Tanya By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Chapter 4 Your G-Dly Souls Garments: Thought, Speech & Action

so welcome to this week's Tanya class we are studying their chapter four in Tanya and this week the Alta Reba introduces a very very important concept in the spiritual makeup of us human beings and that is that up until now we learned about the two goggly souls and we learnt about the ten soul powers that we have namely the three intellectual powers and the seven emotional powers and this week in Tanya the algebra goes on to explain something which is called I'll satyam Hebrew and then I'll translate ligustrum which translates as garments garments of what garments of the godly soul so namely the lotion which translates as garments that means every single godly soul has something which is called garments what are the garments I'll tell you the words in Hebrew and then we'll translate it will explain what they are garments in Hebrew called machado de Bourgh and masa Markov is your thought deeper is your speech and masa is your action and these are called garments now what does that mean garments garments are as follows and you'll see why this is an extremely crucial chapter in the whole understanding of Tanya mysticism and understanding the human psyche and more importantly obviously the spiritual component to the person and through understanding the garments you will be able to have a amazing relationship with God and specifically when you're going to eat our times knowing about the garments is really extremely helpful ok what are the garments of the soul thought so we said it's thought speech in action what's thoughts feature an action that is as follows when a person studies Torah so you use your intellect namely your Mabini badass you try to comprehend what you're studying and you have a deep understanding of it but besides understanding there's something which is old Mac shava mark shava basically is just like for example we said it's a garment so take for example you wearing a jacket you can take off the jacket fur on the jacket you put on let's say a sporty jacket you look like in a sporting or you put on a casual jacket the casual mood and so on and so forth so in other words the garment doesn't really Express who you are it's an external expression of what you're trying to demonstrate or with the way you feel etc so in other words your mark shoving your thought is almost like an empty loading dock it's it's empty loading dock your thoughts are empty what does that mean you're kind of say thinking about something but you can choose what you're putting on a duck so if you're thinking about God or if you studied some torah and you think you know either studied and you knows you comprehend that now you start thinking about it so now you're loading dock is filled with divine wisdom and divine ideas so again there's a world of a difference between intellect that's comprehension and then there's the thoughts will you think about you think about what you're studying so generally speaking in the world of your thought comes in from your intellect your on beam and dance and that's where you think about the the in depth about you contemplating what you studied as you fill your max over with with with the Torah so now what takes place now at this moment you are being unified with the Torah and mitzvot that you studied about and this creates a union with God and will soon explain how the union takes place now the same thing also with your speech your speech is also it's a garment what does that mean like right now you're sitting you're quiet then you can start talking so you don't necessarily have to talk but it's a garment you either put on or you can take off you're going to talk on our talk generally speaking what does one speak about so you speak about things that you study things that you thought about and things that you're excited about excited both in a positive way and as we'll call it love you want to do something and you're excited about meeting someone's you use your devo your speech to talk about it or god forbid if you're an or in a committee could be a good thing then snap god forbid or like you know in a negative way and then you talk about the fears that you're going through so deeper which is basically a garment is an expression of your emotions whether it's positive or negative or love or or etc Massa what's my user action so action you can act or not act you can do or not do so in other words so since your action you could do or not do so it's also a garment you can choose to do you can choose not to do okay so now since you can choose to do not do when you choose to do it's very simple pending over your into pending what you're excited about more importantly excited about actually didn't go doing if you're excited for example about you know some a mitzvah that you just learned about helping the poor you're going to go run and try to help a poor person if you're excited about going to synagogue you can go to synagogue if you're excited about goods and going to eat something you know you're going to go with the excitement so your action is basically an expression of your feelings and that's going to express in the world of action now why are the garments so important and here is the key point of this chapter and that is as follows we said that you haven't we all have a godly soul and an animal soul the godly saw on the animal soul has qualities powers of your intellect in your emotions and that is really because it's your soul powers that is really who you are you intellect what you think throw your view in life the way you feel about things both in a positive or a negative way in a loving way in a fearful way and that is really your core who you are now your thoughts