Tanya (Part 9)

Good morning, Booker. Welcome back to 10 minutes of meaning learning safer Tanya together. We're still at the end of Peric Olive of Tanya. I want to thank our generous sponsors, our dear friends Marilyn and Michael Fedak. Thank you for sponsoring our Tanya Shear and so much more that you do. Please help yourself. New slushy flavors coffee pastries in the corner at the Bocarone Synagogue. We're at the end of the first per of Tanya. Not teaching Tanya, but learning Tanya together. So much to learn. The balati has has begun by telling us that there are two souls that every Jew has the two souls. There are multiple parts. There's the authentic self. We'll begin per in a moment. There's the there's the piece of us that is the authentic pure holy self. And then on top we're made up of different parts. And the parts are manifestations or expressions of this other soul that we have that we call the animal soul kipa. The three kipos and the fourth kipa in particular kipas noa. They're a function of the ego. And the alterbata taught us that this animal soul, the nephesh is bad. It's in our blood. It's part of who we are. And this is so critical. It's important. We mentioned it, but I want to come back and emphasize it. That the notion that we have an animal soul. We have the senses through which we experience the world. We have the ego that is trying to interpret or filter the world through it. It is not something extraneous. It's not something outside ourselves. This is not a virus that we need to heal. This is part of the very definition of who we are. When God took our holy soul and put it in our body and placed us to operate and navigate this world. Part of that is having this these kipa the sitra confronting the sitra a living with this animal soul that is not external. It's not a virus that we have. There's no virus software that you can protect yourself from it. It's bad. It's in the blood. It's part of who we are. And it expresses itself. We saw And from it through the four elements of the world, fire, water, air and earth, we see the four elements expressing itself through these qualities. And we saw anger and arrogance come from fire and desire comes from water. And the notion of the idea of silliness and sarcasm and mockery and cynicism and boasting. It comes from wind, hot air. It's empty, vacuous and atmospheration and laziness. It comes from earth. But not only do these negative attributes, these negative, the sitra, the ego drives us towards those negative behaviors as a result of the elements or the animal soul that's not extraneous to us but in us. This is where we left off. but also the positive temperaments which the testifies that all of the Jewish people are born with the gar list the third there that we are by shunn the distinctive character traits of a Jew if you want to know somebody's Jewish then look and see in them compassion you'll see that an instinct towards compassion not cruelty not being callous not being indiff different but being kind and doing something with that helping giving relief to others and by sham the capacity to recoil with a sense of some boundaries been crossed some border has been violated the person uh a person blushes a person feels uncomfortable or awkward we live in a world where anything goes any state of dress or undress any behavior any act of intimacy privately publicly people share people overshare thanks to social media There's no sense of busha. Not a busha which is debilitating. Not a shame which knocks you down. But the shame that's healthy that says something here is off. Something here is wrong. You know bua by shaim shame is for the soul what pain is for the body. There's illness where a person has a neuropathy or certain nerve damage where they're unable to feel pain. And it's extraordinarily dangerous because a person could have internal bleeding, internal damage. person could have could break their a person could have an injury and not even know it. Pain is a gift. Pain is a because pain alerts that something's wrong, something's off, something needs to be treated. Pain is a healthy person who doesn't feel pain, they don't know. It's dangerous. So busha is the pain of the soul. When you say, "One second, this is awkward. I'm embarrassed. I'm ashamed. I'm blushing. I'm uncomfortable. I'm some boundaries been violated." So Jews yidden the vamas tells us still have that capacity those boundaries. So this comes also from the animal soul from the senses through which we experience the world. It's not only manifest itself in the negative attributes of the four elements but there's also positive but here the says something which for some may be uncomfortable. But we need to spend a little time unpacking it that theos that the good qualities that are inherent in to every Jew these things they are inherent and innate to every Jew because in the case of the Jewish people this animal soul again not extra or a virus to who we are but innate to who we are the animal soul we're born with our goal is not to slaughter or obliterate or purge the animals to train the animal. It's to train the animal to act on our behalf and in our interests. But this