Hilula of Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid - 6 Cheshvon (Tonight-tomorrow) - MORTIFICATIONS

HH

This post is an excerpt from the book The Praises of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, article 24, in honor of Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid.

Also they understood from his words that he spoke with them, that in his youth when he toiled and labored for the service of Hashem, he had many (many) types of mortification, and according to what was heard and understood from his words, (that) he had all types of mortifications that there are in the world, be it rolling in the snow[1] etc. and so forth[2]. And he said, that the mortification of restraining oneself not to scratch oneself at all, this is the overly greatest mortification, that is, when a person is being bit (-irritated) by the things found close to his skin, and it is the way of everyone to scratch themselves whenever they feel the biting (-itching); and he accepted this as a mortification, to force himself not to scratch at all, not with his hand, and not with his body, and not with any limb, and he said, that this is a very great mortification, for the person is inert, and then the biting/itching grows stronger, and he is forbidden to move his hands or any limb, just to feel every bite in his mind, and it is a very great mortification. (And I have already heard this from other people, that this is a very great mortification). And he of blessed memory did everything, all the types of mortifications that there are in the world, and everything - with temeemus (unfeigned wholesomeness, wholeheartedness, simplicity, sincerity) and truth, until he merited to what he merited, fortunate is he.

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[1] See Samuel (2:23:20) and the Talmud, Brachos 18b. The Arizal revealed some secrets regarding this mortification in Shaar Ruach Hakodesh, rectification 22 (R.A.K.). The Rishash revealed more secrets about it, and there are various allusions to this in the Scriptures. A famous rabbi once told me that the main intent of this mortification in particular and many of them in general is to shock the body so that the soul breaks free. However, various places in the holy teachings of our Sages and Rabbainu prove that the pain and self-sacrifice itself is the main goal. However, see Likutay Moharan 170, that through suffering the soul is enlarged.

[2] This needs further study, because there are some very wild mortifications brought down in the holy books which Rabbainu was definitely aware of, e.g. Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid (Sefer Chasidim 167) praises someone who stood naked by a beehive and was stung all over his body, and when he recovered he did it again. This would be almost impossible to do without anyone knowing. Perhaps Rabbainu did this on a lower scale, or there is a secret to this perhaps on the lines of what is revealed in Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 193, that a person can visualize upon himself the four capital punishments so vividly and realistically, that he will actual feel the suffering, and will be in actual mortal danger of dying.

After some contemplation B.H. it occurred to me that the aforementioned mortification brought down by Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid was done as an atonement and rectification for adultery, and all similar drastic mortifications especially when they are life threatening probably do not come under the category of regular “segufim” (mortifications) which are done to weeken the physical desires of the body and so forth, whereas these severe tasks were intended literally to flirt with death to absolve the person of the sin, culpable of death, which he transgressed, even open to the possibility that he might in fact die. Thus we can assert that Rabbainu did not mean that he did mortifications of that sort.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!

The Praises of Rabbi Nachman 24-27 end of part 1

HH

Shivchay Huran

24-27 end of Part 1

24. Also they understood from his words that he spoke with them, that in his youth when he toiled and labored for the service of Hashem, he had many (many) types of mortification, and according to what was heard and understood from his words, (that) he had all types of mortifications that there are in the world, be it rolling in the snow etc. and so forth. And he said, that the mortification of restraining oneself not to scratch himself at all, this is the overly greatest mortification, that is, when a person is being bit (-irritated) by the things found close to his skin, and it is the way of everyone to scratch themselves whenever they feel the biting (-itching); and he accepted this as a mortification, to force himself not to scratch at all, not with his hand and not with his body and not with any limb, and he said, that this is a very great mortification, for the person is inert, and then the biting/itching grows stronger, and he is forbidden to move his hands or any limb, just to feel every bite in his mind, and it is a very great mortification. (And I have already heard this from other people, that this is a very great mortification). And he of blessed memory did everything, all the types of modifications that there are in the world, and everything - with temeemus (wholesomeness, wholeheartedness, simplicity, unfeigned) and truth, until he merited to what he merited, fortunate is he.

