ערך זכרון ושכחה

But because "this opposite that G-d made" [Ecclesiastes 7:14] — for there is a kingdom of the sitra achra [the other side] that strengthens itself at all times to confuse a person's mind — so that he does not look and does not reflect upon all that is being done with him, which is for his eternal benefit, to merit the life of eternity through attainment of G-dliness — and he forgets, G-d forbid, the essential, and makes from the secondary the essential: as if the essential were, G-d forbid, the affairs of this world and the entanglements of livelihood, etc. — G-d protect us. Therefore one must seek very greatly the true Tzadik of very high stature — who is the fitting rebbe — who can circuit with each person according to his level in wondrous ways, until he brings within him too the attainment of G-dliness. Through a person training himself to multiply the recitation of Psalms and songs and praises to G-d — and likewise through training himself to revive himself through some melody and song for the sake of Heaven, for melody has great power to awaken the heart and to draw it after G-d — through this he merits to be saved from the forgetting of Torah, and merits to see the light of Torah in perfection, in the aspect of a life-giving remedy [sam chayyim].

The essential forgetting [shikchah] comes through the desire for licentiousness [na'of] — which is the desire for women — which is a language of forgetting [lashon shikchah], as it is written: "For G-d has made me forget [nashani], etc." [Genesis 41:51]. For the guarding of the bris is the aspect of sitra d'duchro [the male side] — the aspect of zocher [male] — the language of memory [lashon zikaron].

Through breaking one's sleep and rising at midnight [chatzos lailah] and mourning over the destruction of the Temple and engaging in Torah — through this one upholds faith [emunah] and nullifies heresies. And one merits to break the desire for money and to conduct commerce with honesty. And one merits the aspect of the building of the Temple — which is the aspect of the building of da'as. And to renew one's soul for the good, and to unify the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, and to draw down Torah. And through this one merits complete Providence [hashgochah shelaimoh] and the aspect of: "I have set G-d before me always" [Psalms 16:8].