TORAH STUDY:

2) Studying Torah with all your might gives power to the forces of holiness and strengthens the good inclination against the evil inclination (Ibid.).

3) If you labor in the study of Torah you will be able to understand the hints and meanings contained in all the different things in the world and use them as a means of coming closer to God. Even if you find yourself in a place of darkness where you might think it hard to draw close to God, true wisdom will radiate to you and you will be able to draw close to God even from there (Ibid.).

4) Nobody sins unless he is overcome by the `spirit of folly' (Sotah 3a). The sins and damage a person may have done literally make him mad. This is why the majority of people suffer from all kinds of quirks and idiosyncrasies. The remedy is to study Torah intensively. The Torah consists entirely of the names of the Holy One, blessed-beHe, and i t has the power to crush the evil inclination and banish all the madness and folly which cling to a person because of his sins (Ibid.).

5) One of the most subtle devices of the evil inclination is that rather than starting off by trying to persuade a person to do a blatant sin, it dresses itself up as if it wanted to persuade him to do an actual mitzva. But Torah study develops the sharpness and intelligence which will help you escape these devices (Ibid.).

6) Torah and prayer give strength to one another and illuminate each other (2:6).

7) When a person studies the gemara by night, a thread of lovingkindness is drawn down over him and he can free himself of all his impure motives for Torah learning desire for recognition, etc. Gemara study by night is a protection against the spiritual harm caused by unholy music, which can otherwise make it very difficult to serve God. But with this protection he will discover the power of holy music and be able to attach himself to God through music and song. This strengthens the forces of holiness and gives him the power to control whatever he wants. He will be able to achieve the level of prophecy (3).

8) Studying the codes of Torah law gives us the ability to distinguish between good and evil and separate them from one another (This is because the essence of the halachah is to distinguish between pure and impure, kasher and passul etc...) Thus the evil contained in the four cosmic elements which are the source of the various human character tra its is banished. This is the way one can achieve perfection, and then whatever one prays for will emerge from potentiality to actuality and one's request will be fulfilled. Those who oppose him with obstacles and barriers will be cast down to the ground (8:6,7).

9) Reaching the correct legal decision depends upon prayer (Ibid.).

10) When studying Torah it is necessary to articulate the words and say them aloud. Then the words themselves will illumine all the places where we have to repent, and in the end we will be able to achieve perfect repentance, which will outbalance all our sins. This is a continuous process: with each act of repentance we advance from level to leve l until we emerge from our own low level and are able to comprehend the true depths of Torah (11:1).

11) But it is only possible to receive this illumination from the words of the Torah if we first break our pride and pretensions, which give us false motives for Torah study to acquire prestige or be able to boast or attain rabbinic office etc. The degree to which we succeed in this depends on our moral purity (Ibid. 2,3).

12) When people study Torah for extraneous motives, especially the Oral Torah the gemara and the legal codes it gives them an opening to speak disparagingly about the true Tzaddikim. This is why there is opposition to the Tzaddikim from certain scholars (12:1).

13) Before a person sits down to study he should understand that at the very moment he is learning, the Tzaddik in the Garden of Eden will be listening to his voice. He must therefore bind himself to the Tanna Mishnaic teacher or Tzaddik who first revealed the Torah teaching which he is studying in order that their two souls may `kiss' and be atta ched to one another. This brings great joy to the Tanna, and through this the student sitting learning will be able to return to God and put fresh life into all the days of his life that were spent in darkness. But this can only come about when he studies Torah for its own sake with the intention of fulfilling God's commandment to study Torah whic h is equal to all the other commandments put together and to fulfill the Torah he learns. But when someone learns because he wants to be considered clever, etc.., he is worse than a carcass of a dead animal (which is forbidden to be eaten unless it was ritually slaughtered) and he will certainly not be able to attach himself to the spirit of the T anna. He will never see the truth. He will turn into an enemy of the true Tzaddik and cause the exile of the Shechinah, because the oral Torah is in exile on the lips of this so-called Torah scholar (Ibid.).

14) When one learns for the right motives and studies the words of a Tanna, one restores the soul of the Tanna to his the Tanna's body (Ibid.).

