yourself to become discouraed( This is the most important rule of
all( >orce yourself to say each word of the service with complete simplicity, li,e a child
who is 5ust learnin to read( <eep sayin the words( 2n most cases God will then touch
your heart with a fame and you will pray with reat feelin(
)owever, you should not ma,e a test of this( Deep inside yourself you well ,now that
you are very remote from true prayer, which is supremely e/alted( "rayer is even
above the study of Torah( )ow can you be worthy to serve God in such a lofty wayL
Do your part( 1imply bein the words of the service . Adon Blam Asher +alach , "3ord
of the world, ?ho ruled("
3isten carefully to every word you say( -oncentrate on the meanin of the words
without lettin your thouhts stray( <eep your mind focused entirely on the words of
the service( >ollow the order of the service, even if you feel no inspiration( -ontinue
word by word, pae by pae, until God sends you true arousal( And even if you
complete the entire service without any feelin, you can still say an e/tra "salm or
prayer with devotion(
4e sure to offer your prayers in a state of 5oy and with a happy tune( "ut yourself in a
cheerful mood before you start your prayers( 1ee, out your ood points, usin them to
brin 5oy to your prayers(
The main thin is truth( 9ou may encounter all ,inds of distractions when you want to
pray, but hold on to truth( No matter what your level, you can spea, the simple truth in
your prayers( Ta,e this advice to heart and you will certainly be worthy of true prayer(
1ichot )aran NGF
O O O
2f trouble stri,es
?hat people do at the end, 2 want you to do at the very outset( "eople usually pray
when they see that all other means have failed( 4ut you should pray at the very outset,
when trouble @rst stri,es(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.E7H
O O O
2f a dead man could come bac,
2f a dead person were allowed bac, into this world to pray, he would de@nitely pray
most beautifully, with all his strenth(
3i,utey +oharan 22, ###
+C12-, 1BNG AND DAN-E
2n this material world, especially if we have sinned and are very far from God, the main
way to attach ourselves to God is throuh melody and son(
3i,utey )alachot, Nesiat <apayim F%:
O O O
2t is ood to et into the habit of livenin yourself up with a tune(
)oly melodies are very e/alted, havin reat power to stir the heart and draw it to
God(
Even if you cannot sin well, you can still inspire yourself with a tune( 1in it as best
as you can, in privacy if you wish( The loftiness of melody is beyond all measure(
1ichot )aran NEGH
O O O
+usic and prophetic spirit
A holy melody can brin you to the level of prophecy( +usic is the foundation of true
attachment to God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H
O O O
2t was throuh music that prophetic spirit rest ed upon the prophets !see 22 <ins
H%#F ' ( A musical instrument is a vessel containin air ! ruach , spirit'( The air in the
instrument is a mi/ture of ood and bad( Bn the one hand there is the an/ious,
depressed spirit . a bad spirit, as we @nd in the case of <in 1aul% "and an evil spirit
terri@ed him" ! 2 1amuel #:%#&' ( Bn the other hand, there is a ood spirit, as it is
written% "3et 9our ood spirit lead me in an even land" !"salms #&H%#J' ( This ood
spirit is the spirit of prophecy% holy spirit( 4ut when ood and bad are mi/ed up, it is
impossible to receive true prophecy(
The musician playin the instrument must ather the ood spirit . the spirit of prophecy
. and separate it from the sad, depressed spirit( )e must understand music in order to
,now how to sift out and ather up the parts of the spirit and put them toether in order
to construct the melody, namely the 5oy, in order to build the ood, prophetic spirit,
which is the opposite of the depressed spirit( )e must move his hand up and down the
instrument in order to channel the 5oy and brin it to perfection(
And when the prophet hears a melody from an e/pert musician, he receives a spirit of
prophecy, the very spirit that the musician athered with his hand and separated from
the depressed spirit( Thus the attendants of the depressed <in 1aul said to him of the
youn David% "And he will play with his hand and it will be ood for you" ! 2 1amuel
#:%#: ' (
Accordinly, by playin the musical instrument with one*s hand, one sifts, puri@es and
elevates the ood spirit and separates it from the bad( This is the way to overcome the
evil spirit of folly that see,s to spoil and upset the ood, prophetic spirit( The bad spirit
is dissipated throuh the 5oy that comes throuh the hand of the player(
>or the root of the power of the spirit of folly lies in sadness and depression( Therefore
the only way to receive a holy spirit of prophecy is throuh 5oy . the 5oy created by the
hand of the player( Thus, "2t was when the musician played that the hand of God was
upon him" ! 22 <ins H%#F ' M "and he will play with his hand and it will be ood for you"(
The player who has the power of the hand can sift out the ood spirit from the bad and
thereby subdue the evil spirit(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
+elody, health and healin
The life and wor,ins of the body are overned by ten basic pulses( These in turn are
vitali;ed by ten ,inds of melody emanatin from the soul( Neativity, an/iety and
depression wea,en the pulses, and this can cause illness( 4ut when the melody of the
soul is 5oyous, it strenthens the vitality of the pulses and brins health to the body(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E&
O O O
1weetenin decrees
+elody sweetens the harsh 5udments( ?hen you sin the words of your prayers in a
clear, briht voice, the 2ndwellin "resence is robed in radiant arments, and this is
how the harsh 5udments are sweetened
3i,utey +oharan 2, &E
O O O
?hen harsh decrees threaten 2srael , they can be sweetened throuh dancin and
hand. clappin(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #J
O O O
6oy of the mit;vah
Dancin for 5oy over a mit;vah is a wonderful thin( There are times when it is a
mit;vah to drin, wine, as on 1habbat and festivals, or at weddins and other reliious
celebrations( 2f you drin, on such occasions, do not drin, to e/cess but in moderation(
9our intention should be for the sa,e of )eaven, to e/perience the true 5oy of 2srael ,
which is to re5oice in God, who chose us from all the nations(
As the 5oy beins to radiate within you, it will spread to your les until you literally start
to dance for 5oy( This will banish the forces of impurity, which ta,e hold of the les,
mitiatin harsh 5udments and enablin you to receive blessins(
The fervor with which you dance is "a @re offerin, a sweet savor to the 3ord"
!Numbers E$%$' ( )owever, when a person dances with the heat of the evil inclination,
this is a "strane @re" !3eviticus #J%#' , while the wine he drin,s is the "wine of
drun,enness", which allows the forces of impurity to ta,e hold (
)oly dance has the same power to sweeten harsh 5udments as a redemption
performed by a T;addi,(
3i,utey +oharan 2, &#
+E+BR9
9ou must be very careful to cultivate a ood memory and not fall into foretfulness(
?hat is a ood memoryL 2t means ,eepin the world to come constantly in the
forefront of your mind, never forettin it(
2t would be very proper for every 6ew to ma,e it a daily habit, as soon as he opens his
eyes in the mornin , before doin anythin else, to recall that the world to come is the
only true oal( )e should do this as soon as he wa,es up(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
O O O
The bene@ts of forettin
+ost people see forettin as a problem, but 2 see it as a reat bene@t(
2f you never forot anythin, it would be impossible to serve God because remember
in everythin from the past, you would never be able to lift yourself up to God(
?hatever you tried to do, you would constantly be disturbed by your memories of the
past( 4ut havin the power to foret, you do not need to be disturbed by the past(
This is very important when tryin to serve God( +ost people are troubled by the past,
especially when tryin to pray( "recisely then their minds become @lled with all ,inds of
distractin thouhts about their business, household and other affairs( They worry that
maybe they did somethin wron or should have acted differently( ?hen a person tries
to pray or study, he can easily become troubled by thouhts about past wrondoins
and personal failins( This is a universal problem, as we all ,now(
The best advice is simply to foret0 As soon as somethin is over and done with, reret
whatever you must and then push it out of your mind and pay it no further attention(
Don*t even start rehashin thins that are over and done with( Cnderstand this well,
because it is a very important principle(
2n Torah study too, God ave us the power to foret so that we should always
appreciate the Torah as we did the @rst time we learned it( 1ince you foret, relearnin
or reviewin a lesson is li,e learnin it anew, and you appreciate it as much as the @rst
time(
2maine a roup of men who have been hired to @ll up barrels that are full of holes(
Everythin they pour into the barrels lea,s out( The fools as, what purpose there is in
tryin so hard to @ll the barrels if everythin poured in lea,s out(
4ut the wise man says, "?hat do 2 careL 2 et paid for each day of wor,( Even if the
barrels lea,, my waes won*t be reduced0" 1imilarly, even if you foret what you learn,
your reward will not be reduced(
2n the future God will ma,e you remember everythin you ever learned, even if you
forot it durin your lifetime( The same applies to those teachins of the true T;addi,
that you do not understand( 2n the world to come you will be able to understand them(
2n the life to come, your soul will remember and understand all the Torah you heard
and learned in this world( )appy is the man who spends his days in Torah and
devotion(
1ichot )aran NE:
?233 AND DE12RE
?hen a person is content to want only what God wants, this ma,es God the <in( 4ut
when a person desires somethin other than what God desires, this ives strenth to
unholy forces( A person must nullify his own will to the point where he has no will and
desire for anythin e/cept what God desires, whether it be that he should have wealth
and children or not, God forbid( 2t should be the same with everythin else he wants(
)e should desire only what God desires( This ma,es God alone the <in
3i,utey +oharan 2, #GG
O O O
9earnin
The )ebrew letters are consonants% without vowels, they cannot be pronounced but
remain li,e a body without a soul( ?ithout the soul, the body is unable to move or do
anythin(
The vowels . the soul that animate s the letters . are formed throuh yearnin and
desire, whether for ood or bad( The yearnin for evil creates bad vowels, which ma,e
the letters 5oin toether and interact to produce bad effects( 4ut if a person yearns to
repent, ood vowels . ood souls . are created and the letters 5oin and interact to
produce ood results(
2t is not suf@cient for a person to feel lonin and yearnin in his heart alone( )e must
e/press his lonin and yearnin on his lips( This is the basis of our prayer service(
The yearnin in the person*s heart creates soul and letters in potential , but it is when
the person e/presses his desire with his mouth that the soul is produced in actuality (
>or the soul comes forth from the mouth, as it says, "+y soul came forth throuh his
spea,in " !1on of 1ons F%:' (
2n order to brin forth your soul from potential to actual e/istence, you must e/press
your yearnin and lonin in words( This is how you turn your desire into a reality and
accomplish what you want, and this is why it is so important to spea, to God every day
and articulate your desires and ood intentions with your lips(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H#
O O O
The power of one sih
)ow precious when you sih out of lonin for somethin holy( The sih you emit
because you are far from holiness brea,s the bond of impurity that was trappin you(
Now you can bind yourself with the cord of holiness( 4ut the opposite is true when you
sih with desire for somethin wronful, God forbid(
Bne sih of reret over your sins and reat distance from God is worth more than
many fasts and other forms of self.morti@cation( The sihs you emit when you desire
somethin holy can actually brea, the force of your bodily ures, enablin your soul to
draw nearer to your body and communicate to it somethin of her own perception of
God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #J7
O O O
Thirsty for God
Thirst is a very reat desire( 2t is wonderful to lon, yearn and thirst for God(
The reater your thirst for water , the reater your pleasure when you reach water and
drin,( Therefore the pleasure is caused by the thirst0
The same is true of holy lonin and yearnin for God and for true devotion(
This will be the main deliht of the world to come, which will be a time of desire and
lonin( This is the "desire of all desires", the level to which +oses ascended when he
left the world( 3i,ewise Abraham paid "four hundred silver she,els" for his @nal restin
place !Genesis EH%#: ' ( The holy Iohar says these are the four hundred worlds of
yearnin that the T;addi,im will inherit in the future(
They are worlds of yearnin because then we will be worthy of true thirst and yearnin
for God( Ruenchin this thirst will be the main deliht of the future world(
1ichot )aran NEF7
O O O
The power of thouht
)uman thouht has tremendous power( Thouht alone can brin about many thins(
Even prices in the mar,et rise because of people*s thouhts and e/pectations(
?hen thouht is concentrated intensely, it can e/ert reat infuence( All the faculties of
the mind, conscious and unconscious, down to the innermost point, must be focused
without distraction on the intended result(
?hen many people do this toether, their thouhts can actually force what they are
thin,in to come about(
The concentrated thouht must spell out every step of the desired result in detail( 2t is
not enouh for the thouht to be merely overall, because this is an "incomplete vessel"
and may even be deceptive(
<eepin your mind intently focused on your oal can also help you in studyin the
Torah( >or e/ample, you could focus intently on the thouht that you want to complete
all four sections of the 1hulchan Aruch ( 9ou could calculate that if you study @ve
paes every day you could complete all four sections in a sinle year( "icture in your
mind e/actly how you will o about this course of study( -oncentrate so stronly that
you are literally obsessed with the thouht(
The same approach can also be applied to other studies, such as the 4ible or the
Talmud and its commentaries( 2f your desire is stron and your concentration
suf@ciently intense, your plans will be accomplished(
1ichot )aran N:E
"AT2EN-E
1ometimes when people don*t want to suffer a little, they end up sufferin a lot0
1iach 1arfey <odesh 2, :
O O O
?hen to push, when to wait
?hen you 5ust can*t fall asleep, it*s no use tryin to force yourself to sleep( The more
you try to force yourself, the more sleep will elude you( The same applies to many
other thins% it is not ood to force yourself too much, because the more you try to
force yourself, the stroner the opposin forces will become(
At times this applies even to prayer and devotion( 9ou should certainly ma,e every
possible effort to sanctify yourself and attain true devotion( ?hen somethin can be
done today, don*t leave it for tomorrow . because the world never stops for a moment(
+an*s world consists only of the present( ?hatever you can do to serve God, do
immediately and determinedly without delay( ?ho ,nows what obstacles you may face
from the outside and from within if you leave it until laterL
4ut at times you may see that, despite all your efforts and determination, you simply
cannot achieve what you want( 1ometimes you must simply wait( Don*t be
discouraed because you are not achievin what you want( Don*t let this push you off
course( 9ou must wait a little until the time is ripe(
The most important thin of all is to loo, to God at all times with lonin and yearnin,
even when thins are not oin as well as you would li,e in your prayers and
devotions( Never despair, no matter what( And as soon as God ives you the
opportunity to do somethin holy, do it at once(
-hayey +oharan N&H#
O O O
The problem contains its own solution
"2n my distress you relieved me(" !"salms &%E'
Even in times of trouble, whatever God sends , )e sends in such a way that the
trouble itself contains the salvation( <eep your eyes open for God*s love and mercy0 2f
you loo, carefully you will see that even when God sends you trouble, )e is still
helpin you ( )e actually helps you by means of the very trouble itself, treatin you
with tremendous ,indness all alon(
Thus <in David said% "2n my distress you relieved me" !"salms &%E' ( 9ou have helped
me by means of the very trouble itself0
Bf course we want our troubles to be over and we hope and trust that God will 8uic,ly
save us from all of them and brin us reat ood( 9et even now, while our troubles are
still tormentin us, God is helpin us(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #7F
O O O
Acceptin the bad thins
"3ove your friend li,e yourself, 2 am God(" !3eviticus #7%#$'
9ou must accept all your troubles and sufferin in life with love( 9ou must understand
that, considerin all the wron you have done, God is actually treatin you very
mercifully and sendin you less sufferin than you really deserve( 2f God were to mete
out the full punishment for your transressions , you would have to suffer much more,
God forbid(
2n the verse, "3ove your friend li,e yourself" !3eviticus #7%#$ ' , the )ebrew word for
"your friend", RE.acha , can also be read as RA.acha , "your bad"( 2n other words, you
must lovinly accept your sufferin and all the bad thins that happen to you( 4ecause
"(((li,e yourself0" . considerin the way you are and considerin all your bad deeds,
nevertheless, "2 am God" . "2 am full of compassion and 2 am treatin you with reat
mercy("
3i,utey +oharan 2, #:F
O O O
1how us a love that we understand
?hen the sons of 6acob were about to 5ourney to Eypt with 4en5amin, 6acob said to
them, " +ay the eternal God ive you love " !Genesis &H%#&' ( This e/presses the very
essence of Godly love, when )e " ives you the love " . namely, when God puts )is
love in our hands(
>or God, it can be that even serious illness and other forms of sufferin are
e/pressions of )is love, because certainly God sends everythin )e sends to a
person out of love, even when )e sends them severe pain and sufferin( )owever, we
as, that )e should entrust )is love to us and put it in our hands, because we do not
understand )is love and we are unable to bear it(
+ay God put )is love in our hands and ive us love in our terms, because we
understand love in the simple sense where it means healin from illness and the li,e(
3i,utey +oharan 22, :E
O O O
4itter medicine
All physical medicines are bitter, and the same is true in healin the soul% the soul is
healed throuh bitterness( 9ou may have to overcome many obstacles and endure
much sufferin in order for your soul to be healed(
?ith physical illnesses there are times when the body becomes so wea, that the
invalid cannot bear the bitterness of the medicines( The doctors despair of ever curin
him and simply abandon him( 1imilarly, when a person falls under the infuence of sin,
which is the sic,ness of the soul, he may be unable to bear the bitterness of the
remedy( There may seem to be no hope for him at all(
)owever, God is @lled with love( ?hen )e sees that a person wants to return to )im
but lac,s suf@cient strenth to bear the bitter remedies necessitated by his sins, )e
ta,es pity and casts all the person*s sins aside in order to save him e/cessive
sufferin( God sends him only as much as he can bear(
+any @nd that as soon as they try to return to God and follow the paths of the
T;addi,im, they suddenly encounter dif@culties and obstacles on every side( At times it
is impossible to bear the bitterness and overcome the obstacles( There have been
cases of people who became so discouraed that they went bac, to their old ways,
God forbid(
Bne who truly desires to draw closer to God should have faith that reardless of how
much bitterness or sufferin he may endure, everythin is bein sent to him out of
love( 2f the sufferin were really in proportion to the manitude of his sins it would have
been far reater( )e would have been much too wea, to bear it and he would have
been totally lost( 4ut God in )is love only sends as much bitterness and sufferin as a
person can bear( This much he must bear, and it is certainly within his power to endure
it
3i,utey +oharan 2, EG
O O O
The cry of the heart
?hen words and cries don*t help, cry deep in your heart without lettin out a sound(
3i,utey +oharan 22, F
1elf.nulli@cation
?hen thins are very bad, ma,e yourself into nothin(
)ow do you ma,e yourself into nothinL 9ou close your mouth and your eyes, and you
are li,e nothin0
1ometimes you may feel overwhelmed by the evil ure( 9ou are rac,ed with confusion
and neative thouhts, @ndin it impossible to overcome them(
9ou must then ma,e yourself li,e nothin( Anyone can do this( -lose your mouth and
your eyes and don*t thin, about anythin . as if you have no mind and no thouhts(
9ou are completely nulli@ed before God(
1ichot )aran NEG7
O O O
1ufferin and consolation
The ultimate oal of the entire creation is Cnity% "Bn that day God will be Bne and )is
name Bne" !Iechariah #&%7' ( The prophet spea,s of "that day" . a future time, when
the oal of the creation will have been attained% God will be Bne(
This ultimate oal is entirely ood( >or oneness . unity . is entirely ood, as we learn
from the comment of the Rabbis on this verse in Iechariah% "Bn that day )a1hem will
be Bne and )is name Bne(" . "2s this meant to imply," as,ed the Rabbis, "that riht
now )e is not BneL Bf course not0 ?hat it means is that in our present state, we ma,e
a distinction between the different ,inds of e/periences God sends us in life( ?hen
bad thins happen, we bless God as *the true 6ude*, while when ood thins happen,
we bless )im as *the ood and bene@cent*( 4ut in time to come we will bless )im for
everythin as *the ood and bene@cent*" ! "esachim FJa' ( Thus we see that unity is
the ultimate oal and this oal is entirely ood(
1ince the ultimate oal is entirely ood, in the end everythin will turn out to have
been for the ood( Even when bad thins happen and you are beset with troubles and
sufferin, God forbid, by loo, in at the ultimate purpose, you will see that these thins
are not bad at allM they are actually of very reat bene@t( All sufferin is sent from God
intentionally for your own ultimate ood, whether to remind you to return to God or to
cleanse and scour you of your sins( 2f so , the sufferin is really very bene@cial,
because God*s intention is certainly only for ood(
?hatever evil and sufferin you endure, God forbid, if you 5ust loo, at the ultimate oal
. God*s purpose . you will not e/perience it as sufferin at all( Bn the contrary, by
reali;in the purpose of this sufferin, you will be @lled with 5oy at so much ood( >or
the ultimate purpose is entirely ood, all unity0 And the deep truth is that there is no
evil at all in the world% everythin is ood(
Then why do we feel pain when we sufferL The pain that people endure when they
suffer is only because their spiritual understandin is withheld from them and they
cannot focus on the ultimate purpose, which is entirely ood( 2t is then that they feel
the pain and sorrow of their sufferin( 4ut when understandin is present and one
,eeps one*s attention on the ultimate oal, one feels no pain and sufferin at all(
The pain response
This will help you understand a deep mystery% why it is a natural refe/ response when
a person suffers reat pain, heaven forbid, as for e/ample when havin a limb
amputated, that he screws up his eyes and shuts them tiht(
?hen we want to loo, at a distant ob5ect, we narrow our eyes and screw them up in
order to focus our vision on the ob5ect( Aision is the aent sent forth by the mind to
brin the ob5ect into the brain( ?hen an ob5ect passes by at hih speed, we may not
,now what it is even if we actually see it with our own eyes, because there is not
enouh time for the brain to reister it( 3i,ewise when somethin is very far away, our
power of vision may not reach there to brin it bac, into the brain( ?e are distracted
by what we see at the edes of our @eld of vision , and in addition our vision becomes
diffused over such a reat distance and lac,s suf@cient power to brin the ob5ect into
our brain(
This is why we have to narrow our eyes to see a distant ob5ect( ?e have to limit our
vision so that other thins don * t interfere, and we must focus on the desired ob5ect in
order to strenthen our vision and avoid its bein diffused( Then it is possible to see
the far.off ob5ect(
1o it is when we want to loo, at the ultimate oal of creation, which is all ood, all
unity( ?e must close our !physical' eyes and focus our vision . the inner vision of the
soul . on the oal( >or the liht of this ultimate oal is very far away( The only way to
see it is by closin one*s eyes( Bne has to close them completely and ,eep them @rmly
shut( Bne may even have to press on them with one*s @ner to ,eep them tihtly
closed( Then one can a;e on this ultimate oal(
2n other words, you must turn your eyes away from this world and close them to it
completely( 9ou must ,eep them tihtly shut and not even lance at the vanity of this
world and its mundane temptations( Then you will be able to see and apprehend the
liht of the ultimate oal, which is all ood( And then the sufferin will disappear( >or
the main reason why one suffers is because one is far from this oal(
This is why it is a natural response to screw up one*s eyes when sufferin pain . in
order to escape the sufferin and nullify the pain throuh a;in at the ultimate oal,
which is entirely ood( The only way to focus on this oal is by closin one*s eyes( And
even thouh the individual may be totally unaware of what he is doin, the soul ,nows
everythin( That is why it is a natural refe/ to close our eyes when sufferin pain(
Glimpsin the unity
At the actual moment of self.transcendence when one is nulli@ed in the ultimate oal,
which is all ood and all unity, the pain and sufferin are nulli@ed and actually
disappear( )owever it is not possible to remain permanently in this state of self.
transcendence as that would be beyond the limitations of our human e/istence( 2n this
lifetime self.transcendence can only be e/perienced for brief moments, 5ust as the
anels in E;e,iel*s prophecy of the -hariot are described as "runnin and returnin"
!E;e,iel #%#&' ( They "run forth", momentarily transcendin their limitations and risin
towards God, but then they "return" aain to their separate selves(
?hen a person returns from the state of self.transcendence to normal consciousness,
the conscious mind returns to the brain, which is the seat of the mind, the "vessel" of
consciousness( 4ut the limited human brain, the vessel, is unable to maintain the state
of self.transcendence, because this is Ein 1of , limitless 2n@nity, which is the ultimate
oal% all one, all ood( As a result, the brain now feels the pain of the sufferin,
because it is in the brain that all sensations of pain and sufferin are felt( Nerve
passaes e/tend from the brain to all the limbs in the body, and throuh them the brain
is aware of pain in whatever limb is affected (
2ndeed, after one returns from self.transcendence to normal consciousness, the pain
and sufferin may attac, even more stronly( 2t is li,e two @hters wrestlin with one
another% when one sees that the other is ettin the upper hand, he @hts bac, even
harder( 1imilarly, when the forces of 5udment rippin the person see that he wants to
overcome his sufferin and nullify it throuh self.transcendence and absorption in the
ultimate oal, they attac, even more stronly( This is why afterwards, when one
returns from the state of self.transcendence, the sufferin is felt even more intensely,
because the forces of 5udment @ht bac, aainst him since he wanted to escape
them(
-onsolation
Afterwards, however, the sufferin is lihtened and we can derive a measure of
consolation from the new spiritual insihts achieved throuh the sufferin( The reason
sufferin leads to spiritual insiht is that sufferin brins one to self.transcendence(
1ubse8uently , even thouh one returns from self.transcendence to normal
consciousness, a trace of it still remains, and from this trace comes Torah insiht( This
is because in the state of self.transcendence, nulli@ed in the ultimate oal, one
reali;es that one*s pain and sufferin are actually of very reat bene@t( This @lls one
with 5oy, which is the "vessel" for receivin new Torah insihts(
2t is the deeper Torah insihts resultin from the remainin 5oyous trace of self.
transcendence that later cool the intensity of one*s sufferin( >or Torah 8uenches the
thirst of the soul, namely the pain and sufferin(
")appy is the man whom God chastises and from 9our Torah you teach him" !"salms
7&%#E' ( The chastisement and sufferin are what brin one to reater Torah insiht(
And indeed, if out of sufferin you come to enhanced understandin, this is a sin that
you dealt with the sufferin in the proper way( 9our deepened spiritual awareness is a
sin that you were able to use the sufferin to attain the state of self.transcendence,
nulli@cation in the ultimate oal (
3i,utey +oharan 2, :F
O O O
?hat is this worldL
Everyone in the world is in pain and full of sufferin% there is not a sinle person who
really possesses this world( Even the hihest and wealthiest have none of this world(
All their days are pain and aner, and they endure constant worry, an/iety and sorrow,
sihin and roanin((( Each has his own private sufferin( Not one of the very wealthy
and privileed has everythin e/actly as he wants it at all times( They too are
constantly full of pain and sufferin, as everyone who ,nows them is fully aware(
2t may sometimes loo, as if a certain person has this world to perfection, en5oyin all
the pleasures of wealth, possessions, esteem, mani@cent palaces, utensils,
ornaments and royal treasures( 9et if you loo, carefully, you will @nd that he too
constantly suffers all ,inds of pain and ve/ation(
Everyone spea,s of "this world" and the "world to come"( As for the "world to come",
we believe in it( +aybe "this world" also does e/ist somewhere0 4ut the world in which
we @nd ourselves here would appear to be Gehinnom , because everyone is
constantly in reat pain and we @nd no "this world" at all0
3i,utey +oharan 22, ##7
O O O
1weetenin pain with divine awareness
<now that the only reason we e/perience pain and sufferin is because of a lac, of
Da*at , Godly ,nowlede and awareness( Bne who possesses this ,nows that
everythin is sent by God and therefore he feels no pain or sufferin, because "God
ave and God too," !6ob #%E# ' ( 2t is true that there is a certain ,ind of sufferin that is
inevitable( This is the pain felt when the soul leaves the body, the pain of illness that
comes when the soul beins to separate itself from the body( The soul is so tihtly
bound to the body in this life that one inevitably feels pain at the moment of
separation(
Nevertheless this sufferin is easy to bear if one ,nows clearly that everythin is under
God*s providence( All the more does this apply to other ,inds of pain and sufferin,
which a person who possesses Godly awareness does not feel at all( The main reason
a person feels pain and sufferin is that his Godly awareness is ta,en from him (
E/ile and the law of nature
The main reason for the sufferin of the 6ewish "eople in e/ile is that they have fallen
from Godly awareness, attributin everythin to nature, chance and fate( This is why
they e/perience pain and sufferin( 2t has come upon them because they have learned
from the nations amon whom they live( They see the entiles in their hour of
ascendancy, while the 6ews are lowly and despised( As a result the 6ews have fallen
under the infuence of the nations and attribute everythin to nature or chance(
This is the only reason for their sufferin, because if they had the Godly awareness to
understand that everythin is under God*s providence, they would feel no pain at all(
The truth is that the 6ewish "eople are beyond nature( 2t is only when they sin that
they become sub5ect to the law s of nature 5ust li,e the nations of the world, who are
overned by nature and the stellar infuences( The 6ews then e/perience e/ile and
sufferin( The main reason for their e/ile and pain is that they lac, Godly awareness
and attribute everythin to nature(
"rovidence and prayer
2n time to come, at the end of history in its present form, "nature" as we understand it
will disappear and the world will be overned only by providence( ">or the heavens will
vanish away li,e smo,e and the earth will be worn out li,e a arment" !2saiah F#%:' (
This means that the natural order as overned by the system of stars and planets will
no loner operate as such( The e/pression "vanish away" in the verse sini@es that all
the constellations will be thrown into confusion and become mi/ed up( 1tellar
infuences and "fate" will no loner dominateM everythin will be overned only by
God*s providence( The 6ewish "eople will then be in the ascendant(
Throuh prayer we have the power to channel God*s providence in a way that oes
beyond nature( Nature may dictate one thin but prayer has the power to chane
nature( This is "reatness" . ">or what reat nation is there that has God so near to
them as )a1hem our God whenever we call on )imL" !Deuteronomy &%G' ( Bur
reatness is that God hears our prayers and alters the course of nature throuh )is
providence( Thus 9ehoram, ,in of 2srael , said to Geha;i, ""lease tell me the reat
thins that Elisha did" ! 22 <ins $%&' , for "?hatever Elisha did, he accomplished
throuh prayer" ! +eilah EGa' ( Thus prayer, which ives us access to the realm of
miracles and providence, the very opposite of nature, is "reat("
?hy do we cry when in painL
?hy do people shed tears when in painL Tears draw down God*s providence( This we
learn from the rabbinic interpretation of the verse, "And the clouds return after the rain"
! Ecclesiastes #E%E' . "This refers to a person*s vision, which becomes wea,er throuh
tears" ! 1habbat #F#a' ( >rom this we learn that tears ta,e away part of one*s vision(
The fact that tears wea,en a person*s eyesiht and ta,e part of it away means that the
vision is drawn into the tears( And this is why people shed tears when in pain( ?hen a
person feels pain and sufferin, it means he needs God*s providence to be saved( This
is why people cry, so as to brin down and reveal God*s watchful providence( >or the
providence and vision are drawn into the tears( This is why ")e;e,iah wept reatly "
!2saiah H$%H' when he fell sic,( Throuh his tears he drew down God*s watchful
providence, which is the concept of "reatness" and prayer(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EFJ
O O O
"atience and faith
2f a person had complete faith in God and fully believed that )e stands over him
listenin to his prayers, hearin every word that comes from his mouth, he would
certainly pray properly without a trace of apathy or despondence ( The main thin that
prevents us from prayin with enthusiasm is a lac, of faith, which ma,es people
despondent and apathetic(
2f a rain of wheat is planted in ood soil, it will sprout and row beautifully without
bein harmed by winds and storms( This is because there is a power that ma,es it
row and fourish( 4ut if the same seed is planted in poor soil, it literally rots in the
earth because there is no power ma,in it row(
2n the same way, when a person has faith, which is the rowth.eneratin power,
nothin can harm him( )e is not afraid of anyone or anythin in the worldM he puts
enery into his prayers and v isits the T;addi,( 4ut if a person lac,s faith, he lac,s the
rowth.eneratin power, and then he literally rots, li,e a rain of wheat planted in
poor soil( This is what ma,es him ponderous and depressed and he literally rots0
?hen a person is patient and slow to aner, he fears nothin and lets nothin distract
or deter him from his devotions( No matter what happens, he continues as best as he
can, doin his part to serve God without worryin about anythin or lettin anythin
disturb him(
"atience depends upon faith, for "as lon as there is idolatry in the world, there is
aner in the world" ! 1ifri , Re*eh ' ( >aith is the opposite of idolatry and therefore
dispels aner, brinin the person to patience, which is the opposite of aner(
?henever you encounter distractions and barriers in your prayers and devotions, you
must ta,e a dee p breath of patience and bear everythin patiently( Do not allow
yourself to become discouraed, depressed and apathetic( 4reathe deeply and don*t
ta,e it to heart( -ontinue doin what you have to do and try your best to inore all the
distractions and obstacles( This is the mar, of true patience, which comes throuh
faith, the rowth.eneratin power(
>aith will ma,e you row, fourish and succeed in your devotions, because no obstacle
will have the power to disturb you or throw you into depression and apathy(
Reardless of what happens, you will continue doin what you have to do 5oyfully and
with enthusiasm, payin no attention whatever to any disturbances and distractions(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #FF
-BCRAGE
?hen a person reali;es that he is on a very low level and far from God, this itself is a
reason to feel encouraed( 4efore this, he was so far from God that he did not even
,now it( Now at least he ,nows it, and this itself is a sin that he is drawin closer(
3i,utey +oharan 22, :$
O O O
Each one is precious
God ta,es pride in every individual 6ew, even the most minor, even the sinners of
2srael , as lon as they o by the name of 2srael ( There is a uni8ue pride that God
ta,es in every sinle 6ew and even in each of his limbs and every sinle movement he
ma,es( 1ometimes a lowly 6ew ma,es a sliht movement with his side.curl and God
ta,es reat pride in this too0
Bne should therefore never despair of God*s help reardless of any wron he may
have done, because God*s love for him will never cease and he can always return to
God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #G
O O O
God hides in the obstacle
?hen a person has spent all his days immersed in materialism and suddenly feels a
stron desire to wal, in the ways of God, the attribute of 6udment rises up to accuse
him( 2t will not allow him to wal, in the ways of God and creates an obstacle( 4ut God
loves ,indness and hides )imself in the obstacle itself( 1omeone with understandin
loo,s carefully and discovers God in the very obstacle itself0
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##F
O O O
2llusory walls
?hen someone wants to serve God or travel to the true T;addi,, he is bound to face
obstacles( Each person imaines that the obstacles he faces are reater than those
facin others and @nds it hard to withstand them( 4ut no.one is ever confronted with
obstacles that are beyond his ability to overcome if he really wants( The truth is that
there is no obstacle at all, because God is present, albeit veiled, in the very obstacle
itself(
The reatest of all barriers are those in the mind . when the person is divided from
God or from the T;addi, in his own mind and heart( A person may have come to the
T;addi, despite all the physical obstacles( 4ut if some small doubt about the T;addi,
then arises in his mind, causin his heart to falter, this is the reatest obstacle of all(
1imilarly, a person encounters many obstacles when he wants to pray( )owever, if
after overcomin them all he is ready to pray but his heart is contorted and turned
away from God, this is the reatest obstacle of all(
The 4aal 1hem Tov told a parable about a ,in who left a reat treasure in a certain
place, surroundin it with all ,inds of illusory walls( ?hen people came to these walls,
they thouht they were real and that it would be very hard to brea, throuh( 1ome
retreated immediatelyM others bro,e throuh one wall but could not brea, throuh the
second( A few bro,e throuh more walls, but no. one could brea, throuh them all(
Cntil the ,in*s son came and said% "2 ,now that all these walls are pure illusions and
the truth is that there is no wall at all0" )e went forward con@dently until he overcame
them all(
All the obstacles and temptations standin in the way of true fear of heaven are
illusory walls( 4e couraeous and stron.hearted0 All the apparent obstacles, such as
@nancial and other material constraints or opposition from others, will disappear if you
are determined and couraeous in your 8uest for God(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &:
O O O
The obstacle is sent to create desire
2t is impossible to do anythin unless you have desire( Even merely to say somethin,
you must @rst have a desire to spea,( 3i,ewise, in order to do somethin, you must
@rst have the desire to do it(
Therefore when a person needs to perform some holy tas,, whether it is to visit the
T;addi, or any other holy mission , he is @rst iven the desire to accomplish it(
The strenth of the person*s desire is created throuh bein confronted with an
obstacle( ?hen an 2sraelite needs to do somethin in connection with his 6udaism,
especially when it is somethin important on which his whole 6udaism depends, such
as oin to the true T;addi, . he is sent an obstacle( The purpose of the obstacle is to
increase his desire to accomplish his tas,(
This is li,e showin a small child somethin he wants and then immediately snatchin
it from him and hidin it( The child runs after the person, pleadin and wantin the
thin even more( The child*s desire for the ob5ect is increased by havin it snatched
away and hidden( 1imilarly, we are held bac, from what we want by obstacles whose
only purpose is to increase our desire(
The reater the ob5ect of desire, the reater the obstacle0 There are three factors
involved % the desire itself, the person who has it and the ob5ect of his desire( The
desire must be stron in proportion to the reatness of its ob5ect( ?hen the ob5ect of
desire is very reat, the person needs very stron desire to attain it( )e is then
confronted with a very reat obstacle in order to ma,e his desire all the stroner,
because the reater the obstacle, the stroner the desire that is needed to overcome
it(
<now therefore that whenever you encounter very reat obstacles in any holy pursuit,
you should infer from this 5ust how reat and precious is the ob5ect of your desire( This
is why the obstacle is so reat(
2f your desire is very stron, you will certainly be able to accomplish what you want
and brin it from potential to actual( >or the main purpose of the obstacle is to
strenthen the desire( ?hen the strenth of your desire matches the strenth of the
obstacle, the obstacle becomes surmountable(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ::
O O O
No effort is ever wasted
Not a sinle effort, thouht, word or deed or even the slihtest esture is ever wasted
when tryin to accomplish a holy oal (
?hen you want to do somethin holy, at @rst you are uncertain and confused( 9ou
weih up all the factors, decidin whether or not to do it( Bbstacles seem to sprin up
on every side(
At last you succeed in accomplishin the tas,( 9our every movement, every thouht
and even the confusion you suffered are reistered for ood( They are raised on hih
to be transformed into somethin very holy and e/alted(
)appy is the person who leaps over all the barriers to accomplish a holy tas,0
1ichot )aran N##
O O O
?hen a person @nally attains a holy oal, all his earlier obstacles become transformed
into the most e/alted thins(
3i,utey )alachot, -hoshen +ishpat, Ni;,ey 1hchenim H%$
O O O
The boilin pot
?hen a person starts to serve God and draw close to a true T;addi,, he is often @lled
with neative thouhts and inner turmoil(
This is li,e a pot of water which initially seems 8uite clear, but as soon as it is placed
on the @re and starts to boil, all the impurities bein to surface( 1omeone has to stand
there constantly removin the scum and impurities(
At @rst the water appears perfectly clear, but as it heats up, more and more impurity
surfaces( At last, however, when all the impurity is removed, the water is truly pure and
clear(
The same is true of a person( 4efore he starts servin God, ood and evil are totally
mi/ed up in him . so much so that the evil and impurity are not even discernible( 4ut
when he starts tryin to serve God and draw close to a true T;addi,, he beins the
process of cleansin and puri@cation( Each time, more evil and impurities rise to the
surface(
)ere too one must stand by constantly removin the dirt and impurities as they
appear, until in the end the person is truly pure and clear(
2nitially a person is totally immersed in the material( ?hen he starts to draw closer to
God, it miht seem as if it should be possible to remove all this @lth and impurity at
once( 4ut his mind is so totally mi/ed up with this mire that if it were to be removed all
at once, he could lose his mind with it as well(
Bne must be very patient until little by little one becomes completely pure(
1ichot )aran NG7
O O O
Bpposition is a ood sin
Bpposition raises and elevates a person( 2f you face opposition, it is a sin that you
want to be a ood person( 4ut if thins are 8uiet, it*s a sin that your service of God
has 8uietened down0
Netiv T;addi, GJ
O O O
Efforts are counted as sacri@ces
?hen people see, to purify themselves and ,eep the Torah, they often feel
overwhelmed with confusion and frustration( They encounter reat obstacles in their
path and they are uncertain what to do( The more they want to serve God, the harder it
seems(
<now that all your efforts to do the riht thin are very precious in God*s eyes even if
you do not achieve your oal( All your efforts are counted as sacri@ces(
Tryin to pray is li,e offerin a sacri@ce( ">or 9our sa,e we are ,illed every day, we are
counted li,e sheep for the slauhter" !"salms &&%EH' ( This verse spea,s of prayer as
a sacri@ce( ?hen a person wants to pray, he encounters many distractions( Even so,
he ives himself over completely to his prayers, ma,in every effort to focus all his
thouhts on the words he is sayin and their meanin( Even if his prayers are not
perfect, his very efforts are a sacri@ce, as it says% ">or 9our sa,e we are ,illed every
day("
The same applies to all acts of service of God( 9ou may desire to perfect yourself but
@nd you cannot do so completely( Even so, all your pain and efforts are not wasted(
They all count as offerins to God% ">or 9our sa,e we are ,illed every day, we are
counted li,e sheep for the slauhter("
9ou should therefore always do your part and ma,e every effort to serve God as best
as you can( ?hat is up to you, do with all your miht( <eep tryin even if all your
efforts seem to be frustrated and all your attempts seem to be in vain( Do everythin in
your power and God will do what is ood in )is eyes(
1ichot )aran N#E
The ways of Teshuvah% Two s,ills
"The livin creatures were runnin and returnin " !E;e,iel #%#& ' (
2f you want to follow the ways of Teshuvah and return to God, you need to ac8uire two
different s,ills% the @rst is the ability to "run forward" at times of spiritual ascentM the
second is the ,nowlede of how to "return" when you encounter a setbac, ( These two
s,ills correspond to how the anels in the prophetic vision were " runnin and
returnin " !E;e,iel #%#& ' (
?hether you feel you are advancin or not, or even if you feel you are slidin
bac,wards, always stay stron and follow <in David*s teachin% "2f 2 ascend to
heaven , 9ou are there, and if 2 ma,e hell my bed, behold 9ou are there0" !"salms
#H7%$' (
"2f 2 ascend to heaven(" 2f you succeed in risin to some hih level, don*t stay there
and content yourself with what you have achieved( 9ou must have the s,ill to
understand and believe that you are oblied to advance even further( This is the s,ill of
"runnin forward"% "2f 2 ascend to heaven, 9ou are there0"
-onversely, even if you fall in some way, never ive up hope( 1ee, out and entreat
God constantly and strenthen yourself as best you can in the place where you @nd
yourself( God is present even in the depths of hell( Even there you can attach yourself
to God% "(and if 2 ma,e hell my bed, behold 9ou are there0" This is the s,ill of
"returnin"(
Bnly throuh the ac8uisition of these two s,ills can you o in the ways of Teshuvah(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :
O O O
The purpose of fallin . to o hiher
?hen the time comes for a person to rise from one level to the ne/t, he must @rst
e/perience a fall( The whole purpose of the fall is to prepare for the ascent( Try to
understand this and you will reali;e how determined you must be in order to serve
God( No matter how far you fall, never allow yourself to be discouraed( Remain @rm
and resolute and pay no attention to the fall at all, because in the end it will be
transformed into a reat ascent( This is its whole purpose(
This applies to all the different ways one can fall( Each person always thin,s that his
own situation is so bad that this does not apply to him( "eople imaine it applies only
to those on very e/alted levels who are continually advancin from level to level( 4ut
you should reali;e that it holds true even for those on the lowest of levels, because
God is ood to all(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EE
O O O
Each time a person emeres from one level in order to rise to the ne/t, the unholy
forces attac, him aain in the form of desires and fantasies, strane thouhts, mental
confusion, distractions and all ,inds of other obstacles( They stand in array aainst
him, refusin to let him enter the ates of holiness(
+any sincere people become hihly discouraed when they @nd themselves suddenly
confronted by all these desires and obstacles( They start to thin, that they must have
fallen from their previous level because for some time they have not e/perienced them
with the same intensity . since they were dormant(
?hen this happens, you must understand that what you are e/periencin is not a fall(
The time has come for you to advance from one level to the ne/t( This is why these
same old desires and obstacles have reared their heads aain( ?henever this
happens, it ta,es reat strenth and courae not to lose hope but to overcome all the
desires and obstacles aain(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EF
O O O
1tartin aain
?hen a person falls from his level he should ,now that this is sent from )eaven(
The purpose of the apparent re5ection is to draw him closer( The reason for the fall is
to spur the person to ma,e even reater efforts to draw closer to God(
The thin to do is to ma,e an entirely new start( 1tart servin God as if you had never
started in your whole life( This is one of the most basic principles of servin God( ?e
must literally bein all over aain every day(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E:#
O O O
Bne of the reat rules in servin God is% Never allow yourself to fall completely(
Even if you feel you have failed in some devotion or prayed without proper attention or
fallen in some other way, you must still try to ,eep as stron as you can and ma,e a
whole new start( Act as if today you are only beinnin to serve God( No matter how
many times you fall, pic, yourself up and start aain( Do this over and over aain(
Btherwise you will never come close to God(
"ull yourself to God with all your strenth, reardless of whether you o up or down(
No matter how low you fall, ma,e a determined effort to yearn and lon to draw closer
to God( -ry out, pray and plead with God0 <eep tryin to do whatever you can to serve
God with 5oy( ?ithout this inner determination, you will never be able truly to approach
God(
<eep on tryin and tryin until you are unable to do anythin but serve God at all times
every day of your life, even without any uarantee of a reward( 1ometimes you may
thin, you are so far from God that you will have no reward in the world to come( Even
so, you must be willin to serve )im as best as you can even without a reward(
Even if you thin, you are bound to o to hell, you must still do your part in servin God
as best as you can( Grab a mit;vah0 3earn some Torah0 1ay a prayer( and God will do
what is ood in )is eyes(
2t is impossible to come to true service of God without facin all these trials( Every time
you fall, you must ma,e a determined effort to pic, yourself up and start all over aain
. even many times each day . until eventually you will advance steadily in God*s ways(
Amen(
1ichot )aran N&$
O O O
)ope and courae
"4e stron and couraeous, all who hope in God" !"salms H#%EF' (
Even if you feel you have failed to reach true holiness or devotion, you can still hope (
And this way you can be "stron and couraeous"( No matter what happens, don*t let
anythin discourae you(
4e sure also to encourae your friends not to become disheartened, no matter what
happens( 9ou may be all too aware of your own failins, but this should not prevent
you from encourain others( 2t is easier to inspire others than to strenthen yourself,
for "A prisoner cannot free himself" ! 4erachot Fb' (
Nothin is worse than ivin in to discouraement( 2n time of war, the Torah says% "Do
not be afraid and do not be terri@ed" !Deuteronomy EJ%H' ( The rabbis e/plained% "Do
not be afraid(" . "of the hordes of troops," "(and do not be terri@ed" . "of the sound of
the war horns" ! 1otah &Ea' (
?hoever wants to enter the service of God must endure all this, for he will face a
multitude of fearsome strules . "the hordes of troops and the sound of the war
horns"( 9ou must stand @rm( Never surrender your round( Trust that God will help you
and don*t turn aside from )im(
"Retreat is the beinnin of defeat" !1otah &&b' ( 2n any case, where can you o to
escape from GodL "?here can 2 fee from 9ouL 2f 2 rise to heaven, 9ou are thereM if 2
descend to )ell . 9ou are there too0" !"salms #H7% :. G' ( >or God is everywhere(
9ou must be very stubborn in servin God(
And even if you feel that you yourself are far from God, be sure not to discourae
others( Do the very opposite% strenthen them in every way possible( 1pea, to them
with words that restore the soul( 4y doin so, you too will eventually come bac, to
servin God(
1ichot )aran N#EJ
O O O
Even a little is precious
There are people who draw close to God but later fall away( Even so, the short time
they serve God is very precious in )is eyes no matter what happens later(
"9ou have heartened +e with one of your eyes" !1on of 1ons &%7' (
2n this verse, God addresses the 6ewish people, recallin their acceptance of the
Torah( The +idrash as,s% "?hy does the verse say, *with one of your eyes*L The
answer is because the other eye was already loo,in at the Golden -alf0"
At the very time when they accepted the Torah, they already had ideas of oin astray0
9et even the short time they were close to God was still very dear to )im, and this is
why )e says, "9ou have heartened +e with one of your eyes("
1ichot )aran N#EH
O O O
Torah secrets
The places that seem lowest of all and furthest from God actually contain the most
e/alted life force of all, albeit concealed% namely the "secrets of Torah"( Bne who has
fallen very far should therefore understand that in the very place in which he @nds
himself he can still draw close to God because of the e/alted life force that is
concealed there( ?hen he succeeds in returnin to God, e/alted levels of Torah will be
revealed throuh him( These are the "secrets of Torah"(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F:
O O O
?here is the place of )is loryL
There are people who sin, very low indeed and fall into all ,inds of doubts and even
have 8uestions about God )imself( Nevertheless, the whole purpose of their fallin is
for them to rise up afterwards( The fall is for the sa,e of the ascent(
>or the root of the entire creation is lory( ?hatever God has created, )e has done so
only for )is lory( "Everythin that is called by +y Name( 2 have created for +y lory((("
!2saiah &H%G' ( 2t follows that )is lory is the root of the entire creation ( And althouh
everythin is a unity, there are nevertheless radations within creation( Each individual
portion of creation contains its own uni8ue lory, which is the root of that portion( Each
of the ten utterances with which the world was created has its own uni8ue lory, which
is its root, because lory is the root of everythin( Each utterance is a arment
e/pressin God*s lory, for "the whole earth is full of )is lory0" !2saiah :%H'(
?hat about sin and evilL God*s lory is not present there, for "2 will not ive +y lory to
another" !2saiah &E%$' ( There is a limit that prevents the lory from spreadin there(
Althouh "the whole earth is full of )is lory", there is nevertheless a limit that prevents
it from spreadin to the "outside places", which are beyond the bounds of holiness . for
"2 will not ive +y lory to another"(
4ut ,now that in spite of this, even the "@lthy places" and even idolatrous temples
necessarily derive their life.force from God( 4ut ,now that they receive it from the
)idden Ctterance of 4ereishit , "2n the beinnin" !Genesis #%#' ( This utterance
includes all the others, and all of them derive their vitality from it( The lory of the
)idden Ctterance is concealed to the ultimate deree( 2t is from there that they derive
their life.force( >or it is impossible for the "@lthy places" to receive their vitality from the
revealed utterances, because "2 will not ive +y lory to another"( Bnly from the
)idden Ctterance, which is concealed to the ultimate deree, can they receive vitality(
2t is impossible to understand this with human reason, and we are not permitted to
delve into it(
?hen a person sin,s to these "@lthy places", he is @lled with doubts, 8uestions and
confusion( 4ut when he starts e/aminin himself and sees how far he is from God*s
lory and beins as,in and searchin, AyehL . " ?here is the place of God*s loryL" .
this is the essence of the solution( )e sees for himself that , havin sun, to such
places, he is far from God*s lory ( ?hen he as,s AyehL . "?hereL" . this is his way to
rise up and transform his fall into a reat ascent( >or the purpose of the descent is to
lead to an ascent(
AyehL ."?here is the place of )is loryL" This alludes to the e/alted lory of the
hihest utterance, 4ereishit , which is the source of the life.force of these places(
Therefore when a person searches in earnest, AyehL . "?here is the place of )is
loryL" . this itself brins him bac, and he rises to the hihest lory, Ayeh , which
because of its reat concealment ives life to these places( )avin fallen there, by
then searchin AyehL . "?here is the place of )is loryL" . he returns and connects
himself to this e/alted place, in5ectin new vitality into his very fall, and he can then
rise to the most e/alted heihts(
The essence of Teshuvah is an earnest search for God*s lory( ?hen a person sees
that he is far from God*s lory , he yearns for it( )e as,s, labors and toils% AyehL .
