Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 13:6

Hook

You’re a founder. You’re driven. You want to build something great, something impactful, something that changes the game and makes you seriously wealthy in the process. You’re also a good person, or at least you think you are. You try to do the right thing. But every single day, you face decisions where the "right thing" feels like a drag, a delay, a drain on your runway, or a competitive disadvantage.

This is the founder's primal dilemma. It’s not about outright villainy; it’s about the subtle, insidious pull of expediency. It’s the whisper in your ear to stretch the truth in that pitch deck, to cut a corner on product safety, to squeeze a supplier just a little too hard, to overstate your market share, to underpay a key employee because you know they won’t leave. It’s the pressure to "win" at all costs, even if those costs are your long-term integrity, your team's morale, or your own soul.

You see your competitors doing it. You see them getting ahead. And you wonder: Am I a fool for trying to play by the rules? Am I a hypocrite for even thinking about bending them? You carry this internal tension, this constant arbitration between the vision of the upright, ethical empire you want to build, and the raw, unvarnished hunger for growth, market dominance, and profit that screams for immediate gratification. You’re not a saint, but you’re certainly not a scoundrel. You’re somewhere in between, constantly battling yourself. This text speaks directly to that internal battlefield, offering not a magical cure, but a strategic operating manual for the ethical entrepreneur who lives in the messy middle. It tells you exactly who you are, and more importantly, how to win the daily war within.

Text Snapshot

The Tanya describes the "intermediate person" (benoni) as someone in a perpetual internal arbitration. They possess both good and evil inclinations, but crucially, the evil nature never gains "control and dominion" over actions. It's like a judge giving an opinion, but not the final verdict. The divine soul, aided by G-d, prevails, ensuring ethical action. Yet, the evil nature is never abolished; it's merely subdued, like a "sleeping man" who can reawaken. The benoni is advised to regard themselves "as if wicked" even while acting righteously, never assuming the evil has dissolved. This constant vigilance, fueled by divine assistance and persistent effort, defines their "true service."

Analysis

The benoni isn't a moral superhero or a villain; they're the vast majority of us, especially founders. We're in constant internal arbitration, where our "animal soul" craves immediate gratification and worldly pleasures, while our "divine soul" yearns for integrity and higher purpose. The text offers profound insights for navigating this perpetual struggle in the cutthroat world of startups.

Insight 1: Proactive Equity Check – Assume the Animal Soul's Bias

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..."

This is a critical insight for a founder. Your "animal soul" – that primal drive for survival, growth, profit, and dominance – is not some external force; it's an "innate strength" within you. It’s "craving after all the pleasures of this world" – market share, valuation, personal wealth, industry accolades. It’s never "nullified" or "relegated." It's always there, pushing its agenda.

In business, this innate strength manifests as a natural bias towards self-interest, often at the expense of fairness. It's the voice that whispers, "Take the bigger slice," "Pay them just enough so they don't leave," "Structure this deal to maximize our upside, even if it slightly disadvantages the partner." The benoni understands that this inclination is always present, "in its innate strength," and will always advocate for its own gain.

The profound implication for business is that you cannot trust your own default judgment to be perfectly fair when your personal or company's interests are at stake. Your "animal soul" will subtly, or not so subtly, skew your perception. The text emphasizes that the evil nature "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." This "Divine help" isn't a magical bypass; it's the conscious effort to align with higher principles, often by overriding the immediate, self-serving impulse.

Decision Rule: Implement a "Proactive Equity Check" for all critical resource allocation, compensation, and partnership decisions. Recognize that your initial, gut-level assessment will likely be biased by your "animal soul's" craving for "all the pleasures of this world." Therefore, before finalizing any decision impacting fairness (e.g., salary adjustments, equity grants, revenue share agreements, vendor contracts), you must actively solicit dissenting opinions, employ objective third-party data, and establish clear, pre-defined fairness criteria. The goal is to consciously "arbitrate" against your own innate bias, allowing the "divine soul" – which seeks justice and long-term trust – to prevail. This isn't about being weak; it's about being strategically strong by acknowledging your internal vulnerability.

KPI Proxy: Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) – A higher eNPS, especially when correlated with perceived fairness in compensation, workload, and opportunities, suggests that the collective "divine soul" is effectively arbitrating against individual or leadership "animal soul" biases. If your eNPS is consistently low or declining, especially around issues of equity or treatment, it's a strong signal that your "animal soul" is winning the arbitration on fairness.

