Tanya Chapter 30
Saturday May 29, 2021
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
This draft has neither been edited nor approved by Rabbi Potash
In the previous chapter the Elter Rebbe spoke of the importance of "breaking one's heart" in order to expel the Yetzer (evil inclination) from one's heart. In this Chapter, the Elter Rebbe talks about the fact that each person has his own individual challenges and while we hope and expect that everyone will rise to the challenge and overcome his Yetzer, we should refrain from judging others until we have actually reached their particular station in life and faced their challenges. As the phrase goes "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his mocassins". Let us follow the Elter Rebbe's argument.
In addition, one should fulfill the injunction of the Talmud “Be of humble spirit before every person” (Avot 4:10) Be truly humble before every person even the simplest of the simple (even the “lowliest”). Meaning, as the Talmud says, “Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place (Avot2:4) for his status causes him to sin. In order to make a living he must spend the entire day in the market among those who sit in the corners (of the market) and his eyes see all the lustful desires and “the eye sees and the heart lusts” and his Yetzer (the Evil Inclination) “burns like an oven” (Hosea 7:4) as it is written “he burns like the flame of a fire…” (Hosea 7:6) This is not the case for the person who spends little time in the market and stays home most of the time. Or perhaps a person does spend most of the day in the market but his nature is not subject to these inflamed passions (for the Yetzer is not the same for every person as we explained elsewhere).
If in truth he is a person who by nature has inflamed passions or if he has no choice but to spend all day in the market in order to make a living, he has no he should have been able to contain himself and gain control over the spirit of lust in his heart because of the fear of G-d Who sees all of his actions, as we wrote about above, because his intellect rules over his heart since birth (but he chooses not to use it). For truly it is a great battle, and a true test. And each person, according to his place and level in the Service of G-d should weigh and examine within himself the question of if he is serving G-d appropriately, given his station in life, vis à vis this great battle and test.
And the test of “Do Good” as in the Service of prayer with the proper intention, pouring out one’s Soul before G-d with all of his strength until he his Soul is squeezed out and exhausted. And to wage war with his body and his Animal Soul which prevent the proper Kavannah (intention) and in this great war to beat them and grind them like dust prior to the morning and evening prayers each and every day.
And also, at the moment of the prayer, to exert himself both with exertions of the body and the Soul as will be explained below at length. And every one who has not achieved this level of combating his body in a great battle like this has still not achieved the value of the war with his Yetzer which burns like a fiery flame to be humbled and broken due to the fear of G-d.
Regarding the Birkat Hamazon (The Blessing after eating a meal) and every blessing after an enjoyable activity the Mitzvot are with intention and it is not necessary to say the intention of the Mitzvot in their names. The previous sentence is a bit confusing. I think the Elter Rebbe says that one should perform the Mitzvah with the intention of serving G-d and not for any other reason (such as the animal pleasure of eating—this is meaningful to me as I like to eat 😊).
Regarding Torah study, one should study much more than one’s desire or usual routine by doing battle with one’s body. For if one studies a bit more than one would like, this is a minor battle which has no comparison with the great battle with the Yetzer which is burning like fire for completely evil acts. If he does not conquer his Yetzer and be humbled and broken before G-d. For what is it to me “Turn away from evil and do Good”? All of these are the commandments of G-d. And so, it is with the rest of the commandments especially with the issue of sustenance like the service of charity and similar activities.
And even the attribute of “turn away from evil”, each educated man can find in his Soul that he has not COMPLETELY turned away from evil in each and every place that requires a great battle (with the Yetzer) as referred to above. And even less of the value referred to above such as stopping in the middle of a conversation or a story chastising a friend even a very minor chastisement, even if it is true, and even if the person should cleanse himself of the attribute or action.
