1. At any time when one
is free from learning Torah. Especially when he
has nothing to do and he is sitting alone in his
room. Or he is lying on his bed, and he is not able
to sleep. He should have in mind the mitzvah of
'And I shall be made holy among the children of
Israel.' [This is the mitzvah of Kiddush HaShem:
to sanctify HaShem's holy name, even if it means
giving up one's life.] He should feel in his soul,
and imagine in his thoughts as if a great fire was
burning before him reaching until heaven. Because
of his desire to sanctify HaShem's name, he breaks
his natural inclinations [for life] and throws himself
into the fire to sanctify HaShem's name. And from
this good thought, HaShem will consider it as if
he had physically done the act. This way he is not
lying or sitting doing nothing. He is fulfilling
a positive mitzvah of the Torah.
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2. In
the first verse of the Shema*, and the first blessing
of the Shemonah Esra* he should have in mind as
above [in paragraph 1.] He should also have in mind
that should all the nations of the world afflict
him with horrible afflictions. If they should rip
the skin from his body in order to make him deny
His oneness (G-d forbid.) He would be willing to
bear all the suffering and not agree to them (G-d
forbid.) He should imagine with his understanding
and thoughts that they are doing this to him (as
above.) With this he will have fulfilled the requirements
of the Shema and prayer according to the law.
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3. Also
when you are eating and when having marital relations
you should have in mind as I wrote above. [Paragraph
1 and 2.] When you begin to feel the physical pleasure
you should picture in your mind as above. Immediately
you should say with your mouth and your heart: 'I
would rather have the joy and happiness that comes
from doing the mitzvah of sanctifying the name of
HaShem in the above method, then to feel physical
pleasure.' And he should say that a proof to this,
that he would rather have the joy and happiness
that comes from doing the mitzvah of sanctifying
the name of HaShem in the above method, is that
even were murderers to take me while I was in the
middle of eating or marital relations. To do to
me all those tortures. I would be happy within myself
that I was sanctifying the name of HaShem. More
then with those physical pleasures. He should also
be careful that he is saying this truthfully in
his heart. And it should be done in the middle of
his actions. And it should be engraved on his heart,
in the depths of his heart with a complete truth.
He should not fool himself and be one who tries
to fool HaShem.
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4. In
everything that he does in this world. Whether Torah
or prayer or doing mitzvos he should make himself
accustomed to saying, 'Behold I do this act in order
to unify the name of HaShem and to give enjoyment
to the Creator, Blessed is He.' He should accustom
himself to do this for a while, from the depths
of his heart. And with time he will feel a great
light when he says this.
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5. When
a person begins to see that a bad midah* is arising
in him, from one of the bad midos that he is has.
Like stubbornness, or shame that comes from haughtiness.
Laziness, or idleness that brings a person to dullness
of thought. Or any others like this. He should immediately
say with all of his strength, 'HaKanani, HaChiti,
HuEmori, HaParizi, HaChivi, HaYavusi, v'HaGirgushi.'
Then he will be rescued [from this bad midah.] He
should accustom himself to minimize his range of
vision so that he will not look outside of his own
4 amos* (8 feet.) [This is true] even in his own
house and more so in Shul* and in the room where
he learns. When he goes outside, and when a women
appears before him, even his own wife and young
children etc. He should [at this time] imagine before
his eyes the name of G-d, 'aleph dalit*.'
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6. If he will have some bad thoughts that he is forbidden
to have he should say many times [the verse] 'You
should watch yourself from all evil.' And he should
have in mind the teaching of Chazal who teach that
a man should not have thoughts by day that will
bring him to have an emission at night. He should
not allow these thoughts to remain with him, so
that they will make the mind that HaShem has given
to him impure.
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7. When he should come upon something that is a sin
for him to see like animals or birds having relations.
Or a women who is uncovered where it is forbidden
for her to be uncovered. Or he should see his wife
who is unclean at that time. He should say immediately,
'You should not go after your heart.' He should
be careful not to make his thoughts impure.
