אות - קצד

He said: after all the suffering — even so Hashem Yisburach does good with us. Only we do not want to minimize the suffering. And truly in truth they are not small suffering — but compared to one attachment of a person to Hashem Yisburach, whatever aspect of attachment in thought or another aspect — all the suffering is nothing compared to this. And through them themselves one draws near and attaches to Him blessed He. For they take from me my bodily health — who takes? Hashem Yisburach! If so I am attached to Him blessed He. And similarly when He takes, Heaven forbid, a certain son — who takes? Hashem Yisburach! If so on the contrary — now he is closer to Him blessed He. For in the World to Come they are closer to Hashem Yisburach (377).

377. RAK: See above 96.

In the year 5570, Parshas Noach (the 4th of Marcheshvan) we entered to him at night as was always our custom. He answered and said: What I do with you is a small thing before me. This you must do. (His intent: that is, what he engages in with us — to bring us in and draw us close to His service blessed He — even this is a small thing before him. And this thing we need to do — to draw people near to the service of Hashem Yisburach. But he himself has loftier service than this.) And I was standing and astonished as one wondering — for in our view there is no loftier service than this — to draw people near to Hashem Yisburach.