Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
Outpouring of the Soul
Outpouring of the Soul
1. Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 73 –----- Reciting Psalms Is Intrinsic To Repentance
Whoever wants to merit to repentance, should recite Psalms frequently, because the recital of Psalms is mesugal (propitious) for repentance. For there are fifty gates of repentance; forty nine gates, everyone is capable of entering and attaining, however the fiftieth gate is the aspect of the repentance of Hashem Yisburach Himself – so to say, for also by Him Blessed He we find the aspect of repentance, as it is written (Malachi 3:7), "Return to Me and I will return to you (plural)." And these forty nine gates of repentance are an aspect of the forty nine letters which compose the twelve names of the tribes of G-d (-the sons of Jacob), for each and every gate has a letter of the forty nine letters of the tribes.
Now behold, everyone desires to fear Your name, and even still not everyone merits to repent, for there is one who has absolutely no arousal for repentance, and even someone who has arousal for repentance, does not merit to reach the letter and the gate of repentance which is applicable to him. And even if he arrives there, it is possible that the gate of repentance will be closed, and because of all this, the person will not merit to repent. And through the recital of Psalms, even someone who does not have any arousal to repent, he will be aroused to repent, and will also merit through the Psalms to reach the gate and the letter pertaining to him, and to open the gate. It comes out that through Psalms one merits to repent.
And this is the aspect of (Samuel 2:23:1), "the words of the man who was raised high," and our Rabbis o.b.m. expounded (Moed Kuttun 16b), that (the words "raised high"- hookam oal, infer that) he raised (-established) the yoke (oal) of repentance, "and the pleasant songs of Israel (end of the verse)," because through the aspect of the pleasant songs of Israel, namely the Book of Psalms which he enacted, through this he established the yoke of repentance. Because through Psalms one merits to repentance, as mentioned above. And this is what our Rabbis o.b.m. said (Avoda Zura 4b), David was not behooving of that incident (-with Bas Shevah), only in order to teach repentance to the individual etc.. It comes out, that the main instruction of repentance that is through King David is the Book of Psalms, which he said with tremendous arousal and Divine Inspiration, to the extent that each and everyone, according to his standing, can find himself inside the Book of Psalms, and merit to repentance through the recital of Psalms, as mentioned above.
And the main refinement of the twelve tribes of G-d, which are forty nine letters, which are the aspect of the forty nine gates of repentance, was in Egypt, which is the aspect of the narrowness of the throat, which is the aspect of superior repentance (as is brought in the writings of the Arizal (Shaar Hakavanos, Sfiras Hu-omer, Drush 11), see there and understand well). And therefore after they were refined there in Egypt and they merited to go out from there, they counted forty nine days of the sfira (-'counting'- the Torah commands to count from the second day of Passover), which correspond to the forty nine letters mentioned above, which are the forty nine gates of repentance. And on the fiftieth day, then (Exodus 19:20), "And Hashem descended on Mount Sinai," this is the aspect of "and I will return to you", the aspect of the repentance of Hashem Yisburach himself so to speak, the aspect of the fiftieth gate, as mentioned above.
And this is (Exodus 1:1), "And these are {Vi-aileH} the names {shimoaT} of the children {binaI} of Israel {YisroeL} that are coming {habu-iM}," the last letters of these words are the letters "TeHiLIM" – Psalms. "To Egypt {mitzraimU}, with {eS} Jacob {YaakoV}, each person {eeSh} and his household {oobaysOa}," the last letters of these words spell out "TeShOoVUh" – repentance. Because through Psalms one merits to repentance, which is the aspect of the names of the Children of Israel that are coming to Egypt etc., because the forty nine gates of repentance are the aspect of the forty nine letters that comprise the names of the Children of Israel that are coming to Egypt to be refined there, as mentioned above.
