Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 6:7

Hey there, welcome! So, have you ever felt like there are forces pulling you in different directions? Like one part of you wants to do something good, and another part just… doesn't? Or maybe you've wondered why sometimes the world seems to have so much stuff going on that feels… well, not so great. You know, those times when you’re trying to be your best self, but something else seems to be whispering in your ear, tempting you away? It can be confusing, right? Like, is there a whole system behind this push and pull? Today, we're going to peek behind the curtain of Jewish thought, specifically in a really foundational text called the Tanya. We’re going to explore a core idea that helps explain this internal tug-of-war and also gives us a way to understand the world around us a little better. Get ready to have your mind gently expanded – no prior knowledge needed, just your wonderful curiosity!

Context in 4 Bullets

• Who/When/Where: This text comes from Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad movement, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in what is now Belarus. He wrote the Tanya to make complex Jewish mystical ideas accessible to everyone, not just scholars. It’s considered a central text in Chabad philosophy.

• Key Term: Sitra Achara: This Hebrew phrase literally means "the other side." In this context, it refers to the spiritual force or realm that is the opposite of holiness. Think of it as the "not-God" side of things, the source of temptation, impurity, and mundane distractions. It's not necessarily evil in a cartoon villain way, but rather the absence of divine connection.

• The Big Picture Idea: The Tanya often talks about how everything in existence has a spiritual root. So, even the "other side" isn't totally separate from God; it's more like a shadow or an inverted reflection that gets its energy from "behind God's back," meaning in a diminished, indirect way. This concept helps explain why good and bad, holy and profane, seem to exist side-by-side.

• Why This Matters for You: Understanding this idea can help you make sense of your own internal struggles and the challenges you see in the world. It offers a framework for recognizing that the pull towards less-than-ideal things isn't random, but part of a larger spiritual dynamic. It’s like getting a map for navigating your inner landscape and the world outside.

Text Snapshot

The Tanya opens with a powerful idea from the Book of Ecclesiastes: "God has made one thing opposite the other." This means that in the spiritual world, just like in the physical world, things often come in pairs of opposites. Our holy divine soul has its positive aspects, like ten holy "sefirot" (spiritual attributes or emanations) and three "holy garments" (our positive thoughts, speech, and actions). But then there’s the "other side" – the sitra achara – which is the opposite of holiness. This "other side" has its own "ten crowns of impurity," which are like negative tendencies or character traits. These negative traits are fueled by our "animal soul," which is connected to our physical body and can be immature, leading to desires for trivial things, anger over small matters, or boasting. When we act on these negative traits – through our thoughts, speech, or actions – these become the "impure garments" for the "other side." The text explains that anything not focused on God and His will comes from this "other side." It's called "the other side" because it's not the side of holiness, which is all about connection to God. The holy side draws directly from God, but the "other side" draws from God indirectly, through a long chain of diminishing spiritual energy, like a reflection in a dirty mirror. This is why the world can seem full of mundane or even difficult things; they get their existence from this distant, indirect spiritual source.

Close Reading

Insight 1: The Cosmic Tug-of-War is Real (and Inside You!)

The most mind-blowing part of this passage is the idea that "God has made one thing opposite the other." This isn't just a poetic line; it's a fundamental principle. The text explains that just as we have a "divine soul" with its good qualities (like kindness, wisdom, and generosity, which the text calls "holy sefirot" and "holy garments"), there's also a force that pulls us away from these good qualities. This is the sitra achara, or "the other side." It has its own set of negative traits, like selfishness, anger, or vanity. The Tanya is saying that this cosmic tug-of-war isn't just happening "out there"; it's happening inside each of us! Our "animal soul," which is tied to our physical body and basic desires, can be immature, like a child who gets upset over a dropped cookie. When we act on these immature desires or negative tendencies, we’re essentially giving power to the "other side." It's like wearing an "impure garment" that clothes these negative forces. This insight is super practical because it helps us name what's going on when we feel conflicted. It’s not a failing on your part; it’s a universal spiritual dynamic.

Insight 2: "The Other Side" Gets Its Energy, But Indirectly

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. The text doesn't say that the "other side" is totally separate from God. Instead, it describes its energy source as coming "behind its back," or through a long, diminishing chain of spiritual descent. Imagine God's light as a bright sun. The "holy side" is like standing directly in the sun's rays, feeling its warmth and energy. The "other side" is like being in a room with thick, dusty curtains, where you can still feel some of the sun's warmth, but it's much weaker, distorted, and indirect. The text calls this process "innumerable contractions" and a "lowering of the worlds." This is a super important concept because it means that even the things that seem bad or mundane are still, in a very, very indirect way, connected to the divine source of all existence. They aren't truly separate or nothingness. This helps us avoid falling into despair or thinking that bad things are purely evil and disconnected from any good. It suggests that even in the most challenging situations, there’s still a subtle thread of existence, and where there's existence, there's a connection, however faint, to the Creator. This perspective can be incredibly hopeful, as it implies that no aspect of reality is truly beyond redemption or connection.

Insight 3: Our Actions, Thoughts, and Speech Matter (A Lot!)

The Tanya is very clear: when we "meditate in them [the ten unclean categories], or speak them, or act by them," we are actively clothing the forces of the "other side." This means that our thoughts, our words, and our actions are not just random events. They are spiritual acts that either strengthen the side of holiness or the side of the sitra achara. If our thoughts are filled with judgment or gossip, our speech is used for negativity, or our actions are driven by selfishness, we are essentially "dressing up" the forces of the "other side." Conversely, when our thoughts, speech, and actions are directed towards God, towards learning, towards kindness, towards helping others – we are clothing the holy side. The text states, "He dwells only on such a thing that abnegates itself completely to Him." This means that holiness thrives when we are humble and connect ourselves to the Divine. This insight is a powerful call to mindfulness. It’s a reminder that we have agency in this cosmic drama. Every word we speak, every thought we entertain, every deed we perform has a spiritual consequence. We are not passive observers; we are active participants in shaping our inner world and, in a small way, the spiritual landscape around us.

Apply It

This week, let’s practice recognizing the "other side" in our own lives, in a super gentle way. For just 60 seconds each day, when you notice yourself feeling a strong urge to do something you know isn't ideal – maybe it's scrolling endlessly on your phone when you should be resting, or a flash of irritation at someone – just pause for that minute. Take a gentle breath. And simply acknowledge, without judgment, "Ah, that's the sitra achara (the other side) trying to get my attention." You don't need to fight it or fix it. Just notice it, like observing a cloud passing in the sky. That’s it! It’s about building awareness, not about winning a battle.

Chevruta Mini

1. The Tanya mentions that the "other side" gets its energy indirectly, like "behind its back." What does this idea of indirect spiritual energy make you think or feel about the nature of "bad" or mundane things in the world?
2. We talked about how our thoughts, speech, and actions can "clothe" either the holy side or the "other side." Can you think of a time when you felt your words or actions really strengthened something positive for yourself or someone else? What did that feel like?

Takeaway

Remember this: the spiritual world has a dynamic of opposites, and our choices in thought, speech, and action actively engage with this dynamic.