Daily Tanya Wednesday 29th Teves: Chapter 18 Part 1 – Easily serving G-d through one’s power of Mesirus Nefesh

Chapter 18: Easily serving G-d through one’s power of Mesirus Nefesh

1.      Understanding the term “very much”:

• To further understand the term “very” that is used in the verse which states that it is “very easy” for the individual to serve G-d we must introduce the following points.

2.      The easy service of G-d for a Jew who can’t even arouse a conclusion to love G-d:

• Intellectually challenged: Every person should be fully aware and truly believe that even if he is intellectually challenged and his mind does not contain the intellectual capacity to comprehend the knowledge of G-d, that even he can very easily serve G-d.
• Emotionally challenged: Even if he does not have the heart to feel and comprehend the greatness of the infinite G-d to be able to arouse from the contemplation not even an intellectual fear and love of G-d, which is a conclusion in the heart and mind that he should love G-d, nonetheless, even for him service of G-d is very easily attainable, for him to guard and fulfill all the Mitzvahs of the Torah, and to study Torah with his mouth which corresponds to all the other Mitzvahs.
• Serving G-d with the hidden love: Even he can serve G-d with his heart, with the depths of his heart and with absolute truth, with fear and love of G-d, through accessing the hidden love found in the heart of the general souls of Israel.
• An inheritance: This hidden love is an inheritance from our forefathers.

3. Understanding the hidden love:

• Understanding its root: In order to understand how to access the hidden love found within the heart of every Jew which is an inheritance from our forefathers, we must first explain and introduce the root of this love and its purpose.
• Understanding its inheritance: Likewise, we need to explain how and why this love is an inheritance for us from our forefathers.
• Understanding how it includes fear: Likewise, it remains to be understood how fear is also included within this love [as stated above, that due to this love it is very easily attainable for even the intellectually and emotionally challenged Jew to achieve a love and a fear of G-d, how then this is the case].

4.      The Yerusha of a G-dly soul that every Jew receives from the Avos:

• Our forefathers were a chariot for G-d: The explanation to the above is as follows: Our forefathers were a chariot for G-d throughout their life, [giving up their entire soul for the sake of G-d, and hence sanctifying both their entire body and soul].
• Meriting to inherit a G-dly soul to their descendants: As a result of their lifework of being a chariot for G-d, they merited to draw down a G-dly soul to all of their descendants for all generations.
• Derives from the ten Sefiros: This G-dly soul that is drawn into every Jew derives from the 10 holy Sefiros which are found within the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriya, Yetzirah and Assiya.

3.      The different levels of G-dly souls given to each Jew:

• Each person to their level: There are many levels of G-dly souls, and hence the particular level of G-dly soul drawn to the individual is in accordance with his level and mission and purpose in life regarding that which he must accomplish. [Furthermore, as a person progresses in the service of G-d and attempts to refine more and more parts of his character, G-d grants him a higher level of a soul in order to accomplish this.]
• The G-dly soul of the lowly Jew and the transgressor: Even the lowliest of Jews and those Jews who are known sinners and transgressors, even they draw down to their children a G-dly soul of at least some level, mainly being from the level of Nefesh Denefesh Demalchus Deassya, which is the lowest level within the holiness of the world of Assiya.

4.      Even a low soul contains the infinite light of G-d within it:

• Contains the level of Chochma: Even a low-level soul, such as the one described above, incorporates within it the high level of Chochma of Assiyah, being that it too derives from the 10 Sefiros and is incorporated from all of them.
• All Chochmas are connected and contain the infinite light of G-d: Now, this level of Chochma of Assiyah contains within it the level of Chochma of Malchus of Atzilus, which contains within it the level of Chochma of Atzilus, in which shines the infinite light of G-d himself. It is thus found that the infinite G-d is invested in the level of Chochma of every soul of Israel as low as he may be.
• The infinite light of G-d spreads throughout the entire soul: The level of Chochma that is within every soul together with its infinite light of G-d that is invested within it spreads throughout all the aspects of the soul. It is what gives life and energy to the soul from its head until its feet as it states that wisdom enlivens a person.
• Sometimes a Rasha draws a very high soul: Sometimes it even occurs that the transgressors amongst Israel draw down very high souls that were stuck within the depths of evil [and hence it is not a fixed rule that sinners draw down low souls, and it is possible for even sinners to draw down very high souls].