Likkutei Amarim Tanya, Chapter 27 - Part 3

00:02 Speaker 1 We’re in the middle of chapter 27, at the line beginning “And with every rejection.” The line beginning—sorry—with the words “And with every rejection.” So the Alter Rebbe explains here how a person should be happy even when he has bad thoughts and desires. Even so, he should be happy. On the contrary, as the Alter Rebbe explains, the reason a person becomes sad about having bad thoughts and desires comes from arrogance: he thinks he ought to be on a different level. He doesn’t know his place. A person who knows his place understands that, on the contrary, this is meant to be his avodah: to overcome the yetzer and fight his desires. That’s the point. Here the Alter Rebbe goes on to add something wonderful. So far we’ve learned two points. First, the Alter Rebbe explained that this is an opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah. A person should rejoice that Hakadosh Boruch Hu has given him an opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah, namely, “Do not stray after your hearts and after your eyes.” The second point is what the Alter Rebbe explains about knowing one’s place and recognizing that this is one’s avodah—our avodah is to overcome the yetzer. Now the Alter Rebbe adds a third point. He comes to explain that beyond what we’ve discussed so far—knowing one’s place, the mitzvah, and so on—there is something special here, a remarkable quality. There is something wonderful about iskafya itself: a person has a yetzer hara, desires and thoughts, and he overcomes them. That itself has a most remarkable quality. This is what the Alter Rebbe now adds, and it is one of his novel insights, as is well known. As I discussed earlier in the text, the Alter Rebbe says: “And with every rejection with which he rejects it from his mind.” Every time I manage to push the yetzer hara out of my thoughts—

02:11 Speaker 1 my bad thoughts and desires—the sitra achra below is subdued. What happens with every rejection? It brings about iskafya: it subdues, as it were—yes, breaks and subdues—the sitra achra down here, meaning the sitra achra within the soul, the evil force within the soul. And an awakening from below brings about an awakening from above. We know that everything about a person has its counterpart above. Every action a person takes down here brings about a corresponding effect above, like a reflection in water. That is the idea of an awakening from below bringing about an awakening from above. So when a person practices iskafya within his soul down here—he subdues his animal soul and overcomes those thoughts—it brings about iskafya of the sitra achra above. It causes the general sitra achra, the root of kelipah, the sitra achra above—that evil force, the general force of kelipah above—to be broken and subdued at that very moment. This is the sitra achra above that “raises itself like an eagle,” the sitra achra as a whole. It is constantly trying to raise itself like an eagle, to receive spiritual sustenance from the encompassing light, from the levels above. So by practicing iskafya within my soul down here, I bring about, at that same moment, the subjugation of the sitra achra throughout the entire order of spiritual worlds. This fulfills the verse, “Though you raise yourself like an eagle,” and so on, “from there I will bring you down, declares Hashem.” That verse speaks of kelipah trying to raise itself like an eagle. An eagle flies higher than all the other birds. So it says that kelipah rises like an eagle: “From there I will bring you down, declares Hashem.” The verse is in Ovadiah in Tanach, in the prophecy about Esav—Ovadiah’s prophecy about, about, about—

04:15 Speaker 1 Edom, about the whole of the kelipah of Edom, which is really kelipah as a whole. Edom, Esav, refers to the sitra achra as a whole. Right? So what is he saying? Edom, Esav, kelipah represents exile as a whole. Our exile is called the exile of Edom. So kelipah raises itself like an eagle. Kelipah exalts itself, raises itself, right? Out of its sense of self and pride, kelipah wants to receive spiritual sustenance from the encompassing light—like an eagle. Because, as is known in Chassidus, kelipah receives its life-force in two ways. There is the life-force kelipah receives through many contractions, and there is the life-force it receives from the encompassing light, as explained in Kuntres U’Maayan, Be’er 59, right? We learned that. So the point is that kelipah raises itself like an eagle. It wants to reach the very highest levels, up into the encompassing light. There, darkness is like light, and left and right are treated alike. When there is an abundance of light, everyone receives spiritual sustenance. So kelipah wants to get in there and receive some too. That is how it “raises itself like an eagle.” The moment a Jew down here practices iskafya—even one act of iskafya, every rejection, every movement of iskafya I make in my avodah—that iskafya below brings about an awakening from above. It causes the subjugation of the sitra achra: the breaking, the subduing, the nullification of the great sitra achra above—“from there I will bring you down.” It causes kelipah to be broken. So when a person reflects on this, it gives him a special vitality. What does the Alter Rebbe want to explain here? He wants to explain how a person should be happy even though he has these thoughts. A person comes along feeling depressed and sad. What is he sad about? Why? Because he sees himself in a state where these thoughts occur to him; he sees his bad desires. The Alter Rebbe tells him: Beyond the fact that you have an opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah—

