Chapter Seventeen: Getting relevant. Within the "how", we need to get to a place where even the regular Jew, with mainstream struggles, can attain a status of Beinoni. Seemingly, that level of perfection is just counter-instinctive and unattainable. So we throwback to a statement of Moshe Rabbeinu in his farewell address to the nation in the dessert at the end of 40 years. One motivational element of that speech, as recorded in Torah, is the famous statement that: "It is near to you, very much [so], in your mouth and in your heart to fulfil it". Meaning, its very accessible, very easy, to be a Jew and keep the Torah. But really, is it?! In this chapter we delve into the soul-interpretation of this verse, which sheds some light onto this bold statement. The key is in the last word, la'asoso, to do, which serves as a qualifier: What is the verse claiming is very accessible that ? According to the soul-interpretation, arousing a love for Hashem. Why is that so? Because the love for Hashem in this context is the minimal amount and type that simply drives action, la'asoso. Why is this minimalist love so easily accessible? Because every person with a Jewish soul inherently has a connection to Hashem - something that they need not attain but just reveal. Revelation of that connection is so much more easily accessible than creating it from scratch. How is that done? That is what we will unpack in to coming chapters. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 17

Chapter Twenty-one: Continuing the journey through the analogies. The metaphor of human speech to portray the nonexistence of creations fall short: the spoken word is insignificant but it's not nothing, it has independence, it cannot be retrieved, it has a life of its own. Not so when talking of the creation! So here is a better way of saying it, bringing in a different variant of the above: Imagine that one single insignificant word when it is still in the person's mind before he had a chance to express it. So, the word is a word, like creation is creation, but it's still within the human, like creation is within Hashem. There is no independent existence to it, like the imagination of a scene in someone's mind which disappears immediately as it appeared - its whole substance was the mind itself. So too creation and Hashem. How do we understand, then, what we are experiencing on a moment-to-moment basis? Imagine it like a snail or turtle. They have their body and their shell. The shell protects the body; it conceals it. Yet, unlike other animals or humans, the protection is not something they wear, it's part of them. It's all one organism. So too Hashem, whose concealment of Himself translates into creations with independent existence, is Himself the concealment itself, just in another form. We experience that form of Him, but it is still all Him. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty: Embarking on the basic logical build to create a mental exercise that can reveal the dormant love to Hashem, anytime, anywhere. As a first step, we need to have an understanding (at least a basic idea) of Achdus Hashem, chassidus's take on the oneness of Hashem. It's not simple at all, because the bar is very high. As is evident in various sources, no less than the very morning prayers that we recite everyday, true oneness of Hashem which we we are instructed (in Torah) to understand (not just believe) is where we come to the conclusion that Hashem is - not only the only G-d, obviously - but the only existence. That runs directly contrary to our empirical experience. That fact and our corporeal reality cannot be squared! So, in order to do this we must rely on the gift of analogy. The analogy is: the spoken word and its source, the speaker. Recognize the total, absolute insignificance one casual word is in comparison to a person's entire vocabulary utilized throughout their entire life, or even better, to the entirely of the potential of speech, when the idea is still in thought form. Similarly, Hashem created the world with "speech" (the Ten Utterances) denoting the insignificance of creation (like a singular word) to the essence of Hashem (the speaker themselves). Truly, He is the only existence. Yet, analogies have a downside, that the comparisons are never exactly perfect. And here too: at the end of the day, the spoken word still has an exsistance, even if the most insignificant, while, in the analogue we are to understand creation as having no existence outside Hashem- none at all!? Answer to come in the next chapter. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 20

Chapter Nineteen: Continuing the analysis of the inherent, dormant love for Hashem embedded in the Jewish soul. Now we discover: Its nature: what does it do, what does it feel like? Understanding how the element of Yirah, relationship of awe, is embedded in it  The best description of the nature of this love - what it feels like and how it “act” - is by way of metaphor: fire. Fire’s unique characteristic is that it seeks to rise, to detach from its fuel, and if not tethered by the wick, it would let loose and disappear (as it does when the fuel is expended). Where does the fire go? No physical element just disappears into nothingness!? Fire rises to its source in the firmament at the edge of the atmosphere, the highest possible space in the world. In its source, the independent flame now gets subsumed into its source and ceases to be independent, it loses its form. The novelty here is that unlike any other physical creation, which all carry the primal instinct to exist and not lose it at any cost, fire constantly seeks to be a not, to lose its existence in exchange for rejoining its source. The soul largely and the dormant love specifically act the same way. If not tethered by the body (as Hashem wants it to be) it would expire to its source, it rises and seeks to elevate - to lose its independent existence in exchange to be part of Hashem again. It doesn't make sense but that’s just its nature. Also, the dormant love has within it a dormant awe as well. Having an inherent relationship with Hashem means that you love Him to the extent that you want to do what He wants from you and at the same time, you refrain from things that he you to refrain from. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 19

