Video Audio Text The Alter Rebbe now describes the specific level of love of G‑d that accomplishes this: והיינו, שיעלה ויבא ויגיע למדרגת אהבה רבה וחיבה יתירה ממדרגת אהבה עזה כרשפי אש This transformation of the animal soul’s lust to a love of G‑d entails rising to attain to the level of ahavah rabbah (“abundant […]
Revised LITLIT P1 Rev
032 Intermediate: ch. 10 p. 1
Video Audio Text After elaborating in the previous chapter on the ongoing battle between the divine and animal soul over mastery of a Jew’s body, the Alter Rebbe now proceeds to explain that one who vanquishes his animal soul and transforms its evil into good — is a tzaddik. This level of tzaddik comprises two […]
033 Intermediate: ch. 10 p. 2
Video Audio Text וכפי ערך גודל האהבה לה׳, כך ערך גודל השנאה לסטרא אחרא והמיאוס ברע בתכלית Hence, according to the abundance of love towards G‑d, so is the extent of hatred toward the spiritual sitra achra which nurtures the physical pleasures, and the utter repugnance of the evil of physical pleasures; Since the sitra […]
034 Intermediate: ch. 10 p. 3
Video Audio Text אך על מעלת צדיק גמור, הוא שאמר רבי שמעון בר יוחאי: ראיתי בני עליה והם מועטים כו׳ But concerning the rank of the “complete tzaddik,” Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s statement6 applies: “I have seen ’superior men‘ (bnei aliyah) and they are but few.” שלכן נקראים בני עליה, שמהפכין הרע ומעלים אותו לקדושה […]
035 Intermediate: ch. 10 p. 4
Video Audio Text Concluding the discussion about the Tzadik (discourse only, no text used)
036 Intermediate: ch. 11
Video Audio Text Having described in ch. 9 the ongoing battle between the divine and animal souls to capture and dominate the body, the Alter Rebbe proceeds, in ch. 10, to define the term tzaddik within the context of this struggle. He explains there that tzaddikim are classified in two general categories. The first is […]
037 Intermediate: ch. 12 p. 1
Video Audio Text In the previous chapters, the Alter Rebbe defined the terms tzaddik and rasha. The tzaddik, he explained, is one in whom the good qualities of his divine soul vanquish the evil qualities of his animal soul, to the extent of completely eradicating them. A rasha, conversely, is one in whom the evil […]
038 Intermediate: ch. 12 p. 2
Video Audio Text אבל אחר התפלה, בהסתלקות המוחין דגדלות אין סוף ברוך הוא, הרי הרע חוזר וניעור בחלל השמאלי, ומתאוה תאוה לתאות עולם הזה ותענוגיו But this state of affairs lasts only for the duration of the spiritually-charged time of prayer. After prayer, however, when the intellect of the blessed Ein Sof is no longer […]
039 Intermediate: ch. 12 p. 3
Video Audio Text The discussion of his mastery over his animal soul has thus far centered on matters pertaining to man’s relationship with G‑d. It now moves to another area: וכן בדברים שבין אדם לחבירו So, too, in matters “between man and his fellow-man.” The Beinoni will not grant expression in thought, speech or action […]
040 Intermediate: ch. 13 p. 1
Video Audio Text In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe described the spiritual profile of the Beinoni. In the Beinoni’s heart, said the Alter Rebbe, evil desires may often arise, but his divine soul constantly prevents such desires from finding expression in actual thought, speech or action. On the contrary, these three soul-garments are the […]
