Likkutei Amarim Tanya - Chapter 25 - Part 2

00:00 Let’s continue here with Tanya, chapter 25. The Alter Rebbe is discussing the verse, “For this thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” He explains that at every moment, a person has the ability to overcome the spirit of folly and remember the hidden love that is in his heart, without any doubt. Because of this, “this thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”: he can serve Hashem with complete devotion, “in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” “In your heart” includes love—the hidden love—and it also includes awe: a Jew does not want to be separated from G-dliness. That’s where we are in the middle of the discussion. The Alter Rebbe says that every Jew naturally has love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu, as well as awe: he does not want to be separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and he wants to remain connected to G-dliness. This desire is present in every Jew, even to the point of actual self-sacrifice. All the more so when it is only a matter of breaking a desire, which is much easier than the suffering of death. So if a person is prepared to give his life and endure the suffering of death rather than be cut off from His blessed unity, all the more so should he have that willingness to sacrifice—not to be separated from G-dliness through a sin or transgression—when what is involved is much easier than the suffering of death. It is only a matter of breaking a desire. Here, on the third line of page 31b, the Alter Rebbe continues to explain how this applies to turning away from evil and how it applies to doing good. In other words, how does “in your heart”—the love and awe every Jew has, his unwillingness to be separated from G-dliness—affect him both in turning away from evil and in doing good? So the Alter Rebbe explains: “Both in the category of turning away from evil—

02:09 even from a minor transgression of the words of the Sages—so as not to violate His blessed will.” We’re talking about turning away from evil, about a person controlling himself. He has the ability to control himself and not commit even a minor transgression of the words of the Sages, because he does not want to violate the will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. This is the principle we learned in chapter 24. The Alter Rebbe briefly brings here the point we learned in chapter 24: a Jew does not want to violate His blessed will. Why? “Since through it he becomes separated from His unity and oneness, just as through actual idolatry, at the moment of the act.” We learned earlier, in chapter 24, that when a Jew commits a transgression—whatever transgression it may be, even a minor prohibition of the Sages—at the moment of the act he is separated from His unity and oneness, just as through actual idolatry. So a person does not want, under any circumstances, G-d forbid, to be separated from G-dliness and worship idols even for one moment. Why the precise wording “at the moment of the act”? The Alter Rebbe specifies that it is only at the moment of the act because, in chapter 24, he said that every transgression is akin to idolatry only while the sin is being committed. At that moment you are rebelling against Hakadosh Boruch Hu, you are separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that makes it like actual idolatry. Just as actual idolatry contradicts His blessed oneness, when a Jew commits a transgression, it is as though he is opposing the oneness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. But in chapter 24 the Alter Rebbe said that this is only while the sin is being committed; afterward it is no longer the same. Only at the moment of the sin is he separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Afterward, there are distinctions. There are different kinds of sins: some carry the penalty of kareis, exile, court-imposed death penalties, or lashes, and some carry no penalty at all.

04:08 So the Alter Rebbe made a distinction, gave a definition, in chapter 24. He explained that it depends on whether the transgression is being committed at that moment. While it is being committed, every transgression, in a subtle sense, relates to the oneness of Hashem: the person is separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu. But after the transgression, when we look at the harm caused by it, some transgressions cause greater harm and others less. So that raises a question: How can you say that a Jew has the willingness to sacrifice himself for all 613 mitzvos because he sees every violation as a matter of idolatry—that every instance of turning away from evil is about idolatry? Seemingly, they are not the same. It is only like idolatry at the moment of the act; afterward it is no longer like idolatry. It is only at the moment of the sin, for that one instant. So why compare it to idolatry? The Alter Rebbe therefore adds here: “And after all, even for idolatry one can do teshuvah afterward.” The same applies to idolatry. Suppose we think a person distinguishes between the moment of the act and afterward. In the case of idolatry, too, there could be a situation where a person commits the transgression: once, G-d forbid, he stumbles and commits the sin of idolatry. Afterward he can do teshuvah, and when he does, his teshuvah will be accepted. Hakadosh Boruch Hu accepts teshuvah even for idolatry. Nothing stands in the way of teshuvah, as the Alter Rebbe says and will explain. So why do we say this? In other words, it is possible for a Jew to commit idolatry just for the moment of the act and do teshuvah afterward. Nevertheless, we say that a Jew will not commit idolatry even

06:06 for a single moment. You would commit idolatry and then do teshuvah? There is no such thing. A Jew is not willing to commit idolatry even for one moment, and the same is therefore true of turning away from evil. Even though the separation lasts only one moment, and the essential separation that is like idolatry lasts only one moment, a Jew does not want to commit idolatry even for a moment. The same therefore applies to turning away from evil. A Jew does not want to be separated from G-dliness even for one moment. And so, with every form of turning away from evil, whatever the transgression may be, a Jew has that willingness to sacrifice himself because he does not want to be separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu—even for a minor transgression of the words of the Sages. That is what the Alter Rebbe says here, and then he continues. He has said that one can do teshuvah after committing idolatry. But the Alter Rebbe asks: How can that work? Someone comes to a person and says, “Bow down to an idol. Bow down to an idol.” What will he say? “I’ll worship the idol, and afterward I’ll do teshuvah”? That isn’t even a possibility, because “I will sin and repent, I will sin and repent”—he is not given the opportunity to do teshuvah. So how can you say that after committing idolatry he can do teshuvah, as though a person could think, “I’ll commit idolatry for one moment and then do teshuvah”? If he says that, it is a case of “I will sin and repent.” This is what the Alter Rebbe now comes to explain: “And although one who says, ‘I will sin and repent,’ is not given the opportunity to do teshuvah...” A person who says, “I will sin and repent,” is not given the opportunity. That is the halachah, in the Gemara in Yoma. If so, then it would seem a person cannot commit idolatry and do teshuvah afterward. The Alter Rebbe explains:

