Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 10:1

Sugya Map

• Issue: The classification of levels of righteousness (tzaddik) based on the nature and fate of the yetzer hara (evil inclination). Specifically, the distinction between "incompletely righteous" (tzaddik v'ra lo) and "completely righteous" (tzaddik v'tov lo).
• Nafka Mina:
  • The ultimate spiritual destiny and quality of service of the individual.
  • The nature of one's struggle with temptation and the "conversion" of negative impulses.
  • The basis for the vast quantitative differences in the numbers of righteous individuals cited in tradition.
• Primary Sources:
  • Tanya, Likkutei Amarim 10:1
  • Devarim 21:21 ("וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרַע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ")
  • Tehillim 139:21-22 ("שָׂנֵאתִי שׂוֹנְאֶיךָ ה' וּבְקֻמְּךָ אֶתְקַוטָט, תִּשְׂנְאֵם לְאֵיד מוֹת יִהְיוּ לִי, שׂוֹנְאִים")
  • Chullin 97b ff. (proportionate nullification in mixtures)
  • Sukkah 45b; Sanhedrin 97b (eighteen thousand tzaddikim)
  • Zohar I:4a (Introduction, "converting darkness into light")
  • Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 1b (defining a chassid)
  • Zohar III:281a (Raaya Mehemna, son ingratiating himself)
  • Yeshayahu 55:1 ("הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם")

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”¹ Deuteronomy 21:21.—yet the evil is not actually converted to goodness, he is called “incompletely righteous” or “a righteous man who suffers.”² צדיק ורע לו—see ch. 1, n. 7. 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. Hence he imagines that he has driven it out and it has quite disappeared. In truth, however, had all the evil in him entirely departed and disappeared, it would have been converted into actual goodness. The explanation of the matter is that “a completely righteous man,” in whom the evil has been converted to goodness and who is consequently called “a righteous man who prospers,”³ צדיק וטוב לו—i.e., “possessing (only) good.” has completely divested himself of the filthy garments of evil. That is to say, he utterly despises 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, inasmuch as they are derived from and originate in the kelipah and sitra achara... The “incompletely righteous” is he who does not hate the sitra achara with an absolute hatred; therefore he does not also absolutely abhor evil. And as long as the hatred and scorn of evil are not absolute, there must remain some vestige of love and pleasure in it, and the fouled garments have not entirely and absolutely been shed; therefore the evil has not actually been converted to goodness, since it still has some hold in the filthy garments, except that it is nullified because of its minute quantity and is accounted as nothing. Therefore such a person is called a righteous man, in whom the evil is subjugated and surrendered to him. Accordingly, his love of G–d is also not perfect, with the result that he is called “incompletely righteous.”"

Dikduk/Leshon Nuance

• "expels and eradicates its evil from the left part": The phrase "from the left part" (מצד השמאל) is crucial. The left side in Kabbalistic thought (and often in Chassidic thought drawing from it) symbolizes severity, judgment, and the kelipah. Expelling evil from this domain implies a transformation rather than mere suppression.
• "is not actually converted to goodness": This is the core distinction. It's not about the absence of evil, but its fate. If it remains merely suppressed, it's still "evil" in essence, albeit powerless. Conversion implies a qualitative change.
• "fragment of wickedness... subjugated and nullified... because of the former’s minuteness": The Tanya uses the analogy of a minuscule impurity that doesn't render a large quantity impure. This links to the later halachic reference. The subjugation is passive; it's the size that makes it insignificant, not an active internal process of conversion.
• "filthy garments of evil": This metaphor, drawn from Zechariah 3:1-4 (where Yehoshua the High Priest is clothed in filthy garments and then changed), signifies the external manifestations and allurements of the sitra achara that the completely righteous man utterly rejects.
• "utterly despises... finding no enjoyment... derived from and originate in the kelipah and sitra achara": The complete rejection is not just of the act but of its source. This denotes a deep ideological and emotional divorce from the realm of impurity.
• "absolute hatred": This is contrasted with the "subjugated" evil of the tzaddik v'ra lo. The latter's hatred is conditional on the evil's diminishment; the former's is inherent and unconditional, stemming from an "absolute love of G-d."

