ערך התבודדות

And this concludes with: "I call You — for You will answer me, etc." [Psalms 17:6] — that is, it explains further: through what did I merit to support my steps in Your paths? — through my calling out to You every time in words of good longings. And this is the entire matter of hisbodidus [seclusion in prayer] and conversation between oneself and one's Maker — which a person must train himself in very much. That is, he should train himself in this to always long and crave good longings: when will he merit to turn from evil and do what is good in His blessed eyes always, etc. — and to bring forth the holy longings from his mouth every day. And through this he will merit to be saved from the paths of the violent — and G-d will support his steps in His paths, etc., as mentioned above. When one comes to pour out his conversation before G-d and is utterly unable to open his mouth — even so, he must strengthen himself to beseech mercy for this very thing itself: that he be aided from Above and his strength be fortified, so that he will be able to beseech mercy.

Through the recitation of Psalms and conversation between oneself and one's Maker — through this one can pour out his conversation about everything and beseech G-d about this very thing itself: that we be able to ask Him truly "Return us, O G-d, to You" [Lamentations 5:21] — to the point that this very act will be considered our awakening from below [is'arusa d'lisata]. And through this a great illumination for teshuvah will be drawn upon us from Above as well — in the aspect of: "Return to Me and I will return to you" [Malachi 3:7]. Also through this one merits to receive the illumination of the holy and pure counsels — drawn from the sparkling of Mashiach [hisnotzetzus d'Meshiach]. Which is the aspect of the illumination of the fiftieth gate of holiness [sha'ar hachamishim d'kedushah] — through which one can rise from all the falls and descents in the world, and be saved from the desires and the entanglements of money and livelihood, and to know and truly believe that livelihood is drawn only from Him, blessed be He. And to be strengthened in true bitochon in G-d.

Our Sages of blessed memory said: "And the eyes of Leah were tender" [Genesis 29:17] — for she was weeping lest she fall to the portion of Eisav. This is an allusion to the Kneses Yisroel [the Congregation of Israel] — for every single person of Israel must weep just as Leah wept, that he not fall to the portion of the Soton [adversary], G-d forbid — which is the aspect of Eisav.

At the time when a person of Israel enters to pray his prayer and his conversation before G-d — that he merit to draw close to Him and to fulfill His Torah and commandments — and wishes to make from the Torah a prayer. But he still has not a word on his tongue to speak, for he still does not know the ways and signposts of the Torah, and does not know how to speak and converse and pray. Then the Torah itself has compassion upon this person of Israel who prays — and transmits to him the signposts of the Torah, so that he can make from the Torah a prayer, so that from this good deeds will be born. And this is the aspect of the words that are poured into a person at the time he enters to seclude himself and pour out his conversation before G-d — for at first he does not know a single word to speak. And when he is firm in his mind and strengthens himself even so to speak — then most of the time words come to him that he had never thought he would speak. And these words are sent to him from Heaven from the aspect aforementioned.

Every person must strengthen himself every single time in prayer and supplication and hisbodidus and crying out to G-d — however things may be, even whatever passes over him. For even if he sees that he is not accomplishing anything through his prayer, G-d forbid — and on the contrary, the evil intensifies over him more and more — even so, let him know and believe that he is accomplishing a great deal through his prayer and his crying out. For his crying out and prayer is at least in the aspect of a mecho'ah [formal protest] — as explained in the laws of chazakah [presumption of ownership of land]: that as long as he protests, the presumption of the one holding is of no effect whatsoever. And likewise in this matter. For the holiness of each and every person of Israel is the aspect of the holiness of the Land of Israel. And when the evil overpowers a person with desires and evil character traits — this is the aspect of wishing to banish him, G-d forbid, from being counted among the inheritance of G-d, which is the Land of Israel. And all that he strives to return to his holiness — they do not allow him, because of the very intensity of the provocation with which they provoke him — and he does not overpower them as he ought. And therefore when he overpowers himself even so through prayer and crying out to G-d — they will not be able to banish him and conquer his portion in the Land of Israel, G-d forbid, in any way whatsoever. For his prayer and his crying out is the aspect of a mecho'ah — through which the sitra achra cannot establish a presumptive hold upon his inheritance, G-d forbid, in any manner whatsoever. For a presumptive hold is of no effect when there is a protest against it.

