Rebbe Nachman: The Secret of the Letters, the Power of the Shmoneh Esreh Prayer, and Elevating the Sparks

Lesson No. 330 | *Part 2, Wednesday, Parashat Tzav, Eve of 8 Nissan 5762*

The holy letters of the Torah and the Shmoneh Esreh prayer are like a powerful magnet capable of drawing and elevating all the lost sparks from all the nations of the world. Through inner contemplation, closing one's eyes, having intention in the blessings, and avoiding idle chatter, every person can rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon and bring the entire world back in teshuvah (repentance).

Even on Shabbat, there are boundaries (techumin) above ten handbreadths, but when the soul departs from the lower Garden of Eden, where the body is located, there is a delay. However, the moment there is a revelation of Eliyahu, which is the secret of the Name of Ba"n, there is an elevation for all the "Mayin Nukvin" (feminine waters) and for all the sparks in the world. In every inanimate object, plant, animal, and human being, there are holy sparks. It is stated: > "And you shall be to Me a treasure (segulah) from among all the peoples," and the meaning is that we must extract the treasures (segulot) from all the nations.

When a person walks with closed eyes, he can extract the treasures from all the nations. Therefore, Tefillin are called "Totafot" – 'Tat' means two in Katfi, 'Pat' means two in Afriki. When a person walks in the street with Tefillin and words of Torah with closed eyes, he can extract the treasures, the good, and the hidden sparks that exist within all the nations.

A Magnet of Souls: The Power of the Letters of the Torah

While it is true that "if you are told there is wisdom among the nations, believe it," we must return this wisdom to the people of Israel. Hashem roars over the wisdom that has disappeared, as it is stated: > "He will roar mightily over His dwelling place." The moment a person learns Torah day and night, through the letters of the Torah he returns all the sparks. The letters of the Torah are like a magnet that draws out all the lost sparks.

This is the secret of > "to work it and to guard it." Adam HaRishon was supposed to elevate all the souls, but after he blemished the holy unification, he caused all the sparks and souls to fall into the "Nukva d'Tehoma Rabba" – to the lowest possible place. Tefillin are the secret of the "garments of skin" that Hashem made for Adam HaRishon so that he could elevate the sparks back up. Within each of us, there is an aspect of Adam HaRishon, and we must rectify his sin. The tikkun (rectification) is accomplished when walking with closed eyes, and thus elevating all the sparks from all the nations of the world.

The Faithful and Merciful Healer

Through the blessings, Torah study, and every letter in the Shmoneh Esreh, awesome unifications (yichudim) are made that elevate sparks. A person can stand for a full hour in the Shmoneh Esreh prayer, dedicating three or five minutes to each blessing. With a flesh-and-blood doctor, hours are wasted: traveling for an hour, waiting for an hour, returning for an hour – sometimes it takes up six hours. In contrast, here you are told: stand for five minutes in the blessing of "Refa'einu" (Heal us), and you will save six hours of traveling to the doctor!

We say: "For You are God, King, the faithful and merciful Healer." Who is truly faithful and merciful? Is the doctor merciful? Often, he wants the money, the career, and the honor. He conducts research and experiments on you to get a doctorate or professorship based on your illness, and he doesn't really care whether you live or die. But Hashem is "God, King, the faithful and merciful Healer" – He truly wants to heal you. Stand in "Refa'einu" for five minutes, have intention in every word and every letter, and do so in every blessing. In total, twenty blessings times five minutes is one hundred minutes – an hour and forty minutes. A person wastes an hour and forty minutes every day on idle matters anyway, so why shouldn't he speak with Hashem, blessed be He, during this time?

Bringing the Entire World Back in Teshuvah

If a person stands for an hour in Shmoneh Esreh, the verse will be fulfilled in him: > "For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language." From every single letter, he can draw after him tens of thousands of souls of Jews, of non-Jews, and of ba'alei teshuvah. When a person arrives in Heaven, they will show him that he could have brought the entire nation back in teshuvah (repentance) if only he had focused his intention on every letter! There is no need to give lectures and no need to chase after people, just to stand in the innermost chambers and pray Shmoneh Esreh.

In every generation, there is the power to bring the entire generation back in teshuvah (repentance). If we had fulfilled the advice of our Rebbe, we would have brought everyone back. The souls are parts of letters; to every letter belong tens of thousands of souls, and every soul is a part of a letter. If one prays and learns without any idle chatter, without lashon hara (evil speech), gossip, or politics – it is possible to bring the entire world back in teshuvah (repentance), without exception, and bring them to our holy Rebbe.

The Secret of the Brit and the Sweetening of Judgments

In every Brit Milah (circumcision), there is a revelation of Mashiach. One must intend to draw into the baby the souls of Eliyahu HaNavi, Moshe Rabbeinu, our holy Rebbe, and all the tzaddikim. Through the holy unification that a person performs in holiness and purity, it is possible to return all the souls, especially when drawing down the soul of such a holy child, in the aspect of "Judah is a lion's whelp," from whom Mashiach will come. (The baby was named Yehuda, after Rabbi Yudel, who would hear the heavenly proclamation "Return, wicked ones, to Sheol" every Motzaei Shabbat, and who would speak with the Rebbe as a man speaks to his friend).

Now it is possible to extract all the sparks of holiness, and consequently the entire Sitra Achra (Other Side) will fall, and the verse will be fulfilled: > "He will swallow up death forever, and Hashem God will wipe away tears from off all faces." When there are people killed in sanctification of Hashem's Name (Kiddush Hashem), it happens because we are not performing the proper unifications. Our Rebbe says that when a person accepts humiliation with love, he can elevate all the souls in the world, and if not – Heaven forbid, there must be killing. When we see that there are killings, it is a sign that we are not performing the unifications. In the times of the holy elder Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender, and Rabbi Velvel Cheshin, there were no troubles, and the land was quiet for forty years.

In the merit of this holy Brit, we will elevate all the holy sparks, and we will merit to see Hashem face to face and to a complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.

Part 4 of 4 — Lesson No. 330

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