"?here is the place of )is loryL" This itself is his answer, his repentance and his
remedy( Cnderstand this well(
"2f someone as,s you, *?here is your GodL* tell him, *2n the reat city of Rome *"
! 9erushalmi Taanit #' ( >or even in places @lled with idols and cults, God is present,
albeit hidden( 2f you sin, to such places, God forbid, as soon as you bein to search
AyehL . "?here is the place of )is lory" . you draw life for yourself from the life.force
of holiness( The vitality of the unholy forces, the "hus,s", derives only from the
concealment, from the fact that God is so totally hidden that there is no awareness of
)im at all( 4ut as soon as you bein to search, "?here is the place of )is loryL" this
is an indication that you ,now that God e/ists, even thouh )e is hidden, and this is
why you are searchin AyehL . "?here is the place of )is loryL"
This is how you can ive yourself new life in the place to which you have sun,( This is
because Ayeh is the )idden Ctterance from which all thins derive their vitality( The
unholy "hus,s" are nourished by the concealment, but you now vitali;e yourself with
the life.force of holiness in the very place to which you have sun, . by earnestly
searchin AyehL . "?here is the place of )is loryL" Afterwards you can lift yourself
from there completely and reach holiness itself in a place where God*s lory is
revealed( >or the essence of holiness is that God*s lory should be revealed( 4lessed
be God forever( Amen( Amen(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #E
O O O
The narrow bride
?hen a person ma,es a start and tries to brin himself closer to God, he usually
e/periences a feelin of re5ection( 2t is as if forces beyond his control are tryin to
prevent him from enterin God*s service( 9et in actual fact this apparent re5ection is
nothin but a way of brinin him closer( 4ut it ta,es tremendous determination not to
become discouraed when you see that the days and years are passin and in spite
of all your efforts to draw closer, you are still far away(
9ou may feel you have not even beun to enter the ates of holiness( 9ou may see
yourself as still bein coarsely materialistic and feel that your mind is confused( No
matter what you try to do to serve God, it seems as if the evil forces will not allow you
to succeed( 9ou may start thin,in that God is payin no attention whatever, as if )e
has no interest in your devotions( 9ou ,eep callin out to )im, pleadin with )im to
help you( 9et you feel as far away as ever(
2t ta,es tremendous determination to overcome all this( The ,ey is to inore all the
discouraement( The truth is that all this apparent re5ection has no other purpose than
to brin you closer( All the T;addi,im have had to endure this, as we ,now from their
personal testimony( They too felt that God had no interest in them, because they saw
how lon they had been searchin, puttin in hard wor, and effort, yet they were still
far away( 2f they had not determinedly inored these feelins, they would have
remained where they were in the @rst place and would never have achieved what they
did(
+y dear friend and brother% the basic rule is to ,eep @rm and be stron( Try with all
your strenth to be persistent in your devotions( "ay no attention to all these
discourain thouhts( And if you are very far from God and you feel that your every
movement must be a blemish in God*s eyes, you should ,now that on the contrary, if
someone is all that coarse and materialistic, even the slihtest motion he ma,es to try
to detach himself from his physicality and turn towards God is very reat and precious(
2f he moves no more than a hairsbreadth in his efforts to purify himself and come
closer, that hairsbreadth ma,es him run thousands and thousands of miles in the
worlds above( !1ee below, p( HF&, "The 1ad T;addi,", for further e/planation(' 2f you
thin, about this, it will ma,e you very happy( 2ndeed you should ma,e a reat effort
always to be happy, because depression can cause tremendous damae( 9ou should
,now that as soon as a person wants to start servin God, it is a very rave sin for him
to be depressed( Depression comes from the Bther 1ide, which God hates(
2n order to serve God, you must be obstinate( Bn no account should you ive up and
abandon the practices you have beun( Don*t ive up in any way, no matter what
happens( Remember this well, because you will be in reat need of it when you start
servin God( 9ou must be very obstinate indeed, holdin yourself stron and @rm in
your place each time the evil forces try to throw you down( This will happen very often(
9our tas, is to continue as best as you can without allowin yourself to fall completely,
God forbid(
2nevitably you must encounter all ,inds of dif@culties and setbac,s( 9ou will fall down
many times before you can enter the ates of holiness( Even the reatest T;addi,im
have one throuh all this( There are cases when a person is already at the ate of
holiness, only to slide bac, because of these dif@culties( ?hen a person is close to the
ate, the forces of evil try to prevent him from enterin( This pushes some people into
retreat( That is the way of the Evil Bne% when he sees a person literally at the ates,
he attac,s more powerfully than ever( That is why you need to be so stron(
2f you want to enter God*s service, remember all this very well( 1trenthen yourself in
every possible way and do what you can to continue with your devotions( Eventually ,
with God*s help , you will surely succeed in enterin throuh the ate( God is
overfowin with love and very much wants your devotions( <now that every sinle
effort you ma,e is important( All your attempts to detach yourself even slihtly from the
material world and draw closer to the spiritual are added toether( They will all come to
your aid when you really need it , when you are under pressure or in trouble, God
forbid(
And ,now that in life a person has to pass over a very narrow bride( The main thin is
not to be afraid(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &$
O O O
Never ive up 0
Gevalt000 Never ive up hope0 There is no despair(
3i,utey +oharan 22, G$
Recoverin stolen oods
Bnce there was a wealthy man who had a shop where he lived and ,ept his stoc, of
merchandise( Thieves came and robbed him of his wealth and possessions, and he
lost a lare part of what he had( 4ut he collected toether the remains and was able to
put himself bac, on his feet aain( )e purchased some more stoc, and once aain
became a shop,eeper(
Then more thieves came and robbed him of whatever was left of his previous wealth(
1till, he once aain athered toether what little he could from the remnants of what
was left to him and his wife*s 5ewelry, and he was able to et bac, on his feet aain(
)e set up a store to provide himself and his household with their livelihood(
Aain thieves came and robbed him of whatever was left, and he became so
impoverished that his house was completely empty( )e went and collected toether a
miserable sum, bouht a few bits and pieces, and went around the villaes li,e the
poor tin,ers who travel about with bundles of oods, needles, pipes and similar small
items( )e went from villae to villae tradin needles for chic,ens and es amon
the entiles, and this was how he earned the family bread(
Bne day he was on his way from the villaes carryin his small stoc, and a few items
of food when he was set upon by a bandit( The bandit was ridin a horse and carryin
two enormous bundles( )e wanted to rob him and the man bean to weep and plead
with the bandit( )owever, he paid no attention and robbed him of the little he had( The
man was left with nothin at all, and he wept bitterly( As if his previous troubles had not
been enouh when he had been stripped of his reat wealth0 Now they had torn from
him even his meaer remainin livelihood0
+eanwhile, he noticed that the bandit had fallen from his horse( )e was tryin to et
up, but the horse was standin at his side tramplin his head with its hooves( The
bandit fell bac, and died( The man went over to loo, and saw that the robber had
fallen to the round dead( )e opened the robber*s bundles, and there he found all the
merchandise, wealth and possessions that the bandit had ever stolen from him( )e
returned to his house in peace with his wealth restored(
Bne should never despair( A person may be robbed and plundered time and time
aain, yet he should never despair of God * s mercy and ,indness( 2n the end the
robber will suffer a fall from which he will never rise aain, while the one who was
robbed will recover all the holiness, oodness and devotion that were stolen from him
and return to his wealth and eternal oodness(
-hayey +oharan N7G
TBRA) 1TCD9
The +isnadim !opponents of the -hassidim' say that the main thin is to study Torah(
The -hassidim say the main thin is prayer( 4ut 2 say% "ray and study and pray(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.$G
O O O
Daily study
Everyone should set himself a daily proram of Torah study(
This applies even to people who are far from holiness and sin reularly( 1o reat is the
power of the Torah that it can free them from their sins( 2f even the worst sinner would
ta,e on himself to study a @/ed amount every day, he would be able to escape the evil
trap( The power of the Torah is so reat that it can accomplish everythin(
1ichot )aran N#7
O O O
)alachah
2t is very important to study )alachah . the practical laws of the Torah( 2f you can,
study all four sections of the 1hulchan Aruch !the classic code of Torah law as it
applies in our times' in order from beinnin to end( Btherwise, study one of the
concise uides that e/plain the laws of daily life(
The study of )alachah is a reat spiritual remedy( ?hen a person sins, ood and evil
become mi/ed up( Each individual )alachah is a leal decision that ma,es a clear
separation between what is permitted and what is forbidden, what is clean and what is
unclean( ?hen you study )alachah, ood is once aain separated from evil, thereby
rectifyin the sin(
Every 6ew should study )alachah every day(
2f you are under pressure and have no time, study at least one pararaph of )alachah
on any sub5ect, even if it is outside your reular study schedule( 3earn at least one law
every day of your life(
1ichot )aran NE7
O O O
-hassidut
+y boo, 3i,utey +oharan is the beinnin of the Redemption( Now that it has come
out, 2 very much want people to study it( They should study it until they ,now it by
heart, because it is @lled with uidance and has the power to arouse men to God in a
way nothin else can compare with( Those who study it carefully have no need for any
other wor, on ethics and moral uidance(
3earnin my wor,s is the beinnin of the Redemption . may it come speedily in our
days( The best way to study them is with two separate routines( The @rst should be
one of bris, study in order to become thorouhly conversant with them( The second
should be one of in.depth study, because these wor,s contain the profoundest depths(
-hayey +oharan NH&:
O O O
As soon as the most e/alted and wonderful Torah teachins are put into a boo,, they
become concealed behind covers( The boards of the bindin of the boo, are the
covers(
3i,utey +oharan 22, H:
9ou can crease and wrin,le my boo, any way you li,e when it comes to your own
interpretations . as lon as you don*t violate a sinle pararaph of the 1hulchan
Aruch (
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#H#
Travel everywhere
Try to o throuh all our holy boo,s in the course of your lifetime, so that you will have
visited every place in the Torah(
?ealthy people constantly travel from place to place, spendin enormous sums in
order to be able to boast about where they have been( 2n the same way, in this life you
should visit all the holy places in the Torah( Then in your future life you will be able to
ta,e pride in havin visited every place in our holy literature( >or in the world to come
you will remember everythin you have ever learned(
1ichot )aran NE$
O O O
)ow to study Torah
The best way to learn Torah is by studyin fairly rapidly without analy;in every sinle
detail( 1tudy bris,ly and simply% see, to understand each thin in its own conte/t
without confusin yourself about how it relates to other sub5ects(
2f there is somethin you do not understand, it is usually best not to dwell on it for too
lon( <eep oin( 2n most cases you will eventually come to understand it in the liht
of what follows(
?hen you study, the main thin is to read the words aloud and in order( Cnderstandin
will then come of itself( Do not confuse yourself by tryin to comprehend everythin at
once( 9ou will have much dif@culty and end up understandin nothin(
1imply focus your mind on what you are studyin, readin the words in their correct
order and with enthusiasm( Cnderstandin will come of itself( ?hat you do not
understand at @rst, you will comprehend later( Even if there are thins you cannot fully
understand, this is unimportant because broad ,nowlede outweihs everythin else(
4y studyin rapidly you will absorb a reat 8uantity and you will be able to review each
wor, many times( ?hat you did not understand at @rst you will rasp the second or
third time round , and eventually you will understand everythin that it is possible to
understand(
4y followin this path you will complete many volumes and have a better
comprehension than one who is overly precise( 1uch a person can become very
confused and may even come to abandon his studies completely, endin up with
nothin(
Accustom yourself to learn 8uic,ly without too much attention to detail( This way you
will truly ac8uire the Torah and cover enormous round( 9ou will be able to complete
the Talmud, -odes, 4ible, +idrash, Iohar and other <abalistic te/ts and all the other
sacred wor,s(
2t is unnecessary to review everythin immediately( 2t is better to complete each
volume as rapidly as possible from beinnin to end and then to review the entire wor,
as a whole(
Don*t be an/ious if you are unable to complete everythin( Bne can be a faithful 6ew
even without bein able to learn at all( Bne can be a T;addi, even without bein a
scholar( 2t is true that deep perception cannot be attained without Talmudic
scholarship, yet even the simplest 6ew can be a T;addi,( "9ou are not oblied to
complete the wor,, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it" ! Avot E%#: ' (
1ichot )aran NG:
-hidushim New ideas
?hen you want to develop new Torah ideas, you must concentrate on one sub5ect(
Turn it over and over in your mind, ,noc,in and beatin on the ate until it opens(
1ometimes a thouht may fy into your mind in a fash . but then it fies away( 9ou must
be a man of valor, pursuin it until it is recaptured(
1ichot )aran NF$
1omeone who wants to develop oriinal Torah insihts may e/pound and innovate as
much as he wants accordin to his level of mental attainment( The only condition is
that he may not deduce any new law from insihts based on e/pository interpretation
! Drash ' or mystical teachins ! 1od '(
1ichot )aran NE:G
O O O
>indin yourself in Torah
?hen a person draws personal lessons and sees his own smallness and lowliness
everywhere that he studies in any Torah wor, , this is a sin that he wants to do God*s
will(
3i,utey +oharan #, #E#
O O O
?hen the bride is beautiful, love is perfect
2f you want to be a dilient student of the Torah, be careful never to spea, aainst any
fellow 6ew(
?hen the bride is beautiful, love is perfect( 4ut when the bride has some faw or
blemish, love cannot be complete(
The Torah is called a bride% "+oses commanded us the Torah, a heritae ! morashah '
for the conreation of 6acob" !Deuteronomy HH%&' ( The Talmud says% Read this not
as morashah , "a heritae", but me.urasah . "the betrothed" ! 4erachot FGaM "esachim
&7b' ( "+oses commanded us the Torah, the betrothed of the conreation of 6acob ( "
Every 6ew has his letter in the Torah( The :JJ,JJJ letters of the Torah correspond to
the :JJ,JJJ souls of 2srael ( 2f there is a defect in a sinle 6ew, it is also a blemish in
the Torah, the root of all 6ewish souls , and perfect love of the Torah becomes
impossible(
4ut if you are careful not to spea, aainst or @nd a faw in any other 6ew, the Torah will
have no faw or blemish( 9ou will then be @lled with reat love of the Torah( 9our love
will be so reat that you will want to study the Torah constantly(
"God*s Torah is perfect . it restores the soul" !"salms #7%$' ( ?hen people are careful
not to spea, aainst their fellow 6ews or see, out their faws, the Torah is perfect, with
neither faw nor blemish( And when "God*s Torah is perfect , " then "it restores the
soul ( "
1ince the Torah then has no faw, one is @lled with love of the Torah and feels its
sweetness, which ma,es one want to study constantly(
1ichot )aran N7#
"CR2T9 B> T)BCG)T
+an*s mind is his very essence( ?herever your thouhts are, that is where you are .
all of you(
This is why it is so important to avoid all evil thouhts, because otherwise that is where
your place will be(
9ou must force yourself to thin, ood thouhts in order to be worthy of ,now in God(
Then your place will be with )im and you will be mered with )im( The reater your
perception of God, the more fully mered with )im you will become, and then you will
attain eternal life(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E#
O O O
Guard your thouhts
Guard your thouhts very carefully, because thouht can literally create a livin thin(
The hiher a faculty, the further it can reach( 9ou can ,ic, somethin with your foot,
but you can throw it even hiher with your hand( ?ith your voice you can reach even
further, callin to someone far away( )earin reaches further still . you can hear
sounds li,e un@re from a very reat distance( Aision reaches even further% you can
see thins hih in the s,y(
The hiher the faculty, the further it can reach( )ihest of all is the mind, which can
ascend to the loftiest heihts( 9ou must therefore uard your mind and thouhts to the
utmost(
1ichot )aran N&:
O O O
?isdom is the root of everythin
?isdom is the root of all thins% "9ou made them all in wisdom" !"salms #J&%E&' (
Every person must therefore uard his mind aainst alien ideas( >ul@llment in life can
come only throuh the pursuit of true wisdom . the wisdom of Godliness, the Torah(
-ompared to this, all other systems of wisdom are sheer emptinessM they are not
wisdom at all(
?hen a person is born, his understandin is in a state of contraction( 2t only beins to
develop when he starts usin it to thin, about how to serve God( 4ut when a person
admits alien thouhts and ideas into his mind, the holiness of his mind and soul is
diminished in direct proportion to the space they occupy( All ,inds of neative
character traits develop from this alien mentality and cluster around it(
This is why one must be so careful to protect one*s mind and not admit alien thouhts
and ideas( To achieve true repentance and ma,e amends for all your sins, ma,e a
determined effort to e/pel all alien thouhts from your mind( The conscious mind is a
manifestation of the soul, and thus when a person sancti@es his mind and thereby his
soul, everythin is elevated and returns to its source( This is the essence of
repentance(
2t is not suf@cient merely to uard yourself aainst alien ideas( -onstantly try to brin
new vitality into your mind as this will revive and refresh your soul( >or the mind is a
manifestation of the soul(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HF
O O O
Truth and the need to win
A person who always wants to win the arument is very intolerant of truth( The truth
may be starin him in the face, but because he is determined to win at all costs, he
inores it completely(
2f you want to @nd the real truth, you must rid yourself of the ure to win( Then you will
be able to see the truth if you wish(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #EE
O O O
Each one has his limits
Bur saes teach that "2t is forbidden to a;e at what is above and below, what is
before and what is after" ! -haiah ##b' (
Each and every person has his own uni8ue "above" and "below" where he may not
a;e, dependin on his level(
1ome people*s intellect stops at the stars and the limits of the physical world, and they
are therefore forbidden to delve any further( The mind of those enaed in philosophy
and science reaches only as far as the stars( 4eyond the stars they ,now nothin(
Even concernin what is under the stars, they are often wron and have ma5or
disareements amon themselves about everythin(
Each person has a point where his intellect ends( )e is not allowed to o beyond this,
because for him anythin beyond this is "what is above and below" ( )ere he must
depend on faith alone(
1ichot )aran NEE&
O O O
The faith of our fathers
4elieve in God with pure, simple faith without tryin to understand thins
philosophically( +ost ordinary people may appear to be far from philosophy yet almost
everyone is sun, in it to some deree( Even youn children often have confusin
theories(
-leanse your mind and heart of philosophy( -ast it aside and pay no attention to
doubts or 8uestions% all you need is pure faith in God and the true T;addi,im(
?e received the holy Torah from +oses our Teacher( 2t has been handed down to us
by outstandin T;addi,im in every eneration( ?e can rely on them without resortin
to philosophical theories( Bur tas, is to follow in their footsteps and believe in God with
pure, simple faith, observin the Torah and its commandments as tauht by our
ancestors(
?hen a person is sincere and un8uestionin, he can attain holy desire, which is even
hiher than wisdom( 2t is true that wisdom is hiher than faith, but one must avoid
sophistry and speculation, relyin on faith alone( >aith has the reatest power( ?hen
you follow the path of faith, you can attain desire, which is even hiher than wisdom(
Bne who attains desire e/periences tremendous lonin and yearnin for God( The
feelin becomes so intense that he does not ,now what to do, and he cries out(((000
4ut there is a philosopher in man*s heart( This is the Evil Bne, who puts doubts and
8uestions into the heart( ?e must overcome this philosopher and drive him out,
strenthenin ourselves in faith alone(
1ichot )aran NHE
O O O
Ruestions and answers
?ithin the bounds God has set for man*s intellience it is a reat mit;vah, a positive
duty, to sharpen the mind and understand as clearly as possible whatever the human
mind is capable of raspin( )owever, there are certain 8uestions !such as the
parado/ of man*s free will and God*s fore,nowlede' the answers to which are beyond
the capacity of the human mind to understand( Bnly in time to come will the answers
be revealed( Bn no account should one delve into these 8uestions(
2t is said of those who speculate on such 8uestions, relyin on their own intellience%
"None who o to her return" !"roverbs E%#7 ' ( 2t is impossible to solve these 8uestions
throuh reason( ?e must have pure faith( Even when it comes to the 8uestions which
do have a solution , there are times when the paths of the mind become bloc,ed and
one is unsure how to answer the non.believer who casts doubts in one*s heart( The
remedy then is to study the codes of Torah law( 2f one still @nds oneself confused and
unable to answer these 8uestions, one should rely on faith alone( The main thin is to
have faith(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :E
O O O
?e believe in God with faith alone, not because of philosophical analysis (
?e believe that )e created the whole universe, that )e sustains )is universe and that
in time to come )e will renew it(
"hilosophical wor,s pose what appear to be e/tremely dif@cult 8uestions while
providin very wea, answers( Bn further en8uiry anyone can challene the answers,
which will be of no avail, merely eneratin more 8uestions(
4ut the truth is that all their 8uestions are nothin( They are mere vanity and strivin
after the wind( 2t is best to avoid such wor,s completely(
1ichot )aran N&J
O O O
>ear and awe vs( philosophy and science
The only way to start servin God is throuh fear of )is retribution for wrondoin(
?ithout this fear it is impossible even to ta,e the @rst step( Aery few people are able to
devote themselves wholly to God out of love alone(
Bne can also serve God throuh a sense of awe at )is supreme reatness and power(
This is a hiher level of fear, but it is also very hard to attain( >or most people the
pathway to servin God starts with simple fear of )is retribution(
The study of philosophy can never brin a person to God( Bn the contrary, it @lls his
mind with doubts and 8uestions that simply reinforce his innate evil impulse(
+an is naturally drawn after worldly temptations( Bnly throuh fear of punishment can
he control his material desires and wal, in the ways of God( "hilosophy raises doubts
and 8uestions, strenthenin man*s natural inclination to turn away from God( This is
why a person can never become Godly throuh the study of philosophy( -ertain
philosophical wor,s may contain some ood thouhts but they provide no bene@t( The
usual end result is reat confusion, with the person losin much more than he ains(
?e are fortunate that +oses our Teacher showed us the riht way( The Torah beins
without any philosophical proof% "2n the beinnin God created the heaven and the
earth" !Genesis #%#' ( ?e must believe in God throuh faith alone without demandin
philosophical proof( >ear of retribution is the main ateway to true devotion(
All new ideas and inventions come from above
All scienti@c discoveries and inventions come from above( ?ithout inspiration from
above, they could never be discovered(
?hen the time comes for an idea to be revealed to the world, the necessary
inspiration is ranted from above to some thin,er or scientist( A thouht enters his
mind and is thus revealed( +any people may previously have souht this idea but it
eluded them( Bnly when the time comes for the idea to be revealed does the
inspiration come to the discoverer(
The same is true when a person sees new ideas and interpretations in his Torah
studies( They would never have occurred to him if the ideas were not ranted from
above(
The place from which a person*s inspiration derives depends upon that person( Bne
who pursues secular wisdom draws his inspiration not from the holy side but rather
from the unholy "other side"( All wisdom comes from on hih, each concept emanatin
from its proper place( Each idea has its own place( There are thousands and
thousands of different levels( All discoveries, sacred or profane, have a root above,
each in its own particular place(
1ichot )aran NF
O O O
<abalah beins where philosophy and science end
The true wisdom of the <abalah beins where philosophy and science end(
"hilosophers and scientists can speculate only within the limits of the physical world(
Their ,nowlede may reach as far as the stars and ala/ies, but beyond that they
,now absolutely nothin( Even their theories about the physical world end in reat
confusion, as they themselves admit(
The wisdom of the <abalah beins where their wisdom ends . beyond the physical
world( The <abalah includes the entire physical world as part of the ?orld of Action
! Asiyah ', the lowest world( 4ut the <abalah then oes beyond the ?orld of Action to
the ?orlds of >ormation ! 9et;irah ', -reation ! 4eriyah ' and Emanation ! At;ilut '(
Even the ?orld of Action has its own interior spiritual level, of which the scientists and
philosophers have no ,nowlede at all( The <abalah is concerned with the spiritual
root of the ?orld of Action and beyond( Thus the <abalah beins where scienti@c
,nowlede ends(
The philosophers and scientists thin, that all ,nowlede ends with the stars, but the
entire system of the <abalah deals with worlds and levels that are beyond the stars(
9et even one who ains some understandin of the <abalah, the true wisdom, must
reconi;e that in the transcendental worlds there are li,ewise levels beyond levels,
hih above hih, without end or limit, for ")is reatness is unfathomable" !"salms
#&F%H' (
1ichot )aran NEEF
O O O
Bne dead soul
2f one dead soul were permitted to visit the philosophers and scientists as they sit
theori;in, it would be the end of all their theories(
1ichot )aran NEE:
O O O
The son of the T;addi,
God created the world out of love . in order to reveal )is love . for without the creation,
to whom would )e show )is loveL Accordinly )e brouht about the entire creation
from the beinnin of the hihest spiritual world of At;ilut down to the end of the center
point of the material world, all in order to manifest )is love(
?hen God wanted to create the world, there was no place to create it because
everythin was in@nite( )e therefore "contracted" the in@nite liht to the sides( As a
result of this contraction, an empty void was formed within which time and space . the
@nite world . were created, as e/plained at the beinnin of the Eit; -haim of the AR2(
The empty void
This empty void was essential for the creation of the world, because without it there
would have been no place to create the world( )owever, it is impossible to rasp or
understand the "contraction" that brouht about the empty void( This will only be
possible in the future( >or we have to postulate two opposites% e/istence and
nothinness(
This is because the empty void came about throuh the contraction of )is Godliness
from there, with the result that Godliness is not present there, as it were( >or if this
were not the case, the void would not be emptyM everythin would have been in@nite
and there would have been no room to create the @nite world at all( 9et the real truth is
that even so, Godliness is most certainly present there because nothin at all e/ists
without )is vitality( Due to this contradiction it is impossible to rasp the concept of the
empty void( This will be possible only in time to come(
And ,now that there are two ,inds of atheism( There is the ,ind of unbelief that arises
out of alien systems of wisdom, of which it says, "<now what to answer the non.
believer" ! Avot E%#& ' ( >or there is an answer to this ,ind of unbelief since it derives
from alien wisdoms that arose out of the superfuities caused by the brea,in of the
vessels( A person who has fallen to this ,ind of unbelief should certainly fee and ma,e
every effort to escape, and indeed if he does see, out God he will @nd a way to be
saved( >or since these wisdoms derive from the brea,in of the vessels, various holy
spar,s and letters bro,e and fell there, and he may therefore @nd Godly intellience
there in order to resolve the challenes posed by the ,ind of unbelief that derives from
alien wisdoms(
)owever there is another ,ind of atheism based on wisdoms that are not wisdoms at
all( 2t is only because they are so deep and hard to rasp that they have the
appearance of deep wisdom( >or e/ample, a person miht posit a false Talmudic
arument which he imaines is e/ceptionally deep but, lac,in the necessary
scholarship, he fails to reali;e that his line of arument is untenable( 1imilarly, the
philosophers pose various problems and 8uestions that are in truth devoid of all
wisdom( The problems are intrinsically non.e/istent, but because it is not within the
bounds of the human mind to unravel them, they appear enuine(
The truth is that it is impossible to resolve these problems because the 8uestions
posed by this brand of atheism derive from the empty void, where Godliness is not
present, as it were( This is why the 8uestions that derive from the empty void cannot
be answered in any way, because it is impossible to @nd God there( >or if one could
@nd God there it would not be empty and all would be in@nite( >or this reason it is said
of this atheism, "None who o to her return" !"roverbs E%#7 ' (
?hy 2srael are called the )ebrews
2srael alone transcends all wisdoms includin even the atheism that derives from the
empty void, because we believe in God without speculation or sophistry but only with
complete faith( >or God @lls all the worlds and encompasses all the worlds( Thus )e is
present within all the worlds and at the same time )e encompasses all the worlds(((
Therefore even the empty void came about throuh )is wisdom( The ultimate truth is
that )is Godliness must be present there , but it is impossible to rasp this or @nd God
there(
Thus the people of 2srael transcend all the philosophical problems and atheistic ideas
that derive from the empty void, because they ,now that it is impossible to solve them(
This is why the people of 2srael are called the )ebrews, from the )ebrew root BAeiR ,
to pass over and transcend(
4ut ,now that certain outstandin T;addi,im who are in the cateory of +oses have
been oblied to investiate these philosophies in order to e/tricate and elevate the
fallen souls that have become sun, in them( Throuh their reat sanctity these
T;addi,im had the power to release these trapped souls(
The melody of faith
And ,now that it is throuh his melody that the T;addi, who is in the cateory of
+oses elevates the souls which have fallen into the atheism that derives from the
empty void( Every wisdom in the world has its own uni8ue melody and sonM even
atheism has its own special son( And faith too has its own uni8ue melody and son(
The faith in the liht of the 2n@nite is supreme above all other wisdoms and beliefs in
the world, and the son of this faith is beyond all other melodies and sons in the
world(
And in time to come, when God "will turn to all the nations a pure lanuae so that all
will call on the name of )a1hem" !Iephaniah H%7' and all will believe in God, the
verse, "-ome, sin from the summit of Amana" !1on of 1ons &%$' will be ful@lled (
The "summit of Amana" is the supreme faith ! Emunah ' in the 2n@nite Bne, which is
the summit of all faith( Bnly the T;addi, of the eneration . +oses . attains this
supreme faith and its melody( Thus it is throuh the melody of the T;addi, who is in
the cateory of +oses that all the souls that have fallen into the atheism derivin from
the empty void are able to ascend and emere, for his melody is the "summit of faith",
which is supreme(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :&
"CR2T9 B> +2ND AND )EART
?hen a person repeats a lie twice, it becomes the truth for him( )avin repeated it
twice, he believes it is the truth( Not only does he deceive himselfM he even has the
power to deceive others and to cause such intense concealment that it seems as if
even God arees with him(
-hayey +oharan NFFJM 3i,utey )alachot, -hoshen +ishpat, Genevah F%##
O O O
Cnder a shadow
9ou may thin, you are far from certain ma5or desires, such as the lust for wealth( 9et
you may be in a worse position than someone else who is sun, in that desire, because
you may be deeply sun, in some other cravin that wholly overshadows even the lust
for wealth( 2f you are so deeply immersed in some cravin that is powerful enouh to
overshadow another stron desire such as the lust for wealth, you are surely worse
off(
2t ma,es no difference that the desire in which you are sun, is less than the one from
which you are far, because you are so deeply immersed in it that it overshadows
another stron desire(
This is li,e a stubborn child, who can literally ban his head aainst the wall 5ust to
spite his mother( 1imilarly certain people are capable of throwin away everythin,
includin all other desires, for the sa,e of one stubborn overpowerin desire(
1ichot )aran NF:
O O O
Bvercomin your wea, point
?hen 2 was a boy 2 was very afraid of death( E/actly when 2 was most frihtened of
dyin, 2 would as, God that 2 should die sanctifyin )is name( This lasted a lon time .
2 don*t remember how lon . but 2 ,now it was a lon time, maybe a year( 2 would
constantly ma,e the same re8uest( There was not a prayer or conversation with God
in which 2 did not as, to leave this world sanctifyin )is name( 2 was so afraid of death
that it was li,e a self.sacri@ce for me 5ust to pray for what 2 was so afraid of(
2n order to serve God, you must overcome precisely the thin that preoccupies you the
most(
"9ou shall love the 3ord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your miht" !Deuteronomy :%F' ( The Talmud ! 4erachot :#b' says that "with all your
soul " teaches that one should ive one * s very life for God( "?ith all your miht "
means that the same applies to one*s money . because some people value their
wealth more than their lives0
1ichot )aran NFG
O O O
Neative thouhts and desires
The main cause of attac,s of lustful cravins is depression( 9ou should therefore ma,e
every effort to be happy at all times(
Even if you fall into thic, mud and @nd it e/tremely hard to escape, 5ust scream and
scream and scream(
1ome people also worry over the very fact that they have such thouhts( 4ut "Trouble
is bad enouh when it comes" ! 4erachot 7b' ( There is no need to let the fact that you
have such thouhts disturb you, whether because you have had an attac, of them in
the past or because you fear they may stri,e aain in the future(
1ichot )aran N#E7
9ou cannot always prevent bad thouhts from enterin your mind( )owever, you do
have the power to re5ect them once you become aware of them( This is very important,
because this is how you can ma,e amends for sins you may have committed earlier
on in your life( "erfect repentance has to balance the oriinal sins e/actly, and this is
literally what happens here( 4efore, when you sinned, it was because the desire
entered your mind and you succumbed to it( Now the same thouht is in your mind ,
but this time you re5ect it(
Do not let yourself become discouraed if you constantly @nd all ,inds of desires and
fantasies pressin in on your mind( They actually provide you with the opportunity to
repent and ma,e amends for damae done in the past( Today you have the power to
master your thouhts and temptations( ?hen you do so, the spar,s of holiness that fell
because of your earlier transressions are released and you can purify yourself( 9our
mind and your voice will be puri@ed and you will @nd harmony and peace(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EG
O O O
1omeone who @lls his mind with lustful thouhts is a fool(
Even a simple, ordinary person would not want to be cauht doin this( Even if he has
no fear of sin, he would still not want the shame of bein cauht with a strane
woman(
?hy enae in lustful thouhtsL ?hy trouble your soul for nothinL +an has the
power to control and direct his thouhts as he wants(
1ichot )aran NHJH
O O O
?hen a person falls and is sin,in in the mud and mire, he must not allow himself to
stay there( )e must have one le outside even while one le is inside( Bne le
outside, one le inside( until the other le is also outside0
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#
O O O
9our thouhts are in your power
9our thouhts are completely in your power( 9ou can turn them in any direction you
want( 1ometimes your thouhts may run wild and fy to areas from which you should
,eep away( Nevertheless, it is within your power to ta,e your thouhts in hand, even
aainst their will, and direct them to the true path(
Thouht is li,e a horse that allops off the road and tries to o in the wron direction(
The rider controls the horse with the bridle, forcin it to o in the riht direction( As
soon as you see your thouhts pullin in the wron direction, ta,e them in hand and
brin them bac, in the riht direction(
3i,utey +oharan 22, FJ
O O O
+an aainst beast
?hen a person is attac,ed by neative thouhts and doubts but @hts and strules to
overcome them, this is very precious in God*s eyes and ives )im the reatest deliht(
Royal celebrations sometimes include spectacles of wild beasts @htin each other,
with the delihted onloo,ers watch in the stronest beast win( 1imilarly, our thouhts
derive from the -hayot . the "beasts" of the divine -hariot !E;e,iel #' ( )oly thouhts
are pure species of animals while evil thouhts are impure beasts( Throuh God*s
desin , they are pitched aainst one another, and )e has the reatest deliht when
man succeeds in his strule to overcome the impure beasts(
2t is a basic principle that two thouhts cannot be present in the mind at one and the
same time( 9ou can therefore easily banish neative thouhts by sittin doin nothin
. by not pursuin the bad thouht but concentratin instead on a different thouht, be it
one of Torah, devotion or even business( >or it is impossible to thin, two thouhts at
one and the same time(
There is no need to ma,e a war and sha,e your head from side to side in order to
banish bad thouhts( This does not help at allM 8uite the contrary, it ma,es them attac,
even more stronly( 1imply pay no attention% do your part and thin, instead about
Torah, prayer or business( Don*t lance bac, at the bad thouht at all( This way it will
o away by itself(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EHH
O O O
The comprehensive evil
2mmoral lust is the comprehensive evil( 2t is the root of all the different ,inds of evil
found in the seventy nations of the world( Each of the seventy nations and lanuaes
is associated with its own particular form of evil . a neative trait or desire with which
that nation is especially identi@ed ( )owever, immoral lust is the sum of all evil% all the
different desires found in the seventy nations are, as it were, athered toether and
included in this( They all burn toether, and the effect is a famin furnace that @res
men with lust(
4ut God has separated us from the nations and e/alted us above all lanuaes( ?e
are therefore oblied to distance ourselves from all the different ,inds of evil found
amon them( +ore than anythin we must uard ourselves aainst immoral lust, which
is the sum of all evil( 1eparatin ourselves from this is the foundation of the holiness of
2srael ( >or man has the power to uproot this impulse completely from within himself,
and herein lies our sanctity(
The ,ey to subduin and brea,in your appetites, especially immoral lust, which is the
main challene, is to strive to ain mastery of the holy lanuae( This means
sanctifyin your tonue with words of Torah and prayer . both the set prayers and your
own personal prayers( Even when you spea, in your own native lanuae, your words
are considered to be the holy lanuae( The point is to sanctify your tonue by always
spea,in in a way that is holy( This is what is meant by ainin mastery of the holy
lanuae( Throuh sanctifyin your speech you will have the power to subdue immoral
lust, which is the comprehensive evil(
+oral purity and mastery of the holy lanuae are interconnected( The more words of
holiness you spea,, the more you will succeed in purifyin yourself, and in this way
you will ma,e amends for any immorality in the past( 4y the same to,en, the purer you
become, the more your mastery of the holy lanuae will row( -onversely, immoral
lust is bound up with the abuse of lanuae% each feeds the other(
Bne who uards the -ovenant in purity will come to perceive the source of all the
blessins that fow into the world, spiritual and material( This root is pure, radiant liht(
?hen one attains this perception, all ross material desires simply disappear(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #7
O O O
The main test
1e/ual temptation is man*s main test in this world(
1ichot )aran N##F
O O O
The remedy for lust
3ustful desires are man*s main test in life% they are sent as a challene to re@ne us(
?hen you are sub5ected to this test it puts you in a ,ind of "e/ile"( 9ou should cry out
to God% scream and cry out to )im over and over aain, li,e a woman in labor who
cries out from the pain of her contractions( 1eventy times she cries out ! Iohar 222,
E&7b' ( 9ou must do li,ewise and cry out to God aain and aain until )e ta,es pity
and helps you to strenthen yourself and brea, your desire( New ideas and new
perceptions will be born within you( "reviously uarded secrets of Torah will now be
unveiled for you( The reater your determination to with stand the trial, the reater the
revelation you will receive in Torah and devotion to God( 9ou will be able to see the
seventy faces of the Torah(
The remedy for lustful desires is to say the words of the 1hema, ")ear B 2srael,
)a1hem our God, )a1hem is Bne", toether with the verse, "4lessed be the name of
)is lorious ,indom for ever and ever"( The si/ )ebrew words of each of these two
verses add up to twelve, correspondin to the twelve tribes of God( 4y sayin these
words you attach your soul to the twelve tribes and separate it from the "mi/ed
multitude" that went up with the -hildren of 2srael from Eypt ! Ti,,uney Iohar ,
2ntroduction' ( The mi/ed multitude derives from the "harlot woman", the "evil maid"(
This is the source of lustful desire, which is the root of all bad character traits(
?hen a person merely has one stray thouht of lust or desire, it is suf@cient to recite
these two verses( )owever, some people are constantly plaued with lustful desires
and @nd they cannot et rid of them( They must then brin themselves to tears when
they ta,e on the yo,e of heaven% they should literally weep as they say the words
")ear B 2srael" and "4lessed be the name of )is lorious ,indom "(
As soon as a person con8uers his lustful desires he can easily control all his desires(
This is why the remedy for se/ual impurity is called the eneral remedy( The more a
person distances himself from lust, the closer he comes to the radiance of Torah( The
converse is also true( This e/plains why, before a person can receive a new revelation
of Torah, he is @rst tested in the crucible of this cravin( 2f he with stands the test and
brea,s his desire, it is li,e brea,in the shell before parta,in of the fruit, and he will
be worthy to receive the revelation(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H:
?EA3T) AND 32AE32)BBD
?hen a person conducts his wor,in activities with faith and honesty, he ful@lls the
commandment to "love )a1hem your God" !Deuteronomy :%F' , which is the root of all
the commandments, and his livelihood will be sent to him without strule and toil(
The commandment to love God "with all your miht " ! ibid( ' is ful@lled by one who
overcomes his desire for wealth and does not embar, on ventures beyond his means
but conducts his affairs fairly and honestly, investin his own money without borrowin
from others( This commandment is also ful@lled by a person who ives one @fth of his
net income to charity(
3i,utey +oharan 2, 7HM E#JM 1ichot )aran NE$7
O O O
Torah law and business
All the Torah laws about property and business are relevant to practical business
activity( Bnly one who is conversant with these laws can conduct his business with
faith and honesty without stumblin(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HF
O O O
Guard your money
4e very careful to safeuard your money and ta,e ood care of your possessions( 2t is
ridiculous to be the unluc,y type who loses his money throuh la;iness and
irresponsibility(
A person ta,es time from Torah and prayer to strule to earn money in order to
support his family( After earnin the money, should he become a luc,less shlim
ma;elni, and not ta,e care of itL
+oney ained honestly must be uarded li,e the eyes in your head(
1ichot )aran NE$#
O O O
-ontentment
4e content with what you have and ta,e only what you need from this world( ?hen
you are content, you can en5oy the full liht of God( 4ut "the belly of the wic,ed shall
be wantin" !"roverbs #H%EF ' . because they are not content with what they have and
constantly feel the need for more(
Even out of the little that you ta,e from this world, you must contribute a portion to
charity( The act of charity whereby the iver bene@ts the receiver brins about the
union of T;addi, and <nesset 2srael in the upper world, sendin a fow of blessin and
abundance into this world(
3i,utey +oharan 2, F&
O O O
)ave faith . and live within your means
)ave faith that God will help you and provide you with what you need( Those
supportin a family fre8uently lac, suf@cient income, clothin and other needs( Bne
person may lac, a simple armentM someone else may feel that he needs @ne clothin
and mansions(
?ait for God*s help0 Don*t press the hour, insistin that all your needs must be satis@ed
immediately( ?ait until God shows mercy(
2f 2 were impatient when 2 need somethin, insistin on havin it at once, 2 would have
to borrow money and o into debt( Then 2 would have to wander around and travel in
order to earn enouh to repay my debts( 2 would be 5ust li,e the many others who have
to travel for this reason(
Cnderstand this well% 3earn to live within your means( Everyone is constantly in need
of all ,inds of thins% this applies even to the very wealthy( 2t is best to be satis@ed with
a minimum and to run your household accordin to your means at the time(
9ou may imaine that your wife and children need clothin( 2ndeed they may need it
very badly( Even so, don*t press the hour and ta,e loans or buy on credit( ?ait until the
time is ripe, when you are able to pay for what you need(
2t is better to endure privation than to fall into debt( This applies to food, and all the
more so to clothin and housin( 2t is better to be in debt to yourself and your family .
to owe them the clothin . than to be in debt to the store,eeper(
2n everythin connected with ma,in a livin you must wait until the time is ripe( >or
"The eyes of all are to 9ou, and 9ou ive them their food in its time " !"salms #&F%#F' (
1ichot )aran N#EE
O O O
?hy worryL
?hy worry about ma,in a livinL The only thin to worry about is that you may die of
huner if you have nothin to eat( And if you die, what will be so terribleL 9ou have to
die anyway(
1ichot )aran NEFJ
O O O
?or, and livelihood
God ives livelihood and people eat for nothin( They wor, only because of their sins(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.EG&
O O O
The folly of envy
1ometimes a person is iven reat wealth( The whole world envies him and everyone
oes chasin after wealth and possessions( They spend days and years on this . all
because of envy( 4ut in the end they are left with nothin in their hands(
All this is the wor, of the evil one( )e wor,s hard to ma,e one man very wealthy in
order that many, many others should waste away their days and years because of
envy( )eaven save us from such folly0
1ichot )aran NE$&
O O O
The bitterness of debt and its remedy
Those sun, in cravin for wealth are constantly in debt( ?hen people are dissatis@ed
with what they have, they ta,e ris,s and borrow from others in the hope of ma,in
lare pro@ts from the investment( This way they become saddled with a mihty burden
of debt and end up dyin as debtors( Even if they are not literally in debt when they
die, they are always effectively in debt to their own appetites(
+any people have more than enouh to cover their needs yet waste away all their
days in pursuit of pro@t( They will submit to every ,ind of effort, ris, and inconvenience
for the sa,e of money( They behave e/actly li,e one with actual debts strun around
his nec, . but they are driven only by the obliation they feel to their own desires(
These are so demandin that it is as if they really did owe an enormous sum( 2n effect
they are debtors all their lives and they die in debt to their desires(
Their entire lifetime is not lon enouh for them to pay off their debts to their desires,
which have no limit, for " No. one in this world achieves even half of what he wants
before he dies" ! <ohelet Rabbah #' ( They are worried, bitter and depressed all their
days because of their cravin for wealth( The reater people*s wealth, the reater is
their worry and sadness . because they are trapped in the net of idolatry, which is the
very source of depression, dar,ness and death( Their entire lives are consumed with
the problems and worries of wealth(
?hen people ma,e dishonest pro@ts or refuse to ive money to charity, this is nothin
but a fool*s ame( The money plays with them in the same way that you can amuse a
little child with coins, but in the end the very money ,ills them( "?ho is the foolL 2t is
the *other od*, the cho,in child.,iller couh( 2t smiles at them with the allure of wealth
in this world and ends up ,illin them( ?hy is it called a *child*L 4ecause those trapped
in it do not have the sense to escape from it" ! Ti,,uney Iohar #&Ja' (
The way to escape the allure of wealth is throuh the purity that comes throuh
uardin the -ovenant and drawin closer to the T;addi,, who is the very embodiment
of purity and of whom it is written, ")e who is ood and wal,s before God will be
saved" ! Ecclesiastes G%E:' ( The T;addi, possesses true wisdom and understandin,
and ,nows how to escape this trap( Even the reatest of men need deep wisdom and
understandin if they are to escape the pain and toil of earnin a livin( +ost ordinary
people suffer terrible bitterness all their lives because of this( They lose both worlds%
this world and the world to come(
There is no limit to the bitterness of this world( "?ere it not for salt, the world could not
endure the bitterness" ! Iohar 2, E&#b' ( P1alt neutrali;es bitterness(Q ?ere it not for the
strenth of the T;addi,im, who observe the -ovenant with absolute purity and who are
called the "eternal covenant of salt" !Numbers #$%#7 ' , the world would be unable to
endure at all because of the terrible bitterness caused by the desire for wealth( The
closer a person comes to the T;addi,, the more he can sweeten this bitterness( 4ut
those who are far from the T;addi,im and from personal purity, and especially those
who are actually opposed to the T;addi,im, will be the victims of the full force of this
bitterness( )ow many are sun, in this0 "ay heed to these words and perhaps you will
escape(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EH
O O O
Debts and repentance
2f the Torah were written in order, we would ,now the reward and punishment for every
positive and neative commandment(
There are sins for which the punishment is to be perpetually in debt( The sinner may
try every possible ploy, but he still remains in debt( )e can even cause others to fall
into debt too ( ?hen these sins are rampant, there are many debtors in the world(
The remedy for this is to repent in eneral for all your sins and to be God to save you
from this particular sin( The time for such repentance is when you are in a state of
e/panded consciousness( This is the time to reret such sins, prayin to God with
complete repentance(
>or the debtor*s mentality is one of constricted consciousness, as the Talmud teaches%
"Ten measures of sleep came down into the world and nine were ta,en by slaves"
! <iddushin &7b' ( "1leep" is constricted consciousness, while the "slave" is the debtor,
because "The borrower is slave to the lender" !"roverbs EE%G' ( The "nine measures of
sleep" ta,en by slaves are the constricted consciousness of the debtor(
This is why the time to repent these sins is when you are in a state of e/panded
consciousness, because this counteracts the debtor*s state of constricted
consciousness(
1ichot )aran N##E
O O O
Don*t lose out because of aner
2t would be proper for all 2srael to have wealth, but there is one trait that interferes and
causes them to lose it( The trait in 8uestion is a very bad and lowly trait from which it is
very dif@cult to escape( 1ometimes a person wants to escape this trait out of a desire
for wealth itself, so as not to lose money, but even so this evil trait attac,s him from
childhood, causin him to lose the money he should have had(
The evil trait that causes a person to lose the money he should have had is aner( The
reason for this is that at its very root and spiritual source , wealth is in the same
cateory as aner( Thus when the evil one sees a fow of infuence descendin to
brin wealth to a person, he turns it into aner, because , at their root , aner and
wealth are in the same cateory% they both descend from God*s mihty powers,
derivin from the same place( ">rom the north comes forth old" !6ob HG%EE' and "The
evil will start from the north " !6eremiah #%#& ' (
?ealth is a "wall" ! ch B mah ', while aner ! ch E9 mah ' ruins the wall( Thus when
the evil one sees that a fow of wealth . chomah , a "wall" . is bein sent to a person .
