The Practical Tanya - Part One - The Book for Inbetweeners

If someone is mean or hurtful to you, remember that this is only happening because G-d felt that it would be helpful for the evolution of your soul. Never seek revenge against people that hurt you. Actually, you should be nice to them, because, despite their malicious intent, they have really helped you. Either they have caused you to learn an impo

The main thing is to dominate and control the natural tendencies of the Animal Soul, in the heart’s left chamber. The all-encompassing principle is: You must wrestle with your nature and seek to control it.

Chafitzah represents an even more intense state where, unlike physical desires which subside when you are satisfied, your desire for G-d never diminishes. “And upon completing a mitzvah which came your way... you are not satisfied by what you have done. On the contrary, now you have a stronger desire” (ibid.). וְהִיא

The hallmark of service is effort. If you’re not wrestling with your darker side, you are not serving G-d. Period. Doing more than you are accustomed to (in Torah and mitzvos) is always a form of service, since it inevitably requires effort. “Ideal service” of G-d doesn’t mean becoming a tzadik. It means struggling to be the best person you can be.

Ultimately, I can control my emotions because what I feel is always an outcome of what I think. I let my chochmah flow by being intellectually curious, imaginative and by looking at the bigger picture. Next, I use my binah by being logical and detail orientated, carefully examining the raw concept from my chochmah. The crucial step, which generates

A mitzvah is a connection ritual, a sacred technology which brings you into an intimate bond with G-d.

An emotion is your reaction to something outside of you. While you might experience a vast range of emotions, they essentially fall into two categories: You are either drawn to the thing (love) or repelled by it (fear).

Your brain (will-power) naturally rules over your heart (emotions). You might not be able to control your urges, but with your will-power you can prevent the urges from ever affecting your behavior. “A small amount of light will push away a lot of darkness.” Evil’s strength is that it is tangible; its weakness is that it is instantly dispelled by s

That is how you should relate to your thoughts. They are what your soul is “wearing” at any given moment. Your soul never bares herself; it always expresses — and hides — itself through a “garment” of thought.