feature in action is not really who you are it's not really who you are it's just an expression what you're expressing right now this is what I'm thinking about right now this is what I'm talking about right now that's what I'm doing right now it's not necessarily who you are so two different worlds however there's a pro and con in each one your thoughts speech and action because it's not really who you are so it's not who you are so the pro is that you can change it very easily in other words like this let's say for example you have certain world views which are actually great that's wonderful whatevs you have certain world views which are very very destructive or for example you have a hate to somebody now could be somebody in close to you Rosa you develop the hate for a spouse for a child for a friend for a co-worker now how productive is that in a relationship whether it's a spouse a child or a co-worker it's not going to work but you develop for some reason something got into your head and you saw something you heard something and you can't get it out of your head and you develop in your in your powers of love and oh and in your emotions is hate for somebody so to go to try to change it it's work everything is possible certain things is a lot of work and ultimately you'll be successful but meantime you have to live with the person again it could be a spouse a child a parent a friend someone did something or said something to upset you and in your bones also you develop this hate for the person how you going to get along with the person or at work or your boss so you're right in your soul power yep you might not be able to change it so easily you might not be ever be able to but you might be able to over two over long periods how you be able to change it and it takes a lot of work however when it comes to the garments and here's the key point of this chapter which will help you in the whole study of Tonya and your whole spiritual journey of life is that your thought speech and action just like this jacket you can take it off put it back on you can take your shirt off put it on any garment that you were you can take it off and put it back on but what do you mean how do you take one put it back on if it's only a garment so the same thing also even though that you developed I hate to somebody you can still think think in your thought process not understand the country and I understand I so hate this person we're not asking you to change your understanding we're just ask me right now on the loading dock I like the upon positive thoughts about the person exactly in your thoughts have different thoughts that thing think is more like intellect I want your thoughts to change oh you have some thoughts now about some positive stuff about the person the exhibit i drank the person I'm asking to like the person it's not what I'm asking you I'm asking to lighten personalizing data person I'm asking you tell me what you think about the person I don't it's not it's irrelevant right now I'm asking you i want you to start having thoughts positive thoughts about the person have their thoughts yeah it's alright i can't know because you're going back into your intellect and you're going back into your emotions i'm saying out of your intellect area motion i just want to have give me some flowing positive thoughts about the person now if true its external it's not internal agreed but when I with the focus right now is to change your thoughts to positive thoughts now what happens once you change it tautz the positive thoughts two things happens guess what right now what are you doing what are you thinking positive things bingo is that amazing now I grant you we still didn't deal with your internal struggles and your internal things that are bothering you let's leave that aside a second let's just deal with a simple jumpstart method for you right now to have positive thoughts the benefit is very simple right now you're thinking positive things and what's better place to be in that you have in your loading dock ramires know what's positive thoughts whether you agree whether you disagree whether you feel it whether you don't feel we're not dealing with that right now right now I'm asking you a request please think positive thoughts about this person about this place about this job about this relationship now again you keep on going in circles well I don't feel that way no no it's not what I asked you I asked for one thing I want to have positive thoughts about this experience this person whatever you going at one end positive thoughts could you do that so you can do it it's a garment it's like let's see for example I'm not in the mood this jacket and you tell you put on a jean jacket you put it on whether I like it or not it's irrelevant you ask me in front of my co put on a jacket but I don't believe in which I don't think is right so the benefit is that what I can change my thoughts the downside is that me these downside but for conversation piece you haven't changed who you really are you still didn't develop a love for that person you still involve a real understanding why you should respect and honor this person grant you so it's not internalized so but on the other hand it can be done and meanwhile you're happy and you can have a relationship or the other person and you can feel great about yourself about the other person you can have a good time right now you know in your soul powers to go change your intellect that takes a lot of work a lot of what you can't change it instantly if you don't feel you hate somebody tell you develop a feeling that takes a long time and it might not happen my yes it takes a long time but once there's a change it's real so everyone has a pro and con in the soul powers of intellect and emotion