לע"נ ר' אלכסנדר זושא בן ר' יוסף
תניא פרק כ"ח
אַךְ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, אַל יִפֹּל לִבּוֹ בְּקִרְבּוֹ לִהְיוֹת מִזֶּה עֶצֶב נִבְזֶה בִּשְׁעַת הָעֲבוֹדָה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה. אֶלָּא אַדְּרַבָּה, יִתְחַזֵּק יוֹתֵר וְיוֹסִיף אֹמֶץ בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ בְּכַוָּנַת הַתְּפִלָּה בְּחֶדְוָה וְשִׂמְחָה יְתֵרָה, בְּשׂוּמוֹ אֶל לִבּוֹ כִּי נְפִילַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה הִיא מֵהַקְּלִפָּה שֶׁבֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי, הָעוֹשָׂה מִלְחָמָה בַּבֵּינוֹנִי עִם נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבּוֹ. וְנוֹדָע דֶּרֶךְ הַנִּלְחָמִים, וְכֵן הַנֶּאֱבָקִים יַחַד, כְּשֶׁאֶחָד מִתְגַבֵּר, אֲזַי הַשֵּׁנִי מִתְאַמֵּץ לְהִתְגַּבֵּר גַּם כֵּן בְּכָל מַאֲמַצֵּי כֹּחוֹ. וְלָכֵן כְּשֶׁנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית מִתְאַמֶּצֶת וּמִתְגַּבֶּרֶת לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, אֲזַי גַּם הַקְּלִפָּה מִתְגַּבֶּרֶת כְּנֶגְדָּהּ לְבַלְבְּלָהּ וּלְהַפִּילָהּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה שֶׁלָּהּ.
וְלֹא כְּטָעוּת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁטּוֹעִים לְהוֹכִיחַ מִנְּפִילַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה, מִכְּלַל שֶׁאֵין תְּפִלָּתָם כְּלוּם, שֶׁאִלּוּ הִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי וְנָכוֹן, לֹא הָיוּ נוֹפְלִים לוֹ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. וְהָאֱמֶת הָיָה כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם, אִם הָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת לְבַדָּהּ הִיא הַמִּתְפַּלֶּלֶת, וְהִיא הַמְּחַשֶּׁבֶת וּמְהַרְהֶרֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ, הֵן שְׁתֵּי נְפָשׁוֹת הַנִּלְחָמוֹת זוֹ עִם זוֹ בְּמֹחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, כָּל אַחַת חֶפְצָהּ וּרְצוֹנָהּ לִמְשֹׁל בּוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת הַמֹּחַ מְמֻלָּא מִמֶּנָּה לְבַדָּהּ. וְכָל הִרְהוּרֵי תּוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, מִנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית; וְכָל מִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא, מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית, רַק שֶׁהָאֱלֹהִית מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בָּהּ.
וְלֹא כְּטָעוּת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁטּוֹעִים לְהוֹכִיחַ מִנְּפִילַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה, מִכְּלַל שֶׁאֵין תְּפִלָּתָם כְּלוּם, שֶׁאִלּוּ הִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי וְנָכוֹן, לֹא הָיוּ נוֹפְלִים לוֹ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. וְהָאֱמֶת הָיָה כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם, אִם הָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת לְבַדָּהּ הִיא הַמִּתְפַּלֶּלֶת, וְהִיא הַמְּחַשֶּׁבֶת וּמְהַרְהֶרֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ, הֵן שְׁתֵּי נְפָשׁוֹת הַנִּלְחָמוֹת זוֹ עִם זוֹ בְּמֹחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, כָּל אַחַת חֶפְצָהּ וּרְצוֹנָהּ לִמְשֹׁל בּוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת הַמֹּחַ מְמֻלָּא מִמֶּנָּה לְבַדָּהּ. וְכָל הִרְהוּרֵי תּוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, מִנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית; וְכָל מִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא, מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית, רַק שֶׁהָאֱלֹהִית מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בָּהּ.
וְהוּא כִּמְשַׁל אָדָם הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּכַוָּנָה, וְעוֹמֵד לְנֶגְדּוֹ עָרֵל רָשָׁע, וּמֵשִׂיחַ וּמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ כְּדֵי לְבַלְבְּלוֹ. שֶׁזֹּאת עֲצָתוֹ בְּוַדַּאי, שֶׁלֹּא לְהָשִׁיב לוֹ מִטּוֹב וְעַד רָע, וְלַעֲשֹוֹת עַצְמוֹ כְּחֵרֵשׁ לֹא יִשְׁמַע, וּלְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: "אַל תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן תִּשְׁוֶה לּוֹ גַּם אָתָּה". כָּךְ אַל יָשִׁיב מְאוּמָה וְשׁוּם טַעֲנָה וּמַעֲנֶה נֶגֶד הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה, כִּי הַמִּתְאַבֵּק עִם מְנֻוָּל מִתְנַוֵּל גַּם כֵּן. רַק יַעֲשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּלֹא יוֹדֵעַ וְלֹא שׁוֹמֵעַ הַהִרְהוּרִים שֶׁנָּפְלוּ לּוֹ, וִיסִירֵם מִדַּעְתּוֹ, וְיוֹסִיף אֹמֶץ בְּכֹחַ כַּוָּנָתוֹ.