Also in the matter of suffering, which befall upon most tzadikim, mamash (-literally) there is not heard and there is not seen a peer of suffering like him, and it is impossible to relate and to explain. And he was full of suffering from inside and out. And in the beginning, before the end of his days, he had enormous and terrible suffering, which has no counterpart suffering in the world. And he related, that his suffering are in his hand (-control); whenever he desires - he accepts them upon himself, and these sufferings come upon him, and when he desires to get rid of them - they depart from upon him (t.n. the Talmud, Bava Metzeyuh 84a relates this of Rabbi Eluzar son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). And the enormity of the harshness and the weight of the sufferings was immeasurable.

They said over in his name that he said, that in the hour (-time) that the sufferings come upon him, from the utter magnitude of the superlative pain and very, very excruciating agony, he was just about able to bite a tree with his teeth from the enormous pain (like a person does when he has formidable suffering, that from the sheer enormity of the suffering he gnashes his teeth; and upon him of blessed memory the suffering was so intense and harsh, to the extent that at the time of the suffering he was able to cut through wood with his teeth from the enormous pain). However the greatness and massiveness of the harsh and enormous suffering that he had at the end of his days for three consecutive years, were yet much, much greater and harsher manifold ("double and quadruple"), unfathomable and beyond any reckoning. And a little of this will be explained elsewhere (see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, the section addressing his trip to Lemberg and the section of his trip and stay in Uman, and The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun), if it is Hashem's will, a slight fringe. And there is still a lot more to relate, but we omitted most of it, even of the little that we know, because even this little (that we know) is a lot to tell over, and many folios would be insufficient, and further revelation will be in yet a future time to explain more, with the help of Hashem Yisburach.

25. The general synopsis (is) - that in all matters of holiness and aestheticism, be it with (bodily) desires, or be it with character traits, or be it with matters of exertion and devotions and labor and suffering etc. for His sake blessed He, (with) absolutely everything he was a very wondrous and awesome novelty, and he was divested of all the (bodily) desires and of all vices in the utmost, to the extent that there was no remnants by him of any (bodily) desire or vice, any nuance in the world, and he merited to a very, very awesome level, the pinnacle of heights, and it is impossible to speak at all of the utter magnitude of his superlative stature, because the more one elaborates - he detracts; and everything that we related until now, even though all the aforementioned stories are considered a degradation opposite him, according to the enormous stature that he merited to afterwards, even still we related all of this regarding his devotion and his ways in the days of his childhood, so that we should know and be cognizant of how there is free choice ("bicheeruh chufshees"), and every person can merit, if he wants, to a very superlative level, even though it seems to him that the devotion is difficult and heavy upon him and they do not allow him to enter at all in His devotion blessed He, because the desires and the vices pursue him tremendously, even still he needs to be stubborn in his devotion, and not to pay attention to all of this, because in these stories a smart person will understand from his own reasoning how also on the holy awesome Rebbe za.tza.viku.l. there transpired as well all impediments and the heaviness mentioned above, and he traversed through all this, and even still he merited to break everything, because he truly wanted His devotion blessed He, and he chose life in truth, until he merited what he merited. And he said, that even if he was not from the progeny of the Godly Baal Shem Tov za.tza.viku.l. just even if he was from a lowly family of Israel, he would also have merited to what he merited through the utter power of his devotion and his toil, that he toiled and labored very, very much in His service blessed He.

26. And he had strong grievance on those people who think that the main stature of the tzadik and the attainment he merited is through virtue of their neshama (-soul) alone, because he has a very lofty soul, and he said, that the matter is not so, just what is essential is contingent on good deeds, and exertion, and devotions. And he said explicitly, that every person in the world can merit to an overly lofty level, because the matter is not contingent except on the free choice of the person alone, if he desires to have mercy on himself and to resolve for himself very well what is good before him in truth etc., and everything (is) - according to the abundance of the deed.