it's a lot of work and maybe a lot of time but once it's done it's real here it's not real it's just the external self it's just in the loading dock bring your thoughts but any second give me some positive thoughts and guess what happens look in the mirror when you're not you're thinking black thoughts or negative thoughts right look at the nerve and then also I say start thinking positive thoughts you will see a noticeable noticeable measurable change in your whole face and you're all being so you have like a magic pill to become happy and to become kind and loving a nice just like what say throw me some positive thoughts now that is the biggest gift that you can give yourself that means you're not in the mood of doing something I want to hear thoughts that you are in the mood of doing it I'm asking change your thought you're thinking I'm asking you change your feelings come on throw me some positive thoughts and guess what all of a sudden you're dancing in your head so that is in your mouth shovel that's garment number one descending with deboard I say to you tell this person thank you tell this person you appreciate everything they've done for you what they haven't done anything for me I don't feel that way I agree I'm not asking you to understand it and I asking you to feel it I'm just asking you give me the words repeat after me there's nothing stopping you or anybody for repeating after me kind words what's stopping you from saying it again if I ask you to change your ideology if I asked you to change your way of thinking if I ask you to change what you feel I agree I don't feel that way I don't think that way grant you that and unless can you do that because that takes a lot of work and when it when it will change it'll be real I'm asking you to give me a quick fix bottom line is you start saying the positive and kind words gets what happens you're talking positive you're wearing a nice suit you know a nice garbage from your speech people are listening this guy speaks beautiful stuff what a bench what a mensch exactly I tell you let's go do a mitzvah let's go do a mitzvah so I don't believe in that right I don't feel like I want to zoom in far can I ask you how you feel can i ask you whether you believe in the midst for a nap someone asked you do you think it's right I asked you do me a favor come let's put on tefillin put up the mezuzah hi keep kosher right you understand you don't understand you're in the mood you're not no it's not what I asked you I asked you to do the Mitzvah so again it's not an internal fix you're not holding there yet but guess what in a second you can start doing any myths for you want I think hey stop dancing it's your friend's wedding I'm not in the mood I had a hard day I didn't ask you do the mood your friend's wedding answer together the dance without dancing what's the problem so again the minute you get out of your head and out of your feelings you can live a life par excellence and all your garments thought speech and action isn't that brilliant you can literally be a transformed human being yes grant you disclaimer externally no one's taking that away it's an external but bottom line is people judge you how by the marketing by the package people by most products a nice package you will create for yourself a beautiful package what's inside what's inside everybody else a lot of turmoil a lot of challenges and a lot of struggles of life fine and you have to work on that and that you need time for but while you're going through the process of transforming yourself on an intellectual level and I'm studying and understanding everything and while you try to really get a feeling of love and in all four god then for let's say espouse a child a friend meanwhile you can wear your best suit you can put on your best suit all your thoughts are amazing your speech is amazing your action is amazing so you don't have to be holding their here's going to do it and grant you yes it's a fake I won't ever to fake it's more external it's not internalized I know it's a fake because it's not internalized but and the external level it's real when you tell someone I like you thank you even though you don't mean it you don't believe it it's still real in the world of speech and luan in your in your thoughts and interaction and ultimately that's where it's at and this is oh and this is the revolutionary concept of the author ever is that you don't have to wait till it becomes internal you can start the process of dressing up and this way the benefits your thoughts are healthy your speech is healthy your actions healthy but not only that as you start walking the walk and talking the talk and having the right thoughts it will start having a trickle effect on how you feel how you really feel and how in your thought process are you thinking process it will sort of speak back you in to an internal transformation yes there are times you want to start from the bake it from the inside but mean wall why wait and miss out on a beautiful life until you figure it out meanwhile live the way you're supposed to say those things what he's supposed to be a good be a good friend the way you're supposed to and with time you'll figure it out but don't be cause you're trying to figure out your life don't be what you say don't be a mensch the event what's a mansion bench is he put on a nice suit he's coming to imagine someone shows up on a wedding not wearing a nice suit you ever go to a wedding everybody's nice suits in the morning he started with dungarees and them jeans what happened over here all of a sudden and the answer is because that was a wedding why do you have to dress up whether you're holding about whether you you feel that way inside who cares wedding you dress up so in other words you see you're