Purim Katan
a) From Above, a person is generally granted everything he needs. But when a person chases after luxuries, it can happen that not only will he fail to receive the luxuries, but he may, G‑d forbid, also lose the bestowal from Above in the things he must have. As is known, the parable of the Tzemach Tzedek, of blessed memory: clothing must be fitted to the size of the person. If the garment is larger than his size, not only does it not help him walk; on the contrary, the clothes get tangled between his feet and hinder his walking.
So it is also in spiritual matters — "וגלחה את ראשה ועשתה את צפרניה" ("She shall shave her head and let her nails grow")18: when a person seeks out schemes in material matters and is eager for luxuries, not only does it not help, it actually overturns things.
18. Where does this begin? — From "ודעתם קצרה" ("and their understanding is short"). He does not properly appraise his true nature, his spiritual standing and state; consequently he thinks that everything is coming to him, that he needs everything, and therefore he chases after luxuries.
But when his understanding is broad, he properly appraises his true nature, and consequently he feels that whatever he is given from Above comes only by virtue of G‑d's kindness, blessed be He. Therefore he does not complain and does not chase after more, for he knows that even what he already has comes only by virtue of the attribute of kindness.
19. b) When he has a broad understanding, the matter of physicality does not concern him, for physicality is, after all, constricted and limited (physicality is narrow and bounded), and so in a broad understanding it has no place (no relevance). The thing he does chase after is Torah and mitzvos. Torah and mitzvos are not limited by the limitations of this world, nor even by the limitations of the higher worlds; they are the true limitlessness and the true expanse, and from the standpoint of a broad understanding, that is the only thing that has any place.
From the standpoint of a broad understanding, he does not think about physical matters, for these are things that take up no room for one who possesses a broad understanding. He thinks only about spiritual matters, and physical matters concern him only insofar as they have a connection to Torah and mitzvos, and so on.
As the Rambam says19: "לא נתאוו החכמים לימות המשיח" ("The Sages did not yearn for the days of Moshiach") — the Sages did not look forward to the days of Moshiach because of the great wealth and physical pleasure that will exist then; that has no relevance at all. He brings a proof from the verse "ביום ההוא יחיה איש עגלת בקר ושתי צאן" ("On that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep"), meaning that people will be content with little. Rather, the reason they yearned for the days of Moshiach is the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos and the comprehension of G‑dliness that will exist then.
— There was a Chassidic Jew who had the ability, but did not want, to be a rav, and he became a merchant. Being a merchant, he immersed himself too much in business. The Rebbe wrote to him in a letter: "כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם כי על כל מוצא פי הוי' יחיה האדם" ("For not by bread alone does man live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of G‑d does man live"). The fact that the body is hungry for physical bread derives from the soul being hungry for the G‑dly spark within the food, and this causes the body to be hungry for physical bread. It follows that the main thing is the G‑dly element present in it, which gives [to] the physical —
And this is the meaning of "מרובים צרכי עמך ודעתם קצרה" ("The needs of Your people are many, and their understanding is short"): because of shortness of understanding, physicality takes up room in a person, and because of that, "the needs of Your people are many." But when his understanding is broad, then because of the breadth of understanding, physicality takes up no room, and consequently he is in a state of "וטוב לב משתה תמיד" ("and one of good heart has a constant feast").
20. Yet we do pray concerning "the needs of Your people are many and their understanding is short," that the A-lmighty should fulfill all the many needs of Your people, even though this stems from their understanding being short.
The explanation of this is: "שבע יפול צדיק וקם" ("A tzaddik falls seven times and rises"). Even a tzaddik is not always at the same level; all the more so, one who is lower than the level of a tzaddik may at times fall from his level, losing the broad understanding and acquiring a short understanding — a) so that physicality will take up room for him, and b) he will not properly appraise his true nature.
So this is the request: that even when he has a short understanding, he should lack nothing.
And the drawing down [of this] is through a broad understanding: when he stands, in general, in a state of broad understanding, he is then granted everything he needs, to the point that even when he falls from his level he will have everything he needs.
In light of this, we will understand the statement of the Gemara, "and one of good heart has a constant feast — this is one whose understanding is broad": one whose understanding is, in general, broad, brings about … [the text continues on the next page]
Notes
17) Mayim Rabbim 5636, ch. 1.
18) See Likkutei Torah, Devarim 37b: "She shall shave her head" — this refers to excessive cleverness in worldly matters.
19) Hilchos Melachim, ch. 12, halachah 4.
Key Lesson
A person who chases luxuries risks losing even what he truly needs, like a garment too large that trips its wearer. A broad understanding — appraising oneself truly and seeing every blessing as G‑d's kindness — leaves no room for material cravings and turns one's yearning to Torah and mitzvos, and this very breadth of understanding draws down everything one needs, even at times when one falls from one's level.