Likkutei Amarim Tanya - Chapter 46 - Part 2

00:00 Speaker 1 So the idea of yashar, “straight,” is the idea of a straight line. In chapter 45, we learned about the attribute of compassion, the attribute of Yaakov Avinu. Why is it called “straight”? We explained that Yaakov Avinu represents the attribute of Tiferes, and Tiferes is the middle line. The middle line is straight: it goes neither right nor left, but down the middle, from above to below and from below to above. It is the middle bar that runs from end to end, which is Yaakov’s attribute, as the Alter Rebbe wrote in chapter 13 of Tanya. So that is why the Alter Rebbe calls it a straight path: it is the idea of a straight line, the middle line. Now we come to chapter 46. Why does the Alter Rebbe call this a straight path? Chapter 46 is not talking about Yaakov. It talks about “as water reflects a face back to a face.” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the Rebbe’s father, has an explanation of this. He writes that chapter 46 uses the term “straight” for a different reason: it begins to explain “as water reflects a face back to a face.” That means a person places himself face-to-face, with his face opposite the face of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. The whole line of thought the Alter Rebbe is about to explain—everyone already learned the Chassidus yesterday, so today we can start to understand what is going on here. What is happening here? There is this idea of being face-to-face. That, too, is called “straight”: facing one another directly. You see, it is explained that there are circles and there is a straight line. This is a topic in Kabbalah, connected with the world of Tohu and the world of Tikkun. In Kabbalah, the world of Tohu is called “circles,” and the world

01:56 Speaker 1 of Tikkun is called “straight.” The difference between the world of Tohu and the world of Tikkun, between circles and a straight line, is that in the straight configuration the sefiros stand face-to-face. There is a connection from face to face; there is back-to-back and there is face-to-face. Back-to-back means that the connection between one sefirah and another is from behind. Each one looks the other way. That was the world of Tohu. In the world of Tohu, they were back-to-back. Each sefirah stood on its own, with no inner connection between the sefiros. Each looked in a different direction, and that is why there was the shattering of the vessels and all the upheaval in the world of Tohu: they were not face-to-face. By contrast, the straight configuration is the world of Tikkun. There, the sefiros are face-to-face; each sefirah connects with the next and unites with it. It is like what we learn in tonight’s maamar, from 5662, about the inclusion of the sefiros within one another and their connection. That concerns the vessels. So here, too, in chapter 46, since the Alter Rebbe is coming to explain something connected with face-to-face—“as water reflects a face back to a face”—the phrase “a straight path” is connected with the straight configuration. That is what Rabbi Levi Yitzchak explains here. Another question one of the bochurim asked concerns the Alter Rebbe’s two references here to heart, soul, and “very much.” The Alter Rebbe writes that a person must awaken the hidden fire in his heart, to give over his soul to Hashem, and his body and his possessions. Afterward he writes, “with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might.” First he says “his soul, his body, and his possessions,” and then “with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might.” So he was asking: what is this repetition? It is not actually a repetition. If you look, it

03:51 Speaker 1 is not a repetition. First he says “his soul, his body, and his possessions.” Then he says “with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might.” But what are these three things? The explanation of “his soul, his body, and his possessions” will become clearer when we reach chapter 49. There the Alter Rebbe speaks about what a person must give over to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. There are three things: the soul—giving over one’s soul; the body—giving over one’s body; and one’s possessions. “With all your might” means “with all your money,” as the Gemara says in tractate Berachos. So first he speaks about giving over the soul: giving over one’s will. There is giving over the body, even in matters of the body—physical matters, bodily restraint, and all that. And there are one’s possessions, meaning one’s money. These are three things. And in each of those three—soul, body, and possessions—the avodah must be “with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might.” Here, “might” does not mean money. Here it has its plain meaning: exceedingly, beyond measure and limitation. A person’s avodah to Hakadosh Boruch Hu must go so far that he is prepared to give over his soul, his body, and his money. And that itself must be done with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might—with all, all, all his strength. Those are the three elements of the avodah. In chapter 49, we will go into this in greater detail, as we see how the Alter Rebbe explains those points there. There was another question a bochur asked me, and I do not know exactly what the answer is. First of all, I did not find an explanation of