27. And therefore even the awesome miracles that we saw from Rabbainu o.b.m., we are not engaged in relating them, because this is not praise of him whatsoever according to his enormous, superlative prominence, we just related what is pertinent to His devotion blessed He, in order to arouse the sagacious who desires the truth, because there is no excuse in the world, and every person can merit to lofty heights, if he goes and conducts in the ways of Rabbainu o.b.m. which are explained here in this book. And the main thing (is) - to be very regular in very copious prayers and supplications, and specifically to speak between oneself and his Creator in the vernacular, to abound in conversation before Him blessed He, to conciliate Him, and to appease Him blessed He, and to beseech before Him that He should draw him close to His devotion in truth. And this note is sufficient for all who desire the truth.

End of Part 1

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman

The Praises of Rabbi Nachman 17-19

HH

Shivchay Huran

17-19

17. He also said, that the conjugation of the true tzadik is a very difficult matter for him; and not only does he not have any desire whatsoever, just on the contrary, he has suffering from this, mamash (-literally) like the suffering of an infant during circumcision, because mamash suffering such as this the tzadik has during conjugation, and more than this, because the infant doesn't have intellect, therefore his suffering is not so great, but the tzadik who does have intellect, his suffering is greater then the infant, and this was an obvious matter by him. And he said, that every person can merit to come to this level, and it was apparent from his words that his own holiness was yet very extremely higher.

18. And he said, that by him a man and a woman are equal, that is, that no facet of thought occurs to him when he sees a woman, just everything is the same by him in his eyes, as if he sees a man. And one time he said, that he has no fear, not from a woman and not from an angel. And with this there's a lot to explain, because someone who still has any facet of fear whatsoever from thoughts of women, even if he is chaste in this regard, just that he's not immaculate in the utmost purity, and he still has some fear at all with this, he needs to fear from an angel; but he (Rabbainu) boasted that he has absolutely no fear of this, therefore he has no fear of an angel. This is slightly alluded to in the words of our Rabbis of blessed memory (Kedushin 81a): "I am flesh, and you are fire - but I am better/stronger than you," which Rav Amram Chasiduh said to the angel, and it is brought down in his words of blessed memory in the Torah-teaching "Tikoo (blast the shofar) - memshalu (dominion)" Torah 1 in the second volume of Likutay Moharan, see there well, and understand.

19. He was also very accustomed in his early childhood and in his youth to run over all the time to be by the grave of the Baal Shem Tov za.tza.viku.l. to request of him that he help him draw close to Hashem Yisburach. And he used to go there at night, and in the winter when it was extremely cold he would go there at night and from there he returned and went to the mikvah. And there was a mikva outside the bathhouse and one mikvah inside the bath house, and he chose the mikvah that was outside the bathhouse, when the cold was great and he was already very cold from being by the aforementioned grave, because there was a great distance between his house and the cemetery and also from the cemetery to the mikva, besides for the lengthy stay that he spent by the grave, even still after all this he would specifically go to immerse in the mikvah which stood outside, in order to mortify himself - and all of this secretly at night. And I heard from someone who said that he heard from his holy mouth, that when he performed these practices he was just six years old.

And he was so secretive from people in his devotions, to the extent that one time he went to the mikvah in the morning in the winter, and he came from the immersion, and his pehyos (sidelocks) were wet from the water, and everyone wondered at the oddity that in the winter a person would wash his head, because it did not occur to them that he had been in the mikvah, they just thought that he washed his head, and they wondered at his peculiarity that he washed his head in such cold, and they held it to be an act of his immaturity, because he was very, very secretive in his devotion. Also all the very many fasts that he fasted, absolutely no one in the world knew about them, even his father and his mother and his relatives, just his wife alone knew of it, and he would swear her that she should not reveal it to anyone, and he would do many (many) ruses to hide and to conceal all the fasting that he fasted, in such a way that no one would know of them.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman!