15) It is a good practice to study legal rulings in conjunction with the B'er HaGolah, the commentary which gives the Talmudic source of each ruling, in order to mention the name of the Tanna or legal authority who originated the ruling in question and so attach oneself to his spirit (Ibid.).

16) The study of Torah in holiness and purity makes it possible to arouse the sinners of Israel and converts to return to God. But it is only possible to achieve this when one is absolutely humble (14:3-5).

17) Whenever a person learns Torah and this applies especially to a Torah scholar he must aim to send light into the root of their souls. Then he will be able to arouse even those who are far from God the wicked and the proselytes and draw them closer to Him. He will be worthy of having a son who is learned in Torah. But when a person's learning is not on such a level, his son will not be learned in Torah (Ibid. 3,4).

18) Through meditation and self-examination, in which one judges oneself and all one's actions, it is possible to attain fear of God, which is the means to understand the revealed aspects of Torah and attain true humility. This is the foundation of genuine prayer, where one nullifies one's very being and material existence. Then he can understand the hidden aspects of Torah, which is the light treasured up to be revealed in the future. Happy is he that attains this. (15).

19) It is only possible to understand the secrets of Torah if you `make your face black as a raven's' (Erubin 54)and act just like the raven to its young. You must nullify your materialistic aspects completely, as if you were simply not in the world (Ibid.).

20) The secret aspects of Torah are called `holy' and `no common man shall eat thereof' (Leviticus 22:13) only His holy ones and those who are close to Him (Ibid.).

21) When Torah is drawn into the world, God's providence is drawn over us. The closer a person is to Torah the more completely God's providence is drawn over him (13:4).

22) There are times when the way to observe the Torah is by bittul Torah, neglect of Torah. It is impossible to be constantly occupied with Torah and devotion without interruption. There are times when one has to make a break and `neglect' the Torah in order to go out and deal with everyday matters. This stops the forces of the Other Side from ris ing up with disturbances and distractions and destroying one's mind completely, God forbid. Periodic neglect of Torah is an inescapable necessity. Only when Mashiach comes will there never be any need to interrupt one's devotions (16).

23) When a person wants to receive new insights into Torah he must first arouse himself with words hot as flaming coals: he must pour out his prayer before God, and then God's love will be aroused for him and the Supreme Heart will be opened and a stream of words will pour forth. By means of these words, new insights will come from this same sourc e (20:2).

24) In the prayer a person makes before discoursing on Torah, he must plead with God and beg Him to open His hand out of generosity alone. He should never demand anything as of right, as if he were entitled to something in virtue of his own merits. He should stand before God like a poor beggar. He should also bind himself with the souls of his lis teners. Then his prayer will be a joint prayer, and `the prayer of the community is never spurned.' (Berachot 8a) It will surely be accepted, and each of those present will then have a share in the Torah he reveals (Ibid.).

25) Through the merit of the Torah which is drawn into the world in this way you can succeed in coming to the Land of Israel (Ibid. 6).

26) When a person studies Torah without gaining new insights it is because the wisdom of the Torah is concealed from him like an embryo in the womb. He should cry out in his prayers and as he learns. Then he will give birth to wisdom (21:7,8).

27) When someone studies Torah without understanding what he is learning or gaining any new insights, God Himself has great joy from his learning, but even so, he should make no attempt to teach publicly. But when God bestows understanding on a person and grants him original ideas, it is right and fitting that he should reveal what he has learned to others and bestow his understanding upon the Chosen People. He should share his own good with others (Ibid.).

28) Be very careful not to listen to Torah lectures from scholars lacking in integrity. They are `Jewish demons' (cf. Zohar III, 253) who receive their Torah from the demons who are in possession of the fallen Torah. Their discussions may seem very remarkable and they are usually well received by the mass of people. Their style is florid and ornat e: they give elaborate examples and seemingly profound explanations. But there is nothing to be gained from them. Their Torah has no power to direct men on a good path. On the contrary, it leads people into doubts and disbelief and they end up despising those who are truly religious (28:1).

29) The remedy for this is to open the doors of your house to genuine Torah scholars and offer them hospitality. This is the way to develop true faith and lovingkindness and to nullify yourself before God, as it is written: `I am a worm and not a man' (Psalms 22:7). This will give you the strength to confront the opposition and banish the doubts and disbelief they foment. Then you will be able to sift out the good that is in their Torah and elevate it (Ibid. 3).

