תַּעֲנִית

Every person must subdue the material, and this is done through fasting. For through fasting, one weakens the four elements, from which all desires come, and the body and the material, which is the aspect of folly and darkness, the aspect of an animal, the aspect of death, are subdued and nullified. And the intellect and form, which is the aspect of the soul, the aspect of a human, the aspect of wisdom, light, and life, are strengthened and elevated. And forgetfulness is nullified, and one merits remembrance. And he nullifies judgment and darkness and draws kindness into the world. And the main rectification of fasting is through charity; it also subdues external wisdoms in favor of the wisdoms of the Torah, and one also merits livelihood (77).

For every trouble that should not come, they decree a fast. For fasting is the aspect of illumination and uplifting of the face, which is the aspect of sweetening and nullifying judgments, through which all troubles are nullified. One is also saved from poverty, disgrace, and shame, and merits wealth; he also merits that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs wonders through him (47).

The tzaddik—his eating is of precious value, for he satiates his holy soul, and therefore it is forbidden for him to fast. But one who needs to fast certainly must fast, and it is a mitzvah (50). Through fasting, one subdues anger, and this is the main virtue of fasting.

Therefore, on the day of the fast, the adversary provokes a person more and brings him anger to ruin the fast, G-d forbid. Therefore, one needs extra vigilance to guard himself greatly from the fire of anger on the day of the fast, for the main purpose of fasting is to subdue anger (57). Through fasting, he rectifies his face and restores to himself his wisdom, which is the image of G-d that shines in his face, and then everyone fears him, and his enemies fall before him.

But to increase peace, one must also increase in charity (ibid.). HAND, he rectifies speech, and then he can speak before G-d, blessed be He, and pray with intention. And through the rectification of speech, one brings those who are far closer to G-d, blessed be He, and through this, he perfects faith and merits complete faith.

And through this, he merits to refine the foods, and then through his eating, a unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, face to face, is achieved (62). Fasting nullifies disputes, both material and spiritual disputes, that is, when one is unable to pray or do what is necessary in the service of G-d, which is also included in disputes. And fasting is beneficial for this, to subdue the heart to attach the will to the Holy One, blessed be He, and to make peace (179).

Fasting revives the dead, that is, it revives the days that passed in darkness and have no vitality. For one who damages a day by not performing mitzvot and good deeds, all the more so if, G-d forbid, he does evil on it, G-d forbid, then that day has no vitality, and he kills that day [see inside]. And fasting revives those dead days. And it all depends on the fast; the more one fasts, the more he revives the dead days that passed in darkness (ibid.).

Through fasting, one merits joy, and according to the days of fasting, so too does he merit joy (ibid.). The reason one fasts for a bad dream is to draw joy through the fast, as mentioned above, that this is the main rectification of the dream. Therefore, for one who does not wish to fast for the dream, the benevolent ones say to him, “Go, eat your bread with joy.” For the main rectification is through joy (Part II, 5, 10).

15. Each person must speak with his fellow in the fear of Heaven, and through this, direct light and returning light are created. And even if his fellow does not accept from him, nevertheless, it is of great benefit to himself, for the one who speaks to awaken his fellow’s heart can himself be further awakened through speaking to his fellow. For if he had spoken these words to himself, it could be that he would not have been awakened by them at all, but through speaking them to his fellow, through this, he himself is awakened by them, even though his fellow was not awakened (184).

On the day of the fast, it is good to recite the sections of the sacrifices from the Book of Leviticus, as they are already arranged in the Ma’amadot (ibid.).