Blossoms of the Spring - Letter 13

Letter 13

B.H., 24 Av 718 (Sunday, 10 August, 1958).

In honor of the apple of my eye, Mr. Z. Shazar, who looks expectantly to the tzadik and seeks his wisdom which is concealed[1] from all eyes and hidden, Shalom, and true life for lengthy days.

The time goes and rumbles, and runs, and flies exceedingly, and the body – it is possible that now its day has come. Be strong and courageous to flee with alacrity to the tzadik the true chuchum <sage> who is such a great expert doctor that he can remove all the ten types of arrows which the Samech Mem (-first two letters of the name of Satan) and his troops shot into our minds and our hearts, and heal us completely with the ten types of melody[2].

Most of the civilized world are extremely astray from the way of truth with all types of misleading, and contortions, and foreign ideas, and prevaricated reasoning of falsehood and error, and they err mamash (actually, very much so) in the dessert and straights of death, and not only that, they have no sentience whatsoever that they are straying in the dessert, but on the contrary, it seems to them that this is the main civilization.[3]

And behold the Baal Tefeeluh (Prayer Leader/Master – see the Legendary Tales of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Story 12) whose every matter, and though, and deed was just for the true and eternal tachlis (purpose, end), and was always engaged in prayers, and songs, and praises to Hashem Yisburach, was situated outside of the habitat of civilization, except that he would frequently enter the habitat in order to draw people close to the service of Hashem Yisburach, and he would speak appealingly to their hearts at length such words of arousal until his words would enter their ears, and whoever reconciled with him, immediately he would lead him to his place that he had outside of the habitat, because most of the people of the habitat of civilization are extremely distant from the true tachlis (purpose, end). And all the conduct of the Bal Tefeeluh and his men were mamash the opposite of the customs of the civilized world, where most of them are drawn after the vanities of the world, and its delights and its desires, so therefore the place of the Baal Tefeeluh and his men was outside of the habitat.[4]

From the time the great storm wind completely mixed up and turned over the entire world from its true order, and all the people of the world were mixed up, and separated, and divided into various factions regarding the (philosophical) inquiry of what the tachlis (ultimate purpose, end) is, and they all strayed and got very extremely complexly lost through their bad desires which led them astray to alien fallacious views of folly and error. Some of them deviated errantly and they said that the main tachlis is honor – to overly chase after honor and to attain it, Heaven forbid, and they had indicative evidence, and proofs, and reasoning for this. And some said that the main tachlis is murder, and anger, and cruelty, and strength (-stoniness) of heart. And some said that the main tachlis is intercourse, and they also had many logical reasons for this. And so too all the factions which got very befuddled and went wrong in the matter of the tachlis, and each one of them had many logical reasons for their mistake, to the extent that it was possible to truly be mistaken in them. And more than all of them, they (-one faction) went wrong and they were very warped - the faction which chose for themselves that money is the tachlis, to the extent that they made money into idolatry and into an all out deity, Heaven forbid, and all hierarchy and importance by them was just according to the money, and someone who does not have but a little money, and particularly someone who is completely poor, isn't at all classified as human, according to the folly of their view. And fortunate is the holy faction whose view concurred to the real true tachlis, and they said that the main tachlis is just to engage in prayer and to be humble, and low key etc., and they chose for themselves the Baal Tefeeluh as king, for he was an extremely great and holy tzadik. And through the Baal Tefeeluh and his faction all the factions were rectified and extricated from their folly and mistakes, and they returned in repentance, and the entire world returned completely to the tachlis (paragon) of its rectification.[5]