06:11 Speaker 1 you should reflect on what kind of opportunity this is. There are many mitzvos, but here there is something special that other mitzvos don’t have. What is special here is iskafya itself: the moment you struggle with yourself and subdue the sitra achra within your soul, you bring about iskafya throughout the entire order of spiritual worlds, and the subjugation of the sitra achra above. That, in itself, should give a person vitality in every act of iskafya. That is one point: the subjugation of the sitra achra above that comes about through every act of iskafya a person performs. And by the way, the Alter Rebbe is precise in saying “with every rejection.” There is something wonderful he wants to hint at here. The Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya for beinonim. Yes, it is the Book of Beinonim. As we learned in the chapters, the beinoni feels bad because, although he is a beinoni, he still has desires. Even a beinoni has desires and thoughts, and that makes him sad. The Alter Rebbe explains to him that he should be happy that he has these thoughts, because through iskafya he accomplishes all these lofty things. But by writing “with every rejection,” the Alter Rebbe also hints to people like us, who aren’t beinonim—if only we were beinonim! You know the familiar story about “if only I were a beinoni.” But the point is “with every rejection.” In other words, every time a Jew practices iskafya—even a Jew who doesn’t manage to overcome everything, who stumbles in other areas—you should know that a single act of iskafya brings about the subjugation of the sitra achra below and the subjugation of the sitra achra above. Every act of iskafya... There’s a story. Chassidim tell of—

07:56 Speaker 1 There was once a story involving the Rebbe Maharash. A Jew had been conducting himself improperly and causing a great many problems for the chassidim in a certain community. He was a chossid who had strayed from the path. In short, he did many undesirable things, and the chassidim decided to distance him, to remove him from the community, because of the trouble he was causing. After they made that decision, they traveled to the Rebbe Maharash. The Rebbe Maharash asked what had happened to that chossid, that Jew. They told him that because of his conduct, they had had to remove him from the community. The Rebbe Maharash said to them, “You should know: a Jew who has ten distracting thoughts”—this is how chassidim tell it—“if, because he spends time among chassidim, he has only nine distracting thoughts instead of ten, then all the self-sacrifice on his behalf is worthwhile.” That was the expression. I may not have the wording exactly right, but that was the point. He may have ten such thoughts, but because he spends time with chassidim, he’ll have one less. All the hardship and suffering they endure from him is worthwhile for that. So that is the point here: every single time a person pushes something away. One act of iskafya is exceedingly precious, because it brings about the subjugation of the sitra achra throughout the entire order of hishtalshelus. That is one point. But the Tanya adds something more. As the Zohar says—and this is in the Zohar on Parshas Terumah, page 128—“When the sitra achra is subdued below, the glory of Hakadosh Boruch Hu rises above all.” So this means

