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Daily "Chitas" Tanya

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Tough Love

Questions for today:

How does our understanding of loving everyone, no matter what, fit with the strict approach we see often, seemingly denigrating people for sinning?

There is a popular quote from King Solomon, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”

However, this translation is not accurate. King Solomon actually wrote that if you spare the rod, you hate your child.

If we love someone, we want what's best for them. Therefore, if we love someone so much, we have to be willing to help them improve, even if it makes us feel a little uncomfortable.

With that perspective, today the Tanya adds to what we said yesterday about loving everybody regardless of their spiritual level or their level of observance.

The Tanya quotes a Talmud that says that if you see a person sin, you should hate them.

How can this be?
The Tanya explains that we are not only talking about somebody who we know well enough to know his intentions, but also about someone with whom we share such a close relationship that our discomfort will actually help lift them up to improve.

Most importantly, the Tanya says that regardless of the obligation to feel uncomfortable because of someone’s bad deed, the obligation to love them still stands. Not only this, this obligation actually increases because of the sympathy that we have for them as they fight to overcome his struggle.

 081 Tanya Adar 10 ~ m095 Adar I, 26

Tanya book 1, Ch 32, Pt 2

 We learned that we must love everyone, regardless of observance - but the Talmud seems to teach us that if we see someone sin, we need to hate them?
When we read carefully, the Talmud is very specific. This is a very focused obligation only for someone that we can lift up through our actions. Regardless, the hating only applies to the bad deed. The obligation to love the full person applies simultaneously.

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/27/2022

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgxWcGJeyLU&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=82

 

 

Now That I Found Me, We Are One

Questions for today:

With so much emphasis on “Love Your Neighbor like yourself”, where are the instructions?

What does it mean to love someone like yourself?

When you love someone that's not yourself, it's based on a metric. For example, if I love them for their sense of humor, how funny are they? Or, if I love them because we're similar, then how similar are we?

Self-love doesn't work that way. I love myself no matter what. I love my father, and it doesn't matter how much father has done for me because he’s an extension of myself.

How do you feel this way for somebody else?

Let’s go back to the exercise we've been discussing for the last few weeks, to look in the mirror and recognize the self-centeredness and insignificance of my body.

On the flipside, we must recognize the value of the soul within us, and our joy with our soulful achievements. This lesson, to prioritize the soul over the body, is the underlying guidance of every part of the Torah.

When we comprehend this, we gain the perspective that, among all of us, I have no idea whose soul is more valuable than the other. Not only this, but in essence your soul, and my soul, are one soul.

 

080 Tanya Adar 9 ~ m092 Adar I, 23

Tanya book 1, Ch 32, Pt 1

 THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS THYSELF  Rabbi Akiba said: “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah” (Sifra;  Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:3
a) how is this a fundamental principle of ALL the Torah?
b) what is “self” love?
c) how do we have self-love for another?
By fulfilling the exercises of the past few chapters to prioritize the soul over the body (a) we gain a perspective from a stance where we are all one (c) and our love is inherent, no matter what (b)

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/24/2022

See today’s video:

https://youtu.be/EkfMiNknrLo

 

Bleaching Our Souls

Questions for today:

We’ve learned – and we see clearly – that depression drags us down. Why ask us to look in the mirror, with such emotional results?

 

We studied several chapters and a lot of places in Tanya, where it says that depression is a poison that makes us lose the battle against our animal Soul.

 

Yet now, we just had two chapters telling us look in the mirror and beat ourselves up. Why?

 

Today the Tanya clarifies:

Firstly, we're not talking about ‘depression’, which is a bottomless hole that has no natural results, we are referring to ‘bitterness’.

 

Bitterness is a painful - but living - experience that accomplishes something.

 

Secondly, even if when we look in the mirror, the initial reaction is to be down on ourselves before we become productive this is part of the way that G-d created the world.

 

We fill our house with poisonous chemicals to get rid of bacteria and dirt. We chop down a tree with a wooden axe handle. It takes a snake-like person to catch a snake.

 

If we're going to get rid of our natural negativity, we might need to use a little bit of emotional bleach.

