וְהִנֵּה מִדַּת הַבֵּינוֹנִי הִיא מִדַּת כָּל אָדָם וְאַחֲרֶיהָ כָּל אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ, שֶׁכָּל אָדָם יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת בֵּינוֹנִי בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה,

The level of the beinoni is a level that pertains to every person, and each person should strive for it, because any person can become a beinoni at any given moment, Not everyone has the merit or the potential to become a tzaddik. It is not dependent on one's efforts but rather on the anatomy of his soul. Only one who is given the internal parameters that are capable of transforming evil into good can become a tzaddik. The beinoni, by contrast, is a normal person like anyone else, one whose soul is not capable of such radical change. His distinction lies not in his soul's structure or content but in his ability to take advantage of the potential existing in every person and channel it in the service of God. For this reason, the rank of beinoni is attainable by all. Everyone is able to be a beinoni, never committing transgressions, neither in action, speech, nor thought. Whether he is doing good or turning from evil, he conducts himself, without exception, to the utmost of his ability in the path of holiness with the aim of achieving perfection.

כִּי הַבֵּינוֹנִי אֵינוֹ מוֹאֵס בָּרַע,

since a beinoni does not abhor evil, As explained above, despising evil is a trademark of the tzaddik. Possessing no evil of his own, he lacks any connection to it and utterly abhors it. But the beinoni, having evil of his own, though he may not act on it, does not detest it.

שֶׁזֶּהוּ דָּבָר הַמָּסוּר לַלֵּב

which is a matter entrusted to the heart. The beinoni stands apart from the wicked person in his actions, words, and thoughts but not in his heart's desires.

וְלֹא כָּל הָעִתִּים שָׁווֹת.

Yet not all moments are the same. Yet, as the previous chapter described, the beinoni can still achieve a state in which he truly loves good and hates evil, but only at particular times such as during the recitation of the Shema or the Amida prayer, times when he can direct his heart with greater effect.

אֶלָּא ‘סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳, דְּהַיְינוּ בְּפוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ בְּמַעֲשֶׂה דִּבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבָה, שֶׁבָּהֶם הַבְּחִירָה וְהַיְּכוֹלֶת וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה לְכָל אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְדַבֵּר וְלַחֲשׁוֹב גַּם מַה שֶּׁהוּא נֶגֶד תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ וְהֶפְכָהּ מַמָּשׁ.

Rather, the beinoni turns away from evil and does good, meaning, literally and actually, in action, speech, and thought, regarding which every person is granted free choice and the ability and permission to act, speak, and think even that which literally defies and opposes his heart's desires. Since not all moments are equal in the life of the beinoni, we do not take his measure on the basis of his revulsion toward evil during those special occasions. Rather, his pristine spiritual record can be attributed to his ability to avoid evil in action, speech, and thought. Unlike the soul's desires that are hidden within the heart, the revealed expressions of the soul – action, speech, and thought – are subject to conscious choice. One is not compelled to behave in any particular fashion; he is free to express himself as he wishes in all three areas of the soul's expression.

כִּי גַּם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַלֵּב חוֹמֵד וּמִתְאַוֶּה אֵיזוֹ תַּאֲוָה גַּשְׁמִיִּית, בְּהֶיתֵּר אוֹ בְּאִיסּוּר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, יָכוֹל לְהִתְגַּבֵּר וּלְהַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִמֶּנָּה לְגַמְרֵי, בְּאָמְרוֹ לְלִבּוֹ: אֵינֶנִּי רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת רָשָׁע אֲפִילּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת,

Even when the heart covets and desires some physical pleasure, whether permitted or prohibited, God forbid, he is able to prevail and completely divert his mind from it by telling himself, "I do not wish to be wicked even for a single moment, Here the author of the Tanya touches on a decisive element of the beinoni's service to God, which he will expand and develop later: When a person has a powerful desire to commit a transgression, he confronts a dual temptation. There is the siren call of the temptation itself and – its constant companion – an additional seductive voice whispering, "In truth, this isn't a transgression, and certainly not a serious transgression." The basic principle at work here is that no one wishes to self-destruct, to undo his life's efforts for the sake of a transgression, small or large. No one would ever go astray were it not for the additional murmur in his ear: "Do it. Just for a minute. Afterward you can return to business as usual." That is why, in response to that tempter, the beinoni must say, "I do not wish to be wicked even for a single moment." Yet this rationale, that one is not willing to be wicked even for a moment, is insufficient on its own. After all, why not be wicked for a moment? If I can act like a tzaddik for a moment, then why not be a rasha for a moment? The author of the Tanya goes on to delineate this assertion more precisely: What is the implication of being a rasha "even for a single moment"?

כִּי אֵינֶנִּי רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת מוּבְדָּל וְנִפְרָד חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מֵה׳ אֶחָד בְּשׁוּם אוֹפֶן, כְּדִכְתִיב: "עֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם מַבְדִּילִים״ וגו׳ (ישעיה נט, ב).

because under no circumstances do I want to be separated or disconnected, God forbid, from the one God, as it is written,'Your iniquities have been separating between you and your God…' (Isa. 59:2). Being a rasha is tantamount to being separated from God. Yet it is explained elsewhere that nothing, physical or spiritual, can be a barrier before Him. The notion of a barrier that comes between God and us is meaningless. A barrier by definition suggests an entity that is "other," and what could be other than God? Everything that exists comes from Him and is filled with Him: "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" (Jer. 23:24). There is no free space between creation and Creator into which something else could interpose. Yet the prophet Isaiah says, "Your iniquities have been separating between you and your God." There is a single exception to the notion that there are no barriers between a person and God. There is one thing capable of separating God and man: transgressing His will. As the author of the Tanya explains in Iggeret HaTeshuva, every created being is an extension, so to speak, of God's will. He willed it, and they came into existence; He wills it, and they are sustained in reality. Everything exists and functions through its connection to the divine will, which sustains it and grants it the ability to function. Transgression, by contrast, is that which opposes God's will. Consequently, it alone forms the barrier, the separation, between God and man. While God's will is not revealed explicitly in creation, it is revealed and accessible in the Torah, which says, "Do this. Don't do that." When a person transgresses God's will, which is so blatantly revealed, he effectively separates himself from the source of life. He generates a hole, an empty space, in creation, providing a place to exist, so to speak, for opposition to God's will. In this sense, every transgression is suicidal, severing the life flow between the soul and its source.

רַק אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְדָבְקָה בּוֹ נַפְשִׁי רוּחִי וְנִשְׁמָתִי, בְּהִתְלַבְּשָׁן בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה לְבוּשָׁיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁהֵם מַעֲשֶׂה דִּבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבָה בַּה' וְתוֹרָתוֹ וּמִצְוֹתָיו, מֵאַהֲבָה מְסוּתֶּרֶת שֶׁבְּלִבִּי לַה׳ כְּמוֹ בְּלֵב כְּלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ ‘אוֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ׳.

I desire instead to attach my nefesh , ruaḥ , and neshama to Him through their being clothed in His three garments, which are action, speech, and thought channeled toward God, His Torah, and His commandments. This desire stems from the latent, concealed love for God in my heart, just as it exists in the heart of the collective of Israel, who are referred to as'those who love Your name.' Every Jew is a "lover of Your name." Tzaddikim, prophets, and leaders of the generation are active "lovers of Your name," fully alive in their conscious relationship with God. Yet in truth, the entire Jewish people are "lovers of Your name" at least passively, unwilling in any way to cut themselves off from God.

וַאֲפִילּוּ קַל שֶׁבַּקַּלִּים יָכוֹל לִמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל קְדוּשַּׁת ה׳,

Even the most unworthy is willing and able to sacrifice his life for the sanctification of God's name, There are innumerable accounts of individuals who throughout their lives regarded the Torah and mitzvot as irrelevant, who were utterly apathetic to what they should do and what they should not, but when the moment of truth arrived, they sacrificed themselves to sanctify God's name. Every Jew, even the most unlettered, totally ignorant of the Torah and mitzvot and oblivious to the love and awe of God, is still a "lover of Your name." True, his love of God is latent, invisible during his lifetime. But when the ultimate test presents itself, he will forfeit his earthly existence rather than be separated from his source.