30) You have to be assertive and determined if you want to acquire Torah. You must be `bold as a leopard' (Avoth 5:24) in the service of God. Pay no attention whatsoever to those who put obstacles in your way or try to ridicule you. The quality of your boldness and determination will be reflected in the Torah you learn. One whose boldness expresse s a determination to acquire genuine holiness will gain new insights and find new horizons in the Torah. But someone whose boldness is really a form of pride and arrogance stemming from the Other Side and who lacks genuine respect for men of piety will not gain true insights into Torah. The Torah he will acquire will be from the forces of the Othe r Side. And the quality of his prayer will reflect the quality of the Torah he learns (30:8).

31) To achieve complete fulfillment one must be developed in one's character and learned in Torah at one and the same time. Our Sages said that `an ignoramus will never be a saint' (Avoth 2:6). On the other hand, to be learned by itself is useless. It is possible to be learned and completely wicked, and when a person is unworthy the Torah becomes an elixir of death for him. But when a person is both learned in Torah and saintly in his actions he is like an angel of the Lord of Hosts. He shapes the letters of Torah for good and brings life and goodness into the world. One who mistakenly believes that the main thing is to be learned alone is like `Acher' (R. Elisha ben Abuya, the notorious s cholar-turned-disbeliever of the Talmud) who `uprooted the saplings' (Chagiga 14b) (31).

32) There are times when even a perfect Tzaddik who is both learned and saintly falls from his level because it is impossible to remain on the same level constantly. When this happens, it is no good for him to try to fortify himself with the thought of the great learning he still retains. He must work on his character and behavior, not his Torah i ntellect. He should strengthen himself in the fear of Heaven and work on the good points which are still within him (Ibid.).

33) The Torah and the Tzaddikim are the source of peace: peace within the Jewish people as a whole and peace in each individual. It is no good for a person to be at war with himself. There must be a harmony between his various traits, and he must also develop a harmonious approach to life so that it will make no difference to him whether things ar e good or seemingly bad: in everything he will find only God (33:2).

34) Extraneous ideologies are darkness and folly compared to the wisdom of Torah. Through fasting and giving charity to causes in the Land of Israel we become worthy of the wisdom of Torah, which elevates the soul and fills it with love, light and life, and the harsh judgements are sweetened (35:1).

35) The world cannot endure nor can the harsh judgements be sweetened except through the merit of the breath of little children studying Torah. Every person has a duty to search out a good, upright, Godfearing teacher and beg God to help him find one in order not to let the holy breath of the children be corrupted by a bad teacher (37:4).

36) When a person studies Torah in spite of all the pressures of hardship and poverty, the Torah he learns draws a thread of love over him and banishes all his opponents and all the forces of impurity. Speech is cleansed and elevated to its source, and he becomes worthy of expressing himself before God with words of heat and fire which flow from t he heart in truth (38:4).

37) When a person sharpens his mind by studying Torah, his intellect is sharpened and his awareness of the greatness of the Creator is expanded. This will make him even more ashamed of his sins and shame is the essence of repentance. He will be worthy of the light of tefilin, which is a ray of the light of God's inner countenance and a `tree of li fe' (Ibid. 5).

38) Deficient faith brings neglect of Torah, resulting in exile and wandering (40).

39) Even in learning Torah there has to be a certain limit, a level of sufficiency and contentment. One can easily become confused by wanting to learn more than one is able to. He sees how much there is to learn and wants to learn the entire Torah while standing on one leg. He may end up being so bewildered that he actually learns nothing at all. You must be content for your learning to be within the limits of what is possible for you, because `it is not for you to complete the task' (Avoth 2:21) (54:3).

40) Heaven and earth are recreated afresh when new innovations of Torah are born. This is the source of all the blessings in the world. But there are certain original conceptions which are purely a product of the imagination. The Torah student is more at risk from the deceptions of the imagination than anyone else. His misconceptions may appear ve ry attractive and convincing because the whole power of the imagination is to make one thing seem like another, and therefore these misconceptions have a strong semblance of truth. Inasmuch as they are Torah they do contain some good, but this is outweighed by the bad which is in them, and original concepts like these cause famine in the world and have an adverse effect on one's livelihood. One must pray to God to be saved from them. The remedy is to be very careful neither to speak nor listen to lashon hara, malicious slander. Also be sure that you are always happy, because the main reason for the fantasies and temptations created by the imagination is depression. Therefore the way to ove rcome them is by being happy (Ibid. 6).

