by Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Elter Rebbe)
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
This draft has neither been edited or approved by Rabbi Potash
Saturday February 6, 2021
In this chapter, the Elter Rebbe continues his description of the Beinoni and differentiates between the two different types of Beinoni contrasting them with the Tsadik. And from this, the following passage will be understood: “And you shall come to see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between he who serves G-d and he who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:18). The difference between one who serves G-d and the righteous person is that the expression one who serves G-d is in the present tense, he is in the midst of his service which is the war with his Evil Intention (Animal Soul), his effort to overcome it and to expel it from the small city (the body—the Elter Rebbe uses the expression the small city as a synonym for the body) so that the Animal Soul does not invest the organs of the body. This is the true service and great work of the Beinoni (average person)—a continuous confrontation with the Animal Soul.
In contrast, the Righteous Person (Tsadik) is called the servant of G-d, using a word similar to “Sage” or “King”. The wise person or the king has already become a wise person or a king. Therefore, the Tsadik has already completely finished the work of combating evil to the point that he has completely expelled evil and his heart is a hollow cavity (devoid of the Animal Soul=evil).
Similarly, there are two types of Beinoni: 1. one who serves G-d 2. one who does not serve Him.
In the next couple of paragraphs, the Elter Rebbe discusses the characteristics of the second level of the Beinoni, the one who does not serve G-d—according to the Elter Rebbe’s definition of service (derived from the opinion of Hillel in the Talmud—see below). The (this)Beinoni (the one who does not serve G-d) is not evil; for he has never committed even the simplest transgression and performs all the Mitzvot (commandments) that is possible to perform, the most important being Talmud Torah (Torah Study). He continuously utters words of Torah throughout the day.1 But he is not in combat with his Animal Soul, to conquer it with the aid of the light of the Lord which enlightens the G-dly Soul in his brain which controls the heart as referred to in previous chapters.
Because his Animal Soul is not present to confront him and to deviate him from the Torah and service to G-d, there is no need to continuously combat the Animal Soul, as he continuously studies (Torah) because it is in his nature since birth by overcoming black bile2 (he has a stable personality not subject to depression. Similarly, he has no conflict with his desire for women, because he is chilled (perhaps we would say frigid). So too with the rest of the desires of this world—he lacks the feelings of pleasure in his nature. Therefore, it is not so necessary for him to contemplate the greatness of G-d and to give birth from his understanding the spirit, the knowledge and the fear of G-d in his brain and to guard against transgressing any of the negative commandments3 and you shall love G-d in your heart, and cleave to Him by the performance of Mitzvot, the most important being Talmud Torah (Torah Study).
Rather, the hidden love in the heart of the community of Israel (called the lovers of his Name) is sufficient for him. Therefore, he is not called one who serves because this hidden love is not at all an active service on his part rather it is our inheritance from our Patriarchs as will be explained. But the person who does not by his very nature continuously study (Torah) but only accustoms himself to study by continuous great effort and makes this study a habit and discipline which becomes second nature to him, even though this hidden love is sufficient for him, he wants to study even more than his usual practice. Now, to illustrate this point, the Elter Rebbe quotes the Talmud. Rather than using the Elter Rebbe’s words, I will insert the relevant passage of the Talmud because I think it puts the Elter Rebbe’s remarks in context and makes it clearer. The Elter Rebbe, I think, assumes that his readers are all familiar with the cited passages of the Talmud but I need a little extra help! The relevant passages are:
“The Gemara records another discussion between bar Hei Heir and Hillel. Bar Hei Hei said to Hillel: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between he who serves God and he who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:18). There are two redundancies here: “The righteous” is the same as “he who serves God,” and “the wicked” is the same as “he who does not serve Him.” Hillel said to him: The one “who serves Him” and the one “who does not serve Him” are both referring to completely righteous people. But the verse is hinting at a distinction between them, as one who reviews his studies one hundred times is not comparable to one who reviews his studies one hundred and one times.
Bar Hei Hei said to him: And due to one extra time that he did not review, the verse calls him a person “who does not serve Him”? He said to him: Yes. Go and learn from the market of donkey drivers. One can hire a driver to travel up to ten parasangs for one dinar. However, he will travel eleven parasangs only for two dinars. This shows that any departure beyond the norm is considered a significant difference.” (Chagigah 9:b)
Therefore, says the Elter Rebbe, the additional one time of study (the 101st time) above and beyond the normal amount of studying that he has done since his youth is measured vis à vis the rest of his study and is found to be even more valuable and is called service to G-d. Why? Because in order to change the nature of routine, one has to awaken the love of G-d, through contemplation of His greatness so that his brain rules over the nature in the left side of the heart which is filled with the blood of the Animal Soul derived from the Klipat Noga4 from which this nature is derived. This is the completion of the service of the Beinoni. Or to awaken the hidden love in his heart which will govern the nature in the left chamber (of the heart)—this is also called service, combat with the nature and Animal Soul by awakening the hidden love in his heart. This is not the case when there is no war (struggle), this love (the hidden love) is not referred to as service. In other words, according to the Elter Rebbe, unless one is continuously engaged in the struggle to suppress the Animal Soul within him, he cannot be termed one who serves G-d. If by his nature he is studious or not subject to carnal and material lusts, there is no struggle and therefore, one may be a Beinoni (or a Tsadik) but not actively serving G-d.
