Tanya By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Tanya Chapter 22 - "Where does Negativity receive its energy"

so welcome to tonight's Tanya class tonight we are learning Tanya chapter 22 in Hebrew it's called per and tonight's chapter in Tanya is a very very important chapter and that is as we know every chapter is unique in Tanya because this is the basis of mysticism um tonight we're going to learn about the source that I'll say the Hebrew and I'll translate that kipa sitra and Tuma get its energy and its life force so in short referring to anything which is counter to God and godliness in an apparent way so CIP actually comes from the word of a shell of a shell as you have a fruit you have the inside that you eat and then you have the shell that protects it so the part that you eat that's the part that you consume the shell is it's not edible we don't eat it I mean you can process it Etc but the point is the shell as a shell in terms of you don't see the edible part sitra as the name is the other side means he not the side of Holiness and the side of impurity um if you just put the on vibrateor if you don't mind anyway so um where that gets its energy and its life force from so we've been discussing the last few weeks the idea of what is mean means that the Oneness of God in other words what does the Oneness of God mean we know that the simple translation is there's one God means there's no other gods the explained and taught us what does mean that the only true existence that exists anywhere in the world is what just God so God is all over so if God is all over and God is everything how could impurity and and all these negative forces have Vitality where do they get Vitality from if everything is God and godliness so here we're going to learn today a beautiful painting a beautiful illustration of the way God gives energy into this world and that and where you can have energy even in things which are counter to God and godliness by introduction so there's something which is called in cabala and mysticism there's something which is called in Hebrew it's called a tum now what is a tum a tum Tsum is a concealment now um obviously the term concealment means concealment but there's many levels to concealment meaning to say like this God we know is infinite so his power is infinite in order to create this physical materialistic world he had to create a s a concealment so that his infinite power does not um uh radiate in this world in its fullest cuz if it did guess what we wouldn't be so God went ahead and created something which is called a tum where he concealed his infinite power now in the concealment process there's many and multiple levels of the concealing process is reducing down water and down okay okay what does that mean that means like this it's okay because it's the very definition of nism I'm sorry yes okay what do we mean is like this um there's something which is called in the chart of the cabalistic chart we know there's T fot now the highest of the T fot is called ker in ker there's two parts is tin is pleasure and there R and will now so since what is the highest part in the t is ker in the K is Tiner the intense deep pleasure but it's also the will of God so the deepest part the highest part of Kessa would be the way it relates to the world is the power of roton of will now what does that mean practically that means the question is what is r hasem what is the will of hasem now the reality is everything and anything that exists in this world is what is r hasem because if it wasn't the will of hem would it be it wouldn't be so the fact is that everything that God created in this world is 100% the will of hem cuz otherwise it wouldn't be now but could you say that in the will of there's different levels absolutely and we're going to learn now we're going to explore three different levels of roton of will so let's say for example you have a job right you have you have a business you're trying to earn a living now so you have a business you buy merchandise you sell merchandise so what is your will your will is to make a prophet to make a living to make a living to make a prophet so that you can live a proper kosher Jewish life live a Divine Life and be a productive person in this in this world that is your will is that your external will or is that your internal will what's what the whole purpose of business ex the whole per no the whole purpose of business is to earn a living so you can live a kosher beautiful life that is your will now how about the work know so the goal of the work is to to earn a living but the actual work that you're doing is that your goal in life to be a worker no you need it to earn the living so earning a living is the goal you you have to survive so therefore you have to work in other words if someone was able to provide you a check and you didn't have to work would you go work you would sit and learn Torah whole day I to get political you do you do mitv you pray right so you're working because you want to earn a living now so you see already two levels here one is you're in Hebrew it's called your P your in your internal will which which is to earn a livelihood so you can live and serve God and then there's the external will that you have to work it's not bad I mean you do want to work CU if you don't work you're not going to ear a living so you do want to work but it's not really your Prem it's an external will that you have now what happens you're standing in your store and again your is to earn a living is you got to work and your enemy walks in and when you see him you know the Blood starts boiling and you hear start standing up on your on your hand and you see your enemy walking in and he's in the mood of buying now the reality is are you interested in meeting your enemy right not that we have anyone has enemies you have to really like make this up because we all love everybody