The Rebbe then revealed a lesson on the verse, “There is an emptiness (hevel) to what is done on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 8:14). Hevel also means breath or exhalation. When you sigh and groan with desire to return to God, this exhalation (HeVeL) breaks the rope (cheVeL) of spiritual impurity that binds you and holds you back. You can then be bound up with the holy (see Likutey Moharan I, 109).
דִּבֵּר עִם אִישׁ אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה רָחוֹק מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מְאֹד. וְאָמַר לוֹ: שֶׁיַּרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ לְהִתְאַנֵּחַ עַל עִנְיָנוֹ.
The Rebbe once spoke to a man who was very far from God. He told him that he could help himself by sighing and groaning about his situation.
וְאָמַר אָז הַתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ הֶבֶל שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ וְכוּ' (בְּסִימָן ק"ט חֵלֶק רִאשׁוֹן). שֶׁמְּבֹאָר שָׁם שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי אֲנָחָה שֶׁמִּתְאַנְּחִין לָשׁוּב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ נִפְסָקִין מֵחֶבֶל הַטֻּמְאָה וְנִתְקַשְּׁרִין לְחֶבֶל דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
The Rebbe then revealed a lesson on the verse, “There is an emptiness (hevel) to what is done on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 8:14). Hevel also means breath or exhalation. When you sigh and groan with desire to return to God, this exhalation (HeVeL) breaks the rope (cheVeL) of spiritual impurity that binds you and holds you back. You can then be bound up with the holy (see Likutey Moharan I, 109).
וְכֵן אָמַר אַחַר־כָּךְ עוֹד כַּמָּה תּוֹרוֹת, עַל אֲנָחָה, שֶׁהִיא יְקָרָה מְאֹד.
In a number of later lessons, the Rebbe again explained how precious is a person’s sigh (Likutey Moharan I, 8:1, 22:4, 56:9).