Don't be a Fool, know yourself - Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

So today we're holding Tanya chapter 28 Patrick in the Tanya to recap the altered from chapter 26 until here shared with us and he explained to us the various different ways of ridding ourselves of sad feelings of melancholy feelings that are caused by concerns for several different matters one is physical material issues that seem to be no good not in not in Indulgence matters but in necessity matters including children health and livelihood those are the three hours of life and the other episode in chapter 26 that even if those things haunt you and bother you and cause an upheaval in your service to God says don't be fathomed on the contrary accept it with simcha because it comes from a higher place within the godhead that was his message in the first part second part actually of chapter 26. and given that it is necessary for a Jew to serve god with simcha as we learned I've run in last week's Parsha in the outer epic quotes it the Torah says if you serve God but you don't serve him with sinhra you will end up serving your enemies and Rashi says that your service of God has to be greater than any other issue that makes you happy in life so say you go to a good spa say you have a good steak say go for a good jog all kosher healthy I don't know if having a steak is healthy but you know and it brings you pleasure of rum says the Toyota as interpreted by the arizao which the altariba quotes in chapter 26 you need to derive pleasure from God from serving God through darkening and learning and doing this with more than all material matter brings you pleasure and if not you'll end up serving the enemy in other words the modus operandi is proven the motorcycle whether or not you are a servant of God or just a participant is whether you have more pleasure from serving God than eating a good steak or taking a good jog and this the alternative 7th chapter 26 then he said being that the the objective is to to serve god with happiness the question is the question is what about concerns about sins sins of the past says there's no place for that type of sadness a middle of work or a middle of davening a middle of work it's definitely a ploy of the yet Sahara because to tell me that you're really concerned about your sins while you're working on your computer or creating your your art or your music or whatever else you're doing is a fallacy true concern requires focus and concentration don't have the focus and concentration the concern is a bluff it's like a wannabe you know but you don't really mean it and the proof is that as soon as you finish being concerned you go back to your very merry self so number one the author ever says the only chapter 26 the appropriate timing of concern for previous transgressions is not in middle of work focus and concentrate on your work then and so when is the time he says midnight prayer he doesn't say that but these are all times when there's an appropriate time to ask God to have mercy on you to accept your accept you and forgive you Etc then chapter 27 Delta reception what if the the sadness comes from the fact that there are thoughts that are inappropriate that come to you and and you say to yourself if that's the case what's my darling am I learning worth if if these thoughts can still bother me you know it's like they bothered me disturbing before I was dominating and learning now that I'm dominating and learning I shouldn't be bothered thousand times let's do things number one and we're talking about the middle of work embrace the thought and embrace it in the sense that reject it because you have an opportunity to reject it and to fulfill fulfill it negative Commandments and the verse is talking is addressing primarily not sadikin because if the Sadiq him they're not called zainim they don't have those type of urges and indulgences so you have an opportunity to fulfill a negative command and a Torah to reject and throw out and say out of here then the other says more so the fact that you think that you're under this high horse that you're not that you're diving and learning is so great that if a thought comes to you you say to yourself how could that be I'm so holy I'm so great that never says you're arrogant you're a big yes you're a big bulgiver you're a regular fellow like we all are and Hashem created this way this is why you created and you will create it to battle and struggle and to overcome but yes you're going it's an expectation that's normal so for you to think that this is not something that's normal for you and you're upset with yourself and you say if that if this is the case my learning and Diving is worthless shows that you're an egocent egomaniac you think you're so great then you're not but that was all part of 27. now in chapter 28 which we're going to begin learning now on page lemon a Delta remember addresses what if these okay we call them bad thoughts we don't mean bad thoughts we mean like your sexual thoughts uh you know the inappropriate thoughts come to a person during davening and during learning now here you can't argue like we argued before we said before embrace them you know I'd embrace the middle of doubting you're diving and you're learning to have a sexual thought that you're going to reject and say Come on come here come on come here I want you to come to me so I can bang you out you know what you know how to do that you're diving it's Usher it's forbidden according so if it's the suggestion that he makes at the beginning of chapter 27 doesn't apply here so the question now is what are we to do if this type of thought comes to US during davening let's see what he says now in the beginning of chapter 28. this is the palic of and you'll see as we go on why it's called power ful Lord and even if they're entered literally fall enter thoughts of lust fashion and other foreign thoughts between during the time of your learning title because um and you're doing that with cavana and all of a sudden these lustful thoughts come to you don't pay attention to them but for the moment push them out get rid of them avert your mind from them that's the first thing you have to do out get out of my mind now the next part is like a parenthesis I'll just give you a very brief uh introduction a few words about it it's brought down in the sweater for the balcanto in particular from the model of Ms rich and some of us tell me there's something called halos hamidos to elevate amida an emotion now what does that mean if a person has a negative thought in the in the in the area of Crescent or the area of Guru right