Readings

Rashi on "Tzaddik v'ra lo" (Bava Batra 10a)

Rashi, in his commentary on the Gemara's discussion of tzaddik v'ra lo and tzaddik v'tov lo, offers a foundational understanding of these categories. He explains that a tzaddik v'ra lo is one who has yetzer hara but overcomes it. The "lo" (to him) signifies that the yetzer hara is directed against him, causing him suffering, even though he ultimately triumphs. This implies an ongoing struggle, a battle where the yetzer hara remains a present adversary, even in victory. The tzaddik v'tov lo, on the other hand, is one whose yetzer hara is nullified or even converted to good, so that only good accrues to him.

Chiddush: Rashi's emphasis on the "lo" as indicating the yetzer hara's active opposition clarifies the nature of the struggle. It's not just an internal battle but a force actively working against the individual, even if unsuccessfully. This contrasts with the Tanya's focus on the internal state of conversion.

Rambam, Hilchot De'ot 5:1-2

Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, defines the righteous man in a manner that aligns with the Tanya's "completely righteous." He states, "A person who perfects his ways and conducts himself wisely, his actions are all for the sake of Heaven... And whoever knows G-d with true knowledge, his heart will be filled with love for Him... And this love will cause him to distance himself from all vain and empty matters..." (Hilchot De'ot 5:1). He further elaborates on the tzaddik who "cleaves to G-d" and whose "desires are aligned with the desires of his Creator." (5:2).

Chiddush: Maimonides grounds righteousness in "true knowledge" of G-d, which then naturally leads to love and the consequent rejection of worldly vanities. This intellectual and experiential ascent is the basis for the tzaddik's alignment with divine will. His framework emphasizes the foundational role of da'at (knowledge/cognition) in achieving the state of tzaddik v'tov lo, a perspective that complements the Tanya's focus on the internal transformation of the yetzer hara.

Friction

The Tanya posits that for the tzaddik v'ra lo, the evil is "subjugated and nullified... because of the former’s minuteness." This implies a quantitative reduction leading to practical irrelevance. However, the text also states, "In truth, however, had all the evil in him entirely departed and disappeared, it would have been converted into actual goodness." This raises a sharp question: If the evil is merely minuscule and nullified, is it truly gone in essence, or simply rendered impotent by its size? The Tanya seems to present two pathways to dealing with evil: absolute eradication and conversion (for the tzaddik v'tov lo), and subjugation and nullification by minuteness (for the tzaddik v'ra lo). How can the latter be considered a form of "righteousness" if the evil, however small, still retains its essential "evilness" without having undergone the transformative process of conversion?

Best Terutz

The distinction lies in the internal orientation and the ultimate aim of the struggle. For the tzaddik v'ra lo, the primary focus is on the subjugation of the animal soul's desires through the strength of the divine soul. The yetzer hara is viewed as an external force to be overcome, and its diminished presence makes this subjugation achievable and practically effective. The "minuteness" is not merely a numerical quantity but a reflection of the divine soul's dominant influence, which has effectively "pushed" the evil into a corner, rendering it incapable of influencing the individual's choices.

However, the Tanya's insistence that "had all the evil in him entirely departed and disappeared, it would have been converted into actual goodness" points to a deeper ontological truth. The tzaddik v'ra lo's righteousness is defined by his ability to manage and control the remaining "fragment." He doesn't necessarily love the good with the same absolute intensity as the tzaddik v'tov lo, nor does he necessarily hate evil with an equally absolute hatred. His struggle is characterized by a disciplined suppression rather than a transcendent transformation. The "evil" that remains is like a residual impurity in a large vessel; it is technically present but does not affect the overall purity of the vessel's contents. The individual imagines it's gone because its influence is so minimal, but its true absence would mean its perfect conversion into good. This suggests that the tzaddik v'ra lo is still in a state of process, where the ultimate goal of conversion remains aspirational, even if his current state is one of effective control.

