Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 12:5

Alright, partner, let's dive into some Tanya. This text is a foundational piece in Chabad Chassidut, and it offers a radically different perspective on spiritual progress than what you might be used to.

Hook

Ever wonder what it means to be truly "intermediate" in your spiritual journey? This passage from Tanya challenges our everyday understanding, presenting a benoni who, astonishingly, has never sinned, yet isn't considered fully righteous.

Context

The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, composed Tanya in the late 18th century as a guide for spiritual growth, specifically translating the esoteric concepts of Kabbalah into an accessible, psychological framework for every Jew. This redefinition of the benoni (intermediate person) is one of its most revolutionary aspects. Historically, the benoni was commonly understood as someone whose good deeds and bad deeds were roughly balanced, as seen in the Talmud (Rosh HaShanah 16b) and crystallized by Maimonides (Hilchot Teshuvah 3:2). However, the Alter Rebbe, building on the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, shifts the focus from a quantitative balance of external actions to a qualitative state of internal struggle and control. This move democratized spiritual aspiration, making the intense internal work of the "small city" (the human being as a microcosm, a metaphor rooted in Kohelet 9:14 and expanded in Zohar I:201a) the primary arena for divine service, rather than reserving it only for elite mystics. It empowers individuals by teaching them that true spiritual mastery lies not necessarily in the elimination of evil inclination but in its constant subjugation and redirection, making the path of spiritual refinement accessible and deeply personal.

Text Snapshot

Here are a few key lines that really get to the heart of it:

The benoni (intermediate) is he in whom evil never attains enough power to capture the “small city,” so as to clothe itself in the body and make it sin. That is to say, the three “garments” of the animal soul, namely, thought, speech, and act, originating in the kelipah, do not prevail within him over the divine soul to the extent of clothing themselves in the body... thereby causing them to sin and defiling them, G–d forbid. (12:5)

He has never committed, nor ever will commit, any transgression; neither can the name “wicked” be applied to him even temporarily, or even for a moment, throughout his life. (12:5)

However, the essence and being of the divine soul, which are its ten faculties, do not constantly hold undisputed sovereignty and sway over the “small city,” except at appropriate times, such as during the recital of the Shema or the Amidah... (12:5)

Nevertheless, such a person is not deemed a tzaddik at all, because the superiority which the light of the divine soul possesses over the darkness and foolishness of the kelipah... exists only in the aforementioned three garments, but does not extend to its very essence and being in relation to those of the kelipah. (12:5)

Close Reading

Insight 1: The Benoni's Unblemished Record and Internal Struggle (Structure)

The Alter Rebbe opens with a definition of the benoni that immediately sets a remarkably high bar, yet paradoxically, also defines him by what he doesn't do. "The benoni... is he in whom evil never attains enough power to capture the 'small city,' so as to clothe itself in the body and make it sin." This is a definition by negation, emphasizing the lack of actual transgression. He then explicitly states, "He has never committed, nor ever will commit, any transgression; neither can the name 'wicked' be applied to him even temporarily, or even for a moment, throughout his life." This is a stark departure from the common understanding of an "intermediate" person, who typically might have a mix of good and bad deeds.

What this structural choice reveals is the Tanya's profound shift in focus from external action to internal experience. The benoni's struggle is not about avoiding sin once it has taken root in thought or desire, but about preventing it from ever "clothing itself in the body," meaning, from expressing itself in action, speech, or even persistent, willful thought. The arena of battle is not the external world, but the "small city" of the individual's psyche. The benoni is an individual who has achieved perfect control over his "garments" – thought, speech, and action – ensuring they are always aligned with the divine will. This re-orients our understanding of spiritual achievement: it's not just about accumulating good deeds, but about cultivating an internal state where the potential for sin is utterly suppressed at the level of expression. The fact that the benoni has never sinned, and never will, underscores the consistent, unwavering nature of this internal control. It’s not about occasional victories, but a constant, vigilant mastery that prevents any actual manifestation of evil, even temporarily. This structural emphasis on absolute non-transgression elevates the benoni far above any conventional definition of "average" or "intermediate."

Insight 2: The "Small City" and its "Garments" (Key Terms)

Two key metaphors dominate this passage: the "small city" and the "three garments" of the soul. Understanding these terms is crucial to grasping the benoni's unique spiritual state. The "small city" refers to the human being, a microcosm of the universe, where the divine soul and the animal soul (from kelipah) vie for control. The passage states, "evil never attains enough power to capture the 'small city,' so as to clothe itself in the body and make it sin." This metaphor, drawn from Kohelet 9:14 and deeply elaborated in Kabbalah and the Zohar, paints the human body and psyche as a battleground. The "city" is the individual, and the "capture" signifies the animal soul gaining dominion over the faculties of the person. For the benoni, this city is never "captured" in the sense of succumbing to sin.

