וְאִם הָעַצְבוּת אֵינָהּ מִדַּאֲגַת עֲוֹנוֹת, אֶלָּא מֵהִרְהוּרִים רָעִים וְתַאֲווֹת רָעוֹת שֶׁנּוֹפְלוֹת בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ,

If the sadness is not a result of worry over sins that one committed but rather a result of evil thoughts and evil lusts that suddenly enter one's mind, In the previous chapter, the author of the Tanya stated that sadness, even that which is caused by dwelling on one's sins, does not play a role in the service of God and is entirely unhelpful. Here he adds that this is true both when one reflects on the past and when one reacts to the negative thoughts and desires of the moment. Every individual who serves God must sooner or later encounter the universal and fundamental problem that nothing in one's spiritual growth is assured. A person could dedicate his whole life to holiness and engage only in sanctified deeds, words, and thoughts, when he is suddenly assailed by doubts in his faith and by profane desires. If one were to judge his life at such a moment, he might well deem it a hopeless failure. He might question what his service of God had accomplished and whether he had grown spiritually in any way at all since he is still capable of entertaining such lowly thoughts and feelings. At such a moment, he is liable to experience a sadness more harmful than any sin he has ever committed.

הִנֵּה אִם נוֹפְלוֹת לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁעַת הָעֲבוֹדָה, אֶלָּא בְּעֵת עָסְקוֹ בַּעֲסָקָיו וְדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא, אַדְּרַבָּה, יֵשׁ לוֹ לִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ.

then if they suddenly occur to him not during his service of God but rather while he is engaged in his business affairs and mundane activities and the like, he should, on the contrary, be happy with his portion. If spiritual doubts and harmful desires arise when a person is not engaged in studying Torah, performing mitzvot, or praying, but rather when he is doing such things as earning a living or eating and drinking, rather than growing despondent that he experienced such thoughts, he should be glad.

שֶׁאַף שֶׁנּוֹפְלוֹת לוֹ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ – הוּא מַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מֵהֶן, לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זוֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם״ (במדבר טו, לט).

Although they suddenly enter his mind, he may divert his mind from them, fulfilling what it states in the verse "You shall not rove after your heart and after your eyes, after which you stray" (Num. 15:39). When a person's mind is invaded by these unwanted thoughts, he has the opportunity to fulfill the precept not to follow after his heart and eyes by diverting his mind from them. For this reason, he should be happy, not fall into depression.

וְאֵין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בְּצַדִּיקִים לְקָרְאָם זוֹנִים חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

The verse is not addressing the righteous, referring to them as those who stray, God forbid, Clearly, the phrase "after which you stray" is not speaking of tzaddikim, who do not experience temptation in their daily lives.

אֶלָּא בְּבֵינוֹנִים כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, שֶׁנּוֹפְלִים לוֹ הִרְהוּרֵי נִיאוּף בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ, בֵּין בְּהֶיתֵּר כו׳.

but rather beinonim like himself, in whose mind illicit thoughts enter unwittingly, whether they are thoughts of that which is permitted or prohibited acts of sexuality. A licentious thought of an innocent nature involves someone with whom relations are permitted, whether one's spouse or a woman whom it is permitted to marry. Forbidden thoughts involve a woman whom one is prohibited from marrying.

וּכְשֶׁמַּסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מְקַיֵּים לָאו זֶה,

When one diverts his mind from such thoughts, he fulfills the mitzva of avoiding this prohibition, Even if a person does not fully succeed in averting his mind but at least lessens the time or intensity of the thought, he fulfills the prohibition of turning away from evil.

וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: "יָשַׁב וְלֹא עָבַר עֲבֵירָה, נוֹתְנִים לוֹ שָׂכָר כְּאִלּוּ עָשָׂה מִצְוָה״ (קידושין לט, ב). וְעַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ לִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּקִיּוּם הַלָּאו כְּמוֹ בְּקִיּוּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מַמָּשׁ.

and our Rabbis stated, "If one sits and does not transgress, he receives a reward as one who performs a mitzva" (Kiddushin 39b). Therefore, one should rejoice in his fulfillment of the mitzva of avoiding the prohibition just as one does when fulfilling an actual positive commandment. The Talmud explains that one does not fulfill a prohibition all the time that one does not sin but rather only when there is an opportunity to sin and one refrains from doing so. The prohibition of "You shall not rove after your heart" presents itself only when a person has the desire and does not yield. When he restrains himself and overcomes his desire, he merits fulfilling the mitzva. If so, why should this person be depressed about such thoughts? He now has the opportunity to fulfill a mitzva by refraining from transgressing a prohibition, which is no less meaningful than the performance of any other mitzva.