07:54 “This means that he is not assisted in doing teshuvah.” The Alter Rebbe gives a remarkable explanation of the Mishnah, of this halachah. When it says that one who says, “I will sin and repent,” is not given the opportunity to do teshuvah, it does not mean that he cannot do teshuvah. That is how people ordinarily understand it. That is how the Mishnah is taught in cheder, how it is translated: you see “I will sin and repent” and take it to mean that he cannot do teshuvah, because if he sins while thinking about teshuvah, it is not teshuvah; his teshuvah is not accepted. So the Alter Rebbe focuses on the precise words “is not given the opportunity.” That does not mean it is impossible to do teshuvah. It means he is not helped to find an opportune time. He is not given that opportunity; no helping hand is extended to him to do teshuvah. But if he pushes, if he pushes the gate open and does teshuvah, nothing stands in the way of teshuvah. That is the Alter Rebbe’s point. When the Gemara says that nothing stands in the way of teshuvah, it means exactly that. It includes a person who says, “I will sin and repent”—even he can do teshuvah. Nothing stands in the way of teshuvah. But doesn’t it say that he is “not given the opportunity”? The Alter Rebbe says this means that the help is not automatically given to him. Generally, with teshuvah there is assistance from Above: there is the heavenly voice, there are the heavenly proclamations that prompt a person and give him the strength to do teshuvah. Here, however, we are told that a person who says, “I will sin and repent,” is not automatically given that help, that helping hand, that opportune time. But if he acts on his own, works on himself, pushes himself, and brings himself to the point where he wants to do teshuvah through his own effort

09:46 himself, then his teshuvah is certainly accepted. That is what is meant by “Nothing stands in the way of teshuvah.” The Alter Rebbe says this as well in Igeres Hateshuvah, chapter 11. “He is not afforded the opportunity”—meaning that he is not helped. But if he presses ahead and enters, nothing stands in the way of teshuvah. The Alter Rebbe brings this in Igeres Hateshuvah too. So even with idol worship, you could do it for a moment and then do teshuvah. Ah, but that is “I will sin and repent,” when you are already thinking about teshuvah. Still, you can do teshuvah afterward; even in a case of “I will sin and repent,” the teshuvah is accepted. And yet every Jew is ready and willing to give his life to sanctify Hashem’s name. What do we see, says the Alter Rebbe? Every Jew is prepared to literally give his life to sanctify Hashem’s name rather than be separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu for even one moment. He will not bow to an idol even briefly, not even for a moment, and then do teshuvah afterward—although he could do teshuvah afterward. A person is unwilling to worship an idol even if he thinks he will do teshuvah later. Why, really? Wait, why? What is the explanation? Come on, you could gain more years of life. You are facing a test here. Why do you have to die? Worship the idol, do teshuvah afterward, and that’s it—everything will be fine. Nevertheless, every Jew is ready and willing to give his life to sanctify Hashem’s name rather than bow to an idol even briefly and then do teshuvah afterward. And this is because—why is it so?—because of the light of Hashem clothed in his soul, as explained above. It is not subject to time or measure at all, but is above time and rules and governs time, as explained above. The reason for this

11:44 Why is it so? The Alter Rebbe gives a wonderful, profound explanation. What is it? A Jew’s unwillingness to be separated from G-dliness does not come from an intellectual calculation, from something he has understood through reason. It comes from the light of Hashem that he feels within himself. The light of Hashem is clothed in his soul, and that is what makes a Jew ready to give his life. Since the light of Hashem is clothed in his soul, this is not a matter of time; it is not bound by time. So it is eternal, above time, and it rules and governs time. Therefore, from the soul’s perspective, since a Jew’s bond with Hakadosh Boruch Hu comes from the light of Hashem, which is above time, the soul makes no distinction between one moment and a thousand hours. It makes no difference. A moment of separation is eternal. That is what “above time” means. Then he adds that it is not only above time; it rules and governs time. There are two points here. Why is a Jew unwilling to be separated from his Master for even one moment? The Alter Rebbe gives two explanations. First, because a Jew’s bond with Hakadosh Boruch Hu is above time, so there is no calculation of time here. It is eternal; every moment is infinite, above time. Then he adds another point: it is not only above time, but rules and governs time. What does that mean? The light of Hashem shining in a Jew’s soul—the light of Hakadosh Boruch Hu from which a Jew’s faith and willingness to give his life come, the yechidah, the spark of the Creator shining in a Jew’s soul—is not only above time; it also rules time. Therefore

13:46 it is not only because it is above time that I am unwilling to be separated—because above time there is no limit, and everything is eternal. It also has power over the reality of time. So one moment of separation from Hakadosh Boruch Hu can be worse than a long period of time. Since it governs time, one moment of losing that bond, one moment of separation from Hakadosh Boruch Hu, can be worse than a great deal of time in matters that are bound by time. Since the light of Hashem rules over time, the damage, the concealment, the separation, is even worse than in matters bound by time and space, because it rules and governs time. These are two points the Alter Rebbe makes here in Tanya. So even for one moment—that is what the Alter Rebbe is saying here as well—and this applies even to a minor prohibition of the Sages. Even though the separation lasts only for the moment of the act, a Jew does not want to be separated from Hakadosh Boruch Hu for even one moment. By contemplating this, a person will, in practice, turn away from evil even when it comes to a minor prohibition of the Sages. That is regarding turning away from evil. Now he will begin to explain doing good. Yes.