Tanya Chapter 31
by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Translated and Commentary by William Schecter, MD
The previous Chapters discussed the importance of being humble and the need to eliminate arrogance in order to achieve humility. Now the Elter Rebbe discusses the dangers of ‘breaking the heart’ so as to eliminate arrogance but causing melancholia.
But if one extends the contrition discussed in the previous chapter for one or two hours to the point that one becomes broken hearted, it will lead to great sadness and depression—but this should not be felt (This degree of melancholy is not desirable). The sadness is on the side of the Klipat Noga and not from the side of the Kedushah.
Comment: In Chassidic thought the G-dly Soul is in fact an element of G-d (Divine Light or Energy) which has a direct connection with its Divine Source in the Heavens. This G-dly Soul is wrapped in an infinite number of layers of materialism similar to the core of an onion surrounded by many peels. These peels are called Klipot- קליפות- the Hebrew word for peels (as in a banana peel). The first three Klipot surrounding the G-dly Soul contain pure elements of Evil. The fourth layer, which is called Klipat Noga (קליפת נוגה) contains both Evil and Holy elements. So, what the Elter Rebbe is saying above is that profound melancholy is derived from the Evil elements and not the Holy elements (Kedushah) in the Klipat Nogah.
For on the side of Kedushah it is written “Strength and joy are in its place” (Chronicles 16:17). The Shechinah (The Divine presence) dwells only in man’s happiness and so is required for studying Halacha. If the sadness comes from Heaven (i.e., from the realization of spiritual failures) it has the attribute of the good which is in the Noga (for this reason “the Ari” wrote that even the worry of iniquity is inappropriate except during the Vidui (Confession) prayer but not during routine prayer or study of the Torah for one should experience the joy from the side of Kedushah at these times). Even so, such is the measure, to suppress the Sitra Achra with its own kind.
Comment: The Klipat Nogah-the fourth layer or peel surrounding the G-dly Soul contains both good (Holy) elements and evil (Sitra Achra) elements. Sitra Achra in Aramaic means “the other side”. It is a synonym for the “Yetzer HaRa” (the evil inclination) and the Animal (material) Soul. The Sitra Achra in the Klipat Nogah can be suppressed by its own kind, namely the Holy elements within the Klipat Nogah.
“The Ari” refers to Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (1534-1572) a famous Kabbalist, who was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Egypt after the death of his father at age 8, and immigrated to Safed, Israel at the age of 36 where he was recognized as the spiritual leader of the Kabbalists in that city.
The Elter Rebbe then emphasizes the point that the evil should be repressed by its “own kind” that is its mirror image of the Sitra Achra, namely Holiness, contained in the Klipat Nogah. He does this by quoting the Talmud: “The wooden handle of the axe (taken from the forest) is used to fell the tree in the forest”. He then quotes “In every toil there is some gain (Proverbs 14:23) And the gain is the joy that follows the sadness as will be explained below.
But the truth is there is no word in the Holy Tongue (Hebrew) for broken heart or bitterness of spirit caused by distance from the light of the face of G-d and investment by the Sitra Achra because profound melancholy is caused by a stone heart which has no vitality. Bitterness and a broken heart, on the other hand, occur because there is vitality within the heart causing it to become embittered—a sign of life. Only vitality has the attribute of Holy Discipline whereas joy has the attribute of loving kindness. The heart contains both of these attributes.
Comment: In Kabbalistic Thought the ten Sephirot, which are vessels containing Divine Light with infinitely powerful disorderly energy, each have qualities assigned by man, not because they necessarily are the true qualities (which are infinite) but these are the qualities which man perceives. These Sephirot are reflected in the Soul of Man and are called attributes. The first three attributes are termed the intellectual attributes and have the highest spiritual level. They are Wisdom (Chochmah= חכמה) Understanding (בינה) and Knowledge (דעת). The Chabad Chassidic Movement gets its name by forming an acronym from the first letter of each of these words (חב"ד).
