Kabbalah Insights
COURAGE
Rabbi Nachman
When a person realizes that he is on a very low level and far from God, this itself is a reason to feel encouraged. Before this, he was so far from God that he did not even know it. Now at least he knows it, and this itself is a sign that he is drawing closer.
Each one is precious God takes pride in every individual Jew, even the most minor, even the sinners of Israel , as long as they go by the name of Israel . There is a unique pride that God takes in every single Jew and even in each of his limbs and every single movement he makes. Sometimes a lowly Jew makes a slight movement with his side-curl and God takes great pride in this too! One should therefore never despair of God's help regardless of any wrong he may have done, because God's love for him will never cease and he can always return to God.
God hides in the obstacle When a person has spent all his days immersed in materialism and suddenly feels a strong desire to walk in the ways of God, the attribute of Judgment rises up to accuse him. It will not allow him to walk in the ways of God and creates an obstacle. But God loves kindness and hides Himself in the obstacle itself. Someone with understanding looks carefully and discovers God in the very obstacle itself!
Illusory walls
When someone wants to serve God or travel to the true Tzaddik, he is bound to face obstacles. Each person imagines that the obstacles he faces are greater than those facing others and finds it hard to withstand them. But 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 greatest of all barriers are those in the mind – when the person is divided from God or from the Tzaddik in his own mind and heart. A person may have come to the Tzaddik despite all the physical obstacles. But if some small doubt about the Tzaddik then arises in his mind, causing his heart to falter, this is the greatest obstacle of all. Similarly, a person encounters many obstacles when he wants to pray. However, if after overcoming them all he is ready to pray but his heart is contorted and turned away from God, this is the greatest obstacle of all. The Baal Shem Tov told a parable about a king who left a great treasure in a certain place, surrounding it with all kinds of illusory walls. When people came to these walls, they thought they were real and that it would be very hard to break through. Some retreated immediately; others broke through one wall but could not break through the second. A few broke through more walls, but no- one could break through them all. Until the king's son came and said: “I know that all these walls are pure illusions and the truth is that there is no wall at all!” He went forward confidently until he overcame them all. All the obstacles and temptations standing in the way of true fear of heaven are illusory walls. Be courageous and strong-hearted! All the apparent obstacles, such as financial and other material constraints or opposition from others, will disappear if you are determined and courageous in your quest for God.
The Path of Teshuvah
Rabbi Nachman
Every person must minimize his own glory and maximize God's glory. For one who pursues glory attains not God's glory but only the glory of kings, of which it is said: “The glory of kings is subject to investigation” (Proverbs 25:2) .
For then everyone investigates who he really is, asking: “Who is he and what is he to be given such honor?” People challenge him, saying he is not fit for this honor. But when a person flees from honor, minimizing his own honor and maximizing the glory of God, he attains the glory of God. No-one then investigates to see if he deserves it, for “The glory of God is to hide the matter” ( ibid. ) – it is forbidden to question his honor.
The only way to attain God's glory is through repentance. And the true sign of a person who has returned to God is the ability to hear himself insulted and remain silent. He endures even the most murderous abuse with patience, thereby reducing the blood in the left side of his heart (seat of the animal soul) and annihilating his evil inclination. Such a person is worthy of a share in God's glory.
Before a person returns to God, he has no being. It is as if he has not yet been created, because it would have been better for him not to have been created at all. But when he purifies himself in order to return to God, he puts himself in order and prepares to become a being. This element of preparation for becoming – coming into being, as it were – explains why the Divine Name associated with repentance is Ehyeh , “I shall be”.
Peace of Mind
Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan
Everything that God created must behave calmly. Calmness pervades all of nature; in the fields and in the woods, on the mountains and in the valley, in the streams and in the air, a profound calmness always prevails. And this calmness also rules by nature in the heart of man, which is part of God's creation. Among the many things that human beings crave for is peace of mind. Peace of mind is man's normal state... the peace which man admires in nature is also found within himself, for he is part of nature... One craves only for those things which are an integral part of his nature. Man craves for peace of mind, because peace is natural to his being, he craves to gain and possess that which is his natural portion. This very yearning on the part of man is an indication that God created him for peace. Because peace of mind is natural to man, in its presence every part of one's being is preserved and advanced. When one's inner state is peaceful, then all the processes of mind and body act normally and with great potency and perfection.