able to put on garments that you're not necessarily holding by you maybe you rather be on the other and the work job you know pouring cement or whatever you like doing or sitting in office I'm wearing this casual clothing at the wedding you dress up so the same thing also every aspect of your life wherever you meet and whether you're into it are involved with throw positive thoughts say the right speech talk the right action meanwhile guess what happens you're living a great life now that is about life in other words but more importantly when it comes to a relationship with god the thought speech and action technique works also why because when a person studies Torah right what are you using the intellect to understand the toilet you stunning when a person prays and a person developed a love for God and all four god so that's all working on your case a premium your emotional powers but ultimately where is it play out very simple what are you thinking about right now and as long as you're thinking about God and about what you studied you're bringing into your into your loading dock of your thoughts godly thoughts and by doing that what you're actually doing is you're bringing God into your being almost like an English was called the transfusion you having a transfusion of God why is that very simple because on one hand God created the world right this infinite God created the world God's infinite he wanted to give us an opportunity and ability to connect with him we got himself now how could find that human beings connect with the infinite we are finite human beings if we touch him from that we disappear but the other hand God wanting to give us an opportunity to connect with the infinite so he created something which is called the Torah the Torah has it's God's will and wisdom God's teachings and when you with your brain study the Torah you're actually getting a transfusion of God and as you think about or about the Torah guess what's on your lowly luck right now dodging a loading yuck you're right and when you talk words of Torah guess what's coming through your mouth God and when you going to do a mitzvah and you're excited about God guess what's going through you you're becoming a person that's totally tranced transfused with God now do you have to believe in God you have to understand that completely no true it's better if you understand it and you feel it and you love God and that's the next thing that's the ideal way to serve God but let's say for example you come to a class you know what the amount moodus really studying Torah I really don't feel great about God he disappointed me whatever what you going through I'm gonna sit down and study Torah bottom line is the medicine is coming in your loading dock sitting filled with God your speech is now full of godly thoughts and your action is full of the actions so what better way to bring God into your life in a real way now the altar goes on to say and that is why it's brought down and says that this world that we're living in this physical world it's theirs it is a tremendous benefit and power in our ability to create a bond with God much greater than the world to come why is that the other explains very simple because in the world to come God's infinite light is so powerful right so we get close to light no we disappear so God allows us to have like a ray so it's not the light itself it's like for example we let up now to the Sun correct if we would be blown away burnt away but we have down here array of array and therefore weibull American you know everyone knows if you go out to the Sun for too long you get burnt so we get array array of the ray of the Sun that's what we benefit from so when in the world to come the closest we'll get to his array of God that God Himself in this world no in this world what we have we have the Torah and we have the mitts vote what is Torah and what is mitts loads Torah is based basically God's will wisdom that was put into a book that we human beings finding human beings can sit and study it so I think you sit down now and study Torah for an hour so while you're studying Torah firing your comprehending the tour you have to use your mind if to use your intellect and your comprehending the Torah so what you're doing is you're bringing God we're into your mind so if you sit and study for example tour for now for an hour your mind if you're able to do sort of speak a spiritual MRI you would see your mind is lit up with a godly light and matter of fact there is there is MRI studies that you do that gauge people's minds pending on what they're doing and the joy and so on and so forth I can guarantee if you were able to do an MRI when a personal studying Torah you would see literally the light of God in the end of the mind now the reality is you can't study Torah all day you're driving the car or you're very busy at work but every free moment you can you can allow the study the toll that you studied to penetrate through your thought process so what happens when you think Torah the light of God is lightening up your thoughts once the light of God is lighting up your thoughts you have God in you God Himself is in you in the world to come into ray of God but here it's God Himself it's God's will and wisdom that he was able to put into some kind of a transformer that that's that's pennant that's infiltrating in your mind and more importantly in your thought process so your thought process gets this like beautiful cushion of God and godliness in other words the analogy give this for example etsy for example you have water coming down from the mountain right you have water coming to see the water is on a mountain let's say 10,000 feet up and it goes down around 10,000 feet and comes to the bottom is there a difference meaning