I constantly seek that which is in the midst of my soul.
Outer servitude distracts my mind from that inner search, bringing me to seek in vain at the far-flung corners of the earth for that which has not been found in the depths of my spirit.
From within myself, from my wellsprings, I must always take the hidden treasures.
I am always connected to a holy suffering that results from my search for supernal perfection.
That search is never fulfilled. Indeed, it has no need to be fulfilled.
This is the nature of such ever-lasting yearning: its foundation is divine thirst. Nothing in the world can slake that thirst except that which it seeks: the on-going revelation and ever-growing experience of the thirst itself.
That itself is transformed into the source of all pleasure, into the platform for all spiritual delights, into the radiance of the Almighty.
Chadarav
At its inception, a profound and great hatred of evil must involve a hatred of evil people.
Afterwards, it is mitigated by the power of one’s intellect and it is clarified, until it attains a rarefied state of purity: until it becomes solely a hatred of evil.
And as for those people who possess evil—i.e., evil people—one is filled with compassion for them. “May sins be wiped out, not sinners” (Talmud).
But if from its inception this attitude is already in its ideal form, so that it is directed solely into a hatred of abstract evil, it will never truly become a hatred of evil. The lack of hatred for evil people will weaken that hatred against evil. And then the entire treasury of goodness is placed in great danger.
This has been the stumbling block of many great people. They fell because from the very beginning they made use of hatred of evil in its rarefied state. As a result, their lack of hatred for evil people was afterwards transformed into a love for them. And then, as a result of loving evil people, they fell into loving evil itself.
Thus, a person’s initial thought must possess the content of the trait of judgment. Only afterwards may the trait of compassion come and mitigate it by becoming its partner.
Otzrot Harayah, pp. 1240-1241
The righteous toil with a spiritual toil when their faith in themselves is diminished, and then they believe that they are like the masses of people.
And even if they imagine themselves to be the most refined and learned of them, they will not escape an inner lowliness.
But they must know that the quality of their soul is an entirely different, supernal quality, that yearning for the light of holiness and clinging to the divine is demanded of them at every moment.
And they must constantly influence all souls that draw sustenance from their great and encompassing soul.
Included in the definition of such righteous people are all those whose inner yearning for the secrets of Torah and for the reasoning of holy wisdom in its totality clings to them by their nature.
At times their light is diminished and at times they fall into all sorts of trivial pursuits. But regarding that, the verse states that “the righteous person falls seven times but rises” (Ecclesiastes).
After whatever such a person may go through, he may not remove his faith in the essence of he holiness of his soul, but say with complete conviction, “Know that Hashem has set aside the pious one for Him, Hashem will listen to those who call Him.”
**
A person who is fit for true fear of heaven, for piety and holiness, must know that it is utterly impossible to be like the average man.
Instead, he must toil to keep hold of his unique character.
Orot Hakodesh III p. 214
A person has to begin with purity of deed, then purify his feelings and personality traits, and then rise from that to purify his mind. In that case, matters proceed in proper order. Fortunate is the person who can attain that.
But sometimes it isn’t possible for a person to bring about these rectifications in the proper order. And in such a case, he is forbidden to consider proceeding in this order.
Rather, he must grab whatever comes to hand. When his spirit is ready for an elevation of awareness, he must rise, purify it and broaden it—“make the Torah great and more mighty.”
Even though he may have many demands on himself [for self-improvement] from matters that have not yet been rectified and clarified in regard to the nature of his feelings and deeds (even if these are of the most serious kind—i.e., matters between man and man), he should not abandon his self-elevation and his activity to attain goodness and rise upward in anything that he can achieve.
And that is the case even if there exists an impediment in any area, whether due to a lack of ability or, even, to a lack of desire—for at times a lack of a desire is itself close to being something that is beyond a person’s ability to change.
It is true that we should never use the heretics’ self-rationalization [minimizing] free will, for that is a degenerate viewpoint. Still and all, at times there are purifications that come from that viewpoint, that bring healing to difficult illnesses of the soul. This is related to the principle expressed in three biblical verses [that imply our helplessness in the presence of the evil inclination and mitigate the sins of the Jews, without which] “the feet of
And so the general principle is that in accordance with a person’s greatness in attainment and in his desire for the increase of good, he must increase and broaden his deeds, and not be upset or frightened by any impediment, whether spiritual or physical.
And when people are strengthened and filled with might, the holy power from above begins to pulse in their soul, which proceeds successfully upon all its path.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 238
The spiritual greatness that a person feels while he is serving God is arranged in various levels of gradation.
The level that is appropriate for an intermediate service of God is considered to lack exultation when compared to a higher level of serving God.
And contrarily, that greatness that refines the soul and crowns it with glory when it is involved in a supernal worship of God is like foolish pride during a time of a lower service of God. That pride in Hashem, which is unique to those who gaze upon the chariot, which is the true humility, is in the realm of egotism that arouses the pollution of the coarseness of the spirit when it appears in its measure during normal Torah learning.
And so “the heart of the wise person knows a time and a decision,” of how to take hold of the measure of his spirit, in its elevation and descent.
**
A person who must draw sustenance from the supernal source cannot draw sustenance from a lower source. Simple ethical instruction cannot stand by those who are fit for a supernal outlook. Rather, when they are involved with deep contemplation and a way of life that is appropriate for their measure they must bring their bread specifically from afar, for that from a nearby and small place will not give them spiritual nutrition.
Orot Hakodesh III p. 220
If you have an aptitude for spirituality, for clinging to God, and for elevated, abstract, spiritual wisdoms, you must know: it is for this that you were created. If you slacken in your supernal work, something that only a rare few can do, who will fill that great cavity?
So be happy in your portion and do not look at it in a negative way.
And do not look down on the portion of others, even if they are very far from this, because they certainly have other fields of goodness and usefulness, which are far from you.
Always be wealthy in your mind, with a good eye. Honor others. Love them all. And strive for their good and their elevation.
**
Even if you have no more than a small inclination for supernal spiritual sights, even if you do not really have intelligence and wisdom, but your imagination is elevated somewhat more than the usual, you are entirely responsibility to act in a supernally holy way.
You must proceed on your own, on your holy path. With good traits and elevated qualities, rise beyond the masses. And make an effort to learn from everyone—in particular from the simple-hearted masses, and from every individual who has any good quality.
If you will attempt to go on the usual path of the masses with their usual leaders, you will by no means be able to do so. Instead, make an effort to acquire excellent traits and a clear reckoning of the world.
And do not set aside the constant yearning to be close to God, which is deep in your soul, for any obstacle in the world.
Do not chase after honor—nor should you be confused when you find people heaping honors on you. And of course, do not be upset if people insult you or are disrespectful to you.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 207
We must perform all of the commandments joyfully, because they develop our feeling of pleasure and of divine love, which is hidden in the very nature of our soul.
And separating ourselves from all sin is also good for helping us connect with this holy goal. Sin dims the illumination of the soul because of the turbidity of the sinful deed, which mixes into our spiritual lucidity, which blocks expansion of the light of the divine pleasantness.
And our consciousness has to expand—in its connections to deed and in its spiritual connections—until the power of our soul will expands so greatly that it will find the strength to organize all of life, in general and in detail, into a fitting form, so that the supernal blossom of life, which is the universal delight (which contains all ever-lasting delights and from which all time-bound delights flow), which is the delight of the pleasure of Hashem, will constantly blossom with success and greatness.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 186
The greatness of soul that yearns for supernal holiness and for great and exalted things must necessarily also deal with the rectification of traits and deeds, and at times descend into the depths of the life of deed and burrow into the smallest details, in order to rectify them and direct them in accordance with righteousness and straightness, in accordance with the Torah and halachah, and to penetrate into the depths of the traits of the spirit so as to remove from them all evil and all perversion.
But if the heart is directed only an elevated reality and not to the lower plain of purification and holiness, then all of that supernal light can shatter and turn into a stumbling block. The greatness of the soul can be transformed into an alien egotism, and the yearning for knowledge of the mighty mysteries into an illusion characterized a wealth of hues.
The might of the spirit, which elevates the phenomenon of life, can also bring to the fore stormy physical desires. The desire for illicit gain, for honor, and for sensory delights can break through all of their boundaries. And from the height of a powerful angelic, supernal yearning can come the most terrible fall.
And the hidden world is the trait of Leah, whose eyes are weak. She sits at the crossroads and prays not to fall into the hands of Esau. And because of her greatness and her weeping, she attained the foundation of prophecy and royalty, and the portion of
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 125
How much goodness do some people hold back with their own hands because of their lowly consciousness—people in whose heart the spirit of Hashem is fit to beat, but who grasp smallness and do not believe in themselves, in the greatness of their soul.
Neither environment nor [one’s] actions in particular are the foundations upon which the happiness of the soul is built in its inner treasury. Rather, the foundations are greatness of the spirit, inner holiness and purity, strength of will and might of thought. A person’s environment and deeds are subjugated as he grows more intense, as his spiritual might rises.
Therefore, great, righteous people involve themselves in particular in their inner greatness. Of course, they are very careful in their deeds, they make an effort in regard to the purity of the environment—but all of this comes from the inner factor of the supernal light, which streams in their souls with its entire unique splendor, from the greatest and most fully-flowing conduit. And they do not lower themselves to cling constantly to the reality within the smallness of individual details with no end, which fill the spirit that rises upward.
And in general it is not the sensory world with the details of its actions that takes the greatest place in the eternal soul of life, which appears in the light of its greatness in supernal souls. It is rather the exalted splendor of the beauty of the Life of worlds, in which everything is incorporated—all ideational good, ethical and deed-oriented—an expansion of perfection across [one’s] deeds entirely comes of itself, when the great will for divine good with its immense purity acts with all of its power.
And at any rate the righteous turn at times from their immense greatness and look at their deeds in great detail. After they have already been satiated with the radiance of delights from the supernal pleasantness, after their spirit filled with strength has been encouraged and strengthened and the desire of good and purity, filled with the light of life, lives within their heart, then a self-reckoning comes with greatness and harmony regarding details and the details within details. Then there comes as well a spiritual and physical dolefulness, like a flowing stream and an awesome thunder, fear and greatness, hope and trust, confidence, and a hope of rectification for every flaw, and a supernal repentance that includes all repentances.
**
When the righteous find flaws in their deeds, even when they see that it is impossible to rectify them, they do not as a result fall from their supernal level, for they know that the reason for their inability to rectify every imperfection is that the light of the soul, which is the true strength of life upon all the branches of the passages of life, has still not shone.
Therefore, they make an effort to rise to more supernal heights, with attainment and with clearness of the spirit, so that the soul will be stronger, and this phenomenon will appear upon them. And they are confident that with the greatness of the appearance of the soul, their strength will grow so much that they will be able to rectify all twistedness, in spirit and in deed, near and far—between man and God, and between man and man, two areas between which they find no intrinsic difference.
Orot Hakodesh III, pp. 123-124
The movement of the spirit, in regard to [its] self-recognition, rolls forward, passes before the mirror of self-examination.
Sometimes the fresh aspects of the spirit pass by, and then a person is filled with greatness and might.
But sometimes the desolate aspects pass, and then he clothes himself in trembling, with a melting spirit within him.
The entirety of the circle demands that when the full and settled aspects pass by, a person not grow conceited but remain aware that only one aspect is passing by and that after this vision, which is full and fresh, an impoverished and painful vision will come. And when he is encompassed by the dark, he must know that very soon a joyful and uplifting vision will appear.
And in this way, a person’s traits will be perfected, and he will never be under the rule of a coarse egotism, which destroys all abundance, nor will his spirit be depressed by a dark melancholy.
Instead, he will keep hold of the fortress of goodness, wisdom and righteousness, and the name of Hashem will be at all times the tower of his strength.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 121
There are people whom God has made straight, whose character is quiet. And honest guidance and inner tranquility is their constant fate.
If they toil in Torah, in ethics and wisdom, they will rise to great levels, but they are at any rate people who are straightness, good and worthy.
The fate of these people is to be involved in areas of active deed or in wisdoms that involve deed. Their ethical aspect stands in inherent independence, on its own and in tranquility. It is possible that it will not rise to an elevated level—but neither will it descend to a lowly level.
But there is a second type of person, one who does not have tranquility.
Such people always stand in the balance—either to rise to the heights of heaven or to descend to the depths of the deeps.
These people need to rectify their spiritual individuality every day. When they choose for themselves the path that they need, they will rise ever higher, but if they abandon it, they are liable to fall and fall.
These are people who must be constantly involved in Torah and worship, in ethics and feelings of holiness. And heaven forbid that they turn aside to engage in this-worldly matters and in wisdoms involving deeds.
**
In the course of the generations in general, there are at times found generations whose general nature is of the first type—who are tranquil, with a fixed character. And their education should be similar to those individuals with a fixed nature.
But there are also generations with a wandering nature, whose spiritual income must be constant, with an on-going flow.
And sometimes we find that in some particular part a person or a generation has an aspect of tranquility, and in another part an aspect of movement.
And the leaders, those who are concerned for the good of the entirety, must to bring to heart how to educate the generation in regard to each part by itself.
Orot Hakodesh III, pp. 126-127
There are very righteous people, people who possess supernal characters, who are crushed within, within their soul[s], because they do not penetrate into the inner greatness within them, and [because] they do not have a perfect faith in the holiness of their yearnings.
Thus, they do not truly recognize the foundation of light in the breadth of their ideas. And so they go about stooped over beneath the burden of the mundane—of universal foolishness, of “the agitation of fools”—which weighs heavily upon them. And as a result they are placed in a sea of spiritual sufferings. The narrow ideas of the masses oppress their spirit, so that they lack the power to rise to the full height of their own thought, to the tremendous nature of their will.
They must in the end awaken from their slumber, and [despite] all of the peace and respect with which they relate to guidance for the masses, they [must go on their own path in order to] return to God, Who is revealed to them always from their unique windows and crevices.
**
If you yearn for the Source of the Torah, elevate yourself and gird your loins to meet that supernal [state of being], which pulses deep in your spirit, together with all of your thoughts and speech, with all of the spiritual and physical obligation that has been placed upon you.
Be a warrior and look directly at the light that is revealed to you from between the crevices.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 122
When a great soul rises, it impresses a seal of an exalted reality, of purity and supernal greatness upon all being. That is the foundation of the concept of “the righteous person is the foundation of the world.” The pure and elevated soul is the inner core; all souls and all of their deeds, all the powers of existence and all the revelations of life proceed solely to perfect its being.
The world lacks a goal as long as the supernal soul does not shine upon it. And when it comes and shine with the light of its preciousness, the world is perfected, and the heavens and earth rejoice, like the joy at the time of their creation.
**
Those who are straight of heart, and supernal righteous people, know that it is they who are the conduits of the richness of life to all of reality. They feel the waves of the flow of goodness that descends onto them, and through them onto the world. And this feeling of theirs clothes them in humility and awe, and brings them to rise ceaselessly with a brilliance of mind, and with a preciousness of character traits.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 156
