Daily Tanya in 3 Minutes

By Sara Stiefel

Summary of the daily Tanya that is:

Concise

Understandable

Relevant

Real... more

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March 28, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 5
We learned that there are 4 levels in the hierarchy of creation:
Inanimate or lifeless objects ⚱️💦
Plants 🌴🌱
Animals 🦁🦆
Human beings 👤👤
They all possess a body and a spirit.
It sounds funny, but in a certain way, a mitzvah is like any other creation 😉. It possesses both body 👤 and soul ✨.
A soul ✖️cannot function in this world✖️ without a body since it is incapable of interacting with physical objects. This is clear and straightforward.
The same applies to the motivation 😌 and passion we experience in our relationship with G-d. They require a physical action - a mitzvah - in order for them to have any sort of impact or meaning.

On the other hand -
A body with no soul can and does exist 👤. We can see it. It is incapacitated, but it exists in a tangible way.
Similarly, when doing a mitzvah, *action* is what matters most. We were put here in order to influence and change the physical reality of this world.
A soul - even the loftiest one - alone counts for nothing.
To be sure, G-d does not wish 🤚 for us to be lifeless 👥 bodies. We need to add spirit into our mitzvot and make them really meaningful 😍!
A mitzvah performed mindlessly is compared to an inanimate object or a plant, a non-sentient being.
Such a mitzvah is comparable to a person who is, G-d forbid, in a coma 🛌🏻😨, or _vegetative state_. The person is alive but his mind and emotions are inaccessible. Similarly, a mitzvah performed by rote has a body and G-dly spirit hidden deep within but lacks the involvement of the mind and emotions.
We want our mitzvot to reach the loftiest levels possible - like the categories of animal or even a human being.
What exactly gets elevated when we perform our mitzvot with passion and devotion?
Not the object used in performance of the mitzvah. That gets transformed through the act of the mitzvah.
What gets uplifted is your emotions and intellect -
The motivation and driving force that galvanized you to do the mitzvah.
There are two levels ✌️, one higher than the other, that our intentions and emotions can be elevated to:
🔸 The lower level is reached when you utilize your
*Innate intuition and emotion* 💛 to connect with G-d.
🔸 The higher level is accessed when your
*Intentions and feelings are achieved via meditation 🙄.*
First we’ll explore the higher level, “the penthouse of spiritual elevation”.
Someone who has developed a deep, mature relationship 🤝 with G-d
~ Thinks of Him often
~ Meditates
~ Slowly establishes rich feelings of love and awe of G-d 💛🧡🤍.
Through contemplation and meditation, she elevates her mitzvot to the highest category of creation - the level of Human Being.
Humans 🙎🏻‍♀️🙎‍♂️possess developed emotions and intellectual capacity 🧠 and indeed, it was these kinds of emotions and mindfulness that inspires the performance of this mitzvah.
Sometimes, though, your mitzvot are motivated by a love 💗 and awe of a lower level.
Love and fear of G-d at this level are comparable to an animal 🐹🐮 , which has natural instincts and sentiments. Although animals experience attachment, fear, and many other emotions, those feelings are not developed via the intellect. They are inborn, instinctual.
Animals react to whatever brings them pleasure with love and closeness. They react to things that hurt or bother them with hate or fear.
But don’t underestimate this type of bond with G-d! This natural, innate connection is incredibly powerful because it is always there, ready to be called up for Reserve Duty.
Your natural love and awe for G-d are _really useful tools to tap into_ when you are *undergoing difficult challenges* or when you find yourself *in an atmosphere not conducive to meditation.*
Since the love and awe already exists and is constantly present, you don't need to create them or ship them over
They are naturally with you - within you!
Do you remember where we get them from 🙂❔
We inherited them 💰 from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
...more
5min
March 27, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 4
