However, when most of us see this list, we feel overwhelmed and we get depressed. We just don’t have time. We think that in order to do all of these avodos properly, we would have to have an extra two or three hours in the day. This makes us nervous. How could we possibly accomplish all of these things? Then, without a sense of calm, we can’t do anything. We feel overwhelmed, so we waste time reading a newspaper or doing other unnecessary activities. Perhaps our minds just get lost with worries. Thus, in the end, we don’t get anywhere.
Sichah 27
Even though a person should be very efficient in avodas Hashem, going quickly at all times and doing a lot of avodas Hashem, since the main thing is action – to learn very much, to do many mitzvos, to daven and pray a lot, to pour out his heart before Hashem, and so on regarding all other aspects of avodas Hashem – nonetheless, you shouldn’t get overwhelmed when you see that the sefarim hakedoshim mention [the importance] of many avodos. You shouldn’t get overwhelmed because of this and say, “When will I be able to fulfill even one of these many things, all the more so, all of them?!” since a person shouldn’t get overwhelmed by trying to grab everything at once. Instead, he should go slowly and steadily, bit by bit, and not get overwhelmed and confused because he wants to fulfill and grab everything at once, which causes him to get totally mixed up. This is similar to a fire, G-d forbid, when a person grabs things that he doesn’t need because he is overwhelmed. Rather, a person should act slowly and steadily, [doing] bit by bit.
This article is based on the Torah of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zt’’l and his primary talmid Reb Noson zt’’l, as given over by Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak, shlit’’a. For comments, questions, and donations, or to subscribe to receive future articles by email, you may contact: [email protected]. To join The Rebbe’s Pharmacy Group on WhatsApp, send a message to: +1-718-207-1468 or scan this QR Code: You may also find shiurim from the author on YouTube by searching “The Rebbe’s Pharmacy.”
