אות - פד

"Do not say that the grave and Sheol are a refuge for you" (Avos 4:21). For in this world, where a person has the worry and burden of livelihood — it is possible that a flea bites and stings him and he does not feel it, because his thought is occupied with some thought of livelihood and the like. But there in the grave — where the person has no worry whatsoever and no other thought — then the biting of a worm is felt most acutely (163). And this is: "Do not say that the grave is a refuge for you."

163. RAK: Berachos 18b; Shabbas 13b; Alim LiTerufah 167. See above 43.

One person asked him about the matter of traveling to a certain place — whether he should travel there. He answered him: when a person sees that travel lies before him, he should not be obstinate in preventing himself from it by staying home specifically. For in every place that a person travels, he rectifies something there (164). Only he should be careful to be guarded from transgression, Heaven forbid. But when he is only guarded from transgression, Heaven forbid — then when he travels, he rectifies there whatever he needs to rectify in that place.