Tanya By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Chapter 12 - "The Beinoni" The Daily Struggle & tools to Succeed

so this week we are studying chapter 12 in Hebrew it's called perid Bas and this is the most exciting part of the Tanya we finally got to uh where the Tanya was written and that is because we're going to learn about the uh personality type the spiritual personality type as aanya calls it the bon bon and matter of fact one of the names for this book beside being called Tanya actually it's called sa sh the book of the personality someone that's called a bon and the reason is because the Bon as we're going to see today we're going to get into the life of the ban the B is the um personality that that the alterb says that every single person could reach that level what does that mean to be a sadic is not easy everything's attainable there's a will there's a way but it's not easy and you really can't demand from someone to be a sadic I mean it's pretty intense if they can get there wonderful to be a Russia why would we want to discuss that right that's not an option for us but really the Realties is to be the ban so the real question now is what what does the ban mean so in this chapter the alter begins the process of teaching us what the B is who the B is and as we know knowledge is power when you know who the ban is and what he is and how he operates we could adapt ourselves to hopefully be a nice little Bayon or a big Bayon whatever it may be so we're going to learn today what the ban is so what is the ban so if you remember from the last few weeks the spiritual makeup of the human being is made up of two parts well many but for this conversation two parts one is the term in Hebrew it's called the powers of the soul and we know the powers of the soul in the powers of the Soul there's two departments the intellect which is divided up of three and the emotions which is divided up of that is the and you have those equally on The Godly Soul side and the animal Soul side and then you have as we discussed the garments the Lush what are the garments the garments are your thought speech and action those are the two areas now to understand what the B is let's look real quick what aad was what a rush was and then let's see where the B is so if you remember the way the author explained it very very simply and clearly that the key definition what made someone a sadic and what made someone a Russia was one point their love they had for God I noce that sadic loves God so much so when you love God so so much there is no room for anything other than God for sure not thoughts spech and action but even in emotions even in ideas or thoughts nothing if you love God so much the way a sadic loves God and way one should love God obsessively obsessively that's a good term obsessively you'll never even think of sinning and in there the alter explained that's the different levels of the sadic like he was at 95% let's say so he's already not a sadic you know he's a On The Other Extreme was the Russia and the Russia is one didn't care about God the love wasn't on there was no love there you want to serve God no problem so he didn't mind that The Godly Soul served God or had a relationship with God but there was no fire rolling there no passion no passion and because obviously there wasn't a love for God he's classified as Russia as we discussed last week okay so where do the B come in Middle does he have the love or doesn't he have the love yeah if he has a love then he's a sadic if he doesn't have the love then he's a russer so what's this bany middle personality here so the alar explains in short and that is as follows the love that the banan he has is strong extremely strong very very strong for God but only takes root in three areas his thought speech and action in other words because he loves God so much so it's totally inconceivable inconceivable for the for the Boni to do anything that is counter to Godliness therefore he will do every single Mitzvah 248 he won't transgress of any one to 365 mitzvot speech he'll only talk positive happy about God Holiness beautiful stuff and for sure nothing negative or counter to Godliness his thoughts are going to be all holy positive so because his love is so strong thought speech and action he is just like the tadic there is no difference know in the thought speech and action he and the sadic match up they can go for a match and guess what they'll be a tie know they both sadic and the B thought speech and action batting 100% now the Russian a certain hand we know does the same thing also what's the we is where is the issue the issue is like this by the sadic the righteous one what did he do to the animal Soul because his love for God is so great the animal Soul has zero stage time zero minutes at the mic the only one at the mic is the tadic the the the animal Soul no thoughts are will ever even enter the chadic arena it's not even a question because the love is so great that there's no room for for the for the for the animal soul to get up and make an opinion or have a thought or even like you know have a an emotion he wants to do something count to God it doesn't exist we're talking about in the in the world of intellect and emotions on the other hand by the Russia all day long he thinks of all the things he wants to do and really obsesses over it and has desires and temptations the banon and here's the Here's the the the the the unique struggle the Bony on one hand his Godly Soul thinks only about God meditates only about God only has positive happy