(א) לְעִנְיַן הִתְחַזְּקוּת לְבַל יִפֹּל הָאָדָם בְּדַעְתּוֹ מֵחֲמַת רִבּוּי הַפְּגָמִים וְהַקִּלְקוּלִים שֶׁקִּלְקֵל עַל־יְדֵי מַעֲשָׂיו, עָנָה וְאָמַר: אִם אַתָּה מַאֲמִין, שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְקַלְקֵל, תַּאֲמִין שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְתַקֵּן:
(1) On the topic of hitchazkut (encouragement)—that a person should not fall into despair on account of the many blemishes and harm his actions caused—the Rebbe declared: If you believe it is possible to destroy, believe it is possible to repair!
(א) וְצָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עַקְשָׁן גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, לִבְלִי לְהָנִיחַ אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ מְעַט מִקְצָת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ שֶׁהִתְחִיל, אַף אִם יַעֲבֹר עָלָיו מָה. וּזְכֹר דָּבָר זֶה הֵיטֵב, כִּי תִּצְטָרֵךְ לָזֶה מְאֹד כְּשֶׁתַּתְחִיל קְצָת בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם,
(ב) כִּי צָרִיךְ עַקְשָׁנוּת גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד לִהְיוֹת חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ, לֶאֱחֹז עַצְמוֹ, לַעֲמֹד עַל עָמְדוֹ, אַף אִם מַפִּילִין אוֹתוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בְּכָל פַּעַם. כִּי לִפְעָמִים יֵשׁ שֶׁמַּפִּילִין אֶחָד מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, כַּיָּדוּעַ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן עָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת מַה שֶׁיּוּכַל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְאַל יָנִיחַ עַצְמוֹ לִפֹּל לְגַמְרֵי, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. כִּי כָל אֵלּוּ הַנְּפִילוֹת וְהַיְרִידוֹת וְהַבִּלְבּוּלִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה צְרִיכִים בְּהֶכְרֵחַ לַעֲבֹר בָּהֶם קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּכְנָסִין בְּשַׁעֲרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְגַם הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים עָבְרוּ בְּכָל זֶה.
(ג) וְדַע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אֶחָד שֶׁכְּבָר הוּא אֵצֶל הַפֶּתַח שֶׁל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְהוּא חוֹזֵר לַאֲחוֹרָיו מֵחֲמַת הַבִּלְבּוּלִים הַנַּ"ל, אוֹ שֶׁאֲזַי כְּשֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ אֵצֶל הַפֶּתַח, אָז מִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו הַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא וְהַבַּעַל־דָּבָר מְאֹד מְאֹד, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, בְּהִתְגַּבְּרוּת גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא מְאֹד מְאֹד, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, וְאֵין מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ לִכָּנֵס לְתוֹךְ הַפֶּתַח, וּמַחֲמַת זֶה הוּא חוֹזֵר לְאָחוֹר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. כִּי כֵן דֶּרֶךְ הַבַּעַל־דָּבָר וְהַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא, כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה שֶׁהָאָדָם סָמוּךְ סָמוּךְ מַמָּשׁ לְשַׁעֲרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְכִמְעַט שֶׁיִּכְנֹס, אֲזַי הוּא מִתְפַּשֵּׁט עָלָיו בְּהִתְגַּבְּרוּת גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ אָז הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל נֶגְדּוֹ.
(ד) וְשָׁמַעְנוּ מִצַּדִּיק אֲמִתִּי שֶׁאָמַר, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה אוֹמֵר לוֹ אֶחָד, יִהְיֶה מִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, בְּעֵת שֶׁעָסַק בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם בִּתְחִלָּתוֹ: אָחִי, חֲזַק וֶאֱחֹז עַצְמְךָ – הָיִיתִי רָץ וּמִזְדָּרֵז מְאֹד בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי גַּם עָלָיו עָבַר כָּל הַנַּ"ל, וְלֹא הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ שׁוּם הִתְחַזְּקוּת מִשּׁוּם אָדָם.
