Daily Tanya – Chapter 14 Part 1: Achieving the state of a Beinoni and becoming like a Tzadik (Shabbos, 21st Teves)

Chapter 14: Achieving the state of a Beinoni and becoming like a Tzadik

1. Everyone can become a Beinoni and should strive to do so:

• The level of a Beinoni is reachable and achievable by each and every individual, and every individual should strive to reach this level, as indeed every individual can become a Beinoni at any time and at any moment.
• The reason-Beinoni does not abhor evil: The reason for this is because a Beinoni does not despise evil, which is a matter of emotion handed to the heart and fluctuates [with one’s mood which changes] with time [as well as there exists different time periods of auspiciousness for conquering the emotions such as during prayer.] He is only required to avoid committing practical evil and to perform practical good in action speech and thought.

2. The power and freedom of choice to do good, avoid bad, and overcome one’s lusts:

• Every individual has the freedom of choice, and hence the power and capability, to perform actions, speak, and think of matters that oppose the emotions in his heart, and are the exact opposite of his lusts.
• Freedom of choice to overcome and ignore one’s lusts of the heart: Even when one’s heart is lusting and desiring after a certain physical pleasure, whether it be a permitted pleasure or a forbidden pleasure G-d forbid, the person holds the ability, power, and freedom of choice to overcome this lust by completely removing his mind from it.

3. The message the Beinoni tells himself to overcome the lusts of his heart and avoid sin:

• Don’t want to be separated from G-d through sin: The above can be accomplished by one telling himself the following message: I do not desire to be considered a Rasha for even one moment, as I do not want to be separated and detached from the one G-d heaven forbid in any which way, as Scripture states that sins separate from G-d.
• I want to attach to G-d: Rather, I desire to attach all the parts of my soul to G-d through investing it within the three holy garments of action, speech, and thought which relates to G-d and his Torah and Mitzvah’s.
• I contain a hidden love for G-d: This is due to the love that I have for G-d which is hidden and concealed within my heart just as it exists within the hearts of all the general souls of Israel who are referred to as those who love Your name.
• Willing to even give up my life for G-d: Even the lowliest of Jews are willing to give up their lives for the sake of the sanctity of G-d, and I am certainly no worse than them.
• Why a Jew sins if he is even willing to give up his life for G-d’s sanctity: The only reason that a person nonetheless sins is because a spirit of foolishness enters into him, and convinces him to falsely believe that he retains his state of Jewishness despite the sin and that his soul does not become separated from the G-d of Israel as a result of the sin [which in truth is incorrect as one’s soul does become separated from the G-d of Israel at the time of the sin, and hence it is as if he has lost his state of Jewishness at that time]. Likewise, a Jew sins because he forgets of the love for G-d that he has hidden away within his heart.
• I refuse to be foolish: However, I do not wish to be a fool like this individual and deny the truth.

Only Tzadikim merit to change their lusts and desires, hate evil, and love G-d with Taanug:

• A Beinoni cannot abhor evil: The above is in contrast to matters of emotion that is seated within the heart. A Beinoni does not have control over the emotions that are within his heart and hence he is not able to achieve a real hate and abhorrence for evil within his heart whether in a complete manner or even in an incomplete manner.
• Must experience love of pleasure of World to Come, to abhor evil: This hatred and abhorrence for evil can only be truthfully achieved through experiencing a great intense and powerful love for G-d on the level of Ahava Betaanugim. This love is a love of pleasure in which one actually experiences the pleasure of being with G-d and is similar to the experience of the world to come. It is regarding this type of love that our sages state that one experiences a glimmer of the reward of the next world while still alive in this world.
• This love is given only to Tzadikim: However, not every person merits to receive a glimmer of his reward in this world and to experience this form of love, as Scripture states that this type of love is given by G-d only as a present [and is not given indiscriminately to all individuals]. It is for this reason that Iyov stated that G-d created Tzadikim [as G-d must give the individual this love of pleasure as a present in order for him to become a Tzadik].
• The different types of souls: Likewise, it states in the Zohar that there are many different levels and types of souls within the souls of Israel. For example, there exists souls which are defined as Chassidim, Giborim who are defined as warriors who overcome their inclination, Mareiy Torah [which are souls that are giants in Torah study], prophets, and Tzadikim.