6648 —התגברות על העצבות ותחבולות היצר הרע

B"H, 17 Teves, 5719. Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

... And at the end of your letter you mention being in a low mood and are surprised by this. Both matters are puzzling: why you are surprised about this—after all, our master the Alter Rebbe writes that this is one of the tricks of the yetzer hara (the matter of sadness), and he writes at length there. From this it is understood that anyone who has not reached the level of King David (whose heart was hollow within him and had no yetzer hara), surely the opposing force tries even this tactic. The second puzzlement is why you allow (you let) the yetzer hara to succeed, G‑d forbid, with this tactic—not only does it entice you to be in a low mood but you actually find yourself in it! If everyone is given the strength not to be enticed and to nullify this tactic from the outset, how much more so for those whom Divine Providence has merited to be involved in holy institutions connected with the community of chassidim—whose main point is serving Hashem with joy and gladness specifically. I await good news regarding all the above and may it be G‑d's will that this will be very soon.

With blessing for good news.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that sadness is a tactic of the yetzer hara meant to hinder spiritual growth. One must recognize this strategy and actively serve Hashem with joy, especially when engaged in holy communal work.