Daily Tanya in 3 Minutes

Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 5

We learned that there are 4 levels in the hierarchy of creation: Inanimate or lifeless objects ⚱️💦 Plants 🌴🌱 Animals 🦁🦆 Human beings 👤👤 They all possess a body and a spirit. It sounds funny, but in a certain way, a mitzvah is like any other creation 😉. It possesses both body 👤 and soul ✨. A soul ✖️cannot function in this world✖️ without a body since it is incapable of interacting with physical objects. This is clear and straightforward. The same applies to the motivation 😌 and passion we experience in our relationship with G-d. They require a physical action - a mitzvah - in order for them to have any sort of impact or meaning. On the other hand - A body with no soul can and does exist 👤. We can see it. It is incapacitated, but it exists in a tangible way. Similarly, when doing a mitzvah, *action* is what matters most. We were put here in order to influence and change the physical reality of this world. A soul - even the loftiest one - alone counts for nothing. To be sure, G-d does not wish 🤚 for us to be lifeless 👥 bodies. We need to add spirit into our mitzvot and make them really meaningful 😍! A mitzvah performed mindlessly is compared to an inanimate object or a plant, a non-sentient being. Such a mitzvah is comparable to a person who is, G-d forbid, in a coma 🛌🏻😨, or _vegetative state_. The person is alive but his mind and emotions are inaccessible. Similarly, a mitzvah performed by rote has a body and G-dly spirit hidden deep within but lacks the involvement of the mind and emotions. We want our mitzvot to reach the loftiest levels possible - like the categories of animal or even a human being. What exactly gets elevated when we perform our mitzvot with passion and devotion? Not the object used in performance of the mitzvah. That gets transformed through the act of the mitzvah. What gets uplifted is your emotions and intellect - The motivation and driving force that galvanized you to do the mitzvah. There are two levels ✌️, one higher than the other, that our intentions and emotions can be elevated to: 🔸 The lower level is reached when you utilize your *Innate intuition and emotion* 💛 to connect with G-d. 🔸 The higher level is accessed when your *Intentions and feelings are achieved via meditation 🙄.* First we’ll explore the higher level, “the penthouse of spiritual elevation”. Someone who has developed a deep, mature relationship 🤝 with G-d ~ Thinks of Him often ~ Meditates ~ Slowly establishes rich feelings of love and awe of G-d 💛🧡🤍. Through contemplation and meditation, she elevates her mitzvot to the highest category of creation - the level of Human Being. Humans 🙎🏻‍♀️🙎‍♂️possess developed emotions and intellectual capacity 🧠 and indeed, it was these kinds of emotions and mindfulness that inspires the performance of this mitzvah. Sometimes, though, your mitzvot are motivated by a love 💗 and awe of a lower level. Love and fear of G-d at this level are comparable to an animal 🐹🐮 , which has natural instincts and sentiments. Although animals experience attachment, fear, and many other emotions, those feelings are not developed via the intellect. They are inborn, instinctual. Animals react to whatever brings them pleasure with love and closeness. They react to things that hurt or bother them with hate or fear. But don’t underestimate this type of bond with G-d! This natural, innate connection is incredibly powerful because it is always there, ready to be called up for Reserve Duty. Your natural love and awe for G-d are _really useful tools to tap into_ when you are *undergoing difficult challenges* or when you find yourself *in an atmosphere not conducive to meditation.* Since the love and awe already exists and is constantly present, you don't need to create them or ship them over They are naturally with you - within you! Do you remember where we get them from 🙂❔ We inherited them 💰 from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 4

