ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף קהלת 7:29

“R’ Elazar said ‘from the day that the Holy Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer were locked. And though the gates of prayer were locked the gates of tears were not locked. “Keep not silent at my tears.” (Tehillim 39:13) ’” [ibid.]
Despite one’s intellectual perfection, they will never be complete if this perfection is not accompanied by the wholeness of their power of imagination⁷⁵See Moreh Nevuchim Part II, ch. 36 “A man who satisfies these conditions, whilst his fully developed imagination is in action, influenced by the Active Intellect according to his mental training,--such a person will undoubtedly perceive nothing but things very extraordinary and divine, and see nothing but God and His angels. His knowledge will only include that which is real knowledge, and his thought will only he directed to such general principles as would tend to improve the social relations between man and man”, in order that their conceptions and imaginative powers be founded on the deepest rectitude, which comes through delineation⁷⁶See Mesillat Yesharim ch. 11 sect. 10 on the boundaries beyond which lie bad traits by the intellect and wisdom. The Holy Temple is called the beauty of the world (See Shmuel I 19) and a house of prayer for all peoples. True beauty is the perfection of imagined conception through intellectual delineation, from which the highest moral guidance is drawn into the world - the essence of prayer is built upon this. Truly, so long as the abode of the all-embracing center, of the parity between the intellect and the imagined conception which is universally human, existed in the world, it was easy for individuals to lay the pathways of their conceptions according to the foundations of the intellect. And when, through this the imaginative power was elevated, it was readied to pour out great goodness into practical life. But from the day the Holy Temple was destroyed, and the all-embracing center, where the principles of the human soul found within the imaginative faculty could connect to the light of the intellect, was nullified - the gates of prayer were locked. Because it is extremely difficult for an individual on their own to elevate their power of imagination to the heights of the intellect; and sometimes in its overflowing, the imagination will stray from the path of the intellect and through excitement leave the line of the upright. In reality, this is only true when one’s seeking to conceive images of the good comes through a chosen act of imagination – then a general guiding force is needed, which we lack (due to our sins) from the day that the honor was taken from the House of our Life. It is the house of life from the side of the imaginative faculty, which is the axis upon which the life of man turns in its desires and inclinations. But true revelation is the revelation of the pure, G–dly intellect, “there is no honor other than Torah.” (see Pirkei Avot 6:3) However, it can happen that one’s conceptions will overcome him for the good, not by choice or through volition but as an outgrowth of all the pathways of the good intellect which are fixed in him, through which he continually strives to guide his soul. And when the powers in the soul come to this state, to a central point, fierce feeling beyond his normal power is aroused, and the tears pour out from the abundance of his longing for the good and the transcendent loving kindness “my soul thirsts for G–d, for the living G–d.” (Tehillim 42:3) In such a state of overflow of the products of the power of consciousness and its conceptions, G–d made man straight (See Kohelet 7:29) , that the innocence of his soul would always guide him in the straight path, and therefore the gates of tears were not locked. Through the wholeness that prayer such as this brings about, with the anchoring of one’s total state in consciousness and awe of G–d, the realization of the request is revealed according to prayer’s measure and worth, “keep not silent at my tears.” (Tehillim 39:13)

(3) The third class of evils comprises those which every one causes to himself by his own action. This is the largest class, and is far more numerous than the second class. It is especially of these evils that all men complain, only few men are found that do not sin against themselves by this kind of evil. Those that are afflicted with it are therefore justly blamed in the words of the prophet, “This hath been by your means” (Mal. 1:9); the same is expressed in the following passage, “He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” (Prov. 6:32). In reference to this kind of evil, Solomon says, “The foolishness of man perverteth his way” (ibid. 19:3). In the following passage he explains also that this kind of evil is man’s own work, “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright, but they have thought out many inventions” (Eccles. 7:29), and these inventions bring the evils upon him. The same subject is referred to in Job (v. 6), “For affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground.” These words are immediately followed by the explanation that man himself is the author of this class of evils, “But man is born unto trouble.” This class of evils originates in man’s vices, such as excessive desire for eating, drinking, and love; indulgence in these things in undue measure, or in improper manner, or partaking of bad food. This course brings diseases and afflictions upon body and soul alike. The sufferings of the body in consequence of these evils are well known; those of the soul are twofold:—First, such evils of the soul as are the necessary consequence of changes in the body, in so far as the soul is a force residing in the body; it has therefore been said that the properties of the soul depend on the condition of the body. Secondly, the soul, when accustomed to superfluous things, acquires a strong habit of desiring things which are neither necessary for the preservation of the individual nor for that of the species. This desire is without a limit, whilst things which are necessary are few in number and restricted within certain limits; but what is superfluous is without end—e.g., you desire to have your vessels of silver, but golden vessels are still better: others have even vessels of sapphire, or perhaps they can be made of emerald or rubies, or any other substance that could be suggested, Those who are ignorant and perverse in their thought are constantly in trouble and pain, because they cannot get as much of superfluous things as a certain other person possesses. They as a rule expose themselves to great dangers, e.g., by sea-voyage, or service of kings, and all this for the purpose of obtaining that which is superfluous and not necessary. When they thus meet with the consequences of the course which they adopt, they complain of the decrees and judgments of God; they begin to blame the time, and wonder at the want of justice in its changes; that it has not enabled them to acquire great riches, with which they could buy large quantities of wine for the purpose of making themselves drunk, and numerous concubines adorned with various kind of ornaments of gold, embroidery, and jewels, for the purpose of driving themselves to voluptuousness beyond their capacities, as if the whole Universe existed exclusively for the purpose of giving pleasure to these low people. The error of the ignorant goes so far as to say that God’s power is insufficient, because He has given to this Universe the properties which they imagine cause these great evils, and which do not help all evil-disposed persons to obtain the evil which they seek, and to bring their evil souls to the aim of their desires, though these, as we have shown, are really without limit. The virtuous and wise, however, see and comprehend the wisdom of God displayed in the Universe. Thus David says, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Ps. 25:10). For those who observe the nature of the Universe and the commandments of the Law, and know their purpose, see clearly God’s mercy and truth in everything; they seek, therefore, that which the Creator intended to be the aim of man, viz., comprehension. Forced by the claims of the body, they seek also that which is necessary for the preservation of the body, “bread to eat and garment to clothe,” and this is very little; but they seek nothing superfluous: with very slight exertion man can obtain it, so long as he is contented with that which is indispensable. All the difficulties and troubles we meet in this respect are due to the desire for superfluous things: when we seek unnecessary things, we have difficulty even in finding that which is indispensable. For the more we desire to have that which is superfluous, the more we meet with difficulties; our strength and possessions are spent in unnecessary things, and are wanting when required for that which is necessary.