Askufa Hanidreset


Atzvut' - depression is the 'askufa hanidreset' - trampled upon entrance way to enter the 50 gates of tumah leading in to the heichalot d'klipa - palaces of klipa.
'Anavah' - humility is the trampled upon entryway to enter the 50 gates of kedusha that lead into the heichalot d'kedusha - palaces of holiness.

There is a story from the Arizal brought in Shivchei Ha'besht about a man from the time of the talmud that still has not found tikun for his neshama.
The reason is that he allowed himself to get depressed and lost the 'shmira makif of kedusha' - holy surrounding light that guards a person from sinning. 
This is like it says 'almala ozro, lo yuchal lo' - if were not for Hashem helping us, we would not be able to overcome our evil inclination.
The chitztonim were then able to get him to do more and more bad things with no end in sight...

Haughtiness is the masculine side of klipa while depression is the feminine. It is known that the feminine side of klipa is worse than the masculine.
A person only gets depressed if they feel that since they are so important they should not be lacking the things that they are. 
Wallowing in ones own self pity is therefore actually wallowing in ones own self agrandizment.

The Arizal told his students that he was able to acheive the high levels that he did through simcha shel mitzvah that he had 'le'in keitz'.
The truth is that he did it through anavah, since he was a nitzutz of Moshe Rabenu - Ha'anav mikol Adam - the most humble man. 
In order not to reveal this to his students he said it was through simcha, which, in reality, is the same midah - atribute.
-Mittler Rebbe - Mamer Va'yasfu Anavim

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