Moses Hayyim Luzzatto, ’Adir ba-Marom, p. 37

Jewish Mysticism
You must know that the essence of a person’s action is to direct his ways and his conduct for the sake of rectifying the Shekhinah…. A person must take upon himself the rectification of the Shekhinah, and this is called in truth the “reapers of the field.” The secret of the matter is that the mystical intent of all the acts of worship (‘avodah) that men perform for the Holy One, blessed be He, is that they constitute the working of the field (‘avodat ha-sadeh), and this is the esoteric significance of “a king is enslaved to the land” (melekh le-sadeh ne‘evad) (Eccles. 5-8), for just as there are many different types of work that pertain to the field, and all are necessary to bring about the improvement (tiqqun) that is required by it, so too the Shekhinah has such a need. These acts of labor are verily the miswot, for they, too, are of varied species. Thus it is written, “Though you take much seed out to the field, you shall gather in little” (Deut. 28-38), and it is also written, “You have been sowing, but have nothing to reap” (Micah 6-15). The secret of this is that the miswot act by way of planting, for the lights are sown in Nuqba’, which is the field. When the [time of] reaping has been reached, that is, to bring out of the Nuqba’ for those that are below, it says, “Sin couches at the door” (Gen. 4-7). Sitra’ ’Ahra’ grows stronger to take this light. If there is no one who knows how to harvest the field properly, the light does not spread forth so as not to be given to Sitra’ ’Ahra’ in the secret of “He has withdrawn His right hand in the presence of the foe” (Lam. 2-3). Yet, he who receives upon himself the matter of the rectification of the Shekhinah, he ascends to take the light from the place that Sitra’ ’Ahra’ does not reach and he brings it below. When it is taken from the man it is guarded, for all of the danger is in the dissemination from Malkhut to the humanity. And this is in truth the matter of the students of the academy of Rashbi, may be peace be upon him, constantly going out on journeys and studying the secrets, for this is verily the true way to perform this rectification. This is a matter that Rashbi taught them.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in “Tiqqun ha-Shekhinah- Redemption and the Overcoming of Gender Dimorphism in the Messianic Kabbalah of Moses Hayyim Luzzatto,” History of Religions 36 (1997) 289-332.