Intention💓 , excitement🔥 and passion ❤️ are the spiritual dimension of a mitzvah and it is common to perceive them as the key to forming a closer connection with G-d🌟✨🌟.
The truth is, though, that this is a misconception🧐. It is not true that G-d is found in spirituality more than in physical reality 😆...
Yes, Chassidut emphasizes the importance of the inner experience of the person and what she feels or experiences in her relationship with G-d. And yet, the connection we forge with G-d through our minds is _not inherently closer to G-d_ than the connection we create through fulfilling His commandments.
In fact, a relationship with G-d isn't created through what we do!
A relationship with G-d isn't possible to initiate from our side.
The only way to achieve any sort of connection with G-d is _on His terms_, the way He permits us to get close to Him. He determined that it would be through _our deeds_, through fulfilling the mitzvot He gave us.
So why bother at all with mindfulness and concentration and intent?
And why would the sages state that a mitzvah with no intention is like a body🧍 with no soul ✨?
Just like the physical body hides the G-dly spark that keeps it in existence, the action of the mitzvah draws down a hidden G-dly light. It is hard to notice the connection that is formed because it is concealed within us.
The intention we have when fulfilling a mitzvah is the soul of the mitzvah. As such, it draws down an incomparably greater divine light and energy than the body does.
Another way of looking at it is through the analogy of water in a cup.
There is plenty of water in the world but the cup can only hold so much. It is limited to holding only as much as its size permits.
The same applies to the words 🗣️of the prayers that we recite🤍.
Words are a limited expression of our rich and deep inner world , like a cup 🍵 that can only hold as much it can, but no more than that.
That is why very often, you have no words to express what your heart really feels.
Your mind knows and feels much more than what your mouth can express. Therefore, your intentions and feelings for G-d are often deeper and greater than what you can ever say verbally when you pray.
The same applies, of course, to any action or mitzvah that you fulfill. Your heart can feel a lot deeper than what is apparent from the deed that you did.
It is for this reason that your mindfulness and intentions are considered closer to G-d.
Your intentions do not bring you closer to G-d because thoughts are spiritual, but rather because the meaning, purpose, and connection we feel when we pray is really where the deepest bond with G-d is formed.
Our intent and the meaning we put into the mitzvot we do is unlimited…
When we do a mitzvah, G-d’s energy and light gets more revealed through the feelings we put into the deed, than from the deed itself.
◇◇◇
Now we will begin to understand the big difference between deed and intention.
As we said earlier, all created beings are divided into 4 categories.
Those 4 categories are further divided into 2 groups:
1️⃣*Inanimate objects*🏺💧 and *Plants* 🌳🪴
Whose physical bodies are all that we can perceive
2️⃣*Animals* 🦅🐘 and *People*👭🏻
Their soul and life force is much more prominent and discernible.
Similarly, the *body* of a mitzvah is divided into two:
*Active deeds* such as giving charity.
*Commandments done in thought or through speech👄*, such as praying or reciting blessings.
Active mitzvot are compared to the body of the commandment. Therefore, they correspond to the two lower levels of creations, which are *inanimate objects* and *plants*, which are primarily seen as just physical beings.
The mitzvot that require intent are like the soul of a body. These mitzvot correspond to the categories of *animals* and *humans*.
...more
5min
March 26, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 3
Yesterday we learned that every created being has a spark of G-d hidden within.
We are totally unaware of 😕 the G-dliness present within each of them.
Of course, there are differences in the kind of life force found in the various levels of creation.
Each level receives a different amount 🤏of light and energy
In *inanimate objects*, just a minute amount of divine energy trickles down. Its energy source is thoroughly and completely concealed.