animal soul of kipa is from a derivative called kipas noa. Therefore kipos the first three are all bad. A kipa the peel the shell. It blocks the light. But the kipas noa has some easily accessible sparks of good. That kipos noa lets in some of the light. That fourth peel or shell that fourth layer of the egoas. And this mixing of the sparks the fourth kipa kipas noa is resulting from the secret of Torah tells us the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Miller in his commentary quotes the zor that the four derivatives of kipo alluded to by the puk and uh as we'll see the first of these three kipos are completely negative but the fourth there's a brightness the zor explains even though this side is nothing but the side of impurity there's a brightness around it man does not have to drive it away there's no need to treat it with disdain the animal soul and even that ego that drives you can drive you towards the negative the bad but that sense of I that ego that desire for the ego to be gratified satisfied can also drive you towards good. So this fourth clip of no is predominantly a negative egocentric energy like the other and is nothing but the sight of impurity. But on the other hand, it's brightness as a spark of holiness lying just below the surface that could be redeemed. So we can manifest that. How do you manifest that ego for good? It can impact if you're driven to do the right thing for the right reason in the way that you experience and sense the world. Now here the says what seems to be controversial at least to some that notion that the Jew in the Noga even in the animal soul that the Jew has it can be directed and it can be expressed and it can be manifest for the good that there's that innate sense of goodness within that fourth kipa is not true with the other nations of the world which writes from the other and pure kipos that are void of any good and approach endorses embraces supported by the zar that all good that non-Jews do they do for themselves the Jew can do a good that is benevolent that is altruistic that truly is in the service of Hashem that is to the benefit of the other but the non-Jewish soul can't direct or drive or channel or train that animal that even when they do good, which undeniably they do, but they're doing it for themselves. That according to Lear says all the charity and kind is done by the nations of the world is only for themselves to to inflate their ego to make them feel good for their honor or glory to attract their attention attach their attention. So this tremendous distinction that the alterba drives here between the Jewish soul now which soul we said there are two souls we haven't even gotten to the second soul that we all have. That's the beginning of peric. With that we ended the very beginning of peric that the Jew has a second soul which is a piece and expression of God himself. He breathed life into us. We each carry a spark. We are each an extension expression of Hashem in this world. So at the end of the first parag when he's contrasting the Jewish soul with the non-Jewish soul, which soul is he talking about? He's not talking about the godly soul in us. He hasn't even gotten to that yet. and that the non-Jew he says doesn't have. So we're talking about the contrast within the level of the animal soul, the animal soul. So that the animal soul of the Jew has a different instinct or intuition than the animal soul of the of the non-Jew. Now everybody at least contemporary commentaries on the Tanya all have footnotes where they awkwardly are trying to refer you read this essay see that understand exactly what the alterba meant here. not shying away or backing away from his position but trying to in a politically correct world trying to express it maybe in a way which can be better understood a little bit and what does that mean what does that mean in fact there's a collection of Rabbi Salvich Rabbi Salvich knew by heart when he grew up in his father was the RV in the town of and he went to Mhammed and he began his life by learning Tanya and he never stopped he never forgot it he loved it and he learned it and he knew of salv knew Tanya by heart. He was a brisker but he knew Tanya by heart at a very place close place to his heart and my I've asked him several times what safer he turns to and he's looking for inspiration a pickme up needs to be nourished and he said Tanya he loves safer also knows Tanya and yet says that in this uh Rabbi Holtzer's book which was collected from tapes conversations with Salv Salvich said that of course this was the opinion of the alterb but who says we need to focus We need to emphasize there's so many parts of Tanya which are so delicious and relevant and accessible to all. We don't necessarily have to focus on the parts which are complicated to fully understand and he thinks it's a mistake for those who derive a particular pleasure by thriving by thriving from that. But it is undeniable. So we're going to unpack this more in Shabuis. Our theme here at Bocar synagogue on Shabuis is why the Jews history and history of hate and our role in the world. So one of the talks I'm going to give is are the Jews the