There is another point about which a person must “take counsel within his soul.”1אַךְ עוֹד אַחַת צָרִיךְ לָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ,
In the paragraphs that follow, the Rebbe explains how to fulfill the charge: “There will not be a woman who loses her young.” Until this point, he had explained the parallels to pregnancy, birth, and raising children in our Divine service, i.e., the development and expression of our spiritual emotions. Nevertheless, as a person proceeds in his daily life, it is possible that due to his worldly involvement and preoccupation with his own concerns, these emotions may wither (comparable to “a woman who loses her young”). The Rebbe therefore explains how to prevent this, clarifying the mindset necessary to enable a person’s spiritual emotions to continually thrive.
It is possible that a person may carry out his Divine service in a desirable manner,שֶׁגַּם כַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָתוֹ כִּדְבָעֵי,
with regard to both his intellectual achievementsהֵן בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהַשָּׂגָה שֶׁבַּמֹּחַ,
and his emotional developmentוְהֵן בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהַמִּדּוֹת שֶׁבַּלֵּב,
and therefore his spiritual feelings are consciously expressed.שֶׁהֵם בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת לִבּוֹ,
Moreover, they are not mere fantasy,וְאֵינָם דִּמְיוֹנוֹת שָׁוְא,
but genuine love and fearאֶלָּא אַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה אֲמִתִּיִּים,
that impact his observance of the Torah and its mitzvos.2וְנִרְגָּשִׁים גַּם בְּקִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת,
In addition to actually observing the Torah and its mitzvos,שֶׁנּוֹסָף עַל קִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בְּפֹעַל מַמָּשׁ,
he knows the mystic intent (kavanah) associated with the mitzvosיוֹדֵעַ הוּא כַּוָּנַת הַמִּצְווֹת,
and is aware of the spiritual energies drawn down through the observance of the mitzvos.וְיוֹדֵעַ גַּם הַהַמְשָׁכוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוֹת עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת
For example, his Divine service of tzedakah draws down the vector of Divine kindness.[שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הַצְּדָקָה הַהַמְשָׁכָה הִיא בְּקַו הַחֶסֶד,
His Divine service of might,וְעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת הַגְּבוּרָה,
acting according to the dictates of judgment as reflected in the verse,3 “You brought about judgment… in Yaakov” –מִשְׁפָּט גוֹ' בְּיַעֲקֹב,
According to Kabbalah, the left vector is at times associated with the quality of judgment and at times with the quality of might. In our Divine service, the two are interrelated, because it requires inner fortitude (might) to conduct oneself according to the dictates of judgment, weighing carefully how to react, instead of spontaneously responding according to one’s natural tendencies.
– draws down the vector of Divine might.נַעֲשֵׂית הַהַמְשָׁכָה בְּקַו הַגְּבוּרָה,
And his study of the Torah, which reflects the middle vector of Divine service,וְעַל יְדֵי לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא קַו הָאֶמְצָעִי,
draws down the middle vector from Above.נַעֲשֵׂית הַהַמְשָׁכָה בַּקַּו הָאֶמְצָעִי],
The middle vector is associated with the attributes of mercy and beauty, which fuse kindness and judgment together. It is associated with Torah study, because Torah study reflects a fusion of man’s efforts of refinement with revelation from Above.
In carrying out all the above, his Divine service fulfills the charge alluded to in the verse: “And you shall serve G‑d your L-rd.”וְעַד שֶׁעֲבוֹדָתוֹ הִיא בָּאֹפֶן הַמְרֻמָּז בְּדִיּוּק לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב "וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת הֲוָיָ׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם",
The expression “G‑d your L-rd,” Havayah Elokeichem, implies that
Havayah, the aspect of G‑dשֶׁשֵּׁם הֲוָיָ׳,
that is past, present, and future as oneהָיָה הֹוֶה וְיִהְיֶה כְּאֶחָד,
– and on a higher level, the aspect of Havayah that transcends Seder HaHishtalshelus, the chainlike progression of spiritual existence –וּלְמַעְלָה יוֹתֵר בְּחִינַת הֲוָיָ׳ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת,
As explained above,4 there are two dimensions to G‑d’s name Havayah: one that brings into being the world and the structure of existence associated with it, and one that transcends that structure.
– becomes Elokeichem (your L-rd), i.e., your strength and your vitality.נַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹקֵיכֶם, כֹּחֲכֶם וְחַיּוּתְכֶם,
G‑d’s name Elokim is associated with the quality of strength. And similarly, the Hebrew termא-להים is numerically equivalent to הטבע, nature. Implied is that a person should feel that G‑dliness is his strength and nature, i.e., he should identify with G‑d in a personal way.5
Nevertheless, even on such a level,הִנֵּה גַּם בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּמַעֲמָד וּמַצָּב כָּזֶה,
one must be careful not to feel satisfied with his Divine service.צָרִיךְ לְהִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶה לוֹ שְׂבִיעוּת רָצוֹן מֵעֲבוֹדָתוֹ,
For then, he will remain stationary;שֶׁאָז נִשְׁאָר לַעֲמֹד עַל עָמְדוֹ
he pauses and does not proceed any further in his Divine service.וְאֵינוֹ מוֹסִיף לְהַלֵּךְ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ (עֶר שְׁטֶעלְט זִיךְ אָפּ אוּן גֵייט נִיט וַויְיטֶער).
Such feelings of self-satisfaction can cause the love and fear that have already been spawned and expressed to cease thriving, and indeed, to cease to exist entirelyכִּי נוֹסָף לָזֶה שֶׁהָרֶגֶשׁ דִּשְׂבִיעוּת רָצוֹן יָכוֹל לִגְרֹם לְכָךְ שֶׁהָאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה שֶׁכְּבָר נוֹלְדוּ וְנִתְגַּלּוּ לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּקִיּוּמָם
(the concept of one who loses her young, mentioned above).(שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִנְיָן דִּמְשַׁכֵּלָה),
Moreover, even when he is carrying out his Divine service with love and fear,הִנֵּה גַּם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה,
his Divine service will be constrained,תִּהְיֶה עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בִּמְדִידָה וְהַגְבָּלָה,
restricted by the limits of his self-satisfaction.בְּמִדָּה הַנִּדְרֶשֶׁת מִשְּׂבִיעוּת הָרָצוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ.
This is the implication of the phrase: “There will not be a woman who loses her young or who is barren in your land.”וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר "לֹא תִהְיֶה מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ",
“Your land” (ארצך) refers to the concept of will (רצון).6בְּאַרְצֶךָ דַּיְיקָא, שֶׁאֶרֶץ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן רָצוֹן,
A person should not feel any self-satisfaction from his Divine service.הַיְינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֻרְגַּשׁ אֶצְלוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שְׂבִיעוּת רָצוֹן בִּלְבַד מֵעֲבוֹדָתוֹ
(Obviously, such an individual should also not feel his own personal desires,(וּפְשִׁיטָא שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ נִרְגָּשִׁים הָרְצוֹנוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ,
for then, as mentioned above,7 he would be a full vessel that cannot hold anything else.שֶׁאָז הוּא כְּלִי מָלֵא שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק,
He would not have a receptacle, a capacity to appreciate truth, at all,שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בֵּית קִבּוּל כְּלָל,
i.e., in the analogy, the first type of barren woman described above.) However, to fulfill the charge “There will not be a woman who loses her young,” he must also rise above all feelings of self-satisfaction.בְּחִינָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה דַּעֲקָרָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל).

Summary

The quality that could prevent one’s spiritual emotions from thriving is self-satisfaction. This trait will hold a person back from advancing in his Divine service and, indeed, inhibit the love and fear that he has already attained.