Q: I feel my own nothingness compared to the exaltedness of the rabbi. But that is how I should feel toward the Creator; whereas I cannot feel Him at all. What should I do?
A: The rabbi exists only in order to turn your attention to the Creator. It is natural that you still don’t have contact with the Creator and your attention is focused on the rabbi. But that situation will gradually pass.
Soon you will discover a new and developing egoism in you. Then, you will begin to criticize your rabbi and find more and more flaws in him. I myself went through a similar process with my rabbi.
That process is guided from Above so that you can examine whether you are acting out of egoism, or solely for the sake of giving. But when you encounter spiritual sensations, you will need your rabbi more and more. Only then will you work together, just as a child and an adult do in our world.
In fact, everything we feel in the process of correction is crucial for us, especially toward the end of correction.Any feeling, good or bad, can be accepted in a different way, but we must always understand that any feeling is a necessary result of our way.
We must feel what we feel and remember it (without extending it any longer than necessary to understand it), and then move on.
In the beginning of every act and thought there must be an aim: “There is the purpose of creation and I want to attain it, because that is the contact and the equalization with the Creator. It is the reason I do what I do (sleep, eat, drink, work etc.).” Then the rabbi will not replace the Creator, but will become your guide.
Q: Does disagreeing with the rabbi indicate a lack of respect?
A: Absolutely not! You can always express disagreement. However, I cannot tolerate objections that stem from the earthly logic of a student who does not read the texts. Read and object; be mad and find!