so the swaram these forums say what you should do is reflect on Crescent of kadusha and when you do that you will have lost you will elevate the the the the the the Meda that you're experiencing now which is negative right so what you'll do is you'll take the middle of that are being used right now or being thought of in a negative way that comes to your mind so what you should do is think of condition I'll give you an example because I'm sure I'm going to give you a very very coarse example because this this makes it clear if someone has a a thought of um a pretty woman in the middle of davening the middle of learning so these forums say what should you do think about the source of prettiness that comes from God and by putting your focus on prettiness the way God makes prettiness that will Elevate the lustful thought that just entered your mind that's called I seem to remember learning a number of times throughout maybe our learning and other learning about it I'm doing this exercise and elevating these midos and so forth it's like frowned upon yeah yeah wait wait wait you didn't let me we're learning that now give you two minutes okay this is the source what you should write down is the source for that frowned upon us chapter 28 in Tanya okay so but but but but before we come to the alter Reba's words Maisha you need to know that these are this comes from the teachings of the maggot and great students you talk about Sadiq I'm not saying go but there were I looked into this once they had a sheeta that you could elevate such a thought by going to the source just for a second I remind I I think I told you this but had a relative in Los Angeles who was a leopardshire you know he learned in in the Babaji Yeshiva and he was an artist you know and and and he would tell me that part of what he draws are nudes okay and you know uh I I said to him I said to him like what are you out of your mind like but you know I I'm not an artist and not where he came from you know he came from a different period and and I'm not saying he was right I'm not saying he was wrong I'm just so so when I when I kind of challenged him again I was coming from you know the the Yeshiva perspective the Hasidic perspective the entire perspective uh in the Box you know what I'm saying so he said you don't appreciate art you don't appreciate Beauty that's what he told me if you appreciate Beauty you wouldn't see this this the sexuality the sexism of of the image of the woman you would see the godliness there so I'm just you know I'm just using that unless you're an artist so you can understand this discussion but I'm using that is that that would be similar to what Dalton rejects here frowns upon which the other some of it sadikim said you should engage in that activity in other words if it's the if it's got if God plants in your mind this type of lust and image at this time there must be this is where they're coming from I want to I want to explain to you where they're coming from before we look at what hotel terreba disagrees okay so they're coming from is if Hashem puts this into your mind this proof that it's relevant to you and it's relevant to you to reject it so let's find a way to reject it and we call the Halo samidas in other words when you look at the source of prettiness that God is the ultimate of prettiness God creates prettiness and you focus on Hashem and his Meda of prettiness you can be very inspired just like the artist says he doesn't see the sexuality in in in the nude art he sees he sees God's prettiness expressed through this type of art okay that's that's there I'm oh I might be oversimplifying it but that's their basic um philosophy the some of the time of the magit and even in the right Mr magnet now let's look at what the outer never writes and it's interesting because the market was his Remy but in this issue he disagrees let's go the game before I go further avram you follow this discussion yes I do absolutely yes okay the gum after the after the P after the period oh yeah he's shaked it that's very harsh words about the river says don't be a damn fool okay he doesn't say damn he says full but I added the word damn like it's being a big fool the guy I'm out here he shaked last sake to involve yourself about this and this activity of elevating the emotions of the foreign thought before he said the lustful thought Canada means as is known that they are sadikim who use that approach and they suggested that to the common person says for those words were not said those teachings of the maggot and the students who suggested were only said in ref in regard to sadiqib and that it doesn't enter them their own foreign lustful thoughts and it's another concept which is brought in this for him at Sonic is pure that's how they could find himself Ali gates are horror everything we've learned so if that's the case how is it that this this type of thought answers at Sonic so first of all have what you see from what the outer level says here it's an amazing thing what he says here that even Sadiq him they could have such thoughts enter them that's what he said what he said so he says how could that be that's a deacon so the answer is it's not their thought it's there the people who identify with it Sonic because of that close Bond their thoughts enter the traffic's mind for what purpose is Sir for the purpose of the traffic to elevate the the student the talmud the concert in other words the question himself the Jew himself identifies with Sadiq doesn't have much of the kayak to do this he can't he starts thinking about uh these these these images he's lost so what it does is you see he sends it away like to get Sonic hey one second is it one second you help me elevate it I vote let's continue I'll get back to you in a second moment says drama but a person who who who who who which these thoughts enter of his own of her own it's not Exotics it's mine the evil the bad side of my left ventricle the next words I love the Milo how can you elevate them right we spoke about elevating the midos in a rhetorical way rejecting the the approach how can you elevate them upward for who asks boy when you yourself are connected below you're in the mud sin you're you're in the mud you're in the Schmutz and you're gonna Elevate the Mythos it's it's hypocrisy it's ridiculous that's why I thought that ever says it's a very harsh term for adulthood but to write but then he says it's it's such a blatant contradiction where you you are a messed is Schmutz of all kinds throughout the day and you all of a sudden are going to elevate Amita when you're you can't Elevate this meter that