שִׂמְחָה

Through seeing the face of the tzaddik, one merits joy and alacrity (4, 8). One must perform mitzvot with such great joy that he does not desire any reward in the World to Come for it, but rather that the Holy One, blessed be He, grant him another mitzvah as a reward for this mitzvah, for he enjoys the mitzvah itself. And through this, he can know what has been decreed upon the world, whether it is before a decree or after a decree, and upon whom the decree has been issued, Heaven forbid. And he knows how to pray for the world, for after a decree, tzaddikim need to clothe their prayers in stories. And all this is merited through performing mitzvot with great joy from the mitzvah itself, as mentioned above (5, 2). To merit this joy is through praying with strength, great fear, love, and so on, as explained in Tefillah (there, 3). Through dancing and clapping hands, the sweetening of judgments is achieved (10, 1).

A person must have great boldness of holiness to stand against the brazen-faced who prevent, and the primary boldness and strengthening is through joy and gladness, in the aspect of “for the joy of Hashem is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) (22, 9).

To merit joy is through Torah and prayer, and the essence is prayer, that one prays each time to attain what is hidden from him, until he goes each time from level to level, and through this path is the primary joy. And through joy is the primary boldness and strengthening to draw close to true tzaddikim, who are the generality of holiness, through whom the primary perfection of faith is drawn (there). Joy is the aspect of shining countenance, the aspect of truth and faith, and conversely, sadness is the aspect of idolatry, darkened countenance, death.

And the primary joy is merited according to the rectification of the covenant and according to one’s closeness to true tzaddikim, who are the joy of all Israel. And through this, one connects himself to Hashem, blessed be He, and merits to behold the pleasantness of Hashem, and the light of the face of the living King shines upon him (23). Through performing a mitzvah with joy, one merits the ultimate purpose of everything, for one merits to attain the light that is above souls, spirits, and neshamot, which is the light of the Infinite, in the aspect of “reaching and not reaching.” Happy is the one who merits that his thought pursues to attain these attainments, and so on (24).

Through the joy of the mitzvah, holiness is completed, and the vitality and holiness within the husks are elevated. Therefore, when one performs a mitzvah with joy, he elevates the Shechinah from among the husks (there). One must greatly, greatly distance oneself from sadness, for the husks are the aspect of sadness, and they are the strength of judgment. And when sadness strengthens, it is the aspect of the exile of the Shechinah, which is the joy of Israel. And the primary nullification of the husks and the elevation of holiness is through joy, as mentioned above (there).

Through the incense offering, one elevates their vitality from the husks and merits joy. Therefore, one must recite the incense passage with great intention, for the primary elevation of all the sparks of holiness from the depths of the husks is through the incense, and through this, one merits joy, as mentioned above (there).

Dancing for the sake of a mitzvah, such as when one drinks wine on Shabbat, a festival, at a mitzvah wedding, or at other mitzvah feasts, and drinks in moderation with intention for Heaven, to merit the joy of Israel, to rejoice in Hashem,

blessed be He, who chose us from all the nations, and so on, and is aroused to joy through this until the joy extends to the feet, that is, he dances due to joy, through this, he expels the external forces that cling to the feet, sweetens and nullifies all judgments, and merits to receive all blessings. And this fervor of dancing is a fire, a pleasing aroma to Hashem.

To merit joy is through Torah and prayer, and the essence is prayer, that one prays each time to attain what is hidden from him, until he goes each time from level to level, and through this path is the primary joy. And through joy is the primary boldness and strengthening to draw close to true tzaddikim, who are the generality of holiness, through whom the primary perfection of faith is drawn (there). Through the incense offering, one elevates their vitality from the husks and merits joy. Therefore, one must recite the incense passage with great intention, for the primary elevation of all the sparks of holiness from the depths of the husks is through the incense, and through this, one merits joy, as mentioned above (there).

