אות - כג

The greatness of one who merits to give money to true *tzadikim* is very great and very precious indeed.[43*] By way of parable: A son who was separated from his father, and the son has very great longing for his father, and likewise the father has great longing for his son. After some time the father resolved in his mind to go and travel to his son, and similarly the son resolved to go and travel to his father. And they went and traveled each toward the other, and the closer they came the greater their longing grew. And they were going and traveling each toward the other — the father toward the son and the son toward the father — until they drew close and there was only two parasangs between them. And the father perceived, in the great magnitude of his longing, that if he allowed himself to be drawn after the longing he would not have the strength to bear the longing of these final two parasangs. And similarly the son perceived that he no longer had the strength to endure the longing of these last two parasangs, and if he drew himself after them, his soul would depart, Heaven forbid. So they resolved to cast away all the longing entirely and to put it out of their minds. In the midst of this, a man came with a wagon and grabbed the son and brought him quickly to his father. How great and wondrous was the pleasure that this person caused — bringing the son to his father who longed so intensely for each other!

Similarly: The *Tzadik*, who is a son before Hashem Yisburach, and because of the separating partition he was distanced from his Father blessed He. And there is longing, so to speak, in Hashem Yisburach and likewise in the *Tzadik* to return and draw close to Hashem Yisburach. And in the midst of them drawing close to each other until they came near and there was only a slight distance between them as mentioned — and they perceived that because of the intensity of the longing it is impossible to endure any further, and agreed to cast away the longing from their minds. For He blessed He said: "Does He have no other occupation? Does He not have many and many worlds, etc.?!" And the *Tzadik* said in his mind: "Does he have only this?" (that is, the aforementioned longing) "Does he not have many other deeds to perform — like tzitzis and tefillin and other mitzvos?!" And they agreed to pass the longing from their minds. In the midst of this, a Jewish person came with a wagon and brought livelihood to the *Tzadik*, and through this brought him close and brought him to Hashem Yisburach.[44] Because *"A tzadik eats to the satiation of his soul"* [Proverbs 13:25] and this is the aspect of *"And He will satisfy your soul in dazzling brightness"* [Isaiah 58:11]. And it is found that the great true *Tzadik* merits through his livelihood and eating to the aspect of the lights of dazzling brightness [tzachtzachos],[44*] and through these tzachtzachos the partition that separates is nullified, and through this the *Tzadik* draws close to Hashem Yisburach. It is found that how much pleasure did that person cause who brought livelihood to the true *Tzadik* — through which he brings and draws close the *Tzadik* to Hashem Yisburach as mentioned!

Regarding the thoughts in the brain — it is a great wonder and it is the greatness of the Creator blessed He, how thoughts are stored in the brain in many bundles piled upon one another. And when a person needs something and remembers it, he then draws out and brings forth that thing which was stored in the thought and recalls it. And the matter is wondrous — where was that matter stored until now? And there are connections and signs among the thoughts stored in the brain in very many bundles. And when one recalls something, on account of some occurrence that arouses that thought through the connection and sign within it, he then brings out that thought from amidst the bundles upon bundles of thoughts that are stored and arranged in the brain. And then when he draws out and brings forth that thought, all the thoughts are overturned and rolled from their arrangement in which they were stored. (Similar to what one sees in physical matters — that when one draws and takes something out from some box or bundle, the entire box and bundle is overturned and rolled.)