וְאַדְּרַבָּה, הָעַצְבוּת הִיא מִגַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַכִּיר מְקוֹמוֹ,

On the contrary, this sadness stems from arrogance, a result of the fact that he does not recognize his place. A person may think that his sadness is an expression of holiness. But it actually comes from the kelippa of overweening pride. He feels proud and so he estimates himself too highly.

וְעַל כֵּן יֵרַע לְבָבוֹ עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּמַדְרֵגַת צַדִּיק, שֶׁלְּצַדִּיקִים בְּוַדַּאי אֵין נוֹפְלִים לָהֶם הִרְהוּרֵי שְׁטוּת כָּאֵלּוּ.

Consequently, his heart is troubled because he is not on the level of tzaddik, for such foolish thoughts do not occur to the righteous. Since he considers himself a tzaddik, he grows dispirited when he has such thoughts. This mood originates not in holiness but in egotism. He may also grow angry that others do not recognize him as a tzaddik. Feeling insulted that he must still struggle, he may lash out. He may wonder why he is fated to repeat his hard work having already gained spiritual victory.

כִּי אִילּוּ הָיָה מַכִּיר מְקוֹמוֹ שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מְאֹד מִמַּדְרֵגַת צַדִּיק,

Were he to recognize his place, namely, that he is exceedingly far from having attained the level of tzaddik, The rank of tzaddik is extraordinarily lofty. It is attained by an elite few in each generation. No one else, not even those who have served God in a spirit of holiness for all their lives, can realistically strive to achieve it.

וְהַלְוַאי הָיָה בֵּינוֹנִי וְלֹא רָשָׁע כָּל יָמָיו, אֲפִילּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת, הֲרֵי זֹאת הִיא מִדַּת הַבֵּינוֹנִים

and if only he were to strive to be a beinoni and not a wicked person his entire life, even for one moment, then

וַעֲבוֹדָתָם – לִכְבּוֹשׁ הַיֵּצֶר וְהַהִרְהוּר הָעוֹלֶה מֵהַלֵּב לַמּוֹחַ וּלְהַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִדְחוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדַיִם, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

he would recognize that this is the lot and task of beinonim , namely, to subdue the evil inclination and any evil thought that rises from the heart to the brain, completely diverting his mind from it and utterly rejecting it, as discussed above (chap. 12). Rather than attempt to become a tzaddik, a person must strive to be a beinoni. When he sets this as his goal, he will not be upset or disheartened if he has evil urges and foolish thoughts. A beinoni has not solved any problems at their root. He has not transformed his character in any fundamental sense. He still has the inclinations, desires, and weaknesses of his past. But unlike a wicked person, he has the ability to control these qualities. The beinoni has not yet ended the battle but remains in the midst of the fray. He constantly struggles to push away the many temptations that assail him, but invariably he emerges victorious.

וּבְכָל דְּחִיָּה וּדְחִיָּה שֶׁמַּדְחֵהוּ מִמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ,

Each and every time he successfully repels the thought from his mind, The beinoni lacks the ability to control his heart. Rather, his power rests in his mind. When temptation arises and moves from the heart to the brain, he can push away the thought so that he will neither consider nor commit the unholy deed.

אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְתַתָּא,

the sitra aḥara is subdued below, in our world. He subjugates the sitra aḥara, the force of impurity as it exists on our plane, as will be explained below.

וּבְאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא,

By means of an awakening from below, a reciprocal awakening from above is generated, and the sitra aḥara on high, at its root, is subdued as well. Whatever occurs in our world also occurs in the higher world in an even more powerful and encompassing form. When the sitra aḥara is subdued in this world, it is also subdued at its source.