Intention💓 , excitement🔥 and passion ❤️ are the spiritual dimension of a mitzvah and it is common to perceive them as the key to forming a closer connection with G-d🌟✨🌟. The truth is, though, that this is a misconception🧐. It is not true that G-d is found in spirituality more than in physical reality 😆... Yes, Chassidut emphasizes the importance of the inner experience of the person and what she feels or experiences in her relationship with G-d. And yet, the connection we forge with G-d through our minds is _not inherently closer to G-d_ than the connection we create through fulfilling His commandments. In fact, a relationship with G-d isn't created through what we do! A relationship with G-d isn't possible to initiate from our side. The only way to achieve any sort of connection with G-d is _on His terms_, the way He permits us to get close to Him. He determined that it would be through _our deeds_, through fulfilling the mitzvot He gave us. So why bother at all with mindfulness and concentration and intent? And why would the sages state that a mitzvah with no intention is like a body🧍 with no soul ✨? Just like the physical body hides the G-dly spark that keeps it in existence, the action of the mitzvah draws down a hidden G-dly light. It is hard to notice the connection that is formed because it is concealed within us. The intention we have when fulfilling a mitzvah is the soul of the mitzvah. As such, it draws down an incomparably greater divine light and energy than the body does. Another way of looking at it is through the analogy of water in a cup. There is plenty of water in the world but the cup can only hold so much. It is limited to holding only as much as its size permits. The same applies to the words 🗣️of the prayers that we recite🤍. Words are a limited expression of our rich and deep inner world , like a cup 🍵 that can only hold as much it can, but no more than that. That is why very often, you have no words to express what your heart really feels. Your mind knows and feels much more than what your mouth can express. Therefore, your intentions and feelings for G-d are often deeper and greater than what you can ever say verbally when you pray. The same applies, of course, to any action or mitzvah that you fulfill. Your heart can feel a lot deeper than what is apparent from the deed that you did. It is for this reason that your mindfulness and intentions are considered closer to G-d. Your intentions do not bring you closer to G-d because thoughts are spiritual, but rather because the meaning, purpose, and connection we feel when we pray is really where the deepest bond with G-d is formed. Our intent and the meaning we put into the mitzvot we do is unlimited… When we do a mitzvah, G-d’s energy and light gets more revealed through the feelings we put into the deed, than from the deed itself. ◇◇◇ Now we will begin to understand the big difference between deed and intention. As we said earlier, all created beings are divided into 4 categories. Those 4 categories are further divided into 2 groups: 1️⃣*Inanimate objects*🏺💧 and *Plants* 🌳🪴 Whose physical bodies are all that we can perceive 2️⃣*Animals* 🦅🐘 and *People*👭🏻 Their soul and life force is much more prominent and discernible. Similarly, the *body* of a mitzvah is divided into two: *Active deeds* such as giving charity. *Commandments done in thought or through speech👄*, such as praying or reciting blessings. Active mitzvot are compared to the body of the commandment. Therefore, they correspond to the two lower levels of creations, which are *inanimate objects* and *plants*, which are primarily seen as just physical beings. The mitzvot that require intent are like the soul of a body. These mitzvot correspond to the categories of *animals* and *humans*.

Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 3

Yesterday we learned that every created being has a spark of G-d hidden within. We are totally unaware of 😕 the G-dliness present within each of them. Of course, there are differences in the kind of life force found in the various levels of creation. Each level receives a different amount 🤏of light and energy In *inanimate objects*, just a minute amount of divine energy trickles down. Its energy source is thoroughly and completely concealed. In *plants*, the divine spark is not as hidden. Plants receive slightly more light and energy, which enables them to grow and reproduce In *Animals*, the soul and life force is already discernible. Animals move from place to place, communicate, maintain family ties, and even display emotions. *Humans* possess the power of speech, an intellectual soul 🤔 with the ability to think and analyze 🗣️, and an expansive array of emotions. The quality of the divine spark is *equal* in all the levels because it is shrunk and concealed within each of them… But the *quantity* of the spark in each level is different. We can compare this to the difference in the amount of light that creeps in through the keyhole of the door versus the amount of light that shines in through the small window in the door. The light source is the same and both allow only small rays of light to seep through, but the window obviously allows more of it in. ~~~•~~~ As mentioned above, the world is divided into four categories: But 🙋‍♀️why *four*🤷🏻‍♀️❔ The Alter Rebbe explains that this isn't random. These 4 levels correspond to the *4 letters in G-d's name* *Yud, Hei, Vov, & Hei* These 4 letters are the original spiritual source for all of creation. All life force for this world is channeled through them. What differentiates the categories? _The amount of G-dly energy they contain._ In animals and humans, you can _see_ that there is something, some energy - *a soul* or *a spirit* - which keeps them alive. With plants, it is much harder to perceive 🔍 that they are alive and have an energizing force that sustains them, and this applies even more so to lifeless objects. Regardless, the divine light reaches _all levels_ only after passing through the level of Kelipat Nogah, the intermediate level which mixes holiness with impurity. Therefore, none are receiving direct and clear G-dly sustenance. ~~~▪️~~~ Now, let us apply all this to the idea we were discussing earlier - mitzvot and the intentions we have while performing them 😊: Each mitzvah has a "body" - the technical action. Looking at just the action itself 🧐, it is difficult to discern the love and energy driving it, and the connection to G-d that this action creates. Then there is the "soul" ✨ of the mitzvah. It is the emotion ❤️ and love 🔥 we put into the performance of the mitzvah, and the connection to G-d we aim to create through it. Lifeless objects and plants are like the body, or the action, of the mitzvah. Animals and humans are compared to the soul, or intention, of the mitzvah. Just as you cannot compare the quantity of light and energy in plants compared to human beings, _you cannot compare the 🔅light and energy 🔆 that is present in mitzvah done with intent_ vs one done without. However, our comparison isn't exact. In fact, the two are opposites. 👍 1️⃣Both body and soul, in all the levels of creation, have a G-dly spirit in them *hidden* within 🤦‍♀️. In both, the origin - G-d - is concealed. When it comes to mitzvot, it’s the opposite: The deed 👐 of the mitzvah And the intentions ❤️ we have while performing the mitzvah Both *reveal* the inner will of G-d☀️ Meaning 🤔: Looking around 👀, everything you see exists for a purpose, *to fulfill a need* But a mitzvah has only 1 purpose ☝️ - *To fulfill the will of G-d* They have *no meaning ✖️✖️✖️ or purpose* Other than *This is what G-d desires!*

Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 2

*A couple 🕵🏻‍♂️🧝‍♀️came to the marriage counselor hoping to improve their relationship*. The woman complained that her husband never bought her gifts 🎀which made her feel unloved. The counselor explained to the husband the importance of gifts as tokens of love 💐 to the health of a relationship and exhorted him to buy his wife presents. The next day, the man returned home with a large box full of all sorts of knick knacks 🎁 and chocolates. "My dear ❤️," he said, "I bought you a huge selection of gifts so that any time that you feel the need, just go to the box and take one…" To his complete consternation, instead of thanking him, his wife burst into tears😰… 🎀🎀🎀 A gift that isn't a demonstration of deep-felt love is like a *body👤 without a soul 🌟*. It isn't worth much at all! Getting the deed done is what really counts - that is what we learned yesterday. And yet, we also learned that an action done without intention is like a body without a soul. Chassidut emphasizes the importance of mindfulness 🧠, emotion 💓, and excitement 🔥 as the "soul" of the mitzvah. The sages specifically use the wording of _*A body without a soul*_ Which seems to insinuate that such an action is useless, like a dead body. But the truth is, there is a very deep idea being related here through this wording. We'll be getting a bit philosophical and deep… Hold on tight until the end. We'll get there 🤓 - - - in a few days. 💛👐💛 Yesterday, we learned that all creations, even lifeless ones, possess a spirit that keeps them in existence. With humans 👬🏻👭🏻 and animals 🐒🦇🐣 that spirit is easy to discern it because they move 〰️, expend energy🩸, and reproduce 👨‍👩‍👧. Nowadays 👌 it is known that even plants 🌳🌾🌱possess a less-obvious, but no less essential, spirit of life within them. Even inanimate objects 🧽🏺, which by definition refers to things that lack life, have lots of action going on inside them🔬🧫. There are millions of electrons moving around in each and every cell of their being … There’s a whole invisible but active city hidden within. Each inanimate object has its own unique composition which is what makes it what it is. Any little change at the molecular level creates a chain of reactions 🔅🔅🔅that completely changes the entire essence of the object. Although there is a different amount of divine energy and life in each category, They *all* have one similarity: None of them perceive spirituality. G-d's light is concealed 🌚to them. It’s like there’s a huge ⛔GAG ORDER ⛔ On divine revelation in this world The physical presentation of each thing in this world overshadows and drowns out 🌊its ability to perceive spirituality: 🪨 A stone does not sense G-d's presence. Neither does a worm 🪱. Humans don’t perceive it either 🙆🏻‍♀️. When looking at someone's arm💪 , we cannot tell whether he put on tefillin ◼️◼️that morning or not 🤷🏻‍♀️. We know how to learn 🤓 but our intellect 😇doesn't help us with spiritual reception 📡. After studying Torah, we are still unable to pick up signals of G-dliness in this world 🌍. What this all means is - *When it comes to experiencing G-dliness, all 4 levels of creation are equal!* Spiritual awareness is completely hidden to all of us ☁️. 🧍🏻‍♀️= 🐑= 🌴=🏺 _This is not the case in the upper spiritual worlds where G-dliness✨ is felt to various degrees._ But then why did the Kabbalists teach that creation is divided into categories of inanimate, plant, animal, and human life forms? Doesn’t this mean there _is_ some sort of difference between the various levels of creation 🤔❔❔❔ Yes. The difference lies not in how much the creations perceive G-dliness but rather, in how much the G-d's light and energy is concealed *within them.*