Insight 2: Perpetual Truth Audit – The Imperative of Unwavering Honesty

The text delivers a powerful punch with the line: "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." This isn't just a proverb; it's a strategic imperative for the benoni founder. The text then clarifies that while the tzaddik's truth is constant, the benoni's love (and by extension, truthfulness) "passes and disappears after prayer." However, it immediately adds that for the benoni, "their love, during their prayers, may be termed 'the lip of truth shall be established forever,' since their divine soul has the power to reawaken this kind of love constantly, during its preponderance in time of prayer day after day, by means of an appropriate [mental] preparation."

This dual message is crucial. On one hand, the "lying tongue" of expediency, of exaggeration, of misdirection in marketing, sales, or investor pitches, offers "but for a moment" of perceived gain. It might secure a deal, impress an investor, or temporarily boost sales. But it crumbles. Trust, once broken, is incredibly hard to rebuild. Your reputation, the foundation of any sustainable business, is eroded.

On the other hand, the benoni isn't expected to be a tzaddik of truth, whose honesty is effortless and inherent. The benoni experiences truth as something that needs to be "reawaken[ed] constantly," through "appropriate [mental] preparation." This means that maintaining truthfulness in a startup context is an ongoing, active struggle. Your "animal soul" will always find reasons to bend the truth: "Everyone else is doing it," "It’s just a little white lie," "It's for the good of the company," "We'll fix it later."

The implication is that truth is not a static state for the benoni; it's a dynamic, actively chosen path. You will be tempted to lie, to mislead, to omit crucial details. The constant reawakening of truth means that you must build systems and habits that force you back to the "lip of truth." This requires a conscious, daily commitment to rigorous honesty, recognizing that your internal default may drift towards expediency.

Decision Rule: Implement a "Perpetual Truth Audit" across all external and internal communications. Recognize that your "animal soul" will always tempt you to "lie for a moment" for short-term gain. This means establishing clear, non-negotiable standards for veracity in marketing claims, financial reporting, product capabilities, and internal discussions. Institute a process where claims are regularly cross-referenced with objective data, and where team members are empowered (and incentivized) to challenge any statement that feels like a "lying tongue." The "appropriate mental preparation" for a founder means consciously choosing to prioritize long-term trust and reputation over fleeting tactical advantages, understanding that "the lip of truth shall be established forever."

Insight 3: Ethical Competitive Stance – Subduing the Desire to Dominate

The text uses a powerful metaphor for the internal struggle: "And one nation shall prevail over the other," that is, "when one rises the other falls, and vice versa." This describes the dynamic between the divine and animal souls within the benoni. When the divine soul gains "strength and ascendancy," the "sitra achara in the left part is subdued." But crucially, "it is not entirely abolished, in the case of the benoni."

Translating this to the business arena, the drive to compete, to win, to "prevail over the other" is not inherently evil. It's a fundamental aspect of the "animal soul" that fuels innovation, efficiency, and market progress. The problem arises when this competitive drive, unchecked, becomes predatory, destructive, or unethical. The "animal soul" might push for tactics like aggressive poaching, negative campaigning, intellectual property theft, or monopolistic practices designed to crush, rather than simply out-compete, rivals.

The benoni founder understands that this competitive "nation" (the animal soul) will always exist and seek to "rise." The goal isn't to abolish competition, but to ensure that the way you compete is governed by the "divine soul." Your competitive strategy, therefore, must be constantly arbitrated. You seek to prevail, but through excellence, innovation, superior customer value, and ethical engagement, not through the ruthless subjugation of others.

The text's assertion that the evil is "not entirely abolished" in the benoni is critical here. You will feel the urge to resort to dirty tactics, to exploit loopholes, to celebrate the downfall of a rival with unholy glee. This is the "sleeping man" of evil within you, ready to "wake up again." A benoni founder does not pretend to be above these urges, but actively works to keep them dormant, subdued by the ascendancy of the divine soul's commitment to fair play and constructive competition.

Decision Rule: Adopt an "Ethical Competitive Stance." Recognize that your innate drive to dominate and "prevail over the other" is powerful but must be constantly "subdued" by your divine soul. This means consciously defining and adhering to ethical boundaries in all competitive actions. Focus on creating unique value, innovating faster, and serving customers better, rather than engaging in destructive or unfair practices. Before making a significant competitive move (e.g., launching a new product, entering a new market, responding to a competitor's aggressive action), assess it through the lens of long-term industry health and ethical impact, not just immediate market share gain. This requires regularly asking: "Are we truly creating value, or just trying to 'make the other fall' through questionable means?"