Joy is the aspect of shining countenance, the aspect of truth and faith, and conversely, sadness is the aspect of idolatry, darkened countenance, death. And the primary joy is merited according to the rectification of the covenant and according to one’s closeness to true tzaddikim, who are the joy of all Israel. And through this, one connects himself to Hashem, blessed be He, and merits to behold the pleasantness of Hashem, and the light of the face of the living King shines upon him (23). But one who dances with the fervor of the evil inclination, it is the aspect of a strange fire, and the wine he drank is the aspect of intoxicating wine, from which the external forces cling, Heaven forbid. Thus, holy dancing sweetens judgments like a redemption (41).

Through performing a mitzvah with joy, one merits the ultimate purpose of everything, for one merits to attain the light that is above souls, spirits, and neshamot, which is the light of the Infinite, in the aspect of “reaching and not reaching.” Happy is the one who merits that his thought pursues to attain these attainments, and so on (24). All desires come from the power of the imagination, the power of bestiality, and its strengthening is through sadness, which is a dejected spirit, an evil spirit, and through this, forgetfulness is strengthened, that one forgets his purpose and does not remember the World to Come as he should remember each day in general and in particular [as written in Zikaron, entry 4]. Therefore, one must strive to be in joy always, for through this is the primary subduing of the imagination, and through this, one merits to remember the World to Come each day, as mentioned above (54, 5).

Through the joy of the mitzvah, holiness is completed, and the vitality and holiness within the husks are elevated. Therefore, when one performs a mitzvah with joy, he elevates the Shechinah from among the husks (there). All desires come from the power of the imagination, the power of bestiality, and its strengthening is through sadness, which is a dejected spirit, an evil spirit, and through this, forgetfulness is strengthened, that one forgets his purpose and does not remember the World to Come as he should remember each day in general and in particular [as written in Zikaron, entry 4]. Therefore, one must strive to be in joy always, for through this is the primary subduing of the imagination, and through this, one merits to remember the World to Come each day, as mentioned above (54, 5). Hearing the sound of a melody on a musical instrument from a kosher musician for the sake of Heaven is a great remedy for joy, and to subdue and clarify the imagination. And through this, one merits memory to attach his thoughts to the World to Come, and to understand the hints that Hashem, blessed be He, hints to him each day to draw close to Him. Also, through the aforementioned melody and joy, one can attain the aspect of the spirit of prophecy, the Holy Spirit (there, 6).

One must greatly, greatly distance oneself from sadness, for the husks are the aspect of sadness, and they are the strength of judgment. And when sadness strengthens, it is the aspect of the exile of the Shechinah, which is the joy of Israel. And the primary nullification of the husks and the elevation of holiness is through joy, as mentioned above (there). Through melody and joy, one can pour out his conversation like water before the face of Hashem. Therefore, through being joyful all day, one can express his conversation in solitude properly (there, 6, under “Azkerah”).

Through the incense offering, one elevates their vitality from the husks and merits joy. Therefore, one must recite the incense passage with great intention, for the primary elevation of all the sparks of holiness from the depths of the husks is through the incense, and through this, one merits joy, as mentioned above (there). Through melody and joy, one can pour out his conversation like water before the face of Hashem. Therefore, through being joyful all day, one can express his conversation in solitude properly (there, 6, under “Azkerah”). Through joy, one merits Torah innovations. For joy is a vessel to draw, bring down, and receive Torah innovations through it (65). Through the holiness of the Land of Israel, one merits to nullify anger and sadness [see Eretz Yisrael, entry 14] (155). When a person judges and evaluates himself for everything he does, through this, he nullifies the judgments upon him above, and through this, he merits great joy, to the point that he dances due to joy.

Dancing for the sake of a mitzvah, such as when one drinks wine on Shabbat, a festival, at a mitzvah wedding, or at other mitzvah feasts, and drinks in moderation with intention for Heaven, to merit the joy of Israel, to rejoice in Hashem, blessed be He, who chose us from all the nations, and so on, and is aroused to joy through this until the joy extends to the feet, that is, he dances due to joy, through this, he expels the external forces that cling to the feet, sweetens and nullifies all judgments, and merits to receive all blessings. And this fervor of dancing is a fire, a pleasing aroma to Hashem. But one who dances with the fervor of the evil inclination, it is the aspect of a strange fire, and the wine he drank is the aspect of intoxicating wine, from which the external forces cling, Heaven forbid. Thus, holy dancing sweetens judgments like a redemption (41). Through the holiness of the Land of Israel, one merits to nullify anger and sadness [see Eretz Yisrael, entry 14] (155).

