טִלְטוּל וּנְסִיעוֹת לַדְּרָכִים

Sometimes when a decree has been issued against a person, Heaven forbid — even though he himself does not see it, his mazal [soul-root / heavenly guardian] sees it; and because of this he wishes to conceal himself. And from this comes what sometimes causes a person to travel to some distant place — this is in order to conceal himself. And even though he himself does not know of this, the soul [nefesh] knows of it — and therefore the desire to travel comes to him. [Translator's note: the source uses the Aramaic phrase אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ לָא חָזֵי מַזָּלֵהּ חָזֵי — "even though he himself does not see, his mazal sees" — a direct citation from Talmud Bavli, Megillah 3a.] And then one must take very great care not to become publicly known [she'lo yisparsom].

When a person sees a journey before him, he should not stubbornly insist on preventing it and staying specifically at home — for sometimes it is compelled upon him from Heaven to be specifically in that place in order to rectify there what he specifically needs to rectify there. And perhaps he would have been compelled to descend [laireid] there in iron chains for this purpose [Translator's note: the source uses the specific word yeridah — descent — which in Kabbalistic language carries full spiritual weight: a soul may be sent down into a lowly or degraded situation in order to raise up the fallen sparks there that only it can reach. The iron chains image suggests that had the person not gone willingly, he might have been compelled through suffering. The voluntary journey spares him that.] — and therefore it is a kindness before him that a journey to that place happened to come his way. For even a completely simple Jew from Israel rectifies also in every place he is in, through some holy matters he performs there — as long as he is careful at least to be guarded from transgression, Heaven forbid. [Translator's note: No source citation appears in this edition for this teaching.]