The emphasis of the Torah being within one's grasp is on the performance of the Mitzwoth of the Torah. This is because the intellect is given complete control over the heart, as far as whether or not the heart can use the body to express its wishes. [As has been explained at length in the preceding chapters]
The only exception brought in this chapter is the case of a truly sinful person whose heart is freed from his intellectual control as a punishment for his actions. This explains why first he must do teshuvah to regain control of his heart, then once again, the performance of the Torah's mitzwoth are entirely up to him.
Tanya: Chapter 16
When we awaken our souls to love and awe of HaShem, then it fills our hearts with firey love and awe as well. This excitement of the heart is already a physical phenomenon which in turn can raise up our entirely physical actions and make them spiritual.
Even more amazing is that when we only think and understand enough about HaShem to know that we should be excited, but not enough to awaken any real excitement in our hearts, then these thoughts are still too ephemeral and spirtual to affect any elevation of our physical actions.
Where HaShem's kindness truly shines is when he binds even those thoughts and ideas to our physical actions and allows them to alight as if we had actually awakened our hearts to awe and love.
The Baal Shem Tov already taught that we barely have anything to do with our mitzwoth, such that we really can't take any credit for doing them. This revellation of the Baal HaTanya takes it one step further: Even when the meager action of the mitzwah that we do is imperfect, HaShem still steps in and completes even more of the mitzwah just so that He can still give us the credit He wants us to receive.
Even more amazing is that when we only think and understand enough about HaShem to know that we should be excited, but not enough to awaken any real excitement in our hearts, then these thoughts are still too ephemeral and spirtual to affect any elevation of our physical actions.
Where HaShem's kindness truly shines is when he binds even those thoughts and ideas to our physical actions and allows them to alight as if we had actually awakened our hearts to awe and love.
The Baal Shem Tov already taught that we barely have anything to do with our mitzwoth, such that we really can't take any credit for doing them. This revellation of the Baal HaTanya takes it one step further: Even when the meager action of the mitzwah that we do is imperfect, HaShem still steps in and completes even more of the mitzwah just so that He can still give us the credit He wants us to receive.
Tanya: Chapter 15
This chapter mainly offers definitions and explanations of a couple of key passukim. The most important take-away is that serving HaShem is about the effort invested. As long as you are investing effort in your relationship, this is real relationship-building. If you are merely keeping pace, even if you've set an aggressive pace, that isn't real spiritual 'work.'
The Tzaddikim differ from the beinonim in that they are so invested in increasing the effort they put into their relationship with HaShem that the Talmud says about them that they don't rest at all in their lives, nor after they have left this world.
The Tzaddikim differ from the beinonim in that they are so invested in increasing the effort they put into their relationship with HaShem that the Talmud says about them that they don't rest at all in their lives, nor after they have left this world.
Tanya: Chapter 14
This chapter is such a good example of why I love the Tanya so much. There are so many powerful and crucial lessons in just a few sentences.
Here are, to me, the most important things to note in this chapter:
Here are, to me, the most important things to note in this chapter:
- Everyone can be a beinoni - One can ALWAYS (ie. without fail) act according to what one knows to be right, even if it isn't what you want to do.
- A sin separates you from HaShem - Only the mistaken belief that you are still connected to HaShem even when you sin allows you to rationalize sinning.
- If you routinely practice being a tzaddik, then it becomes "second" nature, and what was initially an act can touch on the truth.This doesn't mean fake it, or "put on airs" but it does mean, sometimes (for fixed periods of time every day, in private) try and behave the way a tzaddik should behave.
This is hugely comforting in a number of ways. The Tanya seems pretty depressing at the start: Not only is the definition of Tzaddik even further than you first thought, you're going to have to practically kill yourself to even reach the level of Beinoni.
At least now we're told it is entirely possible and within everyone's grasp to be a beinoni. On top of that we're told the key thing to keep in mind in order to stick to the right track: Don't be fooled into thinking for a minute that a step away from torah/mitzwoth isn't a step away from HaShem. It is. HaShem is the source of all life, sinning is literally like choosing to commit suicide. Sure, sometimes we want out, but a healthy person doesn't consider suicide as a viable option.
Lastly, what's the point? If we are going to put in all this effort anyways, why stop at beinoni when we know the real goal is 'tzaddik'? The Baal HaTanya is telling us that if we are going to put in the effort and strive even to tzidkut, even if it's ultimately beyond us, there's still hope that we might get close.
Tanya: Chapter 13
The Beinoni has evil in his heart, he just never lets it out.
Going back to the second part of the Chapter 9 post:
The main strategy of the Beinoni and his/her major advantage is the presence of the Godly soul in one's intellect. The source of the Animal soul's influence is in the intellect of Binah/Understanding. By using this capability of ours, Binah, to contemplate the greatness of God in all its intricacies and subtlety, we subvert the source of the Animal soul's power and direct it towards holiness and relating to Godliness. In short, we can appropriate this power for use by our Godly soul.
By means of this strategy we can avoid the conflict with the Animal soul for the most part, and on this idea hinges the saying (quoted in this chapter) of Chazal: "It would be fitting for one to pray the entire day." The labor of contemplating God's greatness in order to awaken our love for God is the foundation of prayer.
That's what the entire conflict boils down to: Whoever snoozes loses. When we don't actively sieze control from the Yetzer Hara, we are sleeping. When we wake up, he is resigned to hibernate.
It's daunting somewhat to always have to be in action, which is why it's so vital to put yourself in good surroundings and accustom yourself to good habits, so that whenever the Yetzer Hara does wake up, you can nip it in the bud.
Were you expecting to take it easy here? This is only the anteroom, the throne room is on the other side of Olam HaZeh.
Going back to the second part of the Chapter 9 post:
When our Animal Soul wants something, we feel a drive towards that thing, be it food, money, people, anything. On the other hand, our Godly Soul or our Yetzer Tov is rooted in the intellect. When our Godly Soul wants something, we know it is the right thing to do, but we don't feel driven to do it.This point is important to remember moving forwards. Only the Tzaddik is able to make any permanent progress in bringing his Godly Soul down to the level of the heart. The Beinoni gets to test-drive being a Tzaddik during Tefillah and Torah learning, but that's basically it.
The main strategy of the Beinoni and his/her major advantage is the presence of the Godly soul in one's intellect. The source of the Animal soul's influence is in the intellect of Binah/Understanding. By using this capability of ours, Binah, to contemplate the greatness of God in all its intricacies and subtlety, we subvert the source of the Animal soul's power and direct it towards holiness and relating to Godliness. In short, we can appropriate this power for use by our Godly soul.
By means of this strategy we can avoid the conflict with the Animal soul for the most part, and on this idea hinges the saying (quoted in this chapter) of Chazal: "It would be fitting for one to pray the entire day." The labor of contemplating God's greatness in order to awaken our love for God is the foundation of prayer.
That's what the entire conflict boils down to: Whoever snoozes loses. When we don't actively sieze control from the Yetzer Hara, we are sleeping. When we wake up, he is resigned to hibernate.
It's daunting somewhat to always have to be in action, which is why it's so vital to put yourself in good surroundings and accustom yourself to good habits, so that whenever the Yetzer Hara does wake up, you can nip it in the bud.
Were you expecting to take it easy here? This is only the anteroom, the throne room is on the other side of Olam HaZeh.
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