chosen people or the choosing people is the Jewish soul superior to the non-Jewish soul and this is a big debate Tanya the Kuzari and others it's not simple it's not pa but the alterba makes his opinion his position very clear from the outset in perk al chapter one the Jewish soul in the in the nephesh bi in the animal soul versus the non-Jewish soul so my friend and teacher Rabbi Tago we're blessed to have in our who was a true expert in Tanya and so many teachings of Kabad. So he shared with me the following. He said what the alterb is explaining the basis is that the identification of kipa with evil is wrong. Kipa doesn't mean the notion that we have this kipa this husk this peel this layer that blocks the light. It's the downside of our senses experiencing the world in an ego way is not necessarily e our senses through ego is not evil is wrong. The alterba says in perv that kipa is not necessarily a person who's harming someone else. If someone who's simply pursuing his own self-interest, doing what makes him feel good, that's also kipa. In other words, in other words, person who volunteers for the kadisha, person who volunteers in a soup kitchen, a person who calls someone who's alone and shut in, person who makes a meal for somebody who's sitting shiva. But why do they do it? What's the motivation, the incentive? What drives them? Why? Why do they do it? Is it because it feels good? It feel it feels good. It's kishmach. I volunteer. I show up. I donate. I give, I care, and that makes me feel good, makes me feel worthy, makes me feel I'm doing the right thing. It's so so what's the motivation? Yes, it's a beautiful outcome. The result is excellent. But the motivation is it makes me feel good. Now, by the way, that's a very high level. That's what he means. That kipos noa is not evil. Kipas no is just when something is the outcome the motivation the drive of the ego not the ego put my name in lights not the ego honor me at the dinner because I do those things you can be serving the ego even when you volunteer or donate or do in a way that no one in the world knows you donate anonymously you go and you drop something off at someone's house they don't even know it was from you volunteer you show up nobody knows the ego doesn't mean that you're getting honor or glory or credit for it but it means Why do you do it? What drives you to do it? Because it makes you feel good as opposed to what? This is what Hashem wants me to do. This is my mission and my purpose. This is my altruistic, benevolent, magnanimous. What I want to do for the other, it has nothing to do with me or how it makes me feel. So says the Jew has altruistic feelings naturally. A Jew sees another Jew in pain or in trouble, jumps instinctively, runs, wants to help, doesn't say, you know, if I help, I'll feel really good. They don't think about how it impacts. They're not driven or motivated by the ego. It's not I'll get something, a positive feeling out of it. Out of it. Not they want to plaque, not that they want to be honored, not that they want to be mentioned, not even because he knows that he's doing something right. Not because he read or he learned or he went to a class and he heard, "Oh, that's right. Let me do it. I should do the thing that's right." No, he jumps because a Jew feels for another Jew. A Jew feels for another Jew. So, what is saying is that a non-Jew, the animal soul doesn't have that instinct to jump because someone else is needs help without asking how that impacts the self or the ego. He may do good, a lot of good, may volunteer, may do it even without wanting credit or honor. And yet, why is what is the motivation? That makes me feel good. That makes me feel the best version of myself. That makes me feel satisfied. Means to feel proud. Not a pride that I want the whole world to know, but a pride that no person does something good. I know as a rabbi, I do a lot of things very publicly on a very public stage. A lot of people see I get a lot of honor. It's not good for me. I have people in my life that help make sure that that's not a problem. But when I'm able to do something that no one knows is when I'm the most proud. I feel the best. I feel the best. It feels Gishmak. Not when you speak at the funeral that was so well attended. Not when you speak at the very prominent public figure and the whole world is there and you came up with a with a eulogy with a hespid. When you showed up and there was almost no one there. There wasn't even a minion. You drove far and you gave a heartfelt eulogy that you worked as hard on. you prepared not because anyone would know or the size of the crowd because it was the right thing to do. You feel good. You feel good. So pride doesn't mean that you get glory or honor. Pride means it feels gishmak. So the non-Jewish soul, the highest level it can go is I feel proud that makes me feel I'm doing something good that makes me feel gratified and satisfied that this is the right thing without anyone else knowing but this is the right thing. It's good for me. But the Jew jumps and could do the right thing and cares about another not because it feels good and it's the right thing for me, but