thoughts Etc however the animal soul is equally as strong so in the world of intellect and emotions the animal soul is strong he has ideas what he wants not necessar the greatest ideas it could be bad you know so in the Hebrew term is forbidden or could be things are permissible but inappropriate saying with emotions he has feelings for things which are inappropriate or may be absolutely wrong so here is the major difference between the sadic the Russia and the B the sadic is so to speak like an angel in a good way thought speech and action he does everything what God wants animal Soul no struggle not because he he fights with it no because he is so in loveed with God there's no room for anything else there's no room for it like why would you if you're busy dealing with you know hundreds of millions of dollars why would you look at a penny so that sadic his love for God is so great he doesn't even allow any thoughts or feel no it's not it doesn't allow it's not there the love is totally took over totally took over the rush on the other hand who runs the roost who runs the house his wild thoughts and his and his uh and his uh his thoughts his feelings his ideas Etc the ban on the other hand they're both fully engaged in other words the in the ban The Godly Soul wants that relationship with God thinks about God feels God but he has a partner in the same body the animal Soul he wants his desires some could be forbidden and some could be just totally indulging in the materialistic world but the God has zero interest in indulging in the materialistic World here lies the struggle here lies the struggle and because it's a constant struggle it's not like it's just for an hour a day the struggle the B has 24/7 a tadic is like living at peace he in love with god he has just a life is wonderful when does he love with God 24/7 so life is simple the Russia 247 is in love with himself life is simple they both have really two simple lives that sadic has a simple life I just love God you know it's like oneway Street there's nothing in the way nothing in the road right the Russia just love myself one way street nothing stopping him right the banon has like almost like a car with two steering wheels and The Godly still trying to pull to the right right but at the same time the animal's all pulling to the left you're going to burn out some tires and some brakes and a lot of gas that but that is the life of the bany and know in actuality the the ban his Godly soul will still make sure we don't transgress we do all the Commandments we say all the right things our thoughts the struggle where's the struggle it's a fine struggle it's a fine Struggle No peace 24/7 you said and 247 what means no peace he wants to go right now and pray he wants to study he wants to do a Mitzvah the animal Soul says why let's go do something else right these voices it's like almost like a the self-esteem is like pretty is struggling his confidence is struggling let's go have fun let's go have fun so what what do we do to help the B what do we do to help the B because it's not fun to live a life where you're being pulled in two different directions now if we were a sadic we were have to worry about the B right but the question is are we really that level huh everyone exactly B exactly now if we're we're not going to say if we're Russia because we're not russas you know we we really want to serve God and we you know Etc we we huh want to we don't want to be that exactly so the truth is that really our life according to the AL that's why it's called the book of the tan the book of the B that he's dealing with every individual who's human who's human who has a Godly soul that basically in okay you know what bottom line is I'm not going to tr I'm going to do all the mitv even though I'm not in the mood I'll do it anyway I'll say all the right things if I'm not in the mood right I'll think all the right things but on the other hand how come it's not automatic because not exotic you know toic so how do we help the B to give him so to speak uh some leverage so first of all the alter says something very interesting and that's as follows that the banan when he prays when he prays whether it's a prayer service a communal prayer service or reads the book of Psalms or privately when he prays you know there different prayers that you do so what happens is when a when when the ban is praying so what's happening now his Godly soul is being fired up automatically if you say okay you know what right now it's afternoon service or morning service or evening service I just want to say some Psalms right now which Psalms is a prayer right and you stop praying what happens now who gets excited The Godly Soul or the animal Soul there you go The Godly Soul gets excited and if you pray with kavana it means if you think and that's why that's why according to the rebba um it's important imperative that a person have kavana kavana means has intention while you're praying and even if you can't have intention of every single word before you start say listen I'm praying to you God which that basically focuses you in that it's not just words that you're saying but you're actually getting into the prayer service so the Reb says when a person kavana having intention is very very important why because when you pray and you have kavana and the more kavana you have what you really doing is The Godly soul is getting excited and the excitement that The Godly Soul has spills over into the animal soul and during prayer guess what the animal soul is sleeping just like the sadic