אות - כב

He answered and said: The compassion of this world — everyone sees it, and therefore everyone pursues this world. Because they see that when a person is hungry and thirsty and the like, it is very hard for him and there is great compassion on him. And similarly, one who goes naked and barefoot — there is great compassion for him. But one who has eyes and sees the magnitude of the compassion that there is for the souls in the World to Come — for there, in the World to Come, there are people who are truly naked and who cry out bitterly, yet it is impossible to have compassion on them at all. Because in this world when a person is naked without clothing, it is possible to collect charity for him and make him a kaftan. But in the World to Come — one who goes naked — it is impossible to have compassion on him at all. For what clothing does he need? Nothing but the clothing of Torah and mitzvos,[43] and for this, compassion does not help there. But one who merits to draw close to a true *Tzadik* — he can run to the *Tzadik* and receive from him some garment with which to clothe himself. Again I heard his holy conversation about something similar — that he said: In the World to Come many people lie outside and they cry out with a bitter voice: "Give us something to eat!" And people come to them and say: "Here is food and drink — eat and drink!" And they respond: "No, no — we do not need this kind of eating. We only need the eating and drinking of Torah and service!" And similarly there are many people lying naked outside and they also cry out greatly: "Give us something to cover ourselves with!" And people come to them and say: "Here are garments!" And they respond: "No — these are not the garments we need at all. We only need mitzvos and good deeds with which to clothe ourselves!" He answered and said: Fortunate is one who merits to eat some chapters of Mishnah and to drink afterwards some chapters of Psalms, and to be clothed in some mitzvos.