In *plants*, the divine spark is not as hidden. Plants receive slightly more light and energy, which enables them to grow and reproduce
In *Animals*, the soul and life force is already discernible. Animals move from place to place, communicate, maintain family ties, and even display emotions.
*Humans* possess the power of speech, an intellectual soul 🤔 with the ability to think and analyze 🗣️, and an expansive array of emotions.
The quality of the divine spark is *equal* in all the levels because it is shrunk and concealed within each of them…
But the *quantity* of the spark in each level is different.
We can compare this to the difference in the amount of light that creeps in through the keyhole of the door versus the amount of light that shines in through the small window in the door. The light source is the same and both allow only small rays of light to seep through, but the window obviously allows more of it in.
~~~•~~~
As mentioned above, the world is divided into four categories:
But 🙋‍♀️why *four*🤷🏻‍♀️❔
The Alter Rebbe explains that this isn't random. These 4 levels correspond to the *4 letters in G-d's name*
*Yud, Hei, Vov, & Hei*
These 4 letters are the original spiritual source for all of creation. All life force for this world is channeled through them.
What differentiates the categories?
_The amount of G-dly energy they contain._
In animals and humans, you can _see_ that there is something, some energy - *a soul* or *a spirit* - which keeps them alive.
With plants, it is much harder to perceive 🔍 that they are alive and have an energizing force that sustains them, and this applies even more so to lifeless objects.
Regardless, the divine light reaches _all levels_ only after passing through the level of Kelipat Nogah, the intermediate level which mixes holiness with impurity. Therefore, none are receiving direct and clear G-dly sustenance.
~~~▪️~~~
Now, let us apply all this to the idea we were discussing earlier - mitzvot and the intentions we have while performing them 😊:
Each mitzvah has a "body" - the technical action. Looking at just the action itself 🧐, it is difficult to discern the love and energy driving it, and the connection to G-d that this action creates.
Then there is the "soul" ✨ of the mitzvah. It is the emotion ❤️ and love 🔥 we put into the performance of the mitzvah, and the connection to G-d we aim to create through it.
Lifeless objects and plants are like the body, or the action, of the mitzvah.
Animals and humans are compared to the soul, or intention, of the mitzvah.
Just as you cannot compare the quantity of light and energy in plants compared to human beings, _you cannot compare the 🔅light and energy 🔆 that is present in mitzvah done with intent_ vs one done without.
However, our comparison isn't exact. In fact, the two are opposites. 👍
1️⃣Both body and soul, in all the levels of creation, have a G-dly spirit in them *hidden* within 🤦‍♀️. In both, the origin - G-d - is concealed.
When it comes to mitzvot, it’s the opposite:
The deed 👐 of the mitzvah
And the intentions ❤️ we have while performing the mitzvah
Both *reveal* the inner will of G-d☀️
Meaning 🤔:
Looking around 👀, everything you see exists for a purpose, *to fulfill a need*
But a mitzvah has only 1 purpose ☝️ -
*To fulfill the will of G-d*
They have *no meaning ✖️✖️✖️ or purpose*
Other than
*This is what G-d desires!*
...more
6min
March 26, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 2
*A couple 🕵🏻‍♂️🧝‍♀️came to the marriage counselor hoping to improve their relationship*. The woman complained that her husband never bought her gifts 🎀which made her feel unloved.
The counselor explained to the husband the importance of gifts as tokens of love 💐 to the health of a relationship and exhorted him to buy his wife presents.
The next day, the man returned home with a large box full of all sorts of knick knacks 🎁 and chocolates.
"My dear ❤️," he said, "I bought you a huge selection of gifts so that any time that you feel the need, just go to the box and take one…"
To his complete consternation, instead of thanking him, his wife burst into tears😰…
🎀🎀🎀
A gift that isn't a demonstration of deep-felt love is like a *body👤 without a soul 🌟*.

