When G‑d grants man the spirit to penetrate his blindness and open his mind's eye to recognize the evil in which he is immersed; when his heart is inspired to abandon the gross and despicable darkness, to proceed in the Light of Life along the path leading to the House of G‑d, to know the Creator and be illumined with His Light-then first he must cleanse himself of all impurities of self-adulation. He must purify the soul's garments (thought, speech, and deed) 1 and through self-discipline rigorously control his thinking, speech and actions. Evil or lustful thoughts, forbidden speech like slander or falsehood, and certainly sinful actions must become repugnant, and vigorously eliminated.
This is the service of one whom G‑d inspired to escape from darkness, whose eyes were opened to perceive the light of Chasidus, and who thus literally becomes a new being. For, in truth, he has relinquished the darkness of error and brutishness for the light of Truth and Life. He must set a fixed period of time for self-examination in regard to all his past, namely, all of his delusions, concerning both his character traits and his conduct.
