ADAPTED FROM HIS AUDIO SHIUR ON SICHOS HARAN 2

Is it even possible to serve HaShem?

In Parshas Eikev, Moshe Rabbeinu reminds us that our entire relationship with HaShem rests on one foundation — “And now, Yisrael, what does HaShem your God ask of you, but to fear Him, to walk in His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him…” (Devarim 10:12). Rebbe Nachman asks: How can any person serve HaShem knowing that HaShem is so great, and so far above our conception? How do you serve HaShem, Who seems so distant and so far? We can understand serving, lehavdil, a human king. As exalted as a human king is, he is one of us—he is closer to us. But how do you serve One who is far above all the heavens and all creation? What type of service could we give to HaShem? If this is the case, how can we fulfill any mitzvah properly? Rebbe Nachman shares some very simple advice. As much as HaShem is so far above the conception of any single human being, all we have to do is say as follows: “HaShem, You have asked us this day to get up and go to shul, to daven. We do this without completely understanding how we are actually serving You. But we do this by transferring the entire responsibility to You. HaShem, we believe firmly and faithfully that You are the Creator, and that You have commanded us this mitzvah. We hereby give You the responsibility of seeing to it that the mitzvah we perform is done properly. We have complete confidence and faith that You are the only one that can perfect our mitzvah. We are right to say to You, HaShem, ‘You gave us the mitzvah, now take it back. You do it’” [i.e., help us perform the mitzvah correctly].

Rebbe Nachman said it is excellent for a person to cast himself upon HaShem. “HaShem, I believe in You implicitly. Take me, watch over me, care for me. Not just with putting on tefillin, not just with davening. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t know if I’ll make any sales in my business today. I don’t know if I’ll earn enough to bring home enough money for my household. It’s a big problem, but I will not worry about it. Why? Because the Torah says, ‘Hashleikh al HaShem yehavkha veHu yekhalkelekha’ (Tehillim 55:23), cast your burden onto HaShem and He will provide for you. HaShem, I have problems, I have bills to pay today, I have creditors, I have other things coming up, but You know what? Today I give all this to You, HaShem, and I will cease worrying about it.”

How can I stop worrying?

How can I stop worrying that I’ll have people coming and demanding money? Simply because my faith in HaShem is so solid and pure. I know that HaShem is very wealthy. How wealthy? Wealthy enough: In addition to all the rest of the needs in the world, HaShem has enough to provide for me as well. I have confidence in HaShem, Who provides for me. I have a right to have this confidence because this is serving HaShem. To have bitachon is the true service of HaShem. Trusting in HaShem is a mitzvah. I have bitachon in HaShem. A person must perform HaShem’s mitzvos and leave the worries and the problems to HaShem.

If you think that this is a wrong move, Rebbe Nachman says it’s much worse if you don’t do this. Look at the gray hairs and the ulcers of the person who does not do this. What do you lose if you give your worries over to HaShem? If throughout the day you don’t bother worrying but rather have confidence in HaShem, in most cases you’ll find that the day comes out fine. Most people go through the day fully alive and have what to eat. There is a difference, though. One person comes out with all the worries on his mind and all these worries were for nothing. It turned out that enough was earned that day and his problems were solved to a sufficient degree. The second person said to HaShem, “Here are my worries, here are all my concerns and cares. I give them to You to take care of for me, and I am free—free to serve You with a clear mind.” This person has gained a worry-free day, a carefree day, and at the same time his entire day was spent with true, pure service of HaShem.

The Berditchever

The Berditchever (Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev) once said on Yom Kippur, “HaShem, this is Yom Kippur, the day of judgment. All businesses are closed, especially the stock market where they trade stocks. However, HaShem, You can do anything; You can even trade stocks today. We need to make a deal with You, HaShem, because You have something that we need, and we have something that You need, which You want us to get rid of. Let’s make a trade. We have whole warehouses full of sins, all kinds of sins, every type. You have a treasure: You are full of forgiveness. You give us Your treasure, we’ll give You ours, and we are even. You take away our sins and give us Your forgiveness. This is our deal with You.” Anybody with sincerity can do this, when he follows the words of the tzaddik emes with faith.

Rebbe Nachman says it is tov me’od, very good, to do this. Do it with bitachon, do it with simchah, and HaShem will erase all of a person’s problems both physically and spiritually.