A secondary interpretation, drawing from the Psak/Practice section, is that the Tanya is describing two distinct modes of achieving a righteous state, each with its own internal logic and experiential reality. The tzaddik v'ra lo achieves his status through the elimination of the yetzer hara's active power, even if its essence isn't transmuted. The tzaddik v'tov lo achieves his through a profound internal synthesis, where the very forces of opposition are integrated into a higher good. The former is a victory of the spirit over the flesh through suppression; the latter is a victory through integration and transformation. The Tanakh uses language like "root out" (Deut. 21:21), which can imply eradication, while the Kabbalistic texts, cited by the Tanya, speak of conversion. The tzaddik v'ra lo embodies the former, while the tzaddik v'tov lo embodies the latter, and the Tanya seeks to reconcile these seemingly different paths.

Intertext

Tanakh: "U'V'irta HaRa Mi'Kirbecha" (Deuteronomy 21:21)

The verse "וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרַע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ" (And you shall root out the evil from within you) is directly cited by the Tanya. This command is typically understood in a legalistic context, pertaining to the removal of idolatry or certain egregious sins. However, the Tanya elevates it to a psychological and spiritual imperative. For the tzaddik v'ra lo, this "rooting out" is a forceful expulsion, an expulsion that, while effective, doesn't necessarily lead to a complete conversion of the expelled substance. It's like uprooting a weed; the weed is gone, but the soil might still retain traces of its essence. The tzaddik v'tov lo, on the other hand, achieves a deeper level of this commandment, where the "evil" is not merely removed but transmuted, so that its very roots are transformed into fertile ground for holiness.

Talmudic Concept of "Batul B'shishim" (Chullin 97b ff.)

The Tanya's footnote explicitly links the "minuteness" of the evil in the tzaddik v'ra lo to the halachic principle of batul b'shishim (nullification in sixty). This principle states that a forbidden substance is rendered permissible if it is mixed with sixty times its volume of permissible substance, such that its taste, smell, or appearance is no longer discernible. This analogy is profoundly insightful. Just as a minuscule impurity in a large quantity of food becomes effectively non-existent in terms of its halachic effect, so too does the evil inclination, when reduced to a tiny fragment and fully subjugated, lose its power to corrupt the individual's actions and intentions. The tzaddik v'ra lo is so overwhelmingly saturated with goodness that the residual evil, however inherently "evil," has no practical impact on his life or his standing before G-d. This explains why he is still considered a tzaddik and why his struggle, while not culminating in full conversion, is nevertheless a path to righteousness.

Psak/Practice

The Tanya's distinction between the two types of righteous individuals has significant implications for how we understand spiritual development and the nature of struggle.

Heuristics for Spiritual Advancement

The Tanya presents a tiered system of spiritual achievement. The tzaddik v'ra lo represents a significant level of accomplishment: the effective subjugation of the yetzer hara. This is a attainable goal for many, involving diligent effort in controlling one's impulses and thoughts. The emphasis here is on discipline and vigilance.

The tzaddik v'tov lo, however, represents a higher, more transformative state. This level is characterized by an active love of G-d so profound that it reorients one's entire being, converting even the potential for evil into a source of holiness. This suggests that true spiritual mastery is not just about suppression but about transmutation and integration. The aspiration for this level involves cultivating an all-consuming love for G-d that fundamentally alters one's perception and relationship with the world and its temptations.

Meta-Psak: The Spectrum of Righteousness

The Tanya, by categorizing righteousness into distinct levels, implicitly warns against a monolithic understanding of spirituality. It suggests that there isn't a single mold for the righteous person, but rather a spectrum of attainment. This can be a source of encouragement, as the struggle of the tzaddik v'ra lo is still a valid and significant path. It also sets a high bar, pointing to the ultimate ideal of the tzaddik v'tov lo whose very essence is aligned with divine will.

Takeaway

Righteousness is not a binary state but a spectrum, defined by the individual's capacity to either conquer or convert the yetzer hara. True spiritual ascent lies in transforming the very substance of temptation into the fuel for holiness.