And this is what we see, that in the days of repentance, that is in (the month of) Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance (-from the New Years till Yom Kippur), all of Israel is occupied then in the recital of Psalms, for the recital of Psalms is mesugal (-propitious) for repentance, as mentioned above. Therefore it is a very great thing to always be engaged in the recital of Psalms, because Psalms is an enormously great arousal to Hashem Yisburach. Fortunate is one who adheres to it (Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 73).
The copier [R' Alter of Teplik] said: See Likutay Aitzos (A Collection of Advice; Entry on Teshuva – Repentance, article 32), where this matter is written in short, with these words: And there is (one) that doesn't know (how) to reach the gate intended for him, that specifically in that way he needs to return to Hashem Yisburach etc., and through the recital of Psalms he will merit etc. and to come to the gate of repentance indigenous to his neshama (soul) etc., see there. And it becomes apparent from his holy words there, that the forty nine gates mentioned above, are an aspect of forty nine ways to repent, for each person, according to the root of his soul, has a unique way and a unique service, that he needs to traverse specifically in that way, and through this he will merit to return to Hashem Yisburach, as this is understood from the Torah "Unoachi" ("I", Likutay Moharan, Torah 4) on the homily of our Sages o.b.m. (Sota 21a), “and he doesn’t know which way he is going,” see there. And not everyone merits to find his unique way, according to the root of his soul, to return with it to Hashem Yisburach. And on this King David ri"p screamed (Psalms 119:9), "With what will a youth merit (/make meritorious) his <specific> way to guard as You prescribed." And our master, leader, and holy rabbi za.tza.l. revealed to us that through the recitation of Psalms, Hashem Yisburach will bestow him with wisdom, and understanding, and realization of knowledge to perceive for himself his own unique way, specific to him according to the root of his neshama (soul), what to do in this world, until he merits through this to complete repentance, and see below article 75.
Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!
2. Likutay Moharan, vol. 2, Torah 25 – Hisbodidus
Hisbodidus is a great virtue, higher than everything. Namely, to set for himself, in any case, an hour or more to do hisbodidus alone by himself in any room or in the field, and to express his words between himself and his Creator, with arguments and reasoning, with words of charm, and endearment, and appeasement, to beseech and entreat before Him Blessed He, that He should draw him close to Him, to His service, in truth. And this prayer and conversing should be in the spoken language, that is, in our country, in Yiddish ("lushon Ashkenaz", today this can very readily refer to English vernacular), for in the Holy Tongue it is difficult for him to express all he has to say, and also the heart is not drawn after the words because he isn't accustomed so much to speaking in that language, for it isn't our practice to speak in the Holy Tongue. Whereas in Yiddish, which is spoken and used in conversation, it is easily and much more readily spoken, for the heart is drawn and closer to Yiddish because he is fluent in it. And in Yiddish he can express all his words, and everything that is on his heart he should converse and tell over before Him Blessed He, be it regret and repentance on the past, and be it a pleading request to merit to truly draw close to Him Blessed He from today onwards, and so forth, every person according to his level.
And he should be very vigilant to accustom himself to be diligent with this every day, for one designated hour as mentioned above, and the entire rest of the day to be joyous (as it is written in the previous article (i.e. Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 24) which begins: It is a great mitzvah to always be joyous). And this practice is very extremely great in stature, and it is a way and an extremely beneficial aitza (advice/remedy) to draw close to Him Blessed He, for this is a general aitza, which includes everything, for whatever he is missing in the service of Hashem, or if he is altogether completely distant from His service Blessed He, for everything he should express his words, and request from Him Blessed He, as mentioned above. And even if sometimes his words are suppressed and he absolutely cannot open his mouth to speak before Him Blessed He, even still, this itself is extremely good, namely the preparation that he is ready and standing before Him Blessed He, and desires and yearns to speak, even though he is unable, this itself is also extremely good. And he can also make from this itself, a conversation and prayer, and over this itself he can scream and plead before Him Blessed He, that he has become so distance to the extent that he can't even speak. And he should beseech from Him Blessed He mercy and compassion, that He should have mercy on him and open his mouth so that he can express his words before Him Blessed He.
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