The discussion until now centered on the category of “turning away from evil.” The Alter Rebbe showed how one could utilize his hidden love of G‑d in refraining from sin. He now goes on to the category of “doing good,” discussing the use of the hidden love in leading one to perform all the positive […]

In the previous chapters, the Alter Rebbe explained how it is “very near to you,” i.e., how it is very easy and accessible to every Jew to serve G‑d with love and awe. He stated that this can be accomplished either by creating a love and fear of G‑d through meditation on G‑d’s greatness, or […]

והנה עצה היעוצה לטהר לבו מכל עצב ונדנוד דאגה ממילי דעלמא, ואפילו בני חיי ומזוני Sound advice has been offered by our Sages on cleansing one’s heart of all sadness and any trace of worry about mundane matters, even a sadness or worry caused by the lack of such essentials as children, health, or livelihood. […]

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to discuss a different type of sadness, that caused by one’s failings in matters of the spirit. אך העצבות ממילי דשמיא, צריך לשית עצות בנפשו ליפטר ממנה As for sadness connected with heavenly matters, one must seek ways and means of freeing oneself from it. אין צריך לומר בשעת […]

In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe stated that sadness hinders one’s service of G‑d in general, and his battle with the Yetzer Hara in particular. He therefore discussed means of overcoming sadness caused by material concerns, and by anxiety over one’s sins. In this chapter and the next, he will discuss another type of […]

ושני מיני נחת רוח לפניו יתברך למעלה For there are two kinds of Divine pleasure: אחת, מביטול הסטרא אחרא לגמרי, ואתהפכא ממרירו למתקא ומחשוכא לנהורא, על ידי הצדיקים one, from the complete annihilation of the sitra achra, and the conversion of bitter to sweet and of darkness to light (— the former referring to the […]

In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe taught that the Beinoni should not be distressed by the occurrence of sinful thoughts in his mind. On the contrary, he ought to rejoice, for by repulsing these thoughts and promptly averting his mind from them, he fulfills the commandment of “not going astray after one’s heart,” and […]

In ch. 26 the Alter Rebbe stated that both depression and dullness of heart produce a state of sluggishness which prevents a person from overcoming the evil inclination of the animal soul. He therefore outlined in chs. 26-28 methods of overcoming depression arising from various causes. In this chapter the Alter Rebbe will discuss means […]

This means that one must crush the sitra achra and cast it to the ground by setting aside appointed times for humbling oneself and considering himself4 “despicable and contemptible,” as it is written. ולב נשבר רוח נשברה היא הסטרא אחרא, שהיא היא האדם עצמו בבינונים Now5 “A broken heart [leads to] a broken spirit,” the […]

ובפרט כשיזכור טומאת נפשו בחטאת נעורים, והפגם שעשה בעליונים, ושם הוא למעלה מהזמן, וכאלו פגם ונטמא היום, חס ושלום, ממש Especially so, if he calls to mind the contamination of his soul with the sin of youth, and the blemish he has wrought thereby in the supernal worlds —the source of his soul. The fact […]