so in other words like the sadic is 247 the B can accomplish that during prayer and that's why um the real aod for aain is to pray for two reasons but we'll talk about the two reasons in a seconds that's why the voted for the banies to pray because when the B prays guess what happens to him fires up his Godly Soul his Godly Souls fired up anyway but he fires it up more to the point where it spills over into the animal Soul so The Godly Soul gets fired up fired up to the point that it's so fired up that it gets into the animal soul and the animal soul is now excited about God and that's why it says and the tal that a person is having a struggle go into the synagogue stop praying why because the minute you stop praying The Godly Soul got a boost you you put like a turbo engine to it it's spilling over energy we all over the place including the animal Soul so when a person is praying right think about it if you're praying now to God you're talking to God oh my God please help me if it's a personal prayer or you saying the prayer service with kavana what right now is taking place in your mind one thing God your love for God what's your you're feeling in your heart your love for God right what happens now to your animal Soul by default it has a love for God oh I thought I went to sleep no it's excited what do you mean you're praying you're singing you're dancing so the animal Soul gets excited about God right so during prayer just like the toic now so two things happen during prayer one is that you get excited second thing that happens as follows what happens when you finish praying turbo shut off right the intention is shut off The Godly Souls back to his place and guess who wakes up yeah the animal Soul the animal soul and he starts again churning his ideas and his feelings nudging you nudging you nudging you so it comes along the AL says that there's a residual residual effect from the prayer service so it doesn't let's say you pray for example from 9: to 10 for an hour so from 9 to 10 this guy's like a sadic right you put the Tom in who animal Souls likeo fire right but not only from 9 to 10 that creates a residual effect throughout the day that means it's not just for the time of prayer but it lasts for a few and that's how you pray in the morning in the afternoon and in the evening and before you go to sleep and if you have some free time say some Psalms because while you're praying you're not getting into trouble think about it let's say you're sitting you know in the afternoon you have an extra hour right so you can choose to do nothing you don't have where you do nothing you're getting into trouble your mind starts going through the wrong places you also start saying the wrong things you start gossiping whatever it may be instead you pull out a book of Psalms right now guess where you where are you at in a great place you're automatically in a good place and that's why um very very age-old uh mystical uh secret is don't go with an empty head don't go with an empty head what does that mean you should always be praying studying thinking words of Torah have some prayers by heart and you can say them to yourself by heart always have something coming out of your lips why because as long as you're saying guess what you're in safe Zone not only you safe zone for now but it will will have an effect for you afterwards also now the reality is you can't pray all day right there's other things you have to do you got to work you got to take get the kids a family a business whatever it may be so now when you go out a safe Zone so again remember B safe Zone like the level of a sadic when he prays why do he leave safe Zone and you can't pray or you dve in in car you stop praying you'll get into an accident right but now the problem is your mind is empty uh your heart is empty boom boom boom boom who come who's here the animal soul is rolling in right he's rolling in so here is the key thing here's the key thing when you're either doing nothing or doing something simple all of a sudden you get this thought it could be a negative thought pessimistic thought an angry thought anything that you put in the category from from the animal so trying and get you uh get you down so what happens is that has the power to take over once it creeps in then it starts you know like a virus but the ban needs careful and this is a key point the ban needs careful that the minute that idea comes up you ever go to like one of these amusement parks and they have this game where like thing pops up and you have to hit it down you what's it called whack them all whack them all right you got to whack them down so like this so this is the rule this is the rule if the thing comes up right you didn't lose anything when do you lose if you don't pop it down you got it whack them all right so exactly same same idea this is the same game in the the spiritual world so now we're saying that wackamole actually has its roots in exactly there you go we' CED it all exactly exactly okay I'm happy we have someone that knows the name of the game other wack wacka all okay so what happens so that so the AL is like this when you're sitting and thinking and all of a sudden the thing pops up right The Wack Ando pops up the negative thought are you respons are you like are you um are you are you um could you be accountable for that for that thing popping up no that's the game that's the game right now you're at but you noce it one second second one second the fact that it popped up we're okay but if you let it sitting there you don't get your hand and pop