Today's Tanya Lesson Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 8 Tevet 8, 5783 · January 1, 2023
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Tevet 8, 5783 · January 1, 2023 Today's Tanya Lesson Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 8
We shall
now learn what is necessary for the rectification of permitted words not
spoken for the sake of heaven. ועל דברים בטלים
בהיתר, כגון עם האר׳ שאינו יכול ללמוד As for innocent idle
chatter, such as in the case of an ignoramus who
cannot study, He who is
able to study is constantly obligated to fulfill the commandment of studying
Torah; for him idle chatter is prohibited. For the ignoramus, however, idle
chatter may be permissible. But — צריך לטהר נפשו
מטומאה זו דקליפה זו על ידי גלגולה בכף הקלע, כמו שכתוב בזהר, פרשת בשלח דף נ״ט he must have his soul
cleansed from the impurity of this kelipah, through its being rolled
in the “Hollow of a Sling,”1 as is stated in the Zohar,
Parshat Beshallach, p. 59. This
punishment is described2 as “being slung from one end
of the world to the other,” or “from Israel to other lands.” The meaning of
this is that the soul is flung from one extreme to the other: First it is
shown the truth and preciousness of holiness, and then it is “slung” into and
reminded of the thoughts and words it experienced while in the physical world
— a most painful experience for the soul.3 אבל לדיבורים
אסורים, כמו ליצנות ולשון הרע וכיוצא בהם, שהן משלש קליפות הטמאות לגמרי But with regard to
forbidden speech, such as scoffing and slander and the like, which
being prohibited stem from the three completely unclean kelipot, אין כף הקלע לבדו
מועיל לטהר ולהעביר טומאתו מהנפש the “Hollow of a Sling”
(alone) does not suffice to cleanse and remove the impurity of the soul, רק צריכה לירד
לגיהנם but it
(the soul) must descend into Gehinnom
(Purgatory — which is a greater punishment and thus more effective in
cleansing the soul). וכן מי שאפשר לו
לעסוק בתורה ועוסק בדברים בטלים So, too, with one who
is able to engage in the study of Torah, but occupies himself instead with
idle chatter — אין כף הקלע לבדו
מועיל לנפשו למרקה ולזככה the “Hollow of the
Sling” alone cannot effectively scour and cleanse his soul, רק עונשים חמורים
שמענישים על ביטול תורה בפרטות but
it must receive the severe penalties which are meted out for neglect of the
Torah in particular, מלבד עונש הכללי
לכל ביטול מצוות עשה מחמת עצלות, בגיהנם של שלג, כמבואר במקום אחר apart from the general
retribution for the neglect of positive commandments through indolence,
namely the “Purgatory of Snow,” as is explained elsewhere.4 The
purgatory (Gehinnom), where the soul is cleansed of the “stains” of
sin so that it may enter Paradise to enjoy the radiance of G‑d’s glory,
operates on the principle of “measure for measure,” i.e., punishment in kind.