Below these attributes, in terms of spirituality, are the seven emotional attributes. The highest of the emotional attributes are Chesed (חסד), Loving Kindness, and Gvurah (גבורה), Discipline. These two attributes balance out one another. Rabbi Potash in the past has used an analogy of a parent raising a child. If one raises the child only with Loving Kindness without discipline, the outcome is suboptimal. Likewise, if one applies only discipline without Loving Kindness, disaster may follow. So, a balanced middle road is the best approach. This is a “worldly” example of the interplay between Chesed and Gvurah.
At times it is necessary to awaken the Holy attribute of Discipline in order to sweeten the (severe) judgments which have the attributes of the Animal Soul and the Yetzer Hara (the Evil Inclination) which control (G-d forbid) man. These judgments can only be sweetened (attenuated) in their roots and therefore our Rabbis said “One should always incite one’s good inclination (intention)” (Masechet Brachot 5: a:2). Meaning that this should be done whenever man sees that his Soul requires it.
The appropriate time to awaken the attribute of Discipline, which is the special time appropriate to most people, is at the time when one is depressed by worldly concerns or when one is depressed for no discernable reason. This is the appropriate time to transform the depression by taking internal account discussed in previous chapters to fulfill our Rabbi’s commandment of “always inciting“ one’s good intention and through this process one will be released from the depression caused by worldly affairs.
After this one will experience true happiness meaning the person will be doubly consoled following these words and the truth of his lowly status. One will say in one’s heart, “the truth is, without doubt, that I am very far from G-d, abominable, despicable but all this is not me alone, it is the body with the vitalizing (animal) soul within it. But in any case, there is a piece of G-d within me, even within the lowliest person, which is the G-dly Soul with the true Divine Spark giving it life. Only that this G-dly Soul is in Exile. If this is so, although I am remote from G-d, despicable and abominable, the G-dly Soul within me is in an even greater Galut (exile) and the mercy upon it is very great and to this I will put all my intention and desire to extract it and elevate it from this Galut and return it (the G-dly Soul) to’ her Father’s home as in her youth’ (Leviticus 22:13) as it was prior to being enclothed in my body. The Soul was included in His Light and united with Him. Also now let it be included (absorbed) and unified in Him when I put all my effort into Torah and Mitzvot to dress them in all ten of the Soul’s attributes (Chochmah, Binah, Da’at, etc.)” as discussed above.
And in particular, the Mitzvah of Prayer, to cry out to G-d in anguish from my abominable body, to extract it (the G-dly Soul) from imprisonment and to cleave it to G-d. This is the attribute of Teshuva (Repentance) and Good Deeds which one does in order to return a part of G-d (the G-dly Soul) to the Source and Root of all the Worlds. This will be his Service (to G-d) performed with great joy all of his days. This is the joy of the Soul when it leaves the despicable body and returns to ‘her Father’s House as in her Youth’ at the time of Torah Study and Service (to G-d). There is no greater happiness than leaving the Galut and returning. By way of analogy, it is like the King’s captive son who milled in prison and became covered with garbage and then was freed and returned to the house of his father, the king. Although he was in the King’s house, his body stood there defiled (as it is written in the Zohar “as the skin of a snake”) because the essence of the Animal Soul is not transformed to Good to be incorporated into Kedushah. In any case his Soul will be dearer to him to take joy in its happiness more than the despised body so as not to mix and confuse the joy of the Soul with the despair of the body.
Comment: The skin of a snake (מַשְׁכָּא דְחִוְיָא in Aramaic) is a Chassidic concept referring to the material body and the Klipot enveloping the G-dly Soul. Just as a snake sheds its skin, the idea is that the G-dly Soul will shed its body and reascend to its G-dly Source (i.e., “return to her Father’s house as in Her Youth”)
This attribute is the attribute of the Exodus from Egypt as it is said “For the People Fled” (Deuteronomy 14:5). This seems strange. Why would they have fled. If they had told Pharoah to send them away as a free people, would he not have been required to send them? (because of the plagues) Rather, because evil in the Souls of Israel still remained in the left side of their hearts, they remained impure until the Giving of the Torah. Their intention and desire were to remove their G-dly Soul from the Exile of the Sitra Achra, the impurity of Egypt, and to cleave unto G-d.
Comment: In Chassidic Thought, the left side of the heart is the source of the Animal Soul while the G-dly Soul dwells in the right side of the heart.
