You must have great enthusiasm in serving God. Be eager to do as much as possible every hour and every day. Deeds are the main thing. Study much, keep many mitzvot, spend much time praying and pouring out your heart before God. You must do as much as possible in every way.
Even so, do not panic. You may find many kinds of devotions in the sacred literature and ask, “When will I be able to fulfill even one of these devotions? How can I ever hope to keep them all?” Do not let this frustrate you.
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רַק לֵילֵךְ בְּנַחַת, בְּהַדְרָגָה מְעַט מְעַט.
Go slowly, step by step. Do not rush and try to grasp everything at once.
If you are overhasty and try to grasp everything at once, you can become totally confused. When a house burns down, people often rescue the most worthless items. You can do the same in your confusion.
Proceed slowly, one step at a time. If it happens that one cannot do anything, what can one do? One who is under duress is exempted by God (Bava Kama 28b).
Even though there are many things you cannot do, you should still yearn to fulfill them. The longing itself is a great thing, for God desires the heart (Sanhedrin 106b).
The Rebbe had many discussions regarding this, all containing good advice about training oneself to serve God. It cannot all be recorded, but if you are wise and have the desire, you can begin to understand from what we have written.
אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת זָרִיז גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה', לְהִזְדָּרֵז מְאֹד בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה לַעֲשׂוֹת הַרְבֵּה בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה', כִּי עִקָּר הוּא הָעֲשִׂיָּה, לִלְמֹד הַרְבֵּה וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְווֹת הַרְבֵּה וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן הַרְבֵּה לִשְׁפֹּךְ לִבּוֹ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה שְׁאָר עִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדַת ה'.
You must have great enthusiasm in serving God. Be eager to do as much as possible every hour and every day. Deeds are the main thing. Study much, keep many mitzvot, spend much time praying and pouring out your heart before God. You must do as much as possible in every way.
אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, אַל תְּהִי נִבְהָל כְּשֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה בִּסְפָרִים קְדוֹשִׁים עִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדוֹת הַרְבֵּה, אַל תְּהִי נִבְהָל מִפְּנֵי זֶה לֵאמֹר 'מָתַי אוּכַל לְקַיֵּם אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה מִכָּל הָעִנְיָנִים הַלָּלוּ, מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן כֻּלָּם'. כִּי צָרִיךְ לְבַל יִהְיֶה מְבֹהָל לַחֲטֹף הַכֹּל בְּבַת אַחַת.
Even so, do not panic. You may find many kinds of devotions in the sacred literature and ask, “When will I be able to fulfill even one of these devotions? How can I ever hope to keep them all?” Do not let this frustrate you.
רַק לֵילֵךְ בְּנַחַת, בְּהַדְרָגָה מְעַט מְעַט.
Go slowly, step by step. Do not rush and try to grasp everything at once.
וְלֹא שֶׁיְּהֵא מְבֹהָל וּמְבֻלְבָּל שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְקַיֵּם וְלַחֲטֹף הַכֹּל בְּבַת אַחַת, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה נִתְבַּלְבֵּל לְגַמְרֵי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בִּשְׂרֵפָה ח"ו, שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת הַבֶּהָלָה חוֹטְפִין מַה שֶּׁאֵין צְרִיכִין.
If you are overhasty and try to grasp everything at once, you can become totally confused. When a house burns down, people often rescue the most worthless items. You can do the same in your confusion.
רַק צָרִיךְ לִנְהֹג בְּהַדְרָגָה בְּנַחַת מְעַט מְעָט. וְאִם לִפְעָמִים אֵין הָאָדָם יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלָל בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה', מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת? אֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְּרֵהּ [האנוס, השם פוטר אותו].
Proceed slowly, one step at a time. If it happens that one cannot do anything, what can one do? One who is under duress is exempted by God (Bava Kama 28b).
וְיַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ לִכְסֹף וּלְהִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ וּלְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק תָּמִיד אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי הַהִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת וְהַכִּסּוּפִין בְּעַצְמָם הֵם דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד וְרַחֲמָנָא לִבָּא בָּעֵי [השם רוצה את הלב].
Even though there are many things you cannot do, you should still yearn to fulfill them. The longing itself is a great thing, for God desires the heart (Sanhedrin 106b).
(וְיֵשׁ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה כַּמָּה שִׂיחוֹת וְסִפּוּרִים יָפִים שֶׁשָּׁמַעְנוּ, שֶׁהֵם עֵצוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת טוֹבוֹת מְאֹד, לְהַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. אַךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בִּכְתָב הֵיטֵב. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל הֶחָפֵץ בֶּאֱמֶת יָבִין קְצָת).
The Rebbe had many discussions regarding this, all containing good advice about training oneself to serve God. It cannot all be recorded, but if you are wise and have the desire, you can begin to understand from what we have written.