he turns this fow into aner, sendin somethin to ma,e the person anry( Thus the
"wall", chomah , is ruined because of the aner, cheymah ( 1ince aner and wealth
are at root one cateory, the evil one can easily turn the fow of wealth into aner(
And ,now that even if the descendin infuence has already reached a person and
turned into actual wealth, a "wall", the evil one can still sometimes tempt the person to
become so enraed that he loses even his e/istin money and wealth( Bne miht
have thouht that after the blessin has already reached him and turned into wealth, it
would be impossible for the evil one to turn it bac, into aner( The wealth should have
been a "wall" protectin him from the evil one and preventin him from succumbin to
aner, which is the opposite of a "wall"( 9et the evil one has the power to attac, a
person with such reat aner that he loses even the money he already has(
+ay God uard and save us from this despicable trait0 Amen(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :$
O O O
4ind your thouhts to the Torah
All business dealins are really Torah( >or e/ample, the law relatin to a person who
e/chanes a cow for a don,ey is Torah, and when a person actually performs such a
transaction this is certainly Torah( Accordinly, when enaed in any business
transaction, you must bind your thouhts only to the Torah teachins and laws con
tained within the transaction in 8uestion(
?hen a person uproots his business dealins from the Torah, relatin only to the
e/ternality of the business transaction itself without bindin his thouhts to the Torah
within it, he is later punished by havin to o to a Torah court of law( )e must then
review all his thouhts and deeds from the start of the transaction to the end and brin
them bac, to the Torah( )e must tell everythin to the 5udes, who then determine the
Torah rulin in the case(
This way everythin relatin to the business transaction is turned bac, into Torah( This
is the Torah*s veneance aainst the person for havin separated the transaction from
the Torah laws contained within it and fallin to the level of the business deal itself as if
no Torah were present within it( 4y havin to come before the court and tell the 5udes
everythin related to the matter, turnin them into Torah, he comes to see that all
business activity is Torah( Everythin is relevant to the case, even the person*s
thouhts . for if he omits a sinle word or thouht, the Torah rulin will be defective(
Everythin must be put before the 5udes, who turn it into Torah(
Everythin depends on the e/tent of the faw( There are cases where the person*s only
punishment is that he has to o to court but , althouh he wins his case, he is shown
that he failed to attach his thouhts to the Torah in the proper way( )owever there are
cases where a person uproots his business activities from the Torah to a far reater
deree, and his punishment is reater because he does not win the case(
2n truth, when enaed in business you should focus only your e/ternal mind on the
transaction in itself, while your inner thouht s should be bound to the Torah contained
within it(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E$J
O O O
"The ood old days"
"eople are always sayin that thins are not as ood today as they were in the past(
They say that in the "ood old days" everythin was much less e/pensive than today,
even thouh people did not have as much money as they have now( Even ordinary
people, even those who live off charity, spend more today than wealthy people did in
the past(
4ut the truth is the opposite of what people say( God now runs the world better than
ever0
1ichot )aran NHJG
1E3> -ARE AND EAT2NG
-are for your physical body in order to ive the body a share of the spiritual liht
attained by the soul(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EE
O O O
Dinity
2f the food a person eats is pure in accordance with the dietary laws and he eats it in a
dini@ed manner without swallowin it hurriedly, his mental powers will be enhanced
and row while his innate folly will be subdued( )owever, one who eats li,e a lutton
will be overcome with folly and lose his intellience( The liht of the T;addi, will be
concealed from him and he will be unable to learn from him how to love and fear God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #G
O O O
4e careful not to swallow your food in a hurry( Eat at a moderate pace, calmly and with
the same table manners that you would show if an important uest were present( 9ou
should always eat in this manner, even when you are alone(
-hayey +oharan NF#F
O O O
The power of the shochet*s blessin
?hen the slauhterer . the shochet . ma,es the blessin prior to the slauhter of an
animal, he should have in mind to elevate the soul incarnated in the blood of the
animal( The blessin of the shochet has an effect on the livelihood of the entire 6ewish
people(
1ome shochtim fail to concentrate properly on the meanin of the blessin, harborin
improper thouhts( 1uch a shochet standin with his ,nife raised ready to slauhter
the animal is no better than a murderer( ?hat pain this livin soul e/periences at that
moment( 1he cries with a bitter wail because this shochet*s blessin will do nothin to
elevate her from her incarnation( Bn the contrary, she will be thrown even lower than
before with "no rest for the sole of her foot" !Genesis $%7 ' (
?oe to such a shochet0 ?oe to the soul he has ,illed and betrayed into the hands of
her enemies( This adversely affects people*s livelihood, and the little that is available
can only be ac8uired with reat toil and effort( 1uch shochtim cause the soul to
become enslaved by the physicality of the body, strenth enin material cravins and
desires(
4ut when the shochtim are worthy, the soul is elevated and the rossness of the body
is humbled and subdued( The body is the seat of animality, folly, dar,ness and death,
foretfulness, harsh 5ustice and alien wisdom( 2n their place, soul and form are
elevated( These are the roots of all that is truly noble in man . understandin, liht, life,
memory, lovin ,indness and Torah wisdom( Throuh them the world is blessed with
abundance and prosperity(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HG
O O O
?a,e up0
There are people who sleep away all their days( 1ome have fallen into their sleep on
account of lust and wrondoin( There are other cases where truly ood people of
beautiful character fall because of food( A person may sometimes consume food that
is insuf@ciently pure to be @t for human consumption, and his mind then falls into a
,ind of "sleep"(
?hen a person eats in holiness and purity, his physical face and the inner "face" that
is his soul become radiant as a result( 4ut if he eats without holiness, the food harms
his heart causin him to lose this inner face, so that he falls into a "sleep"( )e may still
imaine he is servin God, occupied as he is with Torah and prayer( 4ut he is "asleep"
in the sense that his devotions remain in the lower worlds and God has no deliht in
them(
2t is vital to rouse such people from their sleep, but this is only possible if they @rst
bein to stir on their own( The tales and stories told by the T;addi,im have the power
to rouse those who are asleep so that their days will not be wasted( 2t is a reat
privilee to @nd a T;addi, who has the power to rouse you from your sleep( Btherwise
you could sleep away all your days, God forbid(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :J
-3BT)E1
4e very particular about your clothes( Never treat them carelessly and ma,e sure they
are not stained or dirty( A person*s clothes become his 5udes if he does not show
them the respect they deserve( The reater the individual, the better care he should
ta,e of his clothes, because the hiher one*s level the more scrupulously he is 5uded(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E7
O O O
-lothes allude to the chashmal !E;e,iel #%EG ' , a concept of protection( 1ee that your
clothes are always in ood condition and not torn, because torn clothin indicates
inade8uate protection( A person*s clothes turn into his accusers if he does not ta,e
proper care of them, show them respect and ,eep them clean(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #EG
>A+239
9ou must respect and honor your wives(
)ow much pain and anuish women suffer throuh their children( They suffer in
prenancy and childbirth, after which they must endure the pain of raisin their
children( This is in addition to many other areas in which women suffer very reat pain
and hardship( 9ou must ta,e this into account and ive honor and respect to your
wives(
Bur Rabbis tauht% ")onor your wives in order to be wealthy" ! 4ava +et;ia F7a' , and
they also said, "2t is suf@cient that they raise our children" ! 9evamot :Ha' (
1ichot )aran NE:&
O O O
?hy don*t you turn your wives into -hassidimL
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#&
O O O
Discipline
The usual way is that when a child is stubborn they hit him and afterwards they ive in
to him( 4ut 2 say% Don*t hit and don*t ive in(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.7#
-)AR2T9
-harity is the remedy for all wounds(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &
O O O
The bene@ts of ivin charity
-harity saves from sin(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##:
O O O
Givin the charity tithe saves a person from his enemies( God shields him with )is
hand and saves him(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EE#
O O O
To draw God*s providence upon ourselves completely, it is necessary to brea, the
appetite for wealth( This is achieved throuh ivin charity( ?hen a person ives
money to charity, it cools his ure to ac8uire( )e conducts his business affairs
truthfully and honestly and is satis@ed with his portion in life, havin pleasure and
contentment from what God has blessed him with( 1ince he is not desperate to
become rich, he is free from the constant strule to ma,e e/tra pro@t( The burden of
this strule is the ful@llment of the curse% "4y the sweat of your brow you shall eat
bread" !Genesis H%#7 ' ( ?hen a person ives charity he is freed from this, and it is
accounted to him as if he has brouht an offerin of incense to God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #H
O O O
"ayin for faith
As lon as a person is reluctant to spend money on the mit;vot he performs, his
mit;vot are de@cient because they have not yet entered the cateory of true faith,
which ives them their perfection( 4ut when a mit;vah is so precious in a person*s
eyes that he does not mind partin with his money and is willin to spend liberally for
the sa,e of the mit;vah, this is called faith( >or a person*s faith is evident in the way he
relates to money( ?hen a person brea,s his appetite for wealth, he becomes attached
to the inner face of holiness(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EH
O O O
>or the sa,e of charity
?ith every step a person ta,es and every sinle word he spea,s as he oes about his
business, he should bear in mind that his oal is to ma,e a pro@t in order to ive
charity( This is the comprehensive remedy for wealth( Givin charity e/pands and
elevates the mind, which brins blessin and livelihood(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E7
O O O
-harity for the land of 2srael
-harity iven for the needy in 2srael is reater than charity for causes outside the land(
?hen you ive charity for the land of 2srael you are included in the air of the land of
2srael , which is holy breath without the taint of sin(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HG
Torah scholars
?hen you ive charity to Torah scholars, the money becomes actual Torah( No sin can
e/tinuish the merit of ivin money to Torah scholars( >or no sin can e/tinuish the
Torah, and the money iven to Torah scholars is actual Torah(
3i,tutey +oharan 2, EJ&
O O O
Bne who shows love to others is himself shown love
?hen a person is in special need of God*s love, God sends him an opportunity to
show love to someone else( This is what ma,es it possible for God*s love to be
channeled to the person himself, because "Everyone who shows love for God*s
creatures is himself shown love" ! 1habbat #F#b' ( Thus it is written% "And )e will ive
you love Pi(e( )e will ive you the opportunity to show love to someone elseQ and PthenQ
)e will show you compassion" !Deuteronomy #H%#$ ' (
A person*s ability to show love depends on his level of Godly awareness( Bne who has
Godly awareness will have compassion( >or aner, the opposite of compassion, is
rooted in foolishness% "Aner rests in the bosom of fools" ! Ecclesiastes G%7' (
Accordinly our Rabbis said, "2t is forbidden to show compassion to anyone who lac,s
understandin" ! 4erachot HHa' ( This is because a person who lac,s understandin is
necessarily lac,in in compassion !since "aner rests in the bosom of fools"'( This is
why it is forbidden to have compassion on him, because "Everyone who shows love
for God*s creatures is himself shown love", but if a person lac,s compassion, it is
impossible to have compassion on him(
Thus one who is in need of God*s compassion must show compassion for others, and
this depends on deepenin his Godly understandin(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##7
O O O
Bpenin the ate
?hen we ive charity, our main tas, is to brea, our innate cruelty, turnin it into
,indness in order to ive enerously( This is the main service involved in the act of
charity( ?hen one who is ,ind by nature ives charity purely out of instinct, this cannot
be called an act of service because even certain animals are ,ind by nature( The main
tas, is to brea, one*s innate cruelty and turn it into ,indness in order to ive charity(
1tartin to ive charity is very dif@cult and onerous( >or all acts of true repentance and
service of God re8uire many cries and roans and strenuous contortions before one
can succeed( The hardest part is startin, because "all beinnins are dif@cult"
! +echilta , 9itro ' ( +any cries and roans are needed before one can bein( Even
after beinnin, devotion never comes easily( 2t ta,es many strenuous efforts before
one can achieve somethin of true worth( 4ut startin is the hardest part of all(
>or the main offsprin of the T;addi,im are their ood deeds, and thus all mit;vot,
ood deeds and acts of devotion are li,e ivin birth( )ow many shrie,s and cries a
woman emits when ivin birth0 )ow many pans she endures before the baby is
born, especially when it is her @rstborn, which is particularly hard(
And charity is always a beinnin, as it is written, "Bpen0 Bpen up your hand0"
!Deuteronomy #F%$' ( Even when there is already an entrance and a beinnin, ivin
charity opens and widens the entrance even further( ?henever a person wants to
enter any pathway of devotion and service of God, it is necessary to ma,e an openin
in order to enter that pathway( "All beinnins are dif@cult" because it is @rst necessary
to brea, throuh and open up the entrance all over aain, which is very dif@cult(
)owever, charity has the uni8ue power of bein able to open and widen the entrance
further(
?hen you ma,e an openin in some pathway of service and with it ive some charity,
this charity opens and widens the entrance even further( >or charity is the beinnin of
all beinnins and opens and widens all the ates(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &
1)A44AT AND >E1T2AA31
The 5oy of 1habbat is the ateway to true freedom(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #G
O O O
1habbat 5oy
4e very careful to feel only 5oy on 1habbat( There is nothin to compare with the
reatness and holiness of 1habbat( The ,ey to honorin the 1habbat is 5oy( Don*t
show even a hint of depression or an/iety on 1habbat(
Treat yourself to all ,inds of delihts in the food you eat, what you drin,, your clothes(((
whatever you can afford( The food of 1habbat is completely holy( 2t is purely spiritual
and @lled with Godliness( 2t rises to a totally different place from that of the food of the
si/ wor,in days(
+a,e an effort to feel the 5oy of 1habbat and you will @nd true happiness(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #G
O O O
Bnly throuh the 5oy of 1habbat can we elevate fear of God to the level of awe( 9ou
may be strinent in what you practice, but this is elevated only throuh 1habbat 5oy(
Do everythin you can to brin yourself to 5oy on 1habbat( All of a person*s income is
decreed from the beinnin of the year, but what he spends on 1habbat and festivals
is not included in the decree ! 4eit;ah #:a' ( Even a simple family man can ma,e
himself happy with tasty food such as @sh and ood soup(
1in many sons at the 1habbat table( "ay no attention to any obstacles( Bthers at
the table may show little desire to sin, but you should still do your part( +a,e a
determined effort to sin happily( -onduct the 1habbat table in a happy mood,
because the main thin is the 5oy of 1habbat(
1ichot )aran N#FF
O O O
The 1habbat food
And +oses said, "Eat it today , for today it is 1habbat for )a1hem(" !E/odus #:%EF' (
Bne should eat the 1habbat meals only for the sa,e of today . the 1habbat day itself(
"eople sometimes eat because they are hunry from yesterday, and sometimes in
order not to be hunry tomorrow( 4ut at each of the three 1habbat meals you should
only eat for the sa,e of today . this meal . and not because of before or afterwards(
Eatin on 1habbat is very precious indeed( Bn 1habbat one should eat and drin,
plentifully, because the food of 1habbat is all Godliness and all holy(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #EF
O O O
?e eat on 1habbat not to ratify our physical appetites, but in order to open the
channels of blessin for the other si/ days of the wee,(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EG:
O O O
Thirstin for God
Bn 1habbat niht the world e/periences a reat thirst for God(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.$J
O O O
>oundation of faith
<eepin 1habbat is the foundation of true faith( All our acts of charity and other ood
deeds radiate to perfection only throuh 1habbat, which is the very essence of faith(
-harity can brin many blessins and ood infuences into the world but they are only
actually revealed throuh 1habbat( As the essence of faith, 1habbat is the fountain of
blessins, brinin everythin in the world to its ultimate perfection( ?ithout 1habbat
and the faith it brins, everythin is lac,in, includin our Godly understandin and
,nowlede of the Torah( Genuine wisdom and Torah understandin can thrive only
throuh the infuence of 1habbat and faith(
To e/perience the essential holiness of the 1habbat, which is the foundation of true
faith, it is necessary to observe the purity of the )oly -ovenant( 1habbat is deeply
bound up with the -ovenant, and this is why it is customary to spend 1habbat with
T;addi,im, whose holiness derives from their observance of the -ovenant in purity in
every way( 1pendin 1habbat with a T;addi, enables us to e/perience the true
holiness of 1habbat and deepen our faith(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H#
O O O
3ovin others
Bn 1habbat everyone e/periences a certain enhancement of their Godly
understandin and awareness, and this increases their ability to show love to others(
>or a person*s capacity to ive love is related to his level of Godly ,nowlede and
awareness( And one who offers love to others receives a fow of heavenly love(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##7
O O O
6oy of the >estivals
The 5oy of the three ma5or festivals, "esach, 1havuot and 1uccot, ives us a share in
the 2nner 3iht of God, brinin new life to the mind and soul and enhancin our
perception of God(
Bn the festivals we should return to God out of 5oy( Bn each of the festivals the world
is 5uded ! Rosh )ashanah #:a' ( A time of 5udment is a time to return to God(
Throuh repentance, the forces of holiness are released from the hold of the evil
hus,s, speedin the @nal redemption(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HJ
O O O
)onorin the festivals
There are many different ways of honorin the festivals . with @ne food and drin,,
beautiful clothes, pure and holy thouhts, 5oy and open.heartedness(
)onorin the festivals can brin you to the ,nowlede of God, enablin you to draw
this ,nowlede down into the heart, the seat of passion and desire(
Three main desires are the root of all others% the desire for wealth, the se/ual appetite
and the impulse to eat( Each of the three festivals has the power to rectify one of these
desires( "esach recti@es the appetite for wealth, 1havuot se/ual lust, and 1uccot the
impulse to eat to e/cess(
2t is because the festivals have these special powers that one should be so careful to
celebrate them with the proper respect in order to be freed from these desires( Each
6ew has the tas, of subduin and re@nin these aspects of his character, and when he
succeeds, he becomes receptive to the spirit of prophecy and can attain true prayer
and healin and see the spar,s of +ashiach( 2n the end he will come to rule over the
anels, which is the very purpose for which the people of 2srael were created and their
ultimate destiny(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #
>R2END1)2"
2t*s not hard to push a person away( The real wor, is to draw him close and uplift him(
Netiv T;addi, H#
O O O
1mile
?ith happiness you can ive another person life0
There are people who suffer terrible pain but cannot e/press what is in their heart(
They would li,e to spea, about their sufferin but they have no. one to whom they can
e/plain what is really in their heart( This leaves them full of pain and anuish(
?hen you come to such a person with a smilin face, you can literally ive that person
life( To ive a person life is not an empty esture( 2t is somethin very reat(
1ichot )aran N&H
O O O
>eelin others* pain
9ou should be able to feel another person*s pain in your heart . all the more so when
many people are sufferin( 2t is possible to ,now another person*s pain and sufferin
yet still not feel them in your heart(
?hen many people are sufferin, you should certainly feel their pain in your heart(
And if you do not feel it, you should ,noc, your head aainst the wall% you should
stri,e your head . your mind and intellience . aainst the walls of your heart0
This is the meanin of the words% "<now this day and reali;e it in your heart ("
!Deuteronomy &%H7' ( 9ou must brin the reali;ation from your mind into your heart(
Cnderstand this well(
1ichot )aran NH7
O O O
)ow are youL
?hen someone as,s his friend how he is and the friend says, "Not ood", this can be
an openin for trouble( 4ecause God says% "9ou call this not oodL 2*ll show you what
not ood is0"
4ut if when his friend as,s how he is, he answers brihtly, "Good, than, God0" even
thouh thins really are not so ood, God says% "This you call oodL 2*ll show you what
ood is0"
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.HE
O O O
Receivin from one another
Tal, over spiritual matters with your friends( Each 6ew has his own uni8ue ood point(
Thus when two friends have a discussion, each can bene@t from the other*s ood
point( 1ometimes your friend*s ood point may shine to you durin a conversation that
is outwardly about mundane topics . because at times even mundane conversations
may ive rise to new ideas and inspire you spiritually( At times a person*s ood point
may be veiled . and the words of the conversation become a ,ind of clothin for it(
4y discussin spiritual matters reularly with your friends you will all be able to bene@t
from each other*s ood points( This will enable you to brea, the "fores,in of the heart"
. the lusts and desires that brea, a person*s heart . so that you are @lled with holy
desire for God(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H&
O O O
?or,in for a civili;ed world
"eople should ma,e it their business to tal, to others about the purpose of life( >or
")e did not create !the world' to be desolate, )e formed it to be inhabited" !2saiah
&F%#$' ( ?e all have an obliation to try to ma,e this world a civili;ed place . a world
@lled with people who are true humans, -hildren of Adam, as the Torah says% "And @ll
the earth" !Genesis #%E$' ( The world is a civili;ed place only when @lled with true
-hildren of Adam, people who possess awareness and ,nowlede of God( A world
without people who ,now God is a world of desolation and emptiness( Those who do
not have this awareness cannot be called -hildren of Adam(
6ust as it is a commandment to have children in order for the world to survive, so it is a
commandment to instill awareness and ,nowlede of God in our children and anyone
else whom we are in a position to infuence( Teachin our children to ,now God is the
essence of the commandment to have children( 2t is vital to ensure that future
enerations will be true -hildren of Adam and not wild animals who merely loo,
human on the outside( Those who have no ,nowlede of God and do not feel )is
power cannot be called -hildren of Adam, because the ability to ,now God is the
de@nin feature of the -hildren of Adam(
Everyone should ma,e an effort to brin his friends to reater ,nowlede of God and
fear of heaven, thereby ma,in his friends his "students" ( This way, when his days are
complete and his time comes to leave the world, he will be clothed in the words he
spo,e to his friends, and it will be as if he himself is literally still in this world(
3i,utey +oharan 22, G
O O O
Direct and Returnin 3iht
?hen a person discusses devotion with a friend, it creates "direct liht" and "returnin
liht" (
1ometimes the "returnin liht" comes before the "direct liht" , as when the recipient
has certain mental limits that prevent him from acceptin his friend*s words( Even
before the recipient receives the "direct liht" from his friend, the friend already
receives "returnin liht" (
Even if the intended recipient cannot accept his friend*s words, the friend can be
inspired by what he himself is sayin( ?hen his words come forth from his mouth and
stri,e the other, the liht is refected bac, to the spea,er 5ust as when somethin
thrown aainst a wall bounces bac, to the thrower( 2n the same way, when you spea,
to a friend, you can be inspired by the words that bounce off him even thouh he
himself is unable to accept them(
)ad you told yourself e/actly the same thin, it may be that you would not have been
aroused in the least( 4ut by addressin them to your friend, you yourself are inspired
even if he is not, because your words are refected bac, to you from your friend(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #$&
O O O
"ayin bac, our debts
There was once a very rich man who possessed countless wealth( )e announced that
anyone who needed to borrow money should come to him and he would ive him a
loan( Needless to say , lare numbers of people were only too eaer to ta,e up his
offer, and they came and borrowed money( The rich man had a noteboo, in which he
,ept a record of all the loans he ave(
Bne day , lancin throuh his noteboo, , he noticed that he had iven out enormous
sums of money in loans yet not a sinle person had bothered to pay bac, their debts(
Naturally, he was very upset(
Amon the people who had ta,en a loan was a certain man who had lost his money in
an unsuccessful business venture( )e had nothin with which to repay his debt( 2t
troubled him reatly that he was unable to pay, and he decided that the least he could
do would be to o in person to the rich man and e/plain the whole problem and say
that it was not his fault( The debtor came to the rich man and started e/plainin how
he had received a loan from him but when the time came to repay the debt he was
unable to do so because he had lost his money, and he had no idea what to do(
"?hat do 2 care about the money you owe meL" replied the rich man( "Bf what
sini@cance is the tiny sum you owe me, whether you pay it or not, compared with the
total sum of all the loans, which runs into tens of thousandsL ?hat 2 want you to do is
to o to all the people who borrowed from me and as, them for the money( Remind
them how much they owe me and as, them why they don*t settle with me( Even if they
don*t pay everythin, if each one would 5ust pay bac, a small part of his debt, that
alone would come to thousands of times more than the entire sum you yourself owe("
2t is clear from this story why, havin received so much ,indness from God, we all
have an obliation to encourae others to turn to )im too(
-hayey +oharan N&&G
O O O
?antin the best for my friend
2 still want and lon for my friend to be a pure 6ew and a T;addi, even if 2 myself feel
unable to achieve the same( Even when 2 @nd myself unable to serve God, 2 am happy
when another 6ew serves )im(
2 want, lon and yearn for all 6ews to be pure, true T;addi,im( "erhaps 2 feel unworthy
in myself, but still, 2 am happy when my dear friends and associates and all other 6ews
are true T;addi,im( Bur reatest e/pression of love and ,indness to our friends and all
other 6ews is to want them to attain their true purpose as ordained by God*s ood will,
because this is the true ood for 2srael (
"eople can easily cease servin God, especially if they become trapped in some evil
cravin or sin( +any such people hate those who are still tryin to serve God and want
to see them ive up ( They discourae and disparae them, tellin them that they too
will ive up (
There are numerous people who were once hihly devoted but have since lapsed in
various ways( Bn the other hand, many of today*s youner eneration have a reat
lonin for God and have started prayin with earnest intensity and studyin ;ealously(
?hen those fallen -hassidim see these youn people, they ridicule and abuse them(
They do everythin they can to discourae them, tellin them that their service is not
enuine( All this is out of 5ealousy . because they themselves have fallen and want
everyone else to be li,e them(
)owever, the truth is that one should want the opposite( Even when a person feels
unable to serve God, he should be happy when others are ma,in an effort(
1ichot )aran N##7
O O O
4ad 2nfuences
Bther people have tremendous power to infuence a person and deter him from
servin God and from drawin close to the true T;addi,( The power of other people is
reater even than the power of a person*s own evil ure(
The power of a particular individual*s evil ure reaches only as far as the speci@c world
in which it is rooted( +an, however, includes all the worlds( >or this reason the
obstacles caused by other people can be reater than those of the evil ure itself(
2f you were all alone with nobody else to stand in your way, you would always direct
yourself to the path of life( 9ou miht still suffer inner turmoil, an/iety and other
obstacles, but you would eventually reach the riht path( Even if you were to commit a
sin, you would certainly come to reret it and remain on the true path(
The worst of all obstacles is the confusion caused by other people( 9ou yourself may
personally ,now certain individuals who act as self.appointed e/perts in philosophy or
use science to moc, at everythin holy( 1uch sophistry can be e/tremely confusin to
others as it teaches that all values are relative and therefore everythin is permitted(
1uch ideas deter people from the path of life(
There are others who may appear to be observant yet display a certain sophisticated
cynicism that can be 8uite as harmful as philosophy , if not worse( +ost 6ews are
aware of the daners of philosophy and avoid it, ,nowin that it can pull them down
into the deepest pit( )owever there are many who are not on their uard aainst the
,ind of sophisticated cynicism that emanates from the mouths of people who seem to
be observant and disuise their messae in the lanuae of truth, as if they are in
possession of the absolute truth( These are the ones who can cause the most harm,
confusin a person and holdin him bac, from true service of God(
)appy is the man who wal,s the path of truth without any ,ind of sophistication . a
person who is "simple and upriht, fears God and shuns evil" !6ob #%#' (
1ichot )aran N$J.$#
O O O
>alse love
The seemin love and friendship that e/ist amon the non.observant and the common
mass of people are really empty% this is not true love( Each one is interested only in
himself( Any e/pressions of love and friendship are purely in order to impress for some
ulterior purpose, but in reality everyone is 5ealous of everyone else(
)owever, the love amonst those who are honest, sincere and God.fearin, and
particularly the love between the T;addi, and his followers, is priceless( This is true
love, the very essence of love( The love of the T;addi, for his followers is very, very
reat% he desires their true ood(
2f he could, he would ive them all the ood of all the worlds( )e would li,e them to
have even the ood of this world, despite the fact that the ood of this world is really
not necessary since the main ood is the endurin ood of the world to come( Even
so, the T;addi, see,s the ood of his followers even in this world, and wants them to
have all the ood thins of this world . beautifully decorated homes, ardens and the
li,e, if only to ve/ the wic,ed, who have all these thins( )ow much more does the
T;addi, desire his followers* spiritual ood0 2f he ,new that they recited their prayers
with the proper devotion and that God had 5oy from them he would certainly be very
rati@ed(
And the love which his followers have for the T;addi, is also very reat( Their love for
him is stron and intense, and it too is true love(
Amonst the rest of the world . the common masses, the wic,ed and the entiles . it
may be that love and friendship are perceived as bein more important than anythin
else( 9et the truth is that they never e/perience enuine love( Bnly those who are
honest and God.fearin and privileed to be close to the true T;addi, ,now the
meanin of true love(
-hayey +oharan N&G#
O O O
?hy we should pray for our friends
?e should pray for our friends when they are in trouble( ?hy our prayers for friends
are effective can be understood from the story of a certain ,in who was anry with his
son and sent him away( The prince came and placated his father, who areed to have
him bac,, but afterwards the prince aain offended his father, who sent him away
aain( The prince aain placated his father and the same thin happened several
times(
Bnce the prince did somethin that made his father e/tremely anry( The ,in thouht
to himself% "?hat point is there in sendin him away if later on, when my aner
subsides, he comes and placates me aainL This time when 2 send him away, 2 will so
arrane thins that he will not even have access to me so as not to be able to placate
me("
The ,in appointed one of his ministers as an intermediary between himself and the
prince, instructin the minister that when the prince came see,in to placate him, he
was not to allow him entry( The prince came several times as,in to be admitted to his
father in order to placate him( )owever, the minister would not let him enter, for those
were the instructions the ,in had iven him( This happened aain and aain(
Eventually the minister saw the prince*s reat lonin for his father and saw how much
he was sufferin because of not bein able to ain entry to his father in order to
placate him( The minister thouht to himself% "2f this is how much the prince misses his
father, presumably the ,in is also sufferin a reat deal because his son cannot come
to him( >or the reater the desire of he who desires, the reater the desire aroused in
the ob5ect of his desire(" The minister felt e/tremely sorry for both the ,in and his son,
and he himself also suffered, because he said to himself% "1urely 2 am the cause of all
this, since 2 am the barrier that ,eeps them apart% 2 am the one causin both the ,in
and the prince to suffer("
The minister thouht to himself% "There must be some way to brin about a
reconciliation( 1urely the ,in does not want his son to suffer forever without bein
able to reach him, and the ,in himself must be sufferin as a result(" The minister
reali;ed that it was all up to him( "2 myself will o to the ,in to plead for the prince( 2
will as, the ,in to forive him and allow him bac,("
This is e/actly what the minister did( )e went to the ,in and told him how much the
prince was lonin for him, bein the ,in to forive him( The ,in immediately
areed and restored the prince to his place(
The meanin of the story is obvious( ?henever one of our friends is sufferin,
physically, mentally or spiritually, we should say, "?ithout doubt 2 am the cause of this(
4ecause of my sins, 2 myself am the barrier between the <in of ,ins, the )oly Bne,
blessed be )e, and the world( >or the )oly Bne, blessed be )e, constantly desires to
bestow blessins of oodness upon )is children( 4ut because of my sins, 2 am the
barrier that is holdin all this bac,( The solution is for me myself to plead with the <in
on behalf of my friend("
?hen a person does this, he will certainly not succumb to arroance( The root of
arroance is when a person prides himself on havin 8ualities which his friend lac,s(
4ut when a person believes that the only cause of his friend*s de@ciency, spiritual or
material, is the barrier that he himself has erected between his friend and the )oly
Bne, blessed be )e, ?ho wants to bestow blessins at all times, he will certainly not
become arroant( Bn the contrary, his pride will be bro,en and he will achieve enuine
humility(
-hayey +oharan N&&G
ATTA-)+ENT TB T)E TIADD2<
2t is very ood to attach yourself to a true T;addi,( 2n the upheavals at the time of the
comin of the +ashiach, God will "rasp the ends of the earth and sha,e the wic,ed
from it" !6ob H$%#H' ( 4ut one who is attached to a true T;addi, will be able to clin to
him so as not to be cast off with the wic,ed( 4y holdin onto the T;addi, he will remain
@rm(
1ichot )aran NEE
O O O
Those who draw close to a true T;addi, have a taste of the Garden of Eden( >or "the
T;addi, is the ardener of the arden" ! Iohar 22, #::b' (
1ichot )aran NEFE
O O O
)eed the wise
Bne who inores the words of the wise can o mad( The main reason people are mad
is because they refuse to follow ood advice(
2f a madman were to listen to sane people, he would de@nitely not behave li,e a
madman( )is madness miht convince him that he needs to o about in torn clothin
and roll in the dirt( 4ut if he were to follow the advice of one of reater intellience who
tell s him that this is unnecessary, his madness would disappear (
The root of madness lies in not wantin to listen to the words of the wise( Cnderstand
this well(
1ichot )aran N:G
O O O
Anyone who listens to me and carries out everythin 2 say will certainly become a
reat T;addi, , come what may( The main thin is to throw aside your own ideas
completely and do only as 2 say% ful@ll everythin to the letter( Bbviously, the more you
study, the more successful you will be(
-hayey +oharan NHEJ
O O O
The true teacher
Everyone must search very hard in order to @nd a true teacher who can help him attain
reat wisdom and Godly perception( This re8uires an outstandinly reat teacher who
has the power to e/plain this deep wisdom in terms comprehensible to the simplest
people(
The lower a person*s level and the further away he is from God, the reater the
teacher he needs( Thus when the 6ewish people were on the lowest of levels in
Eypt , sun, in the forty.nine ates of impurity, they needed the reatest rabbi and
teacher of all% +oshe Rabbenu( >or the lower down and further away from God a
person is, the reater the teacher he needs( )e needs a master craftsman who has
the ability to brin the supreme wisdom of Godly perception within the rasp of one as
lowly and far away from God as himself( The sic,er the patient, the reater the doctor
he needs(
Bne should therefore never say, "2t is enouh for me if 2 attach myself to someone
respectable and God.fearin, even thouh he may not be on an outstandin level(
>irst let me simply be li,e him0" This is a mista,e( Bn the contrary, the more a person
reconi;es his own lowliness and reat distance from God, the more he should search
out the reatest and most outstandin doctor for his soul and strive to draw close to
the reatest possible teacher( >or the lowlier the person, the reater the teacher he
needs(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HJ
4ene@t of the T;addi, after death
The true T;addi, can reatly bene@t even a person who has died and one to the ne/t
world, as lon as that person is suf@ciently worthy to come to the T;addi, to rectify his
soul(
4e aware that the main obstacle encountered there by one who is undeservin is that
he is not permitted to come to the true T;addi, to be puri@ed( )e is simply pushed
aside and led on the wron trac, by all ,inds of confusin doubts, as if the T;addi, has
no power at all( Even there , 5ust as in this world, there is reat opposition to the
T;addi, amon the destroyin anels and evil forces (
The most important thin is to be constantly aware of this so as not to let yourself be
deceived there( 1tay @rm in wantin to o to the true T;addi, and nowhere else, and
then you will certainly be permitted to do so(
-hayey +oharan NHJ7
O O O
1eein as 2 am oin before you, what do you have to fearL
-hayey +oharan NEEF
O O O
"ity in the world to come
Nobody li,es to be pitied( 2n this world we see how people feel pity for those who are
hunry, thirsty or sufferin in some other way( "eople react with pity when a person
lac,s clothes or shoes( No.one wants to be the ob5ect of others* pity( 2n order to avoid
it, people chase after worldly success(
1omeone with clear spiritual vision can also understand the pitiful state of certain
souls in the world to come( 1ome souls there are literally na,ed, but it is impossible to
show them any pity( >or in this world when a person lac,s clothin, other people can
collect money and buy him a coat( 4ut in the world to come when someone lac,s
"clothin", there is no way to help him . because the clothes needed there are Torah
and ood deeds, which cannot be iven as charity( )owever, one who is attached to
the true T;addi, can run to him to et a spiritual arment with which to clothe himself(
2n the world to come, many people will be left outside( They will cry out bitterly, "Give
us somethin to eat0" "eople will offer them food and drin, sayin, "Eat0 Drin,0" 4ut
those outside will say, "No0 No0 ?e cannot use such food( ?hat we need is the food
and drin, of Torah and devotion0" Bthers will be left outside na,ed( They too will cry%
"Give us some clothes to cover ourselves(" "eople will come to them sayin, ")ere are
clothes(" 4ut they too will answer% "No0 1uch clothes are completely useless to us( ?e
need mit;vot and ood deeds in order to cover ourselves("
)appy is the person who eats many chapters of +ishnah, drin,s many "salms and
clothes himself in ood deeds in this world0
1ichot )aran NEH
O O O
The ravitational pull of the T;addi,
All thins and all creatures stand on the earth all the time( The only way anythin can
leave the earth is if some countervailin force overcomes the pull of ravity, distancin
the ob5ect from the earth in accordance with the strenth of the countervailin force(
As soon as the countervailin force ceases, the ob5ect returns to earth(
Thus when a person throws an ob5ect upwards, the force that he applies distances it
from the earth% the reater his strenth, the hiher he can throw it( Afterwards,
however, when the countervailin force is spent, the ob5ect falls bac, down to the
round because of the ravitational pull of the earth, which draws everythin to it(
?ere it not for this, nothin would stay on earth, because the earth is a round ball and
everyone in the world stands on its surface( 2t is because of the earth*s ravitational
pull that a thrown ob5ect falls bac, down to earth as soon as the countervailin force
ceases(
The T;addi, is the "earth", for "the T;addi, is the foundation of the world" !"roverbs
#J%EF ' and everythin rests upon him( The T;addi, has a ravitational power of
attraction that draws everythin to him, for the true T;addi, is the foundation of the
world and everythin derives from him( All the other T;addi,im are only branches of
the true T;addi,, each accordin to his level% one may be a branch while another may
be a branch of a branch( >or this uni8ue T;addi, is humble and lowly and ma,es
himself li,e dust% for "2 am dust and ashes" !Genesis #$% EG ' ( )e is the foundation of
the world precisely because he is "dust" and thus he supports everythin(
And it would be @ttin for all humanity to be drawn to this T;addi, who is the "dust"
and has this "drawin power"( )owever , people are separated and distanced from the
T;addi, by a countervailin force, because of the words and deeds of certain
individuals who forcibly distance people from the T;addi, in accordance with the
strenth of the countervailin force( )owever, when this countervailin force ceases,
the person is once aain drawn to the T;addi,, who is the "dust" and possesses a
ravitational force of attraction(
1ome people remain very far from the T;addi, as lon as they are still under the
infuence of the countervailin force( 4ut as soon as this force is interrupted, they draw
close aain( And when travelin to the T;addi,, the nearer he comes to the place of
the T;addi, , the reater his desire becomes, because he is approachin the source of
attraction(
3i,utey +oharan 2, GJ
O O O
The coin in front of the eye
The sun shines constantly with the same intensity at the beinnin and middle of the
day( ?hat bloc,s the liht of the sun is only the earth, which intervenes between man
and the sun( Bwin to the position of the earth, the liht spreads only radually as the
day beins but steadily increases until it spreads over the earth(
1imilarly, the liht of the T;addi, shines constantly while the barrier is on the side of
the receivers( The cause of the barrier is the intervenin "earth" . this material world(
"eople are so deeply sun, in the material world that they are unable to receive the
liht of the T;addi,(
The Torah is enormously reat and broad, but a tiny handbreadth . this world . stands
before people*s eyes, preventin them from seein the liht of the Torah despite the
fact that this entire world is merely a tiny handbreadth in comparison(
)ow could somethin so tiny bloc, somethin thousands of times reaterL
To understand this, consider how a small coin held in front of your eyes can prevent
you from seein a reat mountain, even thouh the mountain is countless thousands
of times larer than the tiny coin( )owever, because the coin is directly in front of your
eyes, it bloc,s your entire @eld of vision(
2n the same way, when a person enters this physical world, he remains sun, in the
vanities of the world and imaines that there is nothin better( This tiny insini@cant
world stands in his way, preventin him from seein the ama;in liht of the Torah,
which is thousands of times reater in comparison( This is e/actly parallel to the way
the reat liht of the sun is bloc,ed by the intervenin earth even thouh the sun is
many times reater than the earth(
"The path of the T;addi,im is li,e a radiant liht" !"roverbs &%#$ ' . a radiant liht li,e
the sun, which shines constantly( The only obstacle is the earth, which bloc,s out the
liht even thouh the earth is tiny compared to the sun( 2n the same way, the
T;addi,im radiate constantly, e/cept that the earth . this.worldliness . intervenes and
prevents people from seein their reat liht( Despite the reatness of the liht of the
T;addi,im and the insini@cance of this entire tiny world in comparison, the world
nevertheless intervenes, preventin one from seein their liht, as in the e/ample of
the coin(
)owever, if one remove s this tiny barrier from before one*s eyes . avertin one*s eyes
from this world and instead raisin one*s head and liftin one*s eyes beyond the
intervenin world . one attain s a view of the reat and ama;in liht of the Torah and
the T;addi,im( >or in truth their liht is countless thousands of times reater than all of
this world and its vanities( 2t is 5ust that this world stands before people*s eyes and
does not permit them to lift their eyes upwards to see the liht of the Torah and the
T;addi,im( 2t is li,e the small coin in front of the eyes that prevents one from seein a
reat mountain(
4ut it is easy to remove the coin from before your eyes . and as soon as you do so you
will see the mountain, which is so much larer( 1imilarly, with a simple movement you
can remove this world from before your eyes( 9ou will then be able to see the reat
liht of the Torah and the T;addi,im, which radiates in all the worlds(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #HH
O O O
>aith and understandin
2f you believe in the T;addi, without any understandin, you may lose your faith,
because from faith alone one can fall( 4ut if you also have some understandin, you
cannot lose your faith (
3i,utey +oharan 2, EFF
O O O
The writin on the seal
2t is impossible to understand the T;addi, himself since his intrinsic essence is beyond
our rasp( Bnly throuh the followers of the T;addi, is it possible to understand the
T;addi,*s reatness( "eople are nearer to the T;addi,*s followers than they are to the
T;addi, himself and thus can understand them somewhat when they see them to be
mature , hard.wor,in , God.fearin people( Bne who sees the truth can thus ,now
the reatness of the T;addi, from his followers(
This is similar to a seal( The writin on the seal is unreadable because the letters are
bac, to front( Bnly when one ta,es the seal and stamps it on wa/ can one understand
the letters and desins inscribed on the seal, and one then sees what is written on the
seal( 1imilarly, throuh the T;addi,*s followers one can come to understand somethin
of the T;addi, himself(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #&J
O O O
The beauty, pride and charm of the entire world
There is a true T;addi, who is the beauty, pride and charm of the entire world ( And
when this beauty and splendor is revealed . when this T;addi, who is the beauty of
the world becomes ,nown and mani@ed in the world . the eyes of all who draw close
to him and are included in this true race are opened and able to see(
The main thin is to loo, at oneself( 2n drawin close to the true T;addi,, it is proper to
e/amine all one*s personal traits and attributes in comparison with his ( ?hen this
T;addi, who is the race and beauty of the world is revealed, the eyes of all who are
close to and mered in this true race are opened and they see and e/amine
themselves( They can also see and contemplate the reatness of God and loo, upon
the world since their eyes have been opened by the revelation of the splendor of the
true T;addi,(
?hen this T;addi, is revealed and ,nown throuhout the world, he has a name in the
world( And attached to and clothed within the name of the true T;addi, is the Name of
God, for ")is Name is attached to our name"( Thus when the name of the T;addi, is
mani@ed, the Name of God is reatly mani@ed, for ")is Name is attached to our
name" ! 9erushalmi Taanit ch( E' ( Throuh the mani@cation of God*s Name that
comes throuh the revelation of the true T;addi,*s lory and beauty and the fame of
his name, people*s consciousness and power of vision are e/panded and their eyes
are opened(
The world then has a +aster of the )ouse who watches over the world . a )ead of the
)ouse, who repairs and strenthens the )ouse( >or the repair of the Temple comes
about throuh this(
)owever, at times the opposite happens when one who does not come in the Name of
God attains fame and his name is mani@ed, causin the concealment of God*s Name(
>amed masters of occult wi;ardry then proliferate . the very opposite of God*s Name(
?hen the liht of holiness is concealed, fames rae in the world causin outbrea,s of
@re . all because of the fame of these false leaders who cause the Name of God to
become hidden( The radiance of the true liht is subdued and the fames rae . "from
on hih )e sent @re" !3amentations #%#H ' . causin the burnin of the Temple (
?hat is past is no more, for the Temple has already been burned( Now, however, God
is waitin to return to us and rebuild our Temple ( 2t is only @ttin that we should not
obstruct the buildin of the Temple ( Bn the contrary, we should ma,e every effort to
build it( This is why it is so important to rise for the +idniht "rayer in mournin over
the destruction of the Temple ( >or perhaps you or 2 caused the destruction of the
Temple in a previous incarnation, and even if not, perhaps you or 2 are obstructin the
buildin of the Temple now, which would also be considered as if we had destroyed it(
3i,utey +oharan 22, :G
O O O
Death*s helpers
2t is a hard and onerous tas, for the Anel of Death to ,ill everyone in the world
physically and spiritually all on his own( That is why he has helpers everywhere% the
doctors to ,ill physically and the false leaders to ,ill spiritually(
Avaneha 4ar;el
O O O
?al,in tonues
"They have set their mouth aainst heaven and their tonue wal,s about the earth"
!"salms GH%7' (
Now that atheism has spread, people have thrown off all restraint and openly revile
every T;addi, and God.fearin man( The true taret of their unbelief is God )imself,
but they are ashamed to spea, openly aainst God and therefore loosen their tonues
aainst people(
This e/plains the meanin of the verse% "They have set their mouth aainst heaven" .
