Daily Tanya – Chapter 25 Part 1: Using one’s willingness of Mesirus Nefesh as a catalyst to serve G-d and not sin (Wednesday, 17th Shevat)

Chapter 25: Using one’s willingness of Mesirus Nefesh as a catalyst to serve G-d and not sin

17^th Shevat

1. A person can arouse inner love and fear for G-d at any moment:

• Banishing the spirit of folly and arousing the hidden love for G-d: After all that was explained in the previous chapters, we can now properly understand that which it states in the verse that it is very close to man to serve G-d with his mouth and heart, as a person always retains the ability, and right of decision, to banish the spirit of folly from himself and remember and arouse his love for the one G-d that is certainly hidden within his heart without any doubt. This applies at all times and all moments.
• In your heart: This then is the inner meaning behind the word in the verse “and in your heart,” as indeed arousing the feeling of love and fear for G-d is very easily attainable being that it already exists and is simply in a state of concealment within the heart which requires arousal.
• The fear is included within the love: Within this hidden love for G-d is included also a fear for G-d, which is a fear and trepidation from being separated in any way from the unity of G-d, to the point of actually giving up one’s life on His behalf without any reason or logic behind it but rather simply due to the G-dly nature that is embedded within the Jew.

2. A constant ability to control one’s lusts and not sin:

• Certainly, if one is even able to give up his life for G-d then one is able to control his lusts, which is something much less severe than the suffering of death. Accordingly, it is very easily attainable for a person to conquer his evil inclination both in the aspect of not doing evil, and in the performance of positive commands.
• Controlling oneself from transgressing even Rabbinical sins: With this in mind, one is able to control himself from transgressing even a light Rabbinical sin, being that even such as sin is considered to be transgressing the will of G-d and causes one during the time of the sin to become separated from G-d’s unity just as occurs during actual idol worship.

3. The ability to repent is not an argument to be lenient in sinning:

• One cannot argue to himself and say that sinning a regular sin is not similar to idolatry being that by idolatry the sin causes the G-dly soul to be cut off from its source even after the sin is transgressed, in contrast to the lighter sins which only cut the soul off during the time of the sin itself.
• The reason this argument is invalid is because even by idolatry it is possible for one to repent and hence regain the connection of the soul to G-d, and even so a Jew is still willing to give up his life rather than do this sin of idolatry. [Hence, we see that the Jews willingness to give up his life is applicable to prevent even a temporary separation from G-d, and even light sins are similar to idolatry in this respect, and hence just as one would give up his life to not commit idolatry so too he should control himself not to commit the light sins.]

4. Teshuvah is always possible, even after committing a sin on the basis of repenting afterwards:

• No Divine assistance for sins committed on the basis of repenting afterwards: Although a person who sins on the basis that he can then later repent, is not given a chance to repent [and hence one can argue that the above mentioned argument that one can also serve idolatry having in mind to repent afterwards and reconnect his soul, is invalid as], in truth even such a person can repent if he so chooses, and it is simply that he is not given an auspicious opportunity from above which assists him in his repentance.
• Repentance helps even by sins that were committed on the basis of repenting afterwards: However, even such a person who sinned on the basis of then later repenting, if he pushes himself and does Teshuvah, then even his repentance is accepted, as nothing stands in the face of repentance.

5. A Jew is not willing to serve idolatry even though he can later repent:

• Now that we have established that even by the sin of idolatry it helps for one to later repent and reconnect his soul, and even if he served the idolatry on the basis of this later ability of repentance, the argument stated earlier returns to its place. As it remains true that even though a Jew is able to repent even after committing the sin of idolatry, he still remains ready and prepared to give up his life for the holiness of G-d and not prostrate himself to idolatry even momentarily on the basis of repenting afterwards. [Hence, just as one would give up his life to not commit idolatry so too he should control himself not to commit even the light sins.]
• The inner revelation of G-d in one’s soul prevents one from serving idolatry: What prevents a Jew from prostrating himself to idolatry even momentarily is the light of G-d that is invested within his soul, as explained in the previous chapters.
• An eternal separation: Now, this Divine light is not within the concept of time and is rather above time and actually rules and has control over it, as is known. [Hence, from its perspective, a temporary separation from G-d is viewed as if it is permanent, being that past present and future do not exist from its perspective, and every moment of time is eternal.]