it back down now you're going to trouble so in other words the banery when your prayer free zone at a prayer make sure you have the hammer or whatever that thing is called what's the thing called it's a a hammer a whacker there you that's wer a mallet a mallet make sure you have the Mallet and know you're I guarantee if you're a ban you will have erroneous thoughts bad thoughts negative thoughts inappropriate thoughts come up and that's okay that's okay for split second but the minute it comes up knock it down and that's basically what the ban does all day he's either praying and he's in the safe zone or he has these thoughts to come up and and we're going to knock it out so you can get back into the safe Zone correct yes exactly now so the question is question is a simple question yeah since the banon has these ideas that are coming up to his head right who said The Godly Souls be more powerful maybe the animal Soul has also a mallet and knocks Down The Godly Soul's thought and now you're at war with each other right The Godly Soul wants a thing positive and the animal Soul wants a thing negative so we're sitting here like kings guess what you know what you have a thought thoughts are going to happen we can't guarantee fail proof no thoughts that's why God made us as long as you're AB until you get rid of the animal soul but guess what you knock it down hold on a second maybe the animal soul will knock me down my positive thoughts right who said one is why are you guaranteed you're going to win maybe you're going to lose so come along the Al and he brings from the Z from cabala and that says as follows this is a cabala truth Z from the Z which is theal it says like this that God gave us the intellect and God gave us the heart where does The Godly Soul reside we we discussed this and learned about this where's The Godly Soul reside in the intellect The Godly souls in the intellect where does the animal Soul reside in the heart we don't only mean physically we mean spiritually what does that mean the intellect knows right from wrong you ask the intellect what's the truth I'll tell you the truth The Godly Soul knows the truth what's the truth God runs the world and we should only love God the animal soul is more excitement passion has a feel right so the Z says Mo which is the intellect rules Al that the intellect has power to overcome the heart in its nature it means in the nature the way God made things the intellect And the emotions are not in the same plane the intellect is more powerful than the emotions the same way The Godly soul is more powerful than the than the than the animal Soul so therefore if there's a battle between wack all and they each have a wacker who's going to win by default The Godly Souls winning and he gives an example the Ali which is a very very practical tangible example he says like this let's say you have a room and the room is dark it's at night right the windows are closed lights are off there's no uh no natural light in here or could even during the day if there's no natural light right you're in a Cellar wherever it may be it's dark so now you want to be light right so what do you do either either light a candle or you put on a switch and light goes on any form of light so the alter ask a simple question hold on you went ahead and put on this light it was a dark room it was a dark room you put on a light whoa it became light whoa why did it become light why didn't the darkness push out the light you have two forces you have a force of Darkness the light is more powerful ah exactly you have a force of darkness and a force of light but you ever see that you put on a light and it remains dark or gets darker never never why is that because God made the nature that light is more powerful than Darkness scientific whatever you want to call it religious you're not religious the fact is light is more powerful than Darkness spiritually also oh same thing spiritually also The Godly soul is more powerful than the than the animal soul in other words the only way the animal Soul can take charge it has to be two things one is he has an idea and B you don't stop him because if you stop him he's finished if you stop him he's finished just like the light is is more powerful than Darkness so therefore the minute you have a negative thought a pessimistic thought an inappropriate thought an erroneous thought whether to do something forbidden or even something which is inappropriate you could immediately say no we're not doing that we are godly people we think positive we think only what God wants we only do appropriate things you know what happens he runs for cover you just need to stand up to him just like you put on the light all of a sudden the darkness runs away not only Darkness runs away but all the Cockroaches that are out there you know run away too right they all run away when the light comes on it's a funny thing and you didn't do anything to them you even touch them but why is that light has much more power than Darkness so in other words as long as you are on your toes where the minute you see it coming up down right it's gone now I'm not saying it's not it's not going to be another one in two minutes yeah or an hour or whatever it may be but the stronger you're able to say no we love God we're going to do what God wants guess what happens you're going to do what God wants you be in this state so therefore so therefore the ban besides the fact that in action he does what God wants and besides the fact that in thought he does what God wants and in speech he even has