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8. You should accustom yourself not to speak to any
person unless you have a great need for it. And
even if there is a need for it, you should be careful
in your words. You should weigh them in a scale
to insure that there is no falsehood in them. Nor
should there be any flattery, Loshon HaRah*, tale
bearing or any words that embarrass the other person.
One should not reveal his [good] deeds to others.
He should make himself accustomed to what Chazal
teach: 'One should teach himself to say "I
do not know."' If he should be in a conversation
with those who are not careful to refrain from speaking
frivolous matters. He should remove himself from
the conversation, in any way possible. And if he
cannot, he should make the shortest answers possible
to them when he has to answer them.
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9. He should accustom himself that immediately when
he stirs from his sleep he should say, [Modeh Ani...]
'I am thankful before you, Living and Eternal King.
Who has returned to me my soul with compassion,
great is your faithfulness.' He should [then] say
with a joyful heart, even in Yiddish [i.e. the language
he usually speaks] 'Blessed is the Exalted G-d who
has given to me this mitzvah of tzitzis* that I
am surrounded with. And the Mitzvah of washing ones
hands in the morning to remove the impurity from
my two hands.' He should see to it that he is filled
with joy when he says this. He should then accept
upon himself to minimize his speech as I mentioned
in paragraph.
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10. He should be careful to learn with diligence his
set regiment of studies immediately when he rises
in the morning from his sleep and after saying Tikkun
Chatzos*. This Tzetel Katon should not be removed
[from his thought] when learning from a sefer, even
for a short time. Every time he sits to learn, he
should say the Tephilos Hashiv*, that starts 'Please
HaShem...' and the prayer regarding learning Torah
that is in Shaarei Tzion* which starts: 'I desire
to learn.' He should see to it, with all of his
strength, that he should not interrupt himself even
with thoughts of things other then what he is learning,
or with the thoughts of this tzetel katon, which
should be before him at all times. The holy light
that is in it will return him to the good [way if
he should stray.]
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11. He should accustom himself to pray with all of his
strength with a loud voice, which will aid him in
having Kavanah*. He should unite his thoughts to
the words [and should not think of things other
then what he is praying.] He should face the wall
and look into his siddur* during the morning and
evening prayer. He should not look to the side from
the time when he starts his prayers until the end.
When the Baal Tephilah* is repeating out loud the
Shemonah Esra* he should look into his siddur, so
that he could answer Amen with all of his strength
for each and every Bracha. When they are reading
the Torah he should pay careful attention to hear
each and every word that the reader says just as
if he were reading from the Megillah*. He should
make himself to be dumb [unable to speak] the whole
time he is in the Beis HaKnesses. [This is the case]
even before the prayers and after them until he
leaves.
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12. He should always imagine in his mind, and especially
when he is reading this Tzetel Katon, that a person
is standing before him. He is near him shouting
at him to follow all of the words that are written
in it. He should not ignore a single word. Even
of the smallest of things. If he accustoms himself
to this for a long time it will cause him to have
a great inspiration, from his nashama. [He will
feel] sparks of fire and a holy G-dly flame.
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13. One
should relate before ones teacher, who instructs
him in the way of HaShem, or even before a good
friend, all of one's thoughts that are contrary
to the Holy Torah that the Yetzer HaRah causes to
arise in his mind or heart. [This is the case whether
they occur] when he is learning Torah, or praying.
Sitting in his bed or during the day. And he should
not withhold anything because of shame. He will
find that by relating these things he will gain
the power to break the strength of the Yetzer HaRah
so that it will no longer be able to overcome him
another time. This excludes the good advice you
will receive from your friend, which is the way
of HaShem. This is a wonderful remedy.
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14. You should be very careful to review twice a day
this Tzetel Katon. And you should explain each and
every word in the Yiddish language. [i.e. the language
you commonly speak] It should be for you a decree
that you will never violate to learn before marital
relations the 16th chapter of the sefer Reishis
Chochmah, and the customs of the Arizal*. If you
have more time you should also learn the 17th chapter
of Reishis Chochmah. This should be a decree that
you should not violate.