וְלֹא נוֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִמֶּנּוּ בְּוַדַּאי.

and I am certainly not inferior to him. The beinoni, who struggles with his heart's cravings, permitted or prohibited, understands that he has the same potential of self-sacrifice for God as the "most unworthy," the one who is apathetic to the Torah and its mitzvot. He too has a love for God resonating within that compels him to say, "I am unwilling to be cut off from God for even a single moment." This raises a question: If every Jew, even the most unworthy among the worthless, is prepared to sacrifice his life rather than turn against God's will and be separated from Him, why does an individual transgress?

אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּכְנַס בּוֹ רוּחַ שְׁטוּת וְנִדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁבַּעֲבֵרָה זוֹ עוֹדֶנּוּ בְּיַהֲדוּתוֹ וְאֵין נִשְׁמָתוֹ מוּבְדֶּלֶת מֵאֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

It is only that a spirit of folly entered him so that it appears to him that even by committing this sin, he still maintains his Jewishness, and his soul is not separated from the God of Israel. The Talmud teaches, "A man commits a transgression only if a spirit of folly enters him" (Sota 3a). The author of the Tanya tells us that this is not the foolishness relating to any particular transgression, which evokes shame and astonishment at oneself: How could I ever do such a thing? Rather, it is that touch of madness, the lunacy of self-deception on the bases of which men develop misconceptions by which they live their lives. The most unworthy among the worthless goes about his life doing whatever his heart desires while assuming with complete confidence that he is still a good Jew. The starting point of a transgression is never an unspoken wish to discard everything and abandon Judaism, to sever oneself from God. It is always the foolish notion that one can transgress, desecrate the Sabbath, eat prohibited food, and still remain a good Jew – or, as one often hears, "In my heart, I'm a good Jew." The spirit of folly, then, is the mental construct that takes hold of the transgressor, where he thinks he can still be considered among "those who love Your name."

וְגַם שׁוֹכֵח אַהֲבָתוֹ לַה׳ הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלִבּוֹ.

He also forgets his love of God that is hidden in his heart. For the spirit of folly to effectively influence a man's soul, it is not enough for him to be a fool at that moment. He must also forget his love of God. A conscious love in his heart would never allow him to pursue such foolishness. But once a person's love of God is forgotten, when he becomes lost in other matters, his heart is susceptible to folly. Since every Jew has the innate ability and desire to attach himself to God, he also possesses the strength not to transgress, not to cut himself off from God, unless he is foolish enough to think that even if he committed a transgression, he is still connected to God.

אֲבָל אֲנִי אֵינֶנִּי רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹטֶה כָּמוֹהוּ לִכְפּוֹר הָאֱמֶת.

But as for me, I do not wish to be a fool such as he to deny the truth." The foolish man imagines that there is a distinction between a major transgression and a minor one. But the person who has a keen understanding is aware that essentially there is no difference, that every transgression severs one from God. There is no distinction between a small disconnection or a large disconnection. There is only disconnection. Every detour, every parting, is a denial of God's rule and essentially an act of self-destruction. Clearly, anyone with such an awareness would never sin. Everyone has desires and urges and is willing to pay a certain price to gratify them, but no one would toss away his entire life for a craving. The beinoni has the capacity to acknowledge that a transgression is not worth the price, that of separation and self-ruin. The horror this evokes is enough to put him off from committing the sin. It is not that he lacks temptations, but rather he is able to overcome them.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּדָבָר הַמָּסוּר לַלֵּב. דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁיְּהֵא הָרַע מָאוּס מַמָּשׁ בַּלֵּב וְשָׂנאוּי בְּתַכְלִית שִׂנְאָה, אוֹ אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּתַכְלִית שִׂנְאָה,

This is not the case with regard to a matter entrusted to the heart, meaning that the evil is actually despised in the heart either with an utter hatred or even not with such an utter hatred. The beinoni's ability to prevail over his temptations is limited to actual deed since he does not allow temptation to have the upper hand either actively or passively. But the beinoni is incapable of experiencing feelings powerful enough to either utterly abhor evil, like the complete tzaddik, or even to not utterly abhor evil, like the incomplete tzaddik.