הַמַּגְבִּיהַּ עַצְמָהּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר, לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: "אִם תַּגְבִּיהַּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר וגו׳, מִשָּׁם אוֹרִידְךָ נְאֻם ה׳״ (עובדיה א, ד).

The root of impurity lies in the fact that it raises itself like a soaring eagle to fulfill what is stated in the verse "If you raise yourself like the eagle, or place your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down – the utterance of the Lord" (Obad. 1:4). The root and source of kelippa is that it elevates itself to become an entity in itself, separated from God.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהִפְלִיג בַּזֹּהַר פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה [דַּף קכח] בְּגוֹדֶל נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְתַתָּא, דְּאִסְתַּלֵּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָּא עַל כּוֹלָא, יַתִּיר מִשְּׁבָחָא אָחֳרָא, וְאִסְתַּלְּקוּתָא דָּא יַתִּיר מִכּוֹלָא וכו׳.

The Zohar on Parashat Teruma (p. 128) extolls the great sense of gratification that God derives when the sitra aḥara is subdued below, stating that the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, is elevated above all, more than by any other praise, and that this elevation is greater than all else and so on. The subjugation of evil constitutes God's praise because He is then glorified in all the worlds. This is the greatest praise possible, since it is expressed as the fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of the world's creation. It is specifically for this purpose that God created a vastly complex structure that encompasses multiple worlds. The divine service of an angel is a loftier level of worship and more complete than anything a human being could achieve. But since an angel exists solely in the higher worlds, it cannot relate to physical entities, created on a comparatively lower level, and so it cannot fulfill the highest purpose of creation. Only imperfect mortal man, who struggles with himself and who can yield to the sitra aḥara and become lower than everything, can in turn cause God's glory to rise beyond all other praise, toward the original purpose of existence and beyond it, when he makes the choice to subjugate the sitra aḥara.

וְלָכֵן אַל יִפּוֹל לֵב אָדָם עָלָיו וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבוֹ מְאֹד גַּם אִם יִהְיֶה כֵּן כָּל יָמָיו בְּמִלְחָמָה זוֹ, כִּי אוּלַי לְכָךְ נִבְרָא וְזֹאת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ לְאַכְּפַיָּא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא תָּמִיד.

Therefore, there is no need for a person to be saddened or unduly distressed at heart, even if he is to be engaged his entire life in this battle. Perhaps it is for this that he was created, and this is his divine service that is demanded of him: to constantly subdue the sitra aḥara . We all want to attain the level where we no longer experience certain thoughts and desires and are free to engage in other matters. But it is very possible that we will never reach that point, that we are by nature beinonim who must engage in this struggle our entire lives. A beinoni is a professional soldier who is constantly engaged in some aspect of battle, on one front or another. He was not created to live in a safe, protected haven. His job is to serve as a warrior of God, subduing the sitra aḥara within himself. One danger that such a soldier faces is the feeling that he is wasting his life. While he may progress, he never feels that his problems have been resolved, that he has reached the end of the journey. Feeling powerless, unable to gain a clear victory, he may be led to the greatest defeat, and sin, of all: being incapacitated by dejection. The author of the Tanya therefore explains that the beinoni's existence does have meaning, that a life of insoluble problems, of striving with an inability to arrive at an end, has its own value and is an existence worthy of his aspirations.

וְעַל זֶה אָמַר אִיּוֹב: "בָּרָאתָ רְשָׁעִים״ (בבא בתרא טז, א).

Regarding this, Job said, "You created righteous people, and You created wicked people" (Bava Batra 16a). In chapter 1, the author of the Tanya expressed surprise at this deterministic statement, since it runs contrary to the axiomatic notion that whether one is wicked or righteous is solely a result of one's own choosing. The author addresses his question later, in chapter 14, where he explained that the concept of God creating righteous people means that He grants only a select few the ability to choose to be righteous. The author of the Tanya will now explain the continuation of Job's statement, "You created wicked people."