05:46 Speaker 1 it in the books that explain these ideas, and it is hard to say whether it applies here in Tanya. In any case, I will put the question to you, because a bochur asked it. It is a good question. He asked: Why is the wording here in Tanya “to give over his soul to Hashem, and his body and his possessions”? Why insert the words “to Hashem” in the middle? It should have said “to give over to Hashem his soul, his body, and his possessions,” or “to give over his soul, his body, and his possessions to Hashem.” Why does the Alter Rebbe write “to Hashem” there? Of course, the phrase “to give over his soul to Hashem” makes sense as an expression in its own right. There is such a thing as giving over one’s soul; it is an idea in itself, a category of its own. So he says, “to give over his soul to Hashem.” But after all, he then continues with giving over the body and one’s possessions. Why are the words “to Hashem” written specifically with the soul? Clearly there is an explanation for this. Why specifically when he gets to the soul? Look: he writes “his soul to Hashem,” but with “his body and his possessions” he does not use the words “to Hashem.” It needs looking into. [unclear] In any case, let us return to the point. Yes, was that what you wanted?

07:06 Speaker 2 No, no, I have a question. Why doesn’t it say “another,” like in chapter 5...

07:13 Speaker 1 Huh?

07:14 Speaker 2 The previous one. There it says “another straight path.” Here it says “a straight path”—

07:17 Speaker 1 We already explained that in the previous class. That question—yes, it is a good question too—but we can already understand it. In the previous class, we explained why chapter 45 says “There is yet another straight path,” whereas here it says “There is a straight path.” It is connected with what we discussed in the previous class. We did not actually ask that question, but the answer follows from what we explained: the Rebbe explains that chapter 46 begins a new kind of avodah, not a continuation of the preceding chapters.

07:41 Speaker 2 Is that true across the board?

07:42 Speaker 1 Yes, that is the whole point, very much so. Up to chapter 46, the Alter Rebbe is speaking about levels of avodah that require refinement and a particular kind of contemplation. So there it is “another”—another path: “There is yet another straight path.” Chapter 46, by contrast, is not another path. It is a new path, a new kind, something altogether different. That is why the Alter Rebbe does not write “another.” And there you can see in Tanya, when you look closely and learn it as it should be learned, how every word is precise, how every word has depth within it. In any case, here the Alter Rebbe begins to explain what this love is. We are saying that it is not just an ordinary love; it is a love accessible to everyone, and the whole thing is easy—not just easy, but very easy. The Alter Rebbe says here: “This is because he should take to heart what the verse says: ‘As water reflects a face back to a face, so a person’s heart reflects another’s heart.’” A person must take it to heart—that is, contemplate it. In a moment we will explain why the Alter Rebbe does not write “contemplate.” He specifically uses the phrase “take to heart.” Usually in Tanya, the wording is “contemplate.” Here the Alter Rebbe changes it and writes “take to heart.” There is an explanation for that too, but first let us read the text. So, “take to heart”: a person should contemplate, should pay attention to, what the verse says: “As water reflects a face back to a face, so a person’s heart reflects another’s heart.” It is a verse in Mishlei. The verse says, “As water reflects a face back to a face.” In other words, when you look into water, you see your face—its reflection in the water. “So a person’s heart reflects another’s heart.” In the same way, one person’s heart reflects what is in the other person’s heart. When you relate to another person