The human mind is best when it is at ease, it yields its deepest thoughts when its mood is that of serenity. The mind can give expression to its finest and noblest only when it is at peace with itself. In the absence of peace, the mental vision loses its acuteness and clearness, the judgement finds itself clouded with uncertainty, it finds itself incapable of making decisions and assisting its positive powers. In the absence of inner peace, one may still strive, still act, but his actions do not represent his best capabilities; his best powers are in retreat.
Self-Confidence – An Understanding
Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan
It is clear that God did not intend to make life a path of roses. From the very early stages of one's existence, He has prepared difficulties and opposition for our every step. See how many difficulties the tiny babe must overcome before it learns to walk and stand erect. It is clear…that difficulties are not additions to life, but vital portions of life; obstacles are not thrown on our road by mere accident, they are part of the road. Difficulties stimulate self-expression. Difficulties call forth the finer and deeper faculties of man. God's plan…is to induce (people) to obtain through their own efforts and labors the gifts He has prepared for them.
The chief hindrance in a person's life is fear. Fear interferes with the realization of one's deeper self. Fear has a terrifying effect, it hinders every expression of the mind, it obstructs the free flow of emotion, it interferes with the functions of bodily organs, it keeps man in a restricted and sometimes agonized state. Fear has a pernicious effect upon one's whole life. It interferes with one's vital processes, it beclouds his mental powers, it slackens his ambitions, it lowers his aspirations, it leads his thought to gloomy barren spheres that make life an unendurable stretch. Why do only some reach their goal, while the ambitions of multitudes remain stunted? Our answer is that most people are hindered by fear… It is fear that paralyzes their efforts; it is fear that holds them back. Fear has not one redeeming effect for the destruction it creates. Fear is basically an error; it is the result of an erroneous conception of life, which implies that life is filled with adversity, that the world is pregnant with danger, that man's existence is a chain of misery, forged in links of bitterness and hostility. When one is afraid, he is placing himself in an invisible prison-house. He becomes a reduced man. He has lost confidence in himself… On the other hand, there is courage, the power that downs all difficulties, that lends strength to all the constructive forces within man, that fans his enthusiasm, that keeps his heart warm, his mind in a creative state, his hopes and aspirations fresh and green. Courage is the weapon with which we overcome opposition. It is a device by the use of which we may conquer the difficulties and obstacles life offers. Courage is a Divine gift that enables us to overcome fear, look at danger with a smile, defy all obstacles. For it is in the nature of courage to minimize the stings of adversity, to remove obstructions to achievements and success. Armed with courage, nothing is too difficult, nothing too remote, nothing too high for our reach. Although cowardice is a weakness, it does not mean that the cowardly is destitute of the Divine gift of courage. Lack of courage may be corrected through prayer. You can obliterate cowardice through verbalized or affirmative prayer. …fear enters the mind only when faith is absent. Faith in God lifts and fortifies man….......
PURITY OF THOUGHT
THE ESSENTIAL RABBI NACHMAN
Man's mind is his very essence. Wherever your thoughts are, that is where you are – all of you. This is why it is so important to avoid all evil thoughts, because otherwise that is where your place will be. You must force yourself to think good thoughts in order to be worthy of knowing God. Then your place will be with Him and you will be merged with Him. The greater your perception of God, the more fully merged with Him you will become, and then you will attain eternal life.
Guard your thoughts very carefully, because thought can literally create a living thing. The higher a faculty, the further it can reach. You can kick something with your foot, but you can throw it even higher with your hand. With your voice you can reach even further, calling to someone far away. Hearing reaches further still – you can hear sounds like gunfire from a very great distance. Vision reaches even further: you can see things high in the sky. The higher the faculty, the further it can reach. Highest of all is the mind, which can ascend to the loftiest heights. You must therefore guard your mind and thoughts to the utmost.
ON PATIENCE
Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan
Patience is highly important and extremely essential in order not to fall under the burden of the difficult, but on the contrary, wait hopefully until the storms shall have blown over, the threatening clouds dispersed, and the sun shines forth and brings joy and refreshment. Patience is the virtue that enables man to endure with a quiet mind the unpleasantness and disfavors of life with serenity and hope. There are always stumbling blocks in any undertaking, there are always difficulties which one never even imagined. And if one takes these difficulties too seriously they will overcome him and make him miserable. True patience means that a person has confidence in G-d's goodness. G-d has given man the understanding and the powers with which to succeed in life, and if the individual knows how to utilize his gifts, particularly if he understands when to work and when to create and when to be patient, he may be sure that success will come.