SECLUSION AND MEDITATION To taste the hidden light of Torah — the secrets which will be revealed in time to come — you should seclude yourself as much as you can to pray and speak to God. Take a good look at yourself and make a reckoning. What are you doing with your life? How is your time spent? Is this the right way to spend your life — to behave as you do before the Holy One, blessed-be-He, who bestows goodness upon you every moment of the day? Weigh all the different aspects of your life very carefully. If you make yourself the judge over everything you are doing, you will be able to rid yourself of all fears and worries. You will never be afraid of earthly powers — princes or rulers, wild beasts, robbers or the like. Nothing in the world will frighten you. Only before God will you stand in fear and reverence. This is the way to elevate the fear that is within you to its true root, which is in Da’at, understanding. You will attain perfect knowledge, because you will know before Whom to stand in awe: God alone, in His greatness and glory. Then you will be able to understand the revealed Torah and you will attain genuine humility. You will learn how to put your whole soul into your prayers. All sense of self and physical being will be totally nullified as you pray, and you will be able to pray without any thought of personal gain. When you reach the point where your sense of self and physicality totally disappear — as if you were simply not in the world at all — then you will discover the hidden secrets of the Torah. This is the concealed light which is destined to be revealed in time to come. All this you can achieve through hitbodidut, secluded prayer (15).
הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת
מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לִטְעֹם טַעַם אוֹר הַגָּנוּז, הַיְנוּ סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁיִּתְגַּלּוּ לֶעָתִיד, יַרְבֶּה בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, וְיָדִין וְיִשְׁפֹּט אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל עֵת עַל כָּל עֲסָקָיו וּמַעֲשָׂיו, אִם כָּךְ רָאוּי וְהָגוּן לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת, וּלְהִתְנַהֵג כָּךְ מִנֶּגֶד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, הַגּוֹמֵל עִמּוֹ טוֹבוֹת בְּכָל עֵת וָרֶגַע. וִיכַלְכֵּל דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט, וְעַל הַכֹּל יָבוֹא בְּמִשְׁפָּט עִם עַצְמוֹ, וְהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ יָדִין וְיִשְׁפֹּט אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַל כָּל עֲסָקָיו וּמַעֲשָׂיו, וּבָזֶה יָסוּר מֵעָלָיו כָּל הַפְּחָדִים וְיִנָּצֵל מִיִּרְאוֹת הַנְּפוּלוֹת, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִירָא וְלֹא יִפְחַד מִשּׁוּם שַׂר וְאָדוֹן וְחַיָּה רָעָה וְלִסְטִים וְלֹא מִשּׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, רַק מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַד יִירָא וְיִפְחַד. וּבָזֶה יַעֲלֶה אֶת הַיִּרְאָה לְשָׁרְשָׁהּ, דְּהַיְנוּ לָדַעַת. וְיִזְכֶּה לְדַעַת שָׁלֵם, שֶׁיֵּדַע מִמִּי יִתְיָרֵא, הַיְנוּ לְיִרְאָה אֶת הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד לְבַד יִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה יִזְכֶּה לְהַשָּׂגַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבַּנִּגְלֶה וְיִזְכֶּה לְשִׁפְלוּת בֶּאֱמֶת. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה יִזְכֶּה לִתְפִלָּה בִּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל כָּל יֵשׁוּתוֹ וְגַשְׁמִיּוּתוֹ בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, וְיִתְפַּלֵּל בְּלִי שׁוּם כַּוָּנוֹת תּוֹעֶלֶת עַצְמוֹ וְלֹא יַחֲשֹׁב לִכְלוּם אֶת עַצְמוֹ, רַק יְבַטֵּל כָּל עַצְמוּתוֹ וְגַשְׁמִיּוּתוֹ וְיִתְבַּטֵּל כְּאִלּוּ אֵינוֹ בָּעוֹלָם. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה יִזְכֶּה לְהַשָּׂגַת סִתְרֵי תּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא אוֹר הַגָּנוּז שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה לֶעָתִיד וְכוּ'. זֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת כַּנַּ"ל: (לק"א סי' ט"ו אות א' ב' ג' ד')
SECLUSION AND MEDITATION
To taste the hidden light of Torah — the secrets which will be revealed in time to come — you should seclude yourself as much as you can to pray and speak to God. Take a good look at yourself and make a reckoning. What are you doing with your life? How is your time spent? Is this the right way to spend your life — to behave as you do before the Holy One, blessed-be-He, who bestows goodness upon you every moment of the day? Weigh all the different aspects of your life very carefully. If you make yourself the judge over everything you are doing, you will be able to rid yourself of all fears and worries. You will never be afraid of earthly powers — princes or rulers, wild beasts, robbers or the like. Nothing in the world will frighten you. Only before God will you stand in fear and reverence. This is the way to elevate the fear that is within you to its true root, which is in Da’at, understanding. You will attain perfect knowledge, because you will know before Whom to stand in awe: God alone, in His greatness and glory. Then you will be able to understand the revealed Torah and you will attain genuine humility. You will learn how to put your whole soul into your prayers. All sense of self and physical being will be totally nullified as you pray, and you will be able to pray without any thought of personal gain. When you reach the point where your sense of self and physicality totally disappear — as if you were simply not in the world at all — then you will discover the hidden secrets of the Torah. This is the concealed light which is destined to be revealed in time to come. All this you can achieve through hitbodidut, secluded prayer (15).