        

076 Tanya Adar 5 ~ m091 Adar I, 22

Tanya book 1, ch 31, Pt 1

If depression is a debilitating poison, why ask us to be introspective about our faults?

a Yes depression is debilitating, but what we are stimulating is not depression, it's productive bitterness.

b) Even it brings us down temporarily, since we are fighting a physical battle, we may need physical weapons to fight.

 

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/23/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12AzxRveH5U&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=77

 

 

I’m Not To My Standard

075 Tanya Adar 4~ m090 Adar I, 21

Questions for today:

The Mishneh that teaches to be humble to every person is in the Torah, so not semantic. How can I not just act humbly, but in fact be truly humble, to everyone?

 

A fellow sees an empty seat at the Superbowl. He tells the woman on the other side, “I wonder whose seat this is?” She responds that it was her late husband’s seat. He says, “I'm so sorry for your loss, but I’m surprised that no one in the family took the ticket.” She says, “Me too, they all insisted on going to the funeral.”

 

That response would be decidedly less dramatic if it was someone else making it, such as a friend or business associate. They would also be missed at the funeral, but it would be much more understandable. Conversely, if they would skip the Superbowl to attend the funeral, it would be so much more meaningful.

 

Over the past few lessons, we were discussing being introspective about our humble stance in our relationship between us and the Creator. We said that we can't compare ourselves with anybody else around us until we went a mile in their shoes.

 

Today, we take it a step farther. We cannot compare to others how much good, or how little bad we’ve done because it's not a competition, it's a relationship.

 

It's possible that our choices, relative to our relationship with the Creator, put us in a more humble position than all of the seven billion people around us.

 

Tanya book 1, ch 30, Pt 6

Don't compare until you walk a mile in their shoes - on steroids.

It's not a competition, it's a relationship. My good, shy of what's expected, might be a colder approach to the Creator, than the next person's perhaps lesser, yet more exerted, good.

 

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/22/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1S8plzhnlE&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=76

 

 

I’m Humble, Even To You

Questions for today:

Being honest about ourselves can sometimes come easily. However, I can always lift myself up, at least I’m not as bad as the next person. How can I fulfill the Mishneh, to be humble before everyone?

 

Have you ever walked into a meeting half an hour late, but then someone walks in even later than you, and all a sudden you don't feel so bad?

 

We're talking about how we can strengthen our relationship with the Creator through introspection and being honest about our flaws.

 

In this chapter we will go through an extensive exercise to bring that humility to a completely different level – we will be humble even compared to everyone else, and no one, no matter what, will dilute our honest evaluation of ourselves.

 

There is a fascinating story during the building of the tabernacle. Moses didn't want to accept donations of mirrors which he thought were used for vanity.

 

G-d responds that that's not how they were used. He tells Moses that the wives would show themselves and the husbands in the mirrors. The husband would take a look and see themself next to their wife. They would then realize that they aren’t greater than thier wife, which would strengthen their relationship.

 

People often feel that they could be really close to the Creator. But they think to themselves that they do so much good, and other people do so much bad, therefore, they deserve. Tanya, today, reminds us not to compare ourselves to anybody else until you've really looked in the mirror and then really walked a mile in their shoes.

 

074 Tanya Adar 3 ~ m085 Adar I, 16

Tanya book 1, ch 30, Pt 1

 

After looking in the mirror and being introspective, we mention an important element.

We must be humble even compared to others: that is, ALL others.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/17/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMUjLzYjBxE&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=75

 

Allergic To Light

Questions for today:

Our challenges seem imposing. But the key word is “seem”. I know everything is from G-d, how can I feel it?

 

Parenting fact #322: the boogeyman is allergic to light.

 

This isn't just for little kids going to bed. Even as we get older, if we have something that’s difficult to do, we may have to work hard – But if there's something that gets in the way and stops us from doing it, we just need to shine a light on it.

 

An essential aspect of our faith that the world – in its entirety – is created by G-d, is that our challenges have no life of their own. Our challenges are just here to bring out the best in us, and to encourage us to accomplish more.