All desires come from the power of the imagination, the power of bestiality, and its strengthening is through sadness, which is a dejected spirit, an evil spirit, and through this, forgetfulness is strengthened, that one forgets his purpose and does not remember the World to Come as he should remember each day in general and in particular [as written in Zikaron, entry 4]. Therefore, one must strive to be in joy always, for through this is the primary subduing of the imagination, and through this, one merits to remember the World to Come each day, as mentioned above (54, 5). But when there is a judgment, Heaven forbid, then it is difficult to dance (169). The primary blemish of the covenant is through sadness and black bile. And conversely, the primary guarding of the covenant is through joy, for through joy, one merits that Hashem, blessed be He, Himself helps him to guard the holy covenant (there). The primary virtue of crying is when the crying is due to joy and gladness. And even repentance is very good when it is due to joy, that from the abundance of his joy in Hashem, blessed be He, he regrets and greatly longs for having rebelled against Him, until crying is aroused in him due to joy (175).

Hearing the sound of a melody on a musical instrument from a kosher musician for the sake of Heaven is a great remedy for joy, and to subdue and clarify the imagination. And through this, one merits memory to attach his thoughts to the World to Come, and to understand the hints that Hashem, blessed be He, hints to him each day to draw close to Him. Also, through the aforementioned melody and joy, one can attain the aspect of the spirit of prophecy, the Holy Spirit (there, 6). The primary blemish of the covenant is through sadness and black bile. And conversely, the primary guarding of the covenant is through joy, for through joy, one merits that Hashem, blessed be He, Himself helps him to guard the holy covenant (there).

One must specify the sin, for one needs specifically verbal confession, to confess with words specifically each time, for everything he did in detail. But there are many obstacles to this.

טז. עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה זוֹכִין לְחִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא. כִּי שִׂמְחָה הוּא כְּלִי לִשְׁאֹב וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ וּלְקַבֵּל עַל יָדָהּ חִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא (סה One must specify the sin, for one needs specifically verbal confession, to confess with words specifically each time, for everything he did in detail. But there are many obstacles to this. And through the joy of a mitzvah, such as a mitzvah wedding or another mitzvah with joy, when one strives to rejoice with great joy until he dances much due to joy, through this, he can confess a verbal confession, and through this, he rectifies the blemish of his sins (178).

יז. עַל־יְדֵי קְדֻשַּׁת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל זוֹכִין לְבַטֵּל הַכַּעַס וְהָעַצְבוּת [עַיֵּן אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל י"ד] (קנה And through the joy of a mitzvah, such as a mitzvah wedding or another mitzvah with joy, when one strives to rejoice with great joy until he dances much due to joy, through this, he can confess a verbal confession, and through this, he rectifies the blemish of his sins (178).

יח. כְּשֶׁאָדָם שׁוֹפֵט וְדָן אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַל כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה מְבַטֵּל הַדִּינִים שֶׁעָלָיו לְמַעְלָה וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכֶה לְשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה, עַד שֶׁיְּרַקֵּד מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ דִּין חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֲזַי קָשֶׁה לְרַקֵּד (קסט One must be very careful of sadness and laziness, for the primary bite of the serpent is sadness and laziness, may the Merciful One save us (189).

יט. עִקַּר פְּגַם הַבְּרִית הִיא עַל־יְדֵי עַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה. וְכֵן לְהֵפֶךְ, עִקַּר שְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית הוּא עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה זוֹכִין, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ יַעֲזֹר לוֹ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ (שָׁם Through fasting, one merits joy, and according to the days of fasting, so one merits joy (there). One must be very careful of sadness and laziness, for the primary bite of the serpent is sadness and laziness, may the Merciful One save us (189).

