Becoming excited to serve God is one thing. Our previous chapters dealt with awakening the hidden love which is in our hearts so that we can serve God. We finally feel we can flee from those things that disconnect us with God. We finally want to connect with God and we know we can do it by observing the Mitzvot and by studying Torah.
But now the Alter Rebbe changes his direction in Chapter 26. What better time to do so when we feel inspired and ready to serve God?! But then it happens, and sometimes that inspiration leaves one. Intellectually one can feel as if one knows what is right and what must be done, and what is wrong and what one needs to abstain from. But then it happens that we feel a sudden depression come over us and we don’t know what to do.
The Alter Rebbe tells us that we must be aware that the battle we face is comparable to two fighters (wrestlers) who are up against each other. Each must be careful to be on the alert! No matter how strong one may be, if one gives us (even for a moment), loses hope or lets one’s guard down against the opponent – at that time, even a weaker opponent can win that fight.
This is exactly the problem we face when it comes to feelings of depressions. We must be alert and not let that inertia we feel put a stop to our activities in what we need to do. That will just give a clear win to the enemy who really has no right to win this fight.
On the other hand, a genuine bitterness at one’s deficiencies can be a positive point if put into perspective. This means setting aside time to examine our challenges and deficiencies at an appropriate time. Then we can consider where we are at and use that time constructively. This will lead us to realise that the difficulties we face are a part of our challenge. We will turn that sadness into an additional happiness, because we will know that we are in fact on the right track. This is a good sadness. It brings us to happiness – which is in fact the goal We can use that sadness as a means to become stronger and greater. Looking back, we can see that the difficulty undergone is there to make as stronger. This brings us to an additional happiness!
Even King David experienced failure. But through breaking his heart over his difficulty, challenge and failure, he prays to God asking him now to experience true happiness. This is our challenge. To overcome that enemy of depression, and bring ourselves to a happiness that will be even greater than the happiness we had before the fall.