וְלֹא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְשָׁעִים בֶּאֱמֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

It is not that they will be created wicked in truth, God forbid, Job was not saying that God creates wicked people, because whether a person will be wicked or not depends entirely on one's power of free choice. If a person wishes to sin, there is nothing to stop him. If he wishes to descend, there are many paths he can take, yet such a descent is not preordained. In this vein, this world is compared to the Hebrew letter heh, which has two openings, one toward the top and one at the bottom. This symbolizes how a person can choose which path to take. The opening at the bottom is always open, and one can always step through it, but no one is forced to descend into sin.

אֶלָּא שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים, בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּם וְהִרְהוּרָם לְבַד, וְהֵם יִהְיוּ נִלְחָמִים תָּמִיד לְהַסִּיחַ דַּעְתָּם מֵהֶם כְּדֵי לְאַכְּפַיָּא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא.

but rather that in their minds and thoughts alone enter that which occurs to the wicked, and they must constantly engage in battle to divert their minds from these evil impulses in order to subdue the sitra aḥara . These people are created with the character and temperament of the wicked, with an evil inclination that cannot be completely eradicated, as well as a constitution of emotional faculties that are capable of sin. But although they cannot change their nature, they can overcome it by waging an internal battle against it. They can decide that they wish to do good and not evil and live by their commitment.

וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ לְבַטְּלָהּ מִכֹּל וָכֹל, כִּי זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי צַדִּיקִים.

They will never be able to totally nullify the sitra aḥara, for this is a feat accomplished by the righteous. Only the tzaddik can nullify the sitra aḥara so that it is no longer a part of his life and experience. The beinoni, who cannot accomplish this, must constantly work to overcome it. It is true that as a member of the Jewish people, particularly if he is a leader, a tzaddik knows that evil exists. Yet this is not an internal, intimate knowledge but rather an external awareness, just as one can know about the world of animals without being an animal oneself. A tzaddik knows that evil exists, and he is able to empathize with those who suffer because they are wicked, but he himself cannot experience these troubles. Although he recognizes the existence of such a problem, he himself is not a part of that problem. Since it is not his task to battle the sitra ahara, he is not meant to conquer it. In this light, when Job speaks of the righteous and the wicked, he is referring to two types of people who will always be different: those who can become tzaddikim and those who will at best become beinonim.

וּשְׁנֵי מִינֵי נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ לְמַעְלָה.

There are two types of divine gratification on high. A deeper analysis will show that the two levels, subduing the sitra aḥara and transforming it, are not hierarchically placed. One is not superior to the other, but they are equal in stature. If God had a single, hierarchical value system, with some people superior to others, it would be unfair of Him to have created people who could never actualize their potential to the fullest extent. The existence of such imperfect beings would mean a defect in the work of creation. But the author of the Tanya tells us, "There are two types of divine gratification on high." Just as God desires the existence of tzaddikim, so He desires the existence of beinonim and makes different demands of each. The distinction between the tzaddik and beinoni is similar in this regard to that of non-priest and a priest. God did not create Jews born as non-priests so that they would be transformed into priests. He desires both and does not in any way wish that all Jews be priests. Both tzaddikim and beinonim give God gratification, although not in the same way. They cannot be judged by the same measure, just as an ox and a donkey cannot be treated equally and just as different substances cannot be judged by the same yardstick. Wood and metal cannot be expected to resist the same level of pressure. Each has its own properties and its distinct advantages.

אֶחָד, מִבִּיטּוּל הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְגַמְרֵי וְאִתְהַפְּכָא מִמְּרִירוּ לְמִתְקָא וּמֵחֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא עַל יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים.

One is from the utter nullification of the sitra aḥara and its transformation from bitter to sweet and from darkness to light, accomplished by the righteous. A person who was born a tzaddik can progress until he attains perfection, when he completely transforms his nature from evil to good. This wondrous phenomenon, the transformation of bitter to sweet, of dark to light, is a source of gratification for God.

וְהַשֵּׁנִית, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, בְּעוֹדָהּ בְּתָקְפָּהּ וּגְבוּרָתָהּ וּמַגְבִּיהַּ עַצְמָהּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר – וּמִשָּׁם מוֹרִידָהּ ה׳ בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא עַל יְדֵי הַבֵּינוֹנִים.