The "three garments" — thought, speech, and act — are the primary means through which the soul expresses itself in the physical world. The text clarifies that "the three 'garments' of the animal soul... do not prevail within him over the divine soul to the extent of clothing themselves in the body—in the brain, in the mouth, and in the other 248 parts—thereby causing them to sin." Conversely, "Only the three garments of the divine soul, they alone are implemented in the body, being the thought, speech, and act engaged in the 613 commandments of the Torah." These garments are not merely external behaviors; they are the interface between the inner world of the soul and its outward manifestation. The benoni achieves complete mastery over these garments, ensuring that no thought, word, or action originating from the kelipah ever materializes. While the animal soul might still desire sin, it is utterly prevented from expressing that desire through these garments. This control over the garments is the hallmark of the benoni, enabling their unblemished record. It’s a powerful illustration of the idea that spiritual warfare is fought on the front lines of our daily expressions, and victory means ensuring these expressions are always aligned with holiness.

Insight 3: The Persistent Internal Struggle: "Essence and Being" vs. "Garments" (Tension)

The central tension of this chapter lies in the paradox that the benoni, despite never sinning, is "not deemed a tzaddik at all." The passage elaborates, "because the superiority which the light of the divine soul possesses over the darkness and foolishness of the kelipah... exists only in the aforementioned three garments, but does not extend to its very essence and being in relation to those of the kelipah." This distinction between "garments" and "essence and being" is crucial. While the benoni perfectly controls his thoughts, speech, and actions, preventing any outward expression of sin, the inner core of his animal soul, its "essence and being," remains fundamentally untransformed.

The text explains that during moments like Shema or Amidah, the divine soul's "essence and being" can achieve "undisputed sovereignty" over the "small city," temporarily nullifying the evil in the left part of the heart. However, "after prayer, when the state of sublimity of the Intellect of the En Sof... departs, the evil in the left part reawakens, and he begins to feel a desire for the lusts of the world and its delights." This reawakening reveals that the kelipah is still present in its "essence and being," merely repressed or subdued, not sublimated or transformed. The benoni's daily life is therefore a continuous, active struggle where the intellect (the brain) must constantly "rule over the heart," diverting attention from "sinful thoughts" and actively choosing "the completely opposite direction, particularly in the direction of holiness." The evil inclination is always there, always "undislodged," even if its expression is perfectly thwarted. This defines the benoni not as a static state of effortless purity, but as a dynamic, ongoing battle, a constant exertion of willpower to prevent inner desires from manifesting. The tzaddik, by contrast, has transformed the very "essence and being" of his animal soul, converting its darkness into light, so that evil desires no longer arise. The benoni's tension is thus a testament to human free will and the persistent, demanding effort required to maintain internal moral integrity in the face of an ever-present, untransformed lower self.

Two Angles

The definition of the benoni in Tanya stands in stark contrast to the classical halakhic understanding, presenting two distinct angles on what it means to be "intermediate."

Angle 1: The Tanya's Chabad/Kabbalistic Definition

The Alter Rebbe's definition of the benoni is revolutionary and deeply psychological, rooted in Kabbalistic thought. As we've seen, this benoni is someone who "has never committed, nor ever will commit, any transgression." Their perfection lies in the absolute control over their "garments"—thought, speech, and action. They never allow the animal soul's desires to manifest externally or even to be willingly entertained in the mind. The battle for the benoni is entirely internal: the evil inclination (the kelipah in the left part of the heart) still exists and "reawakens" after prayer, creating desires for worldly lusts. However, the divine soul, through the power of the intellect ("the brain rules over the heart"), consistently triumphs, preventing these desires from translating into sin. This is a state of constant, vigilant suppression and redirection of negative impulses. The Tanya emphasizes that this internal struggle, while achieving outward perfection, means the "essence and being" of the animal soul remains untransformed, thus precluding the status of a tzaddik. This perspective elevates the internal, ongoing effort of control and conscious choice as the highest form of "intermediate" spiritual achievement, far surpassing a mere balance of good and bad deeds.