because the eye is oriented its existence towards another Jew. It jumps and it cares and it gives and it does in that way. It's very critical to understand here that the alterb is not suggesting that the Jewish soul, the non-Jewish soul is inferior, is less than, that we're judgmental of it, that we are that we're denying that the non-Jew can do wonderful things. I'll I'll close. First of all, there's a letter of the Reb himself. Another great teacher of mine, Ravsovski, shared with me that the Reb himself writes a letter. I'm in receipt of your letter in which you refer to a discussion that you had in the question of whether or not Gentiles have an isama. I cannot see where there could have been any difference of opinion on the matter in as much as it explicitly stated in various sources also found in various sections of Tanakh that Gentiles also have an seems to me you may have been arguing across purposes and that perhaps the question related more to the fact that there are different levels and qualities of soul. Now, if this was a point of contention, it's true that the soul of the gentile, the soul of the Jew differ in their nature. This being connected with one of the basic principles of the Torah, fact that the Jews are a people chosen from among the nations of the world. This choseness originates to the fact that when God was about to give the Torah at Hari, he first offered it to the other nations who refused it. Jewish people did accept it. Needless to add, this is in no way inconsistent with the statement of the sages, the fact that the righteous among the Gentiles have a special status. The Ram says also have a share in the world to come. They are righteous Gentiles and non-Jews can do incredibly righteous things. Judging by your letter, it's surely unnecessary for me to emphasize to you what has already been indicated above that our belief in the chosen as the Jewish people is not a matter of chauvinism or fanaticism. The deep felt realization that this uniqueness carries with it great responsibility and special obligation. And the Reb goes on in this letter that when we talk about the elevated state of the Jewish soul, it's not to denigrate or diminish the non-Jewish soul, but it's to recognize the added responsibility we have. The non-Jewish soul has seven mitzvah in this world. We have 613. We have a higher level of responsibility and obligation. If we're in the honor society, then we have a certain code of conduct. We have a certain role and responsibility that we have to fulfill. Certainly clearly as the writes too acknowledges that the non-Jewish soul can and does do wonderful things. So along with this is the Pharisees of Lipshit who lived in the late 18th early 19th se century in his ferris. He writes, I'll just read it to you in the English because we're out of time. We find that many pious the nations why is he writing this? Because the mission says every soul is precious to God because it was created in the image of God. It doesn't say the Mishna then goes on and lists of but first says means all of humanity. All of humanity, every human being is created in the image of God and deserves that respect and that courtesy and that honor. So those words that every soul called Adam not we find that many of the pious of the nations did more than recognize the creator and believe in the divine revelation of Torah and perform acts of kindness to the Jewish people but they conferred benefit on humanity as a whole. He's writing again in the 19th century. Among them were Edward Jenner who discovered small packs vaccine saving tens of thousands of people for sickness, death and disfigurement. Sir Francis Drake, who brought the potato to Europe, thus mitigating famine on several occasions. Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing press. Some of them were not rewarded in this world at all, like Johannes, who risked death to prevent the burning of the Talmud and died heartbroken in poverty. It is possible to imagine these great deeds went on were rewarded in the world to come. God forbid. Surely we know that the holy one, blessed be he, does not withhold the reward of any creature. that these non-Jewish souls certainly were rewarding the world to come for the gift that they gave humanity including the Jewish people. So the end of this first peric is not meant to denigrate the non-Jewish soul but to elevate and feel a sense of obligation and responsibility of the Jewish soul. But make no mistake, the alterba absolutely subscribes to the idea that the Jewish soul is inherently categorically different in this way somewhat superior in a sense its instinct and it's its capacity that our soul is the capacity to do good for altruistic reasons to jump because that's the service of Hashem and his other children without thinking about with pride. Does that make me feel good? Does that give me satisfaction? Does that gratify me? So with that we end perf next week and mit will begin per bay and we'll go from this animal soul that the non-Jew also has even if different with kipas noa to the to the godly soul the peace of god the uniqueness of god that each of us uniquely are we'll pick up from there.