right but let's say you had an enemy or in theory right and an enemy of yours walks in and he's ready to buy and ni's purchase do you really want to do business with him no no you don't want to do he's your enemy you would rather he didn't walk into the store or you rather he walked into the store someone else deal with him but on the other hand no one else is here you do want to make the sale because you need to you need you you need to make a living so you can live your life that you want to live so how do you deal with your enemy that walks in with a VI real natural smile hey I'm so happy you came today no you're standing there deep breath yes what do you want and to yourself you're saying I can't wait for this thing to be over I'm going to do the business reaction cuz I need to he's a customer I need to move the merchandise I need to make the money so I can earn my living you see the way it changes so in the same business transaction you have all three things taking place here in this one transaction with your enemy one hand your p is you're really internal Wills being fulfilled why because you're earning a living so you can live a good beautiful coaster Jewish life if that's your dream your external Wills you're working but Nows a 13 came into place it's not your internal will it's your external will of your external will that means I don't want to deal with this guy I have no choice so I'm not there with my real F faith I'm there with my mask my mask on big time and you bite your lip when he leaves you probably have some bleed gushing right from some your lips that you bit but you did you did the business deal you did the business deal you weren't happy about doing it but you did it why you do it cuz you have to earn a living okay you got the you got the in the Hebrew this is called a Mas this is called an an analogy what is what what a parable what is this what is this for what's what's what does it relate to very simple God has also as we said before Ron a will what is God P what is his real will why he went ahead and created this physical world with all the people in there and gave us a Torah and mitzvot what was God's like real perfect picture was what was his Premier the picture that we should love each other the way he loves us exactly that we should love each other which is not easy but when we love each other he loves it we should study Torah we should do mitzvot and loving is one of the 613 as many other ones to be happy for example every one of the 613 Commandments the positive and the negative we should pray we should act as a Godly human being so when a Jew or for that matter any person lives the life that God has intended for that person what's happening right now is the pemus Haron the internal will of God is taking place so when you study Torah and you do a Mitzvah and you pray and you're acting loving to to your fellow and to your neighbor Etc and you're really really happy what energy is flowing through that transaction and that moment God's will God's will but which will internal internal face to face nonstop non-diluted beautiful energy is fueling that moment so and I think about it when you study Torah and when you do a Mitzvah When you pray how do you feel you feel great why do you feel great here's the answer because guess what what guess what you're plugging into you're connecting to God's will the Prem and when you're plugged in it feels great it's like for example let's say you have a computer and um you have let's say three connections on the computer you have dialup and that is like very very slow then you have let's say DSL which is flying pretty okay and then you have let's say fiber that's like wow right super highway now now if you have a computer and you're trying to get on the internet and upload files download files whatever you're trying to do obviously all kosher stuff and you're on fiber you're doing uh 100 up or 100 down I mean you're flying how a feel you feel like you're sitting computer uh when is this next screen going to open up no before you push the button the screen is open it's downloaded up uploaded it's beautiful that what happens when a person prays does MIT vote and studies Torah you're flying because you're connecting to God's what God's Raton God's will which part of God's Will and that's a amazing connection so if you ever want to want to plug in to God's will very simple you don't have to pay for the internet connection all you to do is pull out a prayer book pray take a a mish t a mysticism study or do any Mitzvah you'll be plugged into God how you going to feel how you going to feel when you plugged into God high speed marvelous you're going to feel marvelous you're going to feel great cuz you're plugged in high speed that is what's called of God and that's like the highest connection possible now why is it the highest connection because that's what God really wanted that's God's will that we should have a a relationship with him him through the mediums that he created set up which is Torah study mitzvot and prayer you want to do anything else guess what that's your connection wasn't God's and it's not going to work then there's something which is called the fact is in order for God to create us here in this world so that we can fulfill the ultimate which is to pray study new mitv did he have to create a physical world did he have to create houses cars food a drink uh AC heat whatever it may be all the material they have to create that sure otherwise we wouldn't have this physical world now was that his goal it wasn't his goal it was not his goal it but it's needed it's something which is a medium so is God happy to create this this physical world absolutely was it his will absolutely was it um his vision that that's his goal no but that's part of the plan in order to get to his goal so therefore it's God's will this physical world but it's not his Prem it's not his internal