Letter 294

[This letter opens mid-sentence in the source text.]

…Who strengthens and encourages the soul of the person of Israel — and reveals all the good that is within him — from within the very depth of the darkness of the multitude of the evil that covers him. And reveals all the good that is still found within him — in the very extremity of his lowliness and his blackness — within the very depth of the darkness of the multitude of the evil that covers him. And illuminates within him the spark of G-dliness Yisburach. Until even the worst of the worst merits to find counsel and stratagem and a path and a lane and a track — to return to Hashem Yisburach.

The adversary wishes to entirely topple him in his mind. Who mentions to him — from every place — the multitude of his many and immense sins and transgressions. And how he is — and how he is — filled with blemishes and corruptions at every moment. And how he has become so distanced from Hashem Yisburach. Until it seems to him that hope is lost. And he shows him every time as though hope is lost — Heaven forbid. And therefore he prevents himself from burrowing further to return to Hashem Yisburach — Heaven forbid. And all of this is the deed of the adversary — who schemes against him — to entirely topple him — Heaven forbid. (And therefore one needs great labor, etc.) And because of the immensity of the darkness — it is very hard for him to give himself life — to find within himself the good points in him — to give himself life. And therefore one needs great and immense labor — to clarify the good. Namely to remind himself of every single good point that he finds within himself from the holiness of Israel — and to gladden himself. Especially through the good points that he has merited — to gladden his soul. To remind himself: even so — I am from the seed of Israel — that He has not made me a gentile, etc. And I sometimes perform some commandment. And if it is as it is — even so — at least there is within it some good point. For a single good point of a light commandment of the lightest — the entire world is not worth it!

When a person sees the immensity of his distance — that he is very, very far from Hashem Yisburach — and his deeds are very ugly — then the adversary wishes to entirely topple him, etc. as above.

…And then he merits to always be joyful — and to draw close to Hashem Yisburach.