NEVER GIVE UP

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well.

This coming Motzei Shabbos is the Yohrtzeit of The Alte Rebbe, one of the giants of our People.

The Alte Rebbe (Shneur Zalman of Liadi) is well known for authoring the books Tanya, and his Shulchan Aruch but he wrote much more, besides everything else which he accomplished.- may his memory be blessed.

And I therefore felt like focusing on Tanya this week, especially because the discussion lately has been about the level called Beinuni, and gives us an important lesson of NEVER TO GIVE UP.

Tanya is also called Sefer shel Beinunim - The Book for Intermediates.

In todays portion of Tanya, the Alte Rebbe says 'The rank of Beinuni is one that is attainable by every person, and each person should strive after it.'

The Gemorrah brings down 5 distinct types of people (Brachot 7a)

1. Tzadik who prospers
2. Tzadik who suffers
3. Beinuni -- Intermediate
4. Wicked who prosper
5. Wicked who suffer

Within each person there are 2 Souls

1. The G-dly Soul which resides in the Head, and can spread its influence from there to the Heart and rest of body
2. The Animal Soul which resides in the Left side of the Heart, and from there tries to spread its influence to the rest of the body.

These 2 Souls are in constant battle with each other to capture 'the little city' ie the body and take control over it.

With the Beinuni, the Animal Soul never attains enough power to capture the 'little city' but on the other hand it's strength is never weakened.

Emotions, worldly lusts, and thoughts keep rising from the heart, but the G-dly Soul keeps recognising these and will work to analyse, thrust them out, or oppose, or use other methods to resist.

And then there will be times when the G-dly Soul is in the ascendency, and the Animal Soul tries to pull it down.

The battle can be fierce as we can all attest, as we all have these challenges in some form or another. Some with money, some with marriage, some with eating, challenges with children, friends, jealousies, etc etc

Now, very few people reach the level of Tzadik, and so the question arises - why should the Beinuni therefore bother!?

It is so easy just to give up and fall back into this 'so easy and comfortable ' zone, where everything looks so rosy and peaceful.

The Beinuni understands that there are going to be battles every day.

He understands that he is going to 'take up arms' for this battle and is ready and prepared.

He knows it is going to be difficult.

He understands it is a life long battle.

He understands that he may never fully over power the Animal Soul, and succeed

But he also knows that besides these 2 forces battling within him, there is also Hashem standing on the sidelines. As our Sages have said (Kiddushin 30b) 'If the Almighty did not help him, he could not overpower his evil inclination.'

And he knows that every small battle he wins every day, each one brings joy to Hashem (and therefore himself)

And when he loses, he knows it is only temporary, and he is ready to get up and try again.

He knows that the 'comfort zone' of doing nothing is sterile and dangerous.

He knows that all his work will be rewarded in some way or another.

THEREFORE HE NEVER GIVES UP THE BATTLE, AND HE DOES THIS WITH JOY.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos.