The suggested advice to enable one to accept [it] with love, is G-d's counsel through the mouth of our Sages, of blessed memory [24] - "to examine one's conduct."

[The Gemara says that "if one sees afflictions befalling him, he should examine his deeds" and repent.]

He will find sins that require scouring by means of suffering.

He will then clearly see G-d's great love towards him which "upsets the natural order of [Divine] conduct," as in the simile of a great and awesome king who, out of his immense [25] love for his only son, personally washes off the filth from him.

As it is written, [26] "When G-d will wash off the filth from the daughters of Zion... with a spirit of justice [27] ..." [28]

[When one becomes aware of G-d's great love for him, a love that is expressed by scouring him with the cleansing agent of suffering]:

Then, [29] "as in water face reflects face."

[The verse goes on to say, "...so is the heart of man to man."

And the same is true of the heart of mortal man to Supernal Man]:

There will be an arousal of love in the heart of everyone who perceives and understands the preciousness of the nature of G-d's love for the nether beings, [for those who find themselves in this world, the lowest of all worlds].

This [Divine love] is dearer and better than all the [kinds of] life of all the worlds, [both spiritual and matrial]; before as it is written, [30] "How precious is Your lovingkindness (Chesed)...."

[It is likewise written,] [31] "For Your Chesed is better than life...." [The motivating nucleus of Chesed is love.

Thus it is written, [32] "I have loved you with an everlasting love, and have therefore drawn down Chesed upon you."]

For Chesed, which is a manifestation of love, is the Fountainhead of life that is present in all the worlds; as it is said [in the Amidah], [33] "He sustains life through Chesed."

[Chesed and love are thus the sustaining life-force of all living beings.]

And then, [i.e., when one realizes G-d's great love for him that finds expression in afflictions, and when this in turn arouses a love within him so that he will better receive G-d's love, then]: G-d, too, will grant goodness, [of a kind that the naked eye can clearly and palpably perceive as good], and make His Face [the innermost dimension of Divinity] shine towards him [34] with a manifest love, which had earlier been garbed and hidden in a manifest rebuke.

[The overt admonition that stems from G-d's hidden love will then be transformed into a revealed love], and the expressions of Divine severity [the gevurot] will be sweetened at their source, and thereby these expressions of Divine severity will become nullified forevermore.

[Within their source these expressions of Divine severity are ultimately benevolent; as they descend to the world below they become manifest in the form of suffering. The gevurot, then, will be sweetened at their source.]

   

Notes:

24. (Back to text) Berachot 5a.

25. (Back to text) Note of the Rebbe Shlita: "A point awaiting clarification: In the analogue the Alter Rebbe writes `great' (a qualitative term?) while in the analogy he writes `immense' (a quantitative term?)."

26. (Back to text) Yeshayahu 4:4. The Hebrew text in the printed version has been corrected in accordance with the Table of Glosses and Emendations.

27. (Back to text) Note of the Rebbe Shlita: "Cf. Shaar HaKollel on the Yehi Ratzon recited at the burning of chametz."

28. (Back to text) See Rashi on the verse.

29. (Back to text) Cf. Mishlei 27:19.

30. (Back to text) Tehillim 36:8.

31. (Back to text) Ibid. 63:4.

32. (Back to text) Yirmeyahu 31:2.

33. (Back to text) Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 51, et al.

34. (Back to text) Cf. Bamidbar 6:25.