- The Elter Rebbe uses the expression לא פסיק פומיה מגירסא (Lo Pasik Pumyah meGirsah) meaning that his mouth never ceased from uttering words of Torah.
- According to Galen, there are four humors responsible for human illness: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Black bile is the source of melancholy and depression. The theories of Galen were still the basis of medical practice at the time the Elter Rebbe was writing at the end of the 18th century.
- Maimonides listed a total of 613 commandments in the Mishneh Torah: 365 negative commandments (Thou shalt not….) and 248 positive commandments (Be fruitful and multiply, etc)
4. Klipat Noga: the fourth layer or peel surrounding the G-dly Soul which contains elements of both good and evil. It is possible to transform the evil elements to goodness but in general the term Klipat Noga refers to material, animal emotions which are evil.
ובזה יובן מה שכתוב: (מלאכי ג יח): "ושבתם וראיתם בין צדיק לרשע, בין עובד אלהים לאשר לא עבדו". שההפרש בין עובד אלהים לצדיק הוא: ש"עובד" הוא לשון הווה, שהוא באמצע העבודה, שהיא המלחמה עם היצר הרע להתגבר עליו ולגרשו מהעיר קטנה, שלא יתלבש באיברי הגוף, שהוא באמת עבודה ועמל גדול להלחם בו תמיד, והיינו הבינוני. אבל הצדיק נקרא "עבד ה'" בשם התואר, כמו שם "חכם" או "מלך", שכבר נעשה חכם או מלך; כך זה, כבר עבד וגמר לגמרי עבודת המלחמה עם הרע, עד כי ויגרשהו וילך לו, ולבו חלל בקרבו. ובבינוני יש גם כן שתי מדרגות: עובד אלהים, ואשר לא עבדו. ואף על פי כן אינו רשע, כי לא עבר מימיו שום עבירה קלה, וגם קיים כל המצוות שאפשר לו לקיימן, ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם, ולא פסיק פומיה מגירסא. אלא שאינו עושה שום מלחמה עם היצר, לנצחו על ידי אור ה' המאיר על נפש האלהית שבמוח, השליט על הלב כנזכר לעיל. מפני שאין יצרו עומד לנגדו כלל לבטלו מתורתו ועבודתו, ואין צריך ללחום עמו כלל, כגון שהוא מתמיד בלימודו בטבעו מתולדתו על ידי תגבורת המרה שחורה. וכן אין לו מלחמה מתאות נשים, מפני שהוא מצונן בטבעו, וכן בשאר תענוגי עולם הזה, הוא מחוסר הרגש הנאה בטבעו. ולכן אין צריך להתבונן כל כך בגדולת ה', להוליד מבינתו רוח דעת ויראת ה' במוחו, להישמר שלא לעבור על מצוות לא תעשה, ואהבת ה' בליבו, לדבקה בו בקיום המצוות, ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולן. אלא די לו באהבה מסותרת אשר בלב כללות ישראל, שנקראו אוהבי שמו. ולכן אינו נקרא עובד כלל, כי אהבה זו המסותרת אינה פעולתו ועבודתו כלל, אלא היא ירושתנו מאבותינו לכלל ישראל, וכמו שיתבאר לקמן. וכן אף מי שאינו מתמיד בלימודו בטבעו, רק שהרגיל עצמו ללמוד בהתמדה גדולה, ונעשה ההרגל לו טבע שני, די לו באהבה מסותרת זו, אלא אם כן רוצה ללמוד יותר מרגילותו. ובזה יובן מה שכתוב בגמרא, ד"עובד אלהים" היינו מי ש(חגיגה ט ב): "שונה פרקו מאה פעמים ואחד", ו"לא עבדו" היינו מי ששונה פרקו מאה פעמים לבד. והיינו, משום שבימיהם היה הרגילות לשנות כל פרק מאה פעמים, כדאיתא התם בגמרא משל משוק של חמרים, שנשכרים לעשר פרסי בזוזא ולאחד עשר פרסי בתרי זוזי, מפני שהוא יותר מרגילותם. ולכן זאת הפעם המאה ואחת היתרה על הרגילות שהורגל מנעוריו שקולה כנגד כולן, ועולה על גביהן ביתר שאת ויתר עז להיות נקרא עובד אלהים. מפני שכדי לשנות טבע הרגילות, צריך לעורר את האהבה לה', על ידי שמתבונן בגדולת ה' במוחו לשלוט על הטבע שבחלל השמאלי המלא דם הנפש הבהמית שמהקליפה, שממנה הוא הטבע. וזו היא עבודה תמה לבינוני. או לעורר את האהבה המסותרת שבליבו למשול על ידה על הטבע שבחלל השמאלי, שזו נקרא גם כן עבודה, להלחם עם הטבע והיצר על ידי שמעורר האהבה המסותרת בליבו. מה שאין כן כשאין לו מלחמה כלל, אין אהבה זו מצד עצמה נקראת עבודתו כלל.