Tanya: Chapter 10

The last chapter ended with the comparison of the Yetzer Hara to the Prostitute hired by the King to tempt the Prince in order to reward the Prince for his resistance to her overtures. [Referenced in the Zohar] 


This chapter ends with the comparison of a son selflessly serving his father and mother. It's interesting that the Baal HaTanya chose to end these chapters with illustrative stories, even brief ones. In both situations the person is represented by the son. In both situations the everyone else's actions are beyond reproach. The only question is how the son behaves. 



This is our goal here in this world: to correct our behavior. It's easy to fall into the belief that our actions are acceptable and the actions of others are problematic. This the Baal HaTanya hints at in this perek, is a clear message that you aren't yet a Tzaddik Gamur. (a complete Tzaddik who has totally rooted out the evil in his heart) As long as you haven't become entirely pure (and this includes especially finding fault in others) you still bear evil somewhere deep in your heart.


Even though the plain meaning at the end of the perek is that the two variations on the bnei Aliyah are intrinsically related, my initial understanding was different and I believe there is room to understand it in this way:






ושניהם עולים בקנה אחד. כי על ידי הבירורים שמבררים מנוגה מעלים מיין נוקבין ונעשים יחודים עליונים להוריד מיין דכורין שהם הם מימי החסדים שבכל מצוה ומצוה מרמ״ח מצות עשה, שכולן הן בחינת חסדים ומיין דכורין דהיינו המשכת קדושת אלקותו יתברך מלמעלה למטה להתלבש בתחתונים, כמו שכתוב במקום אחר
The two of them are intimately connected: The Tzaddik who is not complete raises up Mayin Nukvin through his yearning to better himself and rise up to HaShem, and the Tzaddik who is complete, the Bnei Aliyah bring down the Mayin Duchrin to provide for the world's needs.

Only once a person has completed their path to true tzidkut can they really help the world at large. First master yourself and then you will truly be able to help others. Until such time, all help you provide to others is of a limited nature. It is still a mitzwah to help others nonetheless. Just be aware that you are doing more for yourself by helping them than you are for them.

To this end we see from the Baal HaTanya here that when our hearts are truly full of love of HaShem we will naturally hate evil. The more we hate evil, the more we love HaShem. To me it seems the safer path is to focus on the side of love and let the side of hatred grow as a result of that love. The other way, to work on hating evil in order that we might grow to love HaShem is frought with too many pitfalls. I believe this is why the Rebbe here focuses on the relationship from the side of love, and mentions the hate mainly as a result or a symptom of that love.

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