09:48 Speaker 1 that when a Jew practices iskafya, he causes the greatest pleasure Above, and “the glory of Hakadosh Boruch Hu rises above all.” There is the familiar term “rises,” yes? Here, “rises” means “is revealed,” as explained in the Basi Legani maamarim. There is a revelation of exaltedness, an extraordinary revelation of the exaltedness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, above all—greater than any other revelation, greater than other praises, than all other praises. What does “other praises” mean? All kinds of praise: the praises a Jew offers when he davens, praising Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Through all those praises, one draws down a revelation of G-dliness. Chassidus explains that when a Jew davens and praises Hakadosh Boruch Hu in Pesukei Dezimra, the whole idea of hymns and praises is revelation: through praise, one draws G-dliness into the world. So the Zohar tells us that when a Jew practices iskafya of the sitra achra, he draws down a revelation of G-dliness incomparably greater than through all those praises. And “this ascent surpasses them all,” and so on, because all other Torah study and mitzvos do not bring about a revelation of G-dliness like iskafya does. Iskafya brings about a revelation of G-dliness greater than them all. The Alter Rebbe does not explain this here; he only quotes the Zohar. But there are many maamarim in Chassidus on the subject. Yes, there are quite a few maamarim, beginning with the Alter Rebbe himself in Torah Or, with extensive discussion in Likkutei Torah as well. The Alter Rebbe explains at length in Torah Or, and likewise in Likkutei Torah and several other maamarim, the extraordinary virtue of iskafya specifically—what is so great about a Jew subduing the sitra achra. It is also in the Basi Legani maamarim, which everyone knows. The phrase “When the sitra achra is subdued” comes from the Zohar quoted here. In Basi Legani the wording is different, but it is the same Zohar passage: “When the sitra achra is subdued,

11:45 Speaker 1 the glory of Hakadosh Boruch Hu rises throughout all the worlds.” There is a special virtue specifically in the avodah of iskafya, and, as it says here, that virtue exceeds all the other avodah in holiness. There is the avodah a Jew does in the world: Torah study, observing mitzvos, the avodah of davening—that is avodah in holiness. And of course every avodah, every action, every mitzvah has an effect. You do an act of kindness, and you draw down the kindness of Hakadosh Boruch Hu; you put on tefillin, and you draw down the corresponding aspect of tefillin Above. Every avodah a Jew does draws down a revelation of G-dliness. But the revelation drawn down through iskafya is the highest level of revelation—an ascent Above that surpasses them all. The G-dly light drawn down through iskafya is higher than that drawn down through all the other activities and forms of avodah. The Alter Rebbe does not explain why here. It is not stated openly here, though it is hinted at, as we’ll see shortly in the continuation of the chapter. But one explanation given in the maamarim will help explain why iskafya in particular brings this about. One point is that this is precisely what Hakadosh Boruch Hu desired. Iskafya involves struggling with darkness. A person has a yetzer hara and desires, and must fight the darkness. This is the idea that “light has an advantage over darkness,” and this is what Hakadosh Boruch Hu desired: He desired to have a dwelling place in the lower realms. The Alter Rebbe explains later in Tanya, in chapter 36, that Hakadosh Boruch Hu desired to make a dwelling place for Himself specifically in the lower realms. So it is specifically through this avodah—not work within holiness, but work with evil itself, where there is a yetzer hara, evil, and opposition, and you have to subdue it—that one draws down the dwelling place in the lower realms. That is where this drawing down

13:32 Speaker 1 takes place. That is one explanation given in the maamarim. Other maamarim explain another point as well: the virtue of iskafya, which is also an advantage iskafya has over ishapcha. Because the idea that light has an advantage over darkness applies to both iskafya and ishapcha. But here the Alter Rebbe wanted to emphasize the virtue of iskafya specifically. As we’ll see later in the chapter, the beinoni’s avodah is primarily not ishapcha. Ishapcha is more the avodah of tzaddikim. The avodah of beinonim lies primarily in iskafya. So what is it about iskafya in particular that leads us to say, “The glory of Hakadosh Boruch Hu rises”? It is that iskafya involves greater bittul, self-nullification. In one respect, iskafya has an advantage over ishapcha when it comes to bittul. What is the avodah of ishapcha? You transform your own nature. Chassidus explains what ishapcha means in ordinary avodah: a person changes to the point that he loves Hashem “with all your heart”—with both your inclinations. That is the avodah of ishapcha: even his animal soul is transformed into love of Hashem. So the person remains an entity, an entity of holiness. With iskafya, by contrast, there is bittul. I have a yetzer hara, and I still have a yetzer hara and desires. But what do I do? I force myself to act against my own will. So in the movement of bittul, iskafya has an advantage over ishapcha. That is also why “the glory of Hakadosh Boruch Hu rises throughout all the worlds.” This happens measure for measure: in iskafya a person nullifies himself, and the bittul there is greatest. He steps completely beyond his own nature, nullifies his own will, and does what Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants—not what he wants, but what Hashem wants. So this bittul, this iskafya, brings about a corresponding effect Above. Also