16. One must judge every person favorably, and even one who appears to be completely wicked, G-d forbid, one must search and find in him some small amount of good in which he is not wicked. And through finding in him some small amount of good and judging him favorably, through this, he truly elevates him to the side of merit and can bring him to repentance through this (282). יז. הָרַחֲמָנוּת הַגָּדוֹל מִכָּל מִינֵי רַחֲמָנוּת הוּא כְּשֶׁאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל נוֹפֵל בַּעֲווֹנוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי זֶהוּ הַמַּשְׂאוֹי כָּבֵד יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַיִּסּוּרִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאִישׁ יִשְׂרְאֵלִי לִשָּׂא עָלָיו כְּלָל הַמַּשָּׂא הַכָּבֵד הַזֶּה שֶׁל עֲווֹנוֹת רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. כִּי לְפִי גֹּדֶל קְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשָׁרְשָׁם מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁהֵם נִלְקָחִים, הֵם רְחוֹקִים לְגַמְרֵי מֵעָווֹן וְאֵין עָווֹן שַׁיָּךְ לָהֶם כְּלָל לְפִי גֹּדֶל דַּקּוּתָם וְרוּחָנִיּוּתָם עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ רַחֲמָנוּת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵהַמַּשֶּׂאוֹי הַכָּבֵד שֶׁל עֲווֹנוֹת. עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְדַבֵּר עִם חֲבֵרוֹ בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְרַחֵם עָלָיו לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מֵהָעֲווֹנוֹת, כִּי כָּל אָדָם יָכוֹל לְקַיֵּם זֹאת אֲפִלּוּ אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט. כִּי כְּשֶׁאֶחָד מְדַבֵּר עִם חֲבֵרוֹ בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וּמֵאִיר בּוֹ דַּעְתּוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה דִּבּוּר שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר עַל לִבּוֹ, לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ מֵעֲווֹנוֹתָיו, אֲזַי חֲבֵרוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב אֶצְלוֹ תַּלְמִיד. וְכֵן לְהֵפֶךְ, כְּשֶׁחֲבֵרוֹ מֵאִיר בּוֹ אֲזַי נֶחֱשָׁב הוּא תַּלְמִיד לְגַבֵּי חֲבֵרוֹ. וַאֲזַי כְּשֶׁמַּגִּיעַ זְמַנּוֹ לְהִסְתַּלֵּק מִן הָעוֹלָם, אֲזַי יִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּזֶה הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁהֵאִיר בַּחֲבֵרוֹ וְיִהְיֶה נֶחֱשָׁב כְּאִלּוּ הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ מַמָּשׁ קַיָּם בָּעוֹלָם. וְזֶה עִקַּר שְׁלֵמוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה אַחַר הִסְתַּלְּקוּתָהּ, כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁאָר אַחֲרֶיהָ בֵּן וְתַלְמִיד, שֶׁהֵאִיר בָּהֶם דַּעְתּוֹ דִּקְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁקִּבֵּל מֵרַבּוֹ וְכָל אָדָם מְחֻיָּב לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל בָּזֶה וְזֶהוּ נִקְרָא עוֹסֵק בְּיִשּׁוּבוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כִּי זֶה עִקַּר יִשּׁוּב הָעוֹלָם, כְּשֶׁהָעוֹלָם מְיֻשָּׁב מִבְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי דֵּעָה, שֶׁיּוֹדְעִין מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ וְעוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ. כִּי זוּלַת זֶה אֵינוֹ בִּכְלַל אָדָם כְּלָל, רַק הוּא חַיָּה בִּדְמוּת אָדָם עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לֵידַע וּלְהוֹדִיעַ וּלְהִוָּדַע וּלְדַבֵּר עִם חֲבֵרוֹ מִזֶּה תָּמִיד בְּכָל יוֹם, כִּי יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שַׁלִּיט בָּאָרֶץ, וְשֶׁאֵין שׁוּם תַּכְלִית בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, כִּי אִם לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי אֵין נִשְׁאָר מֵהָאָדָם כְּלוּם אַחַר הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ, כִּי אִם זֶה הַדַּעַת שֶׁהֵאִיר בַּחֲבֵרָיו וְתַלְמִידָיו וְכַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל (ח"ב ז, ג ד)