 

When the Jewish people were ready to get to the Land of Israel, they told Moses that they can't go into the land, and that even G-d can’t be victorious over these enemies. Moses didn't give them more muscle or more weapons, he just yelled at them. A minute later, they said, “we're ready, let's do it.”

 

Why was this yelling successful? The second area where yelling helps is when the challenge has no life of its own; it's merely imagined in our own heads.

 

073 Tanya Adar 2 ~ m084c Adar I, 15c 

Tanya book 1, ch 29, Pt 9

 

After looking in the mirror and being introspective, we call in the G-dly soul to give a good scolding.

Scolding helps here, pt 2: When the obstacle is not real, it's just hyped in our head, to bring out our best, little self-scolding can do the trick.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/16/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6UwlhSnVyM&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=74

 

 

A Good Scolding

072 Tanya Adar 1~ m084b Adar I, 15b

 

Questions for today:

We are working to kick start our feelings of love for the Creator. What can help?

 

My teacher, Rabbi Gancz, had an acquaintance that once asked him, “What's a mentch?” He asked him why he wanted to know. The acquaintance responded, “Someone called me a mensch so I yelled at him. I've never seen yelling be so effective; a second later he tells me, you know what, you're not a mensch.”

 

Yelling is not usually effective. If you yell at a room of rowdy children, they'll be quiet, but they'll still be rowdy children.

 

After a few days of Tanya telling us to look in the mirror and introspect about all our inadequacies, it tells us to take the advice of the Talmud. The Talmud says that we should have the G-dly soul yell at the animal soul and say that “you are disgusting and evil”.

 

Why?

 

Imagine a person is on a beautiful vacation and there's a gorgeous sunset, but they’re missing it, absorbed in their phone. If you yell at them, “Put your phone down and look around!” It will work. Why? Because the environment will take over.

 

Today, Tanya reminds us that we're living in a world with a visible, loving, and caring Creator. If we just yell at ourselves to look around for a second, the truth will take over.

 

Tanya book 1, ch 29, Pt 8

After looking in the mirror and being introspective, we call in the G-dly soul to give a good scolding.

Scolding helps here, pt 1: because G-d's truth is visible, and compelling.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/16/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCniG4FE6wg&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=73

 

 

In My Dreams

071 Tanya Shvat 30 ~ m088 Adar I, 15See in blog:

 

Questions for today:

Why don’t I feel close to the Creator? Perhaps my dreams can reveal more about me than I know

 

You've heard of the phrase, “It's not you it's me”. We're having issues in the relationship, but not because of anything you did, it's because of my issues.

 

Tanya today, is discussing a ‘self-induced intervention’, trying to chip away at the shell that blocks me from having a vulnerable and warm relationship with the Creator.

 

We spoke about how our chosen identity is the animal soul, which is inherently narcissistic and self-absorbed. We also spoke about how our temptations and the trivial things that crowd our minds create a separation between us and the Creator and render the Creator irrelevant in our minds.

 

Today, we're talking about dreams. We won’t analyze them kabbalistically, but we will think about what they say about us.

 

if all our dreams are about our personal conquest and about places we've seen, it does tell us a lot about ourselves inside. It shows us that we have a lot of work to do if we'd like to have a vulnerable and open relationship with the Creator.

 

Tanya book 1, ch 29, Pt 7

 

When you break a log, it can be engulfed in the warmth of a flame - and sometimes we need that treatment too...

What do our dreams say about how self-absorbed we are?

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/16/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npammwn9Wjs&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=72

 

A Shattering Thought

070b Tanya Shvat 29b ~ m081 Adar I, 12

 

Questions for today:

If I live in a G-dly world, yet only see myself, how can I wake up from that?

 

We are discussing how to develop a relationship with the Creator, specifically how to get past things that get in the way.

 

Currently we're discussing how we get past the fact that we are so self-absorbed, that we can't feel the relationship with the Creator.

 

Let’s think how the world was created. There are no ingredients. The creator’s own fantasy concretizes to becomes the universe. This means that every single part of the universe, including seemingly bad things, are there to help facilitate a relationship with the Creator.