It isn't worth much at all!
Getting the deed done is what really counts - that is what we learned yesterday.

And yet, we also learned that an action done without intention is like a body without a soul.
Chassidut emphasizes the importance of mindfulness 🧠, emotion 💓, and excitement 🔥 as the "soul" of the mitzvah.
The sages specifically use the wording of
_*A body without a soul*_
Which seems to insinuate that such an action is useless, like a dead body.
But the truth is, there is a very deep idea being related here through this wording.
We'll be getting a bit philosophical and deep… Hold on tight until the end. We'll get there 🤓 - - - in a few days.
💛👐💛
Yesterday, we learned that all creations, even lifeless ones, possess a spirit that keeps them in existence.
With humans 👬🏻👭🏻 and animals 🐒🦇🐣 that spirit is easy to discern it because they move 〰️, expend energy🩸, and reproduce 👨‍👩‍👧.
Nowadays 👌 it is known that even plants 🌳🌾🌱possess a less-obvious, but no less essential, spirit of life within them.
Even inanimate objects 🧽🏺, which by definition refers to things that lack life, have lots of action going on inside them🔬🧫. There are millions of electrons moving around in each and every cell of their being … There’s a whole invisible but active city hidden within.

Each inanimate object has its own unique composition which is what makes it what it is.
Any little change at the molecular level creates a chain of reactions 🔅🔅🔅that completely changes the entire essence of the object.
Although there is a different amount of divine energy and life in each category,
They *all* have one similarity:
None of them perceive spirituality.
G-d's light is concealed 🌚to them.
It’s like there’s a huge
⛔GAG ORDER ⛔
On divine revelation in this world
The physical presentation of each thing in this world overshadows and drowns out 🌊its ability to perceive spirituality:
🪨 A stone does not sense G-d's presence.
Neither does a worm 🪱.
Humans don’t perceive it either 🙆🏻‍♀️.
When looking at someone's arm💪 , we cannot tell whether he put on tefillin ◼️◼️that morning or not 🤷🏻‍♀️.
We know how to learn 🤓 but our intellect 😇doesn't help us with spiritual reception 📡. After studying Torah, we are still unable to pick up signals of G-dliness in this world 🌍.
What this all means is -
*When it comes to experiencing G-dliness, all 4 levels of creation are equal!*
Spiritual awareness is completely hidden to all of us ☁️.

🧍🏻‍♀️= 🐑= 🌴=🏺
_This is not the case in the upper spiritual worlds where G-dliness✨ is felt to various degrees._
But then why did the Kabbalists teach that creation is divided into categories of inanimate, plant, animal, and human life forms? Doesn’t this mean there _is_ some sort of difference between the various levels of creation 🤔❔❔❔
Yes.
The difference lies not in how much the creations perceive G-dliness but rather, in how much the G-d's light and energy is concealed *within them.*

...more
4min
March 26, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 1
When we do a mitzvah, do our intentions 🧡 matter?
Or is the main job just getting the deed done?
On the one hand ✋🏻: you haven't performed a mitzvah until an actual deed was done.
Speech, as mentioned in a previous chapter, is the "action" part of learning and praying. We discharge our obligation to learn Torah and pray by moving our lips when saying the words.
Thought or intention alone isn't considered speech and therefore isn't counted as a prayer.
The same applies to all mitzvot.
The best intention without accompanying action means nothing.
On the other hand 🤚🏻: Intention is paramount. _*Prayer with no intention is like a body🧍 with no soul☀️…*_.
If you say the words with your lips 👄but don't even realize what you are saying….
Post facto, you have fulfilled the minimum of your obligation and you don't have to go back and repeat the prayers.
Exception: The *first verse of the Shema prayer*, and the first blessing in the Amidah prayer. These two sections require intention in addition to the act of reciting the prayer.
If mindlessly recited, you need to repeat them.
The reason that the deed is ultimately what counts is something we already touched upon - that the divine soul itself does not need to be repaired or fixed up in any way. She is perfect as is!
The mitzvot accomplish drawing down G-dly light 🌈 which elevates the animal soul 🐮 and the body. In order to do this, you need to engage them, i.e. use your energy to do the deed with your body.
When it comes to mitzvot that are done with words, the lips must move and the words must actually be *verbalized* in order for it count as a *deed*.
But then what is the value and significance of intention and concentration when praying?
Why do we say that without proper intention, a good deed is like a body 🧍with no soul☀️??
What does that even mean?
What is a *body* 🤷🏻‍♀️
and what is a *soul* 🤔❔
*The body* is something we easily identify and understand. It is the physical matter that each and every creature is composed of.
*The soul* - is the G-dly energythat brings the object into existence
This means that _even stones and soil_ - completely inanimate objects - have a G-dly light and life force that brings them into being.
This energy prevents the object from reverting into nothingness, the way it was before creation.
The existence of G-d's spirit within lifeless objects is one of the Kabbalistic secrets revealed💥 by the Arizal. There isn't a single thing that doesn't have its own specific energy force keeping it in existence.
*In plants*the life force also provides the ability to grow.
*In animals* the life force enables growth, movement 🐾, and instincts.
The energizing source within the *Human being*🤵‍♂is most powerful of all. In addition to the abilities mentioned above, it also provides the capacity for free choice 🙄, intellectual capabilities, and the power of speech 🗣️.
We mention all this in order to understand 👍 the connection between our deeds and the intentions we have while performing them.
Every commandment is composed of two parts:
*The body of the deed*
*And the soul of the mitzvah*
The intention we have while doing the deed, which injects it with G-dly light ☀️ and energy .
The body is physical and is limited in how much light it can tolerate.
The soul, being a spiritual being, is completely overcome and consumed by G-d' s light.
This is why the soul is eternal, like G-d. It never dies, because its entire existence is really just G-d's light and energy.
When fulfilling any mitzvah, even just by rote, a divine light illuminates the "body" of it - the deed that was done.
However, if you introduce a *"soul"* into the mitzvah, it becomes illuminated with a much more intense and lofty divine light. By having the proper, positive intentions while performing the deed, you instill within it an eternal divine light.