The true tzadik who is the Baal Tefeeluh, who works to draw people close to Hashem Yisburach, resides with his men outside the habitat, that is, because all his residing and his conduct are certainly the complete opposite of the ways of the habitat of civilization whose activity for the most part is void, and they chase after the excesses, and are taken up in the vanities of the times. However, the tzadik and his men are completely distant from all this, and suffice with what they have, and particularly in regard to clothing and garments they are not fastidious whatsoever, and it is like they reside totally outside the habitat of civilization mamash, in all their views and their behavior, and they engage just in prayer, and songs, and praises to Hashem Yisburach, and repentance, and confessions, and fasting etc.. And by these men all the great devotions of the service of Hashem, which most of the world consider to be a very difficult ordeal to accept upon themselves such devotion, but to them all this is more precious than all the exquisite delights of the world, because they have exquisite delight from a severe mortification or from a fast and so forth more than all the delights of the world. However, even though they reside outside the habitat, even still they come in to the habitat every time in order to draw more people close to the service of Hashem Yisburach.[6]

There are such foods (probably they are spiritual), that when one merits to eat and taste from these foods, one immediately casts away the desire for money, and perceives the utter stench of money, which is putrid like actual excrement, to the extent that one is extremely embarrassed with the money, and the money is the greatest shame of all shame, and whoever has more money is more embarrassed, and also the lower echelons and those lacking money are also ashamed of themselves for being so small in their own eyes because of the lack of money, because now it is revealed to them that on the contrary, the money is the main embarrassment. And therefore the wealthy are more overly embarrassed, and they hide themselves in the underground hollows from the magnitude of the shame that everyone is ashamed before his friend, to the extent that they cannot lift their faces whatsoever because of the shame, because these foods have in them this segooluh (-propitious property) that through them people abhor money with absolute abhorrence, and they cast away their idolatrous silver and idolatrous gold, as it will be in the future.[7]

The transcriber, who mentions him (in prayer) for benefit always, and supplicates for his well-being and his success.

Yisroel Dov Odesser

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[1] Tzifoonu – similar to the word used for "looks expectantly" – tzoafeh.

[2] See Rabbi Nachman's Story of Ancient Times of the Seven Beggars – the sixth day with the holy beggar without hands.

[3] Rimzay Hamaseyos, Story 12 of the Baal Tefeeluh.

[4] Ibid - Rimzay Hamaseyos.

[5] Ibid – Rimazy Hamaseyos (Likutay Aitzos, Mahadura Basru, Yiru ViAvoadas Hashem 40).

[6] Ibid – Rimzay Hamaseyos (Likutay Aitzos, Mahadura Basra, Tzadik 80).

[7] Ibid – Rimzay Hamaseyos (Likutay Aitzos, Mahadura Basra, Money and Livelihood 21).

ספר אב"י הנחל - הוצאת נקודות טובות - מכתב יג:

ב"ה, כ"ד אב תשי"ח

לכבוד בת עיני, מר ז.שזר, הצופה לצדיק ומבקש חכמתו הצפונה מעין כל ועלומה, שלום וחיים אמיתיים לאורך ימים.

הזמן הולך והומה ורץ ופורח מאד, והגוף - אפשר עכשיו בא יומו. חזק ואמץ לברוח בזריזות אל הצדיק החכם האמת שהוא רופא מומחה גדול כל כך שיכול להוציא כל העשרה מיני חיצים שזרק הס"מ וחילותיו לתוך מוחנו וליבנו, ולרפאותנו בשלמות בעשרה מיני נגינה.

רוב בני ישוב העולם הם תועים הרבה מדרך האמת בכל מיני הטעאות ושיבושים ודעות זרות וסברות כזבות של שקר וטעות, והם טועים ממש במדבר ודרכי מות, ולא עוד אלא שאינם מרגישים כלל שהם תועים במדבר, רק אדרבא נדמה להם שזה עיקר הישוב.