הִנֵּה זֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ,

It is impossible for this abhorrence of evil to be manifest in its absolute, truest sense The advice here is not effective with desires of the heart, over which only the tzaddik has dominion. As will be explained, the beinoni can attain varying levels. He can rise to excellence and even righteousness because he not only fulfills his obligations but exceeds normal expectations in both quality and quantity. Someone like this who dedicates his life to Torah and mitzvot may, in the midst of his efforts, come to regard a particular transgression with disgust and its commission as utterly unthinkable. Nonetheless, he is unable to achieve a genuine revulsion toward evil so that his sense of revulsion is perpetually rooted in his soul, dominating any life challenge with which he may potentially be faced.

אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי גּוֹדֶל וְתוֹקֶף הָאַהֲבָה לַה׳ בִּבְחִינַת אַהֲבָה בְּתַעֲנוּגִים לְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל ה׳ מֵעֵין עוֹלָם הַבָּא.

except by means of the magnitude and potency of the love for God on the level of "love of delights, " wherein one delights in God, which is a semblance of the World to Come. Hatred of evil never emerges on its own. It is always accompanied by an ecstatic love of God, the "love of delights." It is impossible for them to not be connected. It follows that when someone imagines he feels an actual hatred of evil yet does not have the corresponding feeling of loving God with a "love of delights," that hatred cannot be counted as authentic, nor can one say that he loves God to such an extent without an accompanying abhorrence of evil. Even if one occasionally thinks that he actually abhors evil, yet it is not accompanied by a love for God, it is merely the natural revulsion that one experiences on encountering anything he regards as unpleasant. It is only when one directs himself entirely toward holiness and it becomes his permanent companion, when his longing for good is so deeply ingrained that it permeates his soul without effort and needs no reinforcement, that whatever opposes that good is despicable and loathsome in his eyes.

וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (ברכות יז, א): "עוֹלָמְךָ תִּרְאֶה בְּחַיֶּיךָ״ כו׳.

With regard to this, our Rabbis stated, "May you see your world in your lifetime…" (Berakhot 17a). A person will see his true world, his World to Come, in his lifetime in this world when it becomes unequivocally apparent to him that his life is permeated with his love for God and his connection with Him. Then both his present and future worlds are one and the same. When a person feels the "love of delights," he wants for nothing, not even the World to Come. "Whom else do I have in heaven?" the psalmist says. "With You, I desire nothing on earth" (Ps. 73:25). When one loves God to this extent, one tangibly feels God's presence, an experience that approximates the pleasure of the World to Come.

וְאֵין כָּל אָדָם זוֹכֶה לָזֶה כִּי זֶהוּ כְּעֵין קִבּוּל שָׂכָר,

Not every person merits this because it bears a semblance to the receiving of reward, When a person performs a mitzva and actually feels that "the reward of a mitzva is a mitzva" (Mishna Avot 4:2), he realizes that it is not only that by fulfilling one mitzva he earns the merit to fulfill another, but that the reward of the mitzva is the mitzva itself. The very delight and spiritual wealth that he experiences through the fulfillment of the mitzva is his reward in this world. Not everyone has the fortune to attain such a level.

וּכְדִכְתִיב: "עֲבוֹדַת מַתָּנָה אֶתֵּן אֶת כְּהוּנַּתְכֶם״ וגו׳ (במדבר יח, ז),

as it is written, "As a service that is a gift I give your priesthood…" (Num. 18:7), as will be explained elsewhere (chaps. 40, 43). The author of the Tanya understands that the service referred to in the verse is a gift that God has granted, not a reward. It is a gift because the individual derives great pleasure every moment that he is engaged in it and because he is incapable of performing this service solely with his own efforts. He can receive it only as a present from above. He must be born with this rank and cannot achieve it by his own efforts.

וְלָכֵן אָמַר אִיּוֹב: "בָּרָאתָ צַדִּיקִים״ כו׳ (בבא בתרא טז, א).

Therefore, Job said, "You created righteous people, and You created wicked people…" (Bava Batra 16a). Here the author of the Tanya answers another question he raised in the first chapter: How could Job say that God created people who were, at the outset, wicked or righteous, if we believe that the choice to be righteous or wicked is in a person's own hands? According to the author of the Tanya, "You created righteous people" refers to those people who have the potential to be tzaddikim, and "You created wicked people" refers to those who do not have the potential to be tzaddikim. The latter are the very ones who are able to become beinonim. Accordingly, there are two distinct types of individuals. There are tzaddikim, a rare breed with souls equipped to transform their human essence to the extent that they may be intimate with God with the love of delights. These individuals have the potential to reach a level in which they experience the World to Come, the reward for their efforts, here in this world. The second category, which comprises the majority of people, will never achieve perfection in this world because in their hearts they resemble the wicked. Nonetheless, by valiantly waging war in a lifelong struggle within themselves, they can be like complete tzaddikim in practice, and their reward in the World to Come is vast.

