Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 10:1

Hook

Remember that feeling at camp, the one when you’re sitting around the campfire, stars starting to peek out, and someone starts singing that classic song? You know the one: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” We’d all belt it out, our voices rising and falling, a chorus of little lights, all together. There was something so pure about that moment, right? A simple, unadulterated joy in shining our own light, and seeing how it joined with everyone else's. Well, today, we’re going to explore a text that talks about exactly that kind of shining, but on a whole new level – the level of our inner selves, our divine souls. And just like that campfire song, it’s a melody that can resonate in our homes, in our families, and in our everyday lives.

Context

This passage from the Tanya is like a deep dive into the spiritual landscape of a human being. It’s not just about being good, but about how we are good, and the different stages of spiritual growth. Think of it as a nature walk through our own inner wilderness:

• The Shifting Terrain

  Imagine you’re hiking a mountain trail. Sometimes the path is clear and easy, sun-dappled and smooth. Other times, it’s rocky, with thorny bushes trying to snag your clothes. The Tanya is describing these different kinds of terrain within us. It’s not a static landscape; it’s dynamic and ever-changing, with moments of clarity and moments of struggle.

• Rooting Out the Weeds

  In the garden at camp, we sometimes had to pull weeds. You’d tug and tug, and maybe get most of the root out, but sometimes a little bit would still be left behind, just waiting for the right conditions to sprout again. The Tanya speaks about this process of trying to “root out the evil” from our inner garden. It’s a powerful metaphor for the effort we put into overcoming our negative inclinations.

• Sunlight and Shadow

  Think about a tall tree in the forest. The sunlight filters through the leaves, creating patterns of light and shadow on the ground. The Tanya is exploring how these patterns of light and shadow exist within us – the divine soul (the light) and the animal soul (the shadow). Our spiritual journey is about how we manage and transform these energies.

Text Snapshot

“Behold, when a person fortifies his divine soul and wages war against his animal soul to such an extent that he expels and eradicates its evil from the left part—as is written, “And you shall root out the evil from within you”—yet the evil is not actually converted to goodness, he is called 'incompletely righteous' or 'a righteous man who suffers.' That is to say, there still lingers in him a fragment of wickedness in the left part, except that it is subjugated and nullified by the good, because of the former’s minuteness.”

Close Reading

This passage from the Tanya is a real masterclass in understanding our inner world, and it offers us some incredibly profound insights that can absolutely transform how we approach our homes and families. It’s not just abstract philosophy; it’s practical wisdom for living a more connected and meaningful life.

Insight 1: The Nuance of "Good" – It's Not Always Black and White

The Tanya introduces us to two categories of righteous people: the "incompletely righteous" (or "a righteous man who suffers") and the "completely righteous" (or "a righteous man who prospers"). This distinction is huge because it acknowledges that spiritual growth isn't a sudden flip of a switch. It's a process, and often, we fall into that "incompletely righteous" category.

The text explains that the "incompletely righteous" person has successfully subjugated their evil inclinations, meaning they've managed to control them. They've "rooted out the evil," but here's the kicker: the evil isn't converted into goodness. It's still there, like a tiny ember that's been smothered but not extinguished. It's "nullified because of its minuteness," but it hasn't undergone a transformation.

Think about this in terms of family dynamics. How often do we, as parents, try to "root out" negative behaviors in our children? We might tell them not to yell, or not to be selfish, or not to argue. And sometimes, they stop! They might suppress those impulses, especially if they know they'll get in trouble. But has the underlying impulse truly changed? Has the desire for what they wanted been converted into a desire to share, or to communicate kindly, or to understand another's feelings?

The Tanya is teaching us that true spiritual progress isn't just about stopping the outward manifestations of negative behavior. It's about the internal conversion. A child who stops yelling because they’re afraid of punishment is like the "incompletely righteous" person – the impulse is still there, just suppressed. A child who stops yelling and then actively chooses to express their needs calmly, or to help their sibling, that’s closer to the "completely righteous" ideal.

This insight can shift our parenting approach from simply enforcing rules to cultivating internal transformation. Instead of just saying, "Don't do that!" we can ask, "What can we do instead?" or "How can we help you feel better about sharing?" We can celebrate not just the absence of negative behavior, but the presence of positive choices, even when they’re small. It’s about recognizing that our children (and ourselves!) are on a journey, and that the goal isn't just to suppress the bad, but to cultivate the good, to the point where it transforms the very nature of our impulses. It’s about helping them develop that inner “sunlight” that can illuminate and even transmute the shadows.

Insight 2: The Power of "Absolute Hatred" for the "Sitra Achra" – A Call to Unwavering Love for the Good

The text then dives into the "completely righteous" person. What sets them apart? They "utterly despise the pleasures of this world, finding no enjoyment in human pleasures of merely gratifying the physical appetites instead of [seeking] the service of G–d." This is because they understand these worldly pleasures originate from the kelipah and sitra achara – the forces of separation and negativity.

The Tanya describes this as an "absolute hatred" of the sitra achara. This isn’t a petty dislike; it's a profound, all-encompassing rejection. And this hatred for the negative is directly proportional to their "great love of G–d." They are "antithetical one to the other." The more you love G–d, the more you will naturally, absolutely reject anything that pulls you away from Him.