Policy Move

The Benoni's Arbitration Council: Institutionalizing Internal Checks

The text repeatedly emphasizes the need for arbitration: "It is, therefore, necessary to arbitrate between the two, and the final verdict rests with the arbitrator." It also counsels the benoni to "in your own eyes regard yourself as if you were wicked" even if "the whole world tells you that you are righteous." This profound self-awareness, acknowledging the persistent presence of the "evil nature" (the drive for short-term, self-serving gain), demands an institutionalized mechanism to ensure the "divine soul" (long-term integrity, ethical conduct) consistently prevails.

As a founder, you are the primary arbitrator of your company's soul. But the benoni knows their own judgment is fallible, constantly influenced by the "innate strength" of their animal soul, "craving after all the pleasures of this world." Relying solely on your individual conscience is a recipe for drift. Therefore, we must create an externalized, internal "arbitrator."

Policy Name: The Benoni's Arbitration Council (BAC)

Purpose: To provide a mandatory, structured internal arbitration process for all high-stakes decisions with significant ethical or long-term reputational implications, ensuring that the company’s "divine soul" (its stated values, mission, and commitment to integrity) consistently overrules the "animal soul's" (the drive for expediency, short-term profit maximization, or competitive ruthlessness) inherent bias. This policy institutionalizes the benoni's self-perception of "as if wicked" by introducing a necessary external check on internal biases.

Scope: The BAC review is mandatory for decisions impacting:

1. Customer Trust: Major changes to pricing, terms of service, data privacy policies, or public-facing product claims.
2. Employee Equity: Significant changes to compensation structures, benefits, layoff decisions, or large-scale performance management policies.
3. Partnership Integrity: Entering or exiting critical partnerships, or substantial revisions to partner agreements that could disproportionately benefit one party.
4. Competitive Conduct: Launching aggressive competitive campaigns, considering legal action against competitors, or any strategy that might be perceived as predatory.
5. Product Ethics: Introducing features with potential for misuse, algorithmic bias, or significant societal impact.

Process:

1. Trigger Event: Any decision falling within the scope above triggers a BAC review. The proposer of the decision (e.g., Head of Product, Sales Lead, HR Manager) is responsible for initiating it.
2. Council Formation: For each decision, a temporary BAC is assembled, consisting of:
   • One executive not directly involved in the decision (e.g., CTO for a sales decision, Head of Marketing for an HR decision).
   • One senior individual contributor from a different department, chosen for their critical thinking and values alignment.
   • One designated "Ethics Steward" (a rotating role, potentially from Legal, HR, or even a specially trained senior individual contributor) whose primary mandate is to represent the company's long-term ethical commitments.
   • The CEO/Founder can be on the council but is explicitly there as a participant, not the sole arbiter, reinforcing the idea of shared arbitration.
3. Submission & Preparation: The proposer prepares a brief, objective summary of the decision, outlining:
   • The proposed action and its immediate benefits (the "animal soul's" argument).
   • Potential ethical risks, negative externalities, or fairness concerns (the "divine soul's" counter-arguments).
   • Alternative approaches considered and why they were rejected.
   • Relevant company values or policy statements.
4. Arbitration Session: The council meets to discuss. The core of the discussion is not just "is it legal?" but "is it right for our company's long-term integrity and values?" The Ethics Steward specifically challenges assumptions and biases, asking questions like:
   • "If this decision were public, how would it reflect on our stated values?"
   • "Who might be unintentionally harmed by this decision, and how can we mitigate that?"
   • "Are we optimizing for short-term gain at the expense of long-term trust?"
   • "Are we acting from a place of fear or greed, or from our core purpose?" The text states, "It is, therefore, necessary to arbitrate between the two, and the final verdict rests with the arbitrator." Here, the council acts as that arbitrator.
5. Verdict & Recommendation: The council provides a written recommendation: Approve, Approve with Conditions (e.g., requiring specific mitigation steps, additional communication, or revised terms), or Reject. The CEO/Founder retains ultimate authority but must provide a written justification for overriding a BAC rejection. This justification itself becomes a document of record, holding the founder accountable to the spirit of the arbitration.

Benefits:

• Mitigates Founder Bias: Directly addresses the benoni's inherent struggle by forcing a multi-perspectival ethical review, preventing individual "animal soul" inclinations from unilaterally dictating critical decisions.
• Embeds Values: Makes ethical considerations a mandatory part of high-stakes decision-making, moving values from posters to process.
• Builds Trust: Signals to employees, customers, and partners that the company takes integrity seriously, fostering long-term trust that "shall be established forever," rather than a "lying tongue" that is "but for a moment."
• Reduces Risk: Proactively identifies and mitigates ethical, legal, and reputational risks before they become crises.
• Develops Ethical Muscle: Provides a continuous "mental preparation" for ethical decision-making, helping the "divine soul" to "reawaken this kind of love constantly."

