Finding Hashem within Every Obstacle
And even if we see immense difficulties in actually reaching the treasure, we must insist on remaining close by and staying around the realm of kedushah. We must understand that if our Father surrounded us with circles that prevent us from reaching the inner point right now, there must be a great intention behind this. Maybe there is a unique treasure hidden right there in the obstacle itself! As Rebbe Nachman says: "In truth, there is no obstacle at all, because Hashem Himself is clothed within the obstacle itself." Perhaps Hashem wants a different kind of avodah from us right now. For example, sometimes a person is so overwhelmed by household responsibilities or running errands that it seems impossible to learn Torah and daven. But this obstacle is just an illusion, because with a little determination and mesiras nefesh, the distractions can be pushed aside.
On the other hand, there are times when these duties really can't be delayed-a person must help their family or handle urgent matters. At these moments, we tend to fall into despair and think: "I can't break these obstacles, so I can't come close to Hashem right now." However, someone whose heart is strong in Hashem and he believes that he is the King's son knows that there is no situation in the world where Hashem would prevent him from coming close to Him. Therefore, Hashem must be present inside this very obstacle and difficulty! The path to being attached to Hashem right now might not be through Torah and tefillah, but rather through patience, holding back from anger, doing acts of kindness, and fulfilling the specific mitzvos that are before him.
This is what Rebbe Nachman teaches us (Likutei Mohoran I, 115) on the verse: "And Moshe approached the thick cloud where Hashem was" (Shemos 20:18). Moshe Rabbeinu moved toward the thick cloud-which represents the obstacle and darkness-because "Hashem was there." Within the obstacle itself, we can come close to Hashem. Another example is during tefillah, when a person's thoughts often get scattered. While we must always try to have kavanah, the first step is to break this barrier in our mind that makes us feel distant from Hashem. We must strengthen ourselves with the realization that Hashem clothes Himself in every challenge and obstacle. We must remind ourselves: "Hashem is with me right now; why should I fall and get discouraged?" The more a person awakens this awareness and stands firm within the circles, the more power he will have to break the walls, reach the point of kedushah, and pray with concentration.
The overall concept is this: Breaking obstacles means always looking for how to come close to Hashem from the exact place that we're in. In truth, there are no real barriers in the world, and it is always possible to connect to Hashem-sometimes through one form of avodah, and sometimes through another.
With this, we can understand why the main obstacles arise specifically when trying to travel to the tzaddik and study his holy sefarim, since it is through the tzaddik that wondrous teachings are revealed on how to remain within the circles around the kedushah and find Hashem in every situation. Therefore, we often must have mesirus nefesh to overcome the barriers in reaching the tzaddik and attaining the greatest treasure of closeness to the Creator.
May Hashem give us the merit to find Him within the obstacles, and to always remain within the circles of kedushah until we're able to attach ourselves to the innermost point of truth.
