The Secret of a Free Gift: The Rectification for Striking the Rock and the Path to True Nullification
Lesson No. 106 | Cassette 106, Lesson No. 1
The Mistake of \
The essence of teshuvah (repentance) is the study of Torah. The letters of the Torah and the letters of the Gemara are the very essence of teshuvah. Moshe Rabbeinu made a mistake regarding the secret of "striking the rock," and Reb Noson explains that all of our mistakes stem from the fact that we continue this exact same blemish of striking the rock. We take things by force, we want to see immediate results, and we decide that we are the ones in control.
A person mistakenly thinks that "my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth," believing that he is the decision-maker and the one who makes things happen. All of this is a direct continuation of the blemish of striking the rock, which we must rectify before Mashiach comes. If we had rectified the blemish of striking the rock, Mashiach would have already come today.
The tikkun (rectification) is to understand that everything accomplished in the world is only through supplications, tears, and Hisbodedus (personal prayer). Only in this way can one truly accomplish anything.
The Intellect is Given Only for "Basic Sustenance"
Hashem, may He be blessed, gives every person a little bit of intellect and brainpower so that they can function in the meantime, so they won't die of starvation, and so they will have "basic sustenance." All of a person's intellect is designed solely to give them a drop of vitality to survive in the world and know how to get by in life.
But in truth, the intellect alone will not help a person with anything. What will truly help him is only the request he makes to Hashem to have mercy on him. A person must constantly walk around with a request from Hashem. Reb Noson says: Before hammering a nail into the wall, you must ask Hashem that the nail goes into the right place, that it doesn't hit an electrical wire, and that the hammer doesn't smash your finger. People hammer a nail and end up in the hospital with blood poisoning and rust.
Every movement and every action must be accompanied by a request and supplication. Until we make every movement out of a turning to Hashem, Mashiach will not be able to come.
The Secret of "Va'eschanan" and the Song That Precedes the Crying
Moshe Rabbeinu did complete teshuvah (repentance) and regretted striking the rock. His tikkun (rectification) was through mercy and supplications, as it is written:
"And I pleaded (Va'eschanan) with Hashem at that time, saying..."
Moshe prayed 515 prayers, asking for a free gift in order to nullify the blemish of striking the rock. But before he prayed, he sang. It is brought in the name of the Baal HaTurim that without song, a request is not accepted at all. First, one must sing a melody of joy, and only afterward can they open their heart in tears.
As Reb Noson brings down, first one wakes up for Chatzos (midnight prayer) with joy and song, and then they pour out their heart like water. The Geulah (Redemption) will only come through crying and supplications, as it is stated, "With weeping they shall come, and with supplications I will lead them." The Geulah will not come through a person's intellect or their ability to execute tasks, but only through the revelation of the secret of supplications.
Studying Gemara as a Preparation for Subduing the Heart
In order to merit to truly ask and supplicate, a person must have intellect, and this intellect is built through the study of Torah. Reb Noson brings the teaching that "an empty-headed person cannot be sin-fearing, nor can an ignorant person be pious." Rebbe Nachman says in Torah 1 that a person must be a scholar and know Gemara.
It is impossible to truly turn to Hashem without studying Gemara. An idle person who does not learn has a head full of nonsense, foreign thoughts, and forbidden sights. Rebbe Nachman emphasizes that through the intellect, the flame of the heart rises on its own. If there is no intellect of Torah, the heart cannot be warmed to holiness; rather, it will only be warmed by worldly desires.
When a person merits a quick and sharp intellect of Torah, Divine abundance is poured upon him, his heart is warmed, and he can pour out his words with such enthusiasm that he won't need any preparation at all. Therefore, a person must dedicate many hours a day to studying Gemara, and from there draw the strength for Hisbodedus (personal prayer) and Chatzos (midnight prayer).
The Secret of Hisbodedus: Becoming "Dust and Ashes"
The essence of Hisbodedus, as Rebbe Nachman explains in Torah 52, is to nullify one's pride. True Hisbodedus is knowing that I am worth nothing, knowing that I am "Ayin" (nothingness), and increasing in this realization until nothing remains of the person's ego.