Sichot HaRan Chapter 154
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר: שֶׁעִקַּר מַה שֶּׁהִגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָתוֹ, הוּא רַק עַל יְדֵי עִנְיַן 'פְּרָאסְטִיק' (פְּשִׁיטוּת), שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר הַרְבֵּה וּמֵשִׂיחַ הַרְבֵּה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, וְאָמַר תְּהִלִּים הַרְבֵּה בִּפְשִׁיטוּת. וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה דַּיְקָא הִגִּיעַ לְמַה שֶּׁהִגִּיעַ.
I heard that the Rebbe once said, “My achievements came mainly through simplicity. I spent much time simply conversing with God and reciting the Psalms.” This is how he achieved what he did (see “His Praises” #13).
וְאָמַר: אִם הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ יַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנִּי מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי עַתָּה, דְּהַיְנוּ חִדּוּשׁ כָּזֶה, הָיִיתִי עוֹשֶׂה בְּיוֹם אֶחָד מַה שֶּׁעָשִׂיתִי בַּשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ (כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה מִזְדָּרֵז כָּל כָּךְ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ עַד שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה עוֹשֶׂה וְעוֹבֵד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בַּשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה בְּיוֹם אֶחָד).
He said, “If only I would have known that God would make me the unique person I am today, I would have done in one day what took me an entire year.” [That is, the Rebbe would have been so enthusiastic, he would have done as much in a single day as he used to do in an entire year.]
וְהָיָה מִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ מְאֹד אַחַר מַעֲלַת הָעֲבוֹדָה בִּבְחִינַת 'פְּרָאסְטִיק' בֶּאֱמֶת, וְאָמַר: "אַי אַי פְּרָאסְטִיק".
The Rebbe deeply yearned to serve God with the artless simplicity of the common people. He often said, “Ay! Ay! Prustick! – Oh! Oh! Simplicity!”
גַּם אָמַר: שֶׁדִּבֵּר עִם כַּמָּה צַדִּיקִים גְּדוֹלִים וְאָמְרוּ גַּם כֵּן שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעוּ לְמַדְרֵגָתָם כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי עִנְיָן פְּרָאסְטִיק, שֶׁעָסְקוּ בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם בִּפְשִׁיטוּת גָּמוּר בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ וְכוּ'. וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה הִגִּיעוּ לְמַה שֶּׁהִגִּיעוּ – אַשְׁרֵי לָהֶם.
The Rebbe also said, “I have spoken with many great tzaddikim. They all said that they attained their high level through prustick – absolute simplicity. They would do the simplest things, secluding themselves and conversing with God. This is how they attained what they did. Fortunate are they.”