...more
7min
March 26, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 37, Part 8
*The Alter Rebbe was once playing with his young grandchild, Menachem Mendel, who later grew up to become the Tzemach Tzedek, the 3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe.*
“Where is Zeidy 🫣 (grandfather)❔” he asked his grandchild.
The little boy pointed 👉🏻to his grandfather’s nose.
“No, this is Zeidy’s nose 👃🏻,” the Alter Rebbe replied. “But where is Zeidy?”
The child grabbed 🫳🏻 his grandfather’s hand. “Here is Zeidy!”
“That’s Zeidy’s hand ✋🏻, but where is Zeidy?”
Little Menachem Mendel understood the game.
He left his grandfather’s side and went to play by himself, as if he had forgotten this little interaction.
After a few minutes, he suddenly called out 🗣️, “Zeidy! Zeidy 🗯️!”
The Alter Rebbe looked at his grandchild and got up from his seat to see 👀what had happened.
“Aha!” shouted the little boy gleefully. “👉🏻There’s Zeidy!” 😃
Torah study draws down not just the divine light 💫, but *G-d Himself*, too 😮😮!
This happens specifically through
👇🏻
Reciting 👀 the words of Torah.
When you pronounce the name of an object, you identify the object by its entirety, not parts of it.
👉🏻 Similar to the way the Alter Rebbe’s grandson could identify his grandfather by calling out to him *by name* but not by touching parts of him.
Pronouncing someone’s name is a uniquely powerful tool of connection.
When you call out to someone ☎️, you are calling *his essence, his entire being*. Not just parts of him 👤🦵🏻💪🏻 .
When you want to wake up a sleeping person 😵, calling his name awakens him. Calling someone by name touches their soul, the very ⚡essence of his being⚡ and that is what catches his attention 😯.
When someone faints😱, that is another time that you see the power of a name. Calling the person’s name helps revive him 😮.
When you study Torah 📜
You are calling out 🗣️to *G-d Himself*☝️, asking Him to be close to you
😮😮😮
Like a person calling his friend to come over 🙋‍♀️and be with him.
Or like a small child 👶🏻asking his father🕵🏻‍♂️ to be with him and never leave him alone.
~ ~ ~
Isn't prayer 📖 also speaking to G-d?
What is the difference, then, between studying Torah and praying to G-d 🙆🏻‍♀️?
Isn’t prayer another method of calling out to G-d?
Yes, but in a more specific, narrow manner.
Calling out to G-d in prayer is like a child shouting, “Dad???” to his father. He isn’t necessarily looking to spend time together with him, he just has a request to make of him.
The same applies to the way we reach out to G-d through our prayers.
For example, when we pray for an ill person to recover, we look to draw down His power to provide healing.
When we pray for money, we look to tap into His power to provide blessings and physical sustenance.
When learning Torah, on the other hand, we are calling out to *G-d Himself*. It’s about building a connection and relationship not based on what one can do for the other, but just about being together.
This ☝️is the truest, deepest way to connect and have a relationship with another.
As our sages state: _*There is no truth other than Torah*_.
The prophet Isaiah lamented the fact that _*No one calls Your name*_. What he meant was that very often, people forget about connecting with G-d Himself and only reach out in order to obtain something from Him - be it money 💵, health, strength, or even some sort of divine revelation or spiritual experience.
But when it comes to establishing a relationship with G-d Himself, just for the sake of deepening our connection with Him with no strings attached, suddenly no one calls…
Learning Torah, though, establishes a relationship between us and G-d like a friendship between two parties where the joy is in simply spending time in each other’s company and being together.
Every word of Torah is the name of G-d and so when you study Torah, you call His name, inviting His essence ✨into this world and upon yourself, creating an unconditional connection and relationship with Him!

