אות-ו

The Torah and mitzvos are very broad — without end or limit, as it is written: "I have seen an end to every purpose; Your commandment is exceedingly broad" [Psalms 119:96]. And it is impossible to grasp them fully. And through this comes the essential strengthening and fortification — through knowing that one does not know at all. For the essential strengthening comes through believing in the holy knowledge that illuminates us from the true Tzadik, that "the whole earth is full of His glory", etc. But the moment difficulties arise — even when he is troubled about himself, that even so he is still so blemished and so material and so distant from the holiness of the Torah — at that moment he must immediately flee from all these difficulties. For if he wants to answer the difficulties, he will enter into even deeper difficulties and falls. Therefore he must be silent in his thoughts and fulfil "the fence of wisdom is silence" — only to strengthen himself with all his might to snatch some good points as much as he can: Torah and mitzvos and particularly prayer and supplication and conversation before his Maker, and not to look at anything that passes over him. For one must be a great akshan [stubborn one] in the service of Hashem. For in truth one does not know at all — only to fulfil as our Rebbe, of blessed memory, commanded us: never to despair of oneself in any way, for there is no despair in the world at all. Rather, to yearn and long and await at all times the salvation of Hashem — for His greatness, may He be blessed, is without limit. (ibid., Ois 60) Also in the matter of drawing close to Hashem there is a great evil inclination — namely, sometimes excessive fervor beyond measure comes from the evil inclination, and this is the aspect of: "lest they break through to Hashem" [Exodus 19:24]. And one must pray for mercy to be saved from this as well. (ibid.)