The second is when the sitra aḥara is subdued while in its full potency and strength and raises itself like a soaring eagle. God drags it down from those heights through an awakening from below initiated by the beinonim . The beinoni subjugates, struggles, and conquers. The tzaddik does not struggle and cannot be a victor in the same way. For him, the enemy has turned into an ally, and the war is over. There is no battle against evil because evil has dissipated before him as darkness gives way to light. Light does not need to battle against the dark. The light only needs to exist for darkness to be vanquished. The beinoni is different: He must struggle with the sitra aḥara. For him, the sitra aḥara is not a shadow but a demon, not an illusion but a real and malevolent force. The tzaddik has succeeded in overpowering the predatory beasts, while the beinoni still struggles with their savagery. When the beinoni overcomes the sitra aḥara at its most powerful, equal in size to the entire universe, he shatters evil on all levels and in all worlds.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "וַעֲשֵׂה לִי מַטְעַמִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתִּי״ (בראשית כז, ד).תיקוני זהר נא, ב).

This is the deeper meaning of the verse "Prepare for me tasty food [ matamim ], such as I like" (Gen. 27:4). The word matamim is in the plural, referring to the two types of gratification. This is the directive of the Divine Presence to its children, the collective of Israel, as explained in Tikkunei Zohar (51b), This verse is understood as God's request of mankind. He wants us to give Him two delicacies, two types of pleasure.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבְּמַטְעַמִּים גַּשְׁמִיִּים דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי מַעֲדַנִּים: אֶחָד מִמַּאֲכָלִים עֲרֵבִים וּמְתוּקִים

just as with tasty physical food, for example, there are two kinds of delicacies, one of delectable and sweet food and the second of sharp or sour

וְהַשֵּׁנִי מִדְּבָרִים חֲרִיפִים אוֹ חֲמוּצִים, רַק שֶׁהֵם מְתוּבָּלִים וּמְתוּקָּנִים הֵיטֵב עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ מַעֲדַנִּים לְהָשִׁיב הַנֶּפֶשׁ.

ingredients but they are spiced and well prepared until they have become delicacies sufficiently tasty to restore the soul. There are foods that are inherently sweet and tasty, and others that are sharp or sour but when spiced properly taste delicious. The tzaddik is like a sweet food. His personality is completely developed, and his traits all express themselves in complete harmony. The beinoni, on the other hand, has sharp and sour elements, ingredients that reflect his active evil inclination. When he conquers that inclination, the sharp and the sour are no longer repulsive and evil but pleasant. Although the beinoni cannot always transform his reality into sweetness, he can mitigate it. The sharpness still exists, but it enters a new framework and moves in a different direction. The sharpness is rectified so that it becomes edible, even a delicacy. This idea may be applied to beauty as well. There is a beauty in perfection, in harmony of form and color. On the other hand, there is the beauty of something that lacks perfection, something twisted and flawed yet so cunningly made that it has its own aesthetic and serves as a counterpart to the classically beautiful.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "כֹּל פָּעַל ה׳ לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ וְגַם רָשָׁע לְיוֹם רָעָה״ (משלי טז, ד). פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁיָּשׁוּב מֵרִשְׁעוֹ וְיַעֲשֶׂה הָרַע שֶׁלּוֹ יוֹם וְאוֹר לְמַעְלָה, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא וְאִסְתַּלֵּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָּא.

This is conveyed by the verse "Everything done by the Lord is for its own sake, even the wicked for the evil day" (Prov. 16:4). This means that one should repent his wickedness and turn his evil nature into day and light on high by subduing the sitra aḥara and elevating the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, on high. Subjugating evil, and fighting the battle, when it is at the height of its power is an end in itself, not just one stage on the way to converting the evil inclination into good. It is the fulfillment of an end goal that cannot be done in any other way, and only then does the glory of God become exalted. It is the beinoni, not the tzaddik, who can accomplish this. Since the tzaddik does not suffer from evil, he does not battle against it. For him, reality is all good, and he has no personal reason to fight. The beinoni does not succumb to evil, which remains an ongoing and very real temptation, but he constantly suffers and is pained by evil (although this never leads him to be ungrateful and deny God's goodness). A beinoni must see himself as a soldier in God's war. A soldier does not view his struggle as a sign of inferiority. Confronting the enemy is not a mark that he has fallen or failed. Instead, the confrontation proves that he is actively engaged in the work assigned to him.

וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ בִּדְבָרִים הַמּוּתָּרִים לְגַמְרֵי. כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָאָדָם זוֹבֵחַ יִצְרוֹ אֲפִילּוּ שָׁעָה קַלָּה

Moreover, one must subdue the sitra aḥara even with regard to completely permissible matters. This is achieved any time one slaughters his inclination, even for but a brief moment, The sitra aḥara must be subjugated not only in the battle against total evil, against what is expressly prohibited, but even when it comes to permissible matters, such as when a person eats in a moderate and proper manner.

וּמִתְכַּוֵּין לְאַכְּפַיָּא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא שֶׁבֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי,

and focuses on subduing the sitra aḥara in the left chamber of his heart, A person can have many reasons for restraining himself. But when he has the intention of overcoming his evil inclination so that he is not a slave to its urges, he is vanquishing the sitra aḥara.

כְּגוֹן, שֶׁחָפֵץ לֶאֱכוֹל וּמְאַחֵר סְעוּדָּתוֹ עַד לְאַחַר שָׁעָה אוֹ פָּחוֹת,

for instance, when he wishes to eat yet postpones his meal by an hour or even less The meal will be the same, and he will eat it in the same manner. The only difference is that he controls himself for a brief period.

וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה.

and studies Torah during that time. He must intentionally dedicate the delay in satisfying his desires to a holy endeavor. Otherwise, he is not engaged in overcoming the sitra aḥara and transforming its darkness to light.

כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (שבת י, א): "שָׁעָה רְבִיעִית – מַאֲכַל כָּל אָדָם. שָׁעָה שִׁשִּׁית – מַאֲכַל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים״. וְהָיוּ מַרְעִיבִים עַצְמָם שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת לְכַוָּונָה זוֹ, אַף שֶׁגַּם אַחַר הַסְּעוּדָּה הָיוּ לוֹמְדִים כָּל הַיּוֹם.

As the Talmud states, "The fourth hour is the time of eating for all people. The sixth hour is the time of eating for Torah scholars" (Shabbat 10a). Torah scholars would go hungry for two hours with this intention of subduing their nature, even though after the meal they would study Torah the entire day. The regular time for the daytime meal was the fourth hour of the day – about ten in the morning. We see that Torah scholars delayed their meal by two hours to overcome the evil inclination. But they did not avoid eating just to have more time to study Torah, since in any event they were engaged in Torah study the entire day. They delayed their mealtime for one purpose only: to gain victory over temptation by overcoming and shattering the evil inclination instead of eating the moment they became hungry. A hasidic saying advises, "What is forbidden is forbidden, and as for what is permissible – it is not mandatory." When a person wants something, whether it is eating or engaging in mundane conversation, even though it is permissible and even necessary, the evil inclination must be involved. When a person delays such an action, even if only for a short while, it is then that he overcomes the sitra aḥara.

וְכֵן אִם בּוֹלֵם פִּיו מִלְּדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים שֶׁלִּבּוֹ מִתְאַוֶּה מְאֹד לְדַבְּרָם, מֵעִנְיְינֵי הָעוֹלָם,

Likewise, if one restrains his mouth from speaking of matters pertaining to mundane affairs about which he very much desires to converse, We do not battle the sitra aḥara solely in the arena of physical desires and needs. The sitra aḥara can clothe itself in the subtlest garments of speech and thought, and not only ugly and prohibited speech but even words that are permissible and necessary. When a person feels driven to speak, he must instead restrain himself and overcome his inclination. This is one reason that we recite a blessing prior to eating. Before a person has the benefit of the food, before he experiences the gustatory pleasure, he must pause. Instead of immediately satisfying his desire, he spends a moment in the service of holiness.