will it's its external will it's a it's leading up it's a means to an end it's leading up to the ultimate goal so therefore when you look at this physical world and this materialistic world and you connect to it what are you connecting to you're connecting to God's will which will his not as internal will as external will why because God didn't give it that much energy he put his energy where into the Torah into the mitv and prayer as God says I myself I gave myself into the Torah so in the Torah you can get God himself that's the second level what's the third level when the enemy walks into the store that is God wanted to create a world where we could score big points now in order to score big points if you go on like this your whole life can you score big no that's called flat flat right you're not going anywhere you can go sideways right so God had to create bumps in the road cuz with a bump in the road after the bump not only you go back here you actually go higher so God had to create something which is called test what's a test a test is a bump why is it a test cuz when you get when you fall down a cliff you have two choices you can say uh I'm a loser and you stay there and the game is over or you can say what I don't belong down here and you jump up and then you realize you can jump you jump even higher you really you learned how to jump all of a sudden but had you not Fallen you wouldn't have known how to jump had you not Fallen you wouldn't have known how to jump like always quotes when he says it says in the Psalms a righteous man fools seven times before he stands up stands up really in other words we fall literally in order to really start moving you have to fall seven times so if you haven't fallen seven times you're not to move yet you want to move you got to fall seven times and and if you fell twice guess what not enough seven times you got to fall and for every seven times you got a major bump up if you're willing to take the take use that energy and bump back up so God had make a test what he how do you make a how do you make a how do you make a dip in the road you got to you got to take a beautiful Road that's beautiful that you can drive peacefully and you got to dig a dig a pit now the pit is really not nice cuz someone's going to fall into the pit but guess what when you fall into the pit you can get out and you go up even higher so God created something in this world which is called cipot sitra Tuma impurity um anything which is counter the to Holiness negativity God created all that now did was that God's Vision that we should be fall into impurity and and negativity and stay there no his vision was Torah MIT and prayer was was did God want us to just live in a materialistic life no that's a means to an end but why did God create the it's not something even God wanted it's like he did it because he wants to give us an opportunity to grow but not only is it not his his in internal will for sure not and not only is not his external will in Hebrew it's called it's coming from from the from the hind part of God it's not a happy thing he's creating you know he's not creating the test because he really wants you to fall he's creating it he has no choice because he wants to give you an opportunity to to jump so he creates something which is called um now back to the point so in other words so when God created the world everything in this world comes from who from God certain things have the have the essence of God's Will and as we said that's Torah MIT and prayer the regular world the materialistic world the world that we have to live in that we have to eat and we have to drink and we need a home and we need a car and we need all our materialistic things that we need that is God wanted us to have that so we should be able to live in this materialistic World otherwise would put us here the proper supplies and then there's something which is called what and the impurities that God created in the world the negativity and the downfalls that is not coming from a high level energy of God that's coming from a very very low level energy of God and that is why it's called elim what does Elohim means god not referring to God the the strange Gods a coming from behind from behind it's like very very very low ne very very low energy all comes from God otherwise it wouldn't exist but it's a lowlevel energy that God used to create these type of impure and these type of um negative forces so that there can be tests so unfortunately a wicked person will fall and will stay there and a righteous person will use it as a springboard to jump up okay that is one definition and why it's called elim there's another reason why it is it is called elim in know words this low level negative energy is because comes from strange strange and aranged from God what does that mean that means like this there's as we said before there's something which is called what does mean that everything is what everything is God there's not one thing in this world that's not God now so since everything is God certain things you feel God greater presence and certain things you don't feel so strong presence but you still feel God in everything and and T is coming from a place it's called means that they're they they they establish a statement that says we are not connected to God we have our own independent power and energy that is called what in English idolatry call it AAR it's called AAR idolatry so idolatry is what really being dishonest because the fact is if God stopped giving you your existence what would you where would you be what would you be nothing nothing so it's it's false but that what idolatry does it stands up makes a full statement that what H I have my own my own existence now that is why that is why the Alterra explains over here when someone God forbid is arrogant someone's arrogant think about this as you call it ego when someone is arrogant it