A person must multiply prayer very — [very] — greatly all the days of his life. And even if he sees that he prays much and is not answered — and the desires and confusions overpower him every single time more and more — even so let him not err that his prayers are in vain, G-d forbid. Rather, let him know and believe that no word is ever lost — and every prayer and conversation between himself and his Maker makes an impression. And the truly righteous Tzaddikim gather all these prayers and conversations and build from them wondrous edifices — the aspect of the building of the Mishkan [Tabernacle]. And every person must strengthen himself greatly in prayer and conversation always — however things may be — until through the multitude of prayers the building will be completed in perfection. And then His compassion, blessed be He, will be aroused — and He will draw him close in perfection, and he will return to G-d and He will have mercy upon him. But even so, when he receives some salvation — let him not err that through his prayers and his good deeds he accomplished this. Rather, let him know that everything is only through His blessed kindness. And even though we know that we cannot accomplish the complete salvation through our prayer alone as above — even so we must do our part to multiply prayer with all our strength. And then His compassion, blessed be He, will be aroused — and He will act in His kindness and save us soon for the sake of His Name. And this too is included in what is explained elsewhere — that one must in prayer be like one who shoots at a hair-breadth without missing: that is, not deviate right or left. That is, not err, G-d forbid, that the prayers are in vain, G-d forbid — because one has been crying out for so long and has not been saved. This is the aspect of deviating to the left. And likewise let him not err to say: Why should we multiply prayer, since the essential salvation is only through His kindness alone — if so, let us rely only upon His kindness. This is the aspect of deviating to the right inappropriately. For in truth one must always multiply prayer greatly, and know even so the truth: that we are not worthy to accomplish through our prayer, but only through His kindness — [through His kindness]. And even so we must do our part and always multiply prayer — and G-d will do His part and draw His kindness upon us for His own sake, and save us soon for the sake of His Name.

Israel — through their prayers — arouse His compassion, blessed be He, little by little each and every time — until soon He will be aroused, as it were, from His sleep. As the verse says: "Then G-d awoke as one asleep" [Psalms 78:65] — and will redeem us soon. For in truth there is no sleep before Him, blessed be He — as it is written: "Behold, He neither slumbers nor sleeps — the Guardian of Israel" [Psalms 121:4]. Only that through the attribute of strict justice He, blessed be He, is as it were hiding His face from us — to the point that it seems as if He is asleep, G-d forbid. And we are obligated to pray and cry out to Him, blessed be He, always, and to arouse His compassion, blessed be He — as one who rouses another from sleep, as it were — in the aspect of: "Awaken — why do You sleep, O G-d?" [Psalms 44:24]. Until through the multitude of prayers He will be aroused, as it were, in perfection — and He will return to us and have mercy upon us.

And likewise in this matter. For the holiness of each and every person of Israel is the aspect of the holiness of the Land of Israel. And when the evil overpowers a person with desires and evil character traits — this is the aspect of wishing to banish him, G-d forbid, from being counted among the inheritance of G-d, which is the Land of Israel. And all that he strives to return to his holiness — they do not allow him, because of the very intensity of the provocation with which they provoke him — and he does not overpower them as he ought. And therefore when he overpowers himself even so through prayer and crying out to G-d — they will not be able to banish him and conquer his portion in the Land of Israel, G-d forbid, in any way whatsoever. For his prayer and his crying out is the aspect of a mecho'ah — through which the sitra achra cannot establish a presumptive hold upon his inheritance, G-d forbid, in any manner whatsoever. For a presumptive hold is of no effect when there is a protest against it.