You should be able to feel another’s troubles in your own heart. This is especially true when many are suffering. It is possible to recognize another’s anguish clearly, and still not feel it in your heart.
When an entire community is in distress, you should surely feel its agony in your heart. If you do not feel it, you should strike your head against the wall. That is, you should strike your head against the walls of your heart.
This is the meaning of the verse, “You shall know this day and take it to your heart” (Deuteronomy 4:39). You must bring the realization from your mind to your heart (see “His Wisdom” #217). Understand this well.
We later heard that the Rebbe once said that this is the meaning of the verse, “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” (Isaiah 38:2). The face that he turned was his mind, bringing it inside the walls of his heart.49Yerushalmi, Berakhot 35a; Sanhedrin 51b; Tzaddik #199.
רָאוּי שֶׁיַּרְגִּישׁ צָרַת יָחִיד, מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן צָרַת רַבִּים (ח"ו) – בְּלֵב. כִּי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיֵּדַע מֵהַצָּרָה ח"ו, וְיוֹדֵעַ בְּבֵרוּר כְּאֵב הַצָּרָה ח"ו וְעִם כָּל זֶה לִבּוֹ אֵינוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ הַצָּרָה כְּלָל.
You should be able to feel another’s troubles in your own heart. This is especially true when many are suffering. It is possible to recognize another’s anguish clearly, and still not feel it in your heart.
וְעַל־כָּל־פָּנִים צָרַת רַבִּים ח"ו, רָאוּי שֶׁהַלֵּב יַרְגִּישׁ כְּאֵב הַצָּרָה. וְאִם אֵינוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ, צָרִיךְ לְהַכּוֹת הָרֹאשׁ בְּקִיר, הַיְנוּ לְהַכּוֹת הָרֹאשׁ בְּקִירוֹת לְבָבוֹ.
When an entire community is in distress, you should surely feel its agony in your heart. If you do not feel it, you should strike your head against the wall. That is, you should strike your head against the walls of your heart.
כַּמּוּבָא בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (לְקַמָן רי"ז) עַל־פָּסוּק "וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ" (דְּבָרִים ד), שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהָבִיא הַדַּעַת בְּהַלֵּב. וְהָבֵן הֵיטֵב.
This is the meaning of the verse, “You shall know this day and take it to your heart” (Deuteronomy 4:39). You must bring the realization from your mind to your heart (see “His Wisdom” #217). Understand this well.
אַחַר־כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת "וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר" (יְשַׁעְיָה לח), שֶׁהֵסֵב וְהִמְשִׁיךְ הַפָּנִים שֶׁהוּא הַמֹּחַ וְהַדַּעַת אֶל קִירוֹת הַלֵּב, הַיְנוּ כַּנַּ"ל.
We later heard that the Rebbe once said that this is the meaning of the verse, “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” (Isaiah 38:2). The face that he turned was his mind, bringing it inside the walls of his heart.49Yerushalmi, Berakhot 35a; Sanhedrin 51b; Tzaddik #199.
כִּי עִקַּר הַפָּנִים הִיא הַחָכְמָה וְהַדַּעַת שֶׁהוּא אוֹר הַפָּנִים כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
One’s true face is his mind, and the mind illuminates the face from within (Likutey Moharan 30:4; cf. Ecclesiastes 8:1).