והנה הבעל תפילה שהיה כל עניניו ומחשבותיו ומעשיו רק בשביל התכלית האמיתי והנצחי, והיה עוסק תמיד בתפילות ושירות ותשבחות לה' יתברך, היה יושב חוץ לישוב, רק שהיה רגיל לכנוס לישוב בשביל לקרב בני אדם לעבודת ה' יתברך, והיה מרבה לדבר על ליבם דברי התעוררות כאלו עד שנכנסו דבריו באזנם, ומי שנתרצה עימו הוליכו תכף למקומו שהיה לו חוץ לישוב, כי רוב בני הישוב הם רחוקים מאד מהתכלית האמת. וכל הנהגותיו של הבעל תפילה ואנשיו היה ממש להפך ממנהג ישוב העולם, שרובם נמשכים אחר הבלי עולם ותענוגיו ותאוותיו, ועל כן היה מקום הבעל תפילה ואנשיו חוץ מן הישוב.

מעת שהרוח סערה הגדולה בלבל והפך את כל העולם לגמרי מסדרו האמת, וכל אנשי העולם נתבלבלו ונתפרדו ונחלקו לכיתות כיתות לענין החקירה מה הוא התכלית, וכולם נתעו ונבוכו מאד מאד על ידי תאוותיהם הרעות שהתעו אותם לדעות זרות כזבות של שטות וטעויות. קצת מהם נתעו ואמרו שעיקר התכלית הוא כבוד - להיות רודף ביותר אחרי הכבוד ולהשיגו חס ושלום, והיה להם הוכחות וראיות וסברות על זה. וקצת אמרו שעיקר התכלית הוא רציחה וכעס ואכזריות ואבירת הלב. וקצת אמרו שעיקר התכלית הוא משגל, והיה להם גם כן סברות רבות על זה. וכן כל הכיתות אשר נבוכו מאד ונשתבשו בענין התכלית, וכל אחת היה להם סברות רבות על טעותם עד שאפשר לטעות בהם באמת. וביותר מכולם נשתבשו ונבוכו מאד הכת שבחרו להם שהממון הוא התכלית עד שעשו להממון לעבודה זרה ואלוקות גמור חס ושלום, וכל המעלה והחשיבות אצלם רק כפי הממון, ומי שאין לו רק ממון מעט, ובפרט מי שהוא עני לגמרי אינו כלל בגדר האדם, כפי שטות דעתם. ואשרי להכת הקדושה שהסכימה דעתם לתכלית האמת באמת ואמרו שעיקר התכלית הוא רק לעסוק בתפילה ולהיות ענו ושפל ברך וכו', ובחרו להם הבעל תפילה למלך שהוא היה צדיק גדול וקדוש מאד. ועל ידי הבעל תפילה והכת שלו נתקנו כל הכיתות ויצאו מהשטות והטעות שלהם וחזרו בתשובה וחזר כל העולם לתכלית תיקונו בשלמות.

הצדיק האמת שהוא הבעל תפילה, העוסק לקרב בני אדם לה' יתברך, יושב עם אנשיו חוץ לישוב, היינו כי כל ישיבתו והנהגותיו הוא בוודאי ההיפוך ממש מדרכי הישוב אשר רוב מעשיהם תוהו, ורודפים אחר המותרות וטרודים בהבלי הזמן. אבל הצדיק עם אנשיו הם רחוקים מכל זה לגמרי ומסתפקים במה שיש להם, ובפרט על בגדים ומלבושים אינם מקפידים כלל, והם כיושבים חוץ לישוב לגמרי ממש בכל דעותיהם והנהגותיהם ועוסקים רק בתפילה ושירות ותשבחות לה' יתברך ותשובה ווידויים ותעניתים וכו'. ואצל אלו האנשים כל העבודה הגדולה שבעבודת ה', שנדמה לרוב העולם לדבר קשה מאד לקבל על עצמם עבודה כזאת, אבל אצלם כל זה יקר מכל התענוגים שבעולם, כי יש להם תענוג מן הסיגוף הגדול או מתענית וכיוצא יותר מכל התענוגים שבעולם. אך אף על פי שהם יושבים חוץ לישוב, אף על פי כן נכנסים גם כן בכל פעם אל הישוב כדי לקרב עוד בני אדם לעבודת ה' יתברך.