the water that hits the bottom and the water on top no you have the same water it start at 10,000 feet up and it comes down and to same water here so the same water that's here was once up there now it's down here so the same thing also God's Torah what's gone stoner it's God's wisdom that was in heaven with God's infinite power travel down into this book and you study the book what are you drinking the pure water so when you study the Torah and you think about the total you're bringing God we're into your mind and then afterwards as you think about into your thought now once you think about God enough guess what happens now and your whole mind and thought process becomes extremely powerful and beautiful lit up with the godly light answer the question yourself do you think you can think negative thoughts or hateful thoughts it just doesn't work it doesn't fit in just that this doesn't work that way how could you put in a place that has a light of God on by beaming it just there's no room for it to rest or even tip to scent there's no room for it if you didn't think about God and it's just a thought that's loading dock it's empty everything goes on there all the garbage goes on there right but if you're studying Torah thinking about hora guess what happens not only there's no room for anything negative when you your natural thoughts are going to be what God and godly and especially as you develop a glove for God your thoughts are always going to be what can I do to make God happy today what can I do to create a deeper relationship with God and your thoughts going to be rolling in a beautiful way the same thing also with speech if you sit and study Torah and by the way this is very very important to know this when a person studies Torah on a personal studies Torah it's important not just to read like you're reading a book in your mind you have to actually say the words so if you ever let say you learn in commerce you say you say the words but raices and obviously you don't know what I mean you take an English crummers and you say bracelets in the beginning right borrow allocating God created and so on and so forth when a person not reads total again studies Torah odd autos it with his words suss it out with his mouth you are actually what are you doing just like you're doing in your thought you bring me in God and godliness into the loading dock you're actually bringing it where you're bringing God into your speech now you're smells good used to saying words of Torah holy words not the content the godly light is a big division true content godly content but it's the godly light that's going down to your mouth and as your mouth is moving what's happening now you're being transformed with this godly energy in your mouth so do you think this mouth that says words of Torah but not only says it but actually feels the love for God is going to say something negative afterwards she doesn't work it just doesn't fit in it's incongruous incongruous exactly hang on it just doesn't go it doesn't sound sink so as you say words of Torah when you understand it whether you feel it you meanwhile bring this powerful lightened email obviously if you understanding you feel it's great because you're transforming your your emotional powers and intellectual powers you click a supreme your internal powers but more importantly you're taking your external powers and you're only filling it with walk with words of total rewards of kindness words of the General Greg gratefulness and thankfulness and so on and so forth God the energy exactly what happens now when not only do you in your thoughts you're thinking about God and godliness and in your speech right you're saying godly throw words and then you actually when you're moving i'm going to do a mitzvah i'm going to pray i'm going to study i'm going to help someone i'm going to be kind right and you're actually moving you're moving so what's happening on your whole being is filled with godliness become a garden human being and that's something that you cannot attain in the world to come not before you were born because we notice always existed and so will always exist not before you're not even after you die why because over the only getting the ring here you're getting God himself so for example you eat kosher you are internalizing God and every level you view being your thought process get to think I how you gonna buy the culture now you're going to make the kosher and so need to make sure its look and eat so your thought process writing your speech you eat it you make the I thing and then in your action whatever you're doing you're actually bringing God with it within you you cannot get that in the world to come on such a deep level exactly thought speech in action and in other words it's like to bring it out in a different a different format is you know the let's say you know a negative i will bring it to the positive you know for example let's say somebody has in his nature in his nature he like stealing is an english term for it stealing stealing but he never steals in his life he never steals in his life he likes it he has he would love to take something doesn't belong to him he would love it it's an emotional nature in his in his philosophical beliefs right why should do why can I help something it doesn't belong to me why not but did he ever steal no then you have somebody he doesn't believe you steal absolutely but yours is yours mine is mine if I can help you whenever it wouldn't take something's wrong to me he has no interest in taking something as a long term but he goes the steals who is called the thief who's called the thief the one that steals are you gonna say to him do you believe you should take something absolutely not I wouldn't I just wrong to take it he