Tanya By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Chapter 28 - How to be Happy & have no negative thoughts.

okay so welcome to tonight's Tanya class we are tonight studying chapter 28 and Hebrew it's called parekh coughs yes and we are continuing what the author was started two weeks ago about the idea that a person has to always be happy happiness is key happiness is key because without happiness you can't move forward so person has to always be in a state of happiness if it was a shamba simcoe if they serve God with joy this week's Torah portion actually that we were learning that we're studying during the week speaks about that all the terrible things that happen to us happens for one reason because we were lacking joy with all the commentaries of it but you see clearly a joy is very very important so in this week chapter how crass the author is going to teach us a very very important lesson and that is how to deal with obstacles oh joy another was like this we all know you have to be happy and happiness is key and we all want to be happy but there are times that there's an attack on our simcha our joy so the altar was teaching you what the attacks are and how to deal with it so this way when you're in a great mood and life is going wonderful and Olson you get an attack guess what I already learnt in time your class that how it comes and if I know exactly how to knock it out in the minute it comes it was knowing your enemy knowing the enemy that's out there to attack the joy so the alternate starts like this and he says as follows last week we spoke about the struggle that you might have the challenges you might have just going through your business throughout the day today the author is going to pick an interesting struggle not as follows you going to synagogue and you're going to pray and you're praying with the proper cover now or you goin to study Torah and you're sitting and you're studying Torah you really like into it etc and all of a sudden while you're studying Torah and wall or while you're praying you have these like bad thoughts inappropriate thoughts what are you doing now well you what do you do what's the question because why are you studying Torah because you want to connect the god why are you praying because you want to connect to God so now you have a negative thought which is obviously affecting you a negative thought and an appropriate thought what happens the minute you have that thought you say oh my gosh let me go ahead and deal with the thought because since the whole purpose of Mike studying is too close to God and the whole purpose of praying is to get close to God so if I have these negative thoughts what do I want to do I want to deal with it and get rid of it so the altar which has hold on how you playing at remove it and the observe will give you a simple solution you know you get rid of it guess what ignore it now obviously if you ignore it guess what it's gone obviously it's not gone totally but it's gone from your thought again we r we r is the battlefield the battlefield is in your thoughts so right now mostly praying or studying Torah what does that mean when you pray and study think about when you're praying where is the active prayer a battlefield taking place where is the ball field a prayer in your thoughts you're reading the prayers you're having qivana means you're concentrating on it we are you concentrating in your foot in your hand now wearing your thoughts so your thoughts is where you're thinking about what you're praying in your thoughts is what you think you might you taught you what you're studying Torah right now we're the negative thoughts coming into straight onto the battlefield on the ball field of your thoughts so the artery says guess what you're studying you're praying you need to clean you need a clean battlefield you need a clean playing field the thoughts is dirt ignore it get back and stay focused on what you're doing straight up easy solution right so the entremet plays devil advocate but one might say hold on a second but since this negative thought came on my battlefield on my playing field I want to elevate it and we know that according to Kabbalah and so are there there are ways to elevate negative thoughts style term says hold on a second when it speaks about elevating thoughts which there's room for it who is it speaking about it's speaking about righteous people that have thoughts not of their own of other people and then you can elevate a because you're a topic and be it's not your thought but if you're the one that's having these thoughts obviously you're not in a position to elevate them but if you were you wouldn't they happen to begin with so don't try to elevate something that you're not gonna have the power to elevate why not so here it goes where do our thoughts come from they can come for one or two places our mind or our heart what creates a thoughts either our mind or a heart so these thoughts where they come from your mind your heart anybody when you mind so you're sitting let's play this out you're sitting and studying Torah whatever your started studying about whether it's the weekly Torah portion or piece of missionary Talmud or you're praying and you can train in the prayer so your mind brought in a negative thought now why would you mind do that if I'm right now thinking about this week's Torah portion wide my mind stick in a negative thought or if I'm right now praying and you know meditating on God and the greatness why are my mind sticking a negative thought it wouldn't look your feelings ah so where's it coming from they can be among where's it coming from from your heart from your heart now so you're praying you're studying and your thoughts about obviously what you're praying and studying about now your heart we know what's the heart it's feelings the animal soul emotions that's the source of those negative thoughts now if your heart spits out thoughts it spits out ideas until you into your into your mind and feelings you think now again so your hearts coming from your heart your heart created that that that bad thought or that inappropriate thoughts now you think you're fixing your heart you think you're transforming your heart you think you're getting rid of your animal soul in this moment right now while you're studying no no you're not at sadak it doesn't have a animal soul it doesn't have a source when negative thoughts are coming from you're a regular person and we discussed last week right you have basically just in a certain way just like the Russia you have these pop-ups are comes to come out so the baby has the power to overcome it where you can knock it down but I mean the Russian theory also has but he doesn't but the point is if it's coming from your heart so you think you also now you're going to change your heart while you're studying tone while you're praying no so