וְאִם יִקְשֶׁה לוֹ לַהֲסִירָם מִדַּעְתּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁטּוֹרְדִים מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ מְאֹד בְּחָזְקָה, אֲזַי יַשְׁפִּיל נַפְשׁוֹ לַה', וְיִתְחַנֵּן לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְרַחֵם עָלָיו בְּרַחֲמָיו הַמְּרֻבִּים, כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים הַנִּמְשָׁכִים מִמֹּחוֹ. וְכָכָה יְרַחֵם ה' עַל נַפְשׁוֹ הַנִּמְשֶׁכֶת מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהַצִּילָהּ מִמַּיִם הַזֵּדוֹנִים, וּלְמַעֲנוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה, כִּי חֵלֶק ה' מַמָּשׁ עַמּוֹ.
Chapter 28
The following 6 ideas are introduced / explained in this chapter:
Changing the Station
Your Not A Kabbalist
It Ain’t Personal
Why Now
Two Souls One Mind
Dealing With Intrusions
Changing the Station
What to do if negative thoughts come into a persons mind while studying Torah or Praying
Even if negative thoughts enter a persons mind while studying Torah (lustful thoughts) the person should not entertain those thoughts (“like a welcome guest”) rather should shift ones concentration immediately away from them (as we can control what we think about.)
Your Not A Kabbalist
One should not Kabbalisticly elevate negative thoughts
One should not elevate the thoughts as is practiced by the Kabbalists (returning the thoughts to the comparative original source in Kedushah) for such things are only for Tzaddikim who do not receive negative thoughts of their own (as mentioned before) only from other people (in order to elevate them.)
Why a person should not elevate the thoughts
For if someone receives thoughts from the left ventricle (representing evil) within his heart how can he elevate the thoughts if he himself is bound below (you can’t pull yourself up by your own hair.)
It Ain’t Personal
Why not to get depressed by these negative thoughts
A person should be sure to not get depressed by these negative thoughts by realizing that these thoughts (are not from within themselves or their desire) rather from the Kelipah and Sitra Achra within them.
Why Now
Why the Kelipah is specificly implanting these negative thoughts now
It is know in the manner of wrestlers (or boxers) that when one is wining the other tries harder (thus the Kelipah seeing that a Jew is bringing the Divine light into him is afraid of losing the battle and is thus trying to distract the Jew’s service to G-d).
Expanding on why the Kelipah is particularly implanting these negative thoughts now
Therefore when the Kelipah and Sitra Achra see a person is succeeding in achieving his or her mission in life (i.e. through Torah study or prayer) they strengthen themselves to implant distracting thoughts in the persons mind. (As the Rebbe Rashab clarifies that one sees empirically that as they begin Davening / praying silly ideas come into their head.)
People should not make the mistake to assume that this means they are not praying properly (as people think) rather they should realize that the opposite is true; particularly because they are praying therefore they are receiving these distracting thoughts.
Two Souls One Mind
Why it can’t be that the person is failing
They (people who believe that negative thoughts is a sign that their prayer is not sincere) would be correct if there would be only one mind in the human and it is the same mind that thinks thoughts and prays (for then what the same mind is doing is an indication of where this singular mind is up to).
Why this is not the case
The absolute truth is that there are really two Souls in the persons mind and each one is trying to fill up the mind exclusively with her thoughts (which is why like wrestlers that when one strengthens itself the other tries to gain a better footing.)
The clear distinction of the origin of thoughts
All Torah and fear or awe of Heaven thoughts come from the G-dly Soul and all thoughts relating to matters of the mundane physical world emanate from the animal Soul.
However the G-dly Soul is enclothed in the animal Soul thus it cannot prevent the entry of the animals Souls thoughts.
Dealing With Intrusions
Two methods of ridding oneself of the negative thoughts
When a person receives these negative thoughts he should not get depressed about them (as mention before why) rather he should picture as if an anti-Semite is standing and trying to disturb his prayer (which is the situation) and thus the only true way to deal with this is to simply ignore (pretending that you are deaf) and focus solely on the prayer; however if these thoughts are really getting to the person (I can say in my own prayers it does greatly distress me how difficult it is to concentrate due to the influx of foreign thoughts) thus one should ask G-d – whom the individual is a part of – to have mercy on the person as a father has mercy on his son for the son is truly a part of the father thus as we are a part of G-d so therefore G-d should do it for his sake and G-d in turn as a merciful father will surely have mercy and prevent the Yetzer Hara from giving the person negative thoughts (at least during that prayer session).
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In a recent post about ACT therapy, we saw the following:
In ACT, there is no attempt to try to reduce, change, avoid, suppress, or control these private experiences. Instead, clients learn to reduce the impact and influence of unwanted thoughts and feelings, through the effective use of mindfulness. Clients learn to stop fighting with their private experiences—to open up to them, make room for them, and allow them to come and go without a struggle. The time, energy, and money that they wasted previously on trying to control how they feel is then invested in taking effective action (guided by their values) to change their life for the better. Thus ACT interventions focus around two main processes: developing acceptance of unwanted private experiences which are out of personal control, commitment and action towards living a valued life.
Accept the fact that your animal soul puts these thoughts in you head. Then ignore these silly thoughts and get on with the business of living a meaningful life. By fighting them you just give them more fuel.