(ה) עַל־כֵּן מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לִכְנֹס בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, יִזְכֹּר זֹאת הֵיטֵב. וְחַזֵּק עַצְמְךָ מְאֹד, וַעֲשֵׂה מַה שֶּׁתּוּכַל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וּבִרְבוֹת הַיָּמִים וְהַשָּׁנִים תִּכְנֹס לָבֶטַח בְּעֶזְרָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְתוֹךְ שַׁעֲרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מָלֵא רַחֲמִים וְרוֹצֶה בַּעֲבוֹדָתְךָ מְאֹד.
(ו) וְדַע, שֶׁכָּל הַתְּנוּעוֹת וְהַהַעְתָּקוֹת, שֶׁאַתָּה נִתָּק וְנֶעְתָּק בְּכָל פַּעַם אֵיזֶה מְעַט מִן גַּשְׁמִיּוּת לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כֻּלָּם מִתְקַבְּצִים וּמִתְחַבְּרִים וּמִתְקַשְּׁרִים וּבָאִים לְעֶזְרָתְךָ בְּעֵת הַצֹּרֶךְ, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֵיזֶה דֹּחַק וְעֵת צָרָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
(ז) וְדַע, שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבֹר עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר – שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל:
(1) 2. And a person has to be extremely stubborn in the service of God, not to desert his place—i.e., the little bit of the service he has begun—no matter what comes his way. Remember this well, because you will have much need of it when you begin even a bit in the service of God.
(2) A person needs tremendous determination to be strong and courageous, to hold on and maintain his position even if they cause him to fall time and again, God forbid. For there are times when they cause a person to fall from the service of God, as is known. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon him to do his, to do whatever he can in the service of God, and not allow himself to fall entirely, God forbid. This is because one must surely experience all these falls, descents, confusions and so on before entering the gates of holiness. And the true tzaddikim, too, underwent all this.
(3) And know! an individual can already be at the entrance to holiness yet turn back on account of the aforementioned confusions. Alternatively, when he gets close to the entrance, then the Other Side/Satan overwhelms him with very, very great and awesome power, may the Merciful One spare us, and does not allow him through the entrance. On account of this he turns back, God forbid. For such is the way of Satan/the Other Side. When it sees that a person is close, really close, to the gates of holiness and is about to enter, then it mounts a very, very powerful assault against him, may the Merciful One spare us. Accordingly, one needs great encouragement to counter it.
(4) And so we heard from a true tzaddik who said: “Had anyone, no matter whom, told me when I first began serving God: ‘Brother! Be strong and hold on!’ I would have run and been very quick in serving God.” For [that tzaddik], too, experienced all the aforementioned, yet did not hear any encouragement, from anybody.
(5) Therefore, whoever wants to enter into the service of God will remember this well. Give yourself much encouragement, and do what you can in serving God. Then, with the accruement of the days and years, with God’s help, you will surely enter into the gates of holiness. For God is full of compassion and wants your service very much.
(6) And know! each time you detach and shift just a bit from materialism to His service, all the movements and changes accumulate, combine and bind together, and come to your aid at a time of need—i.e., when there is, God forbid, any trouble or misfortune.
(7) Know, too! a person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. The main rule is: Do not be frightened at all!
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"The Narrow Bridge" by Nefesh Mountain
It was cold up north again
And the frost slowly thawed in the dawn
Takes a faithful breath
To put a weary mind to rest
And still remember the narrow bridge we're on
Troubled times, troubled times
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
Troubled times, troubled times
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
It's not far from our homes
Whеre the woods are turnеd to stones
And the feeling of wonder is nearly gone
But in the cracks of barren land
The beauty grows unplanned
So we just keep to the narrow bridge we're on
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
Troubled times, troubled times
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
I have walked this world on a narrow bridge
כל העולם כולו
From the lowlands so low
To high up on the ridge
גשר צר מאוד
כל העולם כולו
גשר צר מאוד
I have walked this world on a narrow bridge
כל העולם כולו
From the lowlands so low
To high up on the ridge
גשר צר מאוד
When the night returns again
And brings quiet through the glen
In the still we hear the blackbirds call
From o'er these rivers you can see
In the moonlight through the trees
That the bridge was not so narrow after all
Troubled times, troubled times
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
Troubled times, troubled times
You don't ease a worried mind
Troubled times, troubled times
Just stay behind
Just stay behind