The Practical Tanya - Part One - The Book for Inbetweeners

As destructive as these patterns are, they are very hard to change. The moment we deny ourselves some gratification, we feel deprived. Part X appeals to our selfishness, telling us we should never have to feel deprived. The only way to fight this is to have an equally selfish reason not to give in to our impulses. In other words, we need to find a

people who are excited to be immersed in mitzvot that are ethically centered (bein adam l’chavero), yet mitzvot that are God centered (bein adam la’Makom) and the holiness of faith may not be as strong inside them. In fact, that same natural strength in one’s soul that drives a person toward poetry and music is what motivates a person to be involve

A person must be at peace with himself. It is no good if the different aspects of his character are in conflict with one another. He must also achieve harmony in his relationships with the outside world. Regardless of whether things are good or bad, he must always look for God in whatever happens to him. He should not allow himself to be thrown off

Rabbi Harold Kushner notes, rather than suppressing our desires (like the folks who imprisoned the yetzer hara), or mindlessly indulging them, we can sanctify our desires with the mitzvot—elevating them and ensuring they’re in the service of something beyond mere bodily satisfaction.