Daily Tanya – Chapter 12 Part 4: The self control of a Beinoni (Tuesday, 17th Teves)

3.      The effect of Davening on the remainder of the day:

• Although the Beinoni will inevitably suffer from sinful thoughts as stated above, nevertheless, the leftover effect of his prayer prevents the sinful thoughts from taking any form of expression in thought, speech, or action.
• The hidden love for G-d overpowers the conscious lusts for the physical: The reason for this is because during prayer the Beinoni aroused and experienced love and fear of G-d, which although now after prayer remains hidden within the right part of his heart, nonetheless is strong enough to be able to overpower and control the evil lusts and passions that he has, and to prevent these passions from ruling over the city which refers to the body, and not allow these passions to be invested and expressed through the limbs of the body.

4.      The Beinoni controls his thought:

• No entertaining the evil thought: The evil passion that is aroused in the Beinoni after prayer does not even have the power over the mind to cause it to consciously contemplate over it. Although it can forcibly push the evil thought into the mind, it cannot cause the mind to willfully contemplate this evil thought which came to it from the heart against its will.
• Pushing the evil thought out of the mind: Rather, as soon as the evil thought enters the mind, the Beinoni pushes it away with both hands, and completely removes his mind from it the moment he realizes that it is an evil thought.
• No contemplation of any sort: The Beinoni does not willfully accept the evil thought to even think about it willingly, and certainly he does not entertain in his mind to actually perform the forbidden act, or to even speak about it.
• Contemplating evil makes one a Rasha: The reason for the above level of religiosity required of a Beinoni is because even one who merely contemplates evil in his mind is already considered a Rasha for that moment, and as we already explained the Beinoni is not considered a Rasha for even one moment in his life.

5.      The Beinoni prevents all thoughts of negativity about another person:

• The above control that the Beinoni has over his mind is not only against contemplating sinful transgressions that are between man and G-d but furthermore he has control even over negative thoughts that are between man and his fellow.
• Not entertaining thoughts of hatred, jealousy, anger, or resentment with another: For example, as soon as the heart sends to the mind of the Beinoni a thought of animosity or hatred G-d forbid [towards another Jew] or thoughts of jealousy or anger or resentment to another, then he does not willingly accept these thoughts into his mind at all.
• Paying kindness to those who his heart resents: On the contrary, as soon as such thoughts enter his mind, his mind takes control over the evil spirit in his heart and forces himself to do the exact opposite, and to treat his friend with kindness and show him even greater love and affection then he would otherwise.
• Resolving to accept hurtful behavior from the individual and not take vengeance: The Beinoni resolves to silently accept the suffering from the bad behavior from the individual to the utmost extreme, and not get angry at him or take revenge against him for his deeds.
• Resolving to treat him even more kindly: On the contrary, the Beinoni resolves to treat this individual even more kindly and repay him with good against his evil.
• Yosef and his brothers: This type of behavior was witness regarding Yosef and how he treated his brothers with kindness despite them having sold him into slavery, as explained in the Zohar.