Similarly, it is important for us to remember this concept regarding other feelings in our bodies. In some way or another, we almost always have some sort of discomfort – perhaps we’re tired, hungry, achy, and so on. So, we think that before learn and daven, we have to fix these issues. But the problem is that we can spend our whole life just trying to do so! With this mindset, years and years pass, and we’re unable to connect to avodas Hashem.
Therefore, we must realize that these feelings are also a tactic of the yetzer hara to stop us from completing our holy mission in this world. All of these concerns, confusions, and discomforts are simply things that distract us from using our time wisely for Torah and tefillah. And in reality, once we break through these things and start learning and davening, they naturally don’t bother us as much.
Of course, we still must eat and sleep, and take the normal measures to be healthy. At the same time, however, we should realize that it is possible for us to overcome the daily issues and discomforts that we suffer from by escaping into the realm of kedushah. When the light of avodas Hashem illuminates our minds and hearts, we don’t feel the irritations of the body so much. We don’t get so involved in our problems, since we’re simply too busy with more important things!
Although this level may seem too difficult for us to reach, the truth is that it is very much within our grasp. The irritations of the body create an illusion in our minds that we can’t serve Hashem without feeling totally comfortable. But if we simply awaken ourselves to start learning or davening despite the disturbances, we can attach our thoughts to kedushah and easily break through these illusions. We just have to strengthen ourselves to do a little bit more than we feel like we can. And if the distractions come back, we should just continue to ignore them by escaping into the sweet words of Torah and tefillah, until eventually, these minor problems go away altogether.