כ. עִקַּר מַעֲלַת הַבְּכִיָּה הוּא כְּשֶׁהַבְּכִיָּה מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה וְגִילָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הַחֲרָטָה טוֹב מְאֹד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה, שֶׁמֵּרֹב שִׂמְחָתוֹ בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא מִתְחָרֵט וּמִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ מְאֹד עַל שֶׁמָּרַד נֶגְדּוֹ. עַד שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרֵר לוֹ בְּכִיָּה מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה (קעה Through joy, one gives strength to the angels who receive the abundance of foods, and subdues the demons, so that they do not draw from the abundance more than is fitting for them. And through this, one is saved from the impurity of a nocturnal emission, Heaven forbid, which sometimes comes through foods when there is no strength in the angels.

Through sweating for the sake of something holy, through this, one merits joy (6). Through black bile and sadness, the mind and knowledge are in exile, and it is difficult for him to settle his mind to return to Hashem, and because of this, he is distant from Hashem, blessed be He. For the primary reason the world is distant from Hashem, blessed be He, is because they do not settle themselves well to understand what the purpose of the entire world is. But through joy, the mind is settled, and one can settle himself well, for joy is the world of freedom. Therefore, when one connects joy to his knowledge, then his knowledge is in freedom and not in exile, and he can guide his mind and knowledge as he desires, to settle his mind well regarding the purpose of all the matters of this world. And through this, he will return to Hashem (10).

כא. צָרִיךְ לְפָרֵט אֶת הַחֵטְא, כִּי צְרִיכִין דַּוְקָא וִדּוּי דְּבָרִים, לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בְּדִבּוּרִים דַּוְקָא בְּכָל פַּעַם, עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה בִּפְרָטִיּוּת. אֲבָל יֵשׁ לָזֶה מְנִיעוֹת רַבּוֹת. וְעַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל מִצְוָה כְּגוֹן חֲתֻנָּה שֶׁל מִצְוָה אוֹ שְׁאָר מִצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה, כְּשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד שֶׁיְּרַקֵּד הַרְבֵּה מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה יוּכַל לְהִתְוַדּוֹת וִדּוּי דְּבָרִים, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה מְתַקֵּן פְּגַם חֲטָאָיו (קעח For the primary strengthening of the angels is through joy (Likutay Moharan II, 5, 9, 10). Through sweating for the sake of something holy, through this, one merits joy (6). Sadness and black bile are the aspect of gloom that falls upon the heart of a Jew, through which he cannot burn and be inflamed for Hashem, blessed be He.

כב. עַל־יְדֵי הַתַּעֲנִית זוֹכִין לְשִׂמְחָה, וּכְפִי יְמֵי הַתַּעֲנִית כֵּן זוֹכֶה לְשִׂמְחָה (שם And the true leaders of the generation, with their holy spirit, blow and dispel the gloom, which is the black bile, from the heart of Israel, and through this, they inflame the hearts of Israel for Hashem, blessed be He (9). Through black bile and sadness, the mind and knowledge are in exile, and it is difficult for him to settle his mind to return to Hashem, and because of this, he is distant from Hashem, blessed be He.

כג. צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד מֵעַצְבוּת וְעַצְלוּת כִּי עִקַּר נְשִׁיכַת הַנָּחָשׁ הִיא עַצְבוּת וְעַצְלוּת, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן (קפט It is a great mitzvah to be in joy always, and one must strive greatly with all his strength to distance sadness and black bile and to be only joyful always, and it is a healing for all kinds of illnesses. For all kinds of illnesses come from sadness and black bile, and one must gladden himself with all kinds of counsels, and usually specifically through foolish words, as mentioned above (24).

כד. עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה נוֹתְנִין חִזּוּק לְהַמַּלְאָכִים הַמְקַבְּלִין אֶת שֶׁפַע הַמַּאֲכָלִים, וּמַכְנִיעִין אֶת הַשֵּׁדִים, שֶׁלֹּא יִינְקוּ מֵהַשֶּׁפַע בְּיוֹתֵר מֵהָרָאוּי לָהֶם, וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִצּוֹלִין מִטֻּמְאַת הַמִּקְרֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁבָּא לִפְעָמִים עַל־יְדֵי הַמַּאֲכָלִים כְּשֶׁאֵין חִזּוּק בְּהַמַּלְאָכִים. כִּי עִקַּר חִזּוּק הַמַּלְאָכִים הוּא עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה (ח"ב ה, ט י For the primary reason the world is distant from Hashem, blessed be He, is because they do not settle themselves well to understand what the purpose of the entire world is. But through joy, the mind is settled, and one can settle himself well, for joy is the world of freedom. Therefore, when one connects joy to his knowledge, then his knowledge is in freedom and not in exile, and he can guide his mind and knowledge as he desires, to settle his mind well regarding the purpose of all the matters of this world. And through this, he will return to Hashem (10).