...more
5min
March 22, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 37, Part 7
*The Alter Rebbe and his son Rabbi Dovber, known as the Mitteler Rebbe, lived together in one multi-generational home 🏡.*
One night, Rabbi Dovber sat deeply engrossed in his learning in the same room as his baby, who was sleeping in its cradle 🧺. Somehow, the baby fell out of the cradle and began to cry 😭.
The baby’s wails filled the house, but Rabbi Dovber, completely immersed in his learning, heard nothing at all.
The Alter Rebbe was also awake that night, studying Torah in his room on the second floor of the home. He heard the baby’s cries and went to soothe him. He picked up the child, calmed him down, and rocked him back to sleep 👨🏻‍🍼.
Later, when Rabbi Dovber finished his study session, his father related to him what had occurred and then instructed him ☝🏻:
“My son, no matter how deeply immersed you are in your learning, the cries of a child must penetrate through and reach you 🔊. You have the responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of your children above all!”
===
We are in middle of analyzing what is more important:
Torah Study 📖
Or
Fulfilling a mitzvah 🤝🏻…
And what to do if you have the ability to do just one of them 🤛🤷🏻‍♀️🤜…
The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might have hoped 🧐.
In general, if you have to choose between two values, the deciding factor will be -
Which of these is more important or of greater value ⚖️
And so yes, the rabbis do provide an answer to the above-mentioned dilemma:
_*Learning is greater*_ 📖📖📖
Why? What is the rationale 😎?
_*Because it leads to action*_ 🙌🏻
Since learning Torah teaches you how to do the mitzvot, learning is greater -
But the _goal 🎯_ is the _action 🙌🏻_!
We see this clearly in numerous statements of the sages throughout the Talmud:
🔺 _*Studying isn't the priority 👎, but rather action is*_ 👍
🔺 *_Today, ✋ do them!*_ ‘Today' refers to our lifetimes in this world 🌍.
We were created
*To get things done!*
The halachic conclusion is to stop learning Torah in order to perform a mitzvah _if no one else is available to do it instead of you_.
Why?
There is much to be said about the greatness of practical actions.
Actions🙏 are what transform darkness into light and make this world into a place where G-d can comfortably reside ✨🌍✨.
It is important to qualify👌all of the above:
If someone else is able to do the mitzvah, *you continue learning* 😌 ~ 📖!
That other person will ensure that the divine light will descend through the performance of that mitzvah.
This doesn't seem so logical, though 🧐🙆🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️.
If action is so important,
Why pass the honor to someone else?😳
For example:
You are sitting and learning the laws of kindness🤝 and someone knocks on the door requesting assistance👩‍ 🦰🚪…
Someone else answers and agrees to help out.
Shouldn't you also get up to see if there is anything you can do🙂?
Isn't the Torah our *instruction manual* for fulfilling mitzvot?
True 💪🏻.
And yet
Torah is the wisdom of G-d 🧠.
Mitzvot are G-d’s will. They are also referred to as *The King’s Limbs*.
A person’s psyche is the part most deeply intertwined with his soul. The mind receives a greater amount of energy and vitality ☀️ from the soul than any other limb 👄👁️👃🏻🦶🏻of the body.
So too,
Studying Torah, G-d’s wisdom, also draws down *a greater light* 💫💫💫 than the performance of a mitzvah can.
Doing a mitzvah achieves something incredible - it elevates your body 🧍🏻‍♀️ and the world 🌎.
💫🌏💫🌏💫🌏💫
Studying Torah produces a connection and bond 🔗between your soul and G-d that is irreplicable 🚫.
...more
4min
March 21, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 37, Part 6
Imagine that an army needs to conquer as much enemy territory as possible. The battle strategists have 2 options to choose from:
They can conquer a large area 🗾, or, using the same amount of resources🏯, conquer a smaller, more strategic region which will be conducive for further expansion later on.
Which is better 🥸❔
Now, suppose you have a few free moments. You can either learn Torah 📖 or do a mitzvah (commandment).
Which should you choose 🤔?
On the one hand, the whole purpose of creation is specifically to fulfill G-d's will by observing His commandments. This is how you elevate your body and the entire universe, transforming this world 🌍 into a welcoming home for G-d.
On the other hand, our sages state that _*Torah learning is equivalent to all of the commandments.*_
So which takes precedence:
Learning Torah
Or
Fulfilling a commandment
??
There are 2 advantages that Torah study has over doing mitzvot 😊:
🔹Similar to the above-mentioned military scenario -
It is fairly obvious that the *second* option is the way to go.
Strategic land 🏯, even if small, will eventually lead to much greater success 🚩🚩🚩.
So, too, here:
Torah learning conquers the most "strategic part" of ourselves.
Which part is that?
Studying captures your innermost powers:
Thought and Speech
*Deeds*, in contrast, are more external and, therefore, much less impactful, to us.
Although seemingly an intellectual pursuit, Torah study affects your entire being. It touches deeper than just your understanding 👍. It impacts the *essence of your soul*, your *mindset 🧠 and emotions ❤️* and they, too, become elevated into holiness!
