However, apparently, an extreme error can fall into the understanding of the above explanation, because, an aspect similar to this type of adhesion can actually be easily found in everyone. However, it is the exact opposite of it, since it altogether is not within the definition of Divine excitement.
It is readily observable that the excitement of the great mass of people is external excitement resulting from false delusions in their souls and hearts during prayer which manifests itself in the external cry of their heart of flesh – devoid of any inner illumination or vitality.
Such excitement is not directed to HaShem at all. This is because, during that time, there is no excitement and contemplation into G_dliness at all, except in a most general way etc. and even that is not at all in a manner of the above mentioned “listening” and inner drawing of the soul to G_d. This general contemplation does not at all even include an aspect of “listening”.
This is so, even though common usage in the world is to also consider this to be “Adhesion” or “Enthusiasm”. However it is a totally false adhesion, literally the opposite of the true adhesion which is called, “Divine Excitement.” Actually, it does have similarities to true adhesion, except that it is not at all adhesion directed to HaShem. Any adhesion which is not to HaShem is of no value, as the verse states, “You who adhere to HaShem – specifically – are alive.” Only such a person is called alive, whereas the above mentioned external adhesion which is not to HaShem is actually considered to be dead.
This is because his soul does not at all receive its vitality from the source from which it was hewn in G_dliness etc. This is called self-worship rather than worship of G_d. It does not even fall into the category of “Those who serve HaShem with their bodies”.
Those who serve HaShem with their bodies, at least are still called, “Those who serve HaShem.” That constitutes an excitement of love for HaShem that specifically is a natural physical love; in that a person’s natural animalistic soul also loves etc. This accords with the simple understanding of the verse, “And you shall love HaShem your G_d with all your heart[1]. The word for heart here is levavcha-לבבך rather than lev-לב. The sages stated that the two letters בב of Levavcha mean with both your inclinations[2], the inclination to do good and the inclination to do bad – the good inclination being a function of the Divine soul and the bad inclination being a function of the animalistic soul.
Though this does not constitute the essential bond of the Divine soul, mentioned above, it nonetheless is called serving HaShem with the body. After all, his physical heart and flesh do become excited specifically about G_d, the Life of lives, as is written “My heart and my flesh will sing out to the Living G_d.”[3] The words “My flesh” mean the heart of flesh, literally. Through the excitement of the heart of flesh with a physical pleasure, he delights in HaShem in his physical heart.
(There also is a higher level of this that reaches the aspect of “love of delights” which is in an aspect of the above mentioned essence of the Yechidah, as will soon be explained.)
The reverse of this, literally, is the matter of externally exciting the heart of flesh, in which one boils and ignites a strange fire within himself. This comes about solely through whipping his emotions into a froth and causing his blood to boil. This is not at all the fire of HaShem. Rather, it is solely for the sake of revealing the innate emotions of his heart and flesh with a heat of flaming fire, to overheat himself into feeling the thrill of excitement. This is an extremely great error that ultimately leads to delusions, misconceptions and very erroneous falsehoods. As known, even in worldly matters, when one gets carried away by his emotions it can lead to terrible consequences, especially when they are self stimulated.
(By way of jest, this is like what has been said[4] on the verse, “Do not eat over the blood”[5] – “Do not pray over your blood”, which implies that one should not pray with his blood alone, but rather, with the soul that is in the blood etc.) About this it states,[6] “A fool does not desire understanding, but rather, only to reveal the emotions of his heart.” This is well known to all. It is superfluous to lengthen on this, because it is self-understood to anyone who has truly tasted the words of the Living G_d once or twice.
His soul will greatly despise this false, mistaken path. He will altogether find it intolerable because of the coarseness and overall shallowness that eventually branches out from this alien adhesion, until the person who succumbs to it finally says,[7] “I am and there is none besides me.” This is because he becomes very aware of himself. As a result, he enters the category of arrogance and pride, similar to those who are proud of physical matters of this world, literally! Furthermore, a person who is prone to fall to this, will also fall into self love etc., and may even be drawn into a completely strange fire, as known regarding the various kinds of pitfalls that many have fallen into etc. The greater the attachment and adhesion of a person to the above mentioned true aspect of Divine excitement, the greater will be his disdain for this strange fire that literally opposes it.
This subject is extremely subtle, having many different subtle categories of levels. Even most understanding men of knowledge cannot distinguish between all the specific categories to their ultimate depth. Rather, they can only distinguish in a general way, between the physical feeling of the heart, as mentioned above, and actual Divine excitement, such as in the verse[8], “My heart and my flesh will sing out etc.”, which refers to the fact that the physical heart can be aroused to emotional feelings as a result of Divine contemplation and can also become excited about G_d, as mentioned above. This is so, even though it comes as a very tangible feeling and is actually similar to the external feelings of excitement of the physical heart when it becomes excited in and of itself, without any of the above mentioned Divine excitement.
Now, the discernment of how they constitute two diametric opposites etc. is understandable to anyone who knows the teachings of Chassidus well. However, in regard to its many details, this is hidden from most understanding men of knowledge, even the great amongst them, so much so, that they literally confuse darkness for light and light for darkness. I clearly know that there are many who delude themselves by imagining that the physical excitement of their heart of flesh is a Divine feeling, when in truth it is nothing more than a bodily feeling. However, without their being conscious of it, it does contain a tiny admixture of extremely concealed Divine light, which, as known, is called’ “The Residue of Contemplation.”
