אות - ל

It is fitting to hasten to pray always early in the morning, as early as possible.[61] Because given the great magnitude of the importance of prayer, whose value is very, very precious — who knows if one will merit afterwards to pray? Therefore, whatever one can do to arise early, it is fitting for him to hasten and arise very early.

One must strengthen oneself in faith[62] and not enter into investigations at all, and not look at all in the books of investigators [mehakarim] — rather, to believe in Hashem Yisburach with faith alone, without any investigations whatsoever. And even though it seems to us that the common folk are far from investigations and do not investigate at all — even still, in truth all of them are mixed up in investigations. Because every single person has investigations, and even small children have investigations and confusions come upon their thoughts. But in truth every single person must be very careful to distance investigations from his heart and cast them away from his heart entirely — not to be, Heaven forbid, any kind of investigator at all — rather, to believe in Hashem and in true *tzadikim* with faith alone, without any investigations whatsoever. Because we have already merited to receive our holy Torah through Moshe Rabbainu r.i.p., and we have already had many great and awesome *tzadikim* in every generation, and it is appropriate for us to rely upon them without any investigations, and to follow in their footsteps — to believe in Hashem Yisburach simply and to fulfill His Torah and His commandments as our holy forefathers transmitted to us.

And when a person goes in simplicity with faith alone without any investigations, he can merit that Hashem Yisburach will help him to come to the aspect of will [ratzon] which is above wisdom. Because in truth the wisdom of holiness is above faith — but even so, we must not go in wisdom and investigations; rather, in faith alone, because faith is a very strong thing. And then when one goes in faith alone without investigations and wisdom, he merits to come to the aspect of will which is above even wisdom — that is, he will merit that he will have an extraordinary, very strong will toward Him blessed He, with a very intense longing to the point that he will not know what to do from the great intensity of the longing. And he will scream and etc. However, there is an investigator who is within people's hearts — that is, the adversary [baal davar] who brings investigations into a person's heart — and one must subdue him and drive him away: to drive from his heart all investigations and to strengthen himself in faith as mentioned.[63]

And know that there are sins that bring heresies into a person. And there are those upon whom such thoughts about faith come because they were not born in holiness as required. And there are those who compounded this with their own evil deeds, because there are sins that damage and blemish faith as mentioned. And for this, shame and a broken heart are needed — because one who has investigations and such thoughts, Heaven forbid, it is appropriate for him to be very ashamed that he was born in such coarseness, or that he did such deeds that he has come to have thoughts against our holy faith: *"The glory of Hashem fills all the earth"* [Numbers 14:21], because *"The whole earth is full of His glory"* [Isaiah 6:3]. And upon him come thoughts, Heaven forbid, to banish and uproot him, Heaven forbid, from the Living G-d Who is the Life of lives, blessed He and elevated be His Name. And it is not necessary to explain the great shame that it is appropriate he should have when such thoughts come upon him, Heaven forbid. And through shame and a broken heart, through this he drives away and shatters the investigations and the aforementioned thoughts.

And in truth, faith is a very strong matter and his life is very strong through faith. Because when he has faith — even when afflictions come upon him, Heaven forbid — he can comfort himself and give life to himself, because Hashem Yisburach will have mercy on him and his end will be good, and the afflictions are for his good and for atonement, and in the end Hashem Yisburach will do good for him in this world or the World to Come. But an investigator who has no faith — when some trouble befalls him, he has no one to turn to and nothing with which to give life to himself and to comfort himself. And the understanding person will understand these matters from himself and will understand one thing from another, because it is impossible to explain everything in writing. And the general principle is that the main thing is faith without any investigations whatsoever, and through this he will be strong forever, in this world and the World to Come, and will never totter — fortunate is he.

Also this must be known: that there are upright souls who were born in uprightness and who also did not corrupt their deeds — upon whom such thoughts do not come at all — and even when such matters are spoken before them it does not concern them at all and does not confuse their minds at all. And this resembles one who speaks of the known desire before a eunuch — it certainly does not confuse his mind at all. Similarly, these aforementioned upright people do not hear at all and it does not enter their ears at all — the matters of investigations and the aforementioned confusions.