At this very moment, as you attempt to understand this section of the Tanya, your animal soul is processing the knowledge, too!
What an awesome victory 💥!
When you think and speak words of Torah, it naturally influences your mindset and the choices you make in the future! The effects of Torah study trickle down to your actions and you will _automatically_ make this world an abode for G-d.
But one second 🖐️,
I thought we said that a Beinoni can never conquer his animal soul ⁉️
And that at most, he can control the *garments* of the animal soul (thought, speech, and action) 👚👕🥼 but never the animal soul itself❓
That is true.
However, we are not talking about a fundamental transformation here.
The mindset and mentality of the animal soul can be changed _a bit_ 🤏. Changing its *essential characteristics* is beyond the capabilities of the Beinoni.
🔹Another uniqueness of learning Torah is that Torah draws down a greater divine light than commandments do.
Here’s an analogy for comparison:
Each of our bodies🧍🏻‍♀️ are comprised of 248 organs.
What is an organ?
It’s a body part that enables the energy and capabilities that the soul possesses to be expressed.
Each organ does its job - but, in truth, organs themselves have no ability to do anything.
They each harness the energy or life force 🪄🪄 of the soul.
The soul expressed its power and capabilities through each limb.
The hand expresses the power of movement or the power of creativity,
The eye – the power of sight,
The ears - power of hearing
Etc - - -
The intellect is a power that is greater and deeper than sight, hearing, or movement…
The body part that expresses this *deepest, most vital* soul power is:
👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 The Mind 🧠
For it conveys ✨ the wisdom ✨ of the soul.
*The mitzvot we fulfill* are compared *to the bodily organs* which express the desires of the soul, but in a limited fashion. Divine light gets injected into each object involved in fulfilling a mitzvah…
The study of Torah 📖which involves the mind, in contrast, introduces a much greater divine light into ourselves and the whole world 🌎!
~ ~ ~
Are you confused 🥺…?
If right now you can only do one thing - either learn 👈 or 👉 perform a good deed - what should you do 🤷🏻‍♀️?
This is what we’ll discuss tomorrow 😉!
...more
5min
March 20, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 37, Part 5
What is so unique about charity 🤔? Our sages state that giving charity is *the most* important mitzvah that exists.
Now that we understand that the goal of the mitzvot is to elevate🪁 our bodies, animal souls 🐮, and the physical objects we encounter, we can also understand the unique significance of the mitzvah of charity.
Our sages state that giving charity "Equals all the other commandments combined". Charity requires us to sacrifice the thing most sensitive and precious to us – Our money. All other mitzvot require the use of a specific body part, and only for a limited amount of time. But the money in your pocket is different….
In Hebrew, one of the words for "money" is דמים - Damim - which also means blood🩸🩸🩸! It isn't for nothing that there are two meanings to the same word. After all, blood and sweat are really found inside that monthly paycheck!
That is why the act of giving charity elevates 🙌so much of your life into holiness. There is no other mitzvah that requires as much of your vitality and energy as charity does.
But what if you landed the money effortlessly?
Even if you won the lottery 🤩 or inherited a large sum of money 💰, there is so much you could have done with the money!
You could have finally indulged to your heart's content 😋and gifted yourself:
An exclusive vacation 🏖️,
A beachfront property 🏚️,
A luxury yacht ⛵,
Designer clothing 👘🥻👠
Gourmet foods 🫕🍱...
But instead of all that, you chose to give the money to charity 😊.
That entails giving up things that could have given more life to your physical body 🤑. Your entire being sacrificed itself in order to fulfill this commandment! Because money impacts your very life and existence, the rabbis emphasized that it is uniquely charity that brings Moshiach closer. One act of charity elevates many parts of yourself… _Much more than any other mitzvah_!
✔️Charity-giving elevates this physical world more than any of the other mitzvot.
✔️ There are specific times when it is especially appropriate to give to charity:
Every morning ☀️ before praying,
Before lighting Shabbat candles🕯️🕯️,
In memory of a loved one 🕯️
Likewise, in order to instill the trait of generosity and kindness in your children 👧🏻👱‍♂️, ensure they, too, have coins to donate to charity regularly.
...more
5min
March 19, 2023 Tanya: Chapter 37, Part 3
When Moshiach comes, the forces of impurity will no longer block and prevent the goodness and holiness from being expressed.
For example, non-Jews will no longer pressure the Jewish people to change their beliefs. Instead, they will recognize G-dliness and help the Jews fulfill their purpose🙏 of revealing G-d's light here in this world.
How will such a basic part of existence suddenly change 🧐?

