# Torah 5 - With Trumpets

> מקור: https://rabenu.app/books/kitvey-en/5/torah-5/

a) Every person has to say to himself that the entire world was created for my sake (Sanhedrin,37). Therefore each individual must look into and consider at all times how to rectify the world and provide whatever is missing and pray on their behalf.

b) A person has to perform each mitzvah with such great joy that he has no desire for any reward in the World to Come. Instead, all he wants is that the Holy One provide him with the opportunity to perform another mitzvah as a reward for the previous one, for he takes pleasure from the mitzvah itself. By achieving this level he can then know what has been decreed against the world and whether it is before the decree has been issued or after, and upon whom the decree has been issued, Heaven forbid. Then he knows how to pray for the world's sake, for, after the decree, the tzaddikim have to veil their prayers with stories. To all this we merit when we perform a mitzvah with great joy stemming from the mitzvah itself, as explained.

c) The essence of joy is in the heart but it is impossible for the heart to rejoice unless a person removes the crookedness which is in his heart so that he will have a straight heart. Then he will achieve true joy. The crookedness in the heart is straightened by thunder which corresponds to prayer recited strongly, with fear and love of G-d and with great concentration.

d) To merit to this joy is by means of praying powerfully and with great fear and love.

e) A person has to pray with all his strength, releasing his voice in prayer with great power. By this his voice will strike his brain and then he will be able to concentrate while praying. In other words, his heart will hear what he says and through this he will merit to straighten the crookedness in his heart such that he achieves real joy. Then he will perform the mitzvoth with great happiness just from the mitzvah itself. As a result he will merit to be able to veil his prayer in tales of events and thus nullify all the harsh decrees even after they have already been issued.

f) Whoever hears the blowing of a shofar on Rosh Hashana from a man who is G-d fearing and pious will certainly not be afraid of thunder throughout the year.

g) To merit to achieve this aspect of thunder perfectly, one has to clear the mind from all kinds of secular wisdoms, extraneous and undesirable thoughts.

h) One has to be very careful to clear the mind from secular wisdoms and undesirable thoughts – of 'chametz' (sour thoughts). He mustn't sour his wisdom with unholy wisdom and physical cravings for they stupefy and cause impurity to the mind such that it becomes impossible for him to concentrate while praying or to be happy.

 He also has to guard himself against worldly fears so that he won't be afraid of anything other than G-d alone. As a result of worldly fears it is impossible to concentrate while praying and it prevents joy. The main thing is to guard the mind so it shouldn't become sour and think about undesirable things and physical cravings, for they are like 'chametz'; they are from the realm of death. You have to be angry at these thoughts which are from the side of death, the realm of evil, and to drive them out of your mind and your thoughts so that they won't approach you. You have to guard yourself a lot so that these thoughts won't enter your mind, Heaven forbid.

 You also have to combine love and fear of G-d, for only then will you be able to purify your mind and pray with great concentration with all your strength so that it will be like thunder. By this you can achieve happiness.

i) A Jew has to guard himself from worldly fears so that no fear in the world will affect him. Rather, when some fear or fright comes upon him, he has to remember at once fear of G-d and His great awesomeness. You have envelope yourself in fear of G-d constantly, throughout the whole day. As a result you will be able to pray with all your strength and recite the words out loud with great power such that it will be like thunder. Then you will be able to hear clearly (in your heart) what you speak out. By this you will achieve joy, to perform all the mitzvoth with great happiness just from the mitzvah itself. This will enable you to know how to nullify any harsh decrees, even after they have been issued, G-d forbid.

j) You have to combine love and fear of G-d in order to merit to all the above, for the main form of strengthening yourself is through love of G-d. Even so, you have to start with fear of G-d.

k) Someone who wants to have compassion on himself on himself has to strengthen himself so he won't hear or take notice of any arguments between the true tzaddikim, rather, he must believe in them all. On the contrary, when he hears arguments between the tzaddikim he has to learn about himself and look at where he is in the world spiritually. Hearing these arguments comes to rebuke you for having blemished the drops in your mind. For it is certain that if you hadn't blemished your mind, you wouldn't have heard these arguments between the tzaddikim and you wouldn't have had doubts about them in your heart. The main purpose of these arguments is only for you, in order that you understand and remember this, where you are in the world; the powers of evil are trying to drive you away from the true life, the true tzaddikim. Hearing the argument is because you have blemished the drops of your mind about which it says, "None that go to her return; nor do they regain the paths of life." (Proverbs,2,19). If someone is foolish and doesn't understand this, then he will really be distanced, thus losing his world. However, someone who really wants to have mercy on himself through this specifically will be awakened spiritually and ask himself where he is in the world. He will understand that this is a test for him which he has to stand up to by not hearing or thinking about that argument. He has to come closer to the true tzaddikim as a result. This will be his main rectification for all eternity…for really he deserves to be distanced because he blemished his mind; he blemished so much it would be impossible to approach (tzaddikim and the realm of holiness) other than by this test specifically. The truth is that the Holy One desires to show loving kindness and wants to bring close those who were far away, even though they don't deserve it. That is why they have to undergo this test.

l) The extraneous and undesirable thoughts are from the side of death, like chametz and they chase after a person's mind in order to enter it. So, you have to rebuke them and argue with them so as to keep them out of the mind. By this you are saved from chametz and the realm of death and you acquire expanded intellect, which is an aspect of matza and true life. (Now it becomes obvious that through the commandments of nullifying chametz and eating matza during Pesach, we merit to all of the above.)

m) The controversy between the real tzaddikim is also only for this purpose, to drive away the side of evil to prevent it from coming into the realm of holiness. Therefore, this controversy between them is an aspect of 'matza' (meaning 'argument').