אות - סא

Know that there are great powers within human beings, for they are able to bring about through their thoughts what they are thinking. And even scarcity, Heaven forbid, comes from the thoughts of people. For when thought is entirely grasped and cleaved to one thing — that it should be thus — meaning all the aspects that exist in thought, namely the inner dimension and outer dimension and the remaining aspects down to the very point, and when all of them together are grasped and cleaved, thinking that it shall be so without confusion or deviation toward another thought — through this they act so that it will necessarily come to be as they think. And also the thought must be in precise particulars, not in a general manner — for example one should think: if such and such occurs then thus and thus will result in their particulars. But when one thinks in a general manner it is in the aspect of "unfinished vessels" (Kelim 12:6; Chullin 25a) and one can err, as Nevat erred when he saw fire going forth etc. (Sanhedrin 101b) (118*). And this also applies in the matter of Torah study. If one's thought is very firm as mentioned above, it will certainly come to be. Provided the thought is firm and grasped very strongly in this, as mentioned — for example, that one think in one's mind that one will merit to study and complete all four Shulchan Aruchs with all the major commentaries. And one should think and picture in one's mind in what manner one will study them and in how much time — for example, that one will merit to study five folios per day until one merits to complete them all in one year. And one should insert one's thought into this very well, with very great firmness, until the thought is very firm and grasped in this. And similarly regarding other studies of the holy Torah such as the Shas with the Rif (119) and the Rosh (120) and the Turim (121) etc., and Tanach and the like — one should long and yearn and think about this greatly with great firmness, and then one will merit that it should be so. And he said that this is hinted in the words of our Sages o.b.m. (Sanhedrin 26b) in what they said: "Thought is effective even for matters of Torah" — effective literally, meaning it is effective and helps in this, even for matters of Torah. And even though Rashi there explained it in another sense — even so it is thus. And he did not complete the explanation further. And both these and these are words of the living G-d. 119. RAK: Rabbi Leib and his son Rabbi Pinchas ascended to the Land of Israel in the summer of 5565. See Sichos HaRan 159. 120. RAK: This was on the Shabbos of Consolation in the year 5570, about two months before Rabbainu's passing. 121. RAK: See Sichos HaRan 157; Chayai Moharan, His Journey and Sojourn in Uman, entry 31.