Daily Tanya Chapter 8 Part 1: The contamination Kelipos cause to body and soul and its Tikkun (Shabbos 7th Teves)

Chapter 8: The contamination Kelipos cause to body and soul and its Tikkun

1. Non-Kosher foods are stuck in Kelipa and cannot be elevated:

• In the previous chapter it was stated that forbidden foods are referred to by the term Issur being that they are eternally bound and tied within the three completely unclean Kelipos and will only see elevation in the future era when evil will cease to exist. In this Chapter the Alter Rebbe will further elaborate on this subject explaining another meaning behind the term Issur.
• Eating non-Kosher food Lisheim Shamayim-No elevation: There is a further reason behind why forbidden foods are referred to by the term Issur, and that is because even if one were to use the energy from the forbidden foods that he ate for the sake of serving G-d in prayer and Torah study, it would still be unable to become elevated from its boundedness within evil. This would apply even if he ate the food not knowing that it was not Kosher and ate it altruistically for the sake of serving G-d with the energy of the food, nevertheless, even after he learns Torah and prays to G-d using the energy of this food, nevertheless, it will still not be elevated and invested within the words of Torah and prayer, as would be the case if the food were permitted to be eaten. The reason for this is because the forbidden food is stuck in the hands of the side of evil which is the three completely unclean Kelipos.
• Rabbinically forbidden foods: The above inability of elevation would apply even if the food is only Rabbinically forbidden to be eaten, as in truth, in some respect, Rabbinical prohibitions are even more severe than Biblical.

2. Jewish lusts [Sheidin Yehudain] versus gentile lusts [Sheidin Nuchrain]:

• Sheidin Nuchrain: The lust that a Jew has for the forbidden is considered a demon from amongst the demons of the gentiles. This means that this evil inclination for the forbidden is from the nations of the world whose souls come from the three unclean Kelipos.
• Sheidin Yehudain: This is in contrast to the inclination and lust that a Jew has to satiate himself with the permitted for a gluttonous purpose, which is considered a demon from amongst the demons of Jews [otherwise known as a Jewish Yetzer Hara]. The reason for this is because the energy within the food which was eaten for gluttonous purposes is still able to return to holiness, as explained in the previous chapter.

3. Even Kosher foods that descend to Kelipa remain stuck in body:

• A descent to Kelipa: Despite the above difference between permitted and forbidden foods, nonetheless temporarily prior to the elevation of the food to holiness, the Kosher food which was eaten for gluttonous purposes becomes demoted to the side of evil [as explained in the previous chapter].
• Some of the energy remains stuck for eternity: [Although in general one can re-elevate the demoted energy back to holiness nevertheless] a remnant of the energy does remain stuck in the body and does not reach elevation. The reason for this is because one’s blood and flesh are immediately created from every food and drink that one consumes [and hence becomes permanently part of him, as explained in the previous chapter].

4. Tikkun of Chibut Hakever for above foods:

• Chibut Hakever to remove the energy stuck in body: It is for this purpose that after death the body needs to go through Chibut Hakever, to refine and purify it from the impurities it received during its enjoyment of physical pleasures of this world which all derive from the impurity of Kelipas Noga and the Jewish demon.
• One who did not receive any pleasure from this world: One who did not [intend to] receive any pleasure from this world throughout his entire life [even when he performed or ate pleasurable things], such as Rabbeinu Hakadosh, is not required to have his body go through the above Tikkun of Chibut Hakever.