חסידות אויף תהילים 34:14

And I heard from my master an explanation of the verse, Guard your tongue from evil, etc., until Shun evil and do good, seek amity and pursue it (Psalms 34:14-15): That the name of Isaiah the prophet is half fury and half consolation, which is not the case with Jeremiah. And Jeremiah the prophet was punished in a pit that he was thrown into, and that which is similar to it, because he did not pray for the Jewish people when the prophecy was told to him, etc. And concerning thoughts, it is like dreams, that they follow [the words of] the mouth, etc. [Berakhot 55b]. If he believes, etc. And hence he [would have been] able to pray to sweeten it in its root. For the decreed judgment is in Endurance [Netzach] and Majesty [Hod], etc. And we shall say orally how to sweeten [it], but it should not be written down. And it is also possible for the thought or the dream to be at the end of the world. And with that, the verse mentioned above, until Shun evil and do good, can be understood. And the words of the sage are grace [chen, also an acrostic for hidden wisdom].

For the root of an Israelite’s animalistic-soul is the face of the ox in the Chariot, as is known from the Raya Mehemna (Naso 123) and in the other holy works, and has become physical in this world and within him due to his lowly actions. When he kindles his light and soul, the holy root of his animal soul is revealed and becomes holy again. When his body and inclinations become holy, the worldly things which he eats and drinks, and which become his flesh and energy, become literally holy when he serves God with the force accrued by eating them, as is said in the holy books. All of this is dependent on the active avodah he does—not sleepily or weakly, but with force, revealing his holy soul. Then his animalistic soul, and that of the world, become sanctified. This is what his cited in Beit Aharon on the verse “turn from evil and do good:”⁵⁴⁴Psalm 34:14. turn from evil by doing good. For by the good one does in serving God, he will thereby remove the evil.

(a) In the name of my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory: He explained the disagreement between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel as to whether one increases day by day or decreases. He explained that, in the lamp, there is an aspect of illumination and one of combustion, that being to burn the waste material and to purge the inside by the fire of desire for Him, may He be blessed. And Beit Shammai are of the view that, initially, it is necessary to "depart from evil [and (then) do good]" (Ps. 34:14), and thus the practice of decreasing day by day. And Beit Hillel are of the view that the main idea is to increase day by day, such that the enthusiasm that illuminates through him will purify his body and will automatically purge the waste material. (b) And this is also what is written that Yosef placed Menashe first, while Ya'akov placed Efraim first. For the name Menashe is from "God has made me forget [nashani] ... my travail" (Gen. 41:51), as with "forget your people and your father's house" (Ps. 45:11), and he thought this about Ya'akov. But Ya'akov our ancestor, peace be on him, realized that not everyone is prepared for this, and he placed Efraim first [see Gen. 41:52: Efraim "for God has made me fertile (hifrani)"], corresponding to the view of Beit Hillel. Thus far [my grandfather's] statement, may his memory be for a blessing. (c) And according to this, both the formulation "increases day by day" and the formulation "decreases day by day" make sense, for they are in truth two paths. There are those who proceed by diminishing the subjugation of the body, and there are those who proceed by increasing the light of the spirit and of the insides. And this is a matter of "Ehad marbeh v'ehad mam'it" [originally, it is all the same whether one does much or one does little, provided that one directs one's mind towards Heaven. Ber. 5b, 17a]. And these two aspects are of Hallel and Thanksgiving, as we have said elsewhere.