Chapter Eighteen: Now onto the second phase of “How”. Beginning in chapter 16, Tanya is setting out a plan on how to attain - and retain - the status of Beinoni. The first way was deep meditation and compilation. Now onto the path of reflection - the path accessible to every average person who doesn't have the mental capacity to contemplate deeping of G-d. We base this reflective exercise (of which we will actually unpack in chapters 20-25) on the fundamental idea that every person with a Jewish soul - the actual definition of Jew - has embedded within it a dormant, immutable love for Hashem. They cannot rid themselves of that love, but it can remain buried for a lifetime. Historically, this inherent love answers an anomaly: the tendency, in all generations before us, of Jews who have lived their lives completely disassociated from Judaism or Hashem, up to the point of utter contempt for it and for Him, yet would sacrifice their live, time and again, when faced with the choice to convert out to another religion. It is that hidden love that dominates their thinking at the moment of truth. The key is to wield that hidden power and find a way to access it at any moment. But beforehand, we need to analyze it a bit. So in chapter 18, we discover: Its inheritance. How is bequeathed; how is it inherent? Its spiritual biology. Where it can be found in your spiritual makeup. Being that our forefathers reached such elevated spiritual status, devoting their lives to Hashem in the greatest fashion, they were given a gift. Genetically, their descendants (and those who convert into the Jewish faith) will be born with an inherent connection to Hashem or which they do not have to attain. It will be there no matter how disassociated they may be, laying in wait to flair up at the right moment. It resides in the highest levels of the G-dly soul, in the level of Chochmah, in the space were we are most open and receptive to our source. In the next chapter, we will analyze this further. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 18

Chapter Fifteen: Now that we understand "who you could be", the soul-interpretation of the term Beinoni, we can discuss categories. Just like the Tzadik and Rasha (discussed in chapters 10 and 11, respectively) each have two general categories within their general definitions, so does the Beinoni. The definition of Tzadik is one who has no desire for sin. The two categories within that definition is the difference of revulsion; one category of Tzadik who is utterly repulsed from sin, and one category of Tzadik who is not utterly repulsed (with varying degrees therein). The definition of Rasha is one who commits sins. The two categories within that definition is the difference in remorse; one category of Rasha never regrets his deeds, and one category of Rasha constantly does (with varying degrees of how often and to what degree). The Beinoni as well has a definition and two general categories. The definition is one who desires sin yet never commits it. The two categories within that definition is the difference in effort. The first category, known as "he who serves", is one who by nature is constantly and heavily impulsed to commit the sin. The restraint, although successful, is difficult. The second category, known ad "he who doesn't serve", is one who either by nature or by second-nature is more tame. The restraint not to sin comes as easy as just keeping focus. Both are fulfilling their purpose. But one is fighting his nature, and that is considered "serving Hashem" because the litmus test for serving Hashem and not just oneself is going beyond one's comfort zone. Its the effort you put in that is key. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 15

Chapter Thirteen: The aftermath of the bombshell interpolation of Beinoni in Chapter 12. From the Two-Metric model of Beinoni introduced by chassidus, two things emerge: Firstly, we discover how the soul-interpretation of Beinoni is not only the deeper explanation, but illuminates many puzzling and contradictory Talmudic passages regarding the Beinoni concept. unsolvable with the body-interpretation. What we discover is that even in the simple readings of various classical sources, there is an inkling that there is more to the picture, there must be a deeper explanation. The deeper interpretation of Beinoni (and by extension Tzadik and Rasha) as preposed in Tanya get solidified by virtue of the fact that it settle all the textual issues. But secondly, it brings us to wonder a soul-searching question: If the Beinoni is defined by a misalignment between the two metrics, a Rasha on the inside and a Tzadik on the outside, is he living a lie? No. Although the hallmark of ultimate truth is constancy, consistency is also considered bona-fide truth. So although the Beinoni is in a constant positive state due to his perpetual struggles, his relationship with Hashem is solid and true because he will consistently follow a pattern of winning the struggle every time. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 13

