Daily Tanya

Just as a little light banishes much darkness, so is the abounding folly and darkness of one’s evil inclination driven away by dint of the little light of holiness emanating from his divine soul.

the divine soul is the beinoni’s only master. He neither thinks, speaks, nor does anything forbidden but acts only in accordance with Torah and mitzvot .

If the divine soul of the beinoni indeed dominates his every area of practical expression, alone dictating his every thought, word, and deed, why is he not considered a tzaddik ? The Alter Rebbe explains:

The realization that only the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot will fulfill his desire to become one with G-d channels the beinoni’s love into a desire to observe Torah and mitzvot .

In this, the twelfth chapter, the term beinoni —the “intermediate man’’ who is neither tzaddik nor rasha —will be defined. The beinoni , the Alter Rebbe explains, is one whose practical conduct in thought, speech, and action is dictated solely by the divine soul; it has the upper hand over the animal soul.

The rank of rasha , too, is divided into two general categories: the “complete rasha ” or the “ rasha who possesses only evil” and the “incomplete rasha ” or the “ rasha who possesses some good.” These categories will be defined in this chapter.

The divine service of tzaddikim of lower levels may indeed be for the purpose of stilling their thirst for G-d and their desire to cleave to Him, for indeed, the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot satisfies these needs.

The terms “complete” and “incomplete” denote the tzaddik’s level of love for G-d, and the terms “who knows only good” and “who knows evil” denote the degree of his eradication and transformation of evil.

After elaborating in the previous chapter on the ongoing battle between the divine and animal soul over mastery of a Jew’s body, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to explain that one who vanquishes his animal soul and transforms its evil into good is a tzaddik .

The yetzer hara (evil inclination) consists of a powerful drive, an appetite for whatever it perceives as good and desirable. This drive is neutral and may be steered in any direction; however, being clothed in a corporeal body, it inclines toward physical pleasures. These lusts become “unclean garments” for the animal soul’s drive. By steering it away from physical pleasures toward an appreciatio...

In the present chapter, the Alter Rebbe will discuss the battle fought within the Jew between these two souls.

Something prohibited even by Rabbinic enactment remains attached to the three unclean kelipot and cannot be elevated to holiness, even when it is used unwittingly and for the sake of heaven (i.e., in order to have the strength to study and pray). Once the person has committed the act, a residue of the evil will attach to him, even once repentance has been completed. A cleansing of the soul will be...

Since the sin of wasteful emission of semen can be rectified even without “repentance out of love,” the Torah does not include this sin with the related sins of forbidden coition. Concerning this sin, all that is necessary to elevate the degraded vitality to holiness is proper repentance with true intent and devotion during the recitation of the bedtime Shema .

Eating permissible food for bodily pleasure causes the food to descend into total evil. Subsequently, the food becomes part of the body. Though repentance elevates not only the person but also the energy of the food and drink as well, still, having become a part of the body, a vestige of evil remains.

A Jew’s actions, words, and thoughts should be directed toward the service of G-d. When this is done, the energy found in the object used for the Mitzvah, while originating in Klipat Noga is then absorbed into G-dliness.

All that is not surrendered to G-d but considers itself separate from Him receives its vitality from the achorayim of G-dliness by way of numerous descents and various contractions. The Divine life-force is concealed within it in a state of exile; thus, it belongs to the realm of kelipah .

Sinful garments, belonging to the realm of wholly impure kelipot , are lower than the animal soul itself and drag it down to their level, in exact opposition to the divine soul’s garments of the thought, speech, and action of Torah and the mitzvot which are higher than the soul and elevate it.

The Alter Rebbe begins to discuss the animal soul. He explains that its structure exactly parallels that of the divine soul; it too has ten faculties and three garments; only, unlike the divine soul, the substance of the animal soul is kelipah , and its faculties and garments are impurity.

The bond that Torah study creates between the soul and G-d is two-fold: The soul “embraces” G-d and is “embraced” by G-d. In this, Torah study is superior to other mitzvot , as discussed in the following chapter.

We see, that although G-d’s wisdom and will are beyond man’s reach, they are made accessible to him because the Torah is clothed in physical terms, and its commandments are vested in physical objects.

Torah is the food of the soul and mitzvot are its garments.

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to state that, unlike physical garments, which are less important than their wearer, the garments of the divine soul are even loftier than the soul which “wears” them. Thus, “wearing” its garments—i.e., thinking and speaking words of Torah and acting in performance of the commandments—elevates the soul to a higher level.

The soul possesses three auxiliary powers, which are its instruments of expression. Like garments, they can be donned or shed at will. The garments are: thought, speech, and action as they find expression in the 613 commandments of the Torah.

In comprehending Torah the soul’s faculty of intellect clothes itself in thought. Completeness in the performance of the commandments demands love and fear of G-d; one can bring to his fulfillment of the commandments the fullness generated by vitality and depth of feeling only when he is imbued with fear and love of the Almighty.

Intellect gives birth to emotion. By contemplating on the greatness of G-d, one, in turn, becomes vivified and passionate in His Love and Worship. True contemplation using all three intellectual steps of Chochma Binah and Daat is the only way to truly connect the knowledge to an emotional reaction.