41) Devotion to Torah brings vitality and length of days. The Torah is made up of the names of the Holy One, blessed-be-He. When we speak words of Torah we are calling upon the Life of Life, blessed be His name, and thus we draw long life and vitality from him. This is why we have to study Torah aloud and actually form the words on our lips. This is how we call upon God and draw long life and vitality from Him (56:3).

42) A person who devotes himself to Torah can give guidance even to those who are far from him, despite the fact that he does not know exactly what they need and that they may not even be physically present. His learning and devotion to Torah cause those who are distant to hear the voice of Torah clearly. For the Torah cries out constantly and dec lares: `How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness?' It is only that her voice is not heard because Godliness has been so heavily concealed as a result of our many sins. Today God is hidden from us in a `concealment within the concealment' the double hiding referred to in the prophecy of haster astir panai, `I shall surely hide My face ' (Deut. 31:18). But devotion to Torah causes that which is concealed to be revealed, and even those who are distant can then hear the voice of Torah raised in warning, and they can all return to God (Ibid.).

43) Certain kinds of people are very far indeed from God and have virtually leapt away from the One who is the place of the whole world. There are other cases of people who once had a period of closeness to God but now they have forgotten about it. And then there are those who still remember God but whose strength has become too weak for them to b e able to conquer their evil inclination. But the power of the Torah is so great that those who study it in truth can cause its warning voice to be heard by all these different kinds of people (Ibid.).

44) When you study Torah you must draw out `judgements of truth' from what you learn. That is, you should try to derive practical directives as to how to live, both for yourself and for those who are under your influence, regardless of whether they are few or many. You will be able to do this if you have faith in the Sages (61:1).

45) There are many holy books in existence today, and many more are destined to be printed in the future. The world needs all of them, and it is wrong to cast aspersions on any of them. They are all firmly based upon the Written and Oral Law. It is philosophical works based on speculation and false ideology that you should keep away from, no matte r who they might be written by. But all books which are in accordance with the Holy Torah that we received on Mt. Sinai are very precious, and they are all necessary for the world. One who scoffs at them will be subject to the judgement of boiling excrement, and he will never succeed in gaining any practical guidance from the Torah he studies. He will never be sure about anything. He will constantly be afflicted with doubts in whatever he does until he repents and revises his view of these holy books. And when he does, the harsh judgements in the world will be sweetened by means of the Holy Torah. The very perfection of the Torah depends upon the abundance of books concerned with the oral Law (Ibid. 5).

46) A person who introduces new and original Torah concepts and whose intention is for the sake of Heaven must have faith in himself. He needs to have faith that God has great joy from his innovations. He should never be dispirited. He should always be diligent in his studies and see to it that he is constantly developing new ideas. He should note them down and write books about them. Then all the harsh judgements in the world will be sweetened (Ibid.).

47) Studying the legal codes has the power to strike at the very roots of strife and contention. (A legal decision represents the resolution of all the arguments on the subject between the Sages.) By striking at the roots of strife, the divisiveness manifested in the lower worlds is dissipated, and so also is the turmoil which the evil inclination stirs up in the heart. This turmoil expresses itself in the form of all the doubts and problems about faith which rise persistently in a person's heart and divide him from God to the point that he finds it impossible to pray as he should. The main reason why people find it hard to pray with the proper devotion is that their faith is not perfect. If a person knew and believed with all his heart that the entire world is full of God's glory and that God stands over him while he is praying and listens to his every word, he would certainly pray with tremendous fervor and would make sure that he concentrated on every word he was saying. It is only because people are not entirely firm in their f aith that they are not as enthusiastic as they should be about their prayers. This is because of the turmoil stirred up in the heart by the evil inclination. The remedy is to study the legal codes, which puts this turmoil to rest and brings peace. The heart is no longer divided, and one can serve God with all one's heart with both inclinations. Th e gates of wisdom will be opened to him and he will know how to reply to the atheist in his heart. He will be worthy of praying with all his heart (62:2).