therefore you don't have an option to try to elevate it the only option you have the Opera said is one option elite right what having delete not to actively we're going to delete you now no ignore it just ignore it wonderful so we resolve the issue right you have these terrible thoughts what is the Alturas a ignore it but guess what do you think the eights of horrors going away no he's gonna come now from another door he was he gonna come from another door what is he gonna come and tell you he's gonna say to you like this hi welcome come grab a seat have a seat cheers I think over there he's going to come and he's going to say to you guess what you're sitting and you're praying or you're sitting in your studying Torah and you're having these thoughts you're a loser you're a loser you're hypocrite here you're sending a studying Torah you're praying you love God right you're cracking a god and you having these negative thoughts you're a loser what's the Goldie 8 to her right now huh discourage you distract you depress you get you unhappy to get you sad so even though I'm pushing the league guess what he's gonna say pushing the way that's okay but your loser won't even have these thoughts he's trying to somehow knock you down what a good argument so the Alturas says guess what on the contrary turn to him and you can tell the eights are uh I am going to be double happy now you think you're going to try the press me you're going to try to get me distracted you wouldn't try to get me to focus on this negative stuff you're going to try to make me depressed and be sad no no I'm hey I'm gonna be double happy now not that I'm going to be double happy you can understand i'm going to double happy you know because the reality is that is rule for me to be double happy now why because think about it if I were or whoever this person is was one human being with one soul whether godly animalistic I had one track and I'm supposed to be going one way here and all of a sudden I'm thinking about going the other way you can say oh my gosh is something wrong with this guy he was setting a one-way street why is he trying to go the other way he's supposed to pray she was a story study why do you think in his negative thoughts and you would be right absolutely right but you're forgetting something what's the playing field is it one me on the playing field know for every human being there's two parts there's the godly soul and is the animal soul godly soul wants to go this way the animal soul wants to go this way and if they're both the same strength you aren't going anywhere but hopefully one is stronger than the other so you're starting to pray you starting to study Torah that means what who's picking up speed the godly soul now what happens in the galley saw pics of speed what did he happen to the animal soul he thinks now more creative and more advanced how can i pick up speed the other way because i'm losing traction the guard leaseholds getting involved in this prayer session in this meditative session in this torah study session oh my gosh I gotta think of ways to distract them so because I'm being successful that's why I'm being distracted so in other words you're telling me actually sad because I have these thoughts no on the contrary the reason why I'm getting these thoughts are because you are now starting to think over time because you seen evening successful so therefore there's no going to be sad on the contrary we got to be double happy why because we're succeeding in life how do we know we're succeeding because we have competition the greater the competition in the greatest is this kind of success so in other words i'm not i'm not sad because i have these never terrible thoughts if i was a one one man show yeah oh my gosh something wrong with the with the equipment here but there's nothing wrong it's a sign that i'm doing not only doing good I'm doing great as a sign that my prayers are really really be bothering you it's a sign that my success of Torah studies bothering you and that's what you're trying to go ahead and give me these terrible thoughts and therefore not only am I going to push the lead but i'm going to say guess what we are doing fantastic because we have our position here and guess what we're going to keep on praying we're going to keep on studying let's keep the engines rolling spurge lunch is rolling what happens now this is where the battle starts but the success of the battle is that what that we have now more energy to move forward and to be even double as happy and to study more and to pray more because it's working I'm doing great and the only thing I can do if a negative thought comes up just ignore it why because if I starting five start engaging what's going to happen I'm going I'm going to lose traction and it was like this let's say you're in synagogue in your praying or you studying Torah and somebody walks in peacefully and says listen I'm lost I'm lost do me a favor I know you praying I know you're studying give me some directions so what's the what's the Jewish law hey guys lost help the guy absolutely why should you help him because the guy needs help or for example for King walks in so there's Jewish law that you supposed to stop and greet him appropriately that's the Jewish law why because he's coming in and it's only respectful to respect the king that's in the first case where guys legitimate lost or King walks in inappropriate places it's appropriate to stop but what happens if somebody walks in he's not lost he's not a king he has one goal in mind you know what's his goal in mind exactly do you know that I don't know very good yes his goal is one thing I am here to irritate this guy and distract him because I don't like the fact that he has a relationship with God and I don't jealousy whatever the source is so the guy walks in and starts that starts distracting you now what's his goal to distract you so now the ultimate says very simple this is strategical tactical if you say a guy excuse me let me finish praying let me finish my story study guess what did he just now distract you yes did you buy into it yes guess what the minute you respond with him you know he's going to say now he's going to stop keep the fire going and you're going to say but come on let me first and you can end up in a battle meanwhile you're under battling for who knows how long bottom line is the accomplices goal yes he diverted you distracted you and you're off in no man's land so therefore the operator says what's the only advice for the guys coming with his sole intention to strike you as what the only thing that was ignored the guy so let's say you continue praying and then you're not a mean person had he come for he wanted directions he was lost he would stop I mean your compassion individual had he been a king or whatever maybe that works appropriate said he would stop but I