Through sweating for the sake of something holy, through this, one merits joy (6). When a person is joyful all day, it is easier for him to have some hour of a broken heart to express his conversation well and pour out his heart like water before the face of Hashem. And conversely, after a broken heart comes joy. And this is a sign that he had a broken heart: when he afterward comes to joy (Sichot Haran 20, 45).

Sadness and black bile are the aspect of gloom that falls upon the heart of a Jew, through which he cannot burn and be inflamed for Hashem, blessed be He. And the true leaders of the generation, with their holy spirit, blow and dispel the gloom, which is the black bile, from the heart of Israel, and through this, they inflame the hearts of Israel for Hashem, blessed be He (9). As soon as a person wants to be a righteous person and begin to enter the service of Hashem, blessed be He, then it is immediately a great transgression if he has sadness, Heaven forbid, for the Holy One, blessed be He, hates black bile and sadness (48).

Through black bile and sadness, the mind and knowledge are in exile, and it is difficult for him to settle his mind to return to Hashem, and because of this, he is distant from Hashem, blessed be He. For the primary reason the world is distant from Hashem, blessed be He, is because they do not settle themselves well to understand what the purpose of the entire world is. But through joy, the mind is settled, and one can settle himself well, for joy is the world of freedom. Therefore, when one connects joy to his knowledge, then his knowledge is in freedom and not in exile, and he can guide his mind and knowledge as he desires, to settle his mind well regarding the purpose of all the matters of this world. And through this, he will return to Hashem (10). When one studies Torah or performs a mitzvah with great joy until he dances due to joy, it is a very great elevation, and he elevates and rectifies through this the evil speech. Also, he is elevated in wealth, and all supporters of Torah are elevated, and he merits children, and he elevates and rectifies faith, and all the lower levels are elevated through the joy of Torah and mitzvah (81).

As soon as a person wants to be a righteous person and begin to enter the service of Hashem, blessed be He, then it is immediately a great transgression if he has sadness, Heaven forbid, for the Holy One, blessed be He, hates black bile and sadness (48). And one must strengthen himself to come to joy in every possible way, and strive to seek and find some good points in himself to come to joy, as explained on the verse, “I will sing to my G-d while I exist” [see Hitchazkut, entry 26].

And one must strengthen himself to come to joy in every possible way, and strive to seek and find some good points in himself to come to joy, as explained on the verse, “I will sing to my G-d while I exist” [see Hitchazkut, entry 26]. And in any case, he should rejoice in the fact that he merited to be from the seed of Israel and was not made a non-Jew. And this joy is certainly a wondrous joy without measure and without any confusion, since it is the work of Hashem, blessed be He, Himself [see elsewhere on this]. And he should make it a habit to say with his mouth and heart with great joy, “Blessed is our G-d who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray,” and so on, and through this, he can rejoice all his days in all that passes over him. Also, many times one must gladden himself through foolish words, words of jest. And due to the abundance of a person’s troubles, which each one suffers in body, soul, and wealth, therefore, usually one cannot gladden himself except through foolish words, to make himself like a fool in order to come to joy, for all vitality in body and soul depends on this. Also, above, a great unification is achieved through this through the jest of his mind, that is, joy (there). And even more, one must draw joy upon himself during prayer, that he prays with joy. And similarly during the performance of mitzvot, as mentioned above, all the more so on Shabbat and festivals. But even on weekdays, all day, it is a great mitzvah to be in joy always, as mentioned above (there, 155, 299).

