To Extinguish the Fire And also, we make a strong bond of commitment that our group should not, heaven forbid, be in any way insular and isolated from those Jews who are not a part of our group. To the contrary, the first principle and basis of our group is the love of the Jewish people and the love of friends, in the strongest possible manner.
Imagine if a fire broke out in the city, and the fire department came to put it out and rescue people, using its professional techniques. Would the firemen hate and drive away the residents who were also involved in the rescue work and in extinguishing the fire—each to the best of his ability? Certainly not. After all, they all have one common goal: to put the fire out and save the people engulfed in its flames. The only difference amongst them is that everyone is doing rescue work in his own way. The fire department is most successful, for that which a group can do no individual can accomplish.
Each of us is constantly concerned and anguished about his life. “What will ultimately become of me? Day after day, I yearn to be close to God with my every thought, word and act and at the very least not to be far from Him and thrown into the thick mire (heaven forbid). Yet every day I destroy this yearning with my own hands. I do not even wait for God to cast me away from His countenance. Of my own initiative, I cast myself into uncharted territories of chaos and void, amidst spiritual forces corresponding to donkeys, mules and dogs.”
What will our end be? Our days and years have passed this way, and in our impoverishment we give vent to groans. Will we only awaken when we reach our last day on earth? Then will we beat our hearts and cry, “Woe, what did I do? Why is my soul and body engulfed in pollution, and nauseating worthlessness? My entire lifetime was one mass of uncleanness and foul, degraded desires, thoughts and lusts, which I now find repellent. And in addition to that, foolishness and meaningless things were the constant occupation of my soul. With my own hands, I removed myself from the world of holiness and purity, the sanctity of God, and threw myself into the pit of pollution and ugliness.”
This worry gnaws constantly at the heart and pierces the brain of each of us. Each one of us worries and sighs, but finds no remedy to heal his broken heart.
Therefore, we have joined together to find means appropriate for people as lowly in spirit as we are, with which to serve the one God. And at the very least we hope that God will help us so that we will not waste our days in the depths, but that we will be able to unify our hearts with the One God, and take refuge in His shadow while we are still in this world.
וְכֵן אָנוּ מַתְנִים בִּתְנַאי כָּפוּל שֶׁלֹּא תִּגְרֹם ח"ו חֶבְרָתֵנוּ שׁוּם הִתְגַּבְּלוּת עַצְמִית וּפֵרוּד שְׁאָר יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵינָם בְּחֶבְרָתֵנוּ. אַדְּרַבָּא רֵאשִׁית וִיסוֹד חֶבְרָתֵנוּ הִיא אַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַהֲבַת חֲבֵרִים בְּאֹפֶן הַיּוֹתֵר חָזָק.
To Extinguish the Fire
And also, we make a strong bond of commitment that our group should not, heaven forbid, be in any way insular and isolated from those Jews who are not a part of our group. To the contrary, the first principle and basis of our group is the love of the Jewish people and the love of friends, in the strongest possible manner.
מָשָׁל לִשְׂרֵפָה בָּעִיר וּבָאוּ חַבְרֵי מְכַבֵּי אֵשׁ לְכַבּוֹת וּלְהַצִּיל בְּאֶמְצָעִים שֶׁמַּתְאִימִים לְדַעְתָּם וּלְרוּחָם, הַאִם בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה יִשְׂנְאוּ וְיִתְרַחֲקוּ מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי הָעִיר שֶׁגַּם כֵּן מַצִּילִים וּמְכַבִּים כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי יְכָלְתּוֹ? הַתַּכְלִית הִיא אַחַת לְכֻלָּם, לְכַבּוֹת וּלְהַצִּיל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הַנִּמְצָאוֹת בְּלַהֲבֵי אֵשׁ, רַק כָּל אֶחָד מַצִּיל כְּפִי אֶמְצָעָיו, וְהַחֶבְרָה יוֹתֵר מַצְלִיחָה בְּזֶה וּמַה שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה בְּיַד הַחֶבְרָה לֹא יַעֲלֶה בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן בְּיַד הַיָּחִיד.
Imagine if a fire broke out in the city, and the fire department came to put it out and rescue people, using its professional techniques. Would the firemen hate and drive away the residents who were also involved in the rescue work and in extinguishing the fire—each to the best of his ability? Certainly not. After all, they all have one common goal: to put the fire out and save the people engulfed in its flames. The only difference amongst them is that everyone is doing rescue work in his own way. The fire department is most successful, for that which a group can do no individual can accomplish.
