A Tough Task that’s Easy

Translated by Aaron Yoseph

 
We’ve heard stories of how Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Binder ob”m would go out in the snow, break the ice and immerse himself in freezing cold water; how he would go out to the forests for hitbodedut when it was minus 15°. Everyone else would be huddled around the stove, desperately trying to keep warm, and he would come back from his hitbodedut full of joy. Then he would put all his strength into his prayers. His friends rolled out of bed at 10 o’clock, drank a few coffees to wake up, and then were depressed all day long.

 
We shouldn’t think that only this counts as serving Hashem. Serving Hashem is realistic. Hashem is here and He’s given us work to do, that we can do. Rebbe Nachman tells us to start again every day, to not look back to the past. This is the hard work – to know that, “Hashem is with me, where I am, even if I’m the lowest pit.” This means that even if a person has to live like this for years, he’s still happy. “Hashem is with me, why shouldn’t I be happy!” This is hard work. Someone else may be able to go to a cold mikvah and then daven for three hours. The main tough task is to know that Hashem is with you, wherever you are, whatever you’re capable of doing. There’s nothing to be confused about. “This is how I am – I only do half things, and even that not.” But if such a person strengthens himself there, and keeps his spirits up, even though he can only manage half things – that’s working hard. If things always go well – where’s the hard work?
 
It’s so easy to serve Hashem, but we need Divine mercy to make a start, to understand how precious every moment of learning is; how much we can attain with each word of Torah, Mishna, Gomorrah, Likutei Halachot, each one has it’s own light. The main thing is to say the words simply before Hashem. This is a tough task, but everyone can do this.
 
When we have to do tough things in this world – accept it with love. This is also working hard. When it comes to things that we mustn’t do, then we have to stay strong and say, “I don’t want garbage in my brain, I want to guard my thoughts and my eyes.” We need to be careful to not get angry. This is hard work. Whatever you need to do in this world, do it for Hashem and with Him in mind. This is how we start to live. The Rebbe taught us to start again, to say lots of Torah. This is serving Hashem. It doesn’t have to be in depth. We have to be busy all the time serving Hashem. Tmimus and simplicity.
 
But a person has his chochmot – he’s a wise guy. The Yetzer Hora comes and tells a person to do something, but he’s strong and says, “No.” Then the Yetzer Hora comes again, “But maybe you really want to say “yes.”
 
“No. I don’t want it, go away” – the guy didn’t listen to the Yetzer, this time. But it gets harder and harder and he starts to weaken. “Ribono Shel Olam, help me to say no!” Ah! He has no idea how much this is worth.
 
Rebbe Nachman understood from a young age how easy it is to serve Hashem. He gave tzedakah. He would jump into the locked shul through the window, say the “l’shem yichud” for tzedakah, and then put a penny in the pushka. Then he would go outside again, and come back a little later and do it again. He did this over and over, simply, full of joy that he was doing the great mitzvah of tzedakah each time. If only we could internalize this outlook!
 
The Rebbe wanted us to serve Hashem simply. To guard our time. Grab the time here and there – no pushing off. As if you have a policeman in your head – “Open the sefer now and read!”, and you do it. Everything L’Shem Shomayim. What yes and what no. This is serving Hashem. Then during davening – search for Hashem. Prayer is one of the times we can find Hashem and cleave to Him.
 
Try to put yourself into the words of the prayers, into this chapter of Tehillim, or this one. If it doesn’t work out, don’t be upset or broiges with Hashem. Who else gets three invitations a day to come before the King? Some people even get five. We all get three invitations a day. We can come to shul joyfully. This is serving Hashem. There’s what to do. Think about Hashem all day.
 
Pray for everything, People say, “But I don’t know how to speak to Hashem.” You get paid for every word! You can’t speak? Isn’t there anything that’s bothering you or hurting you? You have nothing at all to say? Pour your heart out!
 
But it’s hard for people to accept this, so people feel that they have nothing to do. Think about Hashem. Keep away from bad. Say “no.” If it doesn’t work, talk to Hashem – “Tatti in Himmel, Help me to stop doing what I shouldn’t be doing. My Yetzer Hora is killing me.” Talking to Hashem is working hard, but once you do it, it’s really easy.
 
We have no idea how each word of Torah and personal prayer overturn the whole world. When there isn’t emuna, we have no idea what we’re doing. Every Mishnah is so precious. The Rebbe spoke about this once, that people think that you have to have some great nuance to be worth something. No. All we need to do is say the words. Simplicity. This is serving Hashem.