As it is written “G-d is my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a day of trouble” (Jeremiah 16:18) “You have been my haven, a refuge in time of trouble.” (Psalms 59:17) And therefore, in the future, when G-d will transfer the spirit of impurity from the land, as it is written “As you depart from there; Keep pure, as you go forth from there, you who bear the vessels of the LORD!” (Isaiah 52:12) (the idea is that when the Redemption comes, we will leave spiritual Galut at a normal pace and not fly out in haste as was done in the Exodus from Egypt)
This Teshuva will increase the strength from the depth of the heart and the joy of the Soul will have additional light and happiness when Knowledge and Understanding return to his heart to console him from his despair and sorrow.
Comment: In the above sentence, the Elter Rebbe is using an interesting play on words. Up until now, he has been using the word Teshuva to mean Repentance. But Teshuva also means Return. In the sentence above, he is using Teshuva to refer to the Return of the G-dly Soul to its Divine Source.
To say as stated above: “Surely it is true” that I am remote from G-d but I did not make myself. Why did G-d make (me) like this? To bring down a portion of His Light to fill and surround all the worlds. Everything that exists is as naught (compared to G-d). Why did G-d dress him (man) with the skin of a snake and a fetid drop? This descent (of the Divine Light) occurred for the purpose of ascent, to elevate towards G-d each animated Animal Soul from the Klipat Noga and all of its investing layers (peels) which have the attribute of the Animal Soul’s thought, speech and action and then by investing them (The Animal Souls) with the Action, Speech and Thought of the Torah. (I explain at great length below how this is the purpose of the creation of the world).
Comment: Descent for the Purpose of Ascent (ירידה לצורך עליה) is a key Chassidic Concept. The general idea is that the G-dly Soul descended from the Heavens to be enclosed in the material body for the purpose of suppressing the Animal Soul and Materialism, transforming it to the Holy and then reascending to its Divine Source—Descent for the Purpose of Ascent.
And if this is so, I will do this and this will be by aim all the days of my life, my spirit and my Soul as it is said “I will raise up to You, O Lord, my Spirit” (Psalms 25: a), meaning that I will bind my thoughts and my words with the Thoughts and Words of G-d which are all the laws laid out in front of us (Halacha) for the performance of Mitzvot. For this reason, the Torah is called that which renews life (Psalms 19:8) meaning the Source and Root of Life. And concerning this it is said: “The precepts of the LORD are just, rejoicing the heart” (Psalms 19:9)
Comment: The Trilogy of Thought, Speech and Action is a key Chassidic concept which is often called the “garments of the Soul”. In searching for a deeper explanation of this concept, I found a responsa on the Internet to the very question I was asking from Rabbi Meir Arad. His explanation was so clear that I will translate it for you from the Hebrew as I think it will make our study more comprehensible as we progress. Rabbi Arad wrote:
- There are three parts of the Soul:
- the essence of the Soul, above its powers.
- the powers of the Soul, i.e. Its attributes: the intellectual and the emotional attributes.
- the garments of the Soul: Thought, Speech and Action. For example, when we peak of the G-dly Soul, Thought is what man thinks of when reading the Torah. Speech refers to speaking the words of the Torah and Prayer. Action: refers to the active performance of Mitzvot.
- They are nicknamed “Garments of the Soul” for two reasons:
- Just like a garment, it is easy to take it off and put it on without effort. So, man has the ability to do the Mitzvah or cease doing it, to speak or stop speaking, and to change his thoughts from one to another (this is in contrast to the essence of the Soul which is impossible to modify. In addition, the intellectual and emotional attributes may be possible to modify but it requires tremendous and prolonged effort and so is quite different from dressing and undressing.
- Just like with his choice of apparel, man expresses and reveals himself through Thought, Speech and Action. By these three garments the essence of man is externally revealed and expressed in the reality of the performance of a Mitzvah and the sense of completion includes within it all three “garments”.