לָכֵן גַּם אָנוּ, כָּל אֶחָד מֵאִתָּנוּ דּוֹאֵג וּמִצְטַעֵר תָּמִיד עַל עַצְמוֹ לֵאמֹר סוֹף כָּל סוֹף מָה יִהְיֶה עִמָּדִי? יוֹם וְיוֹם אֲנִי מִשְׁתּוֹקֵק לִהְיוֹת קָרוֹב לד' בְּכָל מַחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה (לְבוּשֵׁי הַנֶּפֶשׁ) וּלְכָל הַפָּחוֹת שֶׁלֹּא לִהְיוֹת מְרֻחָק מִמֶּנּוּ וּמֻשְׁלָךְ ח"ו בְּתוֹךְ יְוֵן מְצוּלָה, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם בְּכָל יוֹם וְיוֹם אֲנִי בְּיָדִי שׁוֹבֵר אֶת הָרָצוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁל עַצְמִי וְאֵין אֲנִי מַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיךְ ד' אוֹתִי מֵעַל פָּנָיו ח"ו, רַק בְּעַצְמִי מַשְׁלִיךְ אֲנִי אֶת עַצְמִי אֶל מְקוֹמוֹת לֹא יְדוּעִים תּוֹהִים וּבֹהִים בֵּין חֲמָרָא אַתַּנָּא וְכַלְבָּא.
Each of us is constantly concerned and anguished about his life. “What will ultimately become of me? Day after day, I yearn to be close to God with my every thought, word and act and at the very least not to be far from Him and thrown into the thick mire (heaven forbid). Yet every day I destroy this yearning with my own hands. I do not even wait for God to cast me away from His countenance. Of my own initiative, I cast myself into uncharted territories of chaos and void, amidst spiritual forces corresponding to donkeys, mules and dogs.”
וּמָה תִּהְיֶה תַּכְלִיתֵנוּ, יָמֵינוּ וּשְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בְּתוֹךְ כָּךְ עוֹבְרִים בְּעוֹנִי וְיָגוֹן, וְהָיָה כִּי נִקְרַב לְיוֹם הָאַחֲרוֹן רַק אָז נָקִיץ, נַכֶּה עַל לְבָבֵנוּ, וְנִצְעַק אוֹי לָנוּ מָה עָשִׂינוּ! לָמָּה זֶה בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ וְגוּפֵינוּ אָנוּ נִמְצָאִים בְּרֶפֶשׁ סְחִי וּמָאוֹס, כָּל הַחַיִּים שֶׁחָיִינוּ בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הָיְתָה רַק חֲתִיכָה שֶׁל נְבֵלָה וְגֹעַל נֶפֶשׁ, רְצוֹנִיּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת וְתַאֲווֹת נְמוּכוֹת שֶׁקּוֹצָה נַפְשִׁי עַתָּה בָּהֶם, וּסְתָם שְׁטוּיוֹת וַהֲבָלִים מִלְּאוּ אֶת נַפְשִׁי תָּמִיד, וּבְיָדִי הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת עַצְמִי מִן עוֹלָם הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וְהַטָּהֳרָה, קְדֻשַּׁת ד', וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּי אוֹתִי אֶל תְּהוֹם הַזֻּהֲמָא וְכִעוּר.
What will our end be? Our days and years have passed this way, and in our impoverishment we give vent to groans. Will we only awaken when we reach our last day on earth? Then will we beat our hearts and cry, “Woe, what did I do? Why is my soul and body engulfed in pollution, and nauseating worthlessness? My entire lifetime was one mass of uncleanness and foul, degraded desires, thoughts and lusts, which I now find repellent. And in addition to that, foolishness and meaningless things were the constant occupation of my soul. With my own hands, I removed myself from the world of holiness and purity, the sanctity of God, and threw myself into the pit of pollution and ugliness.”
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵאִתָּנוּ דְּאָגָה זוֹ מְכַרְסֶמֶת תָּמִיד אֶת לִבּוֹ וּמְנַקֶּרֶת אֶת מוֹחוֹ, הוּא דּוֹאֵג וְנֶאֱנָח, וּתְרוּפָה לְלִבּוֹ הַשָּׁבוּר אֵינוֹ מוֹצֵא.
This worry gnaws constantly at the heart and pierces the brain of each of us. Each one of us worries and sighs, but finds no remedy to heal his broken heart.
לְזֹאת הִתְחַבַּרְנוּ יַחַד לִמְצוֹא אֶמְצָעִים מַתְאִימִים לִנְמוּכֵי רוּחַ כָּמוֹנוּ, וְכֻלָּנוּ יַחַד נַעֲבֹד יַחַד בְּאֶמְצָעִים אֵלֶּה אֶת ד' אֶחָד, וְכֻלֵּי הַאי וְאוּלַי יַעֲזֹר ד' וְלֹא נְבַלֶּה אֶת יָמֵינוּ בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית, וְנִזְכֶּה לְיַחֵד אֶת לְבָבֵנוּ לְאֶחָד וְלַחֲסוֹת בְּצֵל שד"י, גַּם בְּעוֹדֵנוּ בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
Therefore, we have joined together to find means appropriate for people as lowly in spirit as we are, with which to serve the one God. And at the very least we hope that God will help us so that we will not waste our days in the depths, but that we will be able to unify our hearts with the One God, and take refuge in His shadow while we are still in this world.