וְכִדְאִיתָא בַּתִּיקּוּנִים (א, ב), שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּנִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה מִינֵי מַדְרֵגוֹת וּבְחִינוֹת: חֲסִידִים, גִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּתְגַּבְּרִים עַל יִצְרָם, מָארֵי תּוֹרָה, נְבִיאִים כו׳, צַדִּיקִים כו׳, עַיֵּין שָׁם.

As the Tikkunei Zohar (1b) states, there are many levels and degrees in the souls of Israel: pious ones, mighty ones who overcome their evil inclinations, masters of Torah, prophets, and so on, righteous people, and so on. See there. Every soul's source above determines its nature and potential below. This is the implication of the statement "You created righteous people, and You created wicked people."

וּבָזֶה יוּבָן כֶּפֶל לְשׁוֹן הַשְּׁבוּעָה "תְּהִי צַדִּיק וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע״ (נידה ל, ב).

With this, one can understand the double expression employed in the oath "Be righteous and do not be wicked" (Nidda 30b). After reaching some resolution regarding the definition of a beinoni, the author of the Tanya returns to the opening subject of the book, the Talmud's description of the oath that the angels administer to a soul before it descends into a body. The oath is not only an expectation of accountability but also a prenatal energy booster to make it through one's life and overcome obstacles. The Hebrew term mashbi'im, which means to make one swear an oath (when spelled with the letter shin ), can also be understood here in the sense of sova, abundance (when spelled with the letter sin ), as in the verse "Behold, seven years are coming; great plenty [sava ] throughout the land of Egypt" (Gen. 41:29), and also in the Sages' statement "Why is Tishrei called the seventh [shevi'i ] month? Because it is replete [mesuba ] with mitzvot" (Yalkut Shimoni, Emor 645). In this sense, the administering of the oath can also connote the granting of a gift, the ability from above to prevail in the struggle to be righteous and not to be wicked.

דְּלִכְאוֹרָה תָּמוּהַּ, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁמַּשְׁבִּיעִים אוֹתוֹ תְּהִי צַדִּיק, לָמָּה צְרִיכִים לְהַשְׁבִּיעוֹ עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה רָשָׁע?

On the surface, it seems perplexing: If the angels administer an oath enjoining the soul to be righteous, why must they administer an additional oath to not be wicked? If the oath is effective, the oath to be righteous would be adequate. If it is not, why bother to administer an additional oath not to be wicked?

אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵין כָּל אָדָם זוֹכֶה לִהְיוֹת צַדִּיק, וְאֵין לָאָדָם מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּחִירָה בָּזֶה כָּל כָּךְ

Rather, it is because not everyone merits being righteous, nor does a person possess the full advantage of choice in this matter, It is not possible for everyone to be righteous, to be one who can transform his essence and experience delight in God's presence while truly despising evil. That is why the oath to "be righteous" alone is impossible to administer to every person. Even as a reinforcement, a simple provider of added strength, such an oath has little point, since being righteous is not a matter of human choice. Yet, as we will see, through extraordinary effort and self-sacrifice, the beinoni might be able to rise to the level of tzaddik in a certain sense. An unrealistic expectation for most people, the matter hinges on unique situations and on strivings that exceed the normal spectrum of human choice.

לְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל ה׳ בֶּאֱמֶת וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָרַע מָאוּס מַמָּשׁ בֶּאֱמֶת.

to truly delight in God and for evil to be truly, actually abhorrent to him. This is the domain of the tzaddik: delight in God complemented by the abhorrence of evil. The beinoni can achieve greatness, approximating a tzaddik in all his ways and thoughts, but he cannot despise evil in its fullest sense. A tzaddik lives in a dimension that is seemingly beyond evil's horizons. Evil in itself, or the desire for it, is incomprehensible through the lens, however magnified, of his own existence. His view of someone committing a sin has much in common with the reactions of a normal person when visiting a mental institution. He observes individuals carrying on and he thinks, How can this be? He gazes in wonder at someone eating glass and struggles to understand the temptation to do such a thing.