for they are really spea,in aainst God( )owever, they are ashamed to spea, out
aainst God directly so "their tonue wal,s about the earth"% they loosen their tonue
aainst God*s followers in the world( 4ut the truth is, "They have set their mouths
aainst heaven("
1ichot )aran NH$
4an0 4an0
-ertain popular leaders lac, enuine credentials but sometimes imaine they have the
power to wor, miracles( "eople come to them as,in for children, and if later they are
ranted children, these leaders ta,e all the credit(
2t is li,e the case of a certain man who was wal,in alon the road when all of a
sudden he saw a wolf( )e was very frihtened and stuc, out his stic, as if aimin a
rife( )e pretended he was about to open @re on the wolf in order to frihten it away( At
that e/act moment, someone who really did have a rife shot and ,illed the wolf( The
man holdin out his stic, thouht that he himself had ,illed the wolf, not reali;in that
the wolf had really been ,illed by the unshot, because you obviously cannot ,ill a wolf
with a stic,(
1imilarly, in each eneration there are certain true T;addi,im who accomplish
everythin throuh their prayers( All the chanes in men*s fortunes and everythin else
in the world come about at their hands( )owever, there are popular leaders who thin,
that they themselves wor, the miracles( They are li,e the man who thouht he ,illed
the wolf with his stic,, but in fact, everythin is in the hands of the true T;addi,im(
-hayey +oharan N&FF
O O O
+ar,s of the 4reslover -hassidim
God has ranted me three thins%
#( 2 have bro,en your pride . no matter how you pray, they will say, ")e*s a 4reslover
-hassid0"
E( 1in will never clin to you( Even if you commit a sin, it will be without hands and
les(
H( 9ou will never be able to loo, in the face of false leaders because you have already
tasted the )unarian wine(
Avaneha 4ar;el
O O O
Three sets of followers
2 have three sets of followers( The @rst come to rab shirayim !foods from the
T;addi,*s platter'( The second come to hear my Torah teachins( 4ut the third are
ba,ed and inscribed in my heart(
2 want you to be amon those who are ba,ed in my heart( And for that, 2 must be
ba,ed in your heart0
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#JE
O O O
+y real intention
9ou may be ood, pious people, but that was not my intention( +y intention was that
you should be the ,ind of people who roar out to God for entire nihts, li,e animals in
the forest(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.#EJ
O O O
"ray to @nd the T;addi,
9ou must as, God persistently to be able to draw close to the true T;addi,( )appy is
the one who succeeds in drawin close to the true T;addi, in his lifetime . happy is his
lot0 >or after one dies it is very hard indeed to draw close( Bne must pray over and
over aain to come close to the true T;addi, in one*s lifetime( >or the Evil Bne has
made it his mission to confuse the world( 2srael is very close to redemption now and
people have tremendous lonin for God, the li,e of which did not e/ist in earlier
times( Everyone is lonin for God( This is why the Evil Bne has craftily sown
dissension amon the T;addi,im and established many false popular leaders( Even
amon the true T;addi,im there are divisions, to the point that nobody ,nows where
the truth is( This is why one must be God to succeed in drawin close to the true
T;addi,(
3i,utey +oharan 22, G$
TE1)CAA)% RETCRN2NG TB GBD
There is a way that everythin can be turned into ood(
Alim 3iTerufah ##H
O O O
God*s reatness is unfathomable% that is why Teshuvah has such power( No matter
how far you may have fallen . be it to the lowest depths . never despair, because you
can always return to God( ?ith 5ust a little effort you can turn even your worst sins into
merits( No matter where in the world you fall, you can easily come bac, to God( This is
because of )is unfathomable reatness( Nothin is beyond )is power( 6ust never ive
up0 <eep cryin out, prayin and pleadin to God at all times(
1ichot )aran NH
O O O
1ometimes a sin can ma,e a person so bitter that he repents completely(
3i,utey )alachot, 4ir,at )aReiach &%E
O O O
1top then and there0
9ou may be in some place when suddenly you have a thouht of Teshuvah and a
deep lonin for God( 1top then and there in that very place and ta,e a moment to
focus on the thouht and the feelin of lonin( Turn them into a prayer( "ut your
lonin into words straiht from your heart( Don*t wait or move on, even if you are not
in your usual place of prayer and study . even if you are oin on your way . because
if you move on, it could interrupt your train of thouht(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #E&
O O O
The "ath of Teshuvah
Every person must minimi;e his own lory and ma/imi;e God*s lory( >or one who
pursues lory attains not God*s lory but only the lory of ,ins, of which it is said%
"The lory of ,ins is sub5ect to investiation" !"roverbs EF%E' ( >or then everyone
investiates who he really is, as,in% "?ho is he and what is he to be iven such
honorL" "eople challene him, sayin he is not @t for this honor(
4ut when a person fees from honor, minimi;in his own honor and ma/imi;in the
lory of God, he attains the lory of God( No.one then investiates to see if he
deserves it, for "The lory of God is to hide the matter" ! ibid( ' . it is forbidden to
8uestion his honor(
The only way to attain God*s lory is throuh repentance( And the true sin of a person
who has returned to God is the ability to hear himself insulted and remain silent( )e
endures even the most murderous abuse with patience, thereby reducin the blood in
the left side of his heart !seat of the animal soul' and annihilatin his evil inclination(
1uch a person is worthy of a share in God*s lory(
4efore a person returns to God, he has no bein( 2t is as if he has not yet been
created, because it would have been better for him not to have been created at all( 4ut
when he puri@es himself in order to return to God, he puts himself in order and
prepares to become a bein( This element of preparation for becomin . comin into
bein, as it were . e/plains why the Divine Name associated with repentance is
Ehyeh , "2 shall be"(
?hen a person wants to purify himself and return to God, they tell him "?ait0" ! 9oma
H$b.H7a' ( 2t is true that he should hurry to free his soul and escape the dar,ness( 4ut
he should not allow himself to become discouraed and de5ected if he sees that he is
far from true prayer and other holy devotions( ?aitin patiently is a necessary part of
the process( 2n the end he will be worthy of ma,in amends completely and everythin
will be recti@ed(
Repentance never comes to an end% it must be continuous( Even at the very moment
that a person is confessin , it is impossible for him to say the words , "2 have sinned, 2
have transressed, 2 have rebelled(" with perfect sincerity free of all e/traneous
motives( Thus he must repent for his earlier repentance and for the faw in his previous
confession(
Even when a person ,nows that he has repented completely, he must still ma,e
amends for his earlier repentance( >or what he achieved then was ood only in
proportion to his perception of Godliness at the time( Now, after his repentance, his
perception has undoubtedly been heihtened( -ompared with his present perception,
his earlier perception turns out to have been rossly materialistic( )e must therefore
repent for his earlier levels . because he deraded the true e/altedness of the -reator
to the level of the material( )appy is the man who achieves true Teshuvah(
Teshuvah has three aspects% seein with the eyes, hearin with the ears and
understandin in the heart !cf( 2saiah :%#J ' ( A person must use his eyes to loo,
towards the ultimate oal and purpose of this world( )e must concentrate on this oal
with all his heart, resolvin to travel there and nowhere else( And he must use his ears
to listen carefully to everythin that our holy saes said( Then he will be able to return
to God(
Teshuvah essentially depends on humility( Bne must ma,e oneself into nothin, li,e a
wasteland over which people trample% one must pay no attention whatsoever to
opposition or abuse from others( Bne should train oneself to be silent and hear oneself
insulted without answerin bac,( 1uch a person is worthy of the name "wise" and will
attain perfect Teshuvah, the "-rown" and summit of the 1e@rot( This is the way to true
and endurin lory . the lory of God(
3i,utey +oharan 2 , :
O O O
)umility
4e totally honest when you spea, to God( Accustom yourself to tal,in so honestly
that your heart is aroused and the words start pourin forth with @re and passion(
As you draw closer to God you will see your own smallness and insini@cance in
comparison with )is reatness, and you will be @lled with humility( Cntil now you cast
your sins behind your bac, and inored them( 4ut as you start to ac,nowlede them
fran,ly, you will feel deep shame at havin rebelled aainst the +aster and Ruler of
the Cniverse, 1ource of all the worlds(
At @rst this humility will not actually be discernible on your face, because sin wea,ens
a person*s mental powers, preventin them from radiatin on the face( 4efore
repentin , his mind is so wea,ened that he has no conception of the true ravity of sin
and the reatness of the Bne he sinned aainst( 4ut as he returns to God and puts
aside his folly, ainin wisdom and understandin, his shame becomes increasinly
visible on his face(
The Te@lin are the sin of humility and attachment to God( The liht of the Te@lin is a
ray of the liht of God*s inner countenance( ?hen a person achieves this humility, all
his sins are foriven and he becomes attached to the Tree of 3ife(
3i,utey +oharan 2, H$
O O O
The "ower of "salms
Everybody wants to revere God*s Name but not everyone is able to repent( 1ometimes
a person feels no arousal whatever( Even one who is aroused to repent may not reach
his uni8ue ate of Teshuvah, and even if he does, it could be that the ate is closed(
This is why not everyone attains repentance(
4ut throuh recitin "salms, even one who feels no arousal can be inspired to repent(
The "salms can ta,e him to his uni8ue ate and open it up, thereby brinin him to
Teshuvah(
>or this reason <in David called himself "the man who raised the yo,e((( the sweet
siner of 2srael " ! 22 1amuel EH%#' ( Bur saes e/plain that David called himself "the
man who raised the yo,e" because he elevated the yo,e of repentance throuh his
own Teshuvah( David was a reat T;addi, and should not have sinned, but God
caused him to sin in order to teach everyone the way of Teshuvah( <in David was the
prime e/emplar of Teshuvah and his pathway is set forth in the "salms, which he
wrote with such a spirit of holiness that everyone can @nd himself in them and thereby
return to God(
3i,utey +oharan 22, GH
O O O
God hides in the obstacle
?hen after a life devoted to worldliness a person feels an arousal to God, the attribute
of 6udment rises to accuse him and does not permit him to follow God*s ways( 2t does
this by confrontin him with an obstacle( 4ut God loves ,indness and hides )imself
within the very obstacle itself( Bne who lac,s ood sense sees the obstacle and
retreats at once( 4ut one who possesses ood sense e/amines the obstacle and
discovers God within it(
3i,utey +oharan 2, ##F
O O O
Revisitin the past
To come to complete Teshuvah you must pass throuh all the places where you were
prior to your Teshuvah( ?hen you encounter e/actly the same temptations as you
e/perienced before, you must avert your eyes and control your impulses in order not
to repeat what you did earlier( This is the essence of perfect Teshuvah% there is no
other way(
3i,utey +oharan 22, &7
O O O
4e a new creation
2f you want to return to God you must ma,e yourself into a new creation( 9ou can do
this with a sih0
+an never stops breathin . releasin the stale air and drawin in fresh air( Bur very
lives depend on this( The physical air we breathe has its root above( There is the ood
air of the T;addi, and the evil air of the sinner( The T;addi, constantly draws air from
the holy, the sinner draws air from impurity(
Therefore, when a person wants to repent, he must ma,e sure to stop the bad air from
comin into him( The way to do this is with a sih, which is a lon, deep breath in and
out( The sih beins when you draw in e/tra air( This is similar to what happens 5ust
before a person dies% he draws in e/tra air and then the spirit leaves him( Every
e/halation is the death of the moment that has passed, in preparation for the birth of
the new moment( Thus when you ta,e a deep sih, you release yourself from the bad
air of the sinner and bind yourself to the pure air of the T;addi, in order to receive new
vitality(
This is Teshuvah, returnin from impurity to holiness in order to ain new life( The very
body is renewed, because "1ihin brea,s a person*s whole body" ! 4erachot F$b' ,
and therefore the body is remade(
-hayey +oharan NHG
O O O
)ow precious is a sih0
)ow precious is the sih of a 6ew0 The very sih brins ful@llment of his needs(
>or the world was created throuh the breath, which is the life spirit% " ( and throuh
the breath of )is mouth all their hosts" !"salms HH%:' ( The renewal of the world will
also be throuh the breath% "9ou send 9our spirit, they are created, and 9ou renew the
face of the earth" !"salms #J&%HJ' ( The breath is also man*s vitality since his life
depends on breathin( "And )e breathed in his nostrils the spirit of life" !Genesis E%G' (
The essential vitality of all thins thus depends on the breath( ?henever somethin is
lac,in, the main lac, is in that thin*s vitality, which is the life.spirit ,eepin it alive( A
sih is a lon breath . the lon breath of patience( Therefore when a person is patient
and sihs over what he lac,s, he draws life spirit to that which is lac,in, because the
main lac, is the absence of the life spirit(
4ut from where does one receive the life spiritL <now that we receive the essential life
spirit from the T;addi, and leader of the eneration( This is because the main life spirit
is in the Torah, for "the spirit of God was hoverin over the face of the waters"
!Genesis #%E' and the "waters" are the Torah( 1ince the T;add,im are attached to the
Torah, therefore the main life spirit is with them(
?hen one who is attached to the T;addi, and leader of the eneration ta,es a lon,
deep sih, he draws life spirit from the T;addi,, who is attached to the Torah, where
the spirit resides( Thus the T;addi, is called "the man who has the spirit in him"
! Numbers EG%#$' . because he ,nows how to relate to each and everyone accordin
to his spirit(
3i,utey +oharan 2, $
O O O
"rovidence and nature
God shows us reat ,indness by overnin the world with individual providence and
throuh the laws of nature( ?hen people are ood, God deals with them providentially,
in a way that oes beyond nature( )owever if God were to oversee the life of an
undeservin person in accordance with )is providence, no ood could ever reach him(
Nevertheless out of ,indness, God leaves this person to the laws of nature, and as a
result , throuh the law of averaes, thins may then o well for him(
2f God*s only way of runnin the world were throuh providence, rewardin ood
deeds and punishin sin, this could lead to a total brea,down of providence( >or if God
were to see someone actin improperly and dealt with him in aner, )e miht cast him
out completely( 2nstead, God abandons him to nature, and when he improves his
ways, )e deals with him providentially(
4ut in actual fact we are 8uite unable to understand what is "nature" and what is
"providence", because the truth is that even the laws of nature are really God*s
providence( )owever, the human mind is unable to rasp the parado/ that what
appears to be the law of nature is really God*s providence(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #G
O O O
2 have strayed li,e a lost sheep
"2 have strayed li,e a lost sheep% see, out 9our servant" !"salms ##7%#G:' (
?hen a person sins, it ma,es a bi difference if he comes to his senses at once and
repents, in which case it is easy for him to return to his place because he has not yet
strayed too far from the ood path( >or when a person sins, he turns from the straiht
path and enters a different, twistin pathway( A multitude of wron turns branch off into
ever deeper error and corruption( The person may stray so far and become so
entanled that it is very hard for him to turn bac, and et off the wron trac,(
God*s way is to call a person the moment )e sees him strayin from the path of ood
sense, as,in him to turn bac,( )e calls each person in the way most suited to him( To
some )e bec,ons with a hint( To others the summons is literally a cry( 1ome people
,ic,, and )e must stri,e them in order to call them( >or "the Torah cries out before
them% *>ools0 )ow lon will you love foolishnessL*" !"roverbs #%EE, Iohar 1hemini
H:a' ( The Torah is God*s voice callin and bein those who sin to return to )im(
As lon as a person has not strayed too far from the riht path, it is easy for him to
return because he still reconi;es the voice( This is because only a short time has
passed since he was close to God and heeded )is voice, the voice of the Torah( )e
has not yet forotten it or strayed too far alon those other devious paths( 1imilarly,
when a sheep strays from the path and the shepherd immediately calls it, as lon as
the sheep has not yet strayed too far, it still reconi;es the shepherd*s voice and
immediately responds(
4ut once the sheep strays far from the path, it forets the shepherd*s voice and no
loner reconi;es his call( The shepherd also ives up searchin because the sheep
has been lost for such a lon time ( 1imilarly, when a person has been oin in the
wron direction for a lon time , havin strayed far from the true path into all those
corrupt, devious and confusin pathways, it is hard for him to repent(
4ut ,now that sometimes a person 5ourneys so far alon those corrupt and devious
paths that his very wanderin brins him close to his oriinal place and it only needs
an easy test to brin him bac, to his startin point ( 4ut when God calls him and
arranes the test, the person does not reconi;e the voice and feels no need to return(
That is the difference between youn and old people( Bne who is still youn and has
not rown old in his sins can return more easily, because he is still closer and has not
forotten the voice that calls(
This is the meanin of the verse, "2 have strayed li,e a lost sheep% see, out 9our
servant" !"salms ##7, #G:' ( "2 have strayed li,e a lost sheep"% 2 have strayed from the
ood path li,e a lost sheep that has strayed from the road( This is why 2 be of 9ou%
"(see, out 9our servant, because 2 have not forotten 9our commandments"( )urry
and search for me as lon as 2 still remember the voice of the Torah and mit;vot( )urry
and search for me immediately, because 2 have not yet forotten 9our mit;vot% 2 still
reconi;e the call of the mit;vot of the Torah( That is why 2 be 9ou to ta,e pity on me
and search me out 8uic,ly, as lon as "2 have not forotten 9our mit;vot" and still
reconi;e the voice of the call of the Torah and the mit;vot(
>or when a person rows old in his sins, it is very hard to see, him out as he has
already forotten and no loner reconi;es the voice of the Torah and the mit;vot( ?e
must therefore be God to hurry and brin us bac, to )im before we completely foret
the call of the Torah and mit;vot( This was <in David*s prayer% "1earch out 9our
servant, for 2 have not forotten 9our mit;vot("
3i,utey +oharan 2, EJ:
T)E 3AND B> 21RAE3
?herever 2 o, 2 am always only oin to the land of 2srael ( 2 am only here in 4reslov
temporarily(
-hayey +oharan N#F:
O O O
>rom level to level
A true 2sraelite is one who constantly advances from level to level( Each advance to
reater holiness can be accomplished only throuh the holiness of the land of 2srael (
3i,ewise our prayers ascend only throuh the land of 2srael (
?hen a person reaches the level of the land of 2srael , he is worthy to be called "a
man of strenth and valor"( 4efore one attains this level, "3et not he that irds his
armor boast li,e he that removes it" !2 <ins EJ%## ' ( )owever after winnin the battle,
he does indeed deserve to be called "a man of war"(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EJ
O O O
)ouses and apartments(
?hat do 2 mean by the land of 2srael L 2 mean the actual country of 2srael with its
houses and apartments0
-hayey +oharan N#F
O O O
?hy o to 2srael L
The only motive for oin to the land of 2srael should be spiritual% to draw closer to
God( Bne who oes there with this intention will certainly bene@t( +erely by settin
foot in the land, he will become absorbed in and transformed by its holiness( >or this
reason even one who wal,s four cubits in the land of 2srael is assured that he will
inherit the world to come ! <etubot ###a' ( 4ut if a person*s motive has no connection
with devotion to God and puri@cation from evil, how will the land of 2srael help himL 2t
will vomit him out "as it vomited out the nation that was before you" !3eviticus #$%E$ ' (
3i,utey +oharan 2, #FF
O O O
3onin
"ray that God should ive you lonin and desire for the land of 2srael , and then you
will succeed in ettin there( "ray also that )e should plant yearnin for the land in the
hearts of all the T;addi,im(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #FF
O O O
-harity for 2srael
-harity iven for the land of 2srael is reater than charity for causes elsewhere( ?hen
you ive charity for the land of 2srael you become included in the air of the land of
2srael , which is "holy breath without the taint of sin" ! 1habbat ##7b' ( Throuh this
breath the forces of severity and dar,ness are banished from the world( Bne can also
thereby escape alien thouhts and distractions durin prayer, and one*s mind and
thouhts become clear and re@ned( This is the repair of the holy -ovenant(
3i,utey +oharan 2, HG
O O O
To distinuish between liht and dar,ness
The land of 2srael is the very summit of holiness, encompassin all other levels of
holiness( 2t is there that we can completely free ourselves of the notion that the world
is overned throuh nature and come to ,now and believe that everythin happens
only throuh the hand of God( ?hen man ,nows this he becomes li,e God, ac8uirin
the ability to distinuish between liht and dar,ness( "3iht" refers to the deeds of the
T;addi,im while "dar,ness" refers to those of the wic,ed ! 4ereishith Rabbah E' (
Tellin stories about the T;addi,im help s cleanse and purify the mind( 4ut for every
story about a T;addi, we @nd a parallel story about a wic,ed person , because the
realm of evil is a refection of that of holiness( Thus we are told that "inchas few in the
air, and the same is said of the wic,ed 4ilaam, e/cept that in his case it was throuh
witchcraft( The ability to distinuish between liht and dar,ness enables us to
distinuish between stories about true T;addi,im and those that are not(
To separate the liht from the dar,ness re8uires the ultimate level of faith( This can be
attained only in the land of 2srael (
3i,utey +oharan 2, EH&
+A1)2A-)
+ashiach will con8uer the entire world without @rin a sinle bullet(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.:G
O O O
+ashiach*s main weapon is prayer0
3i,utey +oharan 2, E
O O O
+ashiach will have a reat tas, 5ust to brin people to pray a 1hmoneh Esrey clean of
outside thouhts(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.EJ
O O O
Bn the threshold of +ashiach , God runs the world with the utmost delicacy, li,e
@liree wor,(
1iach 1arfey <odesh #.77
O O O
The simple people
+ashiach will con8uer the world only throuh simple people who recite the "salms
simply and sincerely(
9ou may understand this throuh a parable about a certain ,in who went huntin
dressed in ordinary clothin for reater comfort( A sudden cloud.burst, a literal food of
water, sent all the ministers scatterin in search of shelter( The ,in was in reat
daner but @nally found the house of a villaer, who invited him inside with reat
honor, dressed him in warm clothes and ave him simple peasant food, lihtin a @re
and leavin him there to sleep and warm up( The ,in was so e/hausted that the food
and rest in the home of the peasant were the sweetest deliht, the li,e of which he felt
he had never tasted(
The ministers searched for the ,in until they came to the peasant*s house and found
the ,in asleep( They waited until he awo,e( They wanted him to return home with
them, but the ,in said to them% "None of you came to save me% you all scattered in
different directions to save yourselves0 Bnly this peasant saved me( 1ince 2 have
tasted the sweetest deliht with him, he will brin me home in his waon and 2 will sit
on my royal throne in the very clothes in which he dressed me0
3i,ewise, 5ust before +ashiach comes, there will be a food of atheism . not a literal
food of water but one of strane thouhts that will cover all the "hih mountains" even
in the land of 2srael, which was not affected by Noah*s food( The rains will teem down
with such force that even the "mountains of 2srael " will be drenched . even the hearts
of the pure will be affected(
?isdom and sophistication will be of no avail( The only ones who will hold @rm are the
simple 6ews who recite "salms simply and sincerely( That is why, when the +ashiach
comes, they will be the ones who place the royal crown on his head(
1ipurim Nifaim
O O O
The comin test
Great atheism is comin to the world as a test from on hih( The world*s many sins are
causin a terrible lac, of faith( )appy is the person who stays @rm in his faith in these
times(
The fact that 2 am predictin this will not prevent the increase of Godlessness and
confusion( 3on ao Daniel and others made it ,nown that this would happen in the
days before the +ashiach( "+any will purify themselves and be re@ned, and ma,e
themselves shinin white( 4ut the wic,ed will do evil( and only the wise shall
understand" !Daniel #E%#J ' (
<nowin that this has already been foreseen, it would seem that it should not be such
a reat trial for people to remain stron and @rm in their faith( 4ut the truth is that even
thouh the prophets made this ,nown lon ao, it will still be a reat trial( +any will fall
by the way , and that is why it is written% "the wic,ed will do evil("
2 am revealin this for the sa,e of the few pure souls who will remain @rm in their faith(
They will certainly face reat battles even in their own minds( 4ut when they see that
this has already been predicted, it will ive them reater strenth and encouraement(
1ichot )aran NHF
O O O
The folly of war
+any of the misuided follies of primitive times such as child.sacri@ce to +olech
!3eviticus EJ%E' have now disappeared( 4ut the folly of war has still not been
abolished( ?hat ,ind of wisdom must the scientists possess in order to invent a
wonderful weapon that can ,ill thousands of people at once0 2s there anythin more
foolish than to ,ill so many people for nothin0
-hayey +oharan NF&:
O O O
1trife
The world is full of strife( There are wars between the nations of the world and conficts
in every city( There are feuds in every household, discord between neihbors, friction
within the family, between man and wife, parents and children(((
Every day man dies . for the day that has passed will never return( Death comes
closer every day, yet nobody remembers the purpose of life(
>riction in the home directly parallels the wars between nations( Each member of the
household is the counterpart of one of the nations% their 8uarrels correspond to the
wars between the nations( Even the traits of the different nations can be discerned in
the individual members of the household( Each nation has its own particular trait, such
as aner, blood.thirstiness and so on( The counterparts of these traits are found in the
different members of each household(
9ou may have no desire for strife% you may only want to live 8uietly and peaceably with
everyone( Even so, you may @nd yourself forced into conficts and disputes(
The same happens between nations( Bne nation may want peace and is willin to
ma,e many concessions in order to achieve it( 9et it @nds itself draed into other
nations* disputes, with each of the opposin sides demandin its alleiance until it is
drawn into war aainst its will(
The same is true in household wars( +an is a miniature world containin the entire
world and everythin in it( A man and his family contain the nations of the world and all
their wars and strife(
>or this reason someone livin alone in a forest can o out of his mind( This is
because all the warrin nations are contained within him( Each one attac,s the other,
and his personality ,eeps chanin dependin on which of the nations within him
prevails( 1winin from one e/treme to another can drive him insane( 4ut when a
person lives with others, these battles are played out amon the different members of
the household, or between neihbors and friends and so on(
)owever, when +ashiach comes, all war s and confict s will come to an end and reat
peace will come into the world, for "They will neither hurt nor destroy(" !2saiah ##%7' (
1ichot )aran NGG
"eace
Throuh the spread of peace the whole world can be drawn to serve God with one
accord, because when men are at peace with one another they tal, to each other
about the true purpose of the world and its vanities( They discuss the realities of life
and how, when a person dies, all that remains is whatever he prepared for the world of
eternity after death, because neither silver nor old accompany a person after death(
?hen people come to understand this they will abandon their illusions and idols of
silver, aspirin only to God and )is Torah( Their only aim will be to serve God and
see, out the truth(
4ut when there is no peace in the world, and worse still, when there is strife, men are
not open with one another and never discuss the true purpose of life( Even when
someone does discuss it, his words do not penetrate the hearts of others, because
they have no interest in discoverin the truth but only in winnin the arument( They
are aressive and full of hatred and envy( ?hen a person wants to win an arument,
his ears are not open to the truth( The main reason most people are so far from God is
that divisiveness and strife are so widespread today throuh our many sins(
3i,utey +oharan 2, EG
O O O
6oinin opposites
The real meanin of peace is to 5oin two opposites( 9ou should therefore not be
perturbed when you encounter someone who is and thin,s the e/act opposite of
yourself( Don*t assume you will never be able to live amicably with him( 3i,ewise,
when you see two people who are completely opposite types, don*t decide that it is
impossible to ma,e peace between them( Ruite the contrary0 "erfect peace is
achieved throuh the effort to ma,e peace between two opposites, 5ust as God ma,es
peace in )is hih places between @re and water, which are two opposites( "eace is
attained when you are completely willin to sacri@ce yourself to sanctify God*s Name(
3i,utey +oharan 2, $J
O O O
3oo, for the ood
God always ta,es into account the ood that people do( "erhaps somethin not so
ood was mi/ed in, but God disreards it(
2f this is God*s way, we should try all the more to do the same( Don*t loo, for other
people*s bad side or search out their wea, points and shortcomins( 3oo, only for the
ood in others and always search for worth and merit in them( Then you will be at
peace with everyone(
3i,utey +oharan 22, #G
O O O
Bne of my offsprin
As to what will become of me, 2 have no idea( 4ut this much 2 have achieved with the
Almihty% the +ashiach will be one of my offsprin(
-hayey +oharan NEG&
TBDA9000
+an*s world consists only of the present( ?hatever you can do to serve God, do
immediately and determinedly without delay(
-hayey +oharan N&H#
O O O
Don*t be old
Don*t be old0 True, there are pious, rihteous elders( 4ut to be old is not ood( 1tay
youn . renew yourself every day and ma,e a fresh start(
1ichot )aran NF#
O O O
Bne precious day
"Repent one day before your death" ! Avot E%#J ' (
9esterday and tomorrow are man*s downfall( Today you may be aroused towards God(
Don*t let yourself become discouraed because of what may have happened
yesterday or what may happen tomorrow(
No matter wh ere a person s tands, there are always reverses( +any people become
discouraed as a result, and stop puttin any real effort into their devotions(
That is why you must "Repent one day before your death ( "
"4efore your death" is your entire life( Durin your entire lifetime, you may be worthy of
only one day of repentance(
This one day is more precious than all treasures( >or what does a person ain from all
his worldly effortL Nothin remains of your entire life other than this one day when you
return to God(
1ichot )aran NE$$
O O O
Now0
"Today if you will but listen to )is voice0" !"salms 7F%G' (
Thin, only about the present day and the present moment( ?hen someone wants to
serve God, he may see it as a heavy burden( 4ut if you remember that you have only
today, it won*t be such a burden( Don*t push off servin God from one day to the ne/t,
sayin, "2*ll start tomorrow . tomorrow 2*ll pray with real devotion("
All we have is the present day and the present moment( Tomorrow is a whole different
world(
"Today if you will but listen to )is voice0" !"salms 7F%G' ( Today000
3i,utey +oharan 2, EGE
DREAMS AND 3ISIONS
TE33 T)21 TB 9BCR -)23DREN
2 will tell you what 2 saw( And you tell your children(
1omeone was lyin on the round and around him people were sittin in a circle(
Around this circle was another circle, and around that circle yet another, and so on .
many circles( Then around them were sittin yet more people in no particular order(
The one sittin in the middle was leanin on his side and movin his lips, and all those
around were movin their lips after him( 4ut when 2 loo,ed aain , the one in the
middle was not there and all those sittin around were no loner movin their lips(
"?hat is thisL" 2 as,ed( They told me that he had become chilled and had e/pired and
that he had stopped spea,in(
After this they all started to run and 2 ran after them( 2 saw two palaces . very @ne,
beautiful buildins( 1ittin there were two commanders( Everyone ran to these two
commanders and started aruin with them( "?hy did you deceive usL" They wanted
to ,ill them(
The commanders fed outside( 2 cauht siht of them and could see that they had very
ood natures ( 2 ran after them and saw a beautiful tent in the distance ( >rom there
they cried out to the commanders% "Turn bac, and see, out all your merits( Ta,e them
in your hands and o to the liht that hans there, for there you will accomplish
everythin you want("
The commanders turned bac, and too, their merits . there were bundles of merits
there . and ran to the liht( 2 ran after them and saw a leamin liht suspended in the
air( The commanders came and threw their merits to the liht( >rom the liht, spar,s
fell into their mouths( Then the lamp . NeR . turned into NahaR , a river( Everyone
dran, from the river, and creatures formed inside them( As they started to spea,, these
creatures came forth from them% 2 saw them runnin and returnin( They were neither
men nor any ,ind of animal . 5ust creatures(
After this they decided to o bac, to their place, but they said, ")ow can we o bac, to
our placeL" 1omeone said% "?e should send to the one who stands there holdin a
sword that reaches from heaven to earth(" "?ho should we sendL" they as,ed( They
decided to send the creatures, and the creatures went there(
2 ran after them and 2 saw the one with the sword( )e was terrifyin( )e was so tall that
he reached from heaven to earth( 2n his hand was a sword reachin from heaven to
earth( 2t had many blades( Bne of them was very sharp . for ,illin( Another inficted
poverty, while another sent wea,ness( There were many other blades to infict different
punishments(
They bean to plead with the one with the sword% " ?e have suffered at your hands for
so lon( Now help us and brin us to our place(" "2 cannot help you," he replied( They
pleaded% "Give us the blade for death, and we will ,ill them(" 4ut he refused ( They
as,ed for a different blade, but he did not want to ive them a sinle blade, and they
returned(
2n the meantime they were ordered to ,ill the commanders, and they cut off their
heads( The entire se8uence of events then reverted to what it had been before%
someone was lyin on the round surrounded by circles of people( then they ran to the
commanders( everythin as before(
4ut this time the commanders did not throw their merits to the liht( 2nstead, they
simply too, their merits and went to the liht and bro,e their hearts, bein and
entreatin before the liht( 1par,s fell from the liht into their mouths( They entreated
more, and the liht turned into a river, and the creatures were formed(
They told me, "These will live0" The @rst ones deserved to be ,illed for havin thrown
their merits to the liht without ma,in entreaties li,e the later ones(
2 did not ,now what this meant( They said, "Go to that room, and they will e/plain it to
you (" 2 went, and there sat an old man( 2 as,ed him about the matter( )e too, his
beard in his hand and said to me, "+y beard is the e/planation of what happened(" "2
still don*t ,now," 2 said( "Go to that room," he replied, "and there you will @nd the
e/planation("
2 went there and saw a room in@nitely lon and wide, entirely @lled with writins(
?herever 2 opened, 2 saw the e/planation of the story(
-hayey +oharan N$H
T)E A212TBR
A visitor entered a house and as,ed the head of the house% ">rom what do you ma,e a
livinL" "2 don*t have a @/ed livelihood at home," his host replied, "but the world
provides me with what 2 need to live(" The uest as,ed him, "?hat do you studyL" The
host answered, and they continued tal,in toether until they spo,e in real earnest,
heart to heart( The host bean to feel a tremendous yearnin to ,now how to reach a
certain level of holiness( "2 will study with you," said the uest(
The host was surprised and bean to thin,, ""erhaps this isn*t a human bein at all("
4ut he loo,ed aain and saw that he was tal,in to him normally li,e a human bein(
Directly after this he felt a strenthenin of his faith and resolved to believe in the
uest and bean callin him "my teacher" (
)e said to the uest, ">irst of all, 2 would li,e you to teach me how to show the proper
respect for beins li,e yourself( Not, 2 need scarcely add, that 2 could really detract
from your true lory, God forbid0 Even so, it is hard for humans to be as meticulous as
they ouht to be in these matters( That is why 2 want you to teach me how to behave
with due respect("
" 2 haven * t time at the moment ," he answered, " but 2 will teach you this another time (
Riht now 2 must leave ("
"?ell, 2 also need to learn somethin else from you," said the host( ")ow far do 2 have
to o when 2 accompany you on your way , as the host is bound to do when his uests
departL"
"Till outside the entrance," he replied(
The host thouht to himself, ")ow can 2 o out with him( At the moment 2 am with him
amon ordinary beins, but if 2 o out with him alone . who ,nows who he isL" The
host said to the visitor, "2 am afraid to o out with you("
"2f 2 can learn with you 5ust li,e this," he replied, "then who is oin to stop me doin
anythin 2 want to you L The host escorted him outside ( All of a sudden he sei;ed him
and started to fy with him( The host was cold , so the other ave him a arment( "Ta,e
this arment," he said, "and it will be ood for you( 9ou will have food and drin, and
everythin will be ood and you will live in your house("
)e continued fyin with him( +eanwhile the host suddenly noticed that he was in his
house( )e couldn*t believe that he was actually in his own house( 4ut he loo,ed
carefully, and sure enouh he was spea,in with ordinary human beins and eatin
and drin,in normally( 4ut then he aain noticed that he was fyin li,e before( Then
he loo,ed aain, and lo and behold0 )e was in his house0 Aain he noticed that he
was fyin((( and so it went on for 8uite some time(
After a time he was set down in a valley between two mountains( There the man found
a boo, in which there were various combinations of letters% aleph , ;ayin , chet , dalet (
2nside the boo, were drawins of various vessels containin letters( Also within the
vessels were the letters related to the vessels% throuh these letters it was possible to
ma,e the vessels themselves(
The man had a tremendous desire to study the boo,( 4ut then he noticed that he was
bac, in his house( )e too, another loo, and he was bac, in the valley( )e decided to
ascend the mountain to see if he could @nd some ,ind of habitation there( ?hen he
came to the mountain, he saw a tree of old standin there with olden branches(
)anin from the branches were vessels li,e those drawn in the boo,, and inside the
vessels were other vessels throuh which these @rst vessels could be made( )e
wanted to ta,e the vessels from there, but he was unable to do so because they were
entanled in the branches(
+eanwhile he noticed that he was in his house( 2t was e/traordinary( )ow was it that
one moment he could be here and the ne/t moment thereL )e wanted to spea, about
it to other human beins, but how can one e/plain somethin incredible li,e this to
other people . they would @nd it hard to believe(
At this moment he loo,ed throuh the window and saw the same visitor( )e started
bein him to come in, but the visitor said, "2 don*t have time because 2*m on my way
to you(" "This in itself is somethin ama;in to me," said the man( "2*m riht here( ?hat
do you mean that you are on your way to meL" )e answered% "As soon as you showed
yourself willin to accompany me beyond the entrance, 2 too, the neshamah .soul,
from you and ave it a arment from the lower Garden of Eden( The nefesh . ruach
.spirit remains with you( This is why when you attach your thouht to that place you
are there and you draw the radiance of that place over yourself( Then when you return
here, you are here("
2 do not ,now from which world he is( 4ut this much is certain% he is from a world of
ood( 1o far it is not @nished( 2t is not completed(
-hayey +oharan N$F
4ARABLES
T)E -3A9.D2GGER
<EE"2NG )A""9 "A91
Bnce there was a poor man who used to ma,e his livin by diin clay and sellin it(
Bne day he was diin in the mud when suddenly he found a 5ewel( 2t must have
been worth a fortune0 The -lay.dier had no idea how much it was worth, so he went
to a 5eweler to have it valued(
The 5eweler told him it was worth so much that there was no.one in their country with
enouh money to buy it0 )e would have to travel to 3ondon , the capital city( 4ut bein
poor, the man did not have the money to ma,e the 5ourney( )e went and sold
everythin he had and went from house to house as,in for contributions, until he had
suf@cient money to 5ourney to the port(
)e wanted to board the ship but he did not have enouh money for the fare( )e went
to the captain and showed him the precious stone( The captain immediately too, him
onto the ship with reat fourish, sayin, "9ou*re a sure bet0" The captain ave him a
special @rst class cabin with every lu/ury as if he was a person of very hih ran,(
The -lay.dier*s cabin had a window overloo,in the sea( )e would sit there
en5oyin himself immensely re5oicin over the diamond, especially at mealtimes,
because 5oy and ood spirits are medically proven aids to easy diestion0
Bne day he sat down to eat and placed the diamond on the table in front of him so that
he could en5oy it( After his meal, he too, a nap( ?hile he was asleep, the cabin.boy
came in and too, the tablecloth with all the crumbs, and without even noticin the
diamond, shoo, everythin into the sea0
?hen the -lay.dier awo,e he reali;ed what had happened( )e almost went out of
his mind with worry and anuish( ?hat was he to doL The captain was a pirate who
would murder him for the boat fare(
1till, the -lay.dier pretended to be happy . as if he was 8uite unaware that anythin
had happened(
Every day durin the voyae the captain used to tal, to him for several hours( )e did
the same today( The -lay.dier made such a show of bein happy that the captain
didn*t notice anythin unusual(
The captain said to him, "2 ,now you are clever and honest( 2 want to buy a lare
8uantity of rain to sell in 3ondon . 2 can ma,e a bi pro@t( +y fear is that 2 will be
accused of embe;;lin from the royal treasury( 3et the purchase be made in your
name and 2 will reward you handsomely(" The -lay.dier felt it was a ood idea and
he areed(
As soon as they arrived in 3ondon , the captain died and everythin was left in the
hands of the -lay.dier0 The caro was in fact worth many times more than the
diamond0
The truth is that the diamond did not belon to the -lay.dier . and the proof is that
he lost it( The rain did belon to him . and the proof is that he ,ept it( And he only
ained what was his because he forced himself to ,eep happy(
1ipurim Nifaim
<A"TI2N "A1)A
Bnce there was a 6ew at the court of the 1ultan of Tur,ey whom the 1ultan loved and
esteemed more hihly than all his ministers of state( Every day he used to call him to
his palace to spend time with him alone( The ministers of state were very 5ealous of
the 6ew, and tried to thin, up ways to discredit him in the eyes of the 1ultan and ruin
him completely(
Amon the ministers was a certain "asha ,nown as <apt;in "asha( )e hated the 6ew
much more than all the other ministers, but he tried to ma,e him thin, he really loved
him( Every day he tried to devise ways to achieve his true desire . to discredit him in
the eyes of the 1ultan(
Bne day <apt;in "asha approached the 6ew and slyly bean tellin him how he had
been with the 1ultan(
"And 2 heard him say with his own mouth how much he loves you( 4ut one thin
bothers him( ?hen you spea, with him, he cannot stand the bad odor waftin out of
your mouth( Bf course he can*t do without you, so this smell causes him reat
sufferin("
<apt;in "asha continued% "Therefore my advice is that every time you come before the
1ultan, you should hold a scented hand,erchief in front of your mouth( This way the
1ultan will not smell the bad odor comin from your mouth , and you won*t fall foul of
the 1ultan("
2n his innocence the 6ew believed what the "asha had said and decided to follow his
advice(
Ne/t the "asha went to the 1ultan and told him that he had heard the 6ew tal,in
about his terrible sufferin( "(4ecause every time he spea,s with the 1ultan, he @nds a
bad smell emanatin from the 1ultan*s mouth("
"The 6ew has therefore decided," continued the "asha, "that when he comes to spea,
with you, my lord the 1ultan, he will hold a scented hand,erchief in front of his mouth
so as not to smell the bad odor from the 1ultan*s mouth( The sin that what 2 am
sayin is true will be that tomorrow, when he comes to spea, with you, you will see
with your own eyes that he will be holdin a hand,erchief over his mouth("
Bn hearin this, the 1ultan became e/tremely anry and said to the "asha, "2f 2 see
that you are riht, 2 will utterly destroy him("
1ure enouh, the followin day the 6ew came to the 1ultan holdin a hand,erchief
over his mouth, 5ust as the "asha had advised him, since he believed what he had
been told ( 1eein this, the 1ultan too, it as proof that the "asha had told him the
truth( The 1ultan immediately wrote a letter to his -hief E/ecutioner sayin% "The
person who brins you this letter must be thrown at once into the furnace where they
cast those condemned to death by burnin("
The 1ultan closed and sealed the letter and said to the 6ew, "2 would li,e you to deliver
this letter personally to the -hief E/ecutioner in such.and.such a place("
The 6ew too, the letter and promised the 1ultan he would carry out his instructions(
)e had no idea what was written in the letter and he went home(
Now this 6ew meticulously observed the mit;vah of circumcisin 6ewish boys(
?henever he was invited to perform a circumcision he would not allow any obstacle to
stand in his way, because this mit;vah was very precious in his eyes(
God wanted to save )is faithful friend and so )e arraned that on the very day that
the 6ew was supposed to deliver the 1ultan * s letter to the -hief E/ecutioner, a man
came from a certain villae to invite the 6ewish minister bac, to the villae in order to
circumcise his son( 1ince the 6ew never under any circumstances missed an
opportunity to perform this mit;vah, he started thin,in% ")ow can 2 carry out the
1ultan*s instructions to deliver his letterL"
God arraned that at 5ust that moment the "asha came towards him( The 6ew told the
"asha that he had come from the 1ultan, who had iven him a letter to deliver to the
of@cer in 8uestion( )owever, today God had sent him the opportunity to perform the
mit;vah of circumcision(
"And my custom is never under any circumstances to pass up this mit;vah," said the
6ew( "Therefore 2 would li,e to as, you to ta,e the letter and deliver it("
The "asha was delihted, because now he would be able to ma,e further accusations
aainst the 6ew for not havin carried out the 1ultan * s wishes with respect to the
letter( The "asha too, the letter from his hand and delivered it into the hands of the
e/ecutioner, who immediately sei;ed the "asha and threw him into the @ery furnace(
)e was burned up 5ust as he deserved in accordance with the divine law of "measure
for measure"(
The 6ew ,new nothin at all about what had happened to the "asha( The followin
day he went aain to the 1ultan, who was very surprised to see him(
")ave you not yet delivered the letter 2 ave you for that of@cerL" he as,ed(
"+y lord the 1ultan," replied the 6ew, "2 entrusted the letter to <apt;in "asha to deliver
to the of@cer, because God sent me an opportunity to perform the mit;vah of
circumcision, and it is my custom never to pass up this mit;vah("
The 1ultan reali;ed it was no mere chance that the "asha, who had tried to discredit
the 6ew, had been burned to death( The 1ultan immediately as,ed the 6ew, "?hy do
you hold a scented hand,erchief over your mouth when you spea, to meL"
"The "asha advised me to do this," said the 6ew, "because he told me that he heard
you say you cannot stand the odor from my mouth("
The 1ultan then told the 6ew how the "asha had tried to discredit him( ")e said that
you cannot stand the odor comin from my mouth0"
The 1ultan told the 6ew what was written in the letter he had iven him, and said to
him%"Now 2 ,now that God rules on earth and saves )is dear ones from all evil( ?hat
the "asha plotted to do to you was done to him, and God repaid his evil to his face("
>rom that time on the 6ew was more esteemed than ever in the eyes of the 1ultan .
more than all his other ministers . and he ave him the reatest respect and honor(
1ipurim Nifaim
T)E 42TTER )ER4
Bnce a 6ew and a German banded toether to o around bein( The 6ew tauht the
German how to pretend to be a 6ew !since German and 9iddish are 8uite similar'( This
way the 6ews, who are ,ind by nature, would help him(
"esach was comin, so the 6ew tauht the German how to behave when invited to
someone*s home for the "esach 1eder( )e e/plained to him that @rst they would ma,e
the <iddush and then wash their hands( The one thin that the 6ew forot to mention
was the eatin of the bitter herbs(
?hen the German came to the 1eder he was ravenous, not havin eaten for the
whole day( )e was leefully anticipatin eatin all the ood thins the 6ew had told
him about( 4ut at @rst, all they ave him was a tiny piece of veetable dipped in
saltwater for <arpas, and they carried on readin the )aadah(
The German was desperately lonin for the meal( )e was delihted when they
started eatin the +at;ah( 4ut all of a sudden they ave him the +aror, which was
terribly bitter in his mouth(
The German thouht this was the entire meal, and all they were oin to eat was the
+aror( )e immediately ran out, bitter and hunry, thin,in to himself that the 6ews
were truly cursed( "After all that ceremony, this is what they ive to eatL0L" )e returned
to the synaoue and went to sleep(
3ater on the 6ew arrived, his face beamin, fully satis@ed from eatin and drin,in(
")ow was your 1ederL" he as,ed( The German anrily told him what happened(
"Bh you stupid German," said the 6ew( "2f you had only waited 5ust a little loner you
would have en5oyed the best meal, e/actly li,e me("
1o it is in servin God( After all a person*s efforts and e/ertions to draw closer to God,
he is sub5ected to a little bitterness . because the puri@cation of the body comes
throuh bitterness( The person thin,s there will never be anythin e/cept bitterness,
and immediately runs away(
2f he would 5ust be willin to wait a while and endure this little bitterness in order to
purify the body, he would later e/perience every ,ind of vitality and deliht( 2n servin
God, @rst one e/periences the bitterness of the puri@cation of the body, but afterwards
one en5oys the vitality(
1ipurim Nifaim
T)E TREA1CRE
A man from a certain town once dreamed that in Aienna , under a bride, there lay
buried treasure( )e travel ed to Aienna and stood there by the bride tryin to thin,
what to do( Durin the day it would be impossible to di because of the people(
As he stood there, a soldier passed by and as,ed, "?hat are you standin thin,in
aboutL" The man thouht it would be best to tell him the truth( "erhaps he would help
him and they could share the proceeds( )e told him the whole story(
"6ews only thin, about dreams0" cried the soldier( "2 also had a dream, and in my
dream 2 too saw a treasure( 2t was in a particular house belonin to a particular
person("
The soldier mentioned the very name of the man*s city and the name of the man
himself( "There in the cellar lies a reat treasure, and 2 want to o there and ta,e it("
The man returned home, du in his cellar and found the treasure(
"Now 2 ,now that the treasure is with me0" he said( "E/cept that to @nd out about it, 2
had to travel to Aienna ("
1o it is in servin God( The treasure is inside each person( 4ut to @nd out about the
treasure, one must travel to the T;addi,(
1ipurim Nifaim
T)E TCR<E9."R2N-E
Bnce the ,in*s son went mad( )e thouht he was a tur,ey( )e felt compelled to sit
under the table without any clothes on, pullin at bits of bread and bones li,e a tur,ey(
None of the doctors could do anythin to help him or cure him, and they ave up in
despair( The ,in was very sad(((
Cntil a ?ise +an came and said "2 can cure him("
?hat did the ?ise +an doL )e too, off all his clothes, and sat down na,ed under the
table ne/t to the ,in*s son, and also pulled at crumbs and bones(
The "rince as,ed him, "?ho are you and what are you doin hereL"
"And what are you doin hereL" replied the ?ise +an(
"2 am a tur,ey," said the "rince(
"?ell 2*m also a tur,ey," said the ?ise +an(
The two of them sat there toether li,e this for some time, until they were used to one
another(
Then the ?ise +an ave a sin, and they threw them shirts( The ?ise +an.Tur,ey
said to the ,in*s son, "Do you thin, a tur,ey can*t wear a shirtL 9ou can wear a shirt
and still be a tur,ey(" The two of them put on shirts(
After a while he ave another sin, and they threw them some trousers( Aain the
?ise +an said, "Do you thin, if you wear trousers you can*t be a tur,eyL" They put on
the trousers(
Bne by one they put on the rest of their clothes in the same way(
Afterwards, the ?ise +an ave a sin and they put down human food from the table(
The ?ise +an said to the "rince, "Do you thin, that if you eat ood food you can*t be
a tur,ey any moreL 9ou can eat this food and still be a tur,ey(" They ate(
Then he said to him, "Do you thin, a tur,ey has to sit under the tableL 9ou can be a
tur,ey and sit up at the table("
This was how the ?ise +an dealt with the "rince, until in the end he cured him
completely(
1ipurim Nifaim
T)E TA2NTED GRA2N
A ,in once told his prime minister, who was also his ood friend% "2 see in the stars
that everyone who eats from this year*s rain harvest is oin to o mad( ?hat do you
thin, we should doL"
The prime minister suested they should put aside a stoc, of ood rain so they
would not have to eat from the tainted rain(
"4ut it will be impossible to set aside enouh ood rain for everyone," the ,in
ob5ected( "And if we put away a stoc, for 5ust the two of us, we will be the only ones
who will be sane( Everyone else will be mad, and they will loo, at us and thin, that we
are the mad ones(
"No( ?e too will have to eat from this year*s rain( 4ut we will both put a sin on our
heads( 2 will loo, at your forehead, and you will loo, at mine( And when we see the
sin, at least we will remember that we are mad("
1ipurim Nifaim
T)E -)ANDE32ER
There was once a boy who left his father to spend time in other lands( After a lon time
away, he eventually came home to his father( )e boasted that while he had been
away, he had learned a reat art% how to ma,e a chandelier(
)e told his father to assemble all the e/pert chandelier.ma,ers so that he could
demonstrate his pro@ciency in this art( The father did so, atherin all the master
chandelier.ma,ers to witness his son*s reatness and see what he had accomplished
all this time that he had been away in other lands(
The son brouht out a chandelier that he had made, but they all thouht it very poor(
)is father approached them all as,in them to tell him the truth, and they were forced
to admit that it was very poor(
The son was still boastin% ")ave you seen the wisdom of my artL" )is father told him
that not everyone saw it as bein so beautiful(
"Bn the contrary0" replied the son( "This is precisely how 2 have demonstrated my
reatness, because 2 have shown them all that they lac,( This chandelier contains the
de@ciencies of each and every one of the master craftsmen assembled here( Don*t you
seeL Bne of them considers this part of my chandelier to be very poor but he @nds a
different part very beautiful( Another craftsman @nds the e/act opposite( The very part
that his friend considers poor, he sees as bein e/ceptionally beautiful, while he
considers a different part to be poor( 1o it is with all of them( ?hat is bad in the eyes of
one is beautiful in the eyes of another, and vice versa(
"2 made this chandelier entirely out of their de@ciencies . to show them all that they all
lac, perfection and that each one has some de@ciency( >or what is beautiful in the
eyes of one is a de@ciency in the eyes of his friend( 4ut if 2 want, 2 can ma,e a perfect
lamp("
2f people ,new all of a thin*s shortcomins and de@ciencies, they could understand
the nature of that thin even if they had never even seen it(
"Great are God*s wor,s0" No one person is li,e any other( All forms were included in
Adam% the very word Adam includes all the different human forms( 1imilarly, the word
"liht" includes all the different liht.sources that e/ist( The same applies to all the
different thins in creation( Even amon the hihest of the hih, not one is li,e any
other(
This world contains wisdom that people could live off without even havin to eat or
drin,(
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E )BR1E AND T)E "C+"
There was once a man who did not believe in what people say about 5o,er.demons
from the side of evil who sometimes tric, people, as is ,nown to have happened on
various occasions(
Bne niht a 5o,er.demon came to him and invited him to step outside( The man went
outside and the 5o,er showed him a @ne horse that he wanted to sell( The man
e/amined the horse and saw that it was indeed a very @ne horse(
")ow much do you wantL" he as,ed(
">our rubles," replied the 5o,er(
The man saw that it was easily worth eiht rubles, because it was a particularly ood
horse( )e purchased the horse from the 5o,er for four rubles and was satis@ed that he
had found a reat barain(
The followin day he too, out the horse to sell( 1ome people were interested and
offered him a certain sum of money( 4ut he said to himself, ""resumably if they are
offerin me such a sum, it must be worth double" . and he did not accept(
The man led the horse on further and some people offered him twice the previous
offer, 5ust as he had wanted( 4ut he said to himself% ""resumably it is worth at least
double this price("
)e led the horse further alon until its price reached thousands( 4ut the man would
not aree to sell it to anyone( No matter how much anyone offered, he said,
""resumably it is worth at least double("
Eventually there was no.one who could afford the horse e/cept the ,in( The man too,
it to the ,in, who was willin to pay an enormous sum for it( Everyone said it was an
e/cellent offer, but the man refused to accept it , sayin to himself% ""resumably it is
worth more(" Thus the ,in too did not buy the horse(
The man left the ,in and went to water the horse( There was a pump that people
could use to et water for their animals( All of a sudden the horse 5umped into the
pump and disappeared without a trace . or so it appeared, because the whole episode
with the horse was a tric, by 5o,er demons(
The man* s screams and shouts drew a crowd around him(
"?hy are you shoutin L" they as,ed(
)e replied that his horse had 5umped into the pump( They ave him a sound beatin,
because he seemed insane( The hole of the pump was very narrow( )ow could a
horse 5ump into itL
)e saw how they were beatin him, thin,in he was cra;y( )e wanted to run away, but
as he tried to escape, the horse suddenly stuc, its head out of the pump( Bnce aain
the man started screamin , "Aaaah0 Aaaah0" . because he was convinced it was his
horse(
Aain a crowd athered around him and started beatin him a second time because
he seemed cra;y( Aain he wanted to fee, but as soon as he tried to escape, there
was the horse stic,in its head out of the pump( )e started screamin aain and the
people athered around aain and beat him(
Evil tric,s people time and time aain with absolutely nothin . complete falsehood
that contains no real substance at all( The person is tempted to follow evil, each time
thin,in he will satisfy his desires and ain more( Time after time he chases after these
lies(
Cntil suddenly they disappear and all his desires vanish , as happens at times( >or a
time the desires subside( 4ut then, when the person wants to distance himself from
them completely, they return and stic, out their head, ma,in him pursue them aain(
This ,eeps on happenin% as soon as they stic, out their head, he continues pursuin
them( Cnderstand this well(
1ipurey +aasiot
+2RRBR 2+AGE
A certain ,in built himself a palace and summoned two men to decorate it for him(
The ,in divided the palace into two parts, puttin one man in chare of one half and
the second in chare of the other( The ,in set a time limit within which they had to
complete their wor,(
The two men went off( Bne of them struled hard to teach himself the art of paintin
and plasterin as best as he possibly could, and he did so well that he was able to
paint his part of the palace with very beautiful and hihly unusual murals of animals
and birds and the li,e( Everythin was e/ecuted with wondrous beauty(
)owever, the second man paid no attention to the ,in*s command and did nothin
whatever about it( As the date for the completion of the wor, approached, the @rst man
had already @nished his side in all its beauty and wonder( The second man then bean
to loo, at himself and as, what he had done0 )e had wasted his time on futility and
nothinness without ivin a thouht to the ,in*s instructions(
)e tried to thin, what to do( )e reali;ed that in the few days left before the time
e/pired, it would be impossible even to teach himself to paint let alone actually paint
his part of the palace( The closin date was almost upon them( 4ut he had an idea( )e
plastered his entire portion with a ,ind of shiny pitch( )e plastered this dar, pitch over
his entire section, and the pitch was li,e a mirror% it refected everythin, 5ust li,e a
mirror( )e then hun a curtain in front of his section to act as a partition between it and
that of the other man(
?hen the appointed time came, the ,in went to inspect the wor, the men had done in
the allotted time( )e e/amined the @rst side with its ama;inly beautiful paintins
e/ecuted with e/ceptional s,ill( )owever, the other side was covered with a curtain,
behind which everythin was dar,% nothin whatsoever was visible(
Then the second man stood up and drew aside the curtain( The sun was shinin, and
because of the pitch, which refected everythin li,e a mirror, all those remar,able
paintins were visible on his side too( All the painted birds and other wondrous forms
painted in the @rst man*s side could be seen in the second man*s side as well(
Everythin the ,in had seen in the @rst man*s section he also saw in this man*s
section( Not only that, but even all the precious ob5ects and furnishins which the ,in
had brouht into the palace were all visible in the second man*s side as well( This
found favor in the eyes of the ,in(
-hayey +oharan N7$
T)E 1AD TIADD2<
2t is very bad to be sad all the time, and one should do everythin possible to avoid it(
Try to in5ect enthusiasm into your life( Encourae yourself by rememberin that every
sinle movement and esture you ma,e toward s servin God is very precious in )is
eyes, even if you advance no more than a hairsbreadth( 2n this world, the ?orld of
Action, man dwells in a body( This ma,es every sinle forward movement e/tremely
dif@cult, and that is why each one is so precious in God*s eyes(
2t is told that a certain T;addi, was overcome with a terrible sense of sadness and
heaviness( 2t is very hard indeed when sadness and heaviness ta,e hold of a T;addi,,
because they attac, him ever more stronly(
Eventually this T;addi, fell into such a mood of deep discouraement and heaviness
that he found it literally impossible even to move ( )e wanted to encourae himself
and pull himself up, but nothin could ma,e him happy or inspired( No matter what he
tried to be happy about, the Evil Bne found some reason to ma,e him depressed
about it( Eventually he could @nd nothin to be happy about, because whenever he
tried to be happy about somethin , he found in it somethin to ma,e him depressed(
>inally he started tryin to ma,e himself happy by dwellin on the fact that ")e did not
ma,e me a heathen(" This is certainly a reason to feel immeasurable 5oy, because the
vast ulf between the holiness of even the simplest 6ew and the impurity of the
heathens is beyond all measure(
?hen a person thin,s of God*s ,indness to him because ")e did not ma,e me a
heathen," he should feel ever.increasin 5oy . a 5oy that is not mi/ed with any sadness(
?hen someone tries to ma,e himself happy over a personal achievement of some
,ind, he can always @nd a reason to be unhappy( No matter what he may have
achieved, he will always @nd shortcomins and de@ciencies which stop him from
pullin himself up and feelin perfectly happy(
)owever, not to have been created a heathen is a ift of God alone( God )imself did it
. )e had mercy on the person and did not ma,e him a heathen( )ow could anythin
be lac,in in this 5oy since it is e/clusively the wor, of GodL Reardless of what ,ind
of 6ew the person may be, there is certainly an immeasurable difference between
himself and the heathens(
The sad T;addi, started ma,in himself feel happy about this( )e started re5oicin and
raisin himself little by little( ?ith each passin moment he felt ever reater 5oy( until
he reached such a level of 5oy that he attained the 5oy +oses e/perienced when he
ascended to receive the Torah(
As the T;addi, raised himself and re5oiced, he few thousands and thousands of miles
throuh the upper worlds( 1uddenly, he too, a loo, at himself and saw that he was far,
far away from the place where he had been at @rst( )e felt reat anuish over the
thouht that he miht fall somewhere and the local people would be very surprised
that he had suddenly disappeared(
A T;addi, always wants to wal, modestly, and his happiness bean to subside,
because happiness has its limits( 2t starts and then it comes to an end( ?hen his
happiness bean to subside, it subsided little by little, and he descended little by little(
As he descended from the place where he had fown in his ecstasy, he did not return
to his oriinal place by the path he too, when ascendin ( Rather, he dropped straiht
down from where he was( )e was therefore very surprised to discover that he had
returned to his oriinal place(
Cnderstand this well% ?hen he loo,ed at himself, he saw that he was actually in the
very place in which he had been at @rst( )e had not moved from there at all, e/cept
perhaps by a sliht hairsbreadth . for no human can measure anythin so e/actly( God
alone ,nows(
The T;addi, found it ama;in that he had fown so far throuh so many different
worlds, yet here below he had not moved from his place at all( This was a lesson to
him that even the tiniest movement one ma,es to ede forward and advance slihtly in
this world, even if less than a hairsbreadth, is so precious in God*s eyes that even
millions of miles and millions of worlds cannot compare with it(
This may be understood when we view this material world as the center point of the
planetary spheres( All the more so in relation to the hiher spiritual worlds, the entire
earth is certainly considered as no more than a tiny point(
>rom this point you can draw as many lines as you wish in any direction( ?here the
lines start e/tendin out of the point, they are all very close to one another( 4ut the
further they e/tend from the point, the further apart they become( ?hen the lines are
very far away from the point, the lines are also very far apart from one another despite
the fact that, close to the point itself, they are very near to each other(
2maine lines stretchin from this lower world only so far as the planetary spheres(
Even if a person moves no more than a sinle hairsbreadth from the place where he
was in this world, on the level of the planetary spheres there is an enormous distance .
