Where does our heart lie? II

(The following post was continued from an earlier post on this topic here.)

When the Jew channels all his desires to serving Hashem, he becomes a vessel for G–dliness to enter him. Moreover, he also becomes a vessel for material prosperity, which also comes only from Hashem’s blessings. As our sages say, “An empty vessel holds.”[1]

However, our sages continue, “a full vessel does not hold.” This means that when the person is full of desires for physical pleasures and indulgences for their own sake, rather than to connect to G–dliness, he is “full,” for he desires to receive from Kelipah. Thus, he is not a vessel to receive blessings from Hashem.

Rather, one should work at refining oneself so that he does not desire worldly pleasures. He accomplishes this by reflecting upon how these desires have distanced him from G–dliness. Moreover, he should reflect upon the fact that his craving for the physical reflects a certain sense of entitlement. He thinks, perhaps subconsciously, that he somehow deserves to indulge all his desires. But when he reminds himself that he has not served Hashem as expected, he realizes that he deserves nothing. These thoughts lead him to a broken heart, and this breaks his desires for physical pleasures.

Through this, he makes himself a vessel for Hashem’s blessings in all areas, material and spiritual.
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[1] Berachos 40a.

Based on Sefer HaMa’amarim 5714, Tonu Rabonon, p. 299.