This is the avodah of Moshe, to unify all Jews by uplifting those who feel oppressed and lowering those who feel higher than the rest.

Not that he wishes to nullify any Jew, chas v’shalom! However, as long as people feel as though their achievements serve as pretext for them to lord it over others, they are an aspect of the Jewish taskmasters. Such an attitude demonstrates that they have forgotten that everything is truly from Hashem, and it signifies that they are in the worlds that are separated from true connection with Hashem.

The deep path in avodah, the path of Moshe Rabbeinu

can be explained through a statement made by the Tzemach Tzedek. He explained that when it came time to finally enter Eretz Yisrael, Moshe Rabbeinu was meant to gaze at the light of Hashem until he would enter such a deep contemplation of Elokus that it would enable the Jewish people to serve Hashem without interruption. If he, and we, would have reached such a high level, the Beis HaMikdash would never have been destroyed and we could have entered the land, since the whole world would have been rectified.

Despite the fact that Bitul, self-nullification, is a very exalted level, it is incomplete on its own.

True completion in avodah is embodied in the pasuk: In the midst of rage, remember mercy.

בְּרֹ֖גֶז רַחֵ֥ם תִּזְכּֽוֹר
Though angry, may You remember compassion.

Habakkuk 3:2

Even when one is filled with an aspect of rage, the thoughts that are detrimental to avodah, one has the power not only to nullify them but to transform them into an abundance of dveykus.

So, these thoughts are not only not detrimental, but they are a vehicle for reaching a much more powerful connection to Hashem. This is the secret of "remember mercy.” This can also be translated as, “remember the All Merciful One.” A person must work to remember that all thoughts come with His approval in order to draw one nearer to Hashem.

Every thought is a call to contemplate even more deeply the fact that everything is an expression of ELOKUT.

Through such deepening of one’s connection to Hashem, one affords Him great pleasure, as it were.

One who transforms his challenging thoughts and feelings in this manner is drawn ever nearer to Hashem and is really closer than if he had only come to complete bitul without having had to search for the kedusha hidden in his state of distance and confusion.

The ultimate blemish is in faith, since one who loses faith loses everything and has no life. And this is all the more true when things are difficult.

Hashem should help us to connect to Him so that we will be able to see Elokus even when we are experiencing difficulties.

May we see the “rainbow in the clouds,” the light that comes after traversing spiritual barriers,

and may we merit to be filled with joy. May we draw down the complete TIKKUN of Moshe / Atzilus by connecting to tzaddikim and learning their works, until we merit to see Hashem’s long-awaited return to Tzion, speedily in our days. Amen!