תּוֹרָה מה

Self-sacrifice [m'siras nefesh] exists for every person of Israel every day — such as giving one's money to charity. For money is the soul — for one raises one's soul to it. And one gives it for the sake of Hashem Yisborach — it is found that one gives over one's soul. And likewise in prayer — it is found in the Midrash Ha-Ne'elam [Chayay Sarah 124b] that it is the aspect of: ""for Your sake we are killed all the day"" [Psalms 44:23] etc. For one must wage great war against the thoughts and confusions and strategies to flee from them. It is found that this is self-sacrifice. All the obstacles that a person has from the service of Hashem — even though it appears to the person that one's obstacle is very great and impossible to break — in truth this is not so. For there is no person who has an obstacle that one cannot break — if one truly wishes. And Hashem Yisborach does not send upon any person obstacles except according to one's strength and ability — so that one can stand against them if one wishes to overpower them properly. And if one looks carefully — one can understand that Hashem Yisborach Himself is clothed within the very obstacle. And therefore there is truly no obstacle in the world at all. For all the obstacles are only an illusion of the eyes. The greatest obstacle of all obstacles is the obstacle of the mind — that is — when one's heart is divided. And one does not set one's mind and heart well — to understand how far the matter reaches — in holiness — what one wishes to do. For example — when one wishes to travel to the true Tzadik and has many obstacles — if one's mind and heart are strong in truth — that all one's vitality and survival after one's death depend only on this — for oneself and for one's generations — certainly no preventer will prevent one. And all the obstacles will not be considered in one's eyes as anything compared to this. Rather the primary obstacle is the obstacle of the mind — that one's mind is not strong enough to know that this alone is all one's survival for eternity. And likewise even when one merits to come to the true Tzadik — and one passes all the obstacles one had — but some difficulty troubles one regarding him — and one's heart is divided from him. This obstacle is greater than all. And likewise in prayer — when at first there are many obstacles to prayer. And afterwards when one passes them and comes to pray — when one's heart is crooked and difficulties about Hashem Yisborach fall upon one — G-d forbid — this obstacle is the greatest of all. And the rectification for this — when difficulties about Hashem Yisborach or about the true Tzadikim trouble one — is to cry out to Hashem with a strong voice from the depth of the heart. The essence is a strong and courageous heart. And then one has no obstacle — and especially physical obstacles — such as through money — or through one's wife and children and father-in-law — or one's father and mother — and all the more so from other people — when they prevent one through their words and mockery from drawing close to the truth — certainly all is null and void for one who strengthens and emboldens one's heart in Hashem Yisborach.