The Secret of Renewal: The Danger of Feeling...

Class No. 69 | Motzaei Yom Tov Rishon, 15 Tishrei 5756, Class for Yeshiva Students

A person is required to approach the service of Hashem anew every single day, without feeling that he is already...

A person must know that he is still not a true "Breslover." If someone tells you that you are not a Breslover, you should pay him a salary of a thousand dollars a day! The moment you think you already know something about Hashem, that you already understand the service of Hashem—this is called a "permanent Sukkah."

You feel that you have established permanence for yourself in the world, that you are already a permanent and veteran fixture in the service of Hashem. Regarding this, Rabbi Nasan says: There is no corruption or flaw greater than this. This is a permanent Sukkah, which is completely invalid.

Rebbe Nachman says in Likutey Moharan (Torah 97) that if a person approaches the service of Hashem with the thought that he has already exerted himself in the past, that he is already a "veteran Jew" who knows how to serve his Creator—this service will not ascend on high and will not accomplish anything. A person comes to Shacharis on the holiday; he has already made twenty or thirty Sukkahs in his life, he already knows what Hallel is and what taking the Lulav is. If you think you already know, your service is flawed.

The Obligation to Guard One's Eyes

After a person studies ethical (Mussar) books, he knows that he must guard his eyes. This is an explicit negative commandment in the Torah:

"And you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes."

We say this verse five times a day—in the morning Krias Shema (including Vasikin and Rabbeinu Tam), in the evening service (Maariv), and before going to sleep. A person knows what he is saying. There is absolutely no permission in the world to violate this negative commandment. So what do we do, Master of the Universe?

Thank Hashem that we merited in our generation a soul like Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro zt"l, who guarded his eyes twenty-four hours a day. Outside of the holy Arizal and the Baal Shem Tov, it is hard to find a tzaddik who could guard his eyes like this, shedding rivers of tears and crying out until he bled. Hashem had mercy on our generation and brought down such a soul so that we would not say that this is no longer relevant to our generation.

Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro came down to the world to obligate everyone. Not to throw us into Gehenna, Heaven forbid, but so that we would know it is possible, so that we wouldn't think we are exempt. A person who walks in the street with open eyes, Hashem have mercy, is completely lost.

The Advice of Mashiach Through Crying Out

How does one reach this level? Rabbi Nasan says that for this, one needs to cry out. To cry out to Hashem every second, every minute, every moment. Only the crying out will bring down the advice for you. A person is forbidden to relax or forgive himself for his sins under the pretext that he is weak or has errands to run in the street. Instead of wasting time, say Tehillim, study Gemara, or learn Likutey Halachos.

Rabbi Nasan explains (Likutey Halachos, page 66) that the main tikkun (rectification) will be through our righteous Mashiach, for whom we cry out day and night that he should already come. And what will Mashiach do? He will simply read Likutey Halachos to us.

Mashiach will teach us to guard our eyes, to serve Hashem with intention, not to miss Chatzos (the midnight prayer), and not to miss a single hour of Hisbodedus (personal prayer). He will not need to introduce anything novel; rather, he will bring deep advice that will topple all the schemes of the wicked, about which it is said:

"Devise a plan, and it will be annulled; speak a word, and it will not stand, for God is with us."

When will all the schemes of the wicked fall? When the advice of Mashiach is revealed, when we begin to cry out to Hashem from the depths of our hearts and strive for deep waters in order to discover new roots of emunah (faith).

The Danger of Serving Without a Heart

If a person walks with the same emunah (faith) he had five minutes ago—it is no longer emunah. It becomes a "commandment of men learned by rote," a routine and superficial service.

Rebbe Nachman explains in Likutey Moharan (Torah 67) that if a person serves Hashem without a heart, waking up in the morning and quickly "swallowing" the words—the advice of the tzaddikim is blocked from him. He completely fails to understand what the tzaddik is saying to him. Furthermore, the wisdom departs from the tzaddikim themselves, because they have no one to speak to and the students lack the vessels to understand.

Rebbe Nachman delivered this Torah lesson as a eulogy for his wife. He explained that a "Woman of Valor" (Eishes Chayil) symbolizes the fear of Hashem and the service of the heart. When the tzaddik's wife passed away, Rebbe Nachman revealed to his disciples: "You are serving Hashem without a heart!"

The woman symbolizes *Binah* (understanding), wisdom, and actualization. The moment the disciples act without a heart, the fear of Heaven departs and ascends on high, because it has nothing to do in this world.

Seeing Wonders Anew Every Day

How can a person say the exact same letters anew every single day? After all, when studying Gemara or Likutey Halachos, there are novel insights (chidushim), but the text of the prayers remains fixed!

The answer is that one needs thousands of cries from the depths of the heart in order to receive new emunah (faith), new vitality, and new clarity in every single letter. A person must wake up in the morning and see new miracles and wonders, just as we say:

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