Rebbe Nachman’s main student, Reb Noson of Breslov, writes the following: “The battle against our yetzer hara is a very long one. The main way to overcome it is by being resilient; meaning, whatever happens to a person all the days of their life, they must be strong not to give up in any way whatsoever.”
Reb Noson continues, “Dovid HaMelech said, ‘If I make my bed in the lowest level of Gehinnom, here You are.’ We see that we have the ability to call out to Hashem even from the depths of Gehinnom, as Dovid HaMelech also said, ‘From the depths of Gehinnom I cried out to You.’”
This is a main pathway of teshuvah that we work on during the Yomim Nora’im, the High Holidays. As long as a person doesn’t give up, but instead strengthens themselves to start fresh each time no matter what happens, they are called a winner of the battle.
It is impossible for a person alone to win the battle, as our Sages of blessed memory said, “If it weren’t for Hashem’s help, one would not be able to overcome the yetzer hara.”
One must strengthen oneself each time not to turn back from this battle and not give up in any way. This is alluded to in the words of the holy Zohar, “Who is the winner? The one who is holding the weapons in his hands.” For in this battle we cannot see clearly who is winning, since the battle is very long and the golus is very strong, and every person experiences what they experience.
Still, as long as a person is holding the weapon – and our main weapon is tefillah, that person is the winner. For as long as one strengthens oneself in prayer and calling out to Hashem, they are considered the winner in the battle, because this is the main success.” (Adapted from Likkutey Halachos, Hilchos Shabbos 7:54.)