48) When a person labors in Torah until he succeeds in knowing and understanding it, his soul will be healed and elevated to its source, all the harsh judgements will be sweetened, and a `tree of life' will be planted in the worlds above that has the power to heal everything. Through his labors all the worlds are sustained and renewed and the glor y of God is revealed in the world. This is the goal of man's work, that the glory of God should be magnified (74).

49) If a person labors in Torah even without understanding what he is studying, it is still very good. All the words rise up to the higher worlds, and God takes joy in them and makes them into `willows of the brook' (Ibid.).

50) Without Torah it is impossible to live. At times a person burns with a fiery passion for God, but the passion is excessive and could engulf him completely. But Torah study has the power to cool the flames and allow him to survive. There are other times when a person burns with desire for the temptations of this world. The fire of his passions could burn his entire body. But learning Torah protects him against this. The fire within him is extinguished and he can live. Torah is therefore the source of all true life (78).

51) True repentance depends on Torah. A person must labor in the study of Torah until he is able to understand one thing from another and make original contributions for the sake of Heaven. This is perfect repentance, and then all the letters had combinations which fall within this person's portion in all the worlds will be restored to their true root and brought back from the scattered places to which they were banished. He will become a new person. His mind will become settled, and he will arouse God's love for him to the point that God Himself will `pray' for him in His pure compassion He will stir up His abundant love and send complete salvation (105).

52) When a person studies Torah it is a good thing to paraphrase what he is learning in the language he understands. This is a benefit to the whole world (118).

53) No matter what a person is learning he should find himself in it: he should derive a personal lesson from what he is learning and recognize his own insignificance and lowliness. This is a sign that he wants to perform the will of God (121).

54) When someone unworthy discourses on Torah he may be subjected to sexual temptations. It is a grave sin for one who is unworthy to discourse on Torah even to one other person, let alone a group (134).

55) When a person is studying a Torah concept originally introduced by a Tanna or a Tzaddik, he should imagine the form of the Tzaddik or the Tanna standing before him. This can protect him from forgetfulness (192).

56) One who feels the sweetness of Torah will be saved from becoming a widower (199).

57) A person who wants to gain new insights and introduce new concepts in Torah, must weep profusely beforehand to prevent the forces of the Other Side and the husks from having any share in these innovations (262).

58) There are people whose Torah teachings are broad below but narrow above. They are broad below because these people expound at great length. But above they are narrow because in the upper worlds nothing remains except a mere spark. On the other hand the Torah discourses of the true Tzaddikim may seem very slim and narrow below, but in the world s above they are very broad. Happy are they. The same applies to their power to arouse men to repentance (279).

59) Even a simple person who sits with a book and examines the letters of the Torah carefully can perceive new concepts and real wonders. But don't make a test out of this (281).

60) One has to literally steal time from one's business and other activities in order to study Torah. Even someone who is burdened with many obligations and duties cannot be so pressed that it is impossible for him to snatch some period each day to devote to Torah (284).

61) Every Jew must spend a portion of his time every day studying the law codes. This applies under all circumstances. It is a very serious matter, and no one should ever miss his daily session. Even in an emergency, when he has no time for example, if he is traveling he should still learn at least one paragraph of the Shulchan Aruch, even from so mewhere other than the place he has reached in his regular daily study routine. Do not let a single day of your life go by wihtout studying something from the Shulchan Aruch. Under normal circumstances when you are not under pressure, go through each of the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch in turn until you have finished them all. Then go back to the beginning and start again. Follow this practice all your life. It is a great remedy for all the damage caused by sin. The study of the legal codes sifts the good from the bad. It is the ultimate remedy (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 29).

62) Through the study of the Shulchan Aruch you will be worthy of becoming `master of the house' and ruler over all the earth. The gates of the Garden of Eden will be raised up and you will attain to the Upper Wisdom and the Lower Wisdom, which make up the delight of the Garden of Eden (286).

63) When little children first go to school and commence the study of Torah, they start with the first words of Leviticus. It is from here that they receive the holy breath of their lips which is untainted by sin with the help of the Tzaddikim of the generation (282).