Let us explore the source of energy for the kelipot, the forces that oppose G-liness:
Holiness gets its sustenance and existence *directly from G-d*.
Neutral forces, known as the Kelipot Nogah, (Shells of Light) are a mixture of G-dly light and impurity. They are the bridge between holiness and the forces of impurity.
Impure forces that oppose G-dliness get their life force from Kelipot Nogah.
Once the Kelipot of Light become elevated 🌗🌖🌕 and raised into holiness, the three levels of completely evil kelipot will no longer have a source of sustenance and nourishment…
And so, they will cease to exist.

Then, all the incredible prophecies and promises of the Prophets will finally come to be!
_But it all depends upon_
_The work we do now!_
We each must strive to strengthen our connection with G-d, but not suffice with just that!
We also must help others develop _their own_ relationship with G-d and fulfill mitzvot *themselves* because we need the entire nation on board.
The General Soul, which comprises all the Jewish people, needs to be spiritually healthy in order for it to connect with G-d.
That General Soul comprises 248 spiritual "organs" and 365 divine "ligaments".
We keep it healthy by fulfilling all 248 positive commandments and all 365 prohibitions written in the Torah.
We are all interconnected. It is only when we are all on board that Moshiach can come.
*Collective spiritual health* is what will bring Moshiach!
~~~•~~~
The world is like a giant puzzle 🖼️ that is divided into 600,000 parts 🧩🧩🧩. No pieces are interchangeable. Likewise, no person can replace or do the job that another soul is meant to fill.
But how to know which area belongs to who 🙄?
G-d gives us clues:
Whatever is on your plate🥪 - literally and figuratively – that is what you are meant to work with.
Everything is orchestrated by divine providence. You are meant to use all these details in your service of G-d👌.
But aren't there many, many more Jews than 600,000… 🤔?
Right now, there are approximately 1️⃣6️⃣ million Jews alive. Add to that all the Jews of all the previous generations... How could we say that there are 600,000 Jewish souls???
The number 600,000 actually refers to Root Souls which are more general souls.
Each root soul divides into another 600,000 sparks
That itself already equals more than 3 hundred billion…
Each spark is another soul…
In addition, each soul contains 5 levels…
And each of those 5 levels exists in each of the 4 spiritual worlds…
As you can see, there are actually many, many more souls than 600,000 - more than enough to last throughout history.
By now, most sparks have already made their way down to this world and done their part.
Which means that most of the job is already done !
A majority of the universe is already ready for Moshiach to come -
Because while evil eventually evaporates and dissipates, good deeds are everlasting.

Sometimes it feels like there is so much evil in this world, it will never be overcome.
But there is a reason it seems this way:
We are now finishing off the process of refinement. The most tedious and difficult part of any job is the end… We are up to the equivalent of washing off the filth in the animal pen of the palace. The rest of the cleanup effort is already complete!
Before we know it….
The job will be DONE! The world is basically already ready!
...more
5min

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