וְכֵן בְּהִרְהוּרֵי מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ, אֲפִילּוּ בִּמְעַט מִזְּעֵיר. דְּאִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְתַתָּא, אִסְתַּלֵּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ לְעֵילָּא הַרְבֵּה.

and the same applies to the thoughts in one's mind, that one should restrain them even for the slightest bit, for when the sitra aḥara is subdued here below, even only slightly, the glory and holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He, is exceedingly elevated on high. When a person prevents himself from thinking about some topic, or at the least delays the thought, he has succeeded, to some degree, in suppressing his evil inclination. That is to say, in everything, in deed, speech, and even in thought, if he overcomes it, that is a victory. The victory is the same whether he exerts much effort or a little, as long as he has this purpose in mind. Whether a person eventually eats after a delay of two hours or of three is of no intrinsic significance. One can get used to anything, and habits of behavior have no meaning. To do something consequential, a person must always challenge himself. That is where victory lies. That is where he overcomes the sitra aḥara.

וּמִקְּדוּשָּׁה זוֹ נִמְשֶׁכֶת קְדוּשָּׁה עֶלְיוֹנָה עַל הָאָדָם לְמַטָּה לְסַיְּיעוֹ סִיּוּעַ רַב וְעָצוּם לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

From this holiness, a supernal holiness is drawn down on the person below to afford him a great and immense degree of assistance in his service of God. The holiness a person creates when he subdues the sitra aḥara in his struggle and in the change that he brings into his life infuses him with a great spiritual influence. When a person does a holy act below, even if it is something minuscule, he awakens a greater degree of holiness from above that in turn will give him considerable power to grow stronger and rise higher.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: "אָדָם מְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ מְעַט לְמַטָּה – מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִלְמַעְלָה״ (יומא לט, ב),

This is the meaning of our Rabbis' statement "A person who sanctifies himself a bit here below, they sanctify him and assist him greatly from on high" (Yoma 39b). When a person overcomes the sitra aḥara, he puts into motion a mechanism of holiness, creating a wheel of circumstances that carries him forward to the realm of holiness. On the other hand, there are paths of evil, of one sin leading to another, on which a person descends, unable to free himself. As soon as he makes the slightest movement to accomplish something holy, he walks on a different path. At that moment, a light shines on him from above, giving him the strength to leave one pathway and rise to another. The more he sanctifies himself below, the more he is sanctified above. With that new power, he can consecrate himself still more in the world below.

לְבַד מַה שֶּׁמְּקַיֵּים מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה: "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם״ וכו׳ (ויקרא יא, מד) כְּשֶׁמְּקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בַּמּוּתָּר לוֹ.

This is apart from the fact that one fulfills the biblically mandated positive commandment "Sanctify yourselves and you will be sanctified…" (Lev. 11:44), when one sanctifies himself even with regard to that which is permissible for him. The author of the Tanya refers here to the second of two facets of subduing one's inclination. The first facet was the subjugation of one's inclination in the realm of avoiding evil, where one curbs his inclination, whether it is in the realm of the prohibited or that which is permitted. The author now turns his attention to the second aspect: that of actively doing something to increase one's sanctity, a facet embodying the aspect of doing good. The commandment to "sanctify yourselves" serves as the source for increased vigilance when performing the mitzvot. It does not only constitute the avoidance of prohibited behavior, because adhering to such minimal requirements would make it possible for a person to fulfill the precepts of the Torah yet be entirely reprobate and dissolute, surrendering wholly to his desires. Instead, the commandment refers to those undefined areas that have no specific halakhic parameters. To be sanctified, one must strengthen oneself by doing even that which one is not obligated to do. There is no real challenge in avoiding those matters that are clearly prohibited, every individual on his level. The battle to overcome the sitra aḥara takes place in the realm where matters are neither prohibited nor obligatory. That is where the sitra aḥara gains its strength. That is where a person must fight to overcome it and perform the Torah commandment of "Sanctify yourselves and you will be sanctified."

וּפֵירוּשׁ "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם״ – שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ עַצְמְכֶם קְדוֹשִׁים.

"Sanctify yourselves" means that you shall make yourselves holy. The underlying question is that since the verse begins with the injunction to "sanctify yourselves," why the need for the continuation of the verse, "and you will be sanctified"? Surely one will become sanctified when he sanctifies himself. The author of the Tanya explains, somewhat implicitly, that the verb employed by the verse for "sanctify yourselves," vehitkadishtem, is reflexive, referring to an action one does to himself, as in hitḥala, which indicates that one makes himself ill. In our context, the Torah enjoins every Jew to make himself as though he were holy by acting as such.