15:27 Speaker 1 The bittul from Above, through which a light beyond the order of hishtalshelus is drawn down. As though Above, too, there is a certain order, a sense of existence; and when a person nullifies his own sense of existence, this brings about a revelation from a level beyond existence, from a place beyond the whole concept of existence. This brings about an ascent higher than all worlds. This is another explanation found in the maamarim that discuss the subject of iskafya. But in everything here, the Alter Rebbe has made two points so far about the virtue of iskafya. Why does every act of pushing something away matter? One point is the breaking of the kelipah: through a single act of iskafya, you cause the sitra achra to be broken throughout the entire order of hishtalshelus. The second point is the immense pleasure it gives Above. Iskafya draws down a revelation of G-dly light. That revelation through iskafya is something extraordinary, found only in iskafya, beyond what Torah, mitzvos, and all other things can accomplish. So every act of iskafya must be treasured. The Alter Rebbe continues: “A person should not become downhearted, nor should his heart be deeply troubled, even if he remains in this struggle all his days.” So after a person reflects on everything we have discussed, he says: Don’t be afraid. A person does not need to feel disheartened. Feeling downhearted or dispirited means feeling bitter because he has desires and thoughts and faces a struggle. “Nor should his heart be deeply troubled, even if he remains this way all his days.” Even until the very last moment, you may have to fight this battle all your life, “for perhaps this is why he was created, and this is his service: to continually subdue the sitra achra.” It may be that this is the reason, the purpose for which you were created. A person may have been created for iskafya, because iskafya is such an extraordinary thing.

17:22 Speaker 1 Iskafya breaks the sitra achra throughout the entire order of hishtalshelus, and draws down a level of G-dliness that no other form of service can draw down. So who says you have to reach a point where the battle ends? Who says? It could be that the battle itself is the purpose. Your soul came down into this world to give you the opportunity to do one more act of iskafya, and another, and another, until you’re 120. To live with this struggle every moment, with the opportunity every single day, until the last moment of your life, to practice iskafya—that itself may be life’s purpose. This is what the Alter Rebbe explains here, and it is one of the most extraordinary foundations of serving Hashem. In general, people seek perfection. People ask, “When will it finally happen? When will the battle end?” As if there is some goal: eventually things will settle down, it will be over, and there will be no more battles with the yetzer hara. Through great effort in Torah and prayer, through so much work, eventually I’ll reach the stage where I’ve won the battle. Now I can be calm and at peace, with no yetzer hara. I can serve Hashem peacefully, with joy and a glad heart, with rest for body and soul. Then the Alter Rebbe comes and says: Not necessarily. Who says that has to be the goal in life? Perhaps a person was not created to win the battle. A person was created for the battle itself. That itself is the goal. The goal is iskafya. That is the whole point here. Hakadosh Boruch Hu does not want the victory at the end of the battle; He wants the iskafya here. He wants you to have a desire, to face a struggle, and to overcome the test. To overcome it—that is the very purpose. And on the contrary, it is precisely through this, as they say, that the greatest pleasure is brought to

19:24 Speaker 1 Hakadosh Boruch Hu.

19:28 Speaker 2 It says “perhaps” here.