וְלָכֵן מַשְׁבִּיעִים שֵׁנִית: אַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע עַל כָּל פָּנִים. שֶׁבָּזֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּחִירָה וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה לְכָל אָדָם לִמְשׁוֹל בְּרוּחַ תַּאֲוָתוֹ שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ וְלִכְבּוֹשׁ יִצְרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה רָשָׁע אֲפִלּוּ שָׁעָה אֶחָת כָּל יָמָיו,

Therefore, they administer an oath a second time: At any rate, do not be wicked. In this respect, each person is granted the advantage of choice and the permission to control the spirit of lust in his heart and to vanquish his evil inclination so that he will not be categorized as wicked his entire life, even for one moment, One of the tzaddik's distinguishing features is his delight in God. Yet the demarcation is not absolutely clear-cut, since individuals who are not on the rank of tzaddik can also derive great pleasure from the Torah and mitzvot. At the same time, not even the swearing of an oath will transform a beinoni into a tzaddik. How, then, do we understand this oath to "be righteous and do not be wicked"? On the one hand, the rank of the righteous cannot apply to every individual; on the other, if the individual does swear to be righteous, why the need for the additional oath not to be wicked? We can understand this oath as follows: "Be righteous." Exert yourself to the maximum as much as you are able. If you are unable, then at the least strive not to be wicked.

בֵּין בִּבְחִינַת "סוּר מֵרָע״ בֵּין בִּבְחִינַת "וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב״.

whether with regard to turning away from evil or with regard to doing good. The capacity to reach for the heights is the first part of the oath, the pathway to fulfilling the oath to "be righteous." The second part of the oath is a spiritual firewall against descent to the depths: At the least, "do not be wicked." The injunctions "turn away from evil" and "do good" constitute the boundaries set around every individual's life, the breach of which violates the oath not to be wicked.

"וְאֵין טוֹב אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה״ (אבות פרק ו משנה ג), דְּהַיְינוּ 'תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה שֶׁכְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן'.

"'Good' means nothing but Torah" (Mishna Avot 6:3), that is, Torah study, which is equivalent to all the commandments of the Torah. Whereas turning away from evil and doing good are the fundamental boundaries effected by the oath not to be wicked, the author of the Tanya's comment regarding the study of Torah provides additional depth to these injunctions. Turning away from evil has fixed boundaries. Someone who currently does not have an opportunity to transgress is not considered to be turning away from evil. On the other hand, in the realm of doing good, there is one mitzva that has no limits, that is unhampered by place, time, or quality: the mitzva of Torah study. Whenever one has no other mitzva opportunity, he can always study Torah. In light of this, there are no limits to being righteous. There are no quotas assigned to one's capabilities and potential. The scorecard for any given day has endless possibilities.

אַךְ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן צָרִיךְ לִקְבּוֹעַ לוֹ עִתִּים גַּם כֵּן לָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ לִהְיוֹת מוֹאֵס בָּרַע,

Nonetheless, one must also designate specific times for himself to devise stratagems for abhorring evil, The beinoni does not essentially despise evil. At any moment, his soul can yearn for any number of prohibited things, and he has no means whatsoever to prevent that yearning. Yet, despite his built-in powerlessness to avoid such longings, he can still simulate a virtual hatred of evil. He can visualize particular situations and, with sufficient practice, create an abhorrence that, while neither constant nor spontaneous, is eminently effective.

כְּגוֹן בַּעֲצַת חֲכָמֵינוּ ז״ל: "אִשָּׁה חֵמֶת מְלֵאָה צוֹאָה״ כו׳ (שבת קנב, א) וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא. וְכֵן כָּל מִינֵי מַטְעַמִּים וּמַעֲדַנִּים נַעֲשִׂים כָּךְ חֵמֶת מָלֵא כו׳,

for example, by contemplating our Sages' advice "A woman is essentially a flask full of feces…" (Shabbat 152a), and the like. Likewise, all types of tasty foods and delicacies similarly become a "flask full of feces." Our perception of pleasure is based on one-dimensional vision. As we contemplate and open our eyes to additional facets of whatever it is we desire, it becomes impossible to maintain the attraction; it can even turn into something despicable. When a man has a desire for a woman, he is advised to picture the woman's body from the inside as well as from the outside. At that moment, if his visualization powers are sufficient and he acts in all earnestness, his desire turns into disgust.

