You Have Such a Heart

translated by Ephraim Portnoy
 
 
Question:
When I read and hear stories about Tzaddikim and how their hearts were aflame with desire to serve Hashem, I wonder if I can have even a touch of these types of feelings.
 
Answer:
Reb Noson was once talking about the Avraham Avinu and how his heart was full of a burning desire to serve Hashem. He was the first person that merited serving his Creator day and night with great self-sacrifice, spreading the knowledge of Hashem throughout the world.
 
As Reb Noson was speaking, one of the listeners sighed painfully and said, “How does someone acquire such a heart?”
 
Reb Noson reprimanded him on the spot, “You also have such a heart- you just don’t inspire it yourself!”
 
Another time, as he was discussing a certain topic he based an idea on Yitzchak Avinu. Someone asked him, how can we compare ourselves to Yitzchak Avinu? Reb Noson answered him, “What do you think, Yitzchak Avinu didn’t have a Yetzer Hara? If that were so, how did he merit becoming Yitzchak?”
 
We must be very clear with ourselves that every person certainly has a heart, a potential for lofty feelings. We shouldn’t think that the Tzaddikim were born with a flaming heart. They also went through many trials and tests. Everything that they merited to is because they connected themselves to their innermost feelings and motivated themselves.
 
Avraham Avinu was the first person to go against the stream with such burning love for Hashem. He would search and search, how can I give Hashem more pleasure in this world, how can I bring another person to recognize Him. For this reason he merited that Hashem chose him and his descendants.
 
Avraham ingrained into all of his offspring, that the innermost point of their souls will be full of love for Hashem, and that they will always be ready to sacrifice themselves in His name.
 
The reason why we are not aware of this feeling is because there are also other desires in our hearts which conceal our good, true desires which we have deep in the innermost point of our hearts. Reb Noson therefore scolded that student. You think that you don’t have feelings and that you don’t really want Hashem, but it’s not true.
 

You have a heart – but you aren’t inspiring it yourself. Meaning, you don’t have to ‘generate’ feelings of desire and longing, you just have to ‘awaken’ the positive feelings which you already have inside of you.
 

 
Question:
If so, what can I do to awaken my heart?
 
Answer:
We will mention several practical ideas, culled from the ways of Avraham Avinu, which we can use to motivate our feelings.
 
A) As we explained before, people are very confused. On one hand, deep inside his heart he wants Hashem. But practically speaking, his heart is covered with nonsense. A person is not clear with himself what he really wants.
 
Therefore, it’s advisable to put effort into taking time every day to sit in a tranquil, quiet place, and to speak to Hashem openly about his true desires, hidden deep inside.
 
For someone who is not used to this, this sounds delusional, unrealistic. But it’s really very simple. It’s like by the prayer of Shema Koleinu, where anybody can add his own personal prayer and ask Hashem for whatever he wants. But in this case, it’s with an additional measure of composure, to sit quietly, to listen to the inner wishes which we almost never get to hear throughout the day because of all the confusion and lack of desire, and to express them verbally.
 
Say to Hashem, “Father, I really want You!” Then go into more detail, what you actually want.
 
Such an exercise helps develop emotions and feelings, and brings out its potential. It sharpens the desire and longing which we already have deep in our hearts which have been covered up and befuddled. The more you will verbally express your desires and wishes, the more your feelings will become stronger and you will start becoming a more emotional person.
 
In addition to what prayer accomplishes in Heaven, the actual articulation of one’s innermost feelings, talking about them to Hashem, brings clarity in avodat Hashem.  A person can become an entirely new individual.
 
It would be superfluous to point out that you shouldn’t wait until you will find a quiet place exactly as you would have wanted it to be. At any possible time, whenever you learn about a new idea in avodas Hashem and you are inspired to any desire in avodat Hashem, tell Hashem about it.
 
B] Avraham Avinu, with all of his burning passion, chose a wonderful way how to bring people close to Hashem. He gave them to eat, and when they wanted to thank him, he let them know that everything really comes from Hashem, and told them to thank and praise Him, the One who sustains all, that everything was created with His word.
 
We learn a wonderful idea from this. When we want to “convert” ourselves, to arouse feelings for Hashem, we should put our energy into our brachot (blessings). We should think about the simple meaning of the words, and about who created the food. [Unrelated to the topic of the material desire for food, one should be careful not to swallow the brachot by saying them quickly, and thereby stealing the food from Hashem.]
 
This is an especially awesome piece of advice, which can always be helpful, even when you don’t feel any desire for avodat Hashem. Simply try hard to make brachot with concentration, and answer Amen to other people’s brachot . This awakens feelings of love for Hashem.
 
C) Another way to awaken feelings is through glorifying and praising Hashem, and singing to Him. This is especially on Shabbat, which is a time when the inner feelings are more revealed. It gives us the strength to continue with these feelings throughout the week and through all types of occurrences which usually cause us to lose them.
 
These ideas are based on Likutei Moharan I, Torah 31
 
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Courtesy of the “Gates of Emunah Publication”