09:41 Speaker 1 A person in a certain way, then usually, naturally, it awakens a response. Now the Alter Rebbe will explain what it means: “Just as the image and shape of the face that a person shows in water appears to him there in the water in that very same shape.” As we see, the way a person shows his face to the water, that is how his face appears in the water. The water reflects his face back to him in that very same shape. The Alter Rebbe emphasizes that it is not a different shape; it is the very shape you see when you look into the water. That is the shape reflected back to you as well. You see that, right? The same applies here: “So, too, the heart of a person who is faithful in his love for another.” Someone who has faithful love—meaning love without any pretense. He is “faithful in his love for another”; he shows faithful love. He has faithful love for another person. “This love awakens love for him in his friend’s heart as well, so that they become faithful friends to one another.” It brings that faithfulness back to him: his friend shows him the same faithfulness he shows his friend. That same faithfulness comes back to him. “So that they become faithful friends to one another”—so that there is faithful love, genuine love, on both sides. But the Alter Rebbe adds: “Especially when he sees his friend’s love for him.” Notice what he adds: especially when? When he sees it. That means the point here is that even when he does not see it, it is something in the heart. Even if you do nothing outwardly—if in my heart I feel love for someone else, even though outwardly I have not yet done him any favor, taken any action, or smiled at him,

11:44 Speaker 1 or spoken to him, or told him I love him—but inside I have a feeling of faithful love, the other person senses it. This is part of human nature. This is how Hakadosh Boruch Hu made a person: by nature, when one person has a heartfelt feeling of love for another, it is reflected in the other person. He senses that love. The Rebbe also brings this up in connection with the bond with our Rebbeim: when a person looks at someone else, that gaze naturally causes the other person to look back at him. That is the nature of creation. Looking intently at someone causes him to look at you. The same applies to thought. So the Rebbe explains that when there is a bond of feeling between us—from a Rebbe to a chossid—it also awakens a feeling of love. That is the wonder of it. Even if he has done nothing outwardly, this is something inward, too. But the Alter Rebbe adds that if he also shows the love, it is even stronger. That is the basic meaning here of the verse “As water reflects a face to a face.” Now, yes, there is a wonderful explanation from the Rebbe of this passage in Tanya. Even before we get into the details of how the Alter Rebbe will explain it here, there is a wonderful explanation from the Rebbe of the very words the Alter Rebbe uses. The Rebbe brings it in Shiurim B’Sefer HaTanya. The question is: Why does the Alter Rebbe give such a lengthy explanation here? At first glance, this is the plain meaning of the verse. This was a question people asked the Rebbe, and the Rebbe examined it closely. The Alter Rebbe adds a whole explanation here. After all, the Alter Rebbe quotes the verse, but this is not a book of Biblical commentary. Right,

13:21 Speaker 1 the Alter Rebbe’s book is about a person’s avodah. The verse “As water reflects a face to a face, so is the heart of a person to another” seems self-explanatory. It needs no commentary. Right? “As water reflects a face to a face, so is the heart of a person to another”—it seems self-explanatory. Yet the Alter Rebbe explains it, writing four whole lines of explanation. That implies there is another interpretation, and the Alter Rebbe wants to say that the meaning here is specifically this one. What is going on? The Rebbe says something truly wonderful here. The Rebbe explains that the straightforward meaning of the verse is not what the Alter Rebbe says. The straightforward meaning of the verse is not—it is not at all what the Alter Rebbe says. Look at the commentators and you will see that, in its straightforward meaning, the verse is not describing what happens by human nature. In its straightforward meaning, the verse is giving an instruction. A verse in Mishlei comes to demand something of a person. It tells him: Know that “as water reflects a face to a face”—when you look into water, your face appears in the water, face to face—the same should be true of one person’s heart toward another. The verse is saying that a person needs to act: to do things, to behave toward another person in ways that will cause his friend to love him. That is the plain meaning of the verse. I do not recall the exact wording of Metzudas David or Rashi, of the commentators on the verse, but that is the substance of their interpretation. “The heart of a person to another” does not describe a reality. Rather, it tells a person how things ought to be. Just as the water reflects a face to a face, so a person’s heart ought to be toward another: he should make an effort to bring his heart toward the other person, to draw close to him so

