לִפְעָמִים הַגָּדוֹל הוֹלֵךְ וְנוֹסֵעַ לְהַקָּטָן, וְלִפְעָמִים לְהֵפֶךְ. דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים הַצַּדִּיק נוֹסֵעַ עַל הַמְּדִינָה וּמֵאִיר לְהַתַּלְמִידִים, וְלִפְעָמִים הַתַּלְמִידִים בָּאִים אֶצְלוֹ. Sometimes the greater person goes and travels to the smaller one, and sometimes it is the reverse. In other words, sometimes the tzaddik travels to the provinces to enlighten his disciples, and other times the disciples come to him.
וְדַע, שֶׁזֹּאת הַבְּחִינָה הִיא גְּדוֹלָה, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁהַגָּדוֹל נוֹסֵעַ לְהַקָּטָן, זֹאת הַבְּחִינָה הִיא גְּדוֹלָה בְּיוֹתֵר. כִּי זֶה פָּשׁוּט שֶׁהַקָּטָן צָרִיךְ לָבוֹא לְהַגָּדוֹל, כִּי הוּא צָרִיךְ לְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ. אַךְ לִפְעָמִים אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל הַגָּדוֹל הוּא גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד, עַד שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַקָּטָן לְקַבֵּל מִן הַגָּדוֹל בִּמְקוֹמוֹ מֵחֲמַת רִבּוּי הָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל מְאֹד, עַל־כֵּן מֻכְרָח הַגָּדוֹל לְהוֹרִיד וּלְהַכְנִיעַ עַצְמוֹ אֵצֶל הַקָּטָן וְלֵילֵךְ אַחֲרָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִתְמַעֵט וְיִתְגַּשֵּׁם הָאוֹר קְצָת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל הַקָּטָן לְקַבְּלוֹ. נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁהַגָּדוֹל צָרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ לְהַקָּטָן, זֶהוּ מִגֹּדֶל עֹצֶם מַעֲלָתוֹ מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל. And know! this practice, of the greater person traveling to the smaller one, is the greater one. This is extremely great. For it is obvious that the smaller person ought to come to the greater one, as he needs to receive from him. However, occasionally the greater person’s light is so exceptionally great, that it is impossible for the smaller person to receive from the greater one when the latter is in his place. The light is then too great. The greater person must therefore lower and subordinate himself in relation to the smaller one and travel to where he is, in order that the light will be somewhat diminished and less refined. This is so that the smaller person will be able to receive it. It follows, that when the greater person must go to the smaller person, it is on account of his extremely lofty level.
וּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, הָיָה גָּדוֹל בְּמַעֲלָה כָּל־כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ לִפְנֵי גְּדוֹלִים הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַקְטִין עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַרְאוֹת הַכְנָעָה נֶגְדָּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר י״ב:ג׳): וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד מִכָּל הָאָדָם וְכוּ'; הַיְנוּ אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁגַּם הֵם הָיוּ גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד, כְּגוֹן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְאַהֲרֹן, עִם כָּל זֶה הָיָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, בְּמַעֲלָה גְּדוֹלָה וַעֲצוּמָה מְאֹד, עַד שֶׁהֻכְרַח לְהַקְטִין עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַכְנִיעַ עַצְמוֹ נֶגְדָּם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְקַבֵּל אוֹרוֹ כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (מגילה לא): בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גְּדֻלָּתוֹ, שָׁם אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ – שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ גַּדְלוּת בְּיוֹתֵר, שָׁם צָרִיךְ עֲנָוָה וְקַטְנוּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְקַבֵּל הָאוֹר כַּנַּ"ל. Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, was on such a lofty level that he had to diminish himself in the presence of even great people and subordinate himself to them. This is as it is written (Numbers 12:3), “But the man Moshe was very humble, more so than any other person….” That is, even though others, such as Yehoshua and Aharon, were also very great, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, was on such an extremely lofty level that he was forced to diminish himself and subordinate himself to them so that they would be able to receive his light. This is the concept of (Megillah 31a) : Wherever you find His greatness, there you find His humility.” Wherever there is exceptional greatness, precisely there humility and diminution are required in order for others to receive the light.
וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁהַקָּטָן בָּא לִפְנֵי הַגָּדוֹל כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ, וַאֲזַי הַגָּדוֹל מֵאִיר בּוֹ. וְעִקָּר הַדָּבָר לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֹּחִין דְּקַטְנוּת מֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת, דְּהַיְנוּ לְהָאִיר בְּהַקָּטָן, לְהַגְדִּיל דַּעְתּוֹ, שֶׁיִּתְגַּדֵּל מִקַּטְנוּתוֹ וְיִהְיֶה נַעֲשֶׂה גָּדוֹל, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיָּבוֹא לְמֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת הַמְתָּקָה. Now see, that when the KaTaN (smaller person) comes before the GaDoL (greater person) in order to receive from him, and the greater person shines his light into him, the primary purpose is to turn mentalities of KaTNut (constriction) into mentalities of GaDLut (expansion). In other words, he shines light into the smaller person in order to expand his mind, so that he grows out of his smallness and becomes great—i.e., he attains great-mindedness . This is the concept of mitigation.
וְלִפְעָמִים מֵאִיר בּוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הֶאָרַת פָּנִים וְנֶחָמוֹת, שֶׁמֵּאִיר לוֹ פָּנָיו בְּפָנִים שׂוֹחֲקוֹת, אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין, וְלִפְעָמִים אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְקַבֵּל עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, וְהוּא בִּבְחִינַת: אָעָא דְּלָא דָּלִיק, מְבַטְשִׁין לֵהּ, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהָאִיר בּוֹ עַל־יְדֵי יִסּוּרִין, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְיַסְּרוֹ וּלְבַזּוֹתוֹ, כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיּוּכַל לְקַבֵּל. Sometimes [the greater person] enlightens [the smaller person] through the light and reassurances in his expression, by smiling at him with a beaming face—[the concept of] “a glowing face.” But sometimes [the smaller person] is incapable of receiving through this means, and so is subject to the principle “when a log won’t light, they strike it” (Zohar III, 168a). It is necessary to enlighten him through suffering; it is necessary to cause him to suffer and to embarrass him, so that by reducing his ego he is able to receive.
וְדַע, כִּי אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהַגָּדוֹל צָרִיךְ לְהוֹרִיד עַצְמוֹ וּלְבַטֵּל עַצְמוֹ קְצָת מִגַּדְלוּתוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל הַקָּטָן לְקַבֵּל, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן אֵין נֶחֱשָׁב זֶה הַגֵּרָעוֹן וְהַהֶפְסֵד שֶׁל הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְבַטֵּל אוֹרוֹ לְפִי שָׁעָה, כְּנֶגֶד הַתִּקּוּן שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בְּהַקָּטָן, שֶׁהוּא מְתַקְּנוֹ וּמַגְדִּילוֹ. כִּי בִּטּוּל וְקַטְנוּת הַגָּדוֹל הוּא רַק לְפִי שָׁעָה וְאַחַר־כָּךְ חוֹזֵר לְמַעֲלָתוֹ, וְהוּא מְתַקֵּן וּמַגְדִּיל אֶת הַקָּטָן לְגַמְרֵי כַּנַּ"ל: And know! although the greater person has to lower himself and set aside a bit of his greatness in order for the smaller person to receive [from him], this temporary voiding of his light is not considered a shortcoming or loss for the greater person against the rectification which this engenders in the smaller person, whom he rectifies and raises. The voiding and diminution of the greater person is only temporary, as, afterwards, he returns to his level. Yet he rectifies and raises up the smaller person completely.