Thus sins of commisssion caused by the heat of passion and lust are cleansed
in a “Gehinnom (nehar, lit., ”stream“) of Fire,” while sins
of omission, due to indolence and coolness (i.e., lack of fervor), are
cleansed in a “Gehinnom of Snow.”5 וכן העוסק בחכמות
אומות העולם בכלל דברים בטלים יחשב לענין עון ביטול תורה, כמו שכתוב בהלכות
תלמוד תורה Occupying oneself with
the sciences of the nations of the world is likewise included in the category
of engaging in inconsequential matters insofar as the sin of neglecting the
Torah is concerned, for in studying the sciences of the
nations, too, one is guilty of neglecting Torah study, as is explained in the
Laws of Torah Study.6 ועוד זאת, יתירה
טומאתה של חכמת האומות על טומאת דברים בטלים Moreover, the impurity
of the science of the nations is greater than the impurity of idle speech; שאינו מלביש
ומטמא רק המדות מיסוד הרוח הקדוש שבנפשו האלקית for the latter clothe
and defile only the emotions [which emanate] from the holy element of
ruach (Air) within his divine soul, בטומאת קליפת
נוגה שבדברים בטלים הבאים מיסוד הרוח הרע שבקליפה זו בנפשו הבהמית, כדלעיל [by tainting them] with
the impurity of kelipat nogah contained in idle speech (which is
derived from the evil element of ruach
(Air, which is one of the components) of this kelipah in his animal
soul), as mentioned above. The G‑dly
soul and the animal soul are both composed of four spiritual “elements”:
Fire, Air, Water and Earth. The emotions, such as love and fear, which one
expresses in idle talk, emanate from the element of Air. Thus, idle speech
defiles the emotional attributes of the divine soul, which emanate from the
holy element of Air, by using them in the service of the animal soul’s
element of Air, i.e., its emotional attributes — which are “impure”, since
they derive from kelipat nogah. ולא בחינות חב״ד
שבנפשו, מאחר שהם דברי שטות ובורות [Idle speech does] not,
however, [defile] the levels of ChaBaD
(the intellectual faculties) in his soul, for it is but words of
foolishness and ignorance, שגם השוטים ועמי
האר׳ יכולים לדבר כן since even fools and
ignoramuses can speak that way. Since these
are not intellectual matters, the intellect remains uninvolved and untainted. מה שאין כן בחכמת
האומות הוא מלביש ומטמא בחינות חב״ד שבנפשו האלקית, בטומאת קליפת נוגה שבחכמות
אלו Not so in the case of
the science of the nations; thereby one clothes and defiles his divine soul’s
faculties of ChaBaD (intellect) with the impurity of
the kelipat nogah contained in those sciences, שנפלו שמה בשבירת
הכלים מבחינת אחוריים של חכמה דקדושה, כידוע ליודעי ח״ן whither they
(the sciences) have fallen, through the “shattering of the vessels,” out
of the “hinder-part” of Chochmah of holiness, as is known to those
familiar with the Esoteric Wisdom. Thus the
study of these sciences contaminates the intellectual faculties of the G‑dly
soul, and it is therefore much worse than idle speech, which contaminates
only the emotional faculties, אלא אם כן עושה
אותן קרדום לחתוך בה, דהיינו כדי להתפרנס מהן בריוח לעבוד ה׳ unless one employs them
(these sciences) as a useful instrument, viz., as a means of earning a more
affluent livelihood with which to be able to serve G‑d, או שיודע להשתמש
בהן לעבודת ה׳ או לתורתו or
unless he knows how to apply them (the sciences) in the service of G‑d
or to his better understanding of His Torah;
e.g., he utilizes mathematics to better understand the laws of the
Sanctification of the New Moon. וזהו טעמו של
הרמב״ם ורמב״ן ז״ל וסיעתן שעסקו בהן This is the reason why
Maimonides and Nachmanides, of blessed memory, and their peers, engaged in
them (in the sciences — since they were able to
utilize this knowledge in the service of G‑d and Torah). Regarding
that which was stated at the beginning of this chapter that a thing
prohibited even by Rabbinic enactment remains attached to the three unclean
kelipot and cannot be elevated to holiness, even when it is used
unwittingly and for the sake of heaven (i.e., in order to have strength to
study and pray), — the following story is worth relating: A chassid
once came to the Alter Rebbe lamenting the fact that his son-in-law was
subject to periods when he would doubt his faith. The Alter Rebbe responded
that the son-in-law had unwittingly consumed milk which was milked by a
non-Jew, with no Jew in attendance. Though he was unaware of this fact, and
though the prohibition against such milk is only of Rabbinic origin, this had
so strong an effect upon him that it caused him to doubt his faith. The Alter
Rebbe then proceeded to tell the chassid how the matter could be rectified,
thereby healing the son-in-law of his spiritual malady. ——— ● ———
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