רָצוֹן

There are two tzaddikim who speak with each other — and they are separated by a distance of many hundreds of parsa'os [leagues]. And this Tzaddik poses a question in Torah, and the second Tzaddik there in his place says something that is the answer to this question. And sometimes this one asks and that one asks — and the question of one is the answer to the question of the other. And through this they speak with each other, in the dimension of "then those who feared Hashem spoke one to another — they spoke" [Malachi 3:16] — specifically nidvaru [they spoke of themselves, spontaneously] — meaning automatically. And no creature hears this — only Hashem Yisborach. And He, blessed be He, joins their words one to the other and writes them in a book of remembrance — in the dimension of "and Hashem hearkened and heard, and it was written in a book of remembrance" [Malachi 3:16]. And this book in which their words are written — it is the dimension of the supernal heart [lev ha'elyon], where their words are written in the dimension of "write them on the tablet of your heart" [Proverbs 3:3]. And one whose heart burns within him and longs to study — only that he is unable — receives a heart from this supernal heart which is the dimension of the book of remembrance; and from there his heart receives its longing. And this is the dimension of studying literally from the book. And also Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him — who was the head of all converts and had no one from whom to learn — only through his heart's great longing for the service of the Creator, he also received from this supernal heart called the book of remembrance. And then no tzaddikim yet existed in the world — and what the souls had innovated before creation was written upon the heart. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

The primary thing is the will [ratzon] and the longings [kisufim] — even though one does not fulfill one's obligation through the will alone; for everything in holiness and the service of Hashem must be brought from potential into actual specifically; and one should not cool one's mind through what our Rabbis said: "The Merciful One exempts the compelled" [Aramaic: ones Rachmana patrei] — as is explained elsewhere. But if even so he is truly compelled — then the very fact that he does not wish to be excused on account of the compulsion, but longs with a very strong will to merit to perform the service of Hashem in actual deed — this will itself is also very good.

The primary service of Israel is to raise up the Shechinah from the dust [l'akma Shechintah me'afra] — and to bring out the Shechinah, as it were, from its exile — as is known. But it is impossible to bring her out except through a person choosing for himself a specific place where he will sit each day — and at every time he has leisure he should only be yearning and seeking and hoping to bring her out. And certainly it would be very good if he were accustomed to fasting — but since fasting is a difficult matter, particularly in these generations who are weak in strength — the primary counsel is to choose a specific place where he will sit and yearn and long and pine and hope each day and at all times to bring out the Shechinah — which is the root of the holiness of the souls of Israel, from its exile. And one should minimize the lusts of eating as much as possible — particularly drinking of wine — so as not to come to sleep: for through the lust for food and drink one loses one's face [panaiv] — which is the dimension of the holy intellect and vitality — and falls into mochin d'katnus, which is the dimension of sleep.

The greatness of the level of holy will, longings, and yearnings [ratzon, kisufim, v'ga'agu'im d'kedushah] cannot be estimated — as we saw from the children who were lost in the forest on their wedding day: that on the first day they were weeping and yearning after the blind bettlir [beggar — Yiddish-Ashkenazic], and in the midst of their yearning as above — immediately and at once he answered and said "Behold I have come to you, etc." and revealed to them wonders and marvels from the very awesomeness of his lofty level and the greatness of his attainment — and that he lives a long life, etc. — and bestowed upon them too from the awesome holiness of his level that they should also live a long life like him. And all this they merited through the greatness of the yearnings with which they yearned after him as above. And likewise on the second day when they were yearning after the deaf bettlir — and in the midst of their yearning after him, behold he came and fell upon them and kissed them and bestowed upon them too from his very awesome holiness that they should also live a good life like him; and he revealed to them in this matter wonders and marvels. And likewise on the third day when they were weeping and yearning after the third bettlir who was the heavy-mouthed one — and in the midst of this, behold he came, etc. — and revealed to them wonders and marvels and bestowed upon them too from the holiness of his awesome and very lofty level. And so it was each day and each day as is explained in the inner text.

The primary vitality and sustaining of the world is only through holy yearnings and longings — as is understood in the inner text: that the heart of the world — upon which depends the primary vitality and sustaining of all the worlds together with all creatures — and the primary vitality of this heart itself is through its always standing facing the spring at the end of the world and ceaselessly longing and yearning with great yearning to come to that spring — even though it is impossible for it to go and draw close to the spring for the reason explained in the inner text. Even so, its primary vitality is only through its standing and gazing and looking and beholding the spring from a very great distance from the ends of the earth and yearning, pining, and longing with great yearning with all its soul's intensity and crying out always to come to that spring. And also that spring longs for it. And through this is the primary vitality of the heart — upon which depends the primary vitality and sustaining of the entire world, as is understood in the inner text.