- For example, the intention of a Mitzvah is derived from its expression in thought, the spoken blessing preceding the Mitzvah has the element of speech, and of course the actual performance of the Mitzvah has the element of action. For certain Mitzvot which are completely dependent on Speech, the “Action” involves the moving of the lips”. Mitzvot which are dependent on Thought, such as Belief in G-d, the action is the penetration of the Belief into the material flesh of the heart and so on. If this is so, the emphasis of certain Mitzvot may be on one or the other of the three garments of the Soul but the Complete Service of Man is the revelation of the G-dly Soul through all three “garments”.
Source: (https://daat.org.il/shut/)%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%93%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%A9%D7%94/)
והנה, אף אם כשיאריך הרבה להעמיק בעניינים הנ"ל כשעה ושתים, להיות בנמיכת רוח ולב נשבר, יבא לידי עצבות גדולה - לא יחוש. ואף שעצבות היא מצד קליפת נוגה ולא מצד הקדושה, כי בצד הקדושה כתיב "עוז וחדוה במקומו", ואין השכינה שורה אלא מתוך שמחה, וכן לדבר הלכה וכו', אלא שאם העצבות היא ממילי דשמיא - היא מבחינת טוב שבנוגה [ולכן כתב האר"י ז"ל, שאפילו דאגת העוונות אינה ראויה כי אם בשעת הוידוי ולא בשעת התפילה ותלמוד תורה, שצריכים להיות בשמחה שמצד הקדושה דווקא]. אף על פי כן, הרי כך היא המדה, לאכפיא לסטרא אחרא במינה ודוגמתה, כמאמר רבותינו ז"ל "מיניה וביה אבא לשדיה ביה נרגא", ופגע בו כיוצא בו. ועל זה נאמר (משלי יד כג): "בכל עצב יהיה מותר", והיתרון היא השמחה הבאה אחר העצב, כדלקמן. אך באמת, אין לב נשבר ומרירות הנפש על ריחוקה מאור פני ה' והתלבשותה בסטרא אחרא נקראים בשם "עצבות" כלל בלשון הקודש, כי: עצבות היא שלבו מטומטם כאבן ואין חיות בלבו, אבל מרירות ולב נשבר, אדרבה, הרי יש חיות בלבו להתפעל ולהתמרמר, רק שהיא חיות מבחינת גבורות קדושות, והשמחה מבחינת חסדים, כי הלב כלול משתיהן.
והנה, לעתים צריך לעורר בחינת גבורות הקדושות, כדי להמתיק הדינים, שהם בחינת נפש הבהמית ויצר הרע, כששולט חס ושלום על האדם, כי אין הדינים נמתקין אלא בשרשן, ולכן אמרו רבותינו ז"ל(ברכות ה, א): "לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב", והיינו בכל עת שרואה בנפשו שצריך לכך. אך שעת הכושר, שהיא שעה המיוחדת וראויה לכך לרוב בני אדם, היא בשעה שהוא עצב בלאו הכי ממילי דעלמא, או כך בלי שום סיבה, אזי היא שעת הכושר להפך העצב להיות ממרי דחושבנא הנ"ל ולקיים מאמר רבותינו ז"ל "לעולם ירגיז וכו'" כנזכר לעיל, ובזה ייפטר מהעצבות שממילי דעלמא. ואחר-כך יבוא לידי שמחה אמיתית, דהיינו שזאת ישיב אל לבו לנחמו בכפליים אחר הדברים והאמת האלה הנ"ל, לאמר ללבו: "אמת הוא כן בלי ספק שאני רחוק מאד מה' בתכלית ומשוקץ ומתועב כו', אך כל זה הוא אני לבדי, הוא הגוף עם נפש החיונית שבו; אבל מכל מקום יש בקרבי חלק ה' ממש, שישנו