you yourself are connected to does here is Sir is he doesn't poo poo the maggots approach and the tell me the regarding Sadiq him he just says it's not relevant to the average person and his safer Tanya is for the average person therefore don't waste your time trying to do this because it's not relevant to the average person yes sir you wanted to say something because of this contamination and other people would speak with elevate person so but traditionally brings the case a very sluggish the rich luckish did not speak to people in the marketplace he did it was only because he was a human he knew he would be able to elevate that specific person but this idea of the contamination coming from other people is I just wanted to make that payment that the way that I learned it in other sources very similar very similar so so you did not but so you you didn't learn what the out there is rejecting that you should engage in this activity right you're saying that in in in oblivious of a dictionary it seems to support what the altareb is saying what I'm what I was saying is that you should be aware that there are sources otherwise that the alternative is quoting and rejecting my shirt is now I'm going to go back to your comment I cut you off before is it clear now yeah yeah in other words I just make sure I got it yeah concept of elevating the midos and so forth a person sort of getting myself into it like this that's only for that's right you know and you know I thought about this many times you know like is this relevant today the answer is it's very relevant because as a person seeks to be a a a stronger servant of Hashem happening and learning and doing mixes and all kinds of thought enters enters comes to us at different times sometimes you want to kind of Elevate the thought you know and down approach in other words the khabar approach and isra says he saw it in in in in in in in the Life ethic as well which makes sense because they were autonom and it seems to me they shared some same philosophical ideas not all but some is this idea of rejecting it just rejected and and one more point of room the greater message that comes out from this piece of Kanye here and again this is a like a brackets a parenthesis in in chapter 28 even though there's no parentheses in Brackets but it's a rhetorical remark and is that you got to know yourself you have to know yourself and if you're makusher with motto you're not in any position to to elevate you know it would be like a Torah therapist has to be has to have worked out the struggles in certain areas that he or she is giving counseling too about in other words just because you have the Harvard degree or Hunter College or wherever you went and you know the techniques but if you yourself are weak in this area I question that legit legitimate therapy I question it you know yes yes sir you want them to say something and you have to know how to swim oh very good very good that's that's a good a good emotional I don't I I never heard it said that way so but it's good okay let's continue inside ah after the colon about seven lines down you'll need ah Apple became so the question still is from the fact is you don't you're telling me to not not to elevate these thoughts but I I'm very very upset I'm upset that they come to me says that today but I have ah however became nevertheless don't be don't don't have your heartbeat dejected for you becoming sad they shall also avoided during service of God of learning a diving why not because at that time when you when we learn and when we dive and we have to have tremendous Joy so what should I do the fact is it comes to me Ella added up on the contrary is strengthen yourself more so vision and strength because intensifying your own in Cabana of 12 at the time the head of a Sim club with happiness and joy you say it up that's greater than any anything else think about the following make your heart be attentive the following way the entering of the foreign thought it comes to the negative side that wages war in the beginning with The Godly Soul because you have two Grenada listen to this this is great it's known that the style of people who engage in war those people who are wrestling with each other when one becomes stronger in the battle in the in the wrestling match as I assuming Samus was garbage the second one sees that the guy is overpowering him so he starts throwing harder punches the Hamas was quickly well okay therefore because you're naturally because you're not necessarily kiss me side methodism has got better responsible when the Netflix show the kids when The Godly Soul strengthens itself to darken with more cover on them guess what happens as I got my Clipper Mr bad as the clip of the gates of her and the negative side says I'm gonna strengthen myself to oppose you um that's specifically when he throws in the Cabana you know what you say the best time the best the best my struggles that has come when in middle of Dominic yeah what's for supper tonight I have to go here and there I gotta do this right and the brightest ideas oh I came up with this Grand idea wait a minute you're in the middle of Dominic what are you doing basket then why why so Delta let me hear why because when the never shot bomb is when the eight Sahara sees that you're on the roll and you're powering further in davening with kavana it says I gotta stop this guy because he's going he's he's really becoming holy so it's so it battles it with its best what's its best throws in the most lustful thoughts into your mind in middle of abroad says don't ever realize that and then you'll overcome in other words there's an amazing thought is the drama says this is to be expected see this is what the Tanya does it takes things that you it's like 180 degree way of thinking change the way of thinking you're thinking your darling is is garbage your learning is nothing if if such a thought can come to you says the odd that up on the contrary it's because you're targeting so well and it's because you're learning so well that Yates pushes into you all these different disgusting thoughts that's what he says to the person hey this proves that your darling is worthless if such a thought can come to you is because if you doubt them properly that's the argument of the eight Sahara you wouldn't have the entry of such foreign thoughts what time is it now I don't have what time is it now 3 16. okay so tomorrow we'll finish the chapter himself and we'll we'll see that this argument this argument of the eight Sahara is is is not correct having a have a great day we'll see everyone tomorrow take care bye-bye bye