Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 13:1

Sugya Map

• Issue: The nature of the benoni (intermediate person) and their relationship with the yetzer hara (evil inclination). Specifically, how the benoni can be judged by both good and evil, yet not be definitively wicked, even when the yetzer hara is strong.
• Nafka Mina(s):
  • Understanding the precise spiritual standing of the average person.
  • The dynamics of spiritual struggle and the role of divine assistance.
  • The subjective self-perception of the benoni versus objective spiritual status.
  • The nature of "true service" (avodah temimah) and its differentiations.
• Primary Sources:
  • Berachot 61b (intermediate people judged by both impulses).
  • Kiddushin 30b (divine assistance against the yetzer hara).
  • Niddah 30b ("In your own eyes, regard yourself as if you were wicked").
  • Genesis 25:23 ("One nation shall prevail over the other").
  • Psalms 109:22 ("My heart is void within me").
  • Proverbs 12:19 ("The lip of truth shall be established forever").
  • Exodus 26:28 (metaphor for Jacob's truth).
  • Chagigah 13a (feet of Chayot).
  • Tanya, Part I, Chapters 1, 9, 10, 12 (foundational concepts of the animal and divine souls, the "small city").

Text Snapshot

Therewith will be understood the commentary of our Sages¹ Berachot 61b. that “intermediate people are judged by both [the good and evil natures], for it is written, ‘When He stands at the right of the destitute to deliver him from the judges of his soul.’”² “Judges”—in the plural, allegorically interpreted to refer to the two impulses which motivate man’s actions. Note that they did not say “ruled” by both, G–d forbid, because where the evil nature gains any control and dominion over the “small city,” even though but temporarily, one is at such times deemed “wicked.” The evil nature [in the benoni], however, is no more than, for example, a magistrate or judge who gives his opinion on a point of law, yet it is not necessarily a final decision to be implemented in deed, for there is another magistrate or judge who is contesting this opinion. It is, therefore, necessary to arbitrate between the two, and the final verdict rests with the arbitrator. Similarly, the evil nature states its opinion in the left part of the heart,³ The “seat” of the passions. Cf. above, ch. 9. which thence ascends to the brain for contemplation. Immediately it is challenged by the second judge, the divine soul in the brain⁴ The intellect is the forte of the divine soul. Ibid. extending into the right part of the heart, the abode of the good nature. The final verdict comes from the arbitrator—the Holy One, blessed is He, who comes to the aid of the good nature, as our Sages said, “If the Holy One, blessed is He, did not help him, he could not overcome his evil inclination.”⁵ Kiddushin 30b.

• Leshon Nuance: The phrase "judged by both" (נידון משני צדדין) is crucial. The text immediately clarifies that this doesn't mean "ruled" (נשלט), highlighting a qualitative distinction. The analogy of "magistrate or judge" (דיין או שופט) for the yetzer hara, opposed by another judge (the divine soul), is a powerful metaphor for internal deliberation, culminating in an "arbitrator" (הבורר). The diagram of internal geography – left heart for evil, right heart for good, brain as the seat of intellect and divine soul – is a recurring theme in the Tanya. The phrase "small city" (עיר קטנה) for the body, as discussed in Berachot 61b, is central to this analogy.

Readings

Rashi on Berachot 61b s.v. "Benoni"

Rashi, in his commentary on the Talmudic passage that introduces the concept of the benoni, explains the basis for this categorization. He states, "A benoni is one whose deeds are balanced between good and evil, and he is judged by the majority of his deeds."¹ This establishes a quantitative criterion for the benoni: an equal measure of good and evil deeds, or a situation where neither clearly predominates. The implication is that such an individual is in a perpetual state of spiritual flux, subject to the outcome of the ongoing struggle. Rashi's focus is on the observable actions, the "majority of his deeds," as the determining factor, implying that the internal inclination is measured by its outward manifestation. The nafka mina here is straightforward: one's spiritual status is a matter of accounting, a ledger of good versus bad.

Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:1-3

Maimonides, in his Laws of Repentance, grapples with the concept of human free will and divine justice, which informs the Tanya's discussion. He posits that "Every person has the capacity to incline towards good or evil."² He further elaborates that "If a person commits one sin, he is not wicked. If he commits two, he is not wicked. But if he commits many sins, he becomes wicked."³ This mirrors the benoni discussion in that it acknowledges the possibility of sin without immediate categorization as wicked. However, Maimonides' emphasis is on the accumulation of sins leading to wickedness, suggesting a more definitive threshold. His framework implicitly supports the idea of a state of being where one is not yet definitively wicked, but the path to wickedness is clear if unchecked. The nafka mina from Maimonides is the importance of consistent action in defining one's spiritual state, and the idea that a single act of sin does not condemn, but a pattern does.

Chiddush of the Tanya's Approach

The Tanya's chiddush lies in its profound internal psychologization of the benoni. While Rashi focuses on the majority of deeds and Maimonides on the accumulation of sins, the Tanya shifts the locus of struggle to the internal landscape of the heart and mind. The benoni is not merely someone with a balance of deeds, but a battleground where the yetzer hara and yetzer hatov (good inclination) are in constant, dynamic tension. The yetzer hara, even in its full "innate strength," is not necessarily acted upon; it is the lack of dominion over its expression, rather than its absence, that defines the benoni. This internal, existential struggle, where the yetzer hara's "opinion" is voiced but not necessarily implemented, is the core of the Tanya's novel contribution. The divine assistance, as the "arbitrator," is not just a passive judge but an active intervention that enables the divine soul to gain mastery, even when the yetzer hara is strong in its "essence and substance."

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¹ Rashi, Berachot 61b s.v. benoni. ² Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:1. ³ Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:3.

