Daily Tanya 19th Adar 1: Middle of Chapter 30-Humbling oneself before all creatures

(LY) 19^th Adar 1

• Any individual who has yet to wage war against his body [and evil inclination] to the above extent in a great and intense battle, has not yet reached the same level of challenge and battle as experienced by the lowlife, who is expected to subjugate and break even an inclination that is similar to a fiery furnace due to his fear of G-d.
• Concentration in blessings: The same applies regarding Grace after meals [i.e. Birchas Hamazon], and all blessing which are to be said over food and Mitzvahs, that they must be said with proper concentration [and hence a person must ask himself does he really exert enough effort in this regard].
• Concentration in Mitzvahs: The same applies regarding the fulfillment of Mitzvah’s which must be done altruistically for the sake of heaven [and hence a person must ask himself does he really exert enough effort in this regard].
• Learning Torah: The same applies regarding the learning of Torah, that one must ask himself if he is truly learning more Torah than he naturally desires according to his nature and instinct. Is he truly learning much more than his norm by facing and overcoming a fierce battle with his body? A person who pushes himself to learn only slightly more than his norm is considered to have been successful in winning only a small battle, which is of no comparison to a fierce battle against a fiery inclination.
• Comparing the lack of effort in positive commands to the transgressions of the lowlife: Regarding all the above battles, one is like the lowlife. The low life who faces an inclination that is as fiery as a furnace, is nonetheless considered a complete Rasha if he does not overcome it. Accordingly, one must ask himself if he is any better than this Rasha, if he too fails in his battles in the above-mentioned matters which are as intense as the fiery furnace of the lowlife, as what difference does it make if one is failing to battle his evil inclination in matters of transgressing prohibitions, as does the lowlife, or in lack of proper fulfillment of positive commands, as does he, as after all they are all the commands of the one and only G-d.
• Charity: The same applies regarding all other Mitzvahs, especially regarding monetary related commands such as the giving of charity and the like.