Experiencing the Greatness of Hashem
Another thing we must try to understand is why did Reb Nosson – who arranged the order of Sichos HaRan – put this sichah at the beginning of the sefer? There are many sichos that give amazing, practical advice and chizuk in Torah, tefillah, and avodas Hashem, while the subject of this sichah doesn’t seem to be such an integral part of serving the Creator. Even after we know that the experience of the greatness of Hashem relates to saying Krias Shema and other mitzvos, we still need to understand why this avodah is more important and essential than all of the unbelievable revelations in this sefer.
The answer to this question is that it is only the bitul to the Oneness of Hashem that has the ability to really change us. It is only the illumination and spark of the Infinite Light that shines into our minds that can bring us to attach ourselves to Hashem with love and awe. This experience can awaken our hearts to overcome the yetzer hara and all our bad middos. It can transform our connection to the things we have to do in the material realm. It can inspire us to daven with kavanah and learn Torah purely for the sake of Heaven.
In other words, when we learn the sefarim of Musar, Chassidus, Kabbalah, and so on, it may seem like we receive incredible sparks of wisdom from their holy words. But we have one problem: afterwards, we fall into temptations, cravings, worries, confusion, etc. The reason is that, in truth, we didn’t get the spark itself from studying the sefarim. Rather, we got an “imprint” of the spark. We studied the amazing revelations of the tzaddikim, but we didn’t see the light of the tzaddik and experience it with our own eyes. Thus, from learning alone we can’t really grasp the truth in a way that will change us, and we will remain the same, despite all the wonderful knowledge that we gain from the sefarim hakedoshim.
Furthermore, if we don’t have a personal connection to the spark of Hashem itself, we can’t really understand the imprint of that spark that is discussed in the sefarim. This is a very common problem. If we haven’t tasted the revelation of awareness, then in reality, we have no idea what it means to love Hashem or be in awe of Him. Even simple things like living with fear of sin and davening with kavanah are beyond our grasp. We simply can’t comprehend what the sefarim are talking about.
In other words, there is a spark of G-dliness within every concept and avodah that is discussed in the sefarim hakedoshim that opens up that subject. This spark is the key that unlocks the incredible wisdom of the Torah. The sefarim help us remember what to do. But we must also approach avodas Hashem – in particular, Krias Shema, tefillah, and anything that relates to emunah – with the intention of receiving the illumination of the Oneness of Hashem itself. This is especially true during times of Eis Ratzon (Divine Goodwill), when Hashem’s compassion is revealed and it is possible for an abundance of light to enter our minds and hearts. This is how we can truly understand what the sefarim hakedoshim are talking about, and find the power to transform our lives in a real way.
Therefore, in essence, everything starts with this sichah. It is the foundation of Judaism. Without the precious advice of this sichah of awakening ourselves to be mevatel our being to the greatness of Hashem, the rest of this sefer – or any other sefer, for that matter – wouldn’t have a profound effect on us. This is why Reb Nosson chose this sichah to be the opening of Sichos HaRan.