19:30 Speaker 1 So they ask: Why does it say, “Perhaps this is why he was created”? Why “perhaps”? The simple explanation is that perhaps he also has the soul of a tzaddik. In other words, perhaps through love of Hashem... After all, the Alter Rebbe says in chapter 14 that there is the matter of “They administer an oath to him: Be a tzaddik”—that a person should also strive in his service to reach a state of love for Hashem that brings him to hate the sitra achra. So one should try to reach that, as he explained, and then... But even if you do not reach it, the Alter Rebbe says, perhaps your soul came down for the service of iskafya. That is what “perhaps” means. In the Rebbe’s Reshimos, there is a debate between the Rebbe of [unclear] and the Rebbe’s grandfather over the word “perhaps.” I’ve never understood what is going on there. There’s some debate about why it says “perhaps”—the Rebbe of [unclear] and the Rebbe’s grandfather, Rabbi Baruch Shneur. It involves Kabbalah; that is what they are discussing there. What is “perhaps”? It is malchus, and it is a secret, and on that basis... They are trying to explain something there that I did not quite understand. It seems there is a debate over whether “perhaps” expresses doubt or whether, in this case, it is a certainty. I could not quite understand it. But in any event, for our purposes, what we do need to understand is the Alter Rebbe’s wording: “Nor should his heart be deeply troubled.” That wording implies that he should be somewhat troubled. He says, “Nor should his heart be deeply troubled.” Seemingly, based on what we have explained, it should say, “His heart should not be troubled at all.” Why does the Alter Rebbe say, “Nor should his heart be deeply troubled”? That wording implies that his heart should be a little troubled, that he should feel a little

21:30 Speaker 1 bad. That, too, has a place. Right? So chassidim explain—and it is brought in Lessons in Tanya—that this is the point of the precise wording, “deeply troubled.” A person does need to make an effort. His approach should not be to resign himself and say, “Everything is fine.” A person does need to work on himself and try to reach a state of connection with Hakadosh Boruch Hu through ishapcha. Because just as iskafya has a virtue, ishapcha has a virtue too. It is not that... Right? So a person should sometimes want to reach a form of service through peace rather than battle. After all, Chassidus speaks a great deal in the maamarim about “He redeemed my soul in peace”—serving in a restful way. So yes, a person should not ask to remain in battle. He should want something more, and therefore his heart should be a little troubled that he has not reached it. But “deeply”—his heart should not be deeply troubled, because there is also a higher purpose in iskafya and in the struggle, and therefore he should accept it with joy. But not in a way that says, “I don’t care at all.” A person should try, and want, and ask. There is a subtle point the Alter Rebbe introduces here: in our service, there needs to be some movement of desire. In the maamarim about Sefiras HaOmer, you see something interesting, a familiar theme. They discuss “Draw me after You; we will run.” Right? They bring the explanation of “Draw me after You; we will run. The King has brought me into His chambers; we will rejoice and be glad in Him.” The maamarim explain that there is the service of the G-dly soul, and there is the work with the animal soul: “We will run.” Sefiras

23:34 Speaker 1 HaOmer is the work with the soul—iskafya, ishapcha, all the struggles. That is the work of Sefiras HaOmer. There is “we will run,” and the virtue is that specifically through working with the animal soul there is “we will run”—running, the sefiros, and so on, as discussed in the maamarim in Torah Or. But what does it say afterward? “The King has brought me into His chambers.” What does “The King has brought me into His chambers” mean? There it is no longer plural; it is singular. In other words, ultimately the service is the service of the G-dly soul. So here, too, we see the same thing. On the one hand, they emphasize the virtue of working with the animal soul—“we will run,” in the plural. On the other hand, they say: No, in the end, where do we arrive? At a place where, once again, there is only the G-dly soul. The Rebbe speaks about this in... There is a maamar about Pesach Sheini. It is not clear what Pesach Sheini... There is a virtue in serving within holiness, without a battle. Ultimately, there is a virtue in that kind of service; on the contrary, a person should aspire to serve within holiness itself, in the life of life. What does this have to do with Pesach Sheini? The Rebbe explains it at length. So with all the virtues of iskafya and ishapcha, there is also a virtue in serving through light, within holiness. The Alter Rebbe hints to this when he says, “Nor should his heart be deeply troubled,” because this struggle is the higher will, right? But at the same time, we should also aspire to serve within the realm of holiness itself.