אפילו בקל שבקלים, שהיא נפש האלהית עם ניצוץ אלקות ממש המלובש בה להחיותה, רק שהיא בבחינת גלות. ואם כן, אדרבה, כל מה שאני בתכלית הריחוק מה' והתיעוב ושיקוץ, הרי נפש האלהית שבי בגלות גדול יותר, והרחמנות עליה גדולה מאד, ולזה אשים כל מגמתי וחפצי להוציאה ולהעלותה מגלות זה להשיבה אל בית אביה כנעוריה קודם שנתלבשה בגופי, שהיתה נכללת באורו יתברך ומיוחדת עמו בתכלית, וגם עתה כן תהא כלולה ומיוחדת בו יתברך כשאשים כל מגמתי בתורה ומצות, להלביש בהן כל עשר בחינותיה כנ"ל, ובפרט במצות תפלה, לצעוק אל ה' בצר לה מגלותה בגופי המשוקץ, להוציאה ממסגר ולדבקה בו יתברך". וזו היא בחינת "תשובה ומעשים טובים", שהן מעשים טובים שעושה כדי להשיב חלק ה' למקורא ושרשא דכל עלמין. וזאת תהיה עבודתו כל ימיו בשמחה רבה, היא שמחת הנפש בצאתה מהגוף המתועב ושבה אל בית אביה כנעוריה בשעת התורה והעבודה, וכמאמר רבותינו ז"ל להיות "כל ימיו בתשובה". ואין לך שמחה גדולה כצאת מהגלות והשביה, כמשל בן מלך שהיה בשביה וטוחן בבית האסורים ומנוול באשפה, ויצא לחפשי אל בית אביו המלך, ואף שהגוף עומד בשיקוצו ותיעובו (וכמו שכתוב בזהר דנקרא "משכא דחויא"), כי מהותה ועצמותה של הנפש הבהמית לא נהפך לטוב ליכלל בקדושה, מכל מקום תיקר נפשו בעיניו לשמוח בשמחתה יותר מהגוף הנבזה שלא לערבב ולבלבל שמחת הנפש בעצבון הגוף.
והנה, בחינה זו היא בחינת יציאת מצרים, שנאמר בה (שמות יד ה): "כי ברח העם". דלכאורה הוא תמוה, למה היתה כזאת? וכי אילו אמרו לפרעה לשלחם חפשי לעולם לא היה מוכרח לשלחם?! אלא, מפני שהרע שבנפשות ישראל עדיין היה בתקפו בחלל השמאלי, כי לא פסקה זוהמתם עד מתן תורה, רק מגמתם וחפצם היתה לצאת נפשם האלהית מגלות הסטרא-אחרא היא טומאת מצרים ולדבקה בו יתברך, וכדכתיב (ירמיהו טז יט): "ה' עוזי ומעוזי ומנוסי ביום צרה" וגו', (שמואל ב כב ג): "משגבי ומנוסי" וגו', והוא (תהלים נט יז): "מנוס... לי" וגו'. ולכן, לעתיד, כשיעביר ה' רוח הטומאה מן הארץ, כתיב (ישעיהו נב יב): "ובמנוסה לא תלכון כי הולך לפניכם ה'" וגו'. ולהיות בחינת תשובה זו ביתר שאת ויתר עז מעומקא דלבא, וגם שמחת הנפש תהיה בתוספת אורה ושמחה כאשר ישיב אל לבו דעת ותבונה לנחמו מעצבונו ויגונו לאמר כנ"ל: "הן אמת כו' אך אני לא עשיתי את עצמי. ולמה עשה ה' כזאת, להוריד חלק מאורו יתברך הממלא וסובב כל עלמין, וכולא קמיה כלא חשיב, והלבישו במשכא דחויא וטפה סרוחה? אין זה כי אם ירידה זו היא צורך עליה, להעלות לה' כל נפש החיונית הבהמית שמקליפת נוגה וכל לבושיה, הן בחינת מחשבה דבור ומעשה שלה, ע"י התלבשותן במעשה דבור ומחשבת התורה [וכמ"ש לקמן ענין העלאה זו באריכות איך שהיא תכלית בריאת העולם]. ואם כן, איפוא, זאת אעשה, וזאת תהיה כל מגמתי כל ימי חלדי לכל בהן חיי רוחי ונפשי, וכמו שנאמר (תהלים כה א): "אליך ה' נפשי אשא", דהיינו לקשר: מחשבתי ודיבורי - במחשבתו ודבורו ית', והן הן גופי הלכות הערוכות לפנינו, וכן מעשה- במעשה המצות. שלכן נקראת: התורה - (תהלים יט ח): "משיבת נפש", פירוש, למקורה ושרשה. ועל זה נאמר (תהלים יט ט): "פקודי ה' ישרים משמחי לב".