This, then, is the significance of the "departure of a tzaddik:"

Although there has already been considerable concealment and cloaking [of holiness], and there have also been many questions and inexplicable occurrences, nevertheless, all this did not suffice; in order for there to be the tremendous degree of revelation (istaleik) of the glory of G‑d throughout all the worlds, there was also the demise of tzaddikim — something not only as harsh as the destruction [of the Beis HaMikdash], but more so.

And the ultimate objective of all of this is that "the glory of G‑d rise [and be diffused]."

This is demanded of each of us: To know that we find ourselves in the seventh generation, the quality of the seventh of a series merely being that he is seventh to the first.

The conduct of the first was that he sought nothing for himself, not even mesirus nefesh, for he knew that his whole existence was for the sake of "proclaiming there the Name of G‑d, L-rd of the world."

This kind of divine service resembles that of Avraham: arriving in places where nothing was known of G‑dliness, nothing was known of Judaism, nothing was even known of the alef beis, and while there setting oneself completely aside [and proclaiming G‑d's Name] in the spirit of the teaching of the Sages, "Do not read 'he proclaimed,' but 'he made others proclaim.'"

It is well known that when expounding by means of the principle, "Do not read...," both the former and the latter readings maintain their validity. Here, too, the Torah specifically states that "he proclaimed."

Nonetheless, it must be known that if a person desires to succeed in enjoying his own "proclamation", he must see to it that others not only know but "proclaim" as well.

And although until now one's fellowman was utterly ignorant, one is now obliged to see to it that he too vociferously proclaim joining "G‑d" and "world" together, and not — "G‑d of the world."

For the latter phrase would imply that G‑d is an entity unto Himself and the world is a separate entity unto itself, except that G‑d governs and rules the world; rather, G‑dliness and the world are wholly one.