כְּלוֹמַר, אַף שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ קָדוֹשׁ וּמוּבְדָּל מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, כִּי הִיא בְּתָקְפָּהּ וּבִגְבוּרָתָהּ כְּתוֹלַדְתָּהּ בֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי,

That is to say, although in truth one is not holy and separate from the sitra aḥara , since it maintains its innate potency and strength in the left chamber of the heart, A person who is sanctifying himself is not truly sanctified but only acts as if he is holy. Although one who makes himself as though holy through his actions perhaps feels somewhat holy and disentangled from the sitra aḥara, he is not completely holy. The beinoni's character cannot change. He cannot become a tzaddik, utterly holy and separated from the evil inclination. The sitra aḥara operates within him constantly, even if he is not aware of it. A person might do only good his entire life, he might be a genuine leader whose life serves as a model to others, but he still retains the potential to be completely wicked. Moreover, the Talmud states, "Anyone who is greater than another, his evil inclination is greater than his" (Sukka 52a), meaning that in a certain sense, the greater one's spiritual level, the greater is his potential to become wicked. By extrapolation, this spiritually reciprocal relationship indicates that one who possesses a powerful evil inclination concomitantly possesses the potential to become that much greater. It is told that Rabbi Levi Yitzḥak of Berditchev succeeded in causing a wayward Jew to return to God by applying this concept. He once approached a wicked person and said, "I am envious of you, as we know that if one repents out of love for God, his deliberate sins are reckoned as merits. If so, how spiritually great will you become when you repent!" The sinner took Rabbi Levi Yitzḥak's words to heart and ultimately repented wholeheartedly.

רַק שֶׁכּוֹבֵשׁ יִצְרוֹ וּמְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ, "וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים״. כְּלוֹמַר, סוֹפוֹ לִהְיוֹת קָדוֹשׁ וּמוּבְדָּל בֶּאֱמֶת מֵהַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמְּקַדְּשִׁים אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִלְמַעְלָה וּמְסַיְּיעִים אוֹתוֹ לְגָרְשָׁהּ מִלִּבּוֹ מְעַט מְעַט.

and he merely conquers his evil inclination and sanctifies himself, as if making himself holy, he can still attain the level of "You will be sanctified." In other words, he will ultimately become truly holy and separate from the sitra aḥara by being greatly sanctified from on high and being assisted in banishing it from his heart, bit by bit. Despite the beinoni's inability to completely transform his evil inclination into good, but only subdue it by acting as though he were holy, he can nevertheless attain the level of "You will be sanctified." The beinoni cannot become a tzaddik. He can never completely resolve all his issues and live an uncomplicated life, one without struggle. On the other hand, he can, with divine help, achieve a level where his struggles are less severe. Slowly but surely, he can attain a state in which he will no longer suffer the acute feelings of bitterness and spiritual numbness previously experienced. The beinoni is capable of developing habits, of calibrating the faculties of his soul, and creating a lifestyle whereby the performance of the mitzvot and attainment of holiness become easier for him, almost as if they are second nature. By sanctifying himself and receiving divine assistance as a consequence, what initially seemed to him as an overwhelming burden and an impossible task will ultimately become less intimidating and even a pleasant experience. What began as a fierce struggle can, step by step, become a spiritual ascent along a most gentle path. This can be compared to the vicissitudes of battle. The righteous person effects a total victory, completely obliterating the enemy. By contrast, the beinoni is forever threatened by the enemy, yet under this constant threat there are different situations. One is where the beinoni finds himself in imminent danger, while there are times when he is captured by the enemy. Yet another situation is one in which the beinoni gains the upper hand. Even then, while the beinoni enjoys a respite from fighting, the enemy will regroup and once again pose a serious threat. Nevertheless, when the beinoni does have the upper hand, he can feel a certain degree of calm. In light of this, we must recall one of the opening sentences of the Tanya: "Even if the entire world says to you,'You are righteous,' consider yourself like a wicked person." The beinoni must constantly be aware that the forces of evil are embedded within him, waiting for the exact moment to strike. He must exercise extreme caution and maintain constant vigilance, ever prepared to mobilize his spiritual forces in a counterattack. In this chapter, the author of the