THE YOKE OF HASHEM WILL TAKE AWAY REST OF YOKES

HAMKABEL UUL MALCHUS SHOMAYIM MAVEREN MALAV AUL DERECH ERETZ

THE FIGHT BRINGS NACHES TO HASHEM

I Already Blew It!(Part 1) 

Someone posted the following Chizuk on the forum from a Shmooze by R' Tzvi Meir Zilberberg:

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The Chozeh from Lublin, The Beer Mayim Chaim, R' Hershele of Ziditshov, R' Tzadok Hacohen and other tzadikim all said:

When a person feels "I blew it already, I messed up this time", and yet he still doesn't give up and keeps trying to salvage what he could - ignoring the fact that he already failed (R' Tvi Meir calls it "Kum B'palgus Laila - getting up in middle of the night" in the words of the Zohar Hakadosh), then the Nachas Ruach that he makes for Hashem is even greater than when one is completely successful. And this is the epitome of Shechina Ba'tochtonim (bringing the divine presence into the lower world) which we know is the purpose of creation.

This type of Avodah is the greatest form of mesirus nefesh, because it is completely against human nature, as there is no short term satisfaction.

This yesod is hinted to in parshas Vayishlach. The Pasuk says "Vayei'avek ish emo ad alos hashachar - and the Malach faught with him until the morning broke". Chazal say that the Lashon of "Vayei'avek" comes to teach us that "He'elu avak ad kisei hakavod - they lifted dust until the Throne of Glory". R' Tzvi Meir explains that through the struggle that Yaakov Avinu had with the "other side", he uplifted the lowest situations - the dust of the earth - all the way to the Kisei Hakavod!

As a matter of fact, we don't find any hint in the pasuk that Yaakov overpowered the malach. On the contrary, the malach actually wounded him. But because Yaakov wouldn't give up even after he was wounded, the "other side" was forced to "agree" to bless him. This is to show us (Maseh Avos Siman La'banim) that the tikun hashalem will ultimately come through our not giving up, even in a generation that is wounded by the Yetzer Hara! (According to many sefarim, the wounding of Yaakov's thigh symbolizes the difficult tests of our generation in the area of Yesod).