וְכֵן כָּל תַּעֲנוּגֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הֶחָכָם רוֹאֶה הַנּוֹלָד מֵהֶן שֶׁסּוֹפָן לִרְקוֹב וְלִהְיוֹת רִמָּה וְאַשְׁפָּה.

So too with regard to all the pleasures of this world, the wise person foresees what will become of them: that they are destined to decay and become worms and filth. Advertising agencies produce endless commercials displaying the beautiful, the attractive, and the enchanting side of their clients' products all in order to fuel our desires. The advice put forth by the author of the Tanya is based on the same principle but in the opposite direction: One should meditate on the other dimensions that do not appear in the ads. When a person devotes certain times to contemplating the seductive messages bombarding him and visualizes their objects in various states of disintegration, disrepair, destruction, fragmentation, and death, he discovers a new and loathsome world. In those moments, rather than lusting after the pleasures of this world, he will begin to despise them.

וְהַהֵפֶךְ, לְהִתְעַנֵּג וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ בַּה׳ עַל יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בִּגְדוּלַּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּפִי יְכוֹלְתּוֹ.

Conversely, one must invest time in training himself to delight and be joyous in God by meditating on the greatness of Ein Sof , blessed be He, to the best of his ability. Just as the beinoni must invest time and practice in scorning evil, he must also immerse himself in meditation leading to pleasure and delight in God. The author of the Tanya will expand on this theme considerably, in accordance with his usual practice of minimizing the negative.

אַף שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ, כִּי אִם בְּדִמְיוֹנוֹת,

Although he himself knows that he will not attain this level in its absolute, truest sense but rather only in his imagination, A true feeling need not be supported by crutches or surrounded by scaffolding. It stands by itself, vital and self-validating. Truth's hallmarks are stability, consistency, and eternity. This is why a person who must direct his thoughts in a particular direction and enter a temporary mindset in order to generate certain feelings will fail to achieve a genuine revulsion for evil and a love of truth except in his imagination. He will experience the feelings, but they will never become an integral part of him.

אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁמַּשְׁבִּיעִים: "תְּהִי צַדִּיק״,

he must nevertheless do his part to fulfill the oath administered to him to "be righteous," Because the individual has taken the oath to be a tzaddik, he must endeavor to become one. Though he may never arrive there, that is nonetheless his destination. Not only within the halakhic pathways of turning away from evil and doing good must he exert himself, but he must internalize this turning away from evil and doing good until it becomes part of his consciousness, creating an appropriate internal imagery and landscape to comply with the terms of the oath to be righteous. Each ephemeral self-made image may be a struggle, but his efforts are not wasted. Even if the image passes, it will not vanish without a trace, without leaving an impression. Whether in the physical plane or the spiritual, something always remains. Just as a trickle of water can slice through stone, a consistent thought pattern eventually affects one's soul. When someone spends more than a few moments daily in his imagination – when one invests hours – his thoughts carve into the very essence of his soul little by little. On occasion, they may change him completely.

וַה׳ יַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו.

and God will do that which is good in His eyes. As the author pf the Tanya will go on to explain, being a tzaddik is not dependent solely on man's own efforts. Rather, it requires "an awakening from above," heavenly inspiration. One should do his part in fulfilling the oath to be righteous, but for that to actually happen, he needs God to "do that which is good in His eyes."

וְעוֹד, שֶׁהַהֶרְגֵּל עַל כָּל דָּבָר – שִׁלְטוֹן, וְנַעֲשֶׂה טֶבַע שֵׁנִי.

Furthermore, habit reigns supreme in all matters and becomes second nature. When one becomes accustomed to something, habit becomes second nature. Though not as strong, perhaps, as "first nature," it nonetheless becomes inseparably embedded in his soul.