millions of miles . between the place that was above his head at @rst and the place
above his head now( The distance is in proportion to the si;e of the hihest sphere as
compared with this world down below( >or the hihest sphere contains stars without
number, and every star is the si;e of this world or more(
)ow much more so when one imaines these lines e/tendin even further, beyond the
spheres of the planets and stars to the hiher spiritual worlds, compared with which all
the spheres of the planets and stars are considered nothin(
Even the tiniest movement of less than a hairsbreadth that a person ma,es here in
this world thus causes an immeasurably reater movement in the hiher spiritual
worlds( Even thouh in this lowly world the person may feel he has hardly moved at
all, because it is impossible to measure the distance he moved and only God ,nows,
nevertheless in the hiher spheres he has moved throuh thousands and thousands
of worlds and miles( )ow much reater, then, is the distance one moves in the hiher
worlds when he advances a whole mile or more in the service of God in this world(
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E >2SERA 1TBR9 A4BCT TRC1T
There was a certain ,in who thouht to himself% "?ho in the world has fewer worries
than meL 2 have everythin ood% 2 am the ,in and the ruler("
)e decided to investiate if this was true( )e went out at niht and stood behind each
house to hear what people were tal,in about( All he heard was each person*s worries(
Bne had problems in his shop( At a different house he heard someone tal,in about a
problem that needed overnment assistance( Each and every one had his own
worries(
Bne niht the ,in saw a very low house( 2t was li,e a cellar built half underround
with windows at round level( The roof was bro,en and sain( There the ,in saw a
man sittin playin his @ddle( The ,in had to listen very carefully 5ust to hear the
music( The man was very happy( )e had a 5u of wine and various foods in front of
him, and he was very happy( )e was full of 5oy, with no worries whatever(
The ,in !who was in disuise' went into the house and as,ed the man how he was
doin( The man invited the straner to sit down, and the ,in saw the 5u of wine and
the various foods, and how the man was simply full of 5oy( )e served his uest a drin,
and dran, a toast to the ,in( But of affection for this man, the ,in also dran,(
Afterwards he lay down to sleep, and he could see that the man was completely happy
with no worries at all(
2n the mornin the ,in rose and so did the man( )e accompanied the ,in out of the
house(
">rom where do you et all thisL" as,ed the ,in(
"2 ,now how to repair thins," replied the man( "2 can repair anythin that is bro,en( 2
am not able to ma,e anythin from scratch, but if somethin ets bro,en 2 can repair it(
Each mornin 2 o out and repair a few thins( Then, when 2*ve earned @ve or si/
shillins, 2 purchase all this food and drin, for myself(
?hen the ,in heard this, he said to himself% "2*m oin to spoil it for him("
The ,in went bac, to the palace, too, off his disuise and issued a decree forbiddin
anyone who had somethin in need of repair from ivin it to somebody else to repair(
Either he would have to repair it himself or buy a new one(
That mornin the man went out loo,in for people with thins in need of repair, but
they told him the ,in had decreed that it was forbidden to ive anythin to someone
else to repair( The man was very upset about this, but he had trust in God(
As he was wal,in, he noticed a householder choppin wood(
"?hy do you have to chop the woodL" he as,ed( "2s that @ttin for someone of your
statusL"
"2 tried to @nd someone to chop wood for me," replied the householder, "but 2 couldn*t
@nd anyone, so 2 was forced to chop it myself("
"Give it to me," said the man, "and 2 will chop it for you("
)e chopped the wood, and the householder paid him a shillin( The man saw that this
was a ood way to earn money and he went to chop more wood, until he had earned
si/ shillins( )e aain bouht his entire meal . and it really was a meal . and he was
very happy(
That niht the ,in aain peered in throuh the window of the man*s house and saw
him sittin there with his food and drin, before him in a very happy mood( The ,in
went into the house and , as on the previous niht, he slept there( 2n the mornin the
man arose and accompanied the ,in out(
">rom where do you et thisL" as,ed the ,in( "To buy this you need money0"
"2 used to repair anythin that was bro,en , " replied the man( "4ut the ,in passed a
decree prohibitin ivin anythin out to someone else for repair( 1o 2 chopped wood
until 2 earned enouh money for this("
The ,in left him and issued a decree that nobody must ive their wood to anyone
else to chop(
?hen the man approached someone offerin to chop his wood, the person told him
that the ,in had issued a decree not to ive anybody wood to chop( The man was
very upset about this because he had no money( 4ut he had trust in God( As he was
wal,in, he noticed someone cleanin out a stable(
"2s it @ttin for you to have to clean out this stableL" he as,ed(
"2 loo,ed for someone to clean it out but 2 couldn*t @nd anyone, so 2 have to do it
myself("
"3et me," said the man, "2 will clean it0"
)e set to wor, and cleaned out the whole stable, and the owner ave him two
shillins( )e went and cleaned more stables until he had earned si/ shillins( Aain he
bouht a whole feast and went home( The meal was a meal , and he was very happy(
Aain the ,in came to loo,, and once aain saw that everythin was as it had been
before( The ,in went inside and stayed the niht( 2n the mornin the man
accompanied the ,in out( The ,in as,ed him how he had manaed, and he
e/plained(
The ,in issued a decree ma,in it forbidd en to employ anyone else to clean out
one*s stable( That mornin the man went in search of stables to clean, but people told
him that the ,in had passed a decree forbiddin this(
The man went to the ,in*s recruitin of@cer to sin up as a soldier in the army( 1ome
soldiers are forcibly conscripted for army service, but others are hired soldiers who
serve for pay(
The man went to the recruitin of@cer to sin up for pay( )owever, he made a
condition with the recruitin of@cer that he was not sinin up permanently but only for
a while, and that he was to receive his pay each mornin for that day*s wor,( The
of@cer immediately dressed him in army uniform, hun a sword at his side and sent
him where he was needed(
Towards evenin, after he had completed all his duties, he threw off his uniform and
went to buy his whole meal . and the meal was a meal0 )e went home and he was
very happy( Aain the ,in went to loo, and saw that everythin was ready in front of
him and that he was very happy( The ,in went into the man*s house and lay down( 2n
the mornin he as,ed him how he had manaed, and the man told him what he had
done(
The ,in summoned the recruitin of@cer( )e instructed him not to dare pay waes to
anyone that day( That mornin, when the man went to the recruitin of@cer to collect
his day*s pay, the of@cer refused to ive it to him(
"4ut 2 made it a condition with you to pay me every day," the man protested(
"The ,in has decreed not to pay anyone today," replied the recruitin of@cer( All the
man*s pleas were of no avail (
"2 will be happy to pay you tomorrow for two days," said the of@cer, "but today it is
impossible to pay("
?hat did the man doL )e bro,e off the blade of his sword from its handle, replacin it
with a piece of wood( ?hen the sword was in its sheath this was not in the least visible
from the outside( The man pawned the blade of the sword( ?ith the money he
received he bouht the whole meal . and the meal was a meal0
The ,in arrived and saw that the man was completely happy, as before( Aain the
,in entered his house and lay down( )e as,ed him how he had manaed, and the
man told him the whole story . how he had been forced to brea, the blade of the
sword from the handle, and how he had pawned it in order to buy what he needed for
the meal(
"And afterwards, when 2 receive the pay for that day, 2 will redeem the blade and repair
the sword( Nobody will be able to see a thin because 2 can repair anythin that is
bro,en, so there will be no loss to the ,in(
The ,in went to his palace and called the recruitin of@cer( )e told him that a certain
person had been condemned to death( )e instructed the of@cer to call the particular
soldier he had hired and to order him . and only him . to cut off the condemned man*s
head(
The of@cer summoned the man, who came before the ,in !now dressed in his royal
clothes'( The ,in ave instructions for all his ministers to assemble in order to witness
this comic spectacle e/posin a man who had stuc, a piece of wood in his sword in
place of the blade( The man came before the ,in and fell at his feet(
"+y lord the ,in, why have 2 been summonedL" he as,ed(
"2n order to cut off this condemned criminal*s head," replied the ,in(
The man pleaded that he had never in his life shed blood( )e beed the ,in to call
someone else for this(
The ,in answered that he and nobody else was oblied to ,ill the man(
"2s the verdict so clear.cutL" as,ed the man( ""erhaps it is not so clear that he
deserves to die( 2 have never shed blood in my life( )ow could 2 shed blood when it is
not clear that the prisoner deserves to dieL"
The ,in replied that there was no shadow of a doubt that the prisoner deserved to
die( "And you and nobody else must e/ecute him("
The man saw that he could not prevail over the ,in, so he turned to God and said%
"Eternal God% Never in my life have 2 shed blood( 2f this man is not uilty, let the blade
of my sword turn into wood0"
)e too, hold of the sword and drew it from the sheath, and everybody saw that it was
made of wood( Everybody lauhed heartily, and the ,in saw that he was an e/cellent
man and sent him off in peace(
-hayey +oharan !manuscript'
STORIES
2 tried to brin you bac, to God throuh my tal,s and Torah teachins, but they haven*t
helped( 1o now 2 must tell you stories0
1ipurey +aasiot, 2ntroduction
O O O
?a,e up000
The tales and stories told by the T;addi,im have the power to rouse those who are
asleep so that their days will not be wasted( 2t is a reat privilee to @nd a T;addi, who
has the power to rouse you from your sleep( Btherwise you could sleep away all your
days, God forbid(
3i,utey +oharan 2, :J
O O O
?hy the T;addi, tells stories
?hy does the T;addi, tell storiesL 2t*s li,e when a doctor becomes sic, and is forced
to put himself in the hands of an outstandin e/pert( The sic, doctor wants to be iven
the ,inds of simple treatments he understands, but the e/pert ,nows of uni8ue cures(
1imilarly a person may come to the outstandin sae and T;addi, of the eneration,
who is doctor of the ailments of the soul( The person wants the T;addi, to ive him
medicines . spiritual pathways of the ,ind he understands( )owever the T;addi, has
far more e/alted medicines to administer(
1ometimes it is necessary to ive the patient a certain medicine, but if the patient
ta,es it as it is he will surely die( The medicine in 8uestion must therefore be mi/ed in
with other inredients( 1imilarly, there are people to whom it is impossible to reveal the
inner face of the Torah teachins which they need for their healin( >or healin comes
from the Torah% "2t will be health to your navel" !"roverbs H%$' ( )owever, the Torah has
two powers% it can either be an eli/ir of life or a fatal poison( >or "2f a person is
deservin, it becomes an eli/ir of lifeM if not, it becomes a fatal poison" ! 9oma GEb' (
>or this reason, if the person is iven the teachin the way it is, he will certainly die,
because for him, as one who is as yet unworthy, it would be a fatal poison( 2t is
therefore necessary to clothe the inner face of the teachin within other Torah
teachins( 1ometimes even this is too much for the person to bear( The T;addi, must
then clothe his Torah teachins in apparently mundane stories or conversations in
order for the person to be able to receive the medicine hidden beneath the surface(
>or the Torah teachin itself is now clothed within stories and conversations, because
it was impossible to administer it the way it really is(
3i,utey +oharan 2, #:&
O O O
T)E 3B1T "R2N-E11
2 was on a 5ourney, and 2 told a story that made everyone who heard it want to draw
closer to God( And this is the story%
There was once a ,in who had si/ sons and one dauhter( This dauhter was
especially dear to him( )e loved her reatly and too, the utmost deliht in her(
Bne day when he was with her, he became anry with her( 1uddenly the word s
slipped out of his mouth% "3et the Evil Bne ta,e you away0"
That niht she went to her room, but in the mornin no.one ,new where she was( )er
father was very distressed and he went searchin for her everywhere(
1eein how deeply troubled the ,in was, the "rime +inister rose and as,ed to be
iven an attendant, a horse and money for e/penses, and he went off in search of her(
)e searched and searched for a very lon time, until eventually he found her( This
story is about how he searched for her until he found her(
>or a lon, lon time he went from one place to another . throuh wildernesses, @elds
and forests, searchin and searchin(
?hile passin throuh a wilderness, he saw a path leadin off to the side( )e thouht
to himself% "2 have been travelin in the wilderness for such a lon time and 2 cannot
@nd her( 3et me try this path( "erhaps 2 will reach some habitation("
)e ,ept oin for a lon time( >inally, he saw a castle with many soldiers standin
around it( The castle was very beautiful, and the troops were standin around it in @ne
order( )e was afraid that the soldiers would not let him enter( 4ut he thouht to
himself, "2*ll o and try(" )e left his horse and went to the castle(
They let him in without tryin to stop him and allowed him to o from room to room( )e
came to a reat hall and loo,ed around( The ,in was sittin there with his crown(
4efore him were many soldiers and many siners with instruments( 2t was very, very
beautiful there( Neither the ,in nor anybody else as,ed him anythin(
)e saw ood food and delicacies( )e ate and then went to lie down in a corner to see
what would happen( )e saw the ,in ive an order to brin the 8ueen( They went to
brin her, and there was a reat commotion and reat happiness( The musicians
played and san as they brouht the 8ueen( They placed a chair for her and seated
her by the ,in( 2t was the princess0 The "rime +inister saw her and reconi;ed her(
Afterwards the 8ueen lanced and noticed someone lyin in the corner( 1he
reconi;ed him( 1he rose from her throne and went over to him and touched him(
"Do you reconi;e meL" she as,ed(
"9es," he replied, "2 reconi;e you( 9ou are the ,in*s dauhter, who was lost( )ow did
you et hereL"
"4ecause my father the ,in let that word out of his mouth," she replied( " This is the
place of evil("
)e told her that her father was in terrible pain and had been searchin for her for
many years(
")ow can 2 ta,e you outL" he as,ed(
"2t will be impossible for you to ta,e me out," she replied, "unless you choose yourself
a place and stay there for a whole year( Throuhout the entire year you must yearn to
ta,e me out( ?henever you have time, you must only yearn, lon and wait to free me(
And you must also fast( Bn the very last day of the year you must fast and you must
not sleep for the entire twenty.four hours("
)e did as she said( At the end of the year, on the very last day, he fasted and did not
sleep( )e rose to o there( Bn the way he saw a tree with e/ceptionally beautiful
apples( The siht was very temptin, and he stopped to eat( As soon as he ate the
apple, he fell into a deep sleep(
)e slept for a very lon time indeed( )is attendant tried to rouse him, but he did not
wa,e up( Eventually he awo,e, and as,ed his attendant%
"?here in the world am 2L"
The attendant told the "rime +inister what had happened( "9ou have been asleep for
a very lon time . for many years( 2 have been livin off the fruits("
The "rime +inister was very pained( )e went and found the ,in * s dauhter , but she
complained to him bitterly%
"2f you had come on that day you could have ta,en me out from here( And because of
one day, you lost0 2t is true that not to eat is very hard indeed, especially on the last
day, because then the evil ure attac,s very stronly("
The princess told him that she would now ma,e it easier for him( )e would not be
re8uired not to eat, because that is very hard to endure(
"Go bac, and choose yourself a place and stay there for another year( Bn the last day
you may eat( Bnly you must not sleep, and you must not drin, wine so that you do not
sleep, because the main thin is not to sleep0"
)e did as she said( Bn the last day he was on his way to her when he saw a fowin
sprin( 2t was red in color and had the smell of wine(
")ave you seen this sprinL" he as,ed the attendant( "2t should be water but it*s red in
color and smells of wine0"
)e tasted from the sprin and fell immediately into a deep slumber( )e slept for many
years . seventy years0 +any troops passed by followed by their baae trains and
e8uipment( The attendant hid himself from the soldiers( Afterwards came carriaes
and a chariot, and there sat the ,in*s dauhter(
1he stopped ne/t to him and stepped down( 1he sat at his side and reconi;ed him(
1he tried very hard to arouse him, but he did not stir( 1he started lamentin over him(
")e made such reat efforts and tried so hard for so many years to free me, and
because of that one day when he could have freed me, he lost his chance("
1he cried and cried(
"2t*s a terrible pity for him and for me( 2 have been here for such a lon time and 2 can*t
et out("
Afterwards she too, the scarf from off her head and wrote on it with her tears( 1he laid
it by his side, rose, sat in her chariot and left(
Afterwards he wo,e up( )e as,ed the attendant% "?here in the world am 2L" The
attendant told him all that had happened . how many soldiers had passed by, and then
a chariot( A woman had wept over him, cryin out what a pity it was, both for him and
for her(
+eanwhile he noticed the scarf lyin at his side(
"?here is this fromL" he as,ed(
The attendant told him that she had written on it with her tears( )e pic,ed it up and
raised it towards the sun( )e bean to see letters( ?ritten there he could read all her
complaints and laments(
"(And now 2 am no loner in that castle( 2nstead you must search for a mountain of
old and a castle of pearls . there you will @nd me0"
The "rime +inster left the attendant and went off alone to search for her( )e traveled
for many years searchin for her( )e thouht to himself%
"-ertainly no mountain of old with a castle of pearls e/ists in any inhabited area0" !)e
was familiar with eoraphy(' "Therefore 2 will o to search in wildernesses0"
)e went searchin for her in wildernesses for many years(
Then he saw a hue man( )e was so immense that he could not be considered a
human bein( )e was carryin an enormous tree, the li,e of which would never be
found in any inhabited area(
"?ho are youL" as,ed the iant(
"2*m a man," he replied(
The iant was very surprised( "2 have been in the wilderness for such a lon time and 2
have never ever seen a man here0"
The "rime +inister told him the whole story and that he was searchin for a mountain
of old with a castle of pearls(
"1uch a thin de@nitely does not e/ist," said the iant( )e discouraed the "rime
+inister and told him he had been tric,ed with complete nonsense(
The "rime +inister bean to cry and cry( "2t de@nitely must e/ist somewhere 0"
)owever, the iant discouraed him, sayin, "9ou have certainly been told complete
nonsense(" 4ut the "rime +inister insisted that it de@nitely did e/ist(
The strane iant said to the "rime +inister% "2n my opinion this is nonsense( 4ut since
you are so stubborn( 2 am in chare of all the animals( >or your sa,e, 2 will call all the
animals, since they roam around the whole world( "erhaps one of them ,now s of this
mountain and castle0"
)e called them all, from the smallest to the larest . all ,inds of animals . and he
as,ed them( 4ut they all answered that they had not seen it(
"9ou see0" he told the "rime +inister, "they told you complete nonsense( 3isten to me
and o bac,, because you will de@nitely not @nd it( There is no such thin in the world("
4ut the "rime +inister persisted, sayin, "2t certainly must e/ist0"
The iant said to the "rime +inister% " Deeper in the wilderness is my brother( )e is in
chare of all the birds( "erhaps they ,now since they fy hih in the air( "erhaps they
have seen that mountain and castle( Go to him and tell him that 2 sent you("
The "rime +inister searched for him for many years ( Aain he found an immense
iant carryin an enormous tree( )e as,ed him the same 8uestions and the "rime
+inster told him the whole story and that his brother had sent him to him( The second
iant also discouraed him( "1uch a thin de@nitely does not e/ist"( 4ut the "rime
+inister insisted(
The second iant said to the "rime +inister% "2 am appointed over all the birds( 2 will
call them . perhaps they ,now(" )e called all the birds and as,ed all of them from the
smallest to the larest( They answered that they ,new nothin of such a mountain and
such a castle(
The iant said to the "rime +inister, "-an*t you seeL 2t 8uite de@nitely does not e/ist
anywhere in the world0 3isten to me and o bac,, for it certainly does not e/ist(" 4ut
the "rime +inister pressed him and insisted that it de@nitely must e/ist somewhere in
the world(
The second iant said to the "rime +inister% " Deeper in the wilderness is my brother,
who is in chare of all the winds( They blow over the entire world . perhaps they
,now("
The "rime +inister searched for many years, and found a man who was also immense
and also carryin an enormous tree( )e as,ed him the same 8uestions and the "rime
+inister told him the whole story( )e too discouraed him, but the "rime +inister
persisted(
The third iant said to the "rime +inister that for his sa,e he would call all the winds to
come and as, them( )e summoned them, and all the winds came( )e as,ed all of
them, but none of them ,new of any such mountain or castle(
"-an*t you seeL" said the iant to the "rime +inister( "They told you complete
nonsense0" The "rime +inister bean cryin and cryin( "2 ,now that it de@nitely
e/ists," he repeated(
2n the meantime, he saw that another wind had arrived( The captain of the winds was
very anry with this wind(
"?hy have you come so lateL Didn*t 2 decree that all the winds must comeL ?hy did
you not come with themL"
4ut the wind replied% "2 was delayed because 2 had to carry a princess to a mountain of
old and a castle of pearls("
The "rime +inister was over5oyed(
The captain as,ed the wind, "?hat is precious thereL ?hat is considered valuable and
importantL"
"There," he replied, "everythin is very precious("
The captain of the winds said to the "rime +inister% "9ou have been searchin for her
for such a lon time and you*ve made so many efforts( 2n case you encounter any
obstacle because of money, 2 am ivin you a purse that you 5ust put your hand into
and ta,e out money("
)e commanded the wind to ta,e him there( The storm wind came and carried him
there and brouht him to the ate( There were soldiers standin there who would not
let him enter the city, but he put his hand into the vessel and too, out money and
bribed them and went into the city(
2t was a very beautiful city( )e went to one of the wealthy citi;ens and paid for board
,nowin that he would have to stay there, as it would re8uire reat wisdom and
intellience to ta,e her out(
)ow he freed her is not told, but in the end he too, her out(
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E )C+43E <2NG
There was a certain ,in who had a wise man( The ,in said to the wise man%
"There is one ,in who sins himself as bein *mihty, reat and a man of truth and
humility*( As for his bein mihty, 2 ,now he is mihty because his ,indom is
surrounded by the sea and in the sea stands a feet of warships with cannons, which
will not allow anyone to draw near( 2nland from the sea is a deep moat that oes
around the whole ,indom( To et in, there is only one tiny pathway wide enouh for
only one man, and there too stand cannons( 2f someone comes to ma,e war, they @re
with the cannons( 2t is impossible to et near(
")owever, as for his sinin himself *a man of truth and humility*, 2 don*t ,now( 2
therefore want you to brin me a portrait of that ,in("
This was because this ,in had portraits of all the ,ins, but there was no portrait of
that ,in in any ,in*s collection( The reason was that he was hidden from everybody(
)e sat behind a veil, remote from the people of his country(
The wise man went to the country( )e reali;ed that he needed to @nd out the nature of
the country( )ow do you @nd out the nature of a countryL 9ou @nd it out throuh the
people*s humor( ?hen you want to ,now somethin, you should @nd out how people
lauh and 5o,e about it(
There are different ,inds of 5o,es( 1ometimes a person may really want to hurt another
with words, but when the other ta,es e/ception to his words, he says, "2 only meant it
as a 5o,e"( "3i,e one who e/erts himself to cast @rebrands and arrows( and then says,
2 am only 5o,in" !"roverbs E:%#$.#7' ( There are other times when a person may say
somethin that is truly intended as a lihthearted 5o,e, yet his friend is hurt by his
words( Thus there are various different ,inds of 5o,es and humor(
And amon all the different ,indoms there is one ,indom that includes all ,indoms(
2n that ,indom is one city that includes all the cities of the entire ,indom that
includes all ,indoms( 2n that city is one house which includes all the houses of the
whole city that includes all the cities of the ,indom that includes all ,indoms( And
there is one man who includes everythin in that entire house( And there is also
someone who produces all the moc,ery and 5o,in of the ,indom(
The wise man too, with him a lare sum of money and went there and saw how they
were moc,in and 5o,in in various ways( >rom the humor, he understood that the
entire ,indom was full of lies from beinnin to end( )e saw the way they would 5o,e
about how people defrauded and deceived others in business, and how the in5ured
party would sue in the lower courts where everythin was lies and bribery( )e would
then o to a hiher court, where everythin was also lies( They used to put on
comedies about all these ,inds of thins(
Throuh their humor the sae understood that the entire ,indom was @lled with lies
and deceptions and that there was no truth anywhere( )e did some business in the
,indom, allowin himself to be defrauded in the transaction( )e too, the case to
court, but the court was all lies and bribes( Bne day he would ive them a bribe but the
ne/t day they would not reconi;e him( )e went to a hiher court, and there too it was
all lies( Eventually he came before the 1upreme -ourt, but they too were full of lies
and bribery( >inally he came to the ,in himself(
?hen he came to the ,in, he said, "?ho are you ,in overL The whole ,indom is
full of lies from beinnin to end and there*s no truth in it("
)e bean enumeratin all the lies in the ,indom( ?hen the ,in heard his words, he
turned his ear to the veil to hear what he was sayin( The ,in was surprised that
there was anyone who ,new about all the lies in the ,indom(
The ministers of state who heard what he was sayin were very anry with him( 9et he
went on tellin about all the lies in the ,indom(
"2t would be proper to say," declared the wise man, "that the ,in too is li,e them . that
he loves falsehood 5ust as his ,indom does ( 4ut from this 2 see that you are a man of
truth% you are far from them because you cannot stand the falsehood of the country("
The wise man bean to praise the ,in reatly( 4ut the ,in was very humble, and "in
the place of )is reatness, there is )is humility" ! +eilah H#a' ( 1uch is the way of
the humble person( The more he is praised and mani@ed , the smaller and humbler
he becomes( 4ecause of the sae*s reat praise, e/tollin and manifyin him, the
,in reached the utmost humility and smallness until he became literally nothin( )e
could not contain himself, and he threw aside the veil to see who this wise man was
that ,new and understood all this(
)is face was revealed, and the sae saw it and brouht his portrait bac, to the ,in(
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E >39 AND T)E 1"2DER
This is a story about a certain ,in who endured many hard wars( )e was victorious
and too, many captives( Now do you thin, that if 2 tell you everythin you will
understandL
The ,in made a reat ban8uet and ball every year on the anniversary of his victory(
All the ministers of state and all the nobles attended the ball, in accordance with the
custom of ,ins( There were comic performances in which fun was made of all the
different peoples, includin the 2shmaelites They would mimic the styles and customs
of each of the different nations, and presumably they also made fun of the 6ews(
The ,in ave an order to brin him the boo, inscribed with the customs and conduct
of all the different nations( ?herever he opened the boo,, he read about the customs
and culture of each nation e/actly as the comedians were mimic,in them(
"resumably the producer of the comedy had also loo,ed in this boo,(
As the ,in sat readin the boo,, he noticed a spider creepin over the ede of the
paes( Bn the other side there was a fy( And where does a spider oL To the fy0 4ut
as the spider crawled towards the fy, a bree;e came and lifted up the pae from the
boo,, and the spider couldn*t reach the fy(
The spider retreated, slyly pretendin it was oin away and no loner wanted to
catch the fy, and the pae went down and rested in its place( The spider aain started
advancin towards the fy( Aain the pae arose and would not allow it( The spider
retreated aain( This happened several times(
Afterwards the spider aain started advancin towards the fy( 2t crept forward until it
succeeded in ettin one le up onto the pae( 4ut the pae rose aain, and now the
spider was already partially on it( The pae then settled bac, in its place, leavin the
spider beneath it trapped, between two paes( The spider tried to move but was
pinned down under the pae, until eventually nothin was left of it( As for the fy, 2
won*t tell you what happened to it(
The ,in watched all this in ama;ement( )e reali;ed that this was no trivial matter% he
was bein shown somethin( All the noblemen saw the ,in loo,in at this in
ama;ement( The ,in bean wonderin what it miht mean and do;ed off over the
boo,(
)e dreamt that he held a diamond in his hand( As he loo,ed at it, streams of people
were comin out of it( )e cast the diamond from his hand( <ins customarily have their
portrait hanin above them with a crown over the portrait( The men streamin from
the diamond were ta,in the portrait and cuttin off its head( They then too, the crown
and threw it into the mud(
The ,in saw all this in his dream( The men were runnin towards him to ,ill him( 4ut a
pae from the boo, on which he was lyin arose to protect him, and they were unable
to harm him and went away( The pae then went bac, to its place( Aain they ran
towards him to ,ill him, but the pae aain lifted itself up( This happened several
times(
The ,in reatly loned to see which pae was protectin him and which people*s
customs were inscribed on it( 4ut he was afraid to loo,( )e started screamin, "?oe0
?oe0" All the noblemen sittin there heard and wanted to wa,e him up( )owever, it is
not proper to sha,e the ,in( 2nstead they started banin all around him in order to
awa,en him, but he did not hear(
+eanwhile a tall mountain approached him and as,ed% "?hy are you cryin so muchL
2 have been asleep for such a lon time and nothin has wo,en me up . nothin0 And
now you have wo,en me up0"
")ow could 2 not screamL" replied the ,in( "They are comin to ,ill me, but this pae
is protectin me("
"2f this pae is protectin you," said the mountain, "you have nothin to fear( +any
enemies arise aainst me also, but this pae protects me( -ome and 2 will show you("
The mountain showed the ,in tens of thousands of enemies standin all around it,
feastin and re5oicin( 2nstruments were playin and people dancin( All their
happiness and 5oy was due to some or other roup amon them havin wor,ed out a
plan to reach the mountain( They would ma,e a hue celebration and hold a ban8uet
with entertainers( 1o it was with each and every roup amon them(
"4ut this same pae with these same customs that protect you is also protectin me0"
Bn the summit of the mountain was a tablet inscribed with the customs of the nation
that were inscribed on the pae protectin him, but because the mountain was so
hih, it was impossible to read the writin(
Down below, however, was a tablet on which it was written, "?hoever has all his teeth
can ascend the mountain(" 4ut God had made a certain herb row in the place leadin
up to the mountain which made the teeth of anyone who came there fall out( 2t made
no difference whether he was on foot or ridin, or whether he traveled in a carriae
drawn by animals% all their teeth would fall out( 3yin there were mountainous heaps of
teeth li,e mountains and mountains(
Afterwards the same men that had come out of the diamond returned and replaced the
portrait as it had been at @rst( They too, the crown, washed it and hun everythin in
its riht place(
The ,in awo,e and immediately loo,ed at the pae that was protectin him to see
which nation*s customs were inscribed on it( ?ritten there he saw the customs of
2srael ( )e bean loo,in at the pae carefully and he understood the real truth( )e
refected, and decided that he himself must certainly become an 2sraelite( 4ut what
could be done to brin everyone to repent and brin them to the truthL
The ,in decided to o travelin in search of a wise man who could e/plain the real
meanin of the dream( )e too, two men with him and traveled the world not li,e a ,in
but as an ordinary person( )e traveled from city to city and from country to country,
as,in how he could @nd a wise man capable of e/plainin the true meanin of the
dream(
)e was told of such a sae in a certain place( )e traveled there, came to the wise man
and told him the truth . that he was a ,in who had won wars . and he related the
whole episode at the ball( )e as,ed the wise man to e/plain his dream(
The wise man answered% "2 myself am unable to provide the e/planation( )owever,
there is a time on a certain day in a certain month when 2 ather all the incense spices
and blend them toether( The person breathes in the smo,e of this incense and thin,s
internally what he wants to see and ,now( Then he will ,now everythin("
)avin spent so much time on his 8uest, the ,in decided to wait until the day and
month in 8uestion( The wise man did as he said and made him inhale the smo,e of the
incense(
)e bean to see even what had happened to him before birth, when he was a soul in
the hiher world( )e saw how his soul was borne throuh all the worlds, with the
bearers proclaimin, "3et anyone who has any accusations aainst this soul come("
4ut there was nobody to ma,e any accusations aainst it(
+eanwhile someone came runnin and cryin(
"+aster of the ?orld0 )ear my prayer0 2f this one comes into the world, what will there
be left for me to doL ?hy did you create meL"
This was the Anel of Death( 4ut the answer came% "This soul certainly must o down
into the world( As for you, wor, out some plan0" And he left(
The soul was conducted further throuh the worlds until it was brouht before the
)eavenly -ourt of 3aw to administer the oath in order that the soul miht come down
into the world(
That man had still not arrived( They sent a messener for him, and he came brinin
an old man bent over li,e a very old man that he had already ,nown for a lon time(
)e lauhed and said, "2 already have a plan( The soul may o down into the world("
They allowed the soul to o down into the world( The ,in saw all that had happened
to him from beinnin to end . how he had became ,in, the wars he fouht, the many
captives he had ta,en, includin a beautiful woman who had every ,ind of charm in
the world, thouh it was not her own but came from the diamond hanin on her(((
No.one can ascend that mountain e/cept for the wise and the wealthy(
2 will not tell you any more, but there is very much more in this(
"salm H% "A son of David when he fed( B God0 )ow many are my enemies, many
arise aainst me( And 9ou, B God, are a shield for me, my Glory, ?ho raises my head(
2 call out with my voice to God, and )e answers me from )is holy mountain" !this is
the mountain in the story'( "2 lay down and slept, and 2 awo,e" !as told of the ,in in
the story'( "2 shall not fear the tens of thousands of people( >or 9ou have smitten all
my enemies on the 5aw, 9ou have bro,en the teeth of the wic,ed" !because all their
teeth fell out when they wanted to o up to the mountain'( "Cpon 9our people is 9our
blessin( 1elah0"
1ippurey +aasiot
T)E RA442*1 BN39 1BN
There was once a rabbi who had no children( Eventually he had an only son, and he
raised and married him off ( The son would sit in a room upstairs studyin Torah, as
was the way with those who were better off(
)e would constantly study and pray( 4ut he felt a certain lac, within himself, thouh he
didn*t ,now what it was( )e felt no real taste in his studies and prayers( )e told this to
two of his youn friends, who advised him to visit a particular T;addi,(
Now this son had performed a certain mit;vah that brouht him to the level of the
1mall 3iht(
The son told his father that he felt no taste in his prayers and studies and that
somethin was missin, thouh he didn*t ,now what it was( 4ecause of this, he
wanted to visit that T;addi,(
"?hat reason could you have to travel to him L" as,ed his father( "1urely you are more
learned than he is and you come from a better family( 2t is not proper for you to o to
him( Don*t follow this path("
)e thus prevented him from oin, and the son returned to his studies( 9et he still felt
the same lac,( Aain he too, counsel with the same friends, who advised him, as
before, to o to the T;addi,( Aain he went to his father, but the father dissuaded him
and prevented him from oin( The same thin happened several times(
The son felt he was lac,in somethin, and he reatly yearned to satisfy his need,
even thouh he did not ,now what it was( )e came aain to his father and pressed
him to the point that the father had no option but to travel with him since he did not
want to let his only son o alone (
The father said to him% "9ou see0 2 will o with you( 2 will prove to you that there is
nothin of any substance in him(" They prepared the carriae and set off on their
5ourney(
"2 am oin to ma,e a test," said the father( "2f everythin oes smoothly, it means this
5ourney has been ordained by )eaven( 4ut if not, it means it is not ordained by
)eaven and we shall o bac,("
They 5ourneyed until they came to a small bride( Bne of the horses fell , the carriae
overturned and they almost drowned(
"9ou see0" said the father to his son( "Thins are not oin smoothly, and this 5ourney
is not ordained by )eaven("
They turned bac,( The son returned to his studies, but aain he felt that somethin
was missin without even ,nowin what it was( )e went bac, to his father and
pressed him, and he was forced to o with him a second time( As they set off, the
father once aain set a test li,e the @rst time% "2f everythin oes smoothly("
Durin the 5ourney, it happened that two of the a/les of the wheels of the carriae
bro,e(
"9ou see0" said the father to his son, "Thins are not oin riht( ?e are not supposed
to ma,e this 5ourney( 2s it natural for both a/les to brea,L )ow many times have we
traveled in this carriae and nothin li,e this has ever happened("
They turned bac,( The son went bac, to his studies and once aain felt that somethin
was missin ( )is friends advised him to travel to the T;addi,, and he went bac, to his
father and pressed him until he was forced to travel with him aain(
The son told him that this time they should not set any tests unless there was a very
clear, visible sin, as it was 8uite natural for a horse to fall sometimes or for the a/les
to brea, (
They 5ourneyed until they came to an inn for the niht( A merchant ot into
conversation with them , as merchants do( They did not reveal their destination,
because the rabbi felt ashamed to say he was travelin to that T;addi,(
They discussed a variety of mundane topics, until the conversation came around to
the sub5ect of T;addi,im and where they are to be found( The merchant spo,e about a
certain T;addi, in one place and others in various other places, until they started to
tal, about the T;addi, to whom they were travelin(
")imL" said the merchant( ")e*s a lihtweiht( 2 am now on my way bac, from him( 2
was there when he committed a sin0"
The rabbi said to his son% "Do you see what this merchant is sayin 8uite
spontaneously without our even as,inL 2s he not on his way from thereL0L"
They turned bac, and went home(
The son died( Afterwards he came to his father, the rabbi, in a dream( The father saw
him standin there in reat aner(
"?hy are you so anryL" as,ed the father(
The son answered that he should 5ourney to the same T;addi, that he had wanted to
visit( ")e will tell you why 2 am anry0"
The father awo,e and said it was pure chance( Afterwards he had the same dream
aain but he said that this too was a meaninless dream( Cntil it happened a third time
and he reali;ed that this was no empty matter, and he 5ourneyed there(
Bn his way he met the same merchant that he had met previously when travelin with
his son( )e reconi;ed him(
"Aren*t you the one 2 saw in that innL" he as,ed(
"9ou certainly did see me," replied the merchant( )e opened his mouth wide and said
to him, "2f you wish, 2 will swallow you up0"
"?hat are you tal,in aboutL" as,ed the rabbi(
"Do you remember when you 5ourneyed with your sonL" replied the merchant( ">irst a
horse fell on the bride and you went bac,( Afterwards the a/les bro,e( After that you
encountered me, and 2 told you he is a lihtweiht(
"Now that 2 have eliminated your son, you are free to travel( >or he was on the level of
the 1mall 3iht, while that T;addi, is the Great 3iht( 2f they had met toether, the
+ashiach would have come( Now that 2 have ot rid of him, you may travel("
As he was spea,in he disappeared, and the rabbi had nobody to tal, to( The rabbi
5ourneyed to the T;addi, cryin, "?oe0 ?oe0 ?oe for what is lost and cannot be
found0"
+ay God 8uic,ly brin bac, our lost ones0 Amen0
This merchant was the Anel of Death himself( )e too, on the uise of a merchant
and deceived them( Afterwards, when he encountered the rabbi a second time, he
himself rebu,ed him for listenin to his advice( >or that, as we ,now, is his way( +ay
God protect us0
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E 1B")21T2-ATE AND T)E 12+"3ETBN
Bnce there were two householders livin in the same city( They were very wealthy and
had lare houses( Each had a son, and the two boys learned in the same school( Bne
was very intellient, while the other was simple( Not that he was foolish, but he had a
straihtforward, humble way of thin,in(
These two boys loved each other reatly, despite the fact that one was sophisticated
while the other was simple with a very humble mind(
As time passed, the two householders went into decline( They san, lower and lower
until they lost everythin and became poor( All they had left were their houses( The
boys were rowin, and their two fathers said to them% "?e do not have the means to
support you( Go and do whatever you choose("
The 1impleton went and learned to be a shoe.ma,er( )owever the 1ophisticate, who
was hihly intellient, did not want to enae in such a simple craft( )e decided to o
out into the world and loo, around before decidin what to do(
)e was wanderin in the main street when he saw a lare carriae drawn by four
horses rushin throuh(
"?here are you fromL" he cried to the merchants(
">rom ?arsaw ," they replied(
"?here are you oinL"
"To ?arsaw 0"
)e as,ed them if they needed an attendant( They saw that he was intellient and
eaer, and areed to ta,e him with them( )e traveled with them and served them very
well on the 5ourney(
Bn arrival in ?arsaw he thouht to himself, since he was very intellient% "Now that 2*m
already here in ?arsaw , why should 2 remain tied to those merchantsL +aybe there is
somewhere better( 3et me o and see what 2 can @nd("
)e went to the mar,et and made en8uiries about the men who had brouht him and
whether there miht be some better opportunities( )e was told that the merchants
were decent and that it would be ood to stay with them, but it would be hard, because
their business too, them to very distant places(
)e went further and noticed the clothin.shop assistants oin about with their stylish
mannerisms, ait and clothin, their eleant hats and lon pointed shoes( 4ein sharp
and intellient, he found this very appealin, particularly since one could stay in the
same place without havin to travel( )e went to the men who had brouht him and
than,ed them politely, tellin them that he preferred not to remain with them( As for
their havin brouht him, he had paid them with his service on the 5ourney(
)e too, a position with a shop,eeper( New shop assistants had to accept low waes
at @rst and do heavy wor,( Bnly later did they reach hiher levels( The shop,eeper
made him wor, very hard( )e had to carry merchandise to wealthy customers the way
shop assistants had to carry it, bendin their hands under their elbows in order to han
the arment over their arm and shoulder( )e found this wor, very onerous( 1ometimes
he had to carry heavy loads up steep fihts of stairs, and the wor, was very hard for
him(
?ith his intellient, philosopher*s mind, he thouht to himself% "?hat do 2 need this
wor, forL The ultimate oal is to et married and ma,e a livin( 4ut 2 don*t need to
thin, about that yet( There will be time enouh for that in years to come( The best thin
for me now will be to travel the earth, visit different countries and feast my eyes on the
world("
)e went to the mar,et and saw merchants travelin in a bi waon(
"?here are you oinL" he as,ed(
"To 3aorna0" they replied(
"?ill you ta,e me thereL"
"9es0"
They too, him with them, and from there he went to 2taly and then on to 1pain (
1everal years passed and he became even cleverer, havin been in many countries(
)e thouht to himself% "Now 2 should focus on the main oal("
?ith his philosophical mind he bean to thin, what to do( )e decided it would be a
ood thin to learn to wor, with old( This was a prestiious and attractive craft
re8uirin s,ill and wisdom, and it was also one that could brin wealth( 4ein hihly
intellient and a philosopher, he did not need many years to learn the craft( 2n no more
than a 8uarter of a year he ac8uired the necessary s,ill and became an outstandin
craftsman( )e was even more e/pert than the craftsman who tauht him(
Afterwards he thouht to himself% "Even thouh 2 have such a s,ill in hand, it is still not
enouh for me( Today this craft is prestiious, but perhaps at some other time another
craft will be prestiious(" )e too, a position with a em.cutter, and because of his
deep understandin he learned this craft too in very little time . a 8uarter of a year(
Then he bean philosophi;in% "Even thouh 2 have two crafts in my hands, who
,nowsL "erhaps neither of them will be prestiious( 2t would be ood for me to learn a
s,ill that will always be important( Csin his intellience and philosophy to e/amine the
matter, he decided to study medicine since this is always in demand and prestiious(
To learn medicine, one @rst had to learn 3atin and how to write it , as well as science
and philosophy( ?ith his 8uic, mind he learned this too in very little time . a 8uarter of
a year . and he became a reat doctor and philosopher and an e/pert in all @elds of
,nowlede(
Afterwards the whole world came to be as nothin in his eyes, for because of his reat
wisdom as a master craftsman, sae and doctor, everyone else in the world seemed to
him li,e nothin( )e decided to pursue the main oal . to et married . but he said to
himself%
"2f 2 marry a woman here, who will ,now what has become of meL 3et me o bac,
home so that they will see what has become of me( 2 was a small boy, and now 2 have
achieved such reatness0"
)e 5ourneyed home, but suffered reatly on the way( 4ecause of his reat wisdom, he
had nobody to tal, to( )e could not @nd satisfactory accommodation, and he suffered
very reatly(
3et us now set aside the story of the 1ophisticate for a while and tell the story of the
1impleton(
The 1impleton learned how to ma,e shoes, but because he was simple, it too, him a
lon time before he rasped it( 2ndeed, he was not completely pro@cient in his craft,
but he married and made a livin from his wor,( 4ein simple, however, and not too
pro@cient in his wor,, his livin was very scanty( )e did not even have time to eat
since, not bein fully pro@cient, he had to wor, constantly ( As he wor,ed busily,
drivin the awl throuh the leather, insertin the thic, thread and drawin it throuh in
the way shoema,ers do, he would ta,e a bite of bread(
)e was always happy% he was simply full of 5oy all the time( )e possessed every ,ind
of food, drin, and clothin( )e would say to his wife% "+y wife0 Give me to eat0" 1he
would ive him a piece of bread and he would eat it( Afterwards he would say% "Give
me beans and ravy(" 1he would cut him another slice of bread and he would eat it,
praisin the food( "This ravy is so beautiful0 2t is so ood0"
)e would as, her to ive him meat and other ood foods( >or every ,ind of food that
he re8uested, she would ive him a piece of bread( )e would ta,e the most e/8uisite
deliht in it, hihly praisin the food . "1o tasty0 1o ood0" . as if he was actually eatin
that very food( And the truth is that when he ate the bread, he actually did taste each
,ind of food that he wanted, all because of his reat simplicity and 5oy(
3i,ewise he would say to his wife% "Give me li8uor0" 1he would ive him water, and he
would praise it hihly( "?hat beautiful li8uor this is0 Give me honey mead0" 1he would
ive him water, and he would praise the mead( "Give me wine0" 1he would ive him
water, and he would en5oy it and praise it as if he was actually drin,in the drin, he
had re8uested(
As for their clothes, he and his wife possessed one sinle thic, sheeps,in coat which
they had to share( ?hen he needed to wear an overcoat to o to the mar,et, he would
say, "+y wife, ive me the overcoat0" and she would ive it to him( ?hen he needed to
wear a @ne fur coat to ma,e a social visit, he would say, "+y wife, ive me the fur
coat0" 1he would ive him the sheeps,in and he would ta,e reat deliht in it, praisin
it lavishly% "?hat a beautiful fur coat this is0"
?hen he needed a caftan to o to the synaoue, he would say to his wife, "Give me
the caftan0" 1he would ive him the sheeps,in and he would praise it sayin, "?hat a
@ne, beautiful caftan this is0" 1imilarly, when he needed to wear a sil, coat, she would
ive him the sheeps,in( )e would praise it and ta,e the utmost deliht in it% "?hat a
lovely, beautiful sil, coat0" )e was simply @lled with 5oy and deliht at all times(
?hen he @nished ma,in a shoe, it would all too often turn out trianular as he was
not fully pro@cient in his craft( 4ut he would ta,e the shoe in his hand and praise it
reatly( )e would ta,e enormous deliht in it, sayin% "+y wife, how beautiful and
wonderful this shoe is( )ow sweet this shoe is( This shoe is pure honey and suar0"
"2f so," she would as,, "why do the other shoema,ers ta,e three old coins for a pair
of shoes while you only receive one and a halfL"
"?hat do 2 careL" he would answer( "That is their wor, and this is my wor,0 4esides ,
why do we need to spea, about othersL 3et us wor, out how much clear pro@t 2 ma,e
on this shoe( The leather costs such and suchM the lue, the thread , the @llin cost
such and such( 2n the end 2 ma,e a pro@t of ten roschen0 ?hy should 2 mind when 2
ma,e such a pro@t(" )e was simply @lled with 5oy and deliht at all times(
+ost people considered him ridiculous and found him the perfect taret for their scorn
and derision, because he seemed li,e a madman( "eople would approach him and
start a conversation for the sole purpose of ridiculin him( The 1impleton would say,
"As lon as you don*t moc,0" 2f they spo,e without moc,in, he would listen to what
they had to say and enae in conversation(
)e never tried to probe people*s intentions too deeply, for this itself is a form of
moc,ery( )e was a simple person( 2f he saw that their intention was to moc,, he would
say, "1o what if you are cleverer than meL 1urely you will then be nothin but a fool(
Am 2 so important that it is a reat thin to be cleverer than meL 2f you are cleverer
than me, you are a fool0"
All these were the ways of the 1impleton( Now let us return to the main story(
Bne day there was a hue commotion, for the 1ophisticate was on his way home with
reat pomp and deep wisdom( The 1impleton also ran to meet him with tremendous
5oy( "Ruic,0" he called to his wife( "Give me the sil, coat . 2 must o to meet my dear
friend0" 1he ave him the sheeps,in and he ran to meet him(
The 1ophisticate was travelin in a horse.drawn carriae in mani@cent style, and the
1impleton came to meet him full of 5oy, lovinly as,in him how he was(
"+y dear brother0 )ow are youL "raise be to God for brinin you and rantin me the
privilee of seein you0"
2n the eyes of the 1ophisticate, the entire world was as nothin . all the more so a man
li,e this, who seemed li,e a madman( 1till, because of their reat boyhood love, he
was friendly to him and 5ourneyed with him into the city(
Now the two householders, the fathers of these two sons, had died durin the time the
1ophisticate had been travelin from country to country, but their two houses
remained( The 1impleton, who had stayed at home, entered his father*s house and
inherited it( )owever, because the 1ophisticate had been away, there had been no.