15:36 Speaker 1 that he takes various actions to bring the other person closer to him. It is an instruction. Then the Alter Rebbe comes and says no. The Alter Rebbe says the verse is not giving an instruction here. The verse is describing something natural. That is a major insight the Alter Rebbe is giving us. The Alter Rebbe says: No, we are not talking about an instruction here. The verse states a reality, a natural reality. That is the nature of water. You do not have to do anything. You stand in front of the water. It is just like a reflection or a mirror. You look and you see yourself; you look into the water and you see yourself. That is natural, not something you actively bring about. The same applies with another person. It is natural. No action is involved; you do not have to do anything, right? The moment you love the other person, the other person will love you. That is natural; it is part of human nature. Now, what the Alter Rebbe says seems to be quite a departure. Why is it such a departure, the Rebbe asks? Because, at first glance, the Book of Mishlei is a book about avodah. What is the Book of Mishlei? At first glance, Rashi and Metzudas David, who interpret it differently from the Alter Rebbe, are right. Why? Because of what Mishlei is. What is the Book of Mishlei? It is a book about character traits. It comes to teach a person how to carry out his avodah. That is what Mishlei is all about. It tells a person how to correct a character trait, what he needs to do. The entire book is full of sayings that tell a person how to correct his character traits. It is not a book that tells us stories about how the biology or psychology of the soul works. It is a book in which King Shlomo makes demands of us. It is well known that it says—I think the source is in a Midrash—that King Shlomo wrote three books: Shir Hashirim, Mishlei

17:22 Speaker 1 and Koheles. What is the difference between these three books? Shir Hashirim describes the feeling and love of the soul for Hakadosh Boruch Hu. It speaks about the soul’s love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu and Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s love for the soul. Mishlei is a book about avodah, in which King Shlomo—excuse me—demands and calls for change. And Koheles is a book in which King Shlomo tells a person that everything is vanity. In other words, there King Shlomo is already approaching things this way: See that this whole world is worth nothing. Tzaddikim say these are three periods in a person’s life. King Shlomo wrote Shir Hashirim when he was young, when he had all the enthusiasm of “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth”—the feeling of love and the excitement. Right? A young person has all that enthusiasm to awaken love of Hashem. That was the period of Shir Hashirim. After that, he wrote Mishlei in the middle of his life, when a person is engaged in a struggle with the yetzer hara and with the world. Then he makes demands of himself about how to live; that is the avodah of Mishlei. When he reaches Koheles, he writes it in his old age. He is already an old man, and he says: Don’t waste your time. Koheles: “Vanity of vanities.” “What profit does a person have from all his toil?” He is looking at things as an old man who has already been through life, and the whole world is already of no consequence to him. In other words, he has already gained that perspective. How does he put it? Anyway, I think this has a source in a Midrash: he wrote Shir Hashirim in his youth, Mishlei in the middle years of his life, and Koheles in his old age. In any case, the Book of Mishlei is a book of moral instruction and guidance about how a person should be. So Rashi and Metzudas David say that the plain meaning of the verse is that, just as water reflects a face to a face, so a person should act toward another person, and toward another person

