## Shivchei HaRan Chapter 26

###### Shivchei HaRan 26:1
[Shivchei HaRan 26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shivchei%20HaRan/r/26:1)

וְהִקְפִּיד מְאֹד עַל אֵלּוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים שֶׁסּוֹבְרִים שֶׁעִקַּר מַעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיק וְהָשָּׂגָתוֹ שֶׁזּוֹכֶה הוּא מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה לְבַד, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ נְשָׁמָה גָּבֹהַּ מְאֹד. וְאָמַר: שֶׁלֹּא כֵן הַדָּבָר! רַק הָעִקָּר תָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וִיגִיעוֹת וַעֲבוֹדוֹת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe spoke out very strongly against those who thought that a tzaddik attained such heights due to the lofty level of his soul. The Rebbe insisted that this was not true, but that it depends entirely on good deeds and effort. He was very specific when he emphasized this.


###### Shivchei HaRan 26:2
[Shivchei HaRan 26:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shivchei%20HaRan/r/26:2)

וְאָמַר בְּפֵרוּשׁ: שֶׁכָּל אָדָם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לִזְכּוֹת לְמַדְרֵגָה הַגָּבֹהַּ בְּיוֹתֵר. כִּי אֵין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי אֶלָּא בִּבְחִירַת הָאָדָם לְבַד, אִם יִרְצֶה לְרַחֵם עַל־עַצְמוֹ וּלְיַשֵּׁב עַצְמוֹ הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב מַה שֶּׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו בֶּאֱמֶת וְכוּ' "וְהַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה".

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
He said, “Every man can attain the highest level. It depends on nothing except your own free choice. You must truly care about yourself and carefully decide what is truly good for you. For, "Everything depends on one's deeds" (*Avot* 3:15).