Question:
How to become an adam gadol ("big" person)?
Answer:
Ten minutes a day Chovos haLevavos! (Or whatever mussar/chasidishe sefer works for you and brings you joy).
It is brought down that middas hadin (the attribute of judgement) is connected with the concept of katnus (smallness), whereas middas harachamim (the attribute of mercy) is connected with the concept of gadlus (bigness and greatness). A person that learns just halacha (Jewish law) is in essence filling himself up with din and more din (like it is called: dinei muktza, dinei basar bichalav, etc., and it is referred to as a nidon). We need some shiteif imo midas harachamim ("partnership with the attribute of mercy," like it says by the creation of the world) over there!
It is known that the Chasam Sofer z"l as well as Rebbi Avigdor Miller z"l (and others) would merit to tremendous giluim (revelations) in Torah, with new concepts and ideas that no one had ever heard of before. What was their secret? Chovos haLevavos! And the Arizal had all of his bnei chabura learn which sefer—Chovos haLevavos! (P.S. choose whatever mussar/chasidishe sefer that works for you, like Ohr haChaim haKadosh!)
