The Need to Strengthen Mindfulness The perfection, broadening and strengthening of mindfulness is the fundamental concern of our group, and the principle method by means of which we will be able to attain a link with the service of God. Then we will not only be like the maidservant’s firstborn standing behind the millstones and far from the king, but like the king’s son who feels how close he is to his father and senses his father speaking to him.
Why is the attainment of such mindfulness so difficult and wearisome? Why does a person find it hard to strengthen this mindfulness and not allow it to weaken? There are two reasons for this.
The first cause is a lack of passion—whether of flaming joy or of a broken heart. When a Jew purifies himself, he is aflame. Even a modest awakening strengthens and purifies his mindfulness, bringing it to transcend physical images and their illusions (as we said earlier in regard to Yom Kippur).
A person lacks an elevated, nonphysical mindfulness only when his heart and mind are dulled. This is particularly so in the case of depression, heaven forbid. Depression is not a broken and bitter heart. It is rather a type of lacking and a dullness (as Rabbi Shneur Zalman teaches). On the eve of Yom Kippur, when a Jew feels that his heart is broken, his heart and mind are open—whereas during the rest of the year, if he is depressed, he sinks downward, lacking both heart and mind.
The second cause is that a person naturally lacks this strong mindfulness. When we encourage someone to strengthen his mindfulness, it is as though we were to tell something complex to a person of limited intelligence, who—due to his natural limitations—cannot understand it. A person’s mindfulness is by nature not as strong as it should be, even at a time of spiritual awakening (although then it does awaken and grow stronger). It is like the understanding of a person of limited intelligence, who at times strains his mind to understand some information with his diminished understanding. All of this mindfulness exists only at that inspired moment, and afterwards disappears.
But if a person possesses a strong mindfulness, when he awakens and is inspired, his mind strengthens and is clear, and in his thought and in his mind’s eye (the mind’s eye of the Jewish people, who are the children of prophets) he sees God, be He blessed, and His throne of glory—each person on his level. Even afterwards, when he is no longer aflame, he can access his previous state of mind without letting it weaken, and again see God’s glory standing before him. This strong mindfulness that he controls can again awaken his flame whenever he prepares himself.
But this is not the case with a blemished person who lacks mindfulness. Even when he awakens and is aflame, all his mindfulness is a mere spark, comparable to the mind of a fool. And how much more is this true when he is no longer inspired, when he lacks every type of elevated thought and can think only of this-worldly matters: bread, potatoes, business, and the like. Therefore, he can be inspired only when this inspiration comes of itself—on Yom Kippur or at some other elevated time. Then he awakens. But he is incapable of actively awakening his inspiration in his mind and of elevating himself.
שִׁכְלוּל שִׁטּוּחַ וְחִזּוּק הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, זֶהוּ יְסוֹד חֶבְרָתֵנוּ וְעִקַּר הָאֶמְצָעִי שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ נוּכַל לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר בַּעֲבוֹדָה. לֹא בִּבְחִינַת בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם אֶלָּא כְּבֵן שֶׁמַּרְגִּישׁ אֶת קְרֵבוּתוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו. וְאֶת הַשִּׂיחַ שֶׁבֵּין אָבִיו אֵלָיו.
The Need to Strengthen Mindfulness
The perfection, broadening and strengthening of mindfulness is the fundamental concern of our group, and the principle method by means of which we will be able to attain a link with the service of God. Then we will not only be like the maidservant’s firstborn standing behind the millstones and far from the king, but like the king’s son who feels how close he is to his father and senses his father speaking to him.
וְהִנֵּה כָּל עִקָּר קֻשְׁיַת וְכֹבֶד הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁקָּשֶׁה לוֹ לְהָאִישׁ לְחַזְּקָהּ לִבְלִי לְהַרְפּוֹתָהּ הִיא מב' סִבּוֹת:
Why is the attainment of such mindfulness so difficult and wearisome? Why does a person find it hard to strengthen this mindfulness and not allow it to weaken? There are two reasons for this.
א) הֶעְדֵּר הִתְעוֹרְרוּת בֵּין הִתְלַהֲבוּת שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה וּבֵין שֶׁל שְׁבִירַת הַלֵּב, כִּי בְּכָל שָׁעָה שֶׁאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִטַּהֵר מִתְלַהֵב, וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּמְעַט הִתְעוֹרְרוּת כְּבָר מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יוֹתֵר חֲזָקָה הִיא טְהוֹרָה וּלְעֵלָּא מִצִּיּוּרֵי גּוּפוֹ וְדִמְיוֹנוֹ הִיא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְעֵיל מִן יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.
The first cause is a lack of passion—whether of flaming joy or of a broken heart. When a Jew purifies himself, he is aflame. Even a modest awakening strengthens and purifies his mindfulness, bringing it to transcend physical images and their illusions (as we said earlier in regard to Yom Kippur).
רַק כְּשֶׁלִּבּוֹ וּמוֹחוֹ מְטֻמְטָמִים חֲסֵרָה לוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ גּוּפָנִית, וּבְיוֹתֵר כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עַצְבוּת ח"ו. שֶׁאֵין זֹאת שְׁבִירַת וּמְרִירַת הַלֵּב רַק מִין העדֶר וְטִמְטוּם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאִיתָא בְּשֵׁם הָרַב זצללה"ה וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמַּרְגִּישׁ הָאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי שֶׁבְּלֵיל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֶׁלִּבּוֹ נִשְׁבַּר אַדְּרַבָּא לִבּוֹ וּמוֹחוֹ פְּתוּחִים, וּבְכָל הַשָּׁנָה שח"ו הוּא בְּעַצְבוּת נוֹפֵל הוּא בְּאֵין לֵב וּבְאֵין מַחֲשָׁבָה.
