תּוֹרָה פ - ה' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן

Torah 768

The primary peace is to join two opposites. Therefore — do not let your thoughts alarm you if you see a person who is the complete opposite of your view — and it appears to you that it is impossible in any way to maintain peace with him. And likewise when you see two people who are two complete opposites — do not say that it is impossible to make peace between them. On the contrary — this is the primary completeness of peace: to strive for peace between two opposites — as Hashem Yisborach makes peace in His heights between fire and water — which are two opposites.

To merit to peace — is through self-sacrifice for the sanctification of the Name [m'siras nefesh al kiddush Hashem] (see the main text). And through this one merits to speak holy words of Torah and prayer — that is, to bring all one's brain and wisdom and da'as within the words — and to bind one's thought well to the words — until one hears and understands well what one is saying. Which is the primary sanctity of speech. And Hashem Yisborach has great delight from such speech. And all this one merits through the peace that one merits through self-sacrifice for the sanctification of the Name.

Even the least of Israel — even the sinners of Israel — when they wish to force them to violate their religion — G-d forbid — they give over their souls for the sanctification of the Name. As we have already seen several times. Therefore a person must remind himself of this each day — that he is willing to give over his soul for the sanctification of the Name. For this is the primary holiness of a Jewish person. And through this he will merit to peace as above.

And this is a good counsel for praying with devotion. For when a person sees that it is difficult for him to direct his mind in prayer — because of the multitude of confusing and distracting thoughts — then he should remind himself that certainly he is willing to die for the sanctification of the Name. For even the sinners of Israel give over their souls for the sanctification of the Name as above. And through self-sacrifice for the sanctification of the Name — one merits to bind the thought to the words of prayer — and to pray with devotion as above. Also — even without this — the primary completeness of prayer is to pray with self-sacrifice of one's soul.