אות-ג

Sometimes the fall and descent is the purpose of the ascent. For the essential fall is in order that one strengthen oneself, return, begin anew, and renew one's life and mind — this being the essential service: to live new life in His service, may He be blessed, at every moment. (ibid., Ois 22) When one strengthens oneself and breaks through the obstacles, etc., and each time ascends to the next higher level according to one's aspect — through this one also does good to one's fellow who stands at that level which one is now entering, for one's fellow thereby exits from it and ascends to a still higher level, as it is impossible for two people to stand on the same level. This is the aspect of heybin [lifting up] — when one lifts and elevates one's fellow. When a person sees that thoughts of licentiousness [hirhuray z'nus] come to his mind and he breaks his desire and turns his thought away from them — this is the essence of his teshuvah and his tikun [rectification] for the blemish of the Bris [covenant] that he previously blemished, each person according to his matter. For this is literally the aspect of the "equal measure" teshuvah [teshuvas hamishkal]. Therefore he must not fall in his resolve when he sees that evil and repugnant thoughts overpower him — for on the contrary, this specifically is his tikun and teshuvah. For specifically through the very fact that these thoughts come upon him and he prevails over them — through this specifically is the essence of his tikun and teshuvah. And through this he extracts the holy sparks [nitzotzay k'dushah] that fell through the blemish of the Bris. (ibid., Ois 27)