64) The study of halachot, legal rulings and especially making original contributions is the `joy of the World to Come.' Giving birth is made easy and people are saved from all their troubles (Likutey Moharan II, 2).

65) One who prevents scholars from studying will be stricken with diseases of the feet (Ibid. 3).

66) When a person teaches Torah in public and his words are heard by unworthy students it can cause drought and imprisonment (60).

67) Honor of the Torah is the source of the blessing of rain (Ibid.).

68) If you want to devote yourself to Torah study unflaggingly, be careful never to speak against a single Jew. Do your best to seek out merit and worth in every Jew. A particular individual may seem to you to be wicked. But you should still make an effort to find some good points in him, and then he will no longer be wicked! When every Jew is lov ely and pleasant in your eyes you will be able to apply yourself to Torah continuously (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 91).

69) The study of the Zohar can give you enthusiasm for all your sacred studies. The very language of the Zohar is precious and can arouse you to serve God (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 108).

70) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who wrote the Zohar, invested the Aramaic language with such sanctity that even other things written in Aramaic have the power to arouse you to God (Ibid. 109).

71) The Torah possesses a unique pleasantness. The main thing is to be worthy of tasting this pleasantness and sweetness. You can attain this if you break your pride completely. Never take credit for yourself, give all the credit to God alone. Also through giving charity, especially charity for causes in the Land of Israel, you can draw from the `mentality of the Land of Israel' and thereby taste the sweet pleasantness of the wisdom of the Torah (Likutey Moharan II, 71).

72) One who is truly devoted to the Torah can learn the future from it (35).

73) When one studies the books of the true Tzaddikim he must concentrate hard in order to understand the remarkable originality of their teachings and to find their true depth and sweetness. For as soon as their words are put into the form of a book it causes a great concealment of their light. Even the highest and most remarkable Torah teachings become obscured and hidden as soon as they are put into a boo k, and the purity of their light is covered over. The book cover alone sets up a great barrier against the light. When you study from a book you must pay extra attention to discovering the greatness of the original ideas contained in it (36).

74) Those who study Torah should be sure always to produce original ideas. Torah thoughts are a great remedy for immoral fantasies. When a man has union with his wife he should meditate on the words of the Torah (Likutey Moharan II, 105, 106).

75) When you study subjects connected with tragedy, such as the laws of mourning etc. go through these sections very rapidly (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 8).

76) The power of the Torah is very great. Someone who labors in Torah continuously will have the power to bring about miracles. It is possible to achieve this even without being familiar with mystical devotions. The main thing is to study the legal codes until you know how to make legal rulings. In previous eras there were many leading sages who w ere able to bring about miracles merely by virtue of the fact that they devoted themselves to Torah study day and night (Likutey Moharan II, 41).

77) The power of the Torah is strong enough to release one from one's sins. No matter how trapped a person might be, if he simply makes it his business to set a regular time for Torah study every day without fail then he will be able to emerge from the hold of his evil past through the great strength which comes from the Holy Torah (Rabbi Nachman' s Wisdom 19).

78) Even if a person learns and later forgets, it is still very good. In the future world everyone will be reminded of everything he learned, even if he forgot it. Still, it is certainly better if one can remember all the words of the Holy Torah (Ibid. 26).

79) It is good for a person to visit all the different places in the Torah during his lifetime. He should learn all the holy books of the Torah: the Five Books of Moses themselves, the writings of the prophets and the rest of the Tanach, the Talmud and all the legal authorities, all the holy books of the Zohar, all the Midrashim, the writings of t he ARI HaKadosh and all the other holy books. Then when he reaches the World to Come he will be able to boast that he visited all parts of the Torah. Don't be put off and say it is too difficult to cover all this. You don't have to finish everything in a single day. If your soul loves the Torah and you make a regular habit of studying you will be able to finish everything we have mentioned and more and even go back over them several times. This has been proved by the many Torah scholars of past ages who were authorities on the Talmud and knew all the other holy books virtually by heart. They achieved everything through their unflagging application to study. Every person of learning can ach ieve this if he wants. But he should still take the time to pour out his prayers before God and converse with Him each day. There is time for everything for Torah, prayer and all the other devotions. The most important thing is to be sure to learn all the legal codes and finish them several times over (Ibid. 28).