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