Chapter Fourteen: The basic statement of Tanya: The state of Beinoni is the ideal of the common person. But now, to flip it on its head. What we emerge with is the mental framework of clear parameters: who we could be and who we cannot; the possible. That is important for expectations sake. But doesn't Judaism believe in striving for the impossible? Aren't there numerous example of this throughout our history? Should we be focused only on the possible? In truth, the golden path is to incorporate both. Having both ends is healthy: recognize your limits and strive for beyond. Know - and know well - that Beinoni is within possibility and is your goal. But strive for Tzadik, even though it isn't possible. Push your limits. It won't be for naught. Firstly, Hashem wants the strive for the impossible itself, regardless of the actual accomplishment. Further, it will rub off on you and elements of Tzadik feeling will effect you know doubt. And finally, there are always expectations to the rule: maybe you can become a Tzadik, despite your predetermined state. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 14

Chapter Twenty-two: So concluding the idea developed in the last two chapters: What comes out is that there is a very binary reality playing out in existence. In essence, Hashem is the only existence. We, in our consciousness, are endowed with a certain basic, natural perspective on that: we see Hashem in either Revealment Mode or Concealment Mode. Meaning, from the true perspective, the Higher Perspective, there is no existence to creation whatsoever (as we infer from the metaphor of the spoken word before it leaves the person’s mind). This is a perspective we need to constantly try to attain; its a lifetime of work and mental exercise. But there is a Lower Perspective which is natural to us. This also takes Hashem’s oneness into account, that there is no existence but him, but it views Hashem in multiple modes, revealment or concealment (as inferred from the metaphor of the turtle which has body and shell which are all part of one essence just have different modes and functions). So, seeing creation as either this or that puts all of empirical or non-empirical existence on a single barometer: More revealment or more concealment. Spiritual entities have more revealment. Physical entities have more concealment. If that works in the framework of existence, it translates too in its application in real life: All actions done in this framework are measured by a single metric of connection vs. disconnection. The “smallest” mitzvah and the “biggest” mitzvah are all substantively the same. They connect us to Hashem - more revealment. (More of this in Chapter 23.) The “smallest” aveira and the “biggest” aveira are all substantively the same. They disconnect us from Hashem - more concealment. (More of this in Chapter 24.) This explains why all positive mitzvos are considered part of the first of the Ten Commandments, because they all accomplish the same goal of connecting to Hashem or creator. And all negative commandments are derivatives of the second commandment, “ You shall not have idols before Me . .” since the soul interpretation of that verse is that you shall not engage in the energy that Hashem putts into the world that is classified as “Elokim Acheirim” - the backhanded energy of Hashem. In other words, actions that cause more concealment. - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 22

Chapter Sixteen: We start a new phase in our journey of Tanya. Chapters 1-9 was about the What: What is you? What composites your spiritual make-up? Chapters 10-15 was about the Who: Who you are not, who you are, and who you could be. In this chapter (until Chapter 25) we begin the How: How you can attain - and retain - the Beinoni status. Tanya presents two major rules in the "How" of the Beinoni: 1. Contemplation, 2. Reflection. To begin, we understand the Jewish method of meditation, which we can safely be synonymized with contemplation, known in chassidus as hisbonenus. Whereas all other disciplines, ancient and contemporary, train the mind to void itself from all thoughts, the chassidus method is quite the opposite: train your mind to complete deeply, but something specific. In other disciplines meditation is an end unto itself, a method to attain inner-peace. Hisbonenus is but a means to a completely different end: to breed emotions that will drive action. So, rule No.1: Utilize the natural say the mind holds over the heart and concentrate your mind deeply on G-dly concepts which will breed emotions of love and awe to Hashem. This will keep you on the straight path of the Beinoni, where every thought, speech, or action is on par. But for most of us, the art of deep contemplation up until breed real emotions for Hashem, is completely lost and unattainable. So introducing the next big rule: Rule No. 2: If contemplation doesn't work out for you, based on the fact that every one of us has an inherent connection with Hashem, a mere reflection can be enough to arouse the bare minimum emotion - or even just a mental sense - enough to motivate you to do mitzvos and refrain from aveiros. It wont transform you like contemplation does, but it will keep you motivated enough for what you need to get done. What is this inherent connection? How does the reflection work? This we will unpack in the coming chapters! - - - - Source Sheet: Chapter 16