This is a powerful message for our homes, especially in today’s world, which is saturated with distractions and temptations that often pull us away from what truly matters. Think about the constant barrage of screens, the endless pursuit of material possessions, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) pressures to conform to superficial ideals. These can all be seen as manifestations of the "sitra achara."

The Tanya is challenging us to cultivate an "absolute hatred" for these forces in our homes. This doesn't mean we become ascetics or live in a sterile environment. It means we develop a discerning eye, a spiritual compass that helps us recognize what truly nourishes us and what depletes us. It means we actively choose to prioritize activities that connect us to holiness, to meaning, to each other, over those that offer fleeting, superficial gratification.

For example, instead of passively scrolling through social media, a family might choose to have a dedicated "family game night" where the focus is on connection and shared joy. Instead of constantly buying new things, they might focus on experiences or on creative activities that foster deeper engagement. It's about intentionally cultivating a home environment that reflects our love for G–d and for what is truly good, and by extension, consciously rejecting and minimizing the influences that pull us away from that. This "absolute hatred" for the forces that diminish us isn't about negativity; it's about an overwhelming, all-consuming love for the positive, for the divine spark within us and within our families. It's about making our homes sanctuaries of light, where the love for G–d and for goodness is so strong that the shadows have no place to linger.

Micro-Ritual

Let’s bring this idea of transforming the negative into something positive into our homes with a simple tweak to our Friday night or Havdalah rituals. We’ll call this the “Sweetening the Spice” ritual.

For Friday Night:

• The Setup: Before you light the Shabbat candles or during the Kiddush, have a small bowl of something naturally bitter or tart – think a lemon wedge, a very dark unsweetened chocolate square, or even a bit of strong black tea. Next to it, have something naturally sweet – a date, a bit of honey, or a sweet grape.
• The Action: As you bless the candles or say the Kiddush, hold the bitter item. Reflect for a moment on a small challenge or a less-than-ideal moment from the past week, something that felt a bit "bitter." It doesn’t have to be dramatic, just something you’d like to see transformed. Then, as you take a sip of wine or grape juice, or as you say the blessing over the challah, take a small bite of the sweet item.
• The Intention: The intention is to acknowledge that sometimes life, and even our own inner selves, can have bitter moments. But just as we are about to welcome the sweetness of Shabbat, we are also practicing the spiritual art of transforming bitterness into sweetness. We are symbolically taking the "bitter" experience and, through the grace of Shabbat and our intention, infusing it with sweetness, much like the "completely righteous" person converts evil into goodness. This is a private moment of internal transformation.

For Havdalah:

• The Setup: During Havdalah, after you've smelled the spices, instead of just putting them away, you can do this. Have a small piece of something naturally sour or slightly bitter – a dried cranberry, a piece of candied ginger (if it’s not too sweet), or even a small piece of unsweetened dried apricot. Beside it, have a piece of something very sweet, like a caramel or a piece of fruit.
• The Action: After you’ve inhaled the spices, hold the sour/bitter item. Think about the transition from Shabbat to the weekday, acknowledging that the challenges of the week can sometimes feel a bit "sour" or difficult. Then, as you drink the wine, take a bite of the sweet item.
• The Intention: This ritual mirrors the Tanya's concept of converting the "sitra achara" (which can manifest as the challenges of the week) into goodness. The spices themselves represent the sweetness we carry from Shabbat. By consciously tasting something a bit tart and then immediately following it with sweetness, we are actively practicing the principle of transforming the less pleasant aspects of life into something more palatable, even holy. It’s a tangible reminder that even as we re-enter the world of challenges, we carry the sweetness of Shabbat within us, and we have the inner capacity to sweeten the sour.

This is a simple, personal act that connects the larger spiritual concepts to our immediate experience. It’s about mindfulness, intention, and a little bit of delicious transformation!

Chevruta Mini

Let's ponder these ideas together with a couple of questions:

Question 1:

The Tanya talks about "converting evil to goodness." Can you think of a time in your own life, or in your family’s life, where something that seemed negative or difficult eventually led to a positive outcome or a deeper understanding? What was that process like?

Question 2:

The text contrasts the "incompletely righteous" who subjugate evil with the "completely righteous" who convert it. How can we, in our everyday family interactions, move beyond simply stopping undesirable behaviors to actively cultivating positive ones, helping ourselves and our loved ones to truly "convert" our inner landscape?

Takeaway

So, what’s the big takeaway from this deep dive into the Tanya? It’s this: our spiritual journey, and the spiritual journey of our families, is not about perfection overnight. It’s about the continuous, conscious effort to root out the negative, yes, but more importantly, to actively cultivate the good, to the point where it transforms the very fabric of our being. Just like that campfire song, our inner light can shine brighter, and when we nurture that light within ourselves and encourage it in our homes, it joins with others, creating a warmth and radiance that can truly make our lives, and our families, shine. Remember, even a tiny ember, when tended with intention, can become a powerful flame. Keep shining!