"One year, most of Adar went by and it didn't rain. They sent for Choni the Circle Maker. He prayed and the rains didn't come. He drew a circle, stood in it and said: 'Master of The World! Your children have turned to me; I swear in Your great name that I won't move from here until You have pity on Your children.' The rains came down." (Talmud, Taanit 23a)
Link:
Choni the Circle-Maker
Adar 20 is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Rabbi Yoel Sirkes (1560?-1640), Rabbi of Krakow and author of the Bayit Chadash ("Bach") commentary on the great Halachic work, the Arba'ah Turim.
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
To live a G‑dly life, to keep all the mitzvahs with awe, with love, and with joy—this is not something distant from you. It is who you truly are.
Because within you is a soul, a G‑d point, a divine living being that cannot allow itself to be torn away from G‑d, that only desires to be always at one with Him.
For this thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it. (Deut. 30:14)
The Alter Rebbe taught:
Here’s what you must do:
Fix a time each day to study the words of inner Torah and ponder who G‑d is, who you really are, and what the relationship is between your soul and Him.
And then call out to Him in prayer that He will open your heart.
Then, at those moments when you are tugged away from your true desires, you will only need to remind yourself, “No, this is not me. The real me doesn’t want to be separated from my G‑d even for a moment. Why should I be a fool and listen to a voice that is not me?”
The struggle—the struggle is precious. It is not up to you to win the struggle. Cherish the struggle.
But to be who you truly are in the things you do, the words you speak, and the thoughts you choose to dwell upon—this is very close to your heart.
It is who you truly are.