Escape the Mouse Trap

A lot of people know Rabbi Nachman’s advice, and also his stories. But not many people know that Rabbi Nachman also wrote a song! In Rabbi Nachman’s song, there is a line which is on the one hand amusing, and on the other hand, full of very deep lessons. 

Rabbi Nachman describes a ridiculous reality where very powerful wild animals like elephants get confused and go like sheep to the slaughter, led by a small mouse. This is something like a circus, where elephants, bears and lions are subjugated to a small and weak man. Similarly, in Rebbe Nachman’s song, the mouse holds a rope which is connected to the nose of the elephant and the camel, and thus completely controls them. They should be able to trample the mouse and thus free themselves, but they don’t. Rebbe Nachman explains why: Because they don’t recognize their own power! They are not aware that they can free themselves easily. 

Here is the quote from the song itself: “Chazak v’nitchazek! (Be strong and we will be strengthened!) Don’t be like the big elephant and like the camel, that even if a mouse controls them with a rope, they won’t step on him. This is because of their foolishness, that they don’t recognize their own power. But my soul is strong and in control.” 

The allegory is clear. The elephant and the camel are every one of us, who is extremely powerful. The mouse is the Evil Inclination, all of this world, and all of the lusts – all of which have no true power. And every single one of us without exception can easily beat it – on the condition that we recognize our own power! 

Get to Know Yourself – Believe in Yourself 

In my previous articles The Secret Weapon and The Ultimate Solution, I explained that the most important thing in the entire world is to believe in yourself – which means to know who you really are. To recognize that you are literally a part of G-d, and that you have a pure soul which cannot be sullied no matter what you do. To recognize just how much good you have in you, and that deep down you only want to be good. Truly believing in this truth gives you the power to overcome everything and stand firm in every test. 

Belief in yourself means that even if you see in yourself bad desires and lusts that seem to be impossible to overcome, you know that this is just an illusion. It only seems to you that you cannot overcome it! It is a very big illusion indeed, but under no circumstances is it the truth. 

Rebbe Nachman says that we need to call the Evil Inclination: hakoach hamidameh – the power of illusion or imagination. The point is to remember that there really isn’t anything here besides one big imagination – one big illusion. Indeed, in the song Rebbe Nachman says that this illusion comes “because of foolishness, that they don’t recognize their power.” 

Pass the Test 

This explains why Avraham successfully passed ten extremely difficult tests, while Noach was not tested at all. Hashem knew that Noach did not believe in his power, and therefore, had no chance of passing a test.  

So too, you, and every one of us, absolutely can overcome every test, obstacle and difficulty – even easily! – if you will only but remember that you have incredible power! It is not possible that you have been given a test that you cannot pass. The point is to remember that the holy soul that you possess has limitless power, and therefore, you also have limitless power! You only need to believe in it – to believe in yourself! Truly, everything is “beneath you.” 

Rabbi Natan of Breslev writes, “We must know and believe that certainly every Jew, even the lowest of the low, has awesome and incredible power to stand against his Evil Inclination… and certainly can stand against the entire world, with all of its lusts… even the sexual drive, which is known to be the pinnacle of all bodily lusts.” 

The Real Evil Inclination 

According to this, we can understand the essence of the Evil Inclination, and the bad desires we have. Rabbi Natan continues and says, “The most important aspect of all the sins and lusts that a person stumbles in G-d forbid, is only because of the foolishness that he doesn’t recognize his own power.” 

Rebbe Nachman explains that this is called mochin d’katnut – constricted consciousness. Meaning – you think that you are small and powerless: “This means, that he restricts his mind and weakens his knowledge until he no longer recognizes his own power and he thinks that it isn’t possible to stand against this lust…” 

Arrogance and Humility 

Rabbi Natan also warns us not to get mixed up about the real definition of arrogance and humility. Don't think that to be weak and make like you are nothing is humility. Additionally, don’t think that to know the simple truth – that you possess a pure and holy soul which has incredible strength – is arrogance! 

“Do not think that the path of humility is to limit your strength and say that you don’t have such a strong soul like the tzaddikim – as if you don’t have the ability to be a tzadik or upright person. Humility like this is absolutely forbidden and it isn’t true humility at all! It’s really just restricted consciousness, which we need to distance ourselves from very much.” 

Rabbi Natan continues, “One must be strong to recognize that it does not befit him at all to be bound to lusts G-d forbid, and all the more so to commit a sin G-d forbid… every Jew is extremely distanced from sin at his root… because every Jew is extremely powerful and able to stand against the entire world with all of its lusts – the only important thing is that he should remember to know his power!” 

Recognize that you have great power! Truly internalizing this lesson is what will give you all the power and strength you need to overcome all the difficulties and stand in every test, and to live in perfect accordance with Hashem’s will and succeed in life for real!