Kabbalah Library

I heard on Tevet, January 1928, Givat Shaul (Jerusalem)

We should be cautious with anything that the body enjoys. One should regret this, since through reception, he becomes removed from the Creator since the Creator is the Giver, and if he will now be a receiver, he thus comes into oppositeness of form. In spirituality, disparity of form is remoteness, and then he does not have Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.

This is the meaning of “and to adhere to Him.” Through the sorrow that one feels upon reception of pleasure, the sorrow revokes the pleasure. It is like a person who suffers from scabbiness in his head. He must scratch his head and it gives him pleasure. However, at the same time he knows that this will only worsen his scabbiness, and his plight will spread and he will not be able to heal. Thus, during the pleasure he has no real delight although he cannot stop receiving the pleasure of scratching.

He should also see that when he feels pleasure from something, he should extend sorrow over the pleasure, since thus he becomes so remote from the Creator that he will feel that the pleasure is not worthwhile compared to the loss that this pleasure will subsequently bring him. This is the work in the heart.

(Kedusha [holiness]: that which brings one closer to the work of the Creator is called Kedusha.

Tuma’a [impurity]: that which removes one from the work of the Creator is called Tuma’a.)