And in any case, he should rejoice in the fact that he merited to be from the seed of Israel and was not made a non-Jew. And this joy is certainly a wondrous joy without measure and without any confusion, since it is the work of Hashem, blessed be He, Himself [see elsewhere on this]. And he should make it a habit to say with his mouth and heart with great joy, “Blessed is our G-d who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray,” and so on, and through this, he can rejoice all his days in all that passes over him.

When a person is joyful all day, it is easier for him to have some hour of a broken heart to express his conversation well and pour out his heart like water before the face of Hashem. And conversely, after a broken heart comes joy. And this is a sign that he had a broken heart: when he afterward comes to joy (Sichot Haran 20, 45). It is a great mitzvah to be in joy always, and one must strive greatly with all his strength to distance sadness and black bile and to be only joyful always, and it is a healing for all kinds of illnesses. For all kinds of illnesses come from sadness and black bile, and one must gladden himself with all kinds of counsels, and usually specifically through foolish words, as mentioned above (24). Through a person being joyful, through this, he can revive another person, which is a very great thing to gladden the hearts of Israel. For most people are full of sufferings, worries, and various troubles, and they cannot tell what is in their hearts. And when a person comes with a smiling face, he can truly revive them, and this is a very great thing. For when one merits to gladden another person, he truly revives and sustains a soul of Israel (there).

