I heard from the Rebbe that when one formulates original Torah ideas it is very beneficial to one’s [departed] father and mother. The Rebbe told me he had been speaking with someone who was complaining bitterly to him about how terrible his behavior was. This man wanted very much to draw closer to God and change his behavior for the better. But each time he tried, the temptations grew stronger and stronger. The days had turned into years and he had still not managed to extricate himself from his bad ways. But each time he would try even harder to control himself and he was always struggling to get closer to God. As the man complained how terribly he behaved, the Rebbe answered with great wisdom, saying in a tone of sincerity and simplicity, “Then I have no one to speak to, because everything is totally bad.” At this the man got excited and said to the Rebbe, “But I do try to fight back at times and get closer to what I should be as a Jew.” “Only the slightest bit,” answered the Rebbe. He then told the man to make it a practice to go with the teaching of Azamra! (Likutey Moharan I, 282). I understood the Rebbe to mean that this was precisely how he revived this man. He had already fallen so low in his own estimation that it was not possible to revive him with anything. It was only when the Rebbe told him that he was totally bad that he was startled and became excited. It was then that he started feeling a little of the holiness of the good points still inside him. Then the Rebbe told him to go with the lesson of Azamra!.
(קכו) שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵרַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁבָּזֶה שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין בַּתּוֹרָה, עוֹשִׂין טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד מְאֹד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ: סִפֶּר לִי רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁדִּבֵּר עִם אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה קוֹבֵל לְפָנָיו מְאֹד עַל רִבּוּי מַעֲשָׂיו הַמְכֹעָרִין, כִּי זֶה הָאִישׁ הָיָה חָפֵץ מְאֹד לְהִתְקָרֵב לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלָצֵאת מִמַּעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים, אַךְ בְּכָל פַּעַם הִתְגַּבְּרוּ עָלָיו יוֹתֵר, עַד שֶׁעָבְרוּ עָלָיו יָמִים וְשָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה וְלֹא זָכָה לָצֵאת מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ לָצֵאת. אַךְ אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הִתְחַזֵּק אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר וְחָתַר בְּכָל פַּעַם לְהִתְקָרֵב לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהָיָה קוֹבֵל מְאֹד מְאֹד לְפָנָיו זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה עַל עֲכִירַת מַעֲשָׂיו רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן. וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ בִּתְמִימוּת וּבִפְשִׁיטוּת: אֵין לִי עִם מִי לְדַבֵּר, כִּי כְּבָר כֻּלּוֹ רַע. וְתֵכֶף נִתְעוֹרֵר הָאִישׁ הַנַּ"ל וְעָנָה וְאָמַר לְרַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה: הֲלֹא עִם כָּל זֶה אֲנִי מִתְגַּבֵּר לִפְעָמִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אֶת עַצְמִי לִקְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכוּ'. עָנָה רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה וְאָמַר לוֹ: הוּא מְעַט דִּמְעַט. וְתֵכֶף אָמַר לוֹ, שֶׁיַּרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ לֵילֵךְ עִם מַאֲמַר "אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹקַי בְּעוֹדִי וְכוּ' (לִקּוּטֵי מוֹהֲרַ"ן רפב), כָּל זֶה סִפֵּר לִי רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה. וְהֵבַנְתִּי כַּוָּנָתוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה שֶׁדַּיְקָא עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הֶחֱיָה אֶת הָאִישׁ. כִּי כְּבָר נָפַל בְּעֵינֵי עַצְמוֹ כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר, רַק כְּשֶׁאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁהוּא כֻּלּוֹ רַע אָז נִתְעוֹרֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ וְהִתְחִיל לְהַרְגִּישׁ מְעַט קְדֻשַּׁת הַנְּקֻדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁנִּמְצָאִין בּוֹ עֲדַיִן, וְאָז אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ עִם מַאֲמַר אֲזַמְּרָה וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל (הִלְכוֹת רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז הֲלָכָה ד' אוֹת ו'):
I heard from the Rebbe that when one formulates original Torah ideas it is very beneficial to one’s [departed] father and mother. The Rebbe told me he had been speaking with someone who was complaining bitterly to him about how terrible his behavior was. This man wanted very much to draw closer to God and change his behavior for the better. But each time he tried, the temptations grew stronger and stronger. The days had turned into years and he had still not managed to extricate himself from his bad ways. But each time he would try even harder to control himself and he was always struggling to get closer to God. As the man complained how terribly he behaved, the Rebbe answered with great wisdom, saying in a tone of sincerity and simplicity, “Then I have no one to speak to, because everything is totally bad.” At this the man got excited and said to the Rebbe, “But I do try to fight back at times and get closer to what I should be as a Jew.” “Only the slightest bit,” answered the Rebbe. He then told the man to make it a practice to go with the teaching of Azamra! (Likutey Moharan I, 282). I understood the Rebbe to mean that this was precisely how he revived this man. He had already fallen so low in his own estimation that it was not possible to revive him with anything. It was only when the Rebbe told him that he was totally bad that he was startled and became excited. It was then that he started feeling a little of the holiness of the good points still inside him. Then the Rebbe told him to go with the lesson of Azamra!.