ובעטיפת ציצית יכוין כמו שכתוב בזהר, להמשיך עליו מלכותו יתברך
And while putting on the tzitzit one should bear in mind what is written in the Zohar, namely, that he should draw upon himself His blessed Kingdom,
אשר היא מלכות כל עולמים וכו׳ ,לייחדה עלינו על ידי מצוה זו
which is the Kingdom over all worlds; nevertheless,1 we should intend and endeavor to focus [G‑d's Kingdom] specifically over ourselves, through this mitzvah — for the commandment of tzitzit is peculiarly effective in enhancing one's acceptance of the yoke of heaven.
והוא כענין: שום תשים עליך מלך
This is similar to [the commandment]: "You shall surely set a king over yourself."2
The Rebbe notes: The verse implies3 that before one set a king over himself he had no king, and it is he who now sets the king over himself.
ואזי אף אם בכל זאת לא תפול עליו אימה ופחד בהתגלות לבו
In such a case, i.e., having contemplated this matter, then: even though after all this [meditation] no fear or dread descends upon him in a manifest manner in his heart,
מכל מקום מאחר שמקבל עליו מלכות שמים וממשיך עליו יראתו יתברך בהתגלות מחשבתו ורצונו שבמוחו
nevertheless, since he accepts the Kingdom of Heaven upon himself, and draws upon himself the fear of Him in his conscious thought and rational volition,
וקבלה זו היא אמיתית בלי שום ספק, שהרי היא טבע נפשות כל ישראל שלא למרוד במלך הקדוש יתברך
and this submission to G‑d and his fear of Him is beyond doubt a sincere one — for it is the nature of all Jewish souls not to rebel against the blessed Holy King —
הרי התורה שלומד או המצוה שעושה מחמת קבלה זו ומחמת המשכת היראה שבמוחו נקראות בשם עבודה שלימה
then the Torah he studies or the commandment he performs because of his submission to the heavenly yoke and because of the fear that he has drawn into his mind, are termed "complete service," of the kind that can result only from a fear of G‑d, as the Alter Rebbe soon goes on to say,
ככל עבודת העבד לאדונו ומלכו
like all service [performed] by a slave for his master or king, which is, of course, prompted by fear and awe.
All this can be accomplished by arousing — even if only in his mind — at least a minimal level of fear, and utilizing it in the study of Torah and the performance of the commandments.
