Daily Tanya Friday 23rd Shevat: Chapter 27 Part 1: The negation of depression from evil lusts & The service of Iskafya

Chapter 27: The negation of depression from evil lusts & The service of Iskafya

23^rd Shevat/(LY) 2^nd Adar 1

1.      Sadness and depression that results from one having evil lusts and passions in his heart:

• In the previous chapter, we explained the absolute necessity of serving G-d with joy in order to overcome the evil inclination and the negation of sadness or depression even due to serious sins. In this current chapter the Alter Rebbe will give advice for one who suffers from sadness and depression due to the evil lusts and passions that he entertains in his heart even if he has not been brought to sin.
• If the depression and sadness that one has is not due to one’s worry of the sins that he has committed but rather because of one’s entertaining of evil thoughts and forbidden lusts which fall into one’s mind, then the following is the advice for him to follow.

3.      Removing one’s mind from evil thoughts of forbidden lusts and passion during mundane activity:

• Rejoicing in the fact that he pushes the thoughts away and fulfills the verse in Scripture: If the evil lusts fall into his mind not during times of service of G-d but rather during his business dealings and day-to-day activities, then on the contrary, he should rejoice over the fact that he overcomes these lusts and pushes them out of his mind. Through doing so, he fulfills the negative command of “thou shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes which you lust after.”
• A Beinoni naturally suffers from sexually forbidden thoughts: This verse is not talking to the righteous G-d forbid, as it would not refer to them as people who lust after the forbidden. Rather it is talking to the Beinoni and the like who have lustful sexual thoughts fall into their mind, whether it be in a permissible manner [such as with one’s wife] or a forbidden manner [such as with another woman]. When the Beinoni pushes away such thoughts he fulfills the above negative command.
• One who does not sin is considered like one who has fulfilled the positive command: Now, our sages teach us that one who sits and does not transgress a negative command is given reward as if he did a Mitzvah. Accordingly, the Beinoni is to rejoice in the fact that by him controlling his evil lusts he has fulfilled a negative command and is hence to rejoice to the same extent as he would rejoice when he fulfills a positive command.

(LY) 3^rd Adar 1

4.      Being Happy with one’s Avoda of pushing away evil-The depression which results from having forbidden lusts is due to arrogance:

• Not knowing one’s place: Accordingly, not only is there no reason to be depressed over the fact that one has forbidden thoughts, but on the contrary this depression is from the evil inclination and comes from arrogance, being that the person believes that he is someone whom he is not.
• Grandeur-A desire to be a Tzadik: He is not satisfied with his position and purpose as a Beinoni and has grandiose desires to rather be on the level of a Tzadik whom certainly do not have such forbidden and vain thoughts such as these fall into their minds. In truth, if he knew and recognized his true position and purpose, and that he is very distanced from the level of a Tzadik, then he would not be depressed over this at all, as he would understand that this is his level and purpose.
• Focus on being a Beinoni prior to fantasizing about being a Tzadik: A person on this level, rather than having fantasy thoughts of being a Tzadik, should focus on at the very least trying to be a Beinoni for his entire life, and not be a Rasha for even one moment.
• The purpose of the Beinoni is to banish the forbidden lusts: The entire job of the Beinoni and their service in this world is exactly for this purpose, to overcome their evil inclination, and push away with two hands the evil thoughts that enter their mind from their heart and completely remove their mind from it.

(LY) 4^th Adar 1

5.      The great effect in heaven when an evil lust is controlled and pushed away:

• Subjugating and humbling the power of evil: Every single time that a person pushes away a forbidden thought from his mind he consequently subjugates the side of evil and pushes it below.
• The effect in heaven: This subjugation of evil below in this world in turn causes a mirroring effect above in the spiritual worlds in which there too, the side of evil that exists above and inflates itself with arrogance like an eagle, becomes subjugated. This hence fulfills the verse which states “if you raise yourself high like an eagle, from there I will take you down says G-d.”
• The great satisfaction G-d receives from this subjugation of evil: The Zohar elaborates on the great satisfaction that G-d receives when the side of evil becomes humbled and subjugated. This causes G-d’s glory to shine above throughout all the world’s, much more than his glory shines after any other type of praise, [such as the fulfillment of Mitzvahs]. This in fact is the greatest satisfaction that G-d can receive from man’s Divine service below.