יש מאכלים כאלו (מסתמא הם רוחניים) שכשזוכים לאכול ולטעום מאלו המאכלים משליכין תכף תאוות ממון ומרגישים גודל הסרחון של ממון שהוא מסריח כצואה ממש עד שמתביישין מאד עם הממון, והממון הוא הבושה הגדולה מכל הבושות, וכל מי שיש לו יותר ממון הוא מתבייש ביותר, וגם הקטנים במעלה וחסרי הממון מתביישים בעצמם גם כן על שהיו קטנים כל כך בעיני עצמם מחמת חסרון הממון, כי עתה נתגלה להם שאדרבא הממון הוא עיקר הבושה. ועל כן העשירים מתביישים עוד ביותר וטומנים עצמם במחילות עפר מגודל הבושה שמתביישים אחד מחברו עד שאינם יכולים להרים פניהם כלל מפני הבושה, כי מאכלים אלו יש להם סגולה זו שעל ידם ממאסין בממון בתכלית המיאוס ומשליכין אלילי כספם ואלילי זהבם כמו שיהיה לעתיד.

המעתיק המזכירו לטוב תמיד ומעתיר לשלומו והצלחתו.

ישראל דב אודעסר

Breaking free at the brink of utter capitulation to the evil inclination

HH
Yesterday I met with a good Nanach friend who will remain anonymous, and I couldn't help but notice some swelling and bruising, and he had no choice but to tell me what happened. He was hit very hard by a deluge of improper thoughts which took control of him and were just about to sink him completely G-d forbid, so rather to succumb Gf he struck himself extremely hard over and over again sending immense pain signals to his brain and thus banishing the overpowering lust. Badges of honor. And as Rabbainu revealed, he who overcomes such a test will merit miracles.

The Chasam Sofer used to bleed himself out, and a certain chasidishe Rebbe used to burn his thumb or one of his fingers.

We must not forfeit the eternal goodness of Hashem Yisburach for a fleeting indulgence of animal flesh.

On Shabbos parshas Pinchas, a few days after writing this, it occurred to me that this can be the explanation of what we are instructed in the Talmud (Brachos 5a):

א"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר"ש בן לקיש לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב על יצר הרע שנא' (תהלים ד, ה) רגזו ואל תחטאו. אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יעסוק בתורה שנאמר אמרו בלבבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יקרא קריאת שמע שנאמר על משכבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יזכור לו יום המיתה שנאמר ודומו סלה.

Incidental to the verse, “Tremble, and do not sin,” the Gemara mentions that Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: One should always incite his good inclination against his evil inclination, i.e., that one must constantly struggle so that his evil inclination does not lead him to transgression. 

If one succeeds and subdues his evil inclination, excellent, but if he does not succeed in subduing it, he should study Torah, as alluded to in the verse: “Say to your heart.” 

If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should recite Shema, which contains the acceptance of the yoke of God, and the concept of reward and punishment, as it is stated in the verse: “Upon your bed,” which alludes to Shema, where it says: “When you lie down.” 

If he subdues his evil inclination, excellent; if not, he should remind himself of the day of death, whose silence is alluded to in the continuation of the verse: “And be still, Selah.”

Reminding oneself of death doesn't mean to to simply just remember that eventually he will die, but to actually give oneself an acute taste of that death. As Rabbainu revealed in Likutay Moharan, Torah-lesson 193 that a person can picture in his mind death so well that he can actually feel the pain of death and must be careful to not actually die Gf. So that would be the ultimate reminder of death, but being that the Talmud is talking about when a person is inundated with the craziness of the evil inclination and is probably not in any frame of mind to avidly picture for himself death as described above, therefore his only final recourse would be to bring upon himself some real physical pain which is also an aspect of death.


Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman