In The Greatest Depths

 

 

In the present age, the lamentation recited at midnight upon the mourning of Jerusalem (Tikun Chatzot), has somewhat fallen into neglect.  We, for sure, never cried over rocks and wood, but rather about the Heavenly spirit that was dwelling in the Holy Temple, enlightening the entire world and that we miss so much now a day.  This light was the focal point towards which all our meditations were orientated, for it radiated the wisdom of the ultimate goal and the knowledge to attain it. 

 

Even though this radiance was withdrawn from this world when the Temple was burnt, it still reappears in a subtle but very strong way, for all of those who still mourn over the destruction of the Temple.  According to the Zohar, any person who recites the midnight prayer, experiences, at his own level, a Divine encounter. This is the ultimate meaning of the midnight supplication.

 

Therefore, there is no reason, if we feel its importance, why we should not get up in the middle of the night and recite it from time to time.  In addition to its indisputable impact, it will constitute an unrivaled moment of spiritual serenity:  It shall renew our bond to the House of Glory.  Any person who recites the midnight prayer will have brought his stone for the reconstruction of the next Temple.

      

Even if one has fallen to the greatest depths, he should not abandon the idea of progress; one must not despair.  Even if we are in some kind of hell-hole, God is everywhere!  As Dovid HaMelech (King David) said in Tehillim: "If I sink into the inferno, You are there!"

 

It is the righteous who transmit to us this hope. He knows how to lift up the most broken man, strengthen him, and maintain him by proving to him that God is with him!

 

At the same time, such a sage will be capable of showing those who are already at a very high level that they have not yet understood God’s greatness. Hope is Never Lost

 

Sometimes, when we fall, we find ourselves in very wretched situations; doubts spring up, along with vile dreams, confused thoughts and complexes.  Our very heart seems racked with pain . . .

 

But hope is never lost, for if we start to pine, to recall times when we were sinless, our search will raise us up to the highest levels.

 

The main think in rectification is to always search, search, search, until we transmute regression into victory.

 

 

If we judge ourselves at least once a day, if we ponder and analyze our actions, we gradually rid ourselves of erroneous fears.  Since we have channeled the feeling of awe to its proper focus, we stop fearing the elements, the wild beasts, and evil people: we revere only the Almighty. This is called "enjoying the Sublime Light."

 

 

If we were not inhabited by temptations, even our good actions would be worthless.  The evil instinct is, therefore, beneficial: If we fight it we can thus acquire merit.  This is why God allows humans to be assailed by evil (in particular the man who seeks to raise himself up) even though this war results in serious losses. 

 

A simple act of courage performed by a man in his struggle, the slightest victory over evil, notwithstanding the defeats, is greater in God’s Eyes than a thousand years of constant worship without the evil instinct.

 

 

If you feel yourself very far, do not fret; rather be glad that you are aware of your distance. You could have been at this point, without being aware of it, thinking that everything was going well.  There are people who are, in fact, very, very distant from perfection, but who imagine that they are on the right road or that they have arrived.  They are twice as far away. 

 

God has esteem for those who do not deceive themselves:  They know their condition yet they still try to improve it.  So take comfort, let this clear-sightedness give you courage.

 

 

The study of Torah has such power that it can help the great sinners to the point of leading them back onto the right road.  Indeed, there is absolutely no place from which you cannot come back to God and the Torah shows us how.

 

 

All the humiliations and insults that we experience, either from those around us or from within ourselves, point to the fact that we have not sufficiently refined ourselves.  We must thus accept them humbly without retaliation.  In this way, we shall purify ourselves.

 

If we do not seek honors and praise, if we flee from them we will find the Divine Glory.

 

 

(Used with permission from COURAGE by Israel Isaac Besancon. Published by Shir Chadash Publishers)