the power to overcome his struggle with his animal soul that he has not conquered by a praying and B when he's not praying that the minute a bad idea or thought comes up say listen we don't do that right not appropriate for us it goes away go away you know the fact that it wants to you know penetrate that's okay that's his job you can't say well why is the animal still doing this to me whoa that's his job his job is to make sure you stay on your toes until you get rid of him and as long as you don't get rid of him and it's not an easy job to get rid of him just subdue him tell him hey not here not in this house right I mean you think about when you educate you know children or students it's all about education say listen I know you want to do that but we don't do that what happens they listen well you don't have to fight with them people want to do the right thing and here the altar goes into a um sort of speak a home run with the next concept and that is as follows and this will literally this is really the real power that we each have and I think this is one of the biggest revolutions that Tanya introduced to us that gives you real power and that is as follows and the power of the ban so what happens um if you have this idea of hate in your mind right you have Hate in Your Mind anger so what did we say before whoa tell the animal Soul where's the where's the hate and the anger coming from where from the go Soul the from the animal Soul so what do you say to the animal Soul no no no no we don't do any hate we don't do any anger right guess what it goes away it's going to try another way it's going to try from you know it it tries from different different angles to come in but as long as you come listen you know I know you here nice to see you have to do it angrily nice to see you again but you know wrong house wrong person maybe he tries some I mean not to give him addresses where to go to believe me they know where to go right they but it again because that's its job that's his job one second that's his job that's his job that's his job but comes the Al and Al says knowing the enemy knowing the enemy is power to overcome the enemy yeah so what's the goal of the animal Soul again remember this clearly what's the goal of the animal soul to get you to be angry to get you to be full of hate right so he he thinks of brilliant ways how to get to you how does he get to you and this is like one of the biggest tricks that unfortunately most people fall for most people fall and I'm going to tell you the trick what he does and and once you know it it'll be much easier next time it happens most people fall for this I've seen many the biggest people fall for this what happens the animal Soul somehow gets your friend or your relative or your neighbor to do something upsetting to you and very upsetting to you and maybe even like you can call he betrayed you and he hurt you or she he or she hurt you or embarrassed you so what happens now you get angry so the AL says who's doing that to you not your friend not your no not your relative not not your neighbor way you think it's the animal soul in the other person that's teaming up with your animal soul to get your Godly soul to get angry they have two against one the other person's animal Soul cuz why would your friend or neighbor do that to you you know what I mean the animal Soul got got the better of them right and now they come to your animal so look look what that person did to you you're outn so now you're outnumbered they have two against one and then what happens automatically by default what do you do you get angry but one second you're not supposed to get angry because it tricked you cuz it's two against one and they even brought a scenario you heard what they said you heard what they did and now this the pot is cooking the pot is cooking because it's your animal Soul the other person's animal soul and they have a whole story the story is you heard what the person said about you and you heard what the person did to you well oh stop a second let's put things in perspective who's creating that story The Godly Soul or the animal soul and Company it's the animal Souls that got together and and are trapping you you're now like in a you're getting ready to be pulled into their spiderweb because they know the minute you get angry they got you they got you your Godly Soul's out to lunch the animal soul is brewing and now you're going to call another friend and before you know it you have 20 people involved in the fight and meanwhile who's winning the animal soul in each and every one of you are winning that's true and we are not anym and we we lost our status of B we probably went over to the status of Russia we lost lost our peace very good we lost our peace and happiness so comes along the alar and says no your enemy it has nothing to do with your friend it was a story that was concocted by who by the animal Soul the American saying is um keep your friends close your enemies close so the alter says the AL says how do you f an animal Soul if you think you're just going to push it down guess what they already have 20 people cooking the story and before you know it's going to be 30 you think by just knocking it down you're going to knock out this animal Soul how you going to do that yeah you can knock it down but guess what it's a Prett hard fight see Al says you have to pull some major ammunition The Godly Soul has to pull like a rocket right a powerful rocket to knock out the animal Soul what's the rocket to knock out the animal Soul say guess what a a I'm