Letter 429

[Prayer]

"Master of the world — Master of mercy — Master of compassion and graciousness — have mercy upon me and give me a complete counsel that I merit to fulfill. In such a way that I begin from now on to prepare myself for the distant path that I must inevitably travel — which is the way of all the earth — from which no person escapes. And the path is very far and very dangerous. And I have still not begun to prepare myself. Alas — what shall I do? Not only do I have no provisions for such a distant and awesome and fearsome path. But I am also a great debtor on that path — very many and very immense debts. Heaven forbid. And the creditors are pressing there — standing ready at every moment to demand and to press me. And for every deed there — I will need to give an accounting at every moment — for every great and small matter — for every thought, word and deed. Alas — what shall I do? Who will stand up for me and who will rise before me? Alas, alas! What shall I say and what shall I speak? What shall I do when G-d rises — and when He remembers — what shall I answer Him?"