one to ta,e care of his father*s house, which was in complete ruins( Nothin was left of
it and he had nowhere to o when he arrived( )e went to an inn, but he suffered there
because the inn was not to his taste(
Now the 1impleton found a new occupation( )e would run from his house to the
1ophisticate, @lled with love and 5oy( )e could see how much he was sufferin at the
inn( The 1impleton said to the 1ophisticate% "+y brother0 -ome to my house and stay
with me0 2 will put everythin 2 have into one corner and the whole house will be at
your disposal(" The 1ophisticate li,ed the idea, and moved into the 1impleton*s house
and stayed with him(
The 1ophisticate was constantly full of pain and sufferin( )e had a reputation for
bein an outstandin sae, a master craftsman and a doctor( A certain nobleman
came and ordered a old rin( The 1ophisticate made a very wonderful rin enraved
with e/traordinary desins includin an ama;in tree( 4ut when the nobleman came,
he did not li,e the rin at all( The 1ophisticate suffered terribly, because he ,new that
in 1pain such a rin with a tree li,e this would be considered 8uite outstandin(
Another time a reat nobleman arrived brinin a very e/pensive 5ewel from a far.off
land( )e also had another precious stone enraved with a certain desin, and
instructed him to enrave the same desin on the 5ewel he had brouht( The
1ophisticate enraved e/actly the same desin on the 5ewel e/cept that he made one
chane that nobody besides himself could possibly notice( The nobleman came and
too, the stone and was delihted, but the 1ophisticate suffered terrible pain because
of his mista,e( "2 have attained such a level of wisdom . how could 2 accidentally ma,e
a mista,eL"
)e also suffered in his medical practice( ?hen he visited a patient, he would prescribe
a medicine which he ,new for certain would de@nitely cure the patient if he had any
chance of survival, because it was an e/ceptional remedy( 4ut if the patient afterwards
died, people would say it was because of the medicine, and he suffered reatly
because of this( -onversely he would sometimes treat a patient and the patient would
be cured, but people said it was mere chance( Thus the 1ophisticate was constantly
full of misery(
2t was the same when he needed a arment( )e would summon the tailor and o to
reat lenths to e/plain to him how to ma,e the arment e/actly as he wanted in
accordance with his deeper understandin( The tailor did e/actly as the 1ophisticate
instructed him, ma,in the arment 5ust as he wanted it, with the e/ception of one
lapel, where he went slihtly wron and failed to follow the instructions e/actly(
The 1ophisticate suffered terrible pain as a result( )e ,new that even thouh the
arment was considered beautiful here, this was only because the local people had no
understandin of tailorin( "2f 2 was in 1pain with this lapel, 2 would be the lauhin
stoc, of all0" Thus it was that he was constantly full of sufferin(
Each time the 1impleton would come runnin to the 1ophisticate full of 5oy, only to @nd
him miserable and wrac,ed with pain(
"?hy should someone as wise and wealthy as you are endure constant sufferinL"
as,ed the 1impleton( "3oo, at me . 2 am constantly full of 5oy0"
)owever in the eyes of the 1ophisticate, the 1impleton was ridiculous and seemed
li,e a madman(
"2f most people ridicule me," said the 1impleton, "surely they are the fools( >or if they
are wiser than me, on the contrary . they are fools( This applies all the more to a wise
man li,e you( ?hat will it ma,e you if you are wiser than meL 2f only(" concluded the
1impleton, "(if only you could reach my level0"
"2t is 8uite possible," replied the 1ophisticate, "that 2 could come to your level . if
)eaven forbid my intellience was ta,en from me or if 2 became ill, in which case 2
miht o mad( >or what are you if not a madmanL 4ut for you to come to my level
would be 8uite impossible( There is no way that you could become wise li,e me("
4ut the 1impleton replied% ">or God, everythin is possible( 2t miht be that 2 could
reach your level in the win, of an eye0"
The 1ophisticate simply lauhed at him(
2n the wider world these two friends were ,nown as the 1ophisticate and the
1impleton( Althouh the world contains many sophisticated and many simple people,
nevertheless the traits of sophistication and simplicity were particularly evident in the
case of these two( They were both from the same place and had learned toether(
Bne had become e/ceptionally wise and sophisticated while the other was
e/ceptionally simple and straihtforward( 2n the "opulation Reistry, where everyone
is inscribed with his family name, the one was reistered as "The 1ophisticate" and the
other as "The 1impleton"(
Bnce the ,in paid a visit to the "opulation Reistry and found these two individuals
reistered respectively as "The 1ophisticate" and "The 1impleton"( The ,in had a
reat desire to see them( )e thouht to himself%
"2f 2 suddenly send for them to appear before me, they will be very frihtened( The
1ophisticate will be tonue.tied and unable to e/press any of his aruments, while the
1impleton miht o out of his mind throuh fear("
The ,in decided to send a sophisticated messener to the 1ophisticate and a simple
messener to the 1impleton( The problem was how to @nd a simple person in the
capital city, where people are mostly very sophisticated( Bnly the of@cer over the
treasuries is chosen speci@cally for his simplicity and honesty, since nobody wants a
sophisticate in chare of the treasuries( )is very sophistication and intellience could
lead him to waste all the resources( >or this reason a simple, honest person is chosen
as the of@cer in chare of the treasuries(
The ,in summoned a sophisticated individual toether with the simpleton who was in
chare of the treasuries and he sent them to the 1ophisticate and the 1impleton( The
,in ave letters to each of the two messeners toether with a letter to the overnor
of the local province under whose 5urisdiction the two lived(
2n his letter to the provincial overnor, the ,in ave instructions to send the letters to
the 1ophisticate and the 1impleton under the overnor*s name, in order that they
should not panic( )e was to write to them that there was no urency and the ,in was
not speci@cally orderin them to come( 2t was up to them to do as they wished( 2f they
so desired, they were to come . but the ,in wished to see them(
The two messeners, one sophisticated and the other simple, traveled to the local
province and ave the letter to the overnor ( The overnor en8uired about the
1ophisticate and the 1impleton( )e was informed that the 1ophisticate was
e/ceptionally wise and very wealthy, while the 1impleton was e/tremely simple and
straihtforward, havin only one sheeps,in to serve for every ,ind of dress(
The overnor reali;ed that it would certainly not be proper to brin him before the ,in
wearin the sheeps,in, so he had proper clothes made for him which he placed in the
carriae that was to collect the 1impleton( )e ave the messeners the letters and
they traveled there and handed them the letters( The sophisticated messener
delivered his letter to the 1ophisticate, while the simple messener ave the
1impleton his(
Bn receivin the letter, the 1impleton immediately said% "4ut 2 don*t ,now what*s
written in it . read it to me0"
"2*ll tell you what it says," replied the messener( "The ,in wants you to come to him("
"As lon as you*re not 5o,in," said the 1impleton(
"-ertainly not," said the messener( "2t*s true0 No 5o,in("
The 1impleton was immediately @lled with 5oy and ran to tell his wife(
"+y wife, the ,in has sent for me0"
"?hyL" she as,ed( ">or what purposeL"
4ut the 1impleton had no time to answer her and rushed away happily to set off with
the messener( )e climbed into the carriae and sat down( ?hen he discovered the
clothes, he was even happier(
2n the meantime information about misdemeanors on the part of the overnor reached
the ,in, who removed him( The ,in came to the conclusion that it would be best to
have a simple, honest person as overnor since such a person would run the province
truthfully, ,nowin nothin of sophistication and deceit(
The ,in decided to appoint the 1impleton as overnor, and issued a decree to that
effect( 2n any case the 1impleton had to travel via the provincial capital( They were to
wait for him at the ates of the city( Bn his arrival they were to stop him immediately
and inauurate him as overnor( They waited at the ates and as soon as the
1impleton arrived, they stopped him and told him that he had been appointed
overnor(
"9ou*re not 5o,inL" he as,ed(
"-ertainly not . no 5o,in0" they replied( The 1impleton immediately too, up the
position of overnor with all force and strenth(
And now that his fortune was on the rise . and ood fortune ma,es a person wise . he
attained reater understandin, even thouh he did not ma,e use of his wisdom at all,
conductin himself with his usual simple honesty ( )e overned the province sincerely
and honestly, truthfully and fairly, without a trace of corruption(
To run a province, there is no need for reat intellience and sophistication but only
fairness, simplicity and sincerity( ?hen two people appear ed before him in a law case,
he would declare, "9ou are uilty and you are innocent," in simple honest truth without
craftiness or deceit( )e conducted himself truthfully and honestly in everythin(
The people of the province adored him, and he had advisers who truly loved him( But
of love, one of them ave him some advice%
"9ou will 8uite de@nitely be called to come before the ,in( )e has already summoned
you, and in any case the overnor is oblied to appear before the ,in( Althouh you
are very honest and run the province without any trace of corruption, the way of the
,in is to steer the conversation to deep ideas and forein lanuaes( But of propriety
and politeness you ouht to be able to answer him( 2t would be a ood idea for me to
teach you some philosophical ideas and forein lanuaes("
The 1impleton saw that this was a ood suestion, and said, "?hy should 2 mind if 2
learn some deep ideas and lanuaesL" )e immediately recalled that his friend the
1ophisticate had told him it would be 8uite impossible for him ever to reach his level .
yet now he had already attained his wisdom( Even so, despite his already havin
attained a rasp of sophisticated wisdom, he made no use of sophisticated ideas at
all( )e conducted himself in all thins with his usual honest simplicity(
Afterwards the ,in summoned the 1impleton.Governor( )e traveled to the ,in, who
discussed with him the overnment of the province( The 1impleton made a very ood
impression on the ,in, who saw that he overned with reat 5ustice and truth and
without any corruption or deceit( The ,in then bean discussin deep ideas and
forein lanuaes( The 1impleton ave the appropriate answers, which particularly
impressed the ,in, who said, "2 see that he is so very wise, yet even so he overns
with such honest simplicity("
This found very reat favor in the eyes of the ,in, who appointed the 1impleton as
+inister.in.-hief over all his other ministers( The ,in desinated a special place for
his residence, ivin instructions to build him a @ttin palace of reat beauty and
splendor( )e ave him a written certi@cate attestin to his appointment as +inister.in.
-hief over all the other ministers( And so it was% they built him a residence in the very
place the ,in had desinated, and he became very reat and powerful(
As for the 1ophisticate, when the ,in*s letter arrived, he said to the sophisticated
messener who brouht it% "?ait0 1tay here toniht and we will ive the matter careful
consideration(" That evenin he made him a reat feast, durin which the 1ophisticate
applied his wisdom and philosophy with the utmost sophistication(
"?hat is thisL" he as,ed( "The ,in has sent for me L >or a lowly creature li,e meLLL
?hat am 2 that the ,in should send for meL The ,in is so reat and powerful( 2 am
lowly and despicable compared with such a reat and awesome ,in( 2t ma,es no
sense that such a ,in should send for a lowly creature li,e me( 2f 2 say it is because of
my wisdom, what am 2 compared to the ,inL Does the ,in not have wise menL
+oreover, the ,in himself must certainly be very wise( ?hy would the ,in send for
meL"
The 1ophisticate was very perple/ed( )e said to the ,in*s sophisticated messener%
"+ar, my words( 2n my opinion it is 8uite loical and obvious that there really is no ,in
in the world at all( Everyone is mista,en about this nonsense, because they thin, there
is a ,in( -onsider% how is it possible that all the people in the world would sub5ect
themselves to one man to be their ,inL ?ithout any doubt, there is no ,in over the
world at all("
"4ut did 2 not brin you a letter from the ,inL" replied the sophisticated messener(
"Did you yourself actually receive the letter from the hand of the ,in himselfL" as,ed
the 1ophisticate(
"No," replied the messener, "1omeone else ave me the letter in the ,in*s name("
"9ou see0" cried the 1ophisticate( "?hat 2*m sayin is riht% there is no ,in at all(" )e
8uestioned him further% "9ou yourself come from the capital city . you rew up there
and you*ve lived there all your life( Tell me% have you ever seen the ,in in your whole
lifeL"
"No," replied the messener . because the truth is that not everyone ets to see the
,in, who appears only very rarely(
"9ou see0" cried the 1ophisticate( "9ou see0 ?hat 2 am sayin is perfectly correct(
There is de@nitely no ,in at all( Even you have never seen the ,in("
"2f so," as,ed the sophisticated messener, "who runs the countryL"
"2 will e/plain that to you 8uite clearly," replied the 1ophisticate, "because 2 am the riht
person to as, as 2 have traveled in many countries( 2 was in 2taly , where they have
seventy advisory ministers, each of whom overns the country for a set period of time(
This way everyone in the land has a turn at runnin the country, one after the other("
)is words bean to penetrate the ears of the sophisticated messener until they both
areed and declared that "There is certainly no ,in over the world at all0"
"?ait until mornin," cried the 1ophisticate( "2 will ive you proof after proof that there
is no ,in in the world at all("
The 1ophisticate rose early the ne/t mornin and wo,e up his friend the sophisticated
messener, sayin% "-ome outside with me( 2 will prove to you clearly that the entire
world is in error( The truth is that there is no ,in at all and they are all reatly
mista,en("
They went to the mar,et and saw a soldier( They rabbed him and as,ed him%
"?ho m do you serveL"
"The ,in," he replied(
")ave you ever seen the ,in in your lifeL"
"No("
"9ou see0" said the 1ophisticate( "2s there any reater follyL"
Ne/t they approached an army of@cer and entered into a conversation with him(
"?ho m do you serveL" they as,ed(
"The ,in," he replied(
")ave you ever seen the ,inL"
"No("
"9ou can see it with your own eyes," cried the 1ophisticate( "2t is perfectly clear that
they are all mista,en and there is no ,in in the world at all("
They both areed that there was no ,in at all(
"-ome0" cried the 1ophisticate( "3et us travel the world and 2 will ive you further proof
that the whole world is reatly mista,en("
They went off and traveled the world( ?herever they went, they found everyone to be
in error( They started usin the idea of the ,in as an e/ample( ?herever they found
people to be mista,en about anythin, they cited the idea of the ,in as an e/ample(
"This misconception is as true as the idea that there is a ,in0"
They continued travelin until they had used up everythin they had( >irst they sold
one horse and then another, until they had sold them all and were forced to o on foot(
They were constantly 8uestionin everyone and @ndin them to be in error( They went
about on foot, impoverished, disrespectable bears to whom no. one paid any
attention(
They went around until they came to the city where the +inister . the 1impleton . lived(
2n the same town lived a true miracle wor,er, who was very hihly respected as he
performed e/traordinary wonders( )e was even ,nown and respected by the leadin
ministers(
?hen these two sophisticates arrived in the town, they wandered around until they
came to the house of the miracle wor,er( They saw numerous carriaes waitin there,
as many as forty or @fty, with sic, people( The 1ophisticate inferred that it must be the
house of a doctor( )e wanted to enter and ma,e his ac8uaintance, as he himself was
a reat doctor(
"?ho lives hereL" he as,ed(
"The miracle wor,er," they replied(
The 1ophisticate burst out lauhin and said to his friend, "This is a most e/ceptional
falsehood and error( This is even more foolish than the mista,e about the ,in( +y
friend, let me e/plain what a lie this is and how reatly mista,en the world is about
such deceit("
+eanwhile they became hunry( They found that they still had three or four coins, so
they went to a coo, shop where one could et food for as little as three or four coins(
They ordered, and the food was brouht to them(
As they ate, they chatted and 5o,ed about the lie and error about the miracle wor,er(
The owner of the coo, shop heard what they were sayin and became very anry,
because the miracle wor,er was hihly respected there( ">inish your food," he cried,
"and et out of here("
Afterwards the miracle wor,er*s son arrived( They continued 5o,in about the miracle
wor,er in front of his son( The owner of the coo, shop scolded them for 5o,in about
the miracle wor,er in front of his son( )e ave them a ood beatin and threw them
out of his house(
They were e/tremely anry and wanted to sue the man who beat them( They decided
to o to the owner of their lodins, where they had left their bundles of belonins, to
as, him how to start leal proceedins( They told him that the owner of the coo, shop
had iven them a severe beatin( ?hen he as,ed them why, they told him that they
had spo,en aainst the miracle wor,er(
"2t is certainly not riht to beat people," replied the owner of the lodins( "4ut you did
not do the riht thin at all in spea,in aainst the miracle wor,er( )e is very hihly
respected here("
They saw that the owner of the lodins was a nothin and that he too was in error(
>rom there they went to the town cler,, who was a entile( They told him the story of
how they had been beaten( "?hyL" he as,ed( They answered that they had spo,en
aainst the miracle wor,er( The town cler, also ave them a severe beatin and threw
them out of his house(
They went from one of@cer to the ne/t, hiher and hiher, until they came to the
+inister.in.-hief( Troops were standin uard in front of his house( The minister was
informed that a man needed to see him and he ave orders for him to enter(
As soon as the 1ophisticate entered, the +inister reconi;ed him as his friend the
1ophisticate( )owever, the 1ophisticate did not reconi;e the 1impleton now that he
had attained such reatness( The +inister immediately said to him%
"1ee where my simplicity has brouht me . to such reatness( And where has your
wisdom brouht youL"
"As to your bein my friend the 1impleton," replied the 1ophisticate, "let us tal, about
that later( 4ut now 2 demand 5ustice, because they beat me("
"?hyL" as,ed the +inister(
"4ecause 2 spo,e out aainst the miracle wor,er," replied the 1ophisticate, "because
it*s a lie and a bi deception"(
"1o you still hold by your sophisticated ideasL" said the 1impleton.+inister( "9ou see0
9ou said that you could easily attain my level but that 2 could not attain your level( 9et 2
have already reached your level of wisdom, whereas you have still not reached my
level( 2 see that it is harder for you to attain my simple honesty0"
Even so, since he ,new him from before when he was at the heiht of his reatness,
the +inister ave orders to ive him clothes and invited him to eat with him(
As they ate they started tal,in, and the 1ophisticate bean provin his opinion that
there is no ,in at all( The +inister rebu,ed him(
")aven*t 2 myself seen the ,inL"
The 1ophisticate answered him with a lauh( "Do you really ,now that it was the ,inL
Did you reconi;e himL Did you ,now for sure that his father and randfather were
,insL )ow do you ,now that this was the ,inL "eople told you this was the ,in .
they deceived you with a lie("
The 1impleton was very anry over the 1ophisticate*s denial of the ,in*s e/istence(
2n the meantime someone came and said% "The Devil has sent for you("
The 1impleton was e/tremely sha,en( )e ran in reat trepidation to his wife to tell her
who had sent for him( 1he advised him to send for the miracle wor,er( )e did so, and
the miracle wor,er came and ave him amulets and other protection, tellin him that
he now had no reason to fear( The 1impleton had reat faith in this(
The 1impleton carried on sittin with 1ophisticate, who as,ed him% "?hat made you so
frihtenedL"
"2t was because of the one that sent for us("
The 1ophisticate lauhed at him( "Do you really believe there is such a thin as the
DevilL"
"2f not, then who sent for usL"
"2t must be my brother0" replied the 1ophisticate( ")e wants to see me and he played
this tric, to send for me("
"2f so," as,ed the 1impleton, "how did he et throuh all the uardsL"
")e must have bribed them, and they are all lyin, sayin they never saw him at all("
+eanwhile someone else came and said the same thin% "The Devil has sent for you("
The 1impleton was now unsha,en( )e was not afraid at all because of the protection
iven by the miracle wor,er(
"Now what do you sayL" he as,ed the 1ophisticate(
"2 must inform you," replied the 1ophisticate, "that 2 have a brother who is anry with
me( )e is playin this tric, in order to frihten me("
The 1ophisticate stood up and said to the messener who came for them% "?hat does
he loo, li,e . the one who sent for usL ?hat ,ind of face does he haveL ?hat ,ind of
hair(L"
The messener described him(
"1ee0" cried the 1ophisticate( "That is e/actly what my brother loo,s li,e("
"?ill you o with them," as,ed the 1impleton(
"9es0" replied the 1ophisticate( "6ust ive me some soldiers to o with me so that they
don*t hurt me("
The +inister provided him with an escort of soldiers, and the 1ophisticate and his
friend, the sophisticated messener, went off with the man who had summoned them(
Afterwards the soldiers returned(
"?here are those sophisticatesL" as,ed the +inister(
The soldiers replied that they had disappeared . they had no idea how(
>or the Devil had ,idnapped these two sophisticates and brouht them to the muddy
bo( The Devil sat on a throne in the bo and threw the sophisticates into the mud(
The mud was thic, and stic,y li,e clay(
As the two sophisticates were tortured, they screamed out%
"9ou wic,ed villains0 ?hy are you torturin usL Does such a thin as the Devil really
e/istL 9ou are wic,ed villains, torturin us for nothin0"
These sophisticates still did not believe that such a thin as the Devil really e/ists(
They thouht that evil men were torturin them for no reason( The two sophisticates
lay there in the thic, mud tryin to understand what was happenin(
"They are nothin but wild ruf@ans we 8uarreled with once, and now they are torturin
us so much0"
They suffered terrible tortures for many years(
Bnce the 1impleton.+inister was passin by the miracle wor,er*s house and he
remembered his friend the 1ophisticate( )e came before the miracle wor,er and
bowed, as noblemen do( )e as,ed him if it would be possible for him to see the
1ophisticate and if there was a way to release him(
"Do you remember the 1ophisticate that the Devil summoned and too, awayL" he
as,ed( "2 have not seen him ever since("
"9es," replied the miracle wor,er(
The +inister as,ed him to show him where he was and to release him( The miracle
wor,er replied% "2 can certainly show you where he is and ta,e him out, but no. one
must o e/cept me and you("
They went toether and with the miracle wor,er* s help they came to the place(
There they were, lyin in the thic, mud and 8uic,sand( ?hen the 1ophisticate saw the
+inister, he screamed out% "+y brother0 1ee how these wic,ed villains are beatin and
torturin me so terribly over nothin0"
The +inister rebu,ed him( "9ou still clin to your sophisticated ideas and you don*t
believe in anythin( Accordin to you, these are human beins( Now see0 2sn*t this the
miracle wor,er that you deniedL 9et he, and only he, has the power to release you( )e
will show you the truth("
The +inister as,ed the miracle wor,er to ta,e them out and show them that this was
the Devil and his cohorts, and not human beins(
The miracle wor,er released them , and they were left standin on dry land( There was
no mud there at all( The destroyin anels turned into mere dust(
The 1ophisticate saw it all, and he was forced to admit to the truth, that there is a ,in(
1ipurey +aasiot
T)E ES-)ANGED -)23DREN
This is a story about a certain ,in who had a maid in his palace who attend ed the
8ueen( Bbviously a mere coo, would not have been allowed in to the ,in, but this
maid was an attendant of low ran,( The 8ueen ave birth and this maid also ave birth
at the same time( Then the midwife went and switched the babies around . 5ust to see
what would happen and how it would turn out( 1he too, the ,in*s son and put him
beside the maid, and she placed the maid*s son beside the 8ueen(
As time went on these children bean to row( The ",in*s son" !the one who rew up
with the ,in because they thouht he was the ,in*s son' was helped to rise from
level to level, becomin ever reater until he was a most important personae( The
"maid*s son" !who was really the ,in*s son, but he rew up with the maid' was raised
in the servant*s house(
Nevertheless, the two boys learned toether in the same school( The ,in*s true son,
who was ,nown as the "maid*s son", was naturally drawn to royal behavior even
thouh he rew up in the servant*s house( -onversely, the maid*s true son, who was
called "the ,in*s son", was naturally drawn to a different ,ind of behavior unli,e that of
royalty( 4ut havin rown up in the ,in*s palace, he was forced to conduct himself
royally because that was how he was raised(
Now the midwife . since women can be liht.headed . told someone the secret of how
she had switched the children( "Every friend has a friend," and the secret passed in
the usual way from one person to another until everyone was whisperin about how
the ,in*s son had been e/chaned(
2t was impossible for anyone to tal, about it openly in case the ,in found out( 2t was
8uite impossible to let the ,in @nd out( ?hat would he be able to doL There was no
solution( 2t was impossible to ive credence to a mere rumor . it miht be false( 2n any
case, how could they switch the two sons bac, into their proper positionsL They
therefore could not reveal the matter to the ,in( 9et people continued tal,in about it
amon themselves(
Bne day somebody revealed the secret to the ",in*s son" !who was in reality the
maid*s son', tellin him that people were sayin he had been e/chaned(
"4ut you cannot investiate this," said the man who told him the secret( "2t would be
beneath your dinity( 9ou therefore cannot o into the matter at all( 2 am only tellin
you this in case there is a conspiracy aainst you one day that miht ain strenth
because of this rumor( "eople will say they want to ta,e the ,in*s son as ,in . the
one they say is the ,in*s true son( 9ou will have to thin, about how to deal with him
and see how to remove him("
?herever this story spea,s about the ",in*s son", it refers to the one who rew up
with the ,in and was called the ",in*s son" thouh in fact he was the maid*s true son(
-onversely, the one that rew up as the "maid*s son" was really the ,in*s true son(
The ",in*s son" bean ma,in trouble for the servant who was rearded as the
"father" of the other son althouh in fact he was his own true father( The ",in*s son"
@red every ,ind of trouble in his direction, one after the other, in order to force him to
fee toether with his son(
As lon as the ,in was alive, his "son" did not have much power yet was still able to
cause him troubles( Eventually the ,in became old and died, and the ",in*s son",
who was the maid*s true son, too, over the ,indom( )e then caused even more
trouble for the servant who was rearded as the "father" of the other son( )e sent
trouble after trouble . but craftily, so that people would not understand that he was the
one causin the trouble, since this would not loo, ood in the eyes of the people( )e
therefore hid what he was doin but caused him constant troubles(
The servant reali;ed that the ,in was causin him troubles because of the rumors
about the e/chane( The servant e/plained the whole story to his "son" !who was in
reality the ,in*s true son' ( )e told him that he reatly pitied him(
")owever you loo, at it, if you are my son, 2 certainly have pity on you( And if you are
the ,in*s true son, you deserve even reater pity, because he wants to remove you
completely, heaven forbid( >or this reason you have no option but to move from here("
)e felt very bad about this(
)owever the ,in was constantly shootin his evil arrows one after the other, and the
other son decided to move away( )is "father" ave him a sum of money and he left(
)e felt very bad indeed about havin been driven from his own country for nothin(
"?hy do 2 deserve to be banishedL" he as,ed himself( "2f 2 am the ,in*s son 2 certainly
don*t deserve it( And even if 2 am not the ,in*s son, 2 also don*t deserve to have to fee
for no reason( ?hat sin did 2 commitL"
)e felt very bad about it( )e started drin,in and visitin the brothel( )e wanted to
spend all his days ettin drun, and followin his heart*s desires after havin been
banished for nothin(
+eanwhile the ,in too, up the reins of power with reat force( ?henever he heard
that people were whisperin and tal,in about the e/chane, he too, veneance and
punished them very severely, rulin with power and strenth(
Bne day the ,in went on a huntin e/pedition with his ministers( They came to a
beautiful place with a fowin river( They stayed there to rest and stroll around( The
,in lay down to rest, and bean thin,in about how he had banished the other son for
nothin( ?hichever way you loo,ed at it, if he was really the ,in*s son, wasn*t it
enouh that he had been e/chanedL ?hy should he be banished tooL And if he was
not the ,in*s true son, he did not deserve to have been banished . for what had he
done wronL
The ,in was thin,in about this and rerettin his sin and the reat wron he had
committed( 4ut he had no idea what he could do about it( 2t was a sub5ect he could not
discuss or see, advice about from anyone( )e became very worried and an/ious and
told his ministers to turn bac, as he had some issues on his mind and saw no purpose
in strollin around any more( They went home, and once the ,in was bac, in his
palace much business awaited him( )e became preoccupied with his affairs and forot
about the matter(
+eanwhile the banished son who was the ,in*s true son continued as before and
wasted his money( Bnce he went out alone for a stroll( )e lay down to rest and bean
thin,in about what had happened to him(
"?hat has God done to meL" he wondered( "2f 2 really am the ,in*s son, it is certainly
not fair to me( And if 2 am not the ,in*s son 2 also don*t deserve to be a fuitive and an
e/ile("
Then he thouht% "Bn the other hand, if it is true that God could really do such a thin
and e/chane the ,in*s son and ma,e him endure all this, is what 2 have done rihtL
?as it proper for me to have behaved the way 2 haveL"
)e bean to feel very sorry and reretted the bad thins he had done( Afterwards he
returned home and went bac, to his drin,in( 4ut havin started to feel reret, he was
constantly disturbed by thouhts of reret and repentance(
Bnce he lay down to rest( )e dreamed that in a certain place there was to be a fair on
a certain date( )e was to o there and accept the very @rst paid wor, he was offered,
even if it was beneath his dinity(
?hen he wo,e up, the dream was enraved in his mind( 1ometimes dreams pass
straiht out of the mind, but this dream and its messae were stronly @/ed in his
mind( Even so, it was very hard for him to carry it out, and he turned to drin, even
more( )e had the same dream aain several times, and it reatly disturbed him(
Bnce they were sayin to him in the dream% "2f you want to have pity on yourself% do
it 0" and he was forced to ful@ll the dream( )e went and ave his remainin money to
his landlord, leavin his @ne clothin behind in his lodins( All he too, for himself was
a simple merchant*s robe, and he made his way to the place of the fair(
Early ne/t mornin he went to the fair, where he met a merchant who said to him, "Do
you want a 5obL"
"9es," he replied(
"2 need someone to drive animals," said the merchant( "Do you want me to hire you L"
)e needed no time to thin, about it because of the dream( )e answered immediately%
"9es("
The merchant hired him at once and immediately started ivin him wor, to do,
orderin him about the way a master orders his servants(
)e bean wonderin what he had done( +enial wor, li,e this certainly did not be@t
him( )e was a entle person but now he would have to drive animals and be forced to
o on foot side by side with the animals( 4ut it was too late for rerets( The merchant
was orderin him about li,e a master(
")ow am 2 supposed to o on my own with the animalsL" he as,ed the merchant(
"2 also have other cattle drivers for my animals," he replied( "Go with them("
The merchant ave him some animals to drive, and he too, them outside the city(
Gathered there were the other cattle drivers who were oin to ta,e the animals, and
they went toether( )e drove his animals while the merchant rode at the side on a
horse(
The merchant rode his horse cruelly and showed e/tra cruelty to him( )e was
e/tremely afraid of the merchant, seein the reat cruelty he displayed towards him(
)e was afraid he would ive him one blow with his stic, and ,ill him instantly as he
was so entle and tender( )e went alon with the animals and the merchant at their
side( They came to a certain place and too, the sac, containin the bread for the
drivers( The merchant ave them to eat, and he was also iven some of this bread(
Afterwards they passed a very thic, forest where the trees were very close toether(
As they went, two of the animals entrusted to the ,in*s true son, who had become the
merchant*s driver, strayed( The merchant shouted at him and he chased after them to
try to catch them, but they ran away even further and he went chasin after them( The
forest was so thic, that as soon as he went in he could not see his companions and
they could not see him(
)e chased after the animals, which ran further away( )e chased them until he came
into the thic, depths of the forest(
"Either way 2 will die," he thouht( "2f 2 o bac, without the animals 2 will die at the
hands of the merchant(" 1o reat was his fear of the merchant that he was convinced
he would ,ill him if he came bac, without the animals( "4ut if 2 stay here, 2 will also et
,illed by the wild animals in the forest( ?hy should 2 o bac, to the merchantL )ow
can 2 o bac, to him without the animalsL" )e was very frihtened of him(
)e carried on chasin the animals, but they ,ept runnin further away( 2n the
meantime niht fell( Never before had it happened to him that he would have to spend
the niht alone deep in such a thic, forest( )e heard the cries and moans of the wild
animals( )e decided to climb up a tree and spend the niht there( All he could hear
were the cries and roars of the wild animals(
2n the mornin he loo,ed down and saw his animals standin nearby( )e climbed
down from the tree and went to catch them but they ran off( The further he chased
them, the further they fed, until they found some rass and stood ra;in( )e tried to
catch them but they fed( Every time he went after them, they ran away until he came
into the thic,est depths of the forest( )ere there were animals that have no fear of
men at all, bein so remote from human civili;ation(
Bnce aain niht fell( )e heard the cries and roars of the animals and became very
afraid( )e noticed a very reat tree standin there, and saw that a man was lyin
there( )e was afraid, but it was some consolation that he had found a man there(
Each as,ed the other% "?ho are youL"
"A man . who are youL"
"A man("
The man lyin by the tree as,ed him, ")ow did you come to be hereL"
)e did not want to tell him what had happened, so he simply said, "4ecause of the
animals( 2 was drivin animals, and two animals strayed in here, and that*s why 2 came
here("
)e as,ed the man he found by the tree, ")ow did you come to be hereL"
"2 came here because of my horse( 2 was ridin on the horse and 2 stopped to rest and
the horse went off and strayed into the forest( 2 was chasin after it tryin to catch it,
and the horse ran further away until 2 came here("
They decided to 5oin up and ,eep toether, and areed that even when they returned
to civili;ation they would remain toether( They spent the niht there and heard the
terrible howlin, moanin and roarin of the animals(
Towards mornin he heard loud lauhter rinin throuh the whole forest( The sound
of the lauhter was spreadin throuh the entire forest( The lauhter was so loud that
the tree was sha,in and swayin with the sound( )e was very shoc,ed and
frihtened, but the man he had found by the tree said, "This no loner frihtens me at
all as 2*ve already slept here the last few nihts( This lauhter is heard every niht 5ust
before dawn, until all the trees tremble and sha,e(
Nevertheless, the ,in*s true son was very sha,en( )e said to his friend% "Evidently
this is the place of the demons, because no such lauhter is ever heard in settled
areas( ?ho has ever heard the sound of such lauhter over the entire areaL"
Day bro,e soon afterwards ( They loo,ed down and saw this one*s animals and the
other one*s horse standin there( They climbed down from the tree and started
chasin after their respective animals( The cattle ran further and further away, and he
chased after them, while the other pursued his horse, which ran away until the two
men were far apart and lost their way(
+eanwhile he found a sac, of bread( This was priceless there in the wilds( )e too, the
sac, on his shoulder and went after his cattle(
1uddenly he encountered a man( At @rst he was worried, but at least it was some
comfort that he had found a man there(
")ow did you et hereL" as,ed the man(
"And how did you et hereL" he as,ed(
"+eL +y fathers and fathers* fathers rew up here( 4ut what about you L )ow did you
come to be hereL >or no human beins from civili;ed areas ever come here("
)e found this answer very disturbin because he understood that this was not a
human bein at all since he had told him that his fathers* fathers had rown up there
and that nobody from inhabited areas ever came there( Nevertheless he did not harm
him in any way but treated him in a friendly way(
The man of the forest said to the ,in*s true son, "?hat are you doin hereL"
)e replied that he was chasin after the animals(
"1top chasin after your sins," he said, "These are not animals at all( 2t is only your
sins that are leadin you on this way( Enouh0 9ou have already had what you deserve
. you have already received your punishment( 1top chasin after them( -ome with me
and you will attain what be@ts you("
)e accompanied him but was afraid to tal, to him or as, any 8uestions, because
someone li,e this miht open up his mouth and swallow him(
+eanwhile he found his friend who had one chasin after his horse( The moment he
saw him, he made sins as if to say, "<now that this is not a human bein at all( )ave
nothin at all to do with him, because this is not a human bein at all0" )e then went
over and whispered in his ear that this was not a human bein(
The man with the horse loo,ed and saw the sac, of bread on his shoulder, and he
started bein him(
"+y brother, 2 haven*t eaten for days . ive me bread0"
")ere in the wilderness nothin will help you," replied the ,in*s true son, "+y life
comes @rst and 2 need the bread for myself("
The man with the horse started bein and pleadin with him( "2*ll ive you whatever 2
have("
4ut in the wilderness bread is worth more than any ift or bribe(
"?hat will you ive meL" replied the man with the cattle, who was the ,in*s true son(
"?hat can you ive me in e/chane for bread in the wildernessL"
"2 will ive you my very self0" said the man with the horse( "2 will sell myself to you for
bread("
The man with the cattle considered the matter( "To buy a man, it*s worth ivin him
some bread(" )e bouht him as his eternal slave( The man with the horse swore a
solemn oath to him that he would be his servant for ever, even when they returned to
civili;ation( 2n e/chane he would ive him bread( They would eat from the sac,
toether until the bread was @nished(
They went toether after the man of the forest( )avin been bouht as his slave, the
man with the horse followed the man with the cattle as they went after the man of the
forest( As a result thins became a little easier for the ,in*s true son, because if he
had to lift anythin or needed somethin done for him he would order his slave to do it(
They went toether after the man of the forest until they came to a place full of sna,es
and scorpions( )e was very afraid( But of fear he as,ed the man of the forest, ")ow
will we et across hereL"
"Do you thin, that is so hardL" as,ed the man of the forest( ")ow are you oin to
enter my houseL"
)e showed them his house, which was standin in the air( ")ow will you et inside my
houseL"
They went with the man of the forest, who carried them safely across and brouht
them inside his house( )e ave them to eat and drin,, and left(
The true son of the ,in . the one with the cattle . was now ma,in use of his slave for
all his needs( The slave was very unhappy over havin sold himself as a slave
because of the short time he was in need of bread( Now they had food( 4ecause of
one brief period , would he have to remain a slave foreverL
)e sihed and roaned( ")ow have 2 come so low as to be a slaveL"
The true son of the ,in, who was now his master, as,ed him% "?hat was your earlier
reatness that you now sih over havin come to such a levelL"
The other man bean to tell him that he had been a ,in, but people spread rumors
that he had been e/chaned( >or this man with the horse was none other than the
,in of whom we spo,e earlier, who was really the son of the maid( )e told him how
he had banished the other son, but later it entered his mind that he had not done riht
and he bean to reret it( )e was constantly beset by rerets over his evil crime
aainst his friend(
Bnce he dreamed that his remedy would be to throw off the ,inship and o wherever
his eyes would ta,e him( This was how his sin would be recti@ed( )owever he did not
want to do such a thin( 9et he was constantly disturbed by these dreams tellin him
to do it( )e threw off the ,inship and went away, until eventually he came here( And
now he would have to be a slave0"
The ,in*s true son listened to all this in silence( "2*ll thin, it over," he said to himself(
"2*ll see how to deal with him("
That niht the man of the forest came and ave them to eat and drin, and they spent
the niht there( Towards mornin they heard the same sound of terribly loud lauhter
that made all the trees 8ua,e and tremble( The slave persuaded his master, the ,in*s
true son, to as, the man of the forest what this was(
"?hat is this sound of reat lauhter 5ust before morninL"
"This lauhter," replied the man of the forest, "is when the day lauhs at the niht(
4ecause the niht as,s the day, *?hy do 2 not have a name when you arriveL* Then
the day lauhs very loudly , and day brea,s . and that is the sound of this lauhter("
)e found this very ama;in . for it really is an ama;in idea that the day lauhs at the
niht(
2n the mornin the man of the forest left aain, while they remained there eatin and
drin,in( That niht he came bac,, and they ate and dran, and lay down to sleep(
Durin the niht they heard the cries of the animals, all roarin and moanin in strane
voices( All the animals and birds were cryin( The lion roared, the lioness rowled in a
different voice, the birds chirped and chattered( All of them san and cried in different
voices(
At @rst the two men were very sha,en by all this( They were so afraid that they paid no
attention to the actual sounds( 3ater they listened carefully, and heard that it was a
most ama;in, awesome son( )earin this son was the ultimate deliht, ma,in all
other delihts in the world pale into insini@cance ( They areed that they should stay
here since they would have food and drin, and could en5oy this most ama;in deliht(
The slave persuaded his master, the ,in*s true son, to as, the man of the forest what
it was, and he did so(
"This," replied the man of the forest, "is because the sun made a arment for the
moon( All the animals of the forest said that the moon reatly bene@ts them since their
main time of dominion is at niht( 1ometimes they need to enter inhabited areas, but
they are unable to do so durin the day( 1ince their main time of dominion is at niht,
the moon does them a reat favor by shinin to them( They therefore areed to create
a new melody in honor of the moon, and this is the melody you hear("
Now they listened to the melody even more carefully and they could hear that it was a
most wonderful and profoundly pleasin melody(
"Do you consider this to be such a noveltyL" as,ed the man of the forest( "2 possess
an instrument which 2 received from my fathers, which they inherited from their fathers*
fathers( This instrument is made of special leaves and colors, and as soon as you
place it on any animal, beast or bird, it immediately starts to sin this melody("
Afterwards the same lauhter ran throuh the forest, and day bro,e ( The man of the
forest left, and the ,in*s true son went in search of this instrument( )e searched the
whole room but did not @nd it, and he was afraid to o any further(
The ,in*s true son, the master, and his slave, the maid*s true son, were afraid to as,
the man of the forest to ta,e them to civili;ation( 4ut afterwards he told them he would
ta,e them bac, to civili;ation( )e brouht them to a human habitation and too, the
instrument and ave it to the ,in*s true son(
"2 am ivin you this instrument as a ift," said the man of the forest( "As for this one,"
he continued, indicatin his slave, the maid*s true son who had become ,in because
of the e/chane% "(as for him, you will ,now how to deal with him("
"?here should we oL" as,ed the ,in*s true son(
)e told them to loo, for a country called "The >oolish -ountry with the ?ise <in"(
They as,ed him in which direction they should o to start as,in how to @nd this
country( The man of the forest pointed with his @ner and said to the ,in*s true son%
"Go to that country( There you will attain your reatness("
They left and went on their way( They had a stron desire to @nd some animal on
which to test the instrument to see if it would ma,e it sin( As yet they had not seen
any ,ind of animal, but later they approached a settlement and found an animal( They
placed the instrument on the animal, which bean sinin the same melody(
They continued their 5ourney until they reached the >oolish -ountry with the ?ise
<in( The country had a wall around it and the only way to enter was throuh one
ate( They had to o around for many miles before they came to the ate to enter the
country(
?hen they arrived, they were not allowed to enter( The ,in of the country had died
and his son had become ,in( The old ,in had left a will sayin, "Cntil now they called
this *The >oolish -ountry with the ?ise <in*( 4ut now they should call it the opposite%
*The ?ise 3and with a >oolish <in*( ?hoever succeeds in chanin the name bac, to
the * >oolish 3and with the ?ise <in* should be the ,in("
Bnly someone who would underta,e to achieve this was allowed to enter the country(
That was why they did not want to admit him( They said to him, "Are you able to
underta,e this tas, and restore the country to its oriinal nameL"
2t seemed 8uite impossible for anyone to underta,e such a tas,, and they could not
enter( The slave tried to persuade his master to return home, but he was unwillin to
o bac, as the man of the forest had told him he should o to this country and there
he would achieve reatness(
2n the meantime another man arrived on horsebac,, but he was refused entry for the
same reason( The ,in*s true son noticed the man*s horse standin there, and too, the
instrument and placed it on the horse, which started sinin the most ama;in melody(
The owner of the horse pleaded with him to sell him the instrument, but he was
unwillin to do so(
"?hat could you ive me in e/chane for such an ama;in instrumentL" he as,ed(
"?hat will you be able to do with this instrumentL" as,ed the owner of the horse( "The
most you will be able to do will be to play it in some musical performance and earn a
little money( 2 ,now somethin far superior to your instrument% 2 possess ,nowlede
that 2 received from my fathers* fathers throuh which it is possible to understand one
thin from another( >or e/ample, if someone ma,es a casual remar,, this tradition
enables one to deduce somethin else from his remar,( Cntil now 2 have never
revealed this ,nowlede to anyone in the world( 4ut if you will ive me this instrument,
2 will teach you this tradition("
The ,in*s true son reali;ed that it would indeed be truly wonderful to be able to
understand one thin from another( )e ave the instrument to the owner of the horse,
who tauht him how to understand one thin from another(
Now that the ,in*s true son ,new how to understand one thin from another, he went
to the ate into the country( )e deduced that it must be possible to restore the country
to its oriinal name, because he already had the power to understand one thin from
another( )e understood that it was possible to do it even thouh he did not yet ,now
how(
)e decided to tell them to let him enter and he would underta,e the tas, of restorin
the country to its oriinal name( ?hat did he have to loseL )e told the men who were
barrin entry to all e/cept one who would underta,e this tas, that they should let him
in(
They admitted him and informed the ministers that there was a man who wanted to
underta,e to restore the country to its oriinal name( They brouht him to the ministers
of state, who said%
"9ou must understand that we too are far from bein foolish, heaven forbid( )owever,
the old ,in was such an outstandin sae that compared to him, we are considered
foolish( That is why the country used to be called the >oolish -ountry with the ?ise
<in( Afterwards the ,in died and his son became ,in( )e too is wise, but compared
to us he is not wise at all( Therefore the country is now called the opposite% *The ?ise
-ountry with the >oolish <in*(
"The old ,in left a will statin that if someone can be found who is so wise that he can
restore the ,indom to its oriinal name, he should be made ,in( The old ,in
instructed his son to ive up the ,inship in favor of such a man( ?hoever is so
outstandinly wise that everyone else is foolish compared to him will be the ,in( >or
he will be able to restore the ,indom to its oriinal name, *The >oolish <indom with
the ?ise <in,* as they will all be foolish compared to him( 9ou should therefore
understand the mission on which you are embar,in(" The ministers of state told the
,in*s true son all this(
"The test to see if you are suf@ciently wise," they continued, "is as follows( The old ,in
left an ama;in arden( All ,inds of instruments made of different metals row there(
1ome are of silver and some of old( The arden is most awesome and ama;in, but
it is impossible to enter it( As soon as anyone oes inside, he immediately starts bein
chased( They chase him and he screams, but he has no idea what is oin on and
does not see who is chasin him( This way they pursue him until they drive him out of
the arden and force him to fee( 3et us see if you are suf@ciently wise to be able to
enter this arden("
"Do they beat the person who entersL" he as,ed(
"The main thin , " they replied, "is that they chase him( )e has no idea at all who or
what is chasin him, and he fees in terrible panic(" This was what people who had
entered the arden had told them(
The ,in*s true son approached the arden and saw that it had a wall around it(
)owever, the ate was open and there were no uards, since obviously such a arden
did not need to be uarded( As he loo,ed around he saw a statue of a man standin
beside the arden( Above the statue was a tablet statin that this man had been ,in
hundreds of years earlier and that peace had reined in his time( "rior to this ,in
there had been wars, as there were after him, but in the days of this ,in there was
peace(
)e pondered the matter( )avin ac8uired the ability to understand one thin from
another, he understood that everythin depended on this man( Bn enterin the
arden, as soon as one bean to be pursued, there was no need to fee at all( Bne
had only to stand by the side of this man to be saved( +oreover, if they were to ta,e
this man and stand him inside this arden, everyone would then be able to enter
peaceably into the arden( The ,in*s true son could understand all this because of his
ability to deduce one thin from another (
)e entered the arden, and as soon as they bean chasin him, he immediately went
to stand by this man who stood outside ne/t to the arden( This way he was able to
leave in peace without bein harmed at all( Bther people who had entered the arden
had fed in terrible panic as soon as they were chased( They were hurt and in5ured
because of their very panic( 4ut by oin to stand by this man he left in peace and
tran8uility( The ministers watched, ama;ed that he had left safely (
The ,in*s true son then ave instructions to ta,e this man and place him inside the
arden( They did so, and then all the ministers were able to enter the arden and
leave safely without comin to any harm(
"Even so," said the ministers, "despite the fact that we have seen you perform such a
feat, it would not be proper to ma,e you ,in because of only one feat( ?e will ive
you one more test(
"There is a throne that came from the old ,in( The throne is very hih( 4y its side
stand all ,inds of animals and birds carved out of wood( 2n front of the throne stands a
bed( 4y the bed stands a table, and on the table stands a lamp( E/tendin from the