19:25 Speaker 1 To take steps to bring himself closer to the other person. So why does the Alter Rebbe say it means something different? The Alter Rebbe comes and says: That is not what it means—that it happens naturally, without any effort. Because here in Tanya, the Alter Rebbe is explaining that love which is “as water reflects a face to a face” applies to every person, whoever they may be. As we explained in the previous class, that is the whole foundation here in the Alter Rebbe’s Tanya, in chapter 32: love that is “as water reflects a face to a face.” You don’t have to do anything for it. It’s natural. Yes, it’s natural, so it doesn’t need any special explanation. You don’t have to do anything special for it. That’s simply how it works: if one person loves another, the response follows naturally. The same applies in our avodah, as I’m about to say: if Hakadosh Boruch Hu loves you, then you love Hakadosh Boruch Hu. But Shlomo Hamelech is not speaking about that. Shlomo Hamelech is speaking about one person and another. So because the Alter Rebbe is explaining here just how natural “as water reflects a face to a face” is—how it applies to everyone and happens on its own—he explains it specifically in this way: it isn’t something you have to work on. That’s its nature. Just as a face being reflected in water is natural, so too is loving the other person. Ah, but then the question is: what does it mean? What is Shlomo Hamelech trying to tell us here? If it’s natural, what is he saying? As we said, Mishlei is a book about love. The answer lies in the Alter Rebbe’s words: “He should take it to heart.” You have to pay attention to it. If you don’t pay attention to it,

21:08 Speaker 1 that is where all the work lies. The Alter Rebbe says: Look, it begins with “he should take it to heart.” What does “he should take it to heart” mean? You have to pay attention. In other words, if Reuven shows love to Shimon, but Shimon isn’t interested at all—he’s in a state where he doesn’t care, he’s occupied with something else, he doesn’t even notice—then the principle of “as water reflects a face to a face” won’t work. It’s like saying that if you stand facing the water, you’ll see your face in it. But if you stand with your back to the water, you won’t see your face in it. You’re standing by the water, but you’re not facing it. You have to look in the right place. The same is true here. Yes, “as water reflects a face to a face” is natural, but there has to be “he should take it to heart.” You have to look; you have to be present. If you look the other way, nothing will happen. That is the Alter Rebbe’s whole point here. On the one hand, as the Alter Rebbe explains, it is natural. “As water reflects a face to a face” is natural. And therefore, as we’ll soon see, the love a Jew needs to awaken and reach through this principle does not require him to be an intellectual or to engage in any special contemplation, because it’s natural. The moment you notice that Hakadosh Boruch Hu loves you so deeply and shows you such love, as the Alter Rebbe is about to explain, love should naturally awaken within you—not through contemplation. But you must “take it to heart.” If you don’t pay attention, nothing will happen. If you don’t notice that the king came to you and took you out of the garbage heap, if you’re looking somewhere

22:52 Speaker 1 else, then nothing will happen. That is why the Alter Rebbe emphasizes “he should take it to heart” here, according to the Torah. We also asked why he says specifically “he should take it to heart.” There is another point the Rebbe adds elsewhere. But just to finish with an incident—another story. Once, at a farbrengen, the Rebbe spoke about this point. It was during the period of the seforim affair. Just something interesting—it was during the period of the seforim affair. The Rebbe spoke about the person who had caused all the trouble with the seforim and so on. The Rebbe gave a very forceful sicha, speaking very sharply on Shabbos Parshas Pinchas, or around the night of Parshas Pinchas. The Rebbe spoke very forcefully indeed—a very sharp sicha about the whole situation of the seforim being taken from the library. Then the Rebbe spoke about the man who had caused all the problems, the Frierdiker Rebbe’s grandson. The Rebbe said that he had been causing him trouble for many years. The Rebbe said, “He has always been pursuing me.” And the Rebbe said, “I never understood it. It says, ‘As water reflects a face to a face, so does one person’s heart reflect another’s.’ Tanya already says that this is natural. I know with certainty,” the Rebbe said, “in my own heart, that I love him.” That is how the Rebbe put it. “So if it’s ‘as water reflects a face to a face,’ how can he hate me?” The Rebbe asked, “How can he hate me? I love him.” Then the Rebbe said, “I thought about this for a long time, until I came up with two answers. The first answer,” the Rebbe said, “I won’t say. No, I won’t say the first answer. The second answer is that presumably he loves me too, and it only seems otherwise to me.” That’s what the Rebbe said: “Presumably he loves me too, and it’s only...” Sometimes it was interesting how

24:59 Speaker 1 the Rebbe would express himself like that.