The longest distance is to our hearts

The Sifsei Chaim, in talking about teshuva, speaks of the avodah of ha’ashava, of bringing the knowledge that we have down to our hearts. Over and over and over again, because our hearts forget.

We can ingest, take a lot in, and consume books, podcasts, and content. But if we don’t take the time to really take it in and make it personal for me — what does this mean for me, how does this get internalized into my life, into all parts of my inner emotional world — then what?

Because our minds can know an idea to be true. And the longest distance is to our hearts.

Our hearts will still need constant, constant, constant reminder. Until it really becomes a part of us.

Some things take just a little bit of integration. And some things need endless repetition, it seems, because that is where our own unique struggle lies. And so we need that constant reminder for our hearts. When our hearts forget, our struggles pick right back up.