throne in all directions are well.trodden, walled pathways( 4ut no.one has the least
understandin of the connection between the throne and these pathways(
"After a certain distance alon these pathways, by the side of one of them stands a
olden lion( 2f any man approaches that lion, it opens its mouth and devours him( The
path then continues beyond where this lion stands( After a certain distance alon the
second pathway that e/tends from the throne in a different direction, there stands
another ,ind of beast . a leopard made of a different metal, which it is also impossible
to approach( Afterwards the path e/tends further( The same applies to all the other
paths( They spread throuh the entire country, but nobody understands the purpose of
the throne or the ob5ects standin by it or these paths( 9our test will be if you can
understand the purpose of this throne("
They showed him the throne and he saw that it was very hih indeed( )e went up to
the throne and e/amined it( )e reali;ed that this throne was made of the same wood
as the instrument which the man of the forest had iven him( )e noticed that a certain
rose was missin from the top of the throne( 2f the throne had this rose, it would have
the same power as the instrument that had the power to play when placed on any
animal, beast or bird(
)e carried on loo,in, and saw that the rose missin from the top of the throne was
lyin on the round ( 2t would be necessary to lift it up and place it on top so that the
throne would have the power of the instrument( >or the previous ,in had devised
everythin with the utmost wisdom so that no.one would be able to understand it until
the arrival of an outstandin sae who was able to chane everythin around and
realin it properly(
)e understood that it would be necessary to move the bed a little from its present
position, and so too the table and the lamp( 3i,ewise the birds and animals needed to
be moved around( A bird would have to be ta,en from one place and moved to
another, and the same applied to the other birds ( >or the ,in had made everythin
with the utmost wisdom and subtlety so that no.one would understand it, until a sae
came who could deduce how to order everythin properly( The lion standin by the
pathway e/tendin from the throne had to be moved elsewhere, as did all the other
animals(
The ,in*s true son ave instructions to arrane everythin properly . to ta,e the rose
from below and @/ it up above, and to arrane everythin else in the proper order(
Then they all bean sinin the most ama;in son and all the different thins
performed their proper function(
The ,in*s true son became ,in( Then he said to the maid*s true son% "Now 2
understand that 2 am the ,in*s true son and you are the maid*s true son("
1ipurey +aasiot
>rom T)E "RA9ER 3EADER
Bnce there was a prayer leader who was constantly enaed in prayer, sons and
praise to God( )e lived far from any inhabited area, but he would reularly visit the
towns and villaes( )e would enter the home of somebody . usually a poor person or
someone of little status . and tal, to him heart to heart about the purpose of this world(
>or the truth is that there is no other purpose in life than to devote ourselves to servin
God every day and to spend our time in prayer, sons and praises to God(
The prayer leader would spea, to the person very inspirinly for a lon time, until his
words enter ed his ears and the person aree d to 5oin him( As soon as he was willin,
the prayer leader would ta,e him to his chosen place far away from the city( 2t had a
fowin river and trees and fruits( They lived off the fruit( As for clothin, the prayer
leader didn*t mind what they wore(
)e would reularly o into the city to persuade people to serve God and follow his
path of prayer( )e would ta,e whoever was willin to follow him to his place outside
the city, and there they enaed in nothin but prayer, sons and praises to God,
confessions, fastin, self.discipline and repentance( )e would ive them boo,s he had
on these sub5ects(
They continued followin these practices until some of the people he had brouht
there were also @t to draw others to serve God( Eventually he would ive one or two
permission to o into the city to brin people closer to God(
The prayer leader was constantly busy drawin people closer and ta,in them from
the city( )e bean to ma,e an impact and the matter became public ,nowlede(
1uddenly people started noticin that someone or other had one missin from the
city and no.one ,new where they were( 1omebody*s son or the li,e would o missin
and no.one ,new where they were( Cntil it became ,nown that a prayer leader was
oin around persuadin people to devote themselves to servin God(
)owever, it was impossible to reconi;e or catch him, because this prayer leader
acted very cleverly( )e used to chane the way he loo,ed, and he would appear to
each person differently( To one he loo,ed li,e a poor man, to another li,e a merchant,
and to someone else he would appear in a different uise(
1ometimes, when spea,in with people, he saw that he could not succeed in his
purpose ( )e would intentionally mislead them so they would not understand his real
oal( The truth was that his only intention was to brin people to God( 4ut if he saw he
was accomplishin nothin with someone, he would steer the conversation in a
different direction, ma,in it impossible for the person to understand his real intention(
The "rayer 3eader was ma,in an impact and people were on the loo,out for him, but
it was impossible to catch him( )e and his men lived far away from any human
habitation, enaed in nothin but prayer, sons and praises to God, confessions,
self.discipline and repentance(
This "rayer 3eader had the ability to provide each one with what he needed( 2f he saw
that one of his men thouht he needed to serve God wearin olden clothes, he would
provide him with them( -onversely he would sometimes attract a wealthy person and
ta,e him away from civili;ation, and he understood that this rich man needed to o
about in cheap, torn clothin( )e would lead each one accordin to what he ,new he
needed(
2n the eyes of the people he brouht to God, a fast or a reat penance was more
precious than all the pleasures in the world( They had more pleasure from fastin and
repentance than all the pleasures in the world(
The -ountry of ?ealth
Now there was a certain very wealthy country where all the people were rich(
)owever, they had the stranest customs( >or them, everythin depended on wealth(
Each person*s status depended on how much money he had( 1omeone who
possessed a iven sum of so many thousands or tens of thousands had a certain
ran,, while a person who possessed a different amount had a different ran,( Their
entire class system depended on how much money each person possessed( The one
who possessed a speci@ed sum of so many thousands and tens of thousands was
,in(
They all had fas correspondin to how much money they had( 1omeone who
possessed a iven sum had one fa and the correspondin social ran, as indicated
by that fa( A person with a different sum had a different fa and status, dependin on
the value of his property( They had laid down how much wealth a person had to
possess in order to have a iven fa and ran,( Each person*s ran, depended on how
much money he had in accordance with their rules(
They had instituted that a person havin only a limited sum would be a mere human,
whereas if he possessed less he was an animal or a bird( They had different ,inds of
beasts and birds( 1omeone possessin no more than a iven sum would be labeled a
human lion while others were considered as different species of animals or birds,
because anyone who had very little property was considered a mere animal or bird(
>or them the main thin was how much money a person possessed, and his ran, and
status depended on that alone(
They also areed that they wanted to have planets and stars( ?hoever possessed a
speci@ed sum would be a planet, because, havin so much money, he was thouht to
possess the same power as that planet( There is a planet that causes old to row%
where old.dust is found on earth, the reason is because that planet ma,es the earth
produce old( Therefore old ultimately derives from the planets and stars( 2f a person
had so much old, they thouht that he must have the power of that planet and must
therefore be a planet(
They also decided to have constellations( 1omebody who possessed a speci@ed sum
would be a constellation( They also appointed those possessin enormous wealth as
anels, until eventually they all areed that they should also have ods( ?hoever
possessed a speci@ed sum of so many multi.millions was to be a od( 1ince God had
blessed him with so much wealth, he himself must be a od(
They also came to the conclusion that , in order not to become de@led, they should not
live in the air of this world or mi/ with other people ( ( Everyone else in the world was
impure in their eyes( They therefore decided to see, out the hihest mountains in the
world and live there, so as to be above the air of this world( They sent out men in
search of the hihest mountains, and when they found some very hih mountains, all
the people of the country mirated there(
Different roups of them lived on each mountain( They built hue forti@ed walls around
each mountain and du deep moats in order to ma,e it impossible for anyone to et
there( Each mountain had only one secret path so that no straner could ever reach
them( They posted uards at a distance from each mountain so that no straner could
even et near( They lived there on these mountains practicin their customs, and they
had numerous ods dependin on how much money each possessed(
1ince the main thin for them was money and reat wealth made a person a od, they
were very worried about murder and robbery, because people could ,ill and steal in
order to become ods( Nevertheless, they said that since anyone who possessed very
reat wealth was a od, he would have a protective power aainst robbery and
murder(
They instituted services and sacri@ces( They used to ma,e offerins and pray to their
ods( They also sacri@ced humans( "eople would sacri@ce themselves to their od in
order to become incorporated in him so as to then be reincarnated as a person of
wealth( >or their main reliion was money( They held services and offered sacri@ces
and incense to their ods . the owners of reat wealth(
Even so, the country was plaued with murder and robbery, because those who did
not believe in the services resorted to ,illin and stealin in order to ain wealth( This
was because the most important thin in life for them was money, since money buys
every ,ind of food and clothin, and man needs money for his livelihood( This was why
money was the foundation of their belief and reliion(
They made every effort to ensure that they should never be lac,in in money at all,
since money was their od( They considered it essential to try to increase their wealth
by import in wealth from elsewhere( Traders went out from there to other countries in
order to earn pro@ts and brin more wealth bac, into their country(
They certainly strictly prohibited the ivin of charity, since charity diminishes the
wealth with which God blesses a person, whereas the main thin for them was to
possess wealth( 1ince charity cuts into a person*s wealth, they strictly prohibited ivin
charity(
They also had of@cers whose tas, was to chec, each person to see if he had as much
money as he claimed( Everyone had constantly to display his wealth in order to
maintain the ran, he had been awarded on the basis of his wealth(
1ometimes an animal miht become a man or a man an animal( 2f a person lost his
money he turned from bein a man into a penniless animal( -onversely, when a
person made a pro@t, he turned from an animal into a man( The same applied to all the
other ran,s as determined by their wealth(
They had pictures and portraits of their ods . the owners of enormous wealth( They
all surrounded themselves with these pictures and used to ,iss and embrace them
since this was their reliion and belief(((
1ome of the "rayer 3eader*s virtuous followers had visited this country of wealth, and
on their return they told the "rayer 3eader how deeply enmeshed the people of that
country were in the lust for wealth( The "rayer 3eader had reat pity on them and
decided to o there in person to try to persuade them to ive up this error(
The )and
The "rayer 3eader related%
The ,in 2 was with possessed a hand . a picture of a hand with @ve @ners and all the
lines found on a hand( This hand was a map of all the worlds and everythin that has
ever or will ever e/ist, from the beinnin of the creation of heaven and earth until the
very end and afterwards . everythin was pictured on this hand(
The lines of the hand formed pictures of how each of the different worlds e/ists in all
its details, similar to the way they would be mar,ed on a map( The lines of the hand
formed letters, 5ust as there are letters on a map by the side of each different thin to
indicate what it is . a certain city or a river or the li,e( 1imilarly, the lines of the hand
formed letters by each thin to e/plain what it is(
All the details of all the different countries, towns, rivers, brides, mountains and so on
were mar,ed on the hand with these lines( 4y the side of each one were letters
indicatin what it was( All the people in each country and everythin that happened to
them were all mar,ed there( Also written there were all the paths leadin from country
to country and from place to place((
Also mar,ed on the hand was the path leadin from world to world( There is a path by
which one can o from earth up to heaven( The only reason why people cannot o up
to heaven is that they do not ,now the way( 4ut the hand showed the way to o up to
heaven, and it mar,ed all the paths from world to world( Eli5ah went up to heaven by
one path, which was inscribed on the hand, while +oses our Teacher went up to
heaven by a different path, which was also inscribed there( Enoch went up to heaven
by yet another path, and that too was inscribed there( 1o it was from world to world%
everythin was mar,ed in the lines of the hand(
Also mar,ed on the hand was how each individual thin e/isted at the time of the
creation of the world, how it is now and how it will be afterwards( Thus 1odom was
mar,ed there as it was when it was inhabited prior to its destruction( The destruction of
1odom was also pictured, and so was 1odom as it is after its destruction( The hand
was mar,ed with everythin that ever was, is or will be((
1ipurey +aasiot
>rom T)E 1EAEN 4EGGAR1RA442 NA-)+AN*1 3A1T 1TBR9
T)E 3B1T -)23DREN
There was once a mass fiht of people from a certain country% everyone fed( As they
were on their way they passed throuh a forest, and a boy and a irl ot lost( Bne
person lost a boy and another lost a irl( They were still little children of about the ae
of four or @ve( They had nothin to eat, and they cried and screamed because they
were hunry(
1uddenly a bear appeared with bas in which he was carryin bread( The two
children approached him and bean to follow him( )e ave them bread, and they ate(
")ow did you come to be hereL" he as,ed(
"?e don*t ,now," they replied . they were only little children(
?hen he was about to leave, they as,ed him to ta,e them with him( "4ut 2 don*t want
you to o with me," he said(
They noticed that he was blind( They wondered how he was able to @nd his way if he
was blind( The fact that they wondered about this is itself unusual since they were only
small children, but they were intellient(
The bear blessed them that they should be li,e him . that they should be elders li,e
him . and then he left them some more bread and went on his way( The two children
understood that God was watchin over them and that )e had sent them this blind
bear here in the forest to ive them food(
?hen all the bread was @nished, they aain started cryin for food( Niht fell and they
slept( 2n the mornin they had nothin to eat, and they cried and screamed(
Aain, a bear appeared( )e was deaf( They started tal,in to him, but he sinaled
with his hands that he could not hear( )e also ave them bread and left( They wanted
him to ta,e them with him but he would not do so( )e blessed them that they should
be li,e him and also left them some bread and went on his way(
?hen all the bread was @nished, they started to cry aain( Alon came a bear with a
speech defect( They started tal,in to him, but he stammered so badly that they did
not ,now what he was sayin( )e could understand what they were sayin but they
didn*t ,now what he was sayin( )e too ave them bread to eat and went on his way,
blessin them that they should be li,e him(
Afterwards came a bear with a croo,ed nec,, and the same thin happened( Then a
hunchbac, bear came, and then a bear with no hands, and then a bear with no
les( Each one ave them bread and blessed them that they should be li,e him(
?hen all the bread was @nished, they started ma,in their way to an inhabited area(
They came to a road and followed it until they came to a villae( The children went into
one of the houses, and the people had pity on them and ave them bread( They went
into another house, where the people also ave them bread( They went from door to
door and saw that they were havin success(
They decided to stay toether always( They made bi bears* sac,s for themselves
and went from door to door and attended all the celebrations . circumcisions and
weddins( They then decided to move on and went to the larer cities, where they
went from door to door( They went to the fairs and sat with the other bears on the
pavement with their charity plates( The two children became well ,nown to all the
bears( They all ,new them as the children that were lost in the forest(
Bnce there was a reat fair in a lare city( The bears 5ourneyed there and the youn
pair went with them( 2t occurred to the bears that they should ma,e a match
between the pair and have them marry( As soon as the bears bean discussin the
idea they all thouht it a very ood idea and areed on the match(
4ut how were they to ma,e the weddinL 1ince the ,in*s birthday ban8uet was to be
held shortly, they decided that all the bears should o, and from the meat and bread
they would be for themselves they would ma,e the weddin( And so it was% all the
bears went to the ,in*s birthday celebrations and beed for bread and meat( They
also collected all the leftover meat and party rolls from the feast( They went and du a
reat pit lare enouh to hold a hundred people( They covered it with reeds, earth and
dun and all went inside( There they made the weddin for these two children( They
brouht them under the marriae canopy and everyone was very happy(
1ipurey +aasiot
>rom T)E 1EAEN 4EGGAR1
T)E 1TBR9 B> T)E >2R1T DA9T)E 432ND 4EGGAR
The bride and room were also very happy indeed(
They started rememberin God*s ,indnesses to them when they were in the forest(
?ith tears of lonin in their eyes, they wished that the @rst blind bear who ave
them bread in the forest could attend their weddin(
6ust as they were lonin and yearnin for the blind bear, he suddenly appeared
and said%
2*m here0 2*ve come to be with you at your weddin( And my weddin ift to you is that
you should be old li,e me( At @rst 2 blessed you with this, but now 2 am ivin it to you
as an outriht ift . that you should live a lon life li,e me(
9ou thin, 2*m blind, but 2*m not blind at all( 2t is only that all the time in the whole world
counts as no more than the blin, of an eye for me(
!That was why he appeared blind, because he did not loo, at the world at all since all
the time in the world did not count as more than the blin, of an eye for him( Therefore
the concept of loo,in at this world simply did not apply to him('
2 am very old, but 2*m youn . 2 am still a suc,lin child0 2 haven*t even started to live at
all( 4ut even so, 2 am very old( Not only 2 say this( 2 have the areement of the Great
Eale0 3et me tell you the story(
Bnce, some men went out to sea in many boats( A reat storm wind smashed the
boats, but the men were saved( They came to a tower and they went inside( There
they found all the food, drin,, clothes and everythin else they needed( They were
provided with all the delihts of the world(
They decided that each one should tell the oldest story he could remember . his
earliest memory( There were old and youn men there, and they honored the oldest
amon them by as,in him to spea, @rst(
"?hat can 2 tell youL" he said( "2 remember when they cut the apple from the branch("
Nobody ,new what he was tal,in about( )owever, there were some wise men there
who said, "This is certainly a very old story("
Ne/t they honored the second oldest, who said% "2s that such an old storyL 2 too
remember that, but 2 also remember when the lamp was burnin("
1ome of the people there said, "This story is older than the @rst(" They found it
remar,able that this second one, who was youner than the @rst, remembered an
older story(
Then the third oldest said, "2 remember when the construction of the fruit started, when
the fruit @rst bean to form("
"This is an even older story," they said(
The fourth, who was still youner, said, "2 also remember when they brouht the seed
to plant the fruit("
The @fth, who was even youner, said, "2 also remember the saes who thouht up
and invented the seed("
The si/th, who was still youner, said, "2 remember the taste of the fruit before the
taste entered the fruit("
The seventh said, "2 remember the smell of the fruit before it entered the fruit("
The eihth said, "2 remember the appearance of the fruit before it was drawn into the
fruit("
And 2( . said the blind bear who was tellin all this . (2 remember all these stories,
and 2 also remember complete nothinness("
"This is a very old story," they said, "older than all the others(" They found it ama;in
that the baby remembered more than all of them(
1uddenly the Great Eale came and ,noc,ed on the tower and said to them, "1top
bein poor0 Go bac, to your treasures0"
The Great Eale told them to leave the tower in order of seniority( ?hoever was older
was to leave @rst( )e conducted them all out of the tower, ta,in the baby out @rst(
This was because in truth he was older than all of them( ?hoever was youner, he
too, out @rst, while he too, out the oldest of all last( This was because whoever was
youner was older, while the oldest of them was youner than all of them0
The Great Eale said to them, "3et me e/plain to you the stories each one told( The
one who said he remembers when they cut the apple from the branch was sayin that
he could remember when they cut his umbilical cord( )is earliest memory went bac, to
the moment he was born, when they cut his umbilical cord(
"The second one, who said he remembered when the lamp was burnin, could
remember when he was in the womb, when a lamp burned over his head(
"The one who said he could remember when the fruit bean to form could remember
when the body bean to form, when the embryo @rst came into bein(
"The one who remembered when they brouht the seed to plant the fruit could
remember when the drop came forth at the time of union(
"The one who remembered the saes who invented the seed could remember when
the drop was still in the brain( >or it is the brain that produces the drop( The one who
remembered the taste was rememberin the Nefesh.soul( The one who remembered
the scent remembered the Ruach.spirit( The one who remembered the appearance
was rememberin the Neshamah.soul(
"And the baby who said he remembered complete nothinness is hiher than all the
others, because he remembers even what came before the Nefesh.Ruach.Neshamah,
which is nothinness(
"Go bac, to your boats," said the Great Eale( "They are your bodies, which were
bro,en( They will be rebuilt( Now o bac, to them(" )e blessed them(
And to me, said the blind bear who was tellin all this, who had then been a baby,
the Great Eale said, "9ou come with me, because you are li,e me% you are very old
but you are still very youn, and you have not beun to live at all yet, even thouh you
are very old( 2 am also li,e this, because 2 am very old yet 2 am still a suc,lin babe("
Thus 2 have the Great Eale* s promise of a lon life( And now 2 am ivin you my lon
life as a weddin ift(
This brouht tremendous 5oy and happiness at the weddin celebration(
1ipurey +aasiot
>rom T)E 1EAEN 4EGGAR1
T)E 1TBR9 B> T)E 1E-BND DA9T)E 3B1T GARDENER
Bn the second day of the seven.day weddin celebration, the couple remembered the
second bear, the deaf man who had saved their lives and iven them bread( ?ith
tears of lonin in their eyes, they wished they could have the deaf bear with them
at their weddin celebration(
At the very moment when they were lonin for him to be there, he suddenly appeared
and said, ")ere 2 am0"
)e fell on them and ,issed them, sayin%
Now 2 am ivin you as a ift that you should be li,e me . that you should live the ood
life, 5ust li,e me( At @rst 2 blessed you with this, and now 2 am ivin you my ood life
as an outriht ift in honor of your weddin(
9ou thin, 2*m deafL 2*m not deaf at all( 2t is 5ust that for me, the entire world doesn*t
amount to anythin, so why should 2 listen to what they wantL "eople cry and scream
only because they want or lac, somethin( Each person cries out over what he lac,s(
Even people*s en5oyment is only because of some prior lac, the ful@llment of which
ma,es them happy(
4ut for me the entire world doesn*t amount to anythin, so why should 2 let their
de@ciencies enter my ears L 2 live the ood life, and 2 lac, nothin( +oreover, 2 have
the areement of the 3and of ?ealth that 2 live the ood life(
)is ood life consisted of eatin bread and drin,in water(
The deaf bear bean to tell his story%
There is a land of reat wealth and enormous treasures( Bnce the people athered
and everyone started boastin about the ood life he lived( Each one ave a detailed
account of his ood life(
And 2 stood up and said to them% The ood life 2 live is better than your ood life( 2f you
live such a ood life, let me test you to see if you can save a certain country that had a
arden in which there were fruits with all the tastes in the world( The arden also
contained all the scents in the world and all ,inds of sihts with all the colors and all
the fowers in the world( They were all in that arden(
2n chare of the arden was a ardener, and it was because of him that the people in
the country lived the ood life( )owever, the ardener disappeared and everythin in
the arden was spoiled, because without him there was no.one to ta,e care of it(
Nevertheless, the people were still able to live off the wild plants that rew in the
arden(
A cruel ,in then attac,ed the land( )e was unable to harm the people directly, but he
ruined the ood life they en5oyed on account of the arden( )e did not destroy the
arden itself but he left three bands of slaves in the land and ave them orders what to
do( They ruined all the tastes, so that everythin tasted of putrid dead fesh( They
ruined all the scents, so that everythin had the foul stench of albanum( And they
ruined all the sihts by dar,enin everyone*s eyes, as if thic,, heavy clouds were
hanin over everythin( The slaves accomplished all this by followin the cruel ,in*s
instructions(
The deaf bear continued% 2 said to the people of the 3and of ?ealth , "2f you live the
ood life, let me see if you can save the country with the arden( And 2 am tellin you%
if you cannot save them, you too may suffer harm("
The people of the 3and of ?ealth 5ourneyed there, and 2 went with them( Durin the
5ourney, they all lived their ood life because of their treasures( )owever, as soon as
they approached the country with the arden, they felt a mar,ed deterioration in
everythin they tasted, smelled and saw(
2 said to them, "2f now, before you have even entered the country, the tastes, smells
and sihts have already been spoiled, how will it be if you actually o inL )ow can you
possibly save themL"
2 ave them some of my bread and water, and in them they could once aain taste all
the delicious tastes they had en5oyed before they were spoiled(
The people of the country with the arden bean to investiate what they could do to
heal the ruined tastes, smells and sihts( They came to the conclusion that the lost
ardener throuh whom they had en5oyed the ood life must be from one and the
same root as the people of the 3and of ?ealth , who also en5oyed the ood life( They
therefore decided to send emissaries to the people of the 3and of ?ealth , who would
surely save them(
Bn their way to the 3and of ?ealth these emissaries encountered the very people
from that 3and who were on their way to their own country(
"?here are you oinL" as,ed the people of the 3and of ?ealth ( "?e are on our way
to the 3and of ?ealth to as, them to save us," replied the emissaries(
"That is where we are from," they answered, "and we are on our way to you0"
The deaf bear continued% 2 said to them, "9ou surely need me, because you will not
be able to et there to save them( 1tay here and let me o with the emissaries to save
them("
2 went with them to the country and entered a city( 2 saw how a few people would
ather and start ma,in witty remar,s( +ore would 5oin them, until there would be
8uite a atherin( They would tell 5o,es, until everyone was lauhin and ilin( 2
listened carefully and heard that their 5o,es were obscene( Bne of them would ma,e
an obscene remar, and then a second would ive it an even subtler twist, while others
would lauh and en5oy the fun(
2 went to another city and saw two men 8uarrelin over some business affair( They
went to court, and the court ruled in favor of one and aainst the other( 4ut as soon as
they left the court, they started 8uarrelin aain and said they did not li,e this court*s
decision but wanted to o to a different court( They arued their cases in the second
court, but then one of them ot into an arument with somebody else and went with
him to yet another court( Everybody there was aruin and 8uarrelin and they chose
all ,inds of different courts, until the whole city was full of law courts(
2 loo,ed carefully and saw that this was because there was no truth there( Bne day a
5ude would show favor to one side, but afterwards a different 5ude would show favor
to the other side, because they all too, bribes and there was no truth anywhere(
Then 2 saw that they were immersed in se/ual immorality to the point that it had
become totally permissible in their eyes(
2 told them that this was why all the tastes, scents and sihts had been spoiled for
them( The three bands of slaves left by the cruel ,in were destroyin the country(
They were oin around tal,in obscenely amon themselves, thereby spreadin
obscenity( This obscenity is what ruined all the tastes, so that everythin had the foul
taste of putrid dead fesh( 1imilarly, they were spreadin bribery in the country, as a
result of which their eyes were dar,ened and all the sihts were spoiled, for "the bribe
blinds the eyes of the wise" !E/odus EH%$' ( 3i,ewise they were spreadin immorality
all over the country, which spoiled the scents(
"9ou must therefore cleanse the country of these three sins( )unt down those slaves
and drive them out( ?hen you rectify these three sins, not only will your taste, siht
and smell be healed, but you will also be able to @nd the lost ardener("
They started cleansin the country of these three sins and searched for the wic,ed
,in*s slaves( They would sei;e someone and as, him, "?here are you fromL" As
soon as they identi@ed the wic,ed slaves, they drove them out and cleansed the
country of those sins(
+eanwhile there was a commotion( A madman was oin around sayin that he was
the ardener( Everyone thouht he was insane, and they threw stones at him to drive
him away( -ould it possibly be that he really was the ardenerL )e was brouht before
the people who were in chare of cleansin the country, and 2 too was there, continued
the deaf bear(
And 2 said, "-ertainly, this is the true ardener0"
Thus 2 have the areement of the 3and of ?ealth that 2 live the ood life, as 2 was able
to rectify the country with the arden( And now 2 am ivin you my ood life as an
outriht ift(
This caused tremendous 5oy and deliht at the weddin celebration(
1ipurey +aasiot
>rom T)E 1EAEN 4EGGAR1
T)E 1TBR9 B> T)E 12ST) DA9T)E 4EGGAR ?2T) NB )AND1
Bn the si/th day, as they celebrated happily, they loned to have the bear with no
hands with them( All of a sudden he appeared and said, ")ere 2 am0 2 have come to
5oin you at your weddin(" )e ,issed them and said%
9ou thin, there*s somethin wron with my hands( 4ut there*s nothin in the least
wron with my hands( The truth is that 2 have reat power in my hands( 2t*s 5ust that 2
don*t use the power in my hands in this world, because 2 need it for another purpose(
And 2 have the areement of the ?ater -astle about this(
Bnce a number of men sat toether, each boastin about the power he had in his
hands( Bne of them boasted that he possessed such and such a power in his hands(
Another boasted that he had a different power in his hands( Each one boasted about
the uni8ue power he had in his hands(
Bne boasted that he had such a mihty power in his hands that when he shot an
arrow, he was able to draw it bac, to himself( Even after shootin the arrow, he could
still brin it bac,(
2 as,ed him, "?hich ,ind of arrow can you brin bac,L" >or there are ten ,inds of
arrows, because there are ten ,inds of poisons( ?hen someone wants to shoot an
arrow, he smears it with some ,ind of poison( ?hen the arrow is smeared with one
,ind of poison, it does one sort of damae, but when it is smeared with the second
,ind, it causes worse damae( Each of the ten ,inds of poison is worse than the one
before it, causin reater damae( This in itself is why there are ten ,inds of arrows(
The arrows themselves are basically all of one ,ind, but because of the different
poisons smeared on them, they are called ten ,inds of arrows(
That was why 2 as,ed him, "?hich ,ind of arrow can you brin bac,L" 2 also as,ed if
he could draw the arrow bac, only before it reached its intended victim or if he could
also brin it bac, even after it had struc, the victim( To this he replied that he could still
brin the arrow bac, even after it had reached its taret( 4ut when 2 as,ed him what
,ind of arrow he could brin bac,, he answered that he could only brin bac, one
particular ,ind(
The bear with no hands continued% 2 said to him% "2f so, you are unable to heal the
8ueen*s dauhter, because you can only turn bac, and draw out one ,ind of arrow("
Another boasted that he had such a power in his hands that whenever he too, or
received from another, he was actually ivin to them( )is very ta,in and receivin
were his way of ivin, ma,in him a master of charity(
2 as,ed him, "?hat ,ind of charity do you iveL" >or there are ten ,inds of charity( )e
replied that he ave a tenth as his tithe( "2f so," 2 told him, "you cannot heal the 8ueen *
s d auhter since you are 8uite unable to reach her place , because you can penetrate
only one of the forti@ed walls surroundin the place where she is ( "
Bne boasted that he had a uni8ue power in his hands, because the world has of@cers,
all of whom re8uire wisdom, and he had the power to confer wisdom upon them by
layin his hands on them(
"?hat ,ind of wisdom can you confer with your handsL" 2 en8uired, since there are ten
,inds of wisdom( "1uch and such a ,ind," he replied( "2f so," 2 told him, "you cannot
heal the 8ueen * s d auhter since you cannot ta,e her pulse, because you only
reconi;e one pulse( There are ten ,inds of pulses, yet you reconi;e only one of
them since you can confer only one ,ind of wisdom with your hands("
Another boasted that he had such a power in his hands that when a storm.wind blew,
he could use his hands to restrain it and ma,e it blow in moderation(
"?hich wind can you hold in your handsL" 2 en8uired, because there are ten ,inds of
winds( "1uch and such a wind," he replied(
"2f so," 2 said, "you cannot heal the 8ueen * s d auhter , because you can play her only
a sinle melody(" There are ten ,inds of melody, and she is healed throuh melody(
4ut you can play only one of the ten melodies(
"And what power do you possessL" they all as,ed(
"2 can do what you cannot do," 2 replied( "All the nine tenths that each of you is
incapable of accomplishin, 2 have the power to accomplish("
>or once a certain ,in desired the 8ueen*s dauhter( )e tried everythin possible to
capture her , until eventually he succeeded( Bnce the ,in had a dream in which she
stood over him and ,illed him( )e awo,e and the dream went deep into his heart( )e
called all the dream interpreters and they ave the obvious interpretation% that she
would ,ill him(
The ,in did not ,now what to do with her( The thouht of ,illin her pained him, yet
the thouht of sendin her away hurt him even more, because he had made such
efforts to capture her and now someone else would ta,e her( +oreover, if he sent her
away and she passed into someone else*s hands, his dream about her ,illin him was
even li,elier to come true as she would be with someone else( 9et he was also afraid
to ,eep her with him because of the dream(
The ,in had no idea what to do to her, and meanwhile his love for her turned ever
more sour every time he thouht about the dream( 3i,ewise the love she had for him
turned ever sourer until she came to hate him, and she fed(
The ,in sent after her to try to @nd her( )e was informed that she was now in the
?ater -astle . a castle with ten walls, one inside the other, all made of water( Even the
foor of the -astle was made of water( There were trees and fruits there, all made of
water( There is no need to describe the uni8ue beauty of this castle( A castle made of
water is certainly 8uite uni8ue( To enter the castle would be 8uite impossible, since
anyone who tried to enter would drown(
?hen the 8ueen*s dauhter fed, she reached this ?ater -astle and bean circlin
around it( The ,in was informed that she was circlin the castle, and he went with his
army to capture her( ?hen the 8ueen*s dauhter saw this, she decided to run inside
the castle( 1he preferred to drown than to allow the ,in to catch her and force her to
stay with him( There was also a chance that she miht succeed in enterin the ?ater
-astle and be saved(
?hen the ,in saw her feein to the water, he said, "1o be it0" and ave instructions
to shoot her( "2f she dies, she dies0"
They shot at her and all the ten ,inds of arrows smeared with the ten ,inds of poisons
struc, her( 1he fed to the castle and went inside( There were ates in the forti@ed
walls of water( 1he passed throuh until she had penetrated all ten walls of the ?ater
-astle ( 1he came deep inside and then collapsed, sapped of all strenth(
The bear with no hands continued% And 2 heal her0 1omeone who does not have all
the ten ,inds of charity in his hand cannot penetrate the ten forti@ed walls, because he
will drown( The ,in and his army pursued her and drowned( 4ut 2 have the power to
penetrate all ten forti@ed walls of water( These walls of water are the waves of the sea
that "stood li,e a wall" !E/odus #&%E7 ' ( The winds lift the waves of the sea, ma,in
them stand( These waves, which are the ten walls, are there constantly, but it is the
winds that lift them and ,eep them standin(
2 can enter all ten forti@ed walls, and 2 have the power to draw out all the ten ,inds of
arrows from the 8ueen*s dauhter( ?ith my ten @ners, 2 can reconi;e all the ten
,inds of pulses% each of my ten @ners ,nows one of the ten ,inds of pulses( And 2 can
heal her with the ten ,inds of melody(
Thus it is that 2 heal her( This is proof that 2 have such reat power in my hands( And
now 2 am ivin you this as a ift0
This created the reatest happiness and re5oicin(
1ipurey +aasiot
TIUN HALALI
T)E GENERA3 RE+ED9

Rabbi Nachman ave the name "General Remedy" . in )ebrew, Ti,,un )a<lali . to a
selection of Ten "salms that he recommended for recital as a eneral spiritual remedy
brinin inner purity and 5oy as well as many other bene@ts, and in particular as the
remedy for a chance emission of seed(
The Ten "salms are% "salms #:, HE, &#, &E, F7, GG, 7J, #JF, #HG and #FJ(
They should be recited in the same order in which they appear in the 4oo, of "salms
!3i,utey +oharan 22, 7E' (
An Enlish translation of the Ten "salms incorporatin traditional rabbinic e/planation
of the te/t is printed below !pp( &$$.FEG' toether with an Enlish transliteration of the
oriinal )ebrew(
O O O
Ten <inds of 1on
The Ten "salms correspond to the Ten <inds of 1on( These ten melodies are the true
remedy( This is the Ti , ,un )a<lal i . the General Remedy( There is a speci@c remedy
for each sin, but this is the General Remedy( Go out and spread the teachin of the
Ten "salms to everyone(
1ichot )aran N#&#
O O O
The General Remedy
There are places so @ne and narrow that no remedy has the power to penetrate them
e/cept throuh the General Remedy, which in5ects healin into even the narrowest,
@nest places( >irst it is necessary to apply the General Remedy, and throuh this all
the individual faws will automatically be recti@ed(
2t is true that the General Remedy is hiher and more e/alted than all the individual
remedies( 4ut all the different remedies depend on the mind and brain% it is necessary
to draw purity from the mind and brain( And the only way to elevate the mind is
throuh the General Remedy( This is why it is @rst necessary to o to the hiher level,
the General Remedy, in order to rectify the mind and brain, and throuh this everythin
else is automatically recti@ed(
3i,utey +oharan 2, E7
O O O
-hance emissions
Bne who e/periences a chance emission of seed should recite the Ten "salms on the
same day( )e need then have no further worries about the spiritual damae that can
be caused by such emissions, because any damae will certainly be repaired throuh
the recital of these Ten "salms( This is a very reat remedy(
3i,utey +oharan 22, 7E
O O O
4e very careful to immerse in a mi,veh !ritual pool' on the same day that you have an
unclean e/perience( 2t is best to immerse immediately, but if you are unable to
immerse @rst thin in the mornin, do so at any time durin the day, even towards
evenin( 2t is very important to immerse on the same day(
Everyone e/periences a chance emission at some time or other( 2 call you to bear
witness that these Ten "salms are a very effective remedy% they are the complete
remedy(
1ome people e/perience such emissions because of e/cess eatin and drin,in, or as
a result of fatiue and e/haustion( Bthers have them because of sleepin in a bad
position( 1uch occurrences are nothin to worry about . they are li,e bedwettin by an
infant(
1ometimes people are uarded from on hih and protected from such e/periences(
Bthers are spared because of their destiny( 1ometimes a person miht dream that he
is fallin and suddenly wa,e up( This is a sin that he was protected from on hih(
Bthers e/perience emissions because of their bad thouhts( This literally creates
impure forces( 4ut even in such cases recital of the Ten "salms will do much to
remedy the spiritual damae(
+any reat T;addi,im tried to discover this remedy and labored hard to @nd it( 1ome
had no idea at all of the true remedy( Bthers bean to rasp it, only to be ta,en from
the world before they could rasp it completely( 4ut God has helped me ain complete
understandin of this matter( The remedy of the Ten "salms is entirely oriinal( 2t is a
most wonderful and awesome remedy(
2t is certainly best if you can immerse in a mi,veh and then say the Ten "salms( 4ut
even if you are sic, or travelin and unable to immerse, recitin the "salms alone is a
reat remedy( 2f you can say the "salms with devotion and feelin, it is best( 4ut even
5ust sayin the words helps(
This remedy has not been revealed since the time of creation(
1ichot )aran N#&#
O O O
Repentance helps for all sins includin the spillin of seed in vain, no matter how
many times a person may have done it(
True repentance means never aain repeatin the sin from now on( 9ou must return to
the same place and situation as before in order to be tested( ?hen you now restrain
yourself and brea, your desire, holdin bac, from what you did before, this is true
repentance(
1ichot )aran NG#
O O O
Rabbi Nachman*s promise
4ear witness to my words( ?hen my days are over and 2 leave this world, 2 will still
intercede for anyone who comes to my rave, says these Ten "salms and ives a
penny to charity( No matter how reat his sins, 2 will do everythin in my power,
spannin the lenth and breadth of creation , to save him and cleanse him((((
2 am very positive in everythin 2 say( 4ut 2 am most positive in reard to the reat
bene@t of these Ten "salms(
1ichot )aran N#&#
THE TEN 4SALMS
!ENG321) TRAN13AT2BN'
"rayer before recitin the "salms%
Bur God and God of our fathers%
?ho chooses <in David and his descendantsM ?ho chooses sons and praises(
"lease turn to me in mercy and accept the psalms 2 am about to say as if <in David
himself were sayin them, and let his merit protect us(
There is merit in every verse of the psalms and in every word, every letter, vowel and
musical note, and in all the holy names spelled out by the @rst and last letters of each
)ebrew word(
3et this merit stand in our favor to atone for our sins and transressions, cut down our
enemies and accusers on )ih, and destroy all the thorns and thistles surroundin the
1upernal Rose( 1end down blessin from 9our e/alted place to all the levels of our
soul and spirit, to purify us from our sins, forive our transressions and atone for our
rebellion, 5ust as 9ou forave <in David who recited these "salms before 9ou( "And
God will cause your sin to pass away and you will not die" ! 22 1amuel #E%#H ' (
Do not ta,e us from this world before our time( Give us a full life throuhout our span
of seventy years so that we may ma,e amends for all the wron we have done(
+ay the merit of <in David protect us ( 4e patient with us until we return to 9ou in
perfect repentance(
Grant us blessin from 9our treasury of open.handed enerosity, as it is written% "2 will
be racious to whom 2 will be racious, and 2 will show mercy to whom 2 will show
mercy" !E/odus HH%#7' ( 6ust as we sin before 9ou in this world, rant us the privilee
of sinin before 9ou, God, in the world to come( Throuh our recital of the "salms ,
let pleasant son brea, forth with re5oicin and e/ultation( 3et lory be iven to 2srael ,
and splendor and beauty shall be in the )ouse of God( 4rin it speedily in our days(
Amen(
4efore recitin the Ti,,un )a<lali , it is ood to say the followin%
2n sayin these Ten "salms 2 bind myself to all the true T;addi,im in this eneration
and all the true T;addi,im who have departed, "the holy ones who are in the earth,"
and especially our holy Rebbe, T;addi,, foundation of the world, the "fowin broo,,
source of wisdom," Rabbi Nachman the son of >eie, may his merit protect us, who
revealed this remedy(
-ome let us sin to God, let us shout for 5oy to the Roc, of our salvation( 3et us come
before )is presence with than,sivinM let us sin to )im 5oyously in son( >or God is
a reat God and a reat <in over all ods !"salms 7F%#.H' (
4efore beinnin the "salms , say%
2 prepare my mouth to ive than,s and praise to my -reator, to unify the )oly Bne ,
blessed be )e , and )is 2ndwellin "resence in awe and love, throuh the )idden and
-oncealed Bne, in the name of all 2srael (
"salm #:
#( A sweet son of David, a crown for his head( "rotect me, God, for 2 ta,e refue in
9ou(
E( -ommunity of 2srael , say to God% 9ou are my 3ord( The oodness that 9ou show
me is not my due from 9ou, it is because of 9our love(
H( 4ecause of the holy ones who rest in the earth and those who were @rm in their fear
of God( All my desires are ful@lled throuh their merit(
&( 4ut as for those who hurry after other ods, their affictions will be multiplied( 2 will
not pour out libations of blood li,e theirs, 2 will not bear the names of their ods upon
my lips(
F( God, my lot and my portion, cup of my abundance, 9ou have uided me to choose a
oodly portion% faith in God(
:( +y lot has fallen in places of pleasantness, mine is an inheritance of race and
beauty(
G( As for me, 2 will bless God, for )e uides me to cho o se life and follow )is ways(
Even in the niht.time, my reins ive me counsel in the fear and love of God(
$( 2 have placed God before me always( )e is always at my riht hand% 2 will not
stumble(
7( Therefore my heart is 5oyous, my soul, lory of my bein, e/ults( +y very fesh will
dwell secure(
#J( >or 9ou will not cast my soul into hell, 9ou will not allow 9our devoted one to see
destruction(
##( 9ou will teach me the path of life and rant me the ultimate contentment and 5oy,
the 5oy of 9our countenance, the eternal bliss at 9our riht hand(
"salm HE
#( A son of David to teach wisdom(
)appy is he whose sin is foriven and his transression covered over(
E( )appy is the man whose wron.doin God will not hold aainst him, because he
has truly repented and he has no intention of deceivin either God or man(
H( As lon as 2 ,ept silent and did not confess my sins before 9ou, 2 became worn
down in my very essence, roanin all the day in fear of punishment(
&( >or day and niht 9our hand was heavy upon me, my vitality turned as dry as the
parchedness of summer( 1elah(
F( Therefore 2 will ac,nowlede my transressionM 2 do not hide my wrondoin( 2 said 2
will ac,nowlede my sins before God% And 9ou have foriven my sin and
transression( 1elah(
:( 3et everyone who is devoted to 9ou offer this prayer at the moment 9ou are to be
found%
That when punishments are sent to scour him, at least they should not come upon him
li,e a swellin food of water(
G( 9ou are my refueM 9ou uard me from the enemy terror( 9ou surround me with the
5oys of deliverance( 1elah(
$( 9ou have said% 2 will teach you wisdom and liht up the path that you should travel(
?ith estures of +y eye will 2 ive you counsel(
7( Don*t be li,e a horse or a stubborn mule which do not understand, which do not
distinuish between one who wants to help them and one who wants to harm them(
Even when you room and adorn them, you must curb them with bridle and halter so
they will not come close and in5ure you(
#J( The wic,ed man, who li,e them, chaffs at sufferin, has many troubles( 4ut one
who trusts in God, ,nowin that all the sufferin God sends is intended to cleanse and
re@ne him, will be surrounded with love(
##( Ta,e 5oy in God, the source of this love( E/ult, you rihteous, and shout for 5oy all
who are upriht in their heart(
"salm &#
#( >or the leader of the siners( A son of David(
E( )appy is he who cares for the poor and the sic,( Bn the day of evil God will rescue
him(
H( God will uard him and ive him life( Throuhout the world he will be considered
happy( 9ou will not sub5ect him to the desire of his enemies(
&( God will sustain him when he is on his sic,bed( Even when he is ill, 9ou attend him
and turn him from one side to the other(
F( 4ut as for me, whom no. one comes to visit, 2 have said% God, have pity( )eal my
soul for 2 have sinned aainst 9ou (
:( +y enemies spea, evil aainst me% "?hen will he die and his name be destroyedL"
G( Even if my enemy comes to visit , his protestations of concern are false( As he sits
there, his heart collects malicious thouhts which he will then o out and spread(
$( All those who hate me whisper toether aainst me and plot evil aainst me(
7( They say how "All his evil has now come bac, to haunt him in the form of his illness,
and now that he has succumbed, he will never et up aain("
#J( Even the man with whom 2 was at peace, whom 2 trusted and to whom 2 ave my
bread, has also surrounded me with a reat ambush(
##( 4ut 9ou, B God, ta,e pity on me and raise me up and 2 shall repay them(
#E( 4y the fact of 9our healin me 2 will ,now that 9ou have accepted me, if my enemy
will not triumph over me(
#H( As for me, it is in my purity that 9ou have supported me and established me before
9ou for ever(
#&( ?hen 2 am healed 2 will praise 9ou % 4lessed be the 3ord, God of 2srael, from
eternity to eternity( Amen( Amen(
"salm &E
#( >or the leader of the siners( A son of the sons of <orach( To teach wisdom(
E( As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul cries out for 9ou, B God(
H( +y soul thirsts for God, the livin God% when will 2 come and appear in the presence
of GodL
&( +y tears have been my bread day and niht as my enemies taunt me all day lon
as,in "?here is your GodL"
F( This 2 remember and 2 pour out my soul within me% how 2 would o to 6erusalem with
the throns for the festivals, how 2 would wal, in the procession to the )ouse of God
with shouts of 5oy and than,s to God amidst the festival crowds(
:( ?hy are you downcast, my soulL ?hy do you roan within meL )ave hope in God(
There will come a time when 2 will ive than,s for the salvation which will come from
)is radiant presence(
G( +y God, my soul is downcast in this e/ile, as 2 remember 9our miracles in the land
of the 6ordan where the River 6ordan became dry land, at the pea,s of +ount )ermon
where 9ou passed over our wrondoin, and at the lowly mountain 1inai where 9ou
forave us the sin of the olden calf(
$( 9et in our present e/ile, deep water cries out to deep water , one sorrow cries out
after another, with the cry from the channels throuh which 9ou send punishments,
which are poured out li,e water( All 9our brea,ers and waves have swept over me(
7( ?ith the liht of day let God command )is ,indness to be revealed( Even in the
niht of e/ile, may )is presence rest with me( This is my prayer to the God of my life(
#J( 2 say to God, my Roc,, why have 9ou forotten me L ?hy must 2 o about in dar,
loom under the oppression of the enemyL
##( 2 feel it li,e murder and the pain of death in my bones when my oppressors taunt
me and say to me all day, "?here is your GodL"
#E( ?hy are you downcast, B my soulL ?hy do you roan within meL )ave hope in
God, for 2 will yet have cause to ac,nowlede )im, my salvation, the liht of my face
and my God(
"salm F7
#( >or the leader of the siners( A precious son of David( "Do not destroy(" A prayer
composed when 1aul sent messeners to wait at the house in order to ,ill him(
E( Rescue me from my enemies, B my God, ive me strenth aainst them that rise
up aainst me(
H( Rescue me from those who act treacherously( 1ave me from bloodthirsty men(
&( >or they are lyin in wait for my very soul( 4ra;en men are athered aainst me .