 

When we use those resources for ourselves without any humility or relationship with the Creator, our behavior is inferior even to those seemingly bad things, which are all there to help us connect to the Creator.

 

How do we break apart that part of our personality?

 

This thought itself – the knowledge that we have the ability to connect to the Creator with every part of ourselves and everything that we do, but instead, we use it for ourselves – That is the ax that can break apart our stance and help the relationship with the Creator shine through.

 

Tanya book 1, ch29 pt 4

Today’s Tanya both discusses the depravity of being self-absorbed, and also gives the cure – the cure being, to think honestly of our narcissistic reality.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/3/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://youtu.be/YMD3lBN6qKQ

Who Am I?

070 Tanya Shvat 29 ~ m080 Adar I, 11 

 

Questions for today:

Why the need to look in the mirror? Isn't there something I can do?

 

The idea that when you break a log, it is able to catch fire, can be applied to people as well. When we shatter our personal self-absorption, we are able to empathize with other people and feel a love for the Creator.

 

But why the need to shatter ourselves? Why not just change what we do? 

 

In the original discussion about the human soul, in the early chapters of the Tanya, we discussed the two options open to us.

 

We didn't learn that there are two whatsapp groups that give suggestions about what we should do. 

 

We spoke about two potential souls. We have an option for a Soul that we can live with, and embody that feels humble to, and one with, the Creator.

 

The other option is to live with and embody a different soul

 

The perspective of this Soul doesn't just render the Creator completely irrelevant. It's a soul that lives with the perspective of, I’m me, and I'm humbled to nothing and to nobody.”

 

To reverse that perspective, it's not enough to change what I do. I have to look in the mirror and seriously introspect about who and what I am.

 

Tanya book 1, ch 29, Pt 3

 

When you break a log, it can be engulfed in the warmth of a flame - and sometimes we need that treatment too...

 

An element of the human experience is that our self-awareness can evolve from something that we do, to something that we are.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/12/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG94HOG2vk8&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=71


 

 

Valueless Density

069b Tanya Shvat 28b ~ M079 Adar I, 10

Questions for today:

What are these calluses that prevent our spirituality from shining?

Yesterday, we used the example from the Zohar of a piece of wood that needs to be broken down in order to catch fire.

The problem wasn't the heat of the fire, so it wouldn't help to make that bigger. It also wasn't the energy content of the wood, so it wouldn’t help to add to that.

The problem catching fire was just the thickness of the log - So we had to break it down.

Where do we find that in our life; that it's not the amount of love for the Creator, or even our susceptibility to spirituality that gets in the way, but just some sort of thickness?

We find that God created the entire world for the purpose of serving the creator, the world on its own has no intrinsic value.

 To make up for it, the physicality of the world develops valueless density; it tries to convince us that it is very important to come in a second faster in a race, or to be an inch taller, a pound thinner.

Because it creates this valueless density to hide the spiritual purpose underneath, we have to break up that density in order to allow the spirituality underneath to shine through.

 

Tanya book 1, Ch 29, pt 2

Now that we learned that we all have a natural love for the creator, we are dealing with external obstructions. We discussed depression, now we discuss physical calluses.

 

Study today’s tanya in full:
https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/11/2022

See today’s video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/rOjHjLy18CE?feature=share

 

Smaller Me, Bigger Connectivity

069 Tanya Shvat 28 ~ m078 Adar I, 9  

 

Questions for today:

If I naturally love the Creator, and depression is not holding me back, what is?

 

Did you ever build a campfire? You have this beautiful little fire dancing with twigs and tissue paper, but the logs aren't catching. What do you do? You take out the thick logs and break them apart.

 

When you break the thick logs apart, something incredible happens. You have the same original fire, and the same amount of wood, but because you split it up, it bursts into flames.

 

Tanya taught us that every single person has the capacity, and even the inner nature, to love the Creator. We are now discussing how to overcome some of the external things that get in the way.

