🔊63 ליקוטי אמרים: פרק יט-3

(11) Nevertheless, when they are confronted with a test in a matter of faith, which transcends knowledge, touching the very soul and the faculty of chochmah within it, at such time it is aroused from its sleep and it exerts its influence by virtue of the Divine force that is clothed in it, as is written, “And the L–rd awoke like one who had been asleep.”11 Psalms 78:65. [On such occasion the sinner is inspired] to withstand the test of faith in G–d, without any reasoning, knowledge, or intelligence that may be comprehended by him, and to prevail over the kelipah and temptations of this world, whether permitted or prohibited, to which he had been accustomed—even to despise them, and to choose G–d as his portion and lot, yielding to Him his soul [to suffer martyrdom] in order to sanctify His Name.

(12) For, even though the kelipot had prevailed over him all his life and he was impotent against them, as the Rabbis have said that “the wicked are under the control of their heart,”12 Bereishit Rabbah 34:11. yet when he faces a test challenging his faith in the One G–d, [a faith] which has its roots in the uppermost heights of holiness, namely, the faculty of chochmah of the divine soul, in which is clothed the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, then all the kelipot are made null and void, and they vanish, as though they had never been in the presence of the L–rd. So it is written, “All the nations are as nothing before Him…,”13 Isaiah 40:17. and “Indeed your enemies, O L–rd, indeed your enemies shall perish; [all evildoers] shall be scattered,”14 Psalms 92:10. and, again, “As wax melts before fire, [let the wicked] perish,”15 Psalms 68:3. and “The mountains will melt like wax.”16 Psalms 97:5.

(13) The force of the Divine light of the En Sof, blessed is He, that is clothed in the soul’s chochmah is great and powerful enough to banish and repel the sitra achara and the kelipot so that they could not even touch its garments, namely, the thought, speech, and act of faith in the One G–d. In other words, [it enables one] to withstand a test of self-sacrifice to the extent of even refusing to do some single act that is contrary to the faith in the One G–d, such as, for example, to bow to an idol, even without acknowledging it in his heart at all or to utter any false notion, Heaven forbid, regarding the unity of G–d, be it merely by way of rendering lip service only, while his heart remains perfect in the belief in G–d.

(14) This is called “fear that is contained in love,” the natural love of the divine soul that is found in all Jews, the intrinsic desire and will of which is to be attached to its origin and source in the light of the En Sof, blessed is He. For by virtue of this love and this desire, it instinctively recoils in fear and dread from touching even the fringe of the impurity of idolatry, Heaven forbid, which denies the faith in one G–d, even where such contact involves only its outer garments, namely, speech and act, without any faith whatsoever in the heart.