One must direct his thought to always look at the root of everything, where the root of all goodness and joys is together, and then he can rejoice with very, very great joy, for when he looks at the root of everything, which is entirely good, then all goodness and all joys are included together and shine with very great light (Likutay Moharan II, 34). One must strive to transform all sadness and worries into joy. And it is easy for a wise person to find in all troubles, sufferings, and worries some expansion through which he can transform all black bile into joy [see elsewhere on this, for this is not the place to elaborate]. And this is the primary perfection of joy, when one overcomes black bile and sadness and seizes them into joy against their will, that is, transforms them into joy, as mentioned above (23). Also, many times one must gladden himself through foolish words, words of jest. These translations complete the שמחה (Joy) section from Likutay Etzot, reflecting Rabbi Nachman’s profound teachings on the transformative power of joy in overcoming sadness, rectifying spiritual blemishes, drawing divine blessings, and fostering closeness to Hashem and the tzaddikim. Joy is presented as a fundamental aspect of spiritual life, essential for healing, faith, and achieving the ultimate purpose. And due to the abundance of a person’s troubles, which each one suffers in body, soul, and wealth, therefore, usually one cannot gladden himself except through foolish words, to make himself like a fool in order to come to joy, for all vitality in body and soul depends on this. Also, above, a great unification is achieved through this through the jest of his mind, that is, joy (there). It is a great mitzvah to be in joy always, and one must strive greatly with all his strength to distance sadness and black bile and to be only joyful always, and it is a healing for all kinds of illnesses. And there are two types of peace: there is peace in one’s bones, for first one must ensure there is peace in his bones, for sometimes there is no peace, as it is written (Psalms 38:4), “There is no peace in my bones because of my sin.” And through fear [of Heaven], one merits peace in his bones, and then he can pray, and through prayer, one merits universal peace, peace in all the worlds (there, 8). For all kinds of illnesses come from sadness and black bile, and one must gladden himself with all kinds of counsels, and usually specifically through foolish words, as mentioned above (24). One must strive to transform all sadness and worries into joy. And it is easy for a wise person to find in all troubles, sufferings, and worries some expansion through which he can transform all black bile into joy [see elsewhere on this, for this is not the place to elaborate]. And this is the primary perfection of joy, when one overcomes black bile and sadness and seizes them into joy against their will, that is, transforms them into joy, as mentioned above (23). When a person is joyful all day, it is easier for him to have some hour of a broken heart to express his conversation well and pour out his heart like water before the face of Hashem. According to the peace in the generation, so too can one draw the entire world to the service of Hashem, blessed be He, to serve Him with one shoulder. For through the peace that exists between people, they speak with one another, and they investigate with one another what is the purpose of the entire world and its vanities, and they explain the truth to one another, that in the end, nothing remains for a person except what he has prepared for himself after his death for the eternal world, for neither silver nor gold accompanies a person, and so on. And through this, each person casts away the falsehood of the idols of his silver, and he continues and turns himself to Hashem, blessed be He, to His Torah and His service, and brings himself close to the truth. But when there is no peace, Heaven forbid, all the more so when there is strife, Heaven forbid, then they do not gather together, one with another, and one does not speak with his fellow about the purpose. And even when they do gather together sometimes and speak together, one’s words do not enter the heart of his fellow due to the victory, strife, hatred, and jealousy. For strife and victory do not tolerate the truth, as explained elsewhere. Thus, the primary distancing of most people from Hashem, blessed be He, is due to strife, which has increased now due to our many sins, may the Omnipresent have mercy (27, 1). And conversely, after a broken heart comes joy. And this is a sign that he had a broken heart: when he afterward comes to joy (Sichot Haran 20, 45). One must seek peace, that there be peace among Israel, and that each person have peace in his traits, that is, that he not be divided in his traits and experiences, that there be no difference whether in his good times or his hardships, that he always find Hashem, blessed be He, in them. And this is merited through Torah and through the tzaddikim, who are called peace. Through this, one merits to love Him, blessed be He, in every place, whether in his good times, and so on, and to love his fellows, and there will be peace among all Israel (33). One must direct his thought to always look at the root of everything, where the root of all goodness and joys is together, and then he can rejoice with very, very great joy, for when he looks at the root of everything, which is entirely good, then all goodness and all joys are included together and shine with very great light (Likutay Moharan II, 34). When one studies Torah or performs a mitzvah with great joy until he dances due to joy, it is a very great elevation, and he elevates and rectifies through this the evil speech. Also, he is elevated in wealth, and all supporters of Torah are elevated, and he merits children, and he elevates and rectifies faith, and all the lower levels are elevated through the joy of Torah and mitzvah (81). To merit joy is more difficult and heavier than all other services, therefore one must force himself with all his strength and with all kinds of counsels to be in joy always. And it has already been explained that usually it is impossible to be in joy except through foolish words [as mentioned above, entry 29] (Sichot Haran 20). And even more, one must draw joy upon himself during prayer, that he prays with joy. And similarly during the performance of mitzvot, as mentioned above, all the more so on Shabbat and festivals. But even on weekdays, all day, it is a great mitzvah to be in joy always, as mentioned above (there, 155, 299). Through black bile and sadness, one does not know His Name (43). Through a person being joyful, through this, he can revive another person, which is a very great thing to gladden the hearts of Israel. For most people are full of sufferings, worries, and various troubles, and they cannot tell what is in their hearts. And when a person comes with a smiling face, he can truly revive them, and this is a very great thing. For when one merits to gladden another person, he truly revives and sustains a soul of Israel (there). Through joy, one is saved from the death of children, Heaven forbid (there, 34). To merit peace is through studying halachic authorities. And through this, one can pray with intention with all his heart (62, 2). These translations complete the שמחה (Joy) section from Likutay Etzot, reflecting Rabbi Nachman’s profound teachings on the transformative power of joy in overcoming sadness, rectifying spiritual blemishes, drawing divine blessings, and fostering closeness to Hashem and the tzaddikim. Joy is presented as a fundamental aspect of spiritual life, essential for healing, faith, and achieving the ultimate purpose. This world is nothing but a means to draw toward the eternal purpose. One should not focus on whether they have money or not, for whether they have money or not, they spend their days equally, as this world completely deceives us, showing a person as if they profit each time, but in the end, it is nothing, as seen in reality. The way of Hashem, blessed be He, is to look at the good deeds that are done, and even though there is also something not good in them, He does not look at this, all the more so a person, who is forbidden to look at his fellow with ill intent, to specifically find what is not good in him, and to search to find flaws in his fellow’s service. On the contrary, he is obligated to look only at the good and to search to find merit and goodness in him always, and through this, he will have peace with everyone (Likutay Moharan II, 17). Even if one attains money, it takes them away. The general rule is that both together, the person and the money, have no permanence—either the money is taken from the person, or the person is taken from the money, and never has anyone been found who remains with the money. Even though meriting the service of the Blessed Name is difficult, nevertheless, even when one does not merit serving the Blessed Creator properly, they must know that this world is nothing, as mentioned above. Through Torah study, all prayers and requests are accepted, and the grace and importance of Israel are elevated and exalted before all those they need in material and spiritual matters (1, 1). They should place all their will, desire, inclination, and longing only toward the eternal purpose, always yearning to be according to the will of the Blessed One. For the will itself is very precious, as the primary thing is the will. Meanwhile, whatever good they can seize—Torah, prayer, or good deeds—they should seize what they can, for nothing remains of all their toil except the good will and whatever good they seized each day of their life (Sefer HaRan 51). Through engagement in Torah, one can merit to understand the hints from all things in the world to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, through them, and even in a place of darkness and gloom where it seems, ostensibly, that it is difficult to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, there too the true intellect will shine for him to find Hashem, blessed be He, even there, and to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, specifically from there (there). One must remember well what the true tzaddikim warned us and proclaimed loudly, that a person should never allow themselves to be deceived or let the world deceive them. For no one achieves a good end or conclusion from this world except what they seized of true good for themselves for the eternal world (ibid.). Also, through engagement in Torah, one merits to be saved from the cunning traps of the evil inclination, which usually does not entice a person to sin immediately, but initially cloaks itself in mitzvot, and so on. And through engagement in Torah, one merits true intellect and to be saved from all this (there). Torah and prayer strengthen each other and illuminate each other (2, 6). Through studying Gemara at night, a thread of kindness is drawn upon him, and he is saved from thoughts that are not for the sake of Heaven. And through this, he rectifies the voice of melody, so that hearing the sound of melody from the Other Side, which greatly harms the service of the Creator, blessed be He, does not harm him, and he merits to establish the melody of holiness, enabling him to attach himself to Hashem, blessed be He, through songs and melodies. And through this, one establishes and elevates the kingship of holiness, merits elevation, and can rule over all that he desires. Also, one can merit the aspect of prophecy (3). Through studying halachic authorities, through this, one separates and clarifies the good from the evil, and expels and nullifies the evil from all four elements, which encompass all traits, and this is the primary rectification of a person. And through this, the matter he prayed for is completed and goes from potential to actuality, his request is fulfilled, and he merits to humble the disputers and opponents to the ground (8, 6, 7). To merit clarifying a halachic ruling is through prayer (there). Through speaking Torah with words, the speech illuminates for him all the places where he needs to do repentance, until he merits to perform a complete repentance of the scales. And similarly, each time through every repentance, he goes from level to level, until he emerges from a lower level and comes to the insights of Torah in its depth (11, 1). But it is impossible to merit such illuminating speech unless one breaks pride and arrogance, so that his study is not for the sake of honor, to boast or provoke, Heaven forbid, or to receive rabbinic authority and elevation, and this depends on guarding the covenant (there, 2, 3). Through studying Torah not for its own sake, and especially through oral Torah, Gemara, and halachic authorities, studied not for its own sake, through this, a mouth is created for them to speak arrogantly against true tzaddikim. And from this comes the opposition of the scholars who dispute true tzaddikim, as explained inside, entry 12, 141 (12, 1). System: The provided Hebrew text for the תלמוד תורה (Torah Study) section appears to be cut off mid-sentence in entry 13 (יג). To ensure completeness, I will continue translating from where the text ends and include the remaining entries for תלמוד תורה as they appear in Likutay Etzot, based on standard editions, up to the final entry provided (entry 39, לט). I will then provide translations for any subsequent sections that follow תלמוד תורה in the standard sequence of Likutay Etzot to address the "next" request, assuming you want the next section after תלמוד תורה. If you meant something else by "next," please clarify. Below, I will first complete the תלמוד תורה section from entry 13 (יג) through entry 39 (לט), using the Hebrew text from standard editions where necessary to fill in the gap. Then, I will provide the translations for the next section, which is תפילה (Prayer), as it follows תלמוד תורה in Likutay Etzot. Each entry is presented with its Hebrew text, followed by an accurate and faithful English translation that preserves the exact meaning and nuance of the Hebrew words, reflecting the original intent and spiritual depth of Rabbi Nachman’s teachings.