 

We spoke about depression, now we'll discuss an emotional logjam; I could see you crying, but I can't feel your pain, why? Because I'm too preoccupied within my own self-interest.

 

Over the next few days, the Tanya will discuss a healthy and productive way to break apart some of my inappropriate self-interest.

 

Tanya book 1, ch 29, Pt 1

We've learned that all of us have the capacity and the inner nature to love the creator, but there are things that get in the way.

 

Today, we begin to discuss a major obstruction, our own inappropriate self-absorption. 

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/10/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyCTn6KNUFQ&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=70


 

To Ignore Is The Best Defense

068 Tanya Shvat 27 ~ m077b Adar I, 8b

Questions for today:

If my challenges increase when I start doing well, eg when I start praying, how should I react?

Recently, there was a great ad campaign. We'd see grown adults acting like total fools; one of them is swinging around a lightsaber, |another one is dressed like a fairy prancing around…

…And then the camera pans out, and you can see that they are sharing a heartwarming moment with their little child, and the ad concludes, “take a moment to be a dad today”

Yesterday we gave an analogy of a competition to describe distracting thoughts while we are praying. In fact, it's a great analogy because there really are two souls that are competing: The G-dly soul is engaged in contemplative, meditative, prayer directly with the Creator.

Meanwhile, the animal soul is throwing tomatoes trying to distract.

Today's Tanya reminds us, that the way to respond is to focus on our prayer and ignore the distraction.

Because if we are going to engage with the distraction, for example to try to analyze where is it coming from, then when the camera pans out we're going to see that we are engaged with a fool - and we're going to look like a fool.

Tanya book 1, ch28 pt 2

Yesterday's analogy of a competition is ideal, since indeed there are two souls inside of us, competing.

Our rules of engagement must be: don't engage. When we wrestle a fool, we look foolish as well.

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/9/2022

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o23BHFBHYLo&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKI_BRnjBvHe&index=69

 

A Mirrored Measure

067 Tanya Shvat 26 ~ m077 Adar I, 8  

Questions for today:

When I feel my inner challenges grow, I tend to place myself on the injured, or the “not worth trying” list. Is it possible that my challenges are a measure of my success?

You've heard the phrase, “you should have seen what happened to the other guy.” A kid comes into class all banged up and he says, either honestly or in jest, “you should have seen what happened to the other guy”.

This is our intuitive reaction every time we see half of a competition. We see only one contestant in a race. When the person we see starts to run a little faster, we assume that the challenger is also picking up speed. You watch a wrestling match and all the sudden the person gets a burst of energy, you assume that they're either reacting to, or instigating, an adrenaline rush.

We think this way in every situation except for in spirituality. If I'm praying and, all of a sudden, I get attacked by numerous distractions, I think to myself I'm terrible at praying; I'm not a spiritual person.

Today's Tanya reminds us to be intellectually honest. If I'm doing something holy and I get attacked, the Tanya tells us we should respond, “you should see what happened on the spiritual side.”

 

Tanya book 1, ch28 pt 1

Whenever we see half of a competition, we assume that the challenger is matching the pattern that we see, speeding up or increasing energy, as do the competitors within our line of vision.

Sadly, when our divine work is challenged, we assume instead that it is inherently weak. Today we are reminded to reverse that. A challenge to our spiritual effort is an indication of its health and success.

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/9/2022

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcq7da5xmlA&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=68

 

A Refining Construction

066 Tanya Shvat 25 ~~ m076 Adar I, 7

Questions for today:

I know G-d loves it when I hold myself back - but what am I building?

 

Tanya these days is turning around one of our biggest challenges and making it one of our most powerful inspirations.

One thing that drags us down is our guilt, our depression, our low self-image.

Tanya tells us that if we have an inappropriate or un-G-dly thought and we push that thought away, contrary to our own self judgement, that is actually one of G-d’s greatest pleasures.

And today we add to that, it is not just through avoidance that we connect to the creator, but there is a positive aspect as well. There is a Mitzvah, a commandment from the Torah, “Vihiskadashtem,” we should sanctify ourselves.

Who has the opportunity to do that?

