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The questionאיך מתחזקים בשמחה?
One must always be in joy and serve God with joy. And even if at times one falls from his level, he must strengthen himself with the previous days, when some illumination shone for him a little.
As we see that several blind people support themselves on one man who is not blind, and believe in him and walk after him; and the blind man also trusts his staff and walks after his staff, even though he does not see at all.
All the more so it is fitting to follow oneself. That is, since in the previous days it shone for him a little, and he was strengthened and his heart was aroused toward God, blessed be He, even though now he has fallen from this and his eyes and his heart have become closed up, nevertheless it is fitting that he hold on to the previous days and walk after them. That is, just as then his heart was aroused to strengthen himself in the service of Him, blessed be He, so too now he should strengthen his heart very much, and walk after the arousal and the shining that he had then, even though now he has fallen from this, as mentioned above, until within a few days God will help him, and the light of Him, blessed be He, will shine for him again. Amen. (See at the end of the book what pertains to this.)
צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת תָּמִיד בְּשִׂמְחָה וְלַעֲבֹד ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם לִפְעָמִים נוֹפֵל מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ, צָרִיךְ לְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ…
The general rule is that one must strengthen oneself very much, with all one's powers, to be only joyful always. For it is human nature to draw oneself into melancholy and sadness because of the troubles and mishaps of the times, and every person is full of sufferings. Therefore one must force oneself with great strength to be in joy always, and to gladden oneself with whatever one can, even with silly things.
Although a broken heart is also very good, nevertheless it is only for a certain time. It is fitting to set aside for oneself a certain hour each day to break one's heart and to pour out one's words before Him, may He be blessed, as is brought in our teachings; but the whole rest of the day one must be in joy. For from a broken heart one can easily come to melancholy, more easily than one can stumble through joy, God forbid, and come to some frivolity, God forbid. For it is closer to come from a broken heart to melancholy.
Therefore a person must be in joy always, and only at a designated time should he have a broken heart.
…קְרֵי הַזְּמַן, וְכָל אָדָם מָלֵא יִסּוּרִים, עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד וּלְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר יוּכַל, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּמִלֵּי דִּשְׁטוּתָא. אַף שֶ…
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