ערך עצה

And the essential complete partitions — which are the essential guardianship above all guardianships — are the partitions of the brain [mechitzos hamoi'ach] as above. For even when sitting in the house — one must be careful not to blemish the partitions of the brain — not to come to improper thoughts, G-d forbid. And then — when one guards the partitions of the brain as is fitting — even when necessarily compelled to go out to the marketplace — he will be guarded there too through the partitions of the brain — which are partitions erected against this desire. And therefore one who blemished in some transgression, G-d forbid — which is only through the blemish of the partitions — therefore his rafters and the stones of his house — which are the partitions — testify against him. And therefore the Torah begins with the letter bais [beraishis] — for beraishis alludes to the three colors of the eye and the pupil, as is brought elsewhere. For the essential fulfillment of the Torah is through the guarding of the eyes — through the repair of the partitions — which are the aspect of bais [house] — the aspect of bais of beraishis. The essential deficiency of livelihood comes from the deficiency of counsel [chisaron ha'etzah]. For all livelihood comes easily when one knows to give oneself counsel as to how to conduct oneself and in what to earn. As it is written: "For it is He who gives you the power to make wealth" [Deuteronomy 8:18] — and the Targum [Onkelos] renders: "For it is He who gives you counsel to acquire wealth." For certainly at every time and at every moment there is some commerce and trade through which one could certainly earn. And if a person truly knew the counsel at every time — which commerce is needed now — certainly he would have livelihood and great wealth. And this is simple and clear.

One who wishes to set his heart upon his ways — to look at his purpose and his eternal end — knows and understands that every single day one needs very many deep counsels to be saved from what one needs to be saved from, each according to his matters. Until he merits to pass the day in peace. For the yetzer hara overpowers a person every single day — and how many causes and adventures pass over a person every single day. And how many and how many deep counsels and great strategies one needs each day — that he merit to be saved from the cruel murderers and ambushers who stand over him every day: which are the yetzer hara and its forces. And one must every single day cry out abundantly from the depths — the very depths of the heart — [the heart] — in the aspect of: "From the depths I call You, G-d" [Psalms 130:1] — the aspect of: "Their heart cried out to G-d" [Lamentations 2:18]. Until one merits to draw deep counsels from the true Tzadik — which are the aspect of: "Deep waters — counsel in the heart of a man, and a man of understanding draws it up" [Proverbs 20:5]. So that he may merit to know to give himself counsel in every matter in a manner that will bring him true and eternal success. And for this King David, peace be upon him, cried out much: "How long shall I take counsel in my soul, etc.?" [Psalms 13:3]. And it is written: "With Your counsel You will guide me" [Psalms 73:24]. And it is written: "I will bless G-d who advises me, etc." [Psalms 16:7]. And for this our Sages of blessed memory ordained to pray each day: "And repair us with good counsel from before You."

The saying of our Sages of blessed memory is known: "In the path a person wishes to go — he is led along it." And from this come all the corrupted counsels — where it seems to him that they come from G-d — or that the Tzadik gave him this counsel. And in truth it all comes from himself. As it is written: "The folly of a person perverts his way, etc." [Proverbs 19:3]. For as one asks the Tzadik — so he answers. Therefore one who truly wishes to have consideration for himself must beg greatly in many supplications both G-d and the truly righteous Tzaddikim — that they place their heart fully upon what is being done with him and have compassion upon him in truth — in a manner that they give him a true counsel through which he will succeed in truth in prevailing in truth.

Sometimes a person falls into so many doubts and divided counsels — that it is impossible for him in any way to know the truth as to how to conduct himself. And everything he strives to find as a complete counsel — his counsel is confused every single time. For now he has concluded in his mind with clear proofs that he must conduct himself in such and such a manner. And in the meanwhile a different view arises in his mind — until his first counsel is entirely overturned. And there arise in his mind views that he must conduct himself in the complete opposite of what he had previously thought. And this is the aspect of the divided counsels aforementioned. And sometimes the division of counsel intensifies so greatly — that he does not know in any way to decide the counsel to one side or the other. And when a person sees in himself that he has been lying in this darkness for a long time and does not know any counsel as to how to emerge from what he needs to emerge from — and his counsel is very divided, G-d forbid — then this itself is his remedy: that he cry out to G-d about this very thing itself — about having fallen so far that he does not know the complete counsel as to how to emerge from darkness to light. For certainly there is no despair in the world at all. And certainly even in his place there are counsels as to how to emerge from darkness to light, from bad to good. Only that through his sins they have been hidden from him — in the aspect of: "Who is this who darkens counsel with words, etc.?" [Job 38:2]. And therefore his remedy is: that he know at least the truth — that he has fallen so far and been distanced so far that he does not know any counsel. And let him cry out about this itself to G-d — that He show him the counsel and the path as to how to truly conduct himself. As King David, peace be upon him, cried out much about this — for in truth even the very great Tzaddikim of very high stature — even upon them there pass — [counsels] — divided counsels in their matters and in their conduct. And as is understood from what King David, peace be upon him, cried out: "How long shall I take counsel in my soul, etc.?" — from which it is understood that greatly divided counsels passed over him. How much more so and certainly those of lower worth — how much more so those caught in the prison of desires and improper thoughts, etc. etc., G-d protect us — who must know and believe that certainly in every place they are, there is a counsel and a strategy as to how to emerge and return from there. Only they do not know the counsel — and their counsel is always divided. And therefore their remedy is: that they know the truth — that they do not know any counsel — and pray about this much to G-d. And then they can merit that the descent be the ultimate purpose of the ascent, as explained in the inner teachings.

Sometimes a person falls into so many doubts and divided counsels — that it is impossible for him in any way to know the truth as to how to conduct himself. And everything he strives to find as a complete counsel — his counsel is confused every single time. For now he has concluded in his mind with clear proofs that he must conduct himself in such and such a manner. And in the meanwhile a different view arises in his mind — until his first counsel is entirely overturned. And there arise in his mind views that he must conduct himself in the complete opposite of what he had previously thought. And this is the aspect of the divided counsels aforementioned. And sometimes the division of counsel intensifies so greatly — that he does not know in any way to decide the counsel to one side or the other.