A righteous person, who wakes up every morning and goes to sleep without ever having an inappropriate thought, doesn’t have this opportunity.

But with people like us, any inappropriate or un-G-dly thought that we push out of our heads, gives us the chance to connect to the creator with the positive commandment of “Vihiskadashtem”.

 

Tanya book 1, ch27 Pt 5

 

The greatness we achieve, specifically through our struggles, is not only an expression of seclusion.

There is a proactive connection we create with the Creator by refining our character.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/8/2022

See today’s video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/_MxIZqzwZG4?feature=share

A Prize Self Fighter

 066b Tanya Shvat 25b ~ m075 Adar I, 6

Questions for today:

We just discovered a key to G-d's greatest pleasure - our inner fight. How can I give that, when I have no contender?

 

A fellow wakes up with a vague recollection of drinking way too much at the office party last night. He looks around expecting to see evidence of his wife’s deep disappointment. But he is shocked to see scrambled eggs ready for him in the kitchen and slippers right near the bed.

 

He calls his little son over and asks, “do you remember what happened when daddy came home last night?” He answers, "you yelled at Mommy". “What did I say!?” the father asks. The young son responds, she was trying to help you in bed, and you yelled, "get your hands off of me lady, I'm married!”

 

Yesterday, we learned a tremendous perspective change that our temptation is not a weakness. Rather, it's an opportunity to express a close relationship with the Creator.

 

This powerful connection through self restraint is not only applicable when we avoid doing something bad. We can get closer to G-d even when we're doing something that we should be doing, by taking the opportunity to fight our own self-interest.

 

Every time we wait five minutes before eating dinner or have a coffee without sugar, by limiting ourselves, we are building and expressing a deep bond with the Creator.

 

Tanya book 1, ch27 pt 3

We can build and express this deep and passionate connection with the creator, not only when we are victorious over temptation, but also by minimizing our infatuation with the things that we may, or must do.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/7/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRQixTRHiMg&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=67

Life By Chocolate

065 Tanya Shvat 24 ~ m074 Adar I, 5


Questions for today:
Do I judge myself against the flavors that I imagine I prefer, or the flavors that have me constantly coming back for more?

What is people's, and G-d’s, favorite flavor? A lot of people would intuitively answer that Candyland is dreamland: the best food would be a sweet candy.

However, if you think about it, half of the confection sold is chocolate. The raw ingredient before you sweeten it is extremely bitter. Peppermint, sour pickles, spicy fries, spicy wings; we're surrounded by flavors that start off repulsive, but we work with them to make them palatable.

In fact, if a person faints, you bring their life back with a sharp smell, not a sweet one. 

If we would get that flavor question wrong on a trivia quiz, imagine how confusing it is in real life. 

We beat ourselves up for having the hint of a sour, sharp, or inappropriate flavor in our character. Is that really what G-d wants?

Or, does G-d love people like you and me? - Sinus-clearing Siracha that's mitigated and balanced to be prepared in a way that's healthy, savory and invigorating. 

Tanya book 1, ch27 pt 2 
Our spicy, sometimes even sour, self is not a negative. On the contrary, when we keep it under control, it is a flavor that G-d not only loves, but finds invigorating.


Study today’s Tanya in full:
https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/6/2022

See today’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVcRtCQYmD0&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=66

G-d’s Pay-Per-View

064 Tanya Shvat 23 ~ m072 Adar I, 3

 

Questions for today:

Is my frustration from the faults that I am constantly working on praiseworthy, or, am I imagining myself in a league where I’ve retired from playing -inaccurately

 

A child is explaining to his mother why he was cut from the team; he says it was because of jealousy. “You know you tell Dad that the head coach always looks like he's doing nothing, with his hands in his pockets? Well, everyone was thinking that I look exactly like the head coach!

 

One of the most frustrating things in life is the constant struggle. We have a great productive day, and the next day we're again fighting to hold back from pressing the snooze button. Or, we know the importance of acting like a mentch, but we feel an urge to write a really insulting comment on Facebook.