Angle 2: The Classical Halakhic/Talmudic Definition (e.g., Maimonides)

In classical Jewish thought, particularly as articulated in the Talmud and by Maimonides, the benoni is defined quite differently. The Talmud in Rosh HaShanah 16b states that "the world is judged... three groups pass before Him: complete righteous, complete wicked, and benonim (intermediates)." It then defines benonim as "those whose merits and sins are equal." Maimonides, in his Hilchot Teshuvah (Laws of Repentance) 3:2, echoes this, stating, "One whose merits and sins are equal is a benoni." This definition focuses primarily on the quantitative balance of one's external actions. A benoni in this sense can and does commit transgressions, but also performs commandments, such that the sum total of their good and bad deeds is balanced. The spiritual work for such a benoni often involves repentance for past sins and striving to increase merits to tip the scale toward righteousness. The internal state of desires and inclinations is less central to this definition; the primary metric is observable behavior. The Tanya itself explicitly highlights this divergence in footnote 2, noting that "the rank of benoni, as defined in the Tanya, is far superior to the rank of tzaddik as defined generally when it is applied to one whose good deeds exceed the bad." This clearly demonstrates the Alter Rebbe's intention to redefine and elevate the concept, moving from a quantitative, external assessment to a qualitative, internal mastery.

Practice Implication

The Tanya's intricate description of the benoni offers profound guidance for daily practice, particularly emphasizing the inherent power of the intellect to shape our spiritual reality. The passage declares, "the brain rules over the heart... For this is how man is created from birth, that each person may, with the willpower in his brain, restrain himself and control the drive of lust that is in his heart, preventing his heart’s desires from expressing themselves in action, word, or thought, and divert his attention altogether from the craving of his heart toward the completely opposite direction, particularly in the direction of holiness." This is not an abstract philosophical claim, but a direct call to action, offering a powerful practical implication: active intellectual redirection and control over our inner landscape.

For the benoni, and by extension for any individual striving for spiritual growth, this means that even when unwanted thoughts or desires arise "of its own accord from the heart to the brain," we are not helpless victims. The text explicitly states that the benoni "thrusts it out with both hands and averts his mind from it the instant he reminds himself that it is an evil thought, refusing to accept it willingly, even to let his thoughts play on it willingly." This describes a conscious, forceful mental act. It's not enough to merely avoid acting on a negative impulse; one must actively engage the intellect to expel the thought and redirect attention. This practice applies not only to forbidden matters but also to interpersonal relations: "as soon as there rises from his heart to his mind some animosity or hatred... he gives them no entrance into his mind and will. On the contrary, his mind exercises its authority and power over the spirit in his heart to do the very opposite and to conduct himself toward his neighbor with the quality of kindness and a display of abundant love."

This teaches us that our mind is not a passive receptacle for whatever thoughts or feelings emerge from the heart. Rather, it is an active governor, equipped with an innate "willpower" to choose its focus. In daily life, this translates into a constant, vigilant practice of mindfulness and redirection. When a distracting thought, a negative impulse, or an uncharitable feeling arises, the benoni doesn't dwell on it or rationalize it. Instead, he immediately identifies it as originating from the kelipah (folly) and consciously "thrusts it out," replacing it by consciously focusing on a holy thought, engaging in Torah study, or extending kindness. This intellectual discipline is what empowers the benoni to maintain a sinless record despite the persistent presence of the animal soul. It reshapes our daily decisions by empowering us to see every moment as an opportunity to exercise the brain's dominion over the heart, actively choosing holiness over mundane or negative impulses, and redirecting our entire being "toward the completely opposite direction, particularly in the direction of holiness."

Chevruta Mini

1. The Tanya's definition of a benoni — one who has never sinned and never will — sets an incredibly high bar, far exceeding the common understanding of "intermediate." While this ideal is profoundly inspiring and elevates the potential for human spiritual achievement, does it risk demotivating individuals who genuinely struggle with actual transgressions and find themselves falling short of this perfect standard? Or does it offer a clearer, more precise target for internal work, pushing us to strive for absolute mastery over our "garments" regardless of past missteps?
2. The passage strongly emphasizes the power of the "brain to rule over the heart," highlighting the active role of willpower in restraining desires and redirecting attention. How does one cultivate this "willpower in his brain" without becoming emotionally detached or suppressing genuine, healthy spiritual or even mundane emotions? Where is the balance between intellectual control and authentic emotional engagement, particularly when the text describes actively "thrusting out" thoughts and averting the mind from cravings?

Takeaway

The Tanya's benoni is an unblemished soul, defined not by the absence of inner struggle, but by the intellect's unwavering, active victory over the animal soul's desires, ensuring absolute sinlessness in thought, speech, and action, yet distinct from the tzaddik whose very essence is transformed.

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Sefaria URL: https://www.sefaria.org/Tanya%2C_Part_I%3B_Likkutei_Amarim_12%3A5