Tanya: Chapter 24

This chapter drives home an interesting truth: Rebelling against HaShem is rebellion, whether it's a minor transgression or a major one. Even worse, the most minor transgression puts you in a place lower than the lowliest of the unholy creations.

These are frustratingly depressing things but they bear a phenomenal pay off. It isn't mentioned very much in this chapter, but a large part of Hassidut deals with the holiness that can be brought about only by repenting for one's sins. Our place in existence means that on the one hand, we can choose wrongly and sink lower than anyone else ever could, on the other hand, when we wake up to our errors and strive to fix them we can raise them up higher than anything else in the world.

In chapter 4, the clothing of our souls is discussed to a limited degree, but an important point made is that the clothing, created by the performance of mitzwoth, has a higher source than our soul itself. Think about it, when we do Teshuvah -- a very serious mitzwah, we not only bring down light from a higher level than we could otherwise attain, we also raise up our failings and reveal the light within them, also inherently from a higher source than our own souls.

In short, all losses only set us up for greater successes. The catch is that the potential success is so much greater in large part due to the fact that it's a long shot. Every time we dig ourselves in deeper, it means we will have to work that much harder to extricate ourselves.

Here is the truly comforting thing though, mentioned at the end of chapter 24: When we fall it's like taking the King's head and sticking it in a filthy toilet. True, it doesn't sound like much of a consolation, but think: We are given such closeness to the King. He joins in and goes along with our every action. He loves us so so so so so much that he won't even leave our side when we've gone as low as we possibly can. He's with us no matter what. He's utterly totally and completely committed to you.

If that doesn't bring you comfort, I don't know what could.