| Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught… |
| Reb Nosson wrote: “Sadness, depression, anxieties and doubts are highly damaging and are more destructive, G-d forbid, than one’s wrongdoing…. Fortify yourself again and again; begin anew every day. Do not dwell on any doubts or depression—pay them no attention at all. Do not give in!” (Healing Leaves, p. 47) |
| What does this mean to me? |
| Reb Nosson emphasizes here that the negative feelings that we have about our distance from G-d after doing something wrong are far more destructive than the wrongdoing itself. Rebbe Nachman taught on the verse, “The dust of the earth is the bread of the serpent”—the evil inclination or serpent derives the major part of its sustenance from the anxiety and despair (which derive from the element of “earth”) that come in the wake of sin, not the sin itself. While we need to try as hard as we can to avoid wrongdoing ahead of time, once we’ve fallen the main thing is to immediately pick ourselves up again, not wallow in the negative feelings that would otherwise paralyze us. For this, too, the answer is prayer. |
| A prayer: |
| Merciful G-d, I feel so distant from You, even rejected, That I beg You, in Your love to draw me close And put an end to these feelings. Because Your glory is revealed When those who are far away come back to You, I implore You not to judge me by my past, For with Your help, I can really glorify You. Please, hold out Your hand to me So I can feel Your loving tenderness. Send me, G-d, in Your compassion, Beautiful, flowing words So that I can speak out and search for You. Strengthen me with the determination To do what You desire. (Between me and You, p. 168) We encourage hearing your feedback and may anonymously publish your remarks. Please send email to: [email protected] Your Comments Frankly, it leaves me in awe. Seldom do words fail to express a response to a message. But now the time has come.Thank you for enlightening and brightening my day and Shabbos. Find joy, peace and blessings this Shabbos. C.R.C |
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