Likutei Moharan Torah 222
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת תָּמִיד בְּשִׂמְחָה וְלַעֲבֹד ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם לִפְעָמִים נוֹפֵל מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ, צָרִיךְ לְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ בַּיָּמִים הַקּוֹדְמִים שֶׁהָיָה מַזְרִיחַ לוֹ אֵיזֶה הֶאָרָה קְצָת.
A person needs to be cheerful always, and to serve God cheerfully. And even if he occasionally falls from his level, he has to strengthen himself with earlier times, when some small measure of light did shine on him.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִים, שֶׁכַּמָּה סוּמִים מַחֲזִיקִים עַצְמָן בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ סוּמָא וּמַאֲמִינִים בּוֹ וְהוֹלְכִים אַחֲרָיו, וְגַם הַסּוּמָא מַאֲמִין לְמַקְלוֹ שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ אַחַר מַקְלוֹ, אַף שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה כְּלָל,
This is as we see, that a number of blind people hold on to someone who is not blind, trusting him and following him. In addition, the blind man trusts his cane; he follows his cane even though he does not see at all.
מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁרָאוּי לֵילֵךְ אַחַר עַצְמוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁבַּיָּמִים הַקּוֹדְמִים הִזְרִיחַ לוֹ קְצָת וְהָיָה מִתְחַזֵּק וּמִתְעוֹרֵר לִבּוֹ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, אַף שֶׁעַכְשָׁו נָפַל מִזֶּה וְנִסְתְּמוּ עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ, עִם כָּל זֶה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאחַז בַּיָּמִים הַקּוֹדְמִים וְיֵלֵךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָז הָיָה מִתְעוֹרֵר לִבּוֹ לְהִתְחַזֵּק בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כֵּן גַּם עַכְשָׁו יְחַזֵּק לִבּוֹ מְאֹד, וְיֵלֵךְ אַחַר הַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת וְהַזְּרִיחָה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אָז, אַף שֶׁעַכְשָׁו נָפַל מִזֶּה כַּנַּ"ל, עַד אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצָת יָמִים יַעַזְרוֹ ה', וְיַחֲזֹר וְיִזְרַח לוֹ אוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, אָמֵן: (עַיֵּן בְּסוֹף הַסֵּפֶר מַה שֶׁשַּׁיָּךְ לָזֶה)
All the more so, a person ought to follow himself. That is, since in earlier times [the light] shone for him somewhat, and he strengthened himself and stirred his heart for God, even though now he has fallen from this and his eyes and heart are closed, nevertheless, he should hold on to those earlier times and follow them. That is, just as then he stirred his heart to strengthen his service of God, so too now, he should strengthen his heart greatly and follow the arousal and shining that he had then, even though now he has fallen from it. Until, after a short while, God helps him and God’s light again shines on him. Amen. {See the end of the book, for what is relevant here.}