is just like you are worshiping Idols why think about it what does idolatry mean idolatry on a simple level saying one thing I have an independent existence of God now if someone gets up and says hey I'm an idol worshipper I'm the boss okay fine the person's an idol worshipper but here here's the tricky thing you can have someone that say I believe in God I have faith in God and prays and studies and does mitv and all for the right reasons 100 % but guess what they're arrogant by being arrogant what you're really saying is I capital I the capital ey What's that mean you have an independent existence of the Oneness of God that is pure idolatry and look how simple it is you can disconnect yourself from God by the mere fact that you say I and that one letter you've created an independent existence from God you've disconnected yourself from God and that is 100% pure idolatry how can a person say I when the only reason why you exist cuz God because God exists in your part of God crazy it's crazy it's cold and sad not only that it says in the talud now brings it down here that if you want to have a relationship with God what does it mean you want a relationship with God you want to you want to God to dwell in you and amongst you whatever you're doing you have to be humble so I there's two parts I arrogance is obviously idolatry which is disconnecting you from God but more importantly when a person is not when a person is lack you lacks you know arrogant is the negative but if you're not humble guess what how's God going to reside within you so not only can't you not be arrogant but you also have to be humble so it's like the positive Mitzvah and the negative Mitzvah in other words you want to not be arrogant but you also in a positive State you want to be humble so if a person takes on a major evolution in this chapter of time he says a person does not practice humility guess what God is not going to be sitting on your lap or you sitting on God's lap not going to manifest in you exactly if you want to have a real relationship with God you want God to be felt in your life guess what humble if if you're not going to practice humility you know who's not hanging out with you God God and if God's not hanging out with you guess what happens now you're hanging out with yourself and guess how much power you have nothing God pulls the plug where are What are you nothing and here it's interesting if you give a look at the first two Commandments of the Ten Commandments the ones that God set himself at Mount Si when God came down he uted the first two Commandments and the people fainted it they couldn't handle it but the first two Commandments that we all heard because everybody was there from God there two Commandments What are the two Commandments I am God your God and you shouldn't have any other gods no other no other gods two commandments so the positive commandment I am God your God and the negative Commandments is do not make any other gods so says what are those two Commandments say very very simple I am God your God is saying what everything in this world is God everything that exists in this world from yourself from the people to the places to the things to the tables and the chairs and the streets and the ear and the water everything is God so if you want to connect to the first commandment which God gave each and every one of us what does your vision have to be the only thing that exists is God the only thing that exists is God what does that resemble love no every ex God and therefore that's true humility that is true humility the only thing exists is God that's why you know someone ask you how you doing what's your answer thank God am I doing I'm not doing anything thank God you know I'm alive and I can maybe you know be part of God what's the second commandment you shouldn't make any other gods how you making any other gods is it make any other gods or have any have have a play Words anotations correct but what you shouldn't have any God right well you created you technically created in your mind you created it you created in your mind think the word is the word you're correct so what is it you shouldn't have right very simple who's the other God your ego yes your ego so the negative commandment is kill that ego or don't let it don't let it arise give it any power don't give it any power say I'm God you shut up I don't think if I was right it would be different if I was I I mean no not I was if God was saying more than what you of this politically speak any editing anyway so the point the point is like this here you see how important this chapter of Tanya is because to to recap this chapter of Tanya is establishing two major major points number one is that everything in this world as we discussed the last two weeks comes from God everything is God now what he really clarifies in a beautiful way in this chapter is where is all the stuff coming from that looks like not God and he explains very very simple that ultimately everything is the will of hem in the will of hem there's the internal will of hem the external will of hem and coming from so to speak from the behind will of hasem which is totally like giving your enemy some kind of gift and then he goes into the most powerful part of the chapter I mean it's all powerful is that when a person is arrogant that is like idolatry and it's possible that when a person is arrogant you are transgressing the Commandment of making another God that's right exactly and you agree and that's right so in other words there's two two lessons that come out of two the two Commandments one is to have true humility and obviously we can have a class for hours what humility means um one is to be truly humble and not truly humble and B to be careful not to be arrogant cuz not being humble and or being arrogant will totally not allow you to be a vessel to have a true and deep and meaningful relationship with God