When people want to become truly religious and serve God, they seem to be overwhelmed with confusion and frustrations. They find great barriers in their path and cannot decide what to do. The more they want to serve God, the more difficulty they encounter. All the enthusiasm that such people have when trying to do good is very precious, even if their goal is not achieved. All their effort is counted like a sacrifice, in the category of, “For Your sake, we are killed each day; we are counted like sheep for the slaughter” (Psalms 44:23).
The Tikkuney Zohar states that this verse speaks of both prayer and sacrifice.17Tikkuney Zohar #21, 59a. Cf. Likutey Moharan II, 46; Tzaddik #590; Alim LeTerufah #15.
When a person wants to pray, he encounters many distractions. Still, he should give himself over entirely to the task, exerting every effort to pray properly. Even if his prayer is not perfect, his every effort is like bringing a sacrifice, in the category of, “For your sake, we are killed each day.”
The same is true of all devotion. You may wish to perfect and sanctify yourself, but find yourself unable to do so. Still, the effort and suffering involved in the frustrated attempt are not in vain. They are all an offering to God, included in the category, “For your sake we are killed each day; we are counted like sheep for the slaughter.”
Therefore, always do your part, making every effort to serve God to the best of your ability. Whatever task is at hand, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Keep it up even when all your efforts seem to be frustrated and all your attempts in vain. Do everything in your ability, and God will do what is good in His eyes (I Samuel 3:18).
אֵלּוּ הָרוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים וְלִכְנֹס בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה', וַאֲזַי יֵשׁ לָהֶם בִּלְבּוּלִים גְּדוֹלִים וּמְנִיעוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לָתֵת עֵצָה לְנַפְשָׁם אֵיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵחֲמַת גֹּדֶל הַבִּלְבּוּלִים וְהַמְּנִיעוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם וְכָל מַה שֶּׁרוֹצִים לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה' קָשֶׁה לָהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּרָאוּי, דַּע, (שֶׁזֶּה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהֵם מִתְיַגְּעִים וּלְהוּטִים לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵיזֶה עֲבוֹדָה אוֹ לְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה קְדֻשָּׁה אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לִגְמֹר כָּרָאוּי) זֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהֵם מִתְיַגְּעִים וּלְהוּטִים אַחַר זֶה, הוּא בְּחִינַת קָרְבָּנוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת (תְּהִלִּים מ"ד): "כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה".
When people want to become truly religious and serve God, they seem to be overwhelmed with confusion and frustrations. They find great barriers in their path and cannot decide what to do. The more they want to serve God, the more difficulty they encounter. All the enthusiasm that such people have when trying to do good is very precious, even if their goal is not achieved. All their effort is counted like a sacrifice, in the category of, “For Your sake, we are killed each day; we are counted like sheep for the slaughter” (Psalms 44:23).
וְאִיתָא בַּתִּקּוּנִים (זוהר) שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת קָרְבָּנוֹת.
The Tikkuney Zohar states that this verse speaks of both prayer and sacrifice.17Tikkuney Zohar #21, 59a. Cf. Likutey Moharan II, 46; Tzaddik #590; Alim LeTerufah #15.
הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁרוֹצִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְאֵין מְנִיחִין אוֹתוֹ וּמְבַלְבְּלִין אוֹתוֹ בְּכַמָּה מִינֵי בִּלְבּוּלִים וְהוּא צָרִיךְ לְכַמָּה יְגִיעוֹת בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה. וַאֲזַי אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הַיְגִיעָה בְּעַצְמָהּ שֶׁמְּיַגֵּעַ עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ וּמוֹסֵר נַפְשׁוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי, זֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ הוּא בְּחִינַת קָרְבָּנוֹת בְּחִינַת "כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ" וְכוּ'.
When a person wants to pray, he encounters many distractions. Still, he should give himself over entirely to the task, exerting every effort to pray properly. Even if his prayer is not perfect, his every effort is like bringing a sacrifice, in the category of, “For your sake, we are killed each day.”
וּכְמוֹ כֵן בְּכָל הָעֲבוֹדוֹת וְהַקְּדֻשּׁוֹת שֶׁאָדָם רוֹצֶה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה ח"ו לְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ כָּרָאוּי, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הַיְגִיעָה בְּעַצְמָהּ וְהַיִּסּוּרִין וְהַבִּלְבּוּלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מִזֶּה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁרוֹצֶה וְחָפֵץ לְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ (רַק שֶׁאֵין מְנִיחִין אוֹתוֹ) זֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ הוּא בְּחִינַת קָרְבָּנוֹת, בְּחִינַת "כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה".
The same is true of all devotion. You may wish to perfect and sanctify yourself, but find yourself unable to do so. Still, the effort and suffering involved in the frustrated attempt are not in vain. They are all an offering to God, included in the category, “For your sake we are killed each day; we are counted like sheep for the slaughter.”
עַל כֵּן עַל הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ תָּמִיד, לְיַגֵּעַ עַצְמוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה' בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁיּוּכַל. וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת – עֲשֵׂה, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁקָּשֶׁה עָלָיו מְאֹד וְנִדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁאֵין מְנִיחִין אוֹתוֹ כְּלָל וּמַרְחִיקִין אוֹתוֹ מְאֹד מְאֹד וְאֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּרָאוּי שׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְכוּ'. אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן עָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת מַה שֶּׁיּוּכַל, וַה' הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶׂה.
Therefore, always do your part, making every effort to serve God to the best of your ability. Whatever task is at hand, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Keep it up even when all your efforts seem to be frustrated and all your attempts in vain. Do everything in your ability, and God will do what is good in His eyes (I Samuel 3:18).