Friction

The most significant friction point within this passage arises from the seeming contradiction between the benoni's state of having the yetzer hara in "innate strength" and "full strength and might" in the left part of the heart, yet not being definitively "wicked." The text states:

"Yet, inasmuch as the evil in the [heart’s] left part of the benoni is in its innate strength, craving after all the pleasures of this world, not having been nullified in its minuteness in relation to the good, nor having been relegated from its position to any degree—except insofar as it has no authority and power to diffuse itself throughout the limbs of the body, because the Holy One, blessed is He, 'stands at the right hand of the poor man,' helping him and irradiating his divine soul—such a person is likened to a 'wicked man.'"

Yet, immediately following, it clarifies: "—not as actually wicked." This creates a tension: how can a person with the evil inclination in its full, unmitigated strength, even if it doesn't actively control the limbs, still be "likened to a wicked man" and yet not be actually wicked? The nafka mina is critical: if the yetzer hara is so potent, what prevents the benoni from succumbing entirely?

The best terutz is found in the Tanya's careful distinction between the essence of the yetzer hara and its manifestation or "garments." The passage explains:

"But in its essence and substance, the divine soul in the benoni has no preponderance over the animal soul, except at the time when his love for G–d manifests itself in his heart on propitious occasions, such as during prayer and the like. Even then it is limited to preponderance and dominion alone, as is written, 'And one nation shall prevail over the other,' that is, when one rises the other falls, and vice versa. Thus, when the divine soul gains strength and ascendancy over the animal soul... the sitra achara in the left part is subdued. But it is not entirely abolished, in the case of the benoni; it is so only in a tzaddik... But in a benoni it is, by way of example, similar to a sleeping man, who can awaken from his sleep. So is the evil in the benoni dormant, as it were, in the left part, during the recital of the Shema and the Prayer [Amidah], when his heart is aglow with the love of G–d, but later it can wake up again."

The terutz lies in the fact that the yetzer hara's "innate strength" and "full strength and might" refer to its potential and its presence as a force within the left ventricle. However, this force does not automatically translate into action because the divine soul, empowered by God's assistance, holds dominion over the "small city" (the body's limbs). The yetzer hara's "opinion" is voiced, but it is not implemented because the divine soul's "garments"—thought, speech, and action directed towards Mitzvot—are invested in the body's faculties. The benoni is "likened to a wicked man" not because he acts wickedly, but because the raw material of wickedness (the unmitigated yetzer hara) is present and potent within him. He is like a sleeping giant of evil; the potential for great wickedness exists, but it is currently dormant or restrained, not by the absence of the inclination, but by the active control of the divine soul. This restraint is not permanent or absolute, hence the analogy to a sleeping person who can awaken.

Intertext

Genesis 25:23: "And the LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your birth; and one people shall be stronger than the other people.'"

This verse, cited by the Tanya to illustrate the dynamic of ascendancy between the divine and animal souls ("one nation shall prevail over the other"), provides a foundational biblical parallel to the internal struggle of the benoni. The analogy is potent: just as the twin sons Esau and Jacob represent opposing forces within the womb, so too do the yetzer hara and yetzer hatov war within the human heart. The prophecy that "one people shall be stronger than the other" directly mirrors the Tanya's concept of the fluctuating dominance of the souls. The nafka mina is the deep-seated, divinely ordained nature of this conflict, suggesting it is not an anomaly but a fundamental aspect of human existence, as exemplified even in the lineage of the patriarchs. The benoni's state is thus not a personal failing but an embodiment of this universal principle of dynamic spiritual tension.

Proverbs 12:19: "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment."

This verse is invoked to differentiate the "true service" of the tzaddik from the temporary spiritual fervor of the benoni. The Tanya explains that the love of God experienced by the benoni during prayer, while genuine, is transient, passing after the prayer concludes. This contrasts with the tzaddik's service, which is characterized by a permanent state of truth and devotion. The nafka mina here is crucial for understanding the hierarchy of spiritual attainment and the qualitative difference between temporary spiritual states and enduring spiritual rectitude. The benoni's spiritual highs, though real, are ephemeral, akin to a "lying tongue" in their impermanence when compared to the tzaddik's "lip of truth" that endures "forever." This highlights the Tanya's emphasis on consistency and the integration of spiritual states into one's being, not just fleeting experiences.

Psak/Practice

The Tanya's intricate analysis of the benoni has significant implications for halacha and meta-psak heuristics, even if not directly prescribing a specific ritual.

1. Self-Perception and Humility: The directive to consider oneself "as if you were wicked" (Niddah 30b, quoted in the text) is a practical psak for the benoni's internal disposition. It prevents spiritual complacency, a dangerous pitfall when one feels they have achieved a righteous state. The nafka mina is that true spiritual progress is often accompanied by a heightened awareness of one's failings and the ever-present potential for spiritual decline, rather than self-congratulation. This cultivates a constant striving and reliance on divine aid.

2. The Nature of Spiritual Effort: The Tanya implies that even acts of intense spiritual devotion, like studying Torah or praying fervently, do not automatically eradicate the yetzer hara. The benoni must continually re-engage in these practices, not as a sign of victory, but as a necessary means of maintaining control and drawing divine assistance. This informs a meta-psak heuristic: spiritual growth is a continuous process of engagement and reinforcement, not a one-time achievement. The effort itself, sustained over time, becomes the avodah (service), even if the internal battle is ongoing.

Takeaway

The benoni is defined not by the absence of the yetzer hara, but by the divine soul's dominion over its expression, a dominion contingent on God's assistance and requiring constant spiritual engagement. True humility lies in recognizing the latent power of the yetzer hara within, even amidst spiritual ascent.