In this section, Rebbe Nachman reveals to us that there really is no choice but to live with emunah. Attaching ourselves to emunah is an absolute necessity. It is the basis of our existence and the foundation of being a Jew in this world.
In Parshas Nitzavim (Devarim 30:15-19), Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Jews, “Today, I have placed before you life and goodness, and death and evil. . . and you should choose life!” In other words, we certainly have freedom of choice at all times. Nonetheless, Moshe Rabbeinu put the Jews in front of the good portion that they would receive through following the Torah and told them, “Choose this one!” (See Rashi on this verse)
Similarly, Rebbe Nachman shows that life in This World and the Next World is completely dependent on living with emunah. Without emunah, we won’t be successful at anything. In a material sense, we could have all kinds of plans for how to make money, become famous or powerful, and create the ideal lifestyle, but without emunah, it will never work out. The nature of our existence is that things don’t go according to the way we want. There are always unforeseen setbacks and difficult circumstances that stop us in our tracks. And even if we manage to overcome all of these things and achieve our goals, it is very likely that we will be even more miserable afterwards when we see that, despite our apparent “success,” there are still so many disturbances and problems that disrupt our lives.
So too, regarding our spiritual avodah, there is no way for us to be happy and successful without emunah. Perhaps there are times when we have a clear mind and we’re able to learn and understand the Torah, but when we leave kollel or yeshivah and some small thing goes wrong, we lose our connection to the light of the Torah and we suffer. And of course, there are times when we can’t focus on our studies and we feel entirely far away from Hashem.
Some people try to make order in their lives by following the advice and direction of certain methods of psychology and the like. Other people try to fix their lives with medications and other treatments. Some people think that they can comfort themselves through the enjoyment of addiction or another bottle. When things go well for them, they laugh and think that they have the whole world in their hands. But sooner or later (and usually sooner rather than later) that “bottle” also finishes and they see that they have absolutely nothing. At the end of the day, none of these things can truly comfort the suffering that a human being goes through in this world – depression, anxiety, confusion, pain, financial problems, family issues, and the list continues.
Therefore, we must know that emunah is the only real way to live a happy and fulfilled life. It is absolutely essential for us to work on living with emunah. We must believe that Hashem is compassionate and gracious, and we can rely on Him. Everything is in His hands, and He wants to help us. As Rebbe Nachman says, “And the suffering is really for the good and it is an atonement, and ultimately, Hashem will do good for him in This World and in the Next World.” In other words, through emunah, everything will work out for us – both in the material aspects of life (This World), and in our spiritual avodah (the Next World).
Emunah is the path for us to come closer to Hashem. It gives us real comfort that can carry us through even the most difficult times. No matter what happens, we can always turn to Hashem and find relief and encouragement.