really understands why it's wrong and he really feels it's disgusting to take something doesn't belong to you but he sold he's called a thief isn't exactly you he was called the thief on the other hand so enough that believes yeah take other son doesn't long to you why not but he doesn't steal he's not called a thief in other words when you were not judged based on how we think or feel or believe we're judge we're and the actions so the same thing also let's say you believe that no you should be nasty to everybody and you actually hate all people but on the other hand you go in every day you go to the soup kitchen you see people soup or you go ahead and you help people right what is that all about who do you who do your job is a good person the one that believes you should be good but doesn't help anybody well a dozen believe it actually helps people the one that helps so in other words ultimately who are we we are judged and we are a human being based on our action our speech and what we're thinking about right now what true it's nice to be in sync together with our philosophies and our feelings but ultimately what where's it at it's all in the garments and this is why this chapter of tanya is literally more I believe one of the most powerful chapters in Tanya tell me what anything that you're going through a life um whether it's tore em it's vote whether it's good behavior or even let's say for example you're in a down mood rightly not in a good mood right now and for good reasons right you really read the news something happened to our friend the relative good reason you have probably reason to be upset and you're actually feeling upset and right and rightfully so but we all know what happens when you get upset and get more upset and more upset you get in a bad mood you can hurt yourself you get depressed you can hurt yourself you can other people so we know it's not a good thing even though you have right so therefore here comes the all services okay let's not wait till you're totally ready to be in a good mood but some way because that's a job I want right now I want this gift thought I want you to think positive things speech I want you to say positive things actions do positive actions to come along say you can't no you can't think it you can't feel it but you definitely can wear it in thought speech and action and this allows you the opportunity that at any moment to transform your life from an external place and that's fine because at the end of the day is what we say before who's the thief the one that internally to thing for the one that external is the thief the one they're external is a thief who's the one that helps people not the one that has these grandiose ideas and grandiose feelings but doesn't do anything but the one that actually helps the person so here you can literally be a transformed human being as we call externally because he not internally internalized it but that's really that's really where it's at until it becomes into but and the plot pro is exactly eventually if you think it enough and you speak it enough and you do it enough it will become and turn old ever doesn't don't worry keep on doing it keep doing it keep doing it because really what's the important is the march / d beram aye sir now what happens we know what happens we know and this is why it's important to understand this chapter of tanya's the yates tahara who's the eight Sahara the evil inclination he has one goal in mind he hasn't k you don't study Torah in Doom its vote his goal is one to get you down and depressed once you get to see the down depressed then he gets control over you so he'll come to you and this is classic house they come on stop being a faker you know you're this altruistic person you help people you say all these kind words you think all these thoughts you don't hold by it you don't believe in it we know we really really are now is it is the age of her right absolutely at times but guess what he's trying to do he's trying to get you to stop fit you trying to get you get stop thinking and stop speaking and stop doing then then guess what you'll end up you'll have a nothing at least you have something and if you have that you can jump-start the internal aspects so in other words knowing this know you know you have to you have to know your enemy whatwhat's who is your enemy eights our heart I didn't come to tell your fake and the response theater is yes what I am I think but you know what at least at least at least I'm producing thought speech and action and I've slowly over time we'll get that will get to the internal part as long as a person continues where's thought speech in action the sky's the limit and that's why I believe this is the literally the most important quick fix but that's not only a quick fix it's because you really have to think about it and you really gotta you know put into action but it's really an opportunity to allow yourself at any moment to look in the mirror and say guess what life is great and look without when you look at me you say life is great what happens you see a girl you smiles just airing these dang it you're smiling right because it does work and over time you'll work on the inside but don't let for a second the guard down of thought speech and action and that nobody has an excuse that you can't control your thoughts speech and action because everybody at any moment could have has full control over thought speech in action because it's not much control he's got to take it off and put it on you just need to do it and you don't need to feel great to do it you don't need to be inspired to do it you just got to do it I think this is the biggest gift you can give yourself study this chapter work on your thoughts feature in action and you all have a great life