With the above in mind, one can understand the Scriptural text, "But the thing is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it."

At first glance, the statement that "The thing is very nigh unto thee... in thy heart" seems to be contrary to our experience (yet the Torah is eternal ). For it is not a "very nigh thing" to change one's heart from mundane desires to a sincere love of G‑d. Indeed, it is stated in the Gemara, "Is fear [of Heaven] a small thing?" How much more so— love. Moreover, the Rabbis also said, that only tzaddikim have control over their hearts.

But the words "That thou mayest do it" refer to a love which merely leads to the performance of the commandments, this being the hidden desire of the heart (רעותא דלבה ), even if it does not glow openly like flaming coals. This thing is very near, and it is easy for any person who has brains in his head, for his brain is under his control, and he is able to concentrate it on anything he wishes. If, then, he will contemplate with it on the greatness of the blessed En Sof, he will inevitably generate in his mind, at least, the love of G‑d to cleave unto Him through the performance of His commandments and Torah.

And this constitutes the whole [purpose of] man, for it is written, "This day to do them"— "this day" referring specifically to the world of [physical] action, while "tomorrow" [i.e., in afterlife] is the time of reward, as is explained elsewhere. The mind, in turn, by virtue of its inherent nature, is master over the left part of the heart, and over the mouth and all the limbs which are the instruments of action,

except in him who is completely wicked, as the Rabbis said, that the wicked are under the control of their heart, but their heart is in no wise controlled by them. This is a punishment for the enormity and potency of their sin. But the Torah does not speak of these "dead" who in their life are called "dead." Indeed, it is impossible for the wicked to begin to serve G‑d without their first repenting for their past— in order to shatter the kelipot, which form a sundering curtain and an iron partition that interpose between them and their Father in Heaven— by means of contriteness of heart and bitterness of soul over their sins, as is explained in the Zohar on the verse, "The sacrifices of G‑d are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart... ." For through breaking one's heart the spirit of uncleanliness of the sitra achra is broken (see ibid, on Parshat Pinchas, p. 240, and on Parshat Vayikra, p. 8 and p. 5, and the commentary of the "Ramaz" thereon).

This is the category of "lower repentance," whereby the lower [letter] "Art/" is raised up from its fall into the forces of evil, which is the mystery of the Shechinah in exile, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory state, "When they [the Israelites] were exiled into Edom, the Shechinah went with them." That is to say, when a person practises the acts of "Edom" he degrades and brings down thither the Divine spark which vitalises his nefesh, ruach and neshamah that are clothed within him in the animal soul of the kelipah, which is in the left part of his heart, which reigns over him as long as he remains wicked, dominating his "small city," while the nefesh, ruach and neshamah are forced into exile under it. But when his heart breaks within him, and the spirit of uncleanliness and of the sitra achra is broken, and [the forces of evil are] dispersed, then [the Shechinah] rises from its fall and remains upright, as is explained elsewhere.