ENCOURAGEMENT To return to God one must be expert in the law, the halachah, which literally means “going.” A person must be skilled in travelling the necessary path so that nothing in the world will discourage him or make him feel rebuffed. Whether he makes progress or not, even if he feels himself sliding back, regardless of what he may go through, he should always be firm and follow the teaching of King David in the book of Psalms (139:8): “If I ascend to heaven You are there, and if I make hell my bed, behold there You are.” For even in the lowest pit of hell it is possible to draw oneself closer to God, because He is to be found there too. “If I make hell my bed, behold there You are.” (6:4).
הִתְחַזְּקוּת
א. מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לָשׁוּב לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בָּקִי בַּהֲלָכָה מְאֹד, שֶׁלֹּא יַפִּיל וְלֹא יַרְחִיק אוֹתוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר בָּעוֹלָם בֵּין בַּעֲלִיָּה בֵּין בִּירִידָה. וּבְכָל מַה שֶּׁיַּעֲבֹר עָלָיו יְחַזֵּק אֶת עַצְמוֹ (שֶׁקּוֹרִין דֶער הַאלְטִין זִיךְ), וִיקַיֵּם "אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אַתָּה וְאַצִּיעָה שְׁאוֹל הִנֶּךָּ", שֶׁגַּם בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּיּוֹת יְכוֹלִין לְקָרֵב אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי גַּם שָׁם הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ נִמְצָא, בִּבְחִינַת "וְאַצִּיעָה שְׁאוֹל הִנֶּךָּ". עַיֵּן תְּשׁוּבָה אוֹת יו"ד: (לק"א סי' ו' אות ד')
ENCOURAGEMENT
To return to God one must be expert in the law, the halachah, which literally means “going.” A person must be skilled in travelling the necessary path so that nothing in the world will discourage him or make him feel rebuffed. Whether he makes progress or not, even if he feels himself sliding back, regardless of what he may go through, he should always be firm and follow the teaching of King David in the book of Psalms (139:8): “If I ascend to heaven You are there, and if I make hell my bed, behold there You are.” For even in the lowest pit of hell it is possible to draw oneself closer to God, because He is to be found there too. “If I make hell my bed, behold there You are.” (6:4).