Tanya: Chapter 38, Part 1

When we do a mitzvah, do our intentions 🧡 matter? Or is the main job just getting the deed done? On the one hand ✋🏻: you haven't performed a mitzvah until an actual deed was done. Speech, as mentioned in a previous chapter, is the "action" part of learning and praying. We discharge our obligation to learn Torah and pray by moving our lips when saying the words. Thought or intention alone isn't considered speech and therefore isn't counted as a prayer. The same applies to all mitzvot. The best intention without accompanying action means nothing. On the other hand 🤚🏻: Intention is paramount. _*Prayer with no intention is like a body🧍 with no soul☀️…*_. If you say the words with your lips 👄but don't even realize what you are saying…. Post facto, you have fulfilled the minimum of your obligation and you don't have to go back and repeat the prayers. Exception: The *first verse of the Shema prayer*, and the first blessing in the Amidah prayer. These two sections require intention in addition to the act of reciting the prayer. If mindlessly recited, you need to repeat them. The reason that the deed is ultimately what counts is something we already touched upon - that the divine soul itself does not need to be repaired or fixed up in any way. She is perfect as is! The mitzvot accomplish drawing down G-dly light 🌈 which elevates the animal soul 🐮 and the body. In order to do this, you need to engage them, i.e. use your energy to do the deed with your body. When it comes to mitzvot that are done with words, the lips must move and the words must actually be *verbalized* in order for it count as a *deed*. But then what is the value and significance of intention and concentration when praying? Why do we say that without proper intention, a good deed is like a body 🧍with no soul☀️?? What does that even mean? What is a *body* 🤷🏻‍♀️ and what is a *soul* 🤔❔ *The body* is something we easily identify and understand. It is the physical matter that each and every creature is composed of. *The soul* - is the G-dly energythat brings the object into existence This means that _even stones and soil_ - completely inanimate objects - have a G-dly light and life force that brings them into being. This energy prevents the object from reverting into nothingness, the way it was before creation. The existence of G-d's spirit within lifeless objects is one of the Kabbalistic secrets revealed💥 by the Arizal. There isn't a single thing that doesn't have its own specific energy force keeping it in existence. *In plants*the life force also provides the ability to grow. *In animals* the life force enables growth, movement 🐾, and instincts. The energizing source within the *Human being*🤵‍♂is most powerful of all. In addition to the abilities mentioned above, it also provides the capacity for free choice 🙄, intellectual capabilities, and the power of speech 🗣️. We mention all this in order to understand 👍 the connection between our deeds and the intentions we have while performing them. Every commandment is composed of two parts: *The body of the deed* *And the soul of the mitzvah* The intention we have while doing the deed, which injects it with G-dly light ☀️ and energy . The body is physical and is limited in how much light it can tolerate. The soul, being a spiritual being, is completely overcome and consumed by G-d' s light. This is why the soul is eternal, like G-d. It never dies, because its entire existence is really just G-d's light and energy. When fulfilling any mitzvah, even just by rote, a divine light illuminates the "body" of it - the deed that was done. However, if you introduce a *"soul"* into the mitzvah, it becomes illuminated with a much more intense and lofty divine light. By having the proper, positive intentions while performing the deed, you instill within it an eternal divine light.