וּכְשֶׁיַּרְגִּיל לְמָאֵס אֶת הָרַע יִהְיֶה נִמְאָס קְצָת בֶּאֱמֶת, וּכְשֶׁיַּרְגִּיל לְשַׂמֵּחַ נַפְשׁוֹ בַּה' עַל יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה׳,

When one accustoms himself to abhorring evil, it will at least in part become truly abhorrent. Conversely, when one accustoms himself to rejoicing in God, by contemplating God's greatness, When the abhorrence of evil and delighting in God becomes habit, these feelings will move from the realm of the theoretical into regular modes of thought, and the person's soul will gradually become altered, if not essentially, then at least partially. Though he will not detest evil entirely and essentially, but only to some extent, this loathing of evil will nonetheless be authentic.

הֲרֵי בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא.

then an awakening from below will generate an awakening from above. This principle, that through our efforts below we cause an awakening above, is the cornerstone of all human endeavor. The Ba'al Shem Tov famously expounded the verse "The Lord is your shadow by your right hand" (Ps. 121:5), as implying that God is, in a manner of speaking, like a person's shadow. Lower your hand, and your shadow lowers its hand; lift your hand, and your shadow's hand correspondingly rises. Do an act of charity and kindness, and God will reciprocate. If a person's actions are ugly, God ensures that the person will receive suitable recompense. So too, when a person becomes inspired to reach upward and achieve a new level, even though it may be beyond his ability, an awakening is created above. When there is an awakening above, when a person receives divine assistance, everything becomes possible.

וְכוּלֵּי הַאי וְאוּלַי, יֵעָרֶה עָלָיו רוּחַ מִמָּרוֹם, וְיִזְכֶּה לִבְחִינַת רוּחַ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ אֵיזֶה צַדִּיק שֶׁתִּתְעַבֵּר בּוֹ,

From all this, perhaps a spirit will be poured on him from on high, and he will merit that the soul level of ruaḥ originating in the soul of some tzaddik will be infused within him, From the awakening that was initiated below, then perhaps – though it is far from certain – a spirit from above will descend on him. The individual in question is not a tzaddik, nor does he possess the potential to become one, yet it is possible that "a spirit will be poured on him from on high." It can happen, then, that a person whose entire life and focus was that of a beinoni can undergo a revolution, a sudden, dramatic internal upheaval, and become a tzaddik. Such a change does not occur from within but from a new soul, a spark that originates in the root of some tzaddik's soul that he receives as a gift from above.

לַעֲבוֹד ה׳ בְּשִׂמְחָה אֲמִתִּית, כְּדִכְתִיב: "שִׂמְחוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּה׳״ (תהלים צז, יב), וְתִתְקַיֵּים בּוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁמַּשְׁבִּיעִים: "תְּהִי צַדִּיק״.

so that he may serve God with true joy, and not the man-made joy created through the imagination, as it is written, "Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones" (Ps. 97:12), and the oath administered to him, to "be righteous," will truly be fulfilled. Someone who was born a beinoni is nearly certain to remain a beinoni. Yet he must swear to "be righteous." The oath is not meant as a requirement to reach that level but a requirement to aspire to it. The oath establishes the goal and the ideal, and the commitment to work toward it with one's best efforts. The Midrash teaches that every Jew must say, "When will my deeds reach the deeds of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" (Tanna deVei Eliyahu Rabba 23). But is it possible for everyone's deeds to reach the stature of the forefathers? They were vehicles for God's presence in this world with every deed they performed. Yet we must understand this in the same manner as we do the oath to be a tzaddik: It is a pinnacle, a goal whose outer limits we stand on tiptoes to touch. Such an objective may be beyond a person's reach, but his efforts to achieve it are never misspent. Every step brings a person closer to the target. Even if he cannot overcome all his challenges, over time, with practice, the beinoni can at least moderate them and deal soberly with them. We can understand the fulfillment of the oath to be a tzaddik, then, as a hands-on learning session, an introductory Tzaddik 101 course. The swimming instructor tells the beginner to envision himself as a fish, and that will help him swim, at the very least, like a human. One should imagine himself as a tzaddik and try, even a little, to act like one. Still, the second part of the oath is the beinoni's primary focus: Under no circumstances, even if he does not become a tzaddik, is he to be a rasha. In this chapter, the author of the