and not because of any sin or transression of mine, B God, 9ou ,now(
F( ?ithout my havin wroned them they come runnin aainst me and have readied
themselves to ,ill me( Awa,en, come towards me and see0
:( And 9ou, 3ord God of hosts, the God of 2srael, awa,en and deal with them 5ust as
9ou deal with all the nations( 1how no favor to all who deal treacherously and falsely(
1elah(
G( They oppress me in the dayM then they are bac, in the evenin( They howl li,e dos
and o about the city to prevent me escapin(
$( All throuh the day they pour forth slander from their mouths, words sharp as
swords are on their lips, for they say, "?ho can hear usL"
7( 4ut 9ou, B God, lauh at them, as 9ou scorn all the nations(
#J( 2n the face of the enemy power, 2 wait for 9ou( >or God is my fortress(
##( God, ?ho always shows me love, will send me help in time( )e will let me see
what 2 want to happen to those who lie in wait for me(
#E( Do not ,ill them, lest their bein dead puts them out of mind, and my people will
foret( "ut them to fiht with 9our power and put their fortunes into decline, God our
1hield, my +aster(
#H( The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips( They will be trapped throuh their
pride and men will tell of the curse and the wea,ness that befell them, and people will
learn(
#&( Destroy them in 9our wrath, destroy them and they will be no more, and all will
,now that God rules over the people of 6acob, God rules to the ends of the earth(
1elah(
#F( The wic,ed return in the evenin, they howl li,e dos and roam the city(
#:( They wander round in search of food( Cntil they are satiated they will not o to
sleep( +y enemies are li,e dos in their search for my harm(
#G( 4ut when 9ou save me 2 will sin in praise of 9our strenth, and 2 will e/ult in the
mornin over 9our love( >or 9ou have been a tower of strenth and a refue for me on
my day of trouble(
#$( 9ou are my strenth, to 9ou 2 will sin, for God is my tower of strenth and a God
of love to me(
"salm GG
#( >or the leader of the siners( Bn the sufferins of 2srael % A son of Asaph(
E( 2 lift my voice to God and cry out to )im, 2 lift my voice to God and )e will turn )is
ears to hear me(
H( Bn my day of sufferin, +aster, 2 have souht for 9ou ( 2n the niht of my e/ile, my
hand . the sufferin dealt me . is lon drawn out, it does not subside( +y soul refuses
to be comforted(
&( 2 remember GodM 2 remember the love )e showed me in my time of favor, and 2 sih(
2 refect on those former ,indnesses and my soul lanuishes( 1elah(
F( 9ou have ripped the lids of my eyes( 2 have no rest from my sorrows( 2 feel smitten
and bro,en and 2 cannot spea,(
:( 2 have considered the ood 9ou did in the days of old, the years of the aes past(
G( 2n this niht of e/ile, 2 remember my son . the son 2 san in the 1anctuary( 2
ponder in my heart and my spirit searches out the ways of God, and 2 as,%
$( )ow can it be that God will cast off for ever and not show favor once aain as )e
did in the pastL
7( )as )is mercy disappeared for everL )as )e made a @nal decree for all the
enerations to come that )e will not return from )is anerL
#J( )as God forotten how to show raciousnessL )as )e shut off )is love because
of )is wrathL
##( 4ut 2 say, it is to inspire us with awe and brin us to repent that the riht hand of
the 1upreme God has chaned from bestowin ood(
#E( 2 remember the wor,s of God, 2 remember 9our wonders to us in former times(
#H( 2 refect on 9our actions and 2 meditate on 9our deeds(
#&( God, 9our way is to sanctify 9our Name by e/ecutin 5ustice amon the nations(
?hich of their ods is as reat as GodL
#F( 9ou are the God that wor,s wonders( 9ou have made ,nown 9our strenth amon
the nations(
#:( ?ith an outstretched arm 9ou redeemed 9our people, the sons of 6acob and
6oseph( 1elah(
#G( The waters of the Red 1ea saw 9ou, God, the waters saw 9ou and were afraid(
The deeps were thrown into turmoil(
#$( The clouds poured forth water, the heavens emitted a cry, and 9our arrows few in
the camp of the Eyptians to destroy them(
#7( The sound of 9our thunderin was li,e a whirlwind( >lashes of lihtenin lit up the
world( The earth trembled and 8ua,ed(
EJ( 9our path was in the sea, 9our way was in abundant waters, and 9our steps were
not visible, because the waters rolled bac, at once to drown the Eyptians(
E#( 9ou led 9our people as a foc, by the hand of +oses and Aaron(
"salm 7J
#( A prayer of +oses, man of God( 3ord, 9ou have been a refue for us in every
eneration(
E( 4efore the mountains were born and before 9ou formed the earth and the world,
from eternity and for ever 9ou are God(
H( 9ou subdue a man * s con@dence and strenth to the point where he is round down
and contrite, and 9ou say% "Return to +e, children of man("
&( >or a thousand years are in 9our eyes li,e yesterday when it is past and li,e a
watch in the niht(
F( The stream of men*s lives is a mere sleep( 2n the mornin he sprouts forth li,e
rass(
:( 2n the mornin he fourishes and sprouts forth( 4ut in the evenin he is cut down
and withers(
G( >or in 9our wrath we are destroyed( ?e are confounded by 9our aner(
$( 9ou place our sins before 9ou and our hidden deeds in the liht of 9our
countenance(
7( >or all our days are passed and one under the lare of 9our aner( ?e have used
up our years and they have passed li,e a feetin sound(
#J( The days of our years are seventy years, if we have e/ceptional strenth perhaps
eihty years, and all their pride and randeur is mere toil and ini8uity, it is one 8uic,ly
and we fy away(
##( 2n such a life, who can ac8uire any understandin of the strenth of 9our aner in
order to feel the awe which 9ou command . and accordin to the awe which 9ou
command, so is the power of 9our wrath aainst sinners(
#E( Accordin to the number of our days, short as they are, teach us while they are
with us, and then we will ac8uire a heart of wisdom(
#H( Return from the heat of 9our aner . how lon will 9ou be anryL Ta,e pity on 9our
servants(
#&( 1atisfy us with 9our love on the mornin of our redemption, and we will e/ult and
re5oice all our days, even over the troubles we have endured(
#F( Give us 5oy accordin to the number of days 9ou afficted us and the years we
have seen evil(
#:( 3et 9our wor, be revealed to 9our servants and let the splendor of 9our lory be
revealed to their children(
#G( 3et the pleasantness of the presence of the 3ord our God rest upon us, and
establish the wor, of our hands . the Temple ( Establish the wor, of our hands . our
labor . for ood and for blessin(
"salm #JF
#( Give than,s to God, call upon )is name( +a,e ,nown )is acts amon the nations(
E( 1in to )im, play instruments for )im( Tell of all )is miracles(
H( Ta,e pride in )is holy Name ( Ta,e pride that you have such a God( The heart of
those who see, for God will re5oice(
&( 1earch for God and for the revelation of )is miht( 1ee, out )is face always(
F( Remember the miracles which )e wrouht, )is wonders and the 5udments which
)e e/ecuted upon the nations throuh the utterance of )is mouth(
:( Remember this, you who are the seed of Abraham )is servant, the children of
6acob, you, )is chosen ones(
G( )e is the 3ord our God , ?hose 5udments hold sway throuhout the earth(
$( God has remembered the eternal covenant of love )e made with )is children, the
word )e commanded to endure to the thousandth eneration(
7( This covenant )e struc, with AbrahamM it was )is oath to 2saac(
#J( )e established it as a statute for 6acob, an eternal covenant with 2srael M
##( 1ayin% "To you 2 will ive the land of -anaan as the portion of your inheritance("
#E( The covenant was made when our ancestors were small in number, they had
scarcely dwelled in the land(
#H( They wandered from nation to nation, from one ,indom to another people(
#&( )e did not let any man oppress them, even ,ins )e rebu,ed for their sa,e(
#F( "Do not touch +y anointed ones, and do not harm +y prophets("
#:( 2n order to ful@ll )is word and e/ile )is people to Eypt , )e decreed a famine in
the land, and the staff on which the people depended . their bread . )e bro,e
completely(
#G( 4efore them )e sent a man . 6oseph, who was sold as a slave(
#$( The Eyptians made him suffer by puttin his les in fetters( )is very soul was in
chains(
#7( Cntil the time that God*s decree came to pass that the -hildren of 2srael should o
down to Eypt , God*s command was that 6oseph should be re@ned throuh the tests
he endured in Eypt (
EJ( "haraoh the ,in sent to loosen his fetters, a ruler over nations it was who
released him(
E#( )e appointed him master over his house and ave him power over all his
possessions,
EE( To bind his ministers to 6oseph*s soul with ties of love, and he tauht wisdom to
"haraoh*s wise men(
EH( 2srael came to Eypt % 6acob dwelled in the land of the descendants of )am(
E&( God caused )is nation to be abundantly fruitful, and )e made them stroner than
their oppressors(
EF( )e turned their hearts to hate )is people and to conspire aainst )is servants(
E:( )e sent )is servant +oses, and Aaron, )is chosen one(
EG( They performed amon them the words of God*s sins, miracles in the land of
)am (
E$( God sent dar,ness, and it became dar,% the sins God sent were faithful in their
mission, they did not rebel aainst )is word(
E7( )e turned their waters to blood and caused their @sh to die(
HJ( Their land swarmed with fros, even in the chambers of their ,ins(
H#( )e spo,e, and wild animals came( There were lice throuhout their borders(
HE( )e turned their rains into hail, and a famin @re descended over their land(
HH( The hail smote their vines and their @.trees and bro,e the trees within their
borders(
H&( God spo,e, and the locusts came, different ,inds and without number(
HF( They ate up all the plants in their country and ate up the fruit of their land(
H:( )e smote every @rst.born in their land, the fower of all their strenth(
HG( And he brouht out the -hildren of 2srael with silver and old( 2n all their tribes no.
one stumbled throuh sin(
H$( Eypt re5oiced at their oin out, because the fear of 2srael had fallen upon them(
H7( )e spread out a cloud for protection, and sent a pillar of @re to liht up the niht(
&J( The people as,ed and he brouht 8uailsM )e satis@ed them with the bread of
)eaven, the +anna(
&#( )e opened a roc, and water fowed forth, in the parched desert it ran li,e a river(
&E( >or )e remembered )is holy word that )e had spo,en to Abraham )is servant(
&H( )e brouht out )is people in ladness, )is chosen ones in 5oy(
&&( )e ave them the lands of the nations and they inherited the fruit of the labor of
the peoples(
&F( All this in order that they should ,eep )is statutes and uard )is teachins(
)alleluyah (
"salm #HG
#( 4y the waters of 4abylon , there we sat and wept as we remembered Iion (
E( Bn willows there in her midst we hun up our harps(
H( >or there our captors as,ed us to sin, those that scorned us as,ed us to be happy,
sayin "1in us some of the sons of Iion ("
&( )ow can we sin the son of God on forein soilL
F( 2f 2 foret you, 6erusalem , let my riht hand foret its s,ills(
:( 3et my tonue cleave to the roof of my mouth if 2 do not remember you, if 2 do not
place 6erusalem above my chief 5oy(
G( Remember, B God, what the children of Edom did on the day of the destruction of
6erusalem , sayin "Ra;e it, ra;e it completely to its foundation("
$( "ride of 4abylon , you are destined to be destroyed( )appy is he that will repay you
for the way you treated us(
7( )appy is the man who will sie;e your little ones and dash them aainst the roc,(
"salm #FJ
#( "raise God( "raise God in )is holy sanctuary( "raise )im in the @rmament of )is
power(
E( "raise )im for )is mihty actsM praise )im and tell of )is abundant reatness(
H( "raise )im with the blast of the horn( "raise )im with the harp and the lyre(
&( "raise )im on the drums and with dance( "raise )im with strined instruments and
with the fute(
F( "raise )im with the clear.soundin cymbals( "raise )im with the loud.toned
cymbals(
:( 3et everythin that has breath praise God0 )alleluyah0
After @nishin the "salms say%
2f only the salvation of 2srael would come out of Iion , when God will return the
captivity of )is people0 6acob will re5oiceM 2srael will e/ult(The salvation of the rihteous
is from God, ?ho will help them and rescue them( )e will rescue them from the
wic,ed and save them, for they trusted in )im(
THE TEN 4SALMS
!ENG321) TRAN132TERAT2BN'
4efore beinnin the "salms , say%
)areini m*;amen et pi, 2*hodot u.l*hallel u*2.sha.bei.ach et bor.ee% 3*sheim yichud
<udsha 4*rich )u u*sh.chintei, bid*chilu urchimu, al yedei ha.hu tamir v*ne.e.lam
b*sheim ,ol 9israel%
"salm #:
#( +ich.tam l*Da.vid, 1ham.rei.ni Eil ,i chasiti vach%
E( Amart la.Adonai, Adonai atah, tova.ti bal a.le.cha%
H( 3i,.doshim asher ba.aret; heimah, v*a.di.rei ,ol chef.t;i vam%
&( 9ir.bu at;.vo.tam acher ma.ha.ru, bal a.sich nis.,ei.hem mi.dam, u.val esah et
shmo.tam al s*fatai%
F( Adonai m*nat chel.,i v*cho.si, atah tomich o.ra.li%
:( -havalim nafu li ban.i.mim, af nachalat shafra alai%
G( A.varech et Adonai asher y*a.t;ani, af lei.lot yisruni chilyotai%
$( 1hiviti Adonai l*nedi Tamid, ,i mi.mi.ni bal emot%
7( 3achen samach libi, vayael ,vodi, af b*sari yish,on la.vetach%
#J( <i lo ta.a.;ov naf.shi lish.ol, lo titen chasidcha lir.ot sha.chat%
##( To.di.eini orach chayim, sova semachot et panecha, n*i.mot bi*mincha net;ach%
"salm HE
#( 3*David mas,il, ashrei nesui peshah ,*sui cha.ta.ah%
E( Ashrei adam lo yach.shov Adonai lo avon, Ae.ain b*rucho r*miyah%
H( <i he.che.rashti balu at;amai b*sha.a.ati ,ol hayom%
&( <i yo.mam va.lai.lah tich.bad alai yade.chah, nehpach l*shadi b.charvonei ,ayit;
selah%
F( -ha.tati o.di.a.cha va.a.voni lo chisiti, amarti odeh alei fesha.ai l*Adonai v*atah
nasatah avon chatati selah%
:( Al ;ot yit.palel ,ol -hasid eilecha l*eit m*t;oh, ra, l*she.tef mayim rabim ei.lav lo ya.
i.u%
G( Atah seter li, mi.t;ar tit;.reini, ranei faleit t*so.ve.veini selah%
$( As,il.chah v*orchah b*derech ;u teileich ee.a.t;ah a .le.chah eini%
7( Al ti.hi.yu ,*sus, ,*fered ein haveen, b*mese varesen edyo liv.lom, bal ,*rov ey.le.
chah%
#J( Rabim machovim la.ra.sha, v*ha.bo.tei.ach b.Adonai chesed y*so.ve.ve.nu%
##( 1imchu b.Adonai v*ilu t;addi,im, v*harninu ,ol yishrei lev%
"salm &#
#( 3am.na.t;ei.ach mi;.mor 2*David%
E( Ashrei mas,il el dal, b*yom ra.ah y*mal.tei.hu Adonai%
H( Adonai yish.m*rei.hu viy.chai.yeihu, v*ushar ba.a.ret; v*al titnei.hu b*nefesh oy*vav%
&( Adonai yis.adenu al eres d*vay ,ol mish.,avo hafach.ta v .chal.yo%
:( Ani a .marti Adonai cha.nei.ni, re.fa.ah naf.shi ,i chata.ti lach%
:( By.vai yomru ra lee, matai yamut v*avad shmo%
G( A*im ba lir.ot shav y*daber, libo yi,.bat; aven lo, yei.t;ei la.chut; y*daber%
$( 9achad alai yit.la.cha.shu ,ol sonay, alai yach.sh.vu ra.ah lee%
7( D*var bli.ya.al yat;u, bo, va.a.sher shachav lo yosif la.,um%
#J( Gam ish shlomi asher ba.tach.ti bo o.chel lachmi hidil alai a.,ev%
##( A*atah Adonai chanei.ni v*ha.,i.mei.ni, va.a.shal.mah lahem%
#E( 4*;ot ya.dati ,i cha.fat;.ta bi, ,i lo ya.ree.a oy.vee a.lai%
#H( Aa.ani b*tumi ta.machta bi, va.ta.t;i.vei.ni l*fa.nechah l*olam%
#&( 4aruch Adonai Elohei 9israel mei.ha.olam v.ad ha.olam amen, v*amen%
"salm &E
#( 3am.na.t;ei.ach mas,il livnei <orach%
E( <*a.yal ta.a.ro al a.@.,ei mayim, ,ein naf*shi ta.a.ro ei.le.chah ElohimM
H( T;am.ah nafshi 2.Elohim 2*Eil chai, matai avoh v*ei.ra.eh p*nei Elohim%
&( )ay.ta li dim.ati lechem yomam va.lailah, be.emor ei.lai ,ol hayom a.yeih
Elohechah%
F( Eileh e;.,*ra v*esh.p*cha alai nafshi ,i e.e.vor basach, eda.deim ad beit Elohim b*,ol
rinah v*todah ha*mon cho.ei%
:( +ah tish.to.chachi nafshi va*te*hemi alai, ho.chi.li l.Eilohim ,i od odenu yeshuot
panav%
G( Elohai, alai nafshi tish.to.chach, al ,ein e;.,ar.chah mei.e.ret; yarden,
v*chermonim, mei.har mit;ar%
$( T*hom el t*hom ,oreih 2*,ol t;i.no.rechah, ,ol mish.ba.re.chah v*a.lechah alai
avaru%
7( 9omam y*t;a.veh Adonai chasdo, u.va.lailah shi.roh imi, te@ .lah l*Eil chayai%
#J( Bmra 2*Eil sal.ee, lamah sh*chach.tani lamah ,oder eileich b*lachat; oyeiv%
##( 4*ret;ach b*at;mo.tai, cher.f*uni t;o.re.rai, b*omrum ei.lai ,ol hayom a.yeih
Elohechah%
#E( +a tish*to.cha.chi naf*shi umah tehemee alai, hochili 2.Eilohim, ,i od odenu,
yeshu*ot panai, v*Ei2ohai%
"salm F7
#( 3am*na.t;ei.ach al tash.cheit le.David michtam, bishloach 1ha*ul va.yish.m*ru et
habayit la.hamito%
E( )at;i.lei.ni mei.oy.vai Elohai, mi.mit.,o.m*mai t*sa.vei.ni%
H( )a.t;i.lei.ni mi.poalai aven, u * mei. anshei damim ho.shee.eini%
&( <i hi.nei arvu l * nafshi , yauru alai a;im, lo @sh.i v*lo chatati Adonai%
F( 4*li avon y*ru.t;un viy.,o.na.nu, oo.rah li,rati ur*eih%
:( A*atah Adonai Elohim T;*va.ot Elohei 9israel, ha,it;ah lif,od ,ol ha.oyim, al tachon
,ol bodei a.ven selah%
G( 9a.shuvu la.erev, ye.hemu cha. ,a .lev, vi.so.ve.vu ir%
$( )i.nei ya.bi.oon b*feehem, charavot b*sifto.teihem ,i mi sho.mei.ah%
7( A*atah Adonai, tis.cha, la.mo, til.a 2*chol oyim%
#J( C;o eilecha eshmorah ,i Elohim mis.abi%
##( Elohei chasdi y*,ad.mei.ni, Elohim yar.ei.ni v*sho.r*rai%
#E( Al ta.har.eim pen yish.,*chu ami, ha.ni.eimo v*cheil.chah v*ho.ri.dei.mo ma.
i*neinu Adonai% #H( -ha.tat pi.mo d*var s*fa.teimo v*yi.lachdu vi.*onum, u.mei.alah u.
mi.,achash y*sa.pei.ru%
#&( <a.lei v*cheimah, ,alei v*ei.nei.mo v*yeidu ,i Elohim mosheil b*9a.acov 2*afsei
ha*aret; selah%
#F( A*ya.shuvu la.erev, yehemu cha,alev viy.sovevu ir%
#:( )eimah y*.nee.oon le.e.chol im lo yis.b*oo va.ya.linu%
#G( Aa.ani ashir u.;e.chah, va.a.ra.nein la.bo,er chas.de.chah, ,i ha.yita misav li, u.
ma.nos b*yom t;ar li%
#$( Bo;i ei.le.chah a.;a.mei.rah, ,i Elohim misabi Elohei chasdi%
"salm GG
#( 3am.na.t;ei.ach al y*doo.tun l*Asaf mi;mor%
E( <oli el Elohim v*et;.a.,ah, ,oli el Elohim v*ha.a.;een eilay%
H( 4*yom t;a.ra.ti Adonai da.rashti, yadi lailah ni.rah v*lo ta.fu, mei.anah hi.nachem
nafshi%
&( E;.,*rah Elohim v*e.he.maya, a.sicha v*tit.a.teif ruchi selah%
F( A.cha;.tah sh*murot eiy.nai nif.amti v*lo adaber%
:( -hi.shavti yamim mi.,edem, sh*not olamim%
G( E;.,*rah n*inati ba.lai.lah, im l*vavi a.si.chah, va.y*.cha.pes ruchi%
$( )a.2*olamim yi;nach Adonai v*lo yosif lir.t;ot od%
7( )e*afes la*net;ach chasdo, amar omer le.dor va.dor%
#J( )a.sha.chach chanot Eil, im ,afat; b*af rachamav selah%
##( Aa.o.mar cha.loti hee, sh*not y*min el.yon%
#E( E;.,or ma.a.2*lei 9ah, ,i e;.,*ra mi.,edem pil.e.cha%
#H( A*ha.iti b*chol pa.a.le.chah u.va.a.li.lo.te.chah a.si.chah%
#&( Elohim ba.,odesh dar.,e.chah, mi Eil adol ,.Eilohim%
#F( Atah ha.Eil oseh feleh, ho.dah.tah ba.a.mim oo.;echah%
#:( Ga.al.tah vi;.ro.ah a.me.chah, b*nei 9a*acov v*9oseph selah%
#G( Ra.u.chah mayim Elohim, ra.u.chah mayim yachilu af yir.*;u t*ho.mot%
#$( Iormu mayim avot, ,ol natnu sh*cha.,im af cha.t;a.t;e.chah yit.ha.la.chu%
#7( <ol ra.amchah ba.alal hei.ee.ru v*ra.,im tei.veil ra.;ah va.tir*ash ha*a.ret;%
EJ( 4a.yam dar.,e.chah, u.shvil.chah b*mayim rabim, v*i,.vo.te.chah lo no.da.oo%
E#( Nachita cha .t;on amechah, b*yad +oshe v*Aharon%
"salm 7J
#( T*@lah 2*+oshe ish ha*Elohim, Adonai, ma.on ha.yi.tah la.nu b*dor va .dor%
E( 4*terem harim yoo.la.du va.t*cholel e.ret; v*tei.veil oo.mei.o.lam ad o.lam atah Eil%
H( Ta.sheiv e.nosh ad da.,ah, va.tomer shuvu v * nai adam%
&( <ee e.lef shanim b*ei.ne.chah, ,*yom et.mol ,i ya.a.vor v*ash.moora va.lai.lah%
F( I*ramtam sheinah yihi.yu, ba.bo,er ,e.cha.t;ir yacha.lof%
:( 4a.bo,er ya.t;it; v*cha.laf, la.e.rev y*mo.lel v*ya.veish%
G( <i cha.linu v*a.pe.chah, u.va.cha.mat.chah niv*hal.nu%
$( 1ha.ta avo.no.tei.nu l*ne.de.chah, alu.mei.nu lim.or pa.ne.chah%
7( <i chol ya.mei.nu pa.nu v*ev.ra.te.chah, ,i.li.nu sha.nei.nu c h * mo he.eh%
#J( 9*mei shno.teinu va .hem shiv*im sha.nah, v*im bi.*vu.rot shmo.nim sha.na, v*rah.
bam a.mal v*a. ven ,i a; chish v*na.oo.fah%
##( +i yodei.ah o; a.pe.chah, u.ch*yir.at.chah ev.ra.te.chah%
#E( 3im.not ya.me.nu ,ein ho.dah, v * navee l*vav cho,hmah%
#H( 1huva Adonai ad ma.tai, v*hi.na.chem al a.va.de.chah%
#&( 1abei.nu va.bo,er chas.de.chah, u.n*ra.n*nah v*nis.m*chah b*chol ya.mei.nu%
#F( 1am.chei.nu ,i.mot ee.nee.ta.nu, shnot ra.ee.nu ra.ah%
#:( 9ei.ra.eh el a.va.de.chah pa.a.le.chah, va.hadar.chah al b*nei.hem%
#G( Ae.yhi no.am Adonai Eloheinu a.lei.nu,u.ma.a.seh ya.dei.nu ,o.n*nah a.lei.nu, u.
ma.aseh yadeinu ,o.n*nei.hu%
"salm #JF
#( )o.doo 3.Adonai ,ir.oo vish.mo, ho.di.oo va.a.mim a.li.lo.tav%
E( 1hi.ru 3o, ;am .ru 3o, see.chu b*chol nif.le.o.tav%
H( )it.ha.l*lu b*sheim ,ad.sho, yis.mach lev m*va,.shei Adonai%
&( Dir.shu Adonai ve .oo;o, ba,.shu fa .nav ta.mid%
F( Iich.ru nif.l*o*tav a.sher asah, mof.tav u.mish.p*tei @v %
:( Ie.ra Avraham avdo, b*nei 9a.a.,ov b*chi.rav%
G( )u Adonai E.lohei.nu, b*chol ha.a.ret; mish.pa.tav%
$( Ia.char l*o.lam b.ri.to, da.var t;i.vah l*e.lef dor%
7( A.sher ,a.rat et.Av.ra.ham, u.sh*voo.a.to 2*9is.cha,%
#J( Aa.ya.a.mi.de.hah 2*9a.a.,ov l*cho,, l*9is.ra.el b * rit o.lam%
##( 3ei.mor, l*chah e.tein et Eret; <*na.an, che.vel nacha*lat.chem%
#E( 4i.h*yo.tam m*tei mis.par, ,im.at, v*a.rim ba%
#H( Aa.yit.hal.chu mi.oy el oy, mi.mam.la.cha el am a.cher%
#&( 3o hee.nee.ach a.dam 2*ash.,am, va.yo.chach a.lei.hem mela.chim%
#F( Al ti.u vim.shi.chai, ve.lin.vi.aiy al ta.rei.u%
#:( Aa.yi,.ra ra.av al ha.a.ret;, ,ol ma.teh le.chem sha.var%
#G( 1ha.lach lif.nei.hem ish, l*e.ved nim.,ar 9osef %
#$( Ee.nu va.,evel ra.lo, bar.;el ba.ah naf.sho%
#7( Ad eit bo d.va.ro, im.rat Adonai t;*ra.fat.hu%
EJ( 1ha.lach me.lech va.ya.ti.rei.hu, mo.sheil a.mim va. y * fat .chei.hu%
E#( 1a.mo adon l*vei.to, u.mo.sheil b*chol ,in.ya.no%
EE( 3e.sor sa.rav b*naf.sho, u.;*,ei.nav y*cha.,eim%
EH( Aa.ya.vo 9israel +it;.rayim, v*9a.a.,ov ar b*E.ret; -ham%
E&( Aa.yefer et a.mo m*od, va.ya.a.t;i.mei.hu mi.t;a.rav%
EF( )a. fach li.bam lis.no a.mo, l*hit.na.,el ba.a.vadav%
E:( 1ha.lach +oshe avdo, Aharon a.sher ba.char bo%
EG( 1a.mu vam div.rei o.to.tav, u.mof.tim b*E.eret; -ham%
E$( 1ha.2ach cho.shech va.ya.cha.shich, v*lo ma.ru et d*va.ro%
E7( )a.fach et mei.mei.hem 2*dam, va.ya.met et d*a.tam%
HJ( 1ha.rat; ar.t;am t; * far .d*im, b*chad.rei mal.chei.hem%
H#( A.mar va.ya.vo a.rov, ,inim, b*chol *voo.lam%
HE( Na.tan ish.mei.hem ba.rad, eish le.ha.vot b*ar.t;am%
HH( Aa.yach af.nam u.t*ei.na.tam, va.y*sha.beir eit; *voo.lam%
H&( A.mar va.ya.vo ar.beh, v*yele,, v*ein mis.par%
HF( Aa.yo.chal ,ol ei.sev b*ar.t;am, va.yo.chal pri ad.ma.tam%
H:( Aa.yach ,ol b*chor b*ar.t;am, rei.shit 2*chol o.nam%
HG( Aa.yo.t;i.eim b * chesef v*;ahav, ve.ein bish.va.tav ,o.sheil%
H$( 1a.mach +it;.rayim b*t;ei.tam, ,i nafal pach.dam a.lei.hem%
H7( "a.ras a.nan l*masach, v*eish l*ha.ir lai.lah%
&J( 1ha.al va.ya.veh s*lav, v*lechem sha.mayim yas.bi.eim%
&#( "atach t;ur va.ya.;u.vu ma.yim, halchu ba.t;i.yot na.har%
&E( <i ;achar et d*var ,ad.sho, et Avraham av.do%
&H( Aa.yo.t;ee a.mo b*sa.son, b*ri.nah et b*chi.rav%
&&( Aa.yi.tein la.hem ar.t;ot oyim, va.a.mal l*oo.mim yi.ra.shu%
&F 4a.a.vur yish.m*ru chu.,av, v*to.ro.tav yin.t;o.ru ha.l*lu*9ah%
"salm #HG
#( Al na.ha.rot 4avel, sham ya.shav.nu, am bachi.nu, b*;ach.rei.nu et T;ion%
E( A2 a.ra.vim b*to.cha, ta.li.nu ,i.no.ro.tei.nu%
H( <i sham, sh*ei.lu.nu sho.vei.nu, div.rei shir v*to.la.lei.nu sim.cha, shi.ru la.nu mi.shir
T;ion%
&( Eich na.shir et shir Adonai al ad.mat nei.char%
F( 2m esh.,a.cheich 9*ru.sha.la.yim, tish.,ach y*mi.ni%
:( Tid.ba, l*sho.ni l*chi.,i im lo e;.,*rei.chi, im lo a.a.leh et 9*rusha.la.yim al rosh sim.
cha.ti%
G( I*chor Adonai li.vnei E.dom et yom 9*ru.sha.la.yim, ha.om.rim aroo, aroo, ad ha.
y*sod ba%
$( 4at 4avel hash*du.dah, ashrei she.y*sha.lem lach et e.mu.leich she.a.malt la.nu%
7( Ashrei she.yo.chei;, v*ni.peit; et o*la.la.yich el ha*sa.lah%
"salm #FJ
#( )a . le.lu.yah ha.l*lu Eil b*,ad.sho, ha.lelu.hu bir.,i.a u.;o%
E( )a.le.lu.hu bi*vu.ro.tav, ha.l*lu.hu ,*rov ud.lo%
H( )a.le.lu.hu b*tei.,ah sho.far, ha.l*lu.hu b*nei.vel v*chi.nor%
&( )a.le.lu.hu b*tof u*ma.chol, ha.le.lu.hu b*minim v*u.av%
F( )a.le.lu.hu b*t;il.t;lei sha.mah, ha.l*lu.hu b*t;il.t;lei tru.ah%
:( <ol )an.sha.mah, t*ha2el 9ah ha.l*lu.yah%
After @nishin the "salms, say the followin%
+i yi.tein mi.T;ion y*shu.at 9israel, b*shuv Adonai shvut a.mo ya.el 9a*acov yis.mach
9israel% Ct*shu.at T;addi,im mei.Adonai ma*u.;am be.et t;a.rah% Aa*ya*a;.reim Adonai
va.y*fal.teim, y*fal.teim mei.r*sha.im, v*yo.shi.eim, ,i cha.su vo%
RABBI NACHMAN+S ,RA3E
2 want to remain amon you( And you should come to my rave(
-hayey +oharan N#7G
There is nothin 2 need to do for myself in this world at all( 2 came into the world only to
brin 6ewish souls closer to God( 4ut 2 can only help someone who comes to me and
tells me what he needs(
-hayey +oharan NHJG
Rabbi Nachman chose as his restin place the old 6ewish cemetery of Cman ,
C,raine , where the martyrs of the #G:$ Cman +assacre were buried(
"rior to his death, Rabbi Nachman ured his followers to come to his rave to pray( )e
also made a promise that no other T;addi, in the whole of 6ewish history had ever
made( Ta,in as his witnesses Rabbi Aaron, Rav of the town of 4reslov , and Reb
Naftali, his second closest disciple after Reb Nosson, Rabbi Nachman said%
"4ear witness to my words( ?hen my days are over and 2 leave this world, 2 will still
intercede for anyone who comes to my rave, says these Ten "salms and ives a
penny to charity( No matter how reat his sins, 2 will do everythin in my power,
spannin the lenth and breadth of creation , to save him and cleanse him("
A few months after Rabbi Nachman*s passin, Reb Nosson led the @rst pilrimae to
his rave( The Rebbe*s widow arraned for the construction of a small structure over
the rave, which became a focal point for reular visits by 4reslover -hassidim and
many others for #HJ years(
Durin the Na;i invasion of Russia in #7&# a hand renade e/ploded at the ravesite,
completely destroyin the structure built over it( After ?orld ?ar 22 the devastated
cemetery and surroundin area were desinated for suburban housin( )owever, the
plot of land containin the rave was ac8uired by a 4reslover chassid, who desined a
house with an e/terior wall and window alonside the rave in order to discourae
anyone from buildin over it later( The rave was covered by an unmar,ed slab and
enclosed in the private yard attached to the house, which later passed into the hands
of entiles(
The 4reslover -hassidim who remained in Russia after the war ,new the location of
the rave and continued to visit it even in the dar,est periods of communist
repression( >rom the #7:J*s and particularly in the late #7GJ*s and *$J*s Rabbi
Nachman*s rave in Cman became a manet for steadily increasin numbers of
visitors from 2srael, Europe, North America and other parts of the world(
After the brea,up of the 1oviet Cnion and the establishment of C,raine as an
independent republic in #77#, control of the ravesite was ac8uired by the 4reslover
-hassidim, who replaced the old house with a new 4eit +idrash and facilities for the
tens of thousands who visit annually and particularly for Rosh )ashanah(
RABBI NACHMAN+S ROSH HASHANAH
+y Rosh )ashanah is reater than everythin( 2 cannot understand how it is that if my
followers really believe in me they are not all meticulous about comin to me for Rosh
)ashanah( No. one should be absent0 +y whole mission is Rosh )ashanah(
Everyone , without e/ception, who counts himself as one of my followers or ta,es
heed of what 2 say should come to me for Rosh )ashanah( Anyone who is worthy of
bein with me for Rosh )ashanah should be very happy% "Go your way, eat the fat and
drin, the sweet, for the 5oy of the 3ord is your strenth" !Nehemiah $%#J ' (
-hayey +oharan N&JH
O O O
+y Rosh )ashanah is somethin completely new . and God ,nows it is not somethin
2 inherited from my fathers( God )imself ave me the ift of ,nowin what Rosh
)ashanah is( That all of you are dependent on my Rosh )ashanah oes without
sayin( The entire world depends on my Rosh )ashanah0
-hayey +oharan N&JF
O O O
Durin Rabbi Nachman*s lifetime it was the practice for his followers to ather around
him each year for Rosh )ashanah( 6ust as they had come to him each year when he
lived in 4reslov, so in 1eptember #$#J several hundred traveled to Cman to be with
him for what was to be the last Rosh )ashanah of his life(
Durin this event Rabbi Nachman repeatedly emphasi;ed the reatness and
importance of his followers* atherin around him on Rosh )ashanah( Reb Nosson
understood that the Rebbe wanted his followers to ather by him even after his death(
The ne/t year Reb Nosson went to Cman for Rosh )ashanah toether with about :J
of the Rebbe*s followers, thus institutin the annual Rosh )ashanah atherin of
4reslover -hassidim( This continued until the mid #7HJ*s, when the communist
repression made it impossible to continue the public prayers( Even so, secret Rosh
)ashanah services were held in Cman even in the dar,est years of the communist
tyranny(
The public Rosh )ashanah atherin in Cman resumed in #7$$ attended by about
EFJ people( The followin year the numbers rew to over a thousand and doubled the
year afterwards, after which they increased e/ponentially every year to the point where
today tens of thousands travel every year to Cman from 2srael, Europe, America and
other parts of the world in order to attend Rabbi Nachman*s Rosh )ashanah(
THE BRESLO3ER CHASSIDIM
Rabbi Nachman said his followers would always be called 4reslover -hassidim after
the town of 4reslov , where he lived for most of the last eiht years of his life !#$JE.
#J'(
Rabbi Nachman noted that the name 4Re13oA has the same letters as 3eA 4a1aR, a
"heart of fesh" !E;e,iel H:%E:' (
Durin his lifetime Rabbi Nachman had hundreds of adherents in various parts of the
C,raine ( +any of them athered at his side for his last Rosh )ashanah( 2t seems
unli,ely that there would have been a ma5or infu/ of new adherents after his death
had it not been for the initiatives of his closest disciple, Reb Nosson, who printed the
Rebbe*s boo,s, orani;ed visits to his rave, established the annual Rosh )ashanah
atherin and built a synaoue in Cman to accommodate it( Reb Nosson was a
manetic character, and it was primarily from the ran,s of his students and followers
that the 4reslover -hassidic movement developed(
The movement remained centered in Cman in the late #7th and early EJth century,
after which increasin numbers of 4reslover -hassidim moved to 2srael and America ,
where they established synaoues and study centers and printed Rabbi Nachman*s
wor,s(
The movement e/panded e/ponentially from the #7:J*s onwards and is today
enormously diversi@ed, with communities, synaoues, study centers, publishin and
outreach orani;ations in many locations throuhout 2srael and the Diaspora(
A DA% IN THE LIFE OF A BRESLO3ER CHASSID
4y Rabbi 9it;cha, 4reiter
#( 4indin yourself to the T;addi,
At the beinnin of the evenin, say% "2 want to serve God with truth, faith and 5oy( 2
hereby bind myself in my every thouht, word and action all throuh the day to the true
T;addi,im, and in particular to the true T;addi,, the "fowin broo,, the source of
wisdom . Nachal Novea +e,or -hochmah " Pthe @rst letters of the )ebrew words spell
out Na-h+aNQ, Rabbi Nachman the son of >eie, may his merit protect us("
4efore each prayer, say% "2 hereby bind myself in my prayer to the True T;addi,im, in
particular etc("
E( +a*ariv % The Evenin "rayer
"ray at a steady pace with all your strenth and concentration, 5oyously and in a
pleasant tone( 4e careful to pronounce the name of God properly% Adonai ( 1ay all the
names of God with awe and reverence(
The evenin prayer sweetens all harsh 5udments and ives us the strenth to stand
@rm in spite of spiritual setbac,s, dar,ness and other obstacles, for ")e uards )is
people 2srael forever("
H( <*riat 1hema before oin to sleep
1ay the 1hema and the other passaes recited before oin to sleep at a steady pace
and with 5oy( This helps to ma,e amends for all the thins you may have done wron
durin the day, especially immoral thouhts( "?hen someone recites the 1hema
before oin to sleep, the destructive spirits stay away from that person" ! 4erachot
Fa' (
&( +a,e a Rec,onin
Than, God for all the ood )e let you do today, and admit to everythin you did wron
whether in thouht, word or action( As, God to forive you and remove your sins, and
help you do thins the way you should from now on(
F( -hat;ot % +idniht
Get up to mourn the destruction of the Temple and the concealment of the liht of the
true T;addi,( +ourn over your own sins and shortcomins, all of which are delayin
the rebuildin of the Temple ( 1ee yourself and your personal situation and
e/periences in the words of Ti,,un -hat;ot, the +idniht 3ament( As, God to brin
about the redemption and save the 6ewish people collectively, and to protect your soul
from the evil inclination which ,eeps attac,in you( The time for -hat;ot beins si/
hours after nihtfall, reardless of the time of year, and lasts for two hours !see +aen
Avraham on Brach -haim #%E and EHH%#' (
:( Rememberin the ?orld to -ome
?hen you wa,e up, say, " +odeh ani lefanecha ( 2 ive than,s before 9ou(" and
immediately thin, of the world to come( "ray to God to help you do everythin you do
today in holiness( 4ind yourself to the T;addi, anew, as you did in the evenin(
G( Gettin up
Try to et up before dawn to study, pray and meditate( This will brin you to perfect
faith( The liht of truth and wisdom will shine on you and you will be able to enter all
the ates of holiness( ?hen it ets liht in the mornin, lift up your eyes and loo, at
the heavens(
$( "reparin to pray
Don*t eat, drin, or tal, before you pray( 2f you can*t avoid tal,in, be brief( This way
your prayer will be acceptable( 9ou must put all your strenth and concentration into
the words of the prayers( 9our soul yearns to pour out her words before her +a,er( Do
not distract yourself with anythin that miht diffuse or wea,en that willpower(
7( +i,veh
2mmerse in the mi,veh every day( This is the way to sanctify yourself and rid yourself
of the impurity caused by your sins( 9ou will be able to come enuinely close to God
and be free of all troubles, physical or spiritual( >or "God is the hope, mi,vah , of
2srael ( )e saves them in times of trouble" !6eremiah #&%$' (
#J( 1hacharit % The +ornin "rayer
"ray early in the mornin at a steady pace as e/plained in NE above( Don*t interrupt to
tal, to anyone from the beinnin of the service until the end( Cse a prayer boo, and
don*t loo, about you( Answer " Amen, yehei 1hemei rabbah " in the <addish, 4archu
and the <edushah 5oyously with all your strenth and concentration( This way you will
brin the liht of the 1even "rimordial Days to shine anew on yourself and the whole
world every day( This is what we pray for in the @rst blessin before the mornin
1hema% "1hine a new liht on Iion and let us all be worthy((("
##( 1hulchan Aruch % The -ode of 6ewish 3aw
Every day of your life without e/ception ma,e it a @/ed practice to study at least a
small portion of the 1hulchan Aruch( This way you will rid yourself and the world as a
whole of all ,inds of doubts about God and of spiritual and physical confict( 1tudy the
1hulchan Aruch in order, from beinnin to end( <eep up this practice every day of
your life( 2f you are unable to study the 1hulchan Aruch in the oriinal, study one of the
concise versions each day( 2f you are under duress and have no time, you may study
any law in the 1hulchan Aruch even if it does not follow your reular course of study(
#E( )itbodedut % "ersonal prayer and meditation
Do your utmost to spend at least an hour every day in personal prayer and meditation(
E/press yourself in your own words in the lanuae you understand best( Tal, about
all the thins you are oin throuh( Admit your sins and transressions, intentional
and unintentional( 1pea, to God the way you would to a close friend( Tell )im what
you*re oin throuh . your pain, the various pressures you are under, your personal
situation, that of the others in your home, and also that of the 6ewish people as a
whole( Tal, about everythin in full( Arue with God in whatever way you can( "ress
)im( "lead with )im to help you come enuinely close to )im( "Bpen your mouth wide
and 2 will @ll it" !"salms $#%##' ( -ry outM shout, roanM sih and weep( Give than,s to
God for all the love )e has shown you in both spiritual and material matters( 1in to
God and praise )im( Then as, for whatever you need, spiritually and materially(
)ave faith that the satisfaction that comes to God from such conversations by even
the lowliest of all people is more precious to )im than all ,inds of other devotions,
even the devotions of the anels in all the worlds( Even if you can*t open your mouth at
all, the very fact that you stand there and put your hope in God, liftin your eyes
upwards and forcin yourself to spea, even if you only say a sinle word the whole
hour . all this endures forever(
#H( The 4oo,s of Rebbe Nachman
1tudy from them every day( This way you will be connected with his holy wisdom and
you will have the strenth to follow the ways of the T;addi, and brin the whole world
bac, to God(
#&( Tehilim% "salms
Every day say at least ten "salms( Any ten "salms you say have a reat power to
repair ( 1ee yourself and what you are oin throuh in the words of the "salms( Apply
all the e/pressions of praise and than,s in the "salms to your personal situation% say
them as than,s to God for all the love and ,indness )e has shown you all your life(
#F( 3i,utey Te@lot% -ollected "rayers of Rabbi Nosson
Recite a portion every day( +a,e up your own prayers as well% pray to be able to ful@ll
those teachins of the T;addi, that you have studied( 1uch prayers ive God reat
deliht(
#:( >i/ed study sessions
+a,e @/ed times each day for Torah study( 1tudy 5oyously( Never interrupt your study
sessions for anythin that is not absolutely essential( The purpose of your study
should be to attain perfect faith( Try to draw practical uidance from your study
material as to the riht way to serve God( Develop your own oriinal Torah ideas in
accordance with the basic ideas and teachins of the Rebbe( Throuh this you will
come enuinely close to God and draw others closer as well(
#G( Eatin
Eat in a respectful manner and without undue hurry( Avoid ettin anry or tal,in
about thins that are not necessary while you eat( 1tudy Torah at the table( 1ay the
blessins after food 5oyously and with all your strenth and concentration( This will
brin you an illumination of Rat;on % >avor( 9ou will e/perience a deep yearnin and
desire to follow the way of God( ?hen you satisfy your material needs , and indeed in
whatever you do, have in mind that it should be in accordance with God*s will and that
your purpose is to brin about the uni@cation of the )oly Bne, blessed be )e, and )is
2ndwellin "resence throuh your eatin, your other pleasures and all your activities(
#$( Earnin a 3ivin
The way to wor, and run your business activities honestly and with faith is to
strenthen your belief in God*s control over every detail of creation ( <now and believe
that our livelihood comes to us not because of the natural chain of events but throuh
the ?ill of God( )e could , if )e wanted, ive us a livin without any intermediary
causes( The reason )e ives us our livin throuh natural means is to test us to see if
we can withstand the trials we encounter in havin to deal with these means, and
whether we can stay @rm in the belief that livelihood does not depend on natural
means but on God*s will alone(
#7( T;eda,ah% -harity
?hatever money you are blessed with, reardless of how it came to you, whether
throuh your own wor,, as pro@t or as a ift etc(, ive a portion to charity to further all
causes connected with the Rebbe, such as supportin his descendants and other
followers enaed in God*s service, print in the Rebbe*s boo,s so that they can be
distributed ine/pensively amon all sections of the 6ewish people , or support in
study halls in the Rebbe*s name etc( As a beinnin it would be ood if you could
contribute a minimum terumah of two per cent of your income, with the eventual oal
of ivin a tenth of the principal and subse8uent annual income(
EJ( "rintin and distributin the Rebbe*s boo,s and spreadin his Teachins
This is the fundamental activity because throuh it all 6ews will be brouht to the true
path( That is our ultimate oal, the oal for which all the worlds were created( This
activity must be "holy of holies" for all followers of the T;addi, and they should
selfessly devote all their eneries to it( They should constantly see, ways of
e/pandin these activities and spreadin the Rebbe*s teachins further and further
a@eld in order to inspire every 6ewish soul to come to God(
E#( 1anctity of the 1even 3amps
1anctify your eyes by not loo,in at evilM your ears by listenin to the words of the
wiseM your nostrils by ta,in the lon breath of patience no matter what, showin love
to the person you wanted to be anry withM and your mouth throuh spea,in words of
Torah and prayer, holdin bac, from sayin anythin forbidden( This will brin you
Divine inspiration and holy thouhts(
EE( 1imchah % )appiness
Always be happy( Turn any sadness and sorrow into happiness and 5oy( Accept
everythin in life with love( Never fall into despair( 3iven yourself up and ,eep happy
with the thouht of your spiritual ood points( 1ee the hidden bene@ts of even your
worst problems( Even if you ta,e a hard fall , trust in the power of the T;addi, and
each time try to ma,e a completely new start, as if you had never started in your whole
life and never failed( )ave faith that every fall was only sent to ma,e you start anew( 2f
you really ma,e a determined effort to start aain each time, God will help you not to
fall into such situations any more( Get into the habit of servin God with a happy tune,
a dance, clappin your hands etc( 4e especially happy when you study and pray(
EH( Teshuvah % Returnin to God
E/amine your every thouht, word and action for hints from God to inspire you to
return to )im in truth and to put fresh effort into your devotions( 2f people put you down
or insult you, ,eep 8uiet( This will subdue the evil in your blood and atone for your
sins, which will be turned into merits(
E&( 3ove of >riends
3ove every 6ew li,e your own soul, especially followers of the true T;addi,( Discuss
the true purpose of life with them( Do this every day so as to bene@t from their ood
point( >or every 6ew has his own uni8ue ood point 8uite unli,e that of any other(
EF( +inchah% The Afternoon "rayer
"ray as e/plained above !NE' ( The +inchah "rayer lifts up all the day*s devotions to
God and ives you fresh enery to serve God anew tomorrow( Thus the saes said,
"?ith Pthe afternoon sacri@ceQ, complete all the offerins of the day" ! 9oma HHa' and
"?hen the sun oes down he becomes clean" !3eviticus EE%G' (
E:( Rosh )ashanah % The New 9ear
All the followers of the T;addi, must come toether in one place on Rosh )ashanah
and pray as one with the T;addi,( This illumines them with an ama;in liht from the
T;addi, and brins about a reat repair( Bn Rosh )ashanah the followers of the
T;addi, are very close to him( They can attain more on Rosh )ashanah than throuh
the whole year( As the Rebbe said, "+y whole mission is Rosh )ashanah(" The liht of
the T;addi, shines on his followers and on the whole world for all the enerations(
Don*t let anythin stop you from comin to the Rosh )ashanah atherin( The only
valid reason not to come is a life.threatenin situation of the ,ind that would suspend
the laws of 1habbat( Any other obstacle, such as wor, or money problems, the effort
involved, what people miht thin,, must be bro,en and overcome( Nothin is reater
than the Rosh )ashanah atherin(
EG( Eret; 9israel % The 3and of 2srael
Every day of your life, yearn, pray and ma,e a practical effort to live in Eret; 9israel, or
at the very least to wal, four steps there( Throuh this you will achieve patience and
be able to advance from level to level, attainin complete holiness( This is the ultimate
holy victory a person wins in this world(
+ay God help us to o in the ways of the true T;addi, in truth and faith and to draw
his liht on ourselves and the whole 6ewish people , so that we will attain redemption,
physical and spiritual, 8uic,ly in our days( Amen( Amen(
SE3EN 4ILLARS OF FAITH
4y Rabbi 9it;cha, 4reiter
"Trust in God and do ood, dwell in the land and feed off faith" ! "salms HG%H '(
#( God controls everythin
Everythin in the entire universe is under God*s control( This includes everythin that
happens to you personally, both spiritually and materially, includin what you yourself
do, whether deliberately or unwittinly, wilfully or under compulsion% everythin is from
God( Even when appearances suest otherwise, the believer pays attention not to
the e/ternal appearance of this world but to the underlyin truth(
E( >reedom
Everythin we do is ultimately controlled by God, thouh this is concealed from us by
our eos, which ma,e us thin, we are separate from and independent of God( ?e
were created li,e this to ive us free will( This way we are able to turn to God of our
own volition and discover for ourselves that God controls all thins, includin our own
thouhts, feelins and actions(
H( Action
Even thouh all thins in the spiritual and material realms are in God*s hands, we are
not supposed to wait for God to do everythin( The universe is so arraned that we
have freedom of action in many areas( ?hen we act, whether it be to ma,e a livin or
to attend to any of our other needs, we must understand that, while it is up to us to
ta,e the initiative and act as if everythin is in our hands, in fact all thins ultimately
depend upon God( No matter what we feel we ouht to do, whether in our spiritual or
material lives, our @rst step should always be to as, God to uide us and bless our
efforts with success(
&( Reverses
?hen thins appear to turn out badly for us, we have to accept that this is God*s will
and that whatever happens is for the best( Even when thins o wron because of
somethin we ourselves may have thouht, said or done, we must accept that this too
is from God( Bther people are also free aents, yet everythin they do is ultimately
controlled by God( 2f someone insults you or in some way harms you, ,now that this
has been sent by God as a way to cleanse your soul( 2f thins o aainst you, be
patient( ?hen you accept everythin as God*s will, this causes the veil of concealment
to be removed, thus manifestin God*s control over all creation(
F( Growth
9our spiritual rowth is also under God*s control( Even if you feel a desire to row in a
speci@c area, as lon as you are not ready to achieve what you want, thins will be
arraned in such a way as to hold you bac, . either by e/ternal obstacles or throuh
some idea that becomes implanted in your own mind to prevent you from reachin
your oal( This does not mean that God is re5ectin you( )e ,nows that in the lon run
this will be the best way to brin you to the ultimate ood( The purpose of holdin you
bac, is to prompt you to cry out and pray to God to help you rise from your current
level and brin you nearer your true oal(
:( Revelation and uidance
1ince God is everywhere and in all thins, everythin we e/perience is actually a
communication from God( This includes our inner thouhts and feelins( Even
neative thouhts and feelins . heaviness, lac, of enthusiasm, depression and the
li,e . are from God( Everythin you hear, see, or e/perience in life, whether from
people you ,now or from complete straners, is a call to you from God( Even unclear
or contradictory messaes are sent with a purpose% to ive us choice and free will in
order to test us( The way to sort out which messaes we should follow and which we
should inore is by evaluatin everythin in the liht of Torah teachin(
G( The ?ise +an.T;addi,
>aith in God includes faith in the T;addi,im whom God sends into this world to teach
us how to transcend our lowly state and ful@ll our spiritual destiny( Not only must we
accept that God ave the Torah to +oses on 1inaiM we must also ac,nowlede that
God sends wise men in every ae to lift us out of our e/ile and teach us the true path
in life(