guys his sole purpose of the strike you so therefore the only thing you can do is actually ignore him as you ignore him guess what happened he starts bothering you and you don't respond you don't happens body maybe once more twice more you know what happens after that he walks away it's very simple you ever ever you ever bang your head in the wall some people some people no circle yes what happens after a while the wall doesn't respond you don't happens you stop banging your head in the wall exactly so if somebody's out to distract you you can do it optimists are the same thing when you're praying right now or you're studying Torah right now if so legitimately walks and hey guys I need help my car broke that whatever may be and it's legitimately okay just let you stop the guy needs help he's not here to distract anybody but what I was he is walking into the stir be from your Torah study or your prayer whatever you're going to tell them guess what you already fell in the trap and as you engage your deeper in the trap what's the answer ignore it you're not being mean he's out to disturb you and you want to you want to stay focused mean concentration now obviously if somebody comes in for real help and you ignore the guy that's wrong so you haven't you can't use this you can't use this for your advantage god forbid not to help somebody when someone really needs help you help the person but what someone's goal is to distract you you gotta ignore it and basically this office is very very simple you're praying you're studying ignore it what's the biggest proof that that won't you that he's coming to distract maybe he's not coming to distract you maybe he's really coming to you know he has do you have these negative thoughts he's telling you look look at you you have all these negative thoughts what's with you so the opposite was very very simple and it's a brilliant answer silly this how many hours they do you pray and study just whatever the percentages right how come it's interesting the only time he bothers you is while you're praying and studying when you're out playing ball he doesn't bother you the eight Sahara when you're shopping he doesn't bother you when you're driving he doesn't bother you when you bored and he'll be like a perfect time to have an engaging with the eight so it doesn't bother you the only time he's bothering your studying Torah and praying what does that mean very simple he's trying to distract you and doesn't want you to study Torah he doesn't want you to pray therefore it's a proof that he's coming to distract you since he's only coming to distract you guess what don't let him not now some other time now this is so far a practical tip very practical very real he's coming to distract you ignore it and it works but the author of us has okay great what happens if it doesn't work getting this idea you're trying to pray you're trying to study in trying to concentrate on doing a mitzvah whatever maybe and also you have these negative thoughts are coming in volumes negative thoughts inappropriate thoughts and lost through your thoughts and you try to ignore it you keep on trying to ignore it you're ignoring annoying it's not working and it keeps on getting more hence and get more aggressive and as much as you're standing ground you're still focusing on your Torah study and your prior in your midst vote it just keeps on getting aggressive and just doesn't stop so you're not banging his head of this wall right he doesn't stop what are you doing the autumn says let me give you one more piece of advice and this works I mean the first one also works sometimes a dozen so you need to pull and bigger troops very sub what do you do this is very simple at the end of the day is who are we who are you your child of God and we all know God has the biggest power he's infinite so all you do is stop turn to God and beseech God from a place of rock Manute rahaman note is a place of mercy from within yourself and turn to God say God please have Ramona to me like a rocking of a poem like the rock Manute the compassion and the mercy that a parent has for a child is no there's no there's no limits there a parent's natural compassion and mercy for a child there's no limits and I'll do anything to protect the child that's natural tendency from a parent for a child's do anything for the child a parent doesn't do it's questionable you know the famous story King Solomon when they were trying to figure out whose baby it was and he said okay we'll cut the baby in half and the one that says fine cut the baby half he knew wasn't the mother first the ones that obviously let her have it why because a natural tendency of a parent is to have compassion so if you turn to God with compassionately god I'm trying to pray I'm trying to study the HR is distracting me I'm a trying to ignore it i'm not engaging because i was engaging I would be a fool to because I don't use that language if you engage now you're a fool naging with a fool so you're becoming a fool I'm not engaging I'm ignoring I'm ignoring I'm ignoring it but I just can't do can any more and it's already getting to me I'm gonna have to engage right I want to engage I'm begging you got to take over this fight take over this fight to me and the outer recess almost like a promise turn to God hand it over to God and guess what God will take over this battle for you and he'll get rid of the eight Sahara so in other words this chapter of tanya is such a powerful chapter in Tanya because a lot of times you know we get serious we want to pray and we want to study and we want to be happy right and we sit down to study and just when you're setting up a study right what happens the phone rings or someone rings the bell right you want to pray and so on cause you all of a sudden all the all the important things the emergencies happen right down in there so obviously the answer is very simple if it's important and if it's appropriate to stop you stop they're not coming to but if it's really v8 to her are somehow coming dressed up as many different ways you know the HR can be dressed up in a lot of Holy garb to the office is very simple ignore it ignore it don't try to elevate it and don't feel bad because on the contrary you should feel great because you are now going to experience tremendous inspiration by your Torah study and by your prayer and that's why he's coming to distract you know that you have something great coming for you which actually it's a good sign it's a sign you have a you're doing great and you have great blessings coming towards you if after all said and done you still can't handle it and it's distracting you and you obviously going to resist engaging in negativity turn to God and God with this tremendous mercy will help you and get rid of the HR once and for all and you be able to cleave to God by studying Torah prayer and doing it's locked