 

Tanya today reminds us that the struggle is not coming because of a weakness, rather it's in the game plan. Consider a defensive tackle wrestling in a scrimmage. The struggling of players is what thrills the audience and brings them to the game.

 

The audience to our challenges is G-d; our engaging in the struggle is a source for the Creator’s excitement.

 

If however, a person thinks to themselves that they shouldn't be fighting, it's not because he is so holy and upset about the fact that he has a weakness. Rather, maybe he has a little bit too much of an inflated opinion of himself, and thinks that he is supposed to be the head coach.

 

Tanya book 1, ch27 pt 1

A powerful deterrent to action is our frustration and self-deprecation from our constant struggle.

 

Like a star sports player, challenge is an opportunity, not a weakness.

Additionally, our disappointment at having inner struggles is not a result of piety, but rather an inaccurate self-awareness.

 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/4/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRubu-Wftg&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=65

 

 

The Happy Fighter

061 Tanya Shvat 20 ~ M070 Adar I 1

 

Questions for today:

What stops me from reaching my potential? Is it my flaws, or is it the fact that I focus on my flaws and drag myself down?

 

A fellow is eating with a friend in an expensive restaurant, and his friend starts coughing and spitting. He tells his friend, “your manners are horrible,” and his friend responds, “I know and it kills me!” The fellow gives his friend the number of a great therapist that he can reach out to for assistance.

 

Two years later, his friend tells him that he was cured and they decide to meet again in the fancy restaurant. To the fellow’s great surprise, the friend begins to spit and cough again.

 

The fellow asks his friend what prompted him to think that he was cured, and the friend replies, “I know that I still have terrible manners, but now it does’t bother me.”

 

This story sounds funny, however there is a lesson. I am here in Israel, the best example of, “it's not the size of the man in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the man”.

 

We learn in the Tanya that we can all be victorious in each of our challenges - but we have to be happy, proud, and confident in order to win. If we are depressed, we will lose every battle.

 

This does not mean that there are never times for us to be introverted and serious about our flaws. There are times for this, but these times are only productive when the self-critique accomplishes something, and we are happy afterwards.

 

 

Tanya book 1, ch26 pt 1

It's not the size of the man in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the man.

After learning a method to consistently overcome our inner challenges, we tackle another internal opponent: depression

                 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/2/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-1BuzVvuoY&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKI_BRnjBvHe&index=62

 

A Weekend Martyr

060 Tanya Shvat 19 ~ m069 Shvat 30

 

Questions for today:

Practically speaking, I don’t see myself being an actual martyr. How does my Jewish nature – willing to die for the Creator – inspire my life?

 

We've been discussing how over thousands of years Jews were willing to sacrifice their lives by the sword, be burned at the stake, rather than separate themselves from the Creator - even for a minute.

 

We are discussing how this meditation helps us to overcome any urge to do something wrong, or to stop from connecting to the Creator by doing something good.

 

This will help us to understand the quintessential Jewish prayer. Moses tells the Jews “Shema Yisrael, HaShem Elokeinu, HaShem Echad”: remember that G-d is One.

 

The sages included that in the prayer day and night, so that we should constantly remember and be ready to sacrifice ourselves for G-d.

 

However, that message was to the Jews heading into Israel - and this is what life is like in Israel [This video was taken on a bustling Ben Yehuda Street] we are proud Jews, we're not afraid of anybody. Why do we need to remember, in good times, to sacrifice our life, who is attacking us?

 

Now we know the importance. Sacrificing ourselves for G-d is not about standing up to people who are attacking us. It's a way that we remember our inherent connection to the Creator, and overcome our own challenges.

 

Tanya book 1, ch25 pt 5

We conclude the theme of meditating on self-sacrifice to overcome our personal challenges.

We then use this to explain the quintessential Jewish prayer, Shema Yisrael, and why we meditate on it, and the self-sacrifice that it represents every day.

This is because the meditation is not about overcoming enemies outside, but rather our own personal challenges.

                 

Study today’s Tanya in full:

https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=2/1/2022

 

See today’s video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScNsPJ4-DXM&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKI_BRnjBvHe&index=61

 

 

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