A person lacks an elevated, nonphysical mindfulness only when his heart and mind are dulled. This is particularly so in the case of depression, heaven forbid. Depression is not a broken and bitter heart. It is rather a type of lacking and a dullness (as Rabbi Shneur Zalman teaches). On the eve of Yom Kippur, when a Jew feels that his heart is broken, his heart and mind are open—whereas during the rest of the year, if he is depressed, he sinks downward, lacking both heart and mind.
ב) וְעוֹד חִסָּרוֹן יֵשׁ בּוֹ וְהוּא מוּם טִבְעִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בִּכְלַל מַחֲשָׁבָה חֲזָקָה, וַהֲרֵי זֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְבַעַל שֵׂכֶל קָטָן חַדֵּשׁ־דְּבַר־חָכְמָה שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ מִפְּנֵי מוּם טִבְעִי זֶה שֶׁשִּׂכְלוֹ קָטָן, וּמִפְּנֵי חִסָּרוֹן טִבְעִי זֶה לֹא דַּי שֶׁגַּם בִּשְׁעַת הַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת אַף שֶׁמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ מִתְעוֹרֶרֶת וּמִתְחַזֶּקֶת אֵינָהּ חֲזָקָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת, וְהִיא רַק כְּעֵין בַּעַל שֵׂכֶל הַקָּטָן שגם כן מַחְזִיק לִפְעָמִים אֶת שִׂכְלוֹ לְהָבִין אֵיזֶה דְּבַר חָכְמָה כַּהֲבָנָתוֹ הַמְּעוּטָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁכָּל מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ הוּא רַק בִּשְׁעַת הַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת לְבַד וְאַחַר כָּךְ שׁוּב נֶעְדֶּרֶת מִמֶּנּוּ.
The second cause is that a person naturally lacks this strong mindfulness. When we encourage someone to strengthen his mindfulness, it is as though we were to tell something complex to a person of limited intelligence, who—due to his natural limitations—cannot understand it. A person’s mindfulness is by nature not as strong as it should be, even at a time of spiritual awakening (although then it does awaken and grow stronger). It is like the understanding of a person of limited intelligence, who at times strains his mind to understand some information with his diminished understanding. All of this mindfulness exists only at that inspired moment, and afterwards disappears.
כְּלוֹמַר הָאִישׁ בַּעַל מַחֲשָׁבָה חֲזָקָה אָז בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמִּתְעוֹרֵר וּמִתְלַהֵב מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ מִתְחַזֶּקֶת וּבָרָה וְרוֹאֶה בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וּבְדִמְיוֹנוֹ דִּמְיוֹן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי נְבִיאִים, אֶת ה' ית' וְכִסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ, כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי מַצָּבוֹ, עַד שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אַחַר כָּךְ אַחַר הִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ יָכוֹל לֶאֱחֹז בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ הַקְּדוּמָה לִבְלִי לְהַרְפּוֹתָהּ, לְצַיֵּר לוֹ גַּם עַתָּה אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ ית' אֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו, וּמַחֲשָׁבָה חֲזָקָה זוֹ שֶׁאוֹחֵז יָכוֹל לְעוֹרְרוֹ שׁוּב גַּם הִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה שֶׁמַּכְשִׁיר אֶת עַצְמוֹ.
But if a person possesses a strong mindfulness, when he awakens and is inspired, his mind strengthens and is clear, and in his thought and in his mind’s eye (the mind’s eye of the Jewish people, who are the children of prophets) he sees God, be He blessed, and His throne of glory—each person on his level. Even afterwards, when he is no longer aflame, he can access his previous state of mind without letting it weaken, and again see God’s glory standing before him. This strong mindfulness that he controls can again awaken his flame whenever he prepares himself.
מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן בַּעַל הַמּוּם בְּלֹא מַחֲשָׁבָה, כָּל מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ גַּם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמִּתְעוֹרֵר וּמִתְלַהֵב הוּא רַק נִיצוֹץ כְּמוֹ שֵׂכֶל הַטִּפֵּשׁ, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בַּעֲבוּר הִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ נֶעְדֶּרֶת מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל מִין מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, וְרַק מִדִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם כְּמוֹ מִלֶּחֶם וְתַפּוּחֵי אֲדָמָה וּמִסְחָר וכו' יָכוֹל לַחְשֹׁב וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, לָכֵן כָּל הִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ הוּא רַק דָּבָר שֶׁבָּא מִמֵּילָא כְּשֶׁבָּא לְמָשָׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אוֹ אֵיזֶה זְמַן וְעִידָּן עִלָּאָה מִתְעוֹרֵר, אֲבָל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּיָדוֹ לְעוֹרֵר אֶת הִתְלַהֲבוּתוֹ בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וּלְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ.
But this is not the case with a blemished person who lacks mindfulness. Even when he awakens and is aflame, all his mindfulness is a mere spark, comparable to the mind of a fool. And how much more is this true when he is no longer inspired, when he lacks every type of elevated thought and can think only of this-worldly matters: bread, potatoes, business, and the like. Therefore, he can be inspired only when this inspiration comes of itself—on Yom Kippur or at some other elevated time. Then he awakens. But he is incapable of actively awakening his inspiration in his mind and of elevating himself.