To illustrate the point in the last sentence, the Elter Rebbe recounts a story from the Talmud.1 Once Rabbi Shimon said to his father Rabbi Yehuda (HaNasi—the compiler of the Mishnah in the 3rd Century CE) re: an incorrectly written document “I didn’t write it (referring to the Get) but Yehudah the Tailor wrote it”. Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi responded “refrain from the Lashon HaRa (idle gossip)”. And this principle applies to many similar frequently occurring situations. In particular, to sanctify himself to that which is permitted to him by the Torah. As it is written “You shall be holy…and you shall be sanctified” (Leviticus 19:2)
Rabbi Potash commented to my question: What does it mean to be sanctified or be holy? We learned previously that being holy actually means to be separate. Rabbi Potash commented while that it is true that Holy means separate, the implication is that the separateness rises to a higher spiritual level than the mundane
In fact, the precepts of the Rabbis of the Talmud were far more stringent than the words of the Torah. Rather all these matters and their corollaries are among “the sins that man tramples with his heel” (Masechet Avodah Zarah 18 a) (that is these sins are disregarded as of little import) and have become regarded as permissible because they have so often been repeated. However, if he is learned in Torah, and holds it in high regard and desires to be close to G-d, his sin is greater than he can bare and his guilt doubles because he not fought and overcome his Yetzer (evil inclination) in the great battle referred to above. In fact, his sin is greater than that of the simplest (lowly) person who spends the entire day in the market far from G-d and His Torah, for their guilt is not so great in that they do not conquer the Yetzer that is burning like the flame of a fire for fear of G-d compared to the guilt of those who are close to G-d, his Torah and Service to G-d through prayer and the performance of Mitzvot. The Elter the referenced the famous story of “Acher” in the Talmud (see below) where the Rabbis said that Acher “knew My glory……”. With regard to the uneducated people (the simplest) the Rabbis said: “their intentional sins would be regarded as sins committed in error”
Rabbi Potash commented that Acher (which means “the other” in Hebrew) refers to none other than Rabbi Elisha ben Abuyah who was the teacher of Rabbi Meir, a famous Rabbi who is frequently quoted in the Mishneh (second century CE). Rabbi Elisha ben Abuyah lost his faith, became an apostate and stopped observing the Mitzvot. You can read the story from the primary source by opening Masechet Hagigah 15:a-b. You can easily find this in Sefaria by clicking the three parallel bars on the upper left of the home page (they call it the Bagel) and then clicking on Talmud. In the first group of sections of the Talmud you will find Chagigah. Click on this and then go to page 15 a and start reading the fascinating story of “Acher”. In brief, when the renown Rabbi Elisha became an apostate, he solicited the services of a harlot. She asked him why he was violating the commandments and he told her he was no longer a believer. She told him he was “other” (Acher) than he was before. The nickname stuck and he has been referred to as Acher ever since. Even after Acher stopped observing the Mitzvot, his student, the famous Rabbi Meir, continued to study Torah with him because of his vast knowledge. The Talmud relates the time when the Acher was riding on a horse and Rabbi Meir was following on foot. Acher turned to Rabbi Meir when he reached the 2000-cubit mark (the distance you are allowed to walk on Shabbat) and told Rabbi Meir that he must turn back in order not to profane Shabbat. Rabbi Meir called to him and asked him to turn back as well (in Hebrew the noun return and repent is the same word—Teshuva). Rabbi Meir responded that he cannot because he heard a Heavenly Voice say “Return Rebellious Children” (Jeremiah 3:22) apart from Acher” The Elter Rebbe referred to Acher in order to point out that those who are close to G-d, are learned in Torah- in other words, they know exactly what they are supposed to do- and are “close to G-d” are held to a higher standard than the “Am Haaretz”-the simple uneducated person-who often does not know what he is supposed to do. The implication is that Acher was so educated, so knowledgeable, so close to G-d that he could not be forgiven.
Returning to the beginning of the chapter, the point is that we must humble ourselves to be rid of any arrogance. While we expect and hope that those who are experiencing emotional challenges that we cannot perceive preventing them from conquering the Yetzer in their hearts will rise to the challenge and correct their behavior, we cannot judge them if we have not experienced the same challenges for we might behave in the same way.
- Bava Batra 164: b The Gemara relates: There was a certain tied document that came before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, not realizing it was a folded document, said: There is no date on this document, so it is not valid. Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: Perhaps the date is hidden between its tied folds. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi opened it and saw that the date was in fact between the tied folds. Afterward, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi looked at his son disapprovingly, as he held that one should not write a tied document. His son said to him: I did not write it; Rabbi Yehuda Ḥayyata wrote it. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to his son: Turn away from uttering this kind of malicious speech.
זִימְנִין הֲוָה יָתֵיב קַמֵּיהּ וְקָא פָסֵיק סִידְרָא בְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים אָמַר רַבִּי כַּמָּה מְיוּשָּׁר כְּתָב זֶה אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָאו אֲנָא כְּתַבְתֵּיהּ יְהוּדָה חַיָּיטָא כַּתְבֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ כְּלָךְ מִלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע הַזֶּה Another time, Rabbi Shimon was sitting before his father and reciting a section of the book of Psalms. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: How straight and neat is this writing in this book from which you are reading. Rabbi Shimon said to him: I did not write it; Yehuda Ḥayyata wrote it. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi told his son: Turn away from uttering this kind of malicious speech.
בִּשְׁלָמָא הָתָם אִיכָּא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אֶלָּא הָכָא מַאי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אִיכָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּרַב דִּימִי דְּתָנֵי רַב דִּימִי אֲחוּהּ דְּרַב סָפְרָא לְעוֹלָם אַל יְסַפֵּר אָדָם בְּטוֹבָתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ טוֹבָתוֹ בָּא לִידֵי רָעָתוֹ The Gemara asks: Granted, there, in the first episode, there is malicious speech involved, since Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was displeased with the writer of the document, but here, in the second episode, what malicious speech is there? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was complimenting the writer of the book of Psalms, not criticizing him. The Gemara answers: It is because of what Rav Dimi teaches. As Rav Dimi, the brother of Rav Safra, teaches: A person should never speak the praises of another, as out of the praise spoken about him someone may come to speak to his detriment.
אָמַר רַב עַמְרָם אָמַר רַב שָׁלֹשׁ עֲבֵירוֹת אֵין אָדָם נִיצּוֹל מֵהֶן בְּכׇל יוֹם הִרְהוּר עֲבֵירָה וְעִיּוּן תְּפִלָּה וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע לָשׁוֹן הָרָע סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ Rav Amram says that Rav says: There are three sins from which a person is not spared each day. They are: Having sinful thoughts, and committing sins concerning deliberation in prayer, and uttering malicious speech. The Gemara asks: Can it enter your mind that a person cannot go through the day without uttering malicious speech?