סימן רמ"ו

Siman Two Hundred and Forty-Sixסימן רמו "Sometime s a person needs to have greatness." In my humble opinion it seems — to bring the matter somewhat closer to the intellect: for gadlus d'kedushah [greatness of holiness] is the very opposite of gadlus d'sitra achara [greatness of the Other Side]. For pride is when the person becomes proud of what he already has and has already attained — namely: wisdom or strength or wealth. And even though there are those who — because of their pride — are not satisfied with all they have and long for even greater wealth and similar things. Even so: the essence of their pride is in what they already have — the aspect of: [Jeremiah 9] "let not the wise man boast in his wisdom — the mighty man in his might — the rich man in his wealth." But gadlus d'kedushah is the aspect of the ultimate humility — the aspect of: [Megillah 31] "wherever you find His greatness — there you find His humility." For it is only in the aspect of: [2 Chronicles 17] "and his heart was exalted in the ways of Haveye'ah." Meaning: that he is never satisfied with any attainment he has attained — and with all the services he has served Hashem. Rather: he longs at every moment and strives and strengthens himself at every moment to rise to an even higher level — in the attainment of Torah and the service of Hashem. Until — because of this — he is at every moment in the ultimate humility and self-nullification before Him — the aspect of ayin [nothingness]. And through this very thing — he merits each time to attain additional attainment — the aspect of: [Job 28] "and wisdom from ayin shall be found." And all the levels and degrees that he has already attained — are considered to him as nothing at all. And it seems to him as if he has not yet begun to attain at all. And as elaborated above in Siman 245. And see above in the discourse Anochi, Siman 4 — where pride is from the aspect of the desert — namely from the element of fire. For the nature of fire is to draw itself upward. And there it is elaborated: that a Torah scholar who is in the ultimate humility — until he is in the aspect of ayin literally — is also the aspect of fire. And according to the above the matter is somewhat understood. For in truth they are two actual opposites. For pride is what raises and exalts himself in the nature of fire — but all of his pride is in what he already has. And therefore the Sages said: [Pesachim 66] "whoever boasts — his wisdom departs from him." And then automatically he has nothing truly — according to the Sages' teaching: [Vayikra Rabbah 1:6] "if you lack knowledge — what have you acquired?" But the fire of holiness is the aspect of the ultimate humility. For he raises and exalts himself each time to rise higher — like the nature of fire — namely: he draws himself upward to attain each time additional attainment. Until all that he has already attained is considered to him as nothing. And through this he is always in the ultimate humility and self-nullification before Him — the aspect of ayin. And through this very thing he merits each time to attain additional attainment — the aspect of: "and wisdom from ayin shall be found." And through this manner one can also explain here: that through ordinary pride — G-d forbid — through this his wisdom departs from him — and he becomes a fool literally — G-d spare us. But through the gadlus d'kedushah — the aspect of: "and his heart was exalted in the ways of Haveye'ah" — through this also the aspect of: "his wisdom departs from him" is drawn upon him as well. Only: it is in the supernal holiness. Namely: that he completely forgets all the wisdom he has already attained. For all of this is considered to him as nothing — until he almost forgets it and removes it entirely from his mind. And through this very thing he merits to come and rise to new attainment and a higher level each time as above.