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15. Before you wash your hands to eat, you should say
the Tephilos HaShuv of Rabbeinu Yonah Z'L*. After
you have eaten a little of the bread you should
say, 'I am eating in order to unify the Holy One
Blessed is He and his Shechina. I am not eating
in order to bring enjoyment to my body (G-d forbid.)
It is only that my body should be healthy and strong
for the service of HaShem. Neither sin, transgression,
evil thoughts or desires for things of this physical
world should hold back the unification that comes
about from the sparks of holiness from this food
and drink.'He should have in mind when he is eating
or drinking that the taste that he has in his mouth
when chewing, or swallowing is really from the inner
holiness, and the holy sparks that are in that food
and drink. Through his eating, and chewing with
his teeth, and his stomach he separates the holiness
from the food, so that it should not go to the 'Outside.'
Then his soul will have nourishment from the inner
holiness [of the food] and the leftover waste will
be expelled from him. For this reason as soon as
he feels the need to relieve himself, he should
not allow this waste to remain with him to cause
his thoughts to become impure, and his soul to become
disgusting. He should not allow this to remain in
him for even the smallest amount of time.He should
also when eating have before him the letters 'mem'
'aleph' 'chof' 'lamid' [The word machal - food],
which is the gematria of 91. The same as the two
names 'HaShem' and 'Adnus.'
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16. A person was only created in order to break his
nature. Therefore he should spur himself to correct
his midos*. Specifically when he is 18.As I have
explained, one who is born with the nature to be
stubborn, should break this nature for 40 days one
after another. He should specifically do the opposite
from what he had in mind to do.The same is if one
is lazy. He should train himself for 40 days to
do everything swiftly. Whether he is going to sleep,
or rising in the morning from his bed. He should
quickly dress himself, wash his hands, purify his
body and speedily go to the Beis HaKnesses after
he has finished learning in a sefer.
Similarly someone who is shy, from a shyness that
is bad. He should train himself 40 days to pray
with a loud voice, with all his strength, and with
all his limbs in order to fulfil the verse, 'All
my bones say...' And he should say the blessing
over the Torah with a loud voice. [All this] he
should do until from Heaven they will help him and
remove this evil shyness that is in him.The same
is with the one who does not clearly say his words.
He should train himself for 40 days to listen carefully
to the words he says. [This is the case] whether
speaking common things or words of prayer or when
he is learning Torah. The reason for this is that
one is ruled over by those things he is used to
do.The same is with the person who does not learn
diligently. He should train himself for 40 days
to learn more then he is used to learning. Every
time before he learns he should look at this Tzetel
Katon. From this time on he will be helped from
heaven and he will add to his service and break
his bad midos until he attains perfection.
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17. Whenever he has free time from learning Torah, or
prayer he should teach himself to say by heart those
things that he needs to know. For example Tikkun
Rachel and Tikkun Leah, Tephilos HaShuv, the blessing
for the new moon, Baruch Shemei, etc. [Also] he
should have in mind the positive mitzvah* to sanctify
HaShem's name as I wrote above [in paragraph 1]
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Glossary:
aleph dalit: Two letters of one of the names of
G-d, spelled Aleph Dalit Nun Yod. It is customary
not to say these names.
Arizal: Hebrew initials of the words: Adoni Rabbenu
Yitzchok Zechorono LeVaracha our master Rabbi Yitzchok.
Better known as Yitzchok Luria the great 16th century
KabbalistKavanah(Kavanos): Hebrew word for 'intention'.midah(midos):
A character trait, either good or bad. mitzvah(mitzvos):
One of the commandments of the Torah.Shaarei Tzion:
A sefer with various prayers which is popular among
Chasidim. Shema: Main Jewish prayer of the confession
of faith. Contains 3 parshas. Devorim 6.5-9; 11.13-21
and Bamidbar 15.37-41 Shemonah Esra: Lit. 18. refers
to the 18 blessings of the main prayer said three
times a day.tzitzis: Strands that hang from the
corners of a talisZ'L: Hebrew initials of the words:
Zechorono LeVaracha (His memory is a blessing.)