not getting angry and B here comes the big rocket I'm actually going to do something very nice for my friend or my neighbor or my relative and now you blew their cover now you blew the cover because the last thing you want they want to see is doing nice things to people now you doing so now they you actually caus them to cause you to do nice things they going to start up with you again they know you're the wrong guy to try to try to um get into the spiderweb so the key thing the AL says is when the animal Soul starts to get you angry because your friend or your relative or your mother your sister whatever did this and you heard they said you should never talk to them and right they getting you going I don't hate anybody not only don't hate anybody I love everybody and not only that you thought I was going to hate them guess what I'm going to do something extremely nice to that person who you said was trying to hurt me and abuse me and do whatever they wanted to me whoo and the Altera says guess what you think I'm making this up it's in the Torah the famous story with Joseph what happened with Joseph Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him they sold him as a slave and he saved them from starvation what happens when he came to Egypt not only did he save them but they were embarrassed they came to him Joseph oh my gosh you know and they made up a whole story our father said you should be nice to us he says you didn't do anything to me you think you are not you think you wanted to kill me you think you wanted to you think you sold me into slavery please it was God that sent me down here so that I can help you and Joseph was extremely nice to them so the Altera says anytime the animal Soul yours or someone else that says hey you heard what this one said but that one says a brother a sister a mother a father a child a spouse a friend a neighbor guess what thank you I love everybody and not only I love them I'm going to actually help them what you what did you just do not only you knock out thear you knocked him out so big time that he's shocked and guess what you think he's going to be starting up with you again no no because look what he did he caused you to score points positive points he doesn't want that his goal is for you to get angry he real but when I try to incite this guy to get angry not only doesn't get angry he he not only doesn't get angry he's he he's not nice and nicer and actually does nice things for them oh my gosh it's blowing our whole whole plan and this the AL says this is the real power of the ban the power of the ban is not that he just doesn't listen to the animal Soul not that he doesn't listen to the thoughts and feelings but on the contrary if a thought comes up a he blows it out and B he's extremely opposite he's extremely more nice where the animal Soul would think he'd be upset because again the animal soul and The Godly Soul two different frequencies two different agendas the animal Soul's goal is to get you to be angry upset not in love with God and not to be positive and happy but what is The Godly Souls goal in life to be extremely happy and when you're going to try to get me to be unhappy and to be angry and to get into a fight guess what what no I'm going to actually be the person the person's best friend so here you see and again obviously this is just chapter 12 the Alor goes more into this the life of the bany because this is the life and you'll see the way once you have this so to speak as a framework as a foundation from here on the next several chapters the AL goes into the real um nitty-gritty daytoday uh struggles and goes through like uh Foundation issues that the Bon has but this so to speak lays the ground work knowing that the ban non-negotiable is thought speech and action does all the mitzvot says all the right things things all the right thoughts his weakness is be that he his animal soul is still strong and it will still try to play tricks on him in his thought and in his in his thought and in his his mind and his heart and the way to combat that as the Alor said was one is pray just pray that will get you in a safe Zone when you're not praying then watch for those guys creeping in the animal idea animal Soul negative ideas creeping in the minute it comes in knock it out not only knock it out but double up on the kindness so practically speaking is let's say for example he wants you to get sad about something the animal Soul we know you can't be sad with God you have to always be happy um depressed forut right so what he wants to get you upset on the contrary I'm going to be even more happier and guess what happens he knows oh my gosh at this guy alone because I'm just going to I'm just feeding him to to become a better person and from here we're going to continue going on to the life of the ban knee but as you can tell this is literally a a such an important chapter in life I'm sure if you think about your life and your days and so on and so forth we can all see that we have these struggles of the b in some way shape or form however it plays out but if we're if we're we know our enemy then we know what's not negotiable and we know what to do when it tries to attack us pray if you're not praying be positive and say no it's not my goal I'm going to be happy oh really you want me to get into fight with that person hey how you doing what can I do for you can I do something nice for you and this way you'll always stay in a beautiful safe and happy Zone even perhaps when you're not praying you'll always be able to do the right thing