By implementing the Benoni's Arbitration Council, founders acknowledge their own internal battle and proactively establish a framework for the "divine soul" to consistently prevail, ensuring that the company's actions align with its highest ideals, even when the temptations of the "evil nature" are strongest.

Board-Level Question

The text makes a crucial distinction for the benoni: the "evil nature" is "not entirely abolished... it is, by way of example, similar to a sleeping man, who can awaken from his sleep." Furthermore, the text declares, "If the Holy One, blessed is He, did not help him, he could not overcome his evil inclination." This suggests that overcoming our baser urges is not a purely self-reliant act; it requires a form of "Divine help," an external force or framework that empowers the good.

At the board level, the company's "animal soul" can be seen as the relentless, often amoral, pursuit of quarterly results, market dominance, aggressive growth at any cost, and maximizing shareholder value above all else. Its "divine soul" is the company's stated mission, its core values, its commitment to stakeholders beyond shareholders, and its long-term vision for positive impact. The board's challenge is to ensure the "divine soul" consistently prevails, even when the "sleeping man" of expediency, greed, or fear threatens to awaken within the corporate structure.

Strategic Board Question: "Given the benoni's fundamental reality that our collective 'animal soul' – the drive for pure profit, unchecked growth, and competitive dominance – is never truly abolished but only subdued (like a 'sleeping man' who can awaken), how do we, as a board, systematically embed 'Divine assistance' – through governance frameworks, cultural accountability, and strategic incentives – into our decision-making processes to ensure our 'divine soul' (our stated values, long-term integrity, and stakeholder commitment) consistently gains ascendancy and prevails, particularly during periods of intense pressure or opportunity, thereby avoiding the 'lying tongue' that is 'but for a moment'?"

Why this question matters:

This question is not about religious dogma; it's about robust risk management, sustainable value creation, and enduring brand equity.

1. Acknowledging Inherent Bias: It forces the board to confront the uncomfortable truth that even a well-intentioned company is, at its core, a collection of benonim. There's an inherent, powerful bias towards short-term gain that, like the "evil nature," is "in its innate strength, craving after all the pleasures of this world." Ignoring this is naive and dangerous.
2. Proactive vs. Reactive Ethics: Instead of waiting for an ethical crisis to react, this question pushes for proactive, systemic solutions. How do we build "Divine assistance" into our DNA? This could involve structuring executive compensation to reward long-term ethical performance, establishing independent ethics committees with real teeth, mandating transparent reporting on ESG metrics, or embedding ethical considerations into every stage of product development and market strategy.
3. Defining "Divine Assistance" for Business: "Divine assistance" in this context translates to the frameworks, guardrails, and cultural norms that elevate the company's higher purpose over its base instincts. It's about designing a system where the "good inclination" is empowered and the "evil inclination" is actively checked. This could include:
   • Governance Structures: Independent board members, clear ethical charters, whistleblower protections, and robust audit mechanisms.
   • Cultural Reinforcement: Leadership by example, values-driven hiring, performance reviews that include ethical conduct, and psychological safety for reporting concerns.
   • Incentive Alignment: Tying compensation not just to financial metrics, but to ethical performance, customer trust, and long-term societal impact.
4. Long-term Value Creation: The text states, "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." This is a direct ROI statement. Companies built on truth and integrity (the "divine soul") establish enduring trust and brand loyalty, which are "established forever." Those that succumb to the "lying tongue" of expediency ultimately face reputational damage, customer churn, and regulatory penalties, which are "but for a moment" of fleeting gain. The board's role is to ensure the company builds for "forever."
5. Strategic Resilience: Periods of "intense pressure or opportunity" (e.g., funding rounds, market downturns, competitive threats, rapid growth) are when the "sleeping man" of the animal soul is most likely to awaken. This question challenges the board to identify these inflection points and pre-emptively fortify the company's ethical defenses.

By asking this question, the board moves beyond superficial compliance and delves into the foundational ethical architecture of the company, recognizing that the struggle for integrity is perpetual and requires constant, systemic "Divine assistance" to ensure the company's highest ideals consistently prevail.

Takeaway

You're not a saint, you're a benoni. Your internal struggle between profit and principles is real, constant, and never fully resolved. Don't fight it alone; institutionalize "Divine assistance" – frameworks, policies, and a culture of vigilant self-arbitration – to ensure your divine soul consistently outmaneuvers your animal soul. Build for "forever" with the "lip of truth," not for a "moment" with a "lying tongue."