לע"נ סבי ר' אלכסנדר זושא בן ר' יוסף
Continuing the "thought" from the previous post:
First - be MINDFUL of your thoughts!! What are you thinking?
Next realize that the [illicit] thought isn't YOU. It is just a silly, irrelevant passing thought that came into your mind for an infinite number of reasons.
Accept that you are having this impure thought and REJOICE!!!
For now, by not allowing it to remain and restoring your focus to the mitzva [learning, davening, earning a living, focusing on your spouse, children or friend etc.] you should be doing at this moment you have achieved a tremendous spiritual gain. Namely, the great mitzva of והתקדשתם.
So no anxiety over negative thoughts. ACCEPT the fact that we were all created with natural inclinations and we shouldn't feel guilty about having them. We should rather focus on not allowing them to control us.
[You want guilt? You have every Yom Kippur and every time you bang your chest at סלח לנו].
Read this from the Sefer Hatanya [27]:
וְלָכֵן אַל יִפֹּל לֵב אָדָם עָלָיו, וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבוֹ מְאֹד גַּם אִם יִהְיֶה כֵּן כָּל יָמָיו בְּמִלְחָמָה זוֹ, כִּי אוּלַי לְכָךְ נִבְרָא וְזֹאת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, לְאַכְפְּיָא לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא תָּמִיד. וְעַל זֶה אָמַר אִיּוֹב: בָּרָאתָ רְשָׁעִים; וְלֹא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְשָׁעִים בֶּאֱמֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּם וְהִרְהוּרָם לְבַד, וְהֵם יִהְיוּ נִלְחָמִים תָּמִיד לְהָסִיחַ דַּעְתָּם מֵהֶם, כְּדֵי לְאַכְפְּיָא לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ לְבַטְּלָהּ מִכֹּל וָכֹל, כִּי זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי צַדִּיקִים.
וּשְׁנֵי מִינֵי נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ לְמַעְלָה: אֶחָד, מִבִּטּוּל הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְגַמְרֵי וְאִתְהַפְּכָא מִמְּרִירוּ לְמִתְקָא וּמֵחֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא עַל יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים. וְהַשֵּׁנִית, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא בְּעוֹדָהּ בְּתָּקְפָּהּ וּגְבוּרָתָהּ וּמַגְבִּיהַּ עַצְמָהּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר, וּמִשָּׁם מוֹרִידָהּ ה' בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא עַל יְדֵי הַבֵּינוֹנִים.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "וַעֲשֵׂה לִי מַטְעַמִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתִּי", מַטְעַמִּים לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, שְׁנֵי מִינֵי נַחַת רוּחַ. וְהוּא מַאֲמַר הַשְּׁכִינָה לְבָנֶיהָ כְּלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּדְפֵרְשׁוּ בַּתִּקּוּנִים. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבְּמַטְעַמִּים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי מַעֲדַנִּים: אֶחָד מִמַּאֲכָלִים עֲרֵבִים וּמְתוּקִים, וְהַשֵּׁנִי מִדְּבָרִים חֲרִיפִים אוֹ חֲמוּצִים, רַק שֶׁהֵם מְתֻבָּלִים וּמְתֻקָּנִים הֵיטֵב, עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשֹוּ מַעֲדַנִּים לְהָשִׁיב הַנֶּפֶשׁ.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "כֹּל פָּעַל ה' לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ וְגַם רָשָׁע לְיוֹם רָעָה". פֵּרוּשׁ, שֶׁיָּשׁוּב מֵרִשְׁעוֹ, וְיַעֲשֶׂה הָרַע שֶׁלּוֹ יוֹם וְאוֹר לְמַעְלָה, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא וְאִסְתַּלַּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵלָּא.
וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ בִּדְבָרִים הַמֻּתָּרִים לְגַמְרֵי, כָּל מַה שֶׁהָאָדָם זוֹבֵחַ יִצְרוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ שָׁעָה קַלָּה, וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לְאַכְפְּיָא לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שֶׁבֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי. כְּגוֹן שֶׁחָפֵץ לֶאֱכֹל, וּמְאַחֵר סְעֻדָּתוֹ עַד לְאַחַר שָׁעָה אוֹ פָּחוֹת, וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה בְּאוֹתָה שָׁעָה. כִּדְאִיתָא בִּגְמָרָא: שָׁעָה רְבִיעִית, מַאֲכַל כָּל אָדָם; שָׁעָה שִׁשִּׁית, מַאֲכַל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים. וְהָיוּ מַרְעִיבִים עַצְמָם שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת לְכַוָּנָה זוֹ, אַף שֶׁגַּם אַחַר הַסְּעֻדָּה הָיוּ לוֹמְדִים כָּל הַיּוֹם.
וְכֵן אִם בּוֹלֵם פִּיו מִלְּדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים שֶׁלִּבּוֹ מִתְאַוֶּה מְאֹד לְדַבְּרָם, מֵעִנְיְנֵי הָעוֹלָם, וְכֵן בְּהִרְהוּרֵי מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ – אֲפִלּוּ בִּמְעָט מִזְעֵר דְּאִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְתַתָּא, אִסְתַּלַּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ לְעֵלָּא הַרְבֵּה. וּמִקְּדֻשָּׁה זוֹ נִמְשֶׁכֶת קְדֻשָּׁה עֶלְיוֹנָה עַל הָאָדָם לְמַטָּה, לְסַיְּעוֹ סִיּוּעַ רַב וְעָצוּם לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַזַ"ל: "אָדָם מְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ מְעָט לְמַטָּה, מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִלְּמַעְלָה". לְבַד מַה שֶׁמְּקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה: "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם" וכו', כְּשֶׁמְּקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בַּמֻּתָּר לוֹ. וּפֵרוּשׁ "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם", שֶּׁתַּעֲשֹוּ עַצְמְכֶם קְדוֹשִׁים. כְּלוֹמַר, אַף שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ קָדוֹש וּמֻבְדָּל מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, כִּי הִיא בְּתָקְפָּהּ וּגְבוּרָתָהּ כְּתוֹלַדְתָּהּ בֶּחָלָל הַשְּׂמָאלִי, רַק שֶׁכּוֹבֵשׁ יִצְרוֹ וּמְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ. "וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים", כְּלוֹמַר, סוֹפוֹ לִהְיוֹת קָדוֹש וּמֻבְדָּל בֶּאֱמֶת מֵהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמְּקַדְּשִׁים אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִלְּמַעְלָה וּמְסַיְּעִים אוֹתוֹ לְגָרְשָׁהּ מִלִּבּוֹ מְעָט מְעָט.
Here is an elucidation [from Rabbi Michael Zev Wineberg]:
The following 8 ideas are introduced / explained in this chapter
The Greatness Of Changing The Station in Your Head
Keep Fighting
Two G-dly Pleasures
Iskafiyah
Torah Scholar’s Iskafiyah
Iskafiyah in the mouth and mind
Be Special
The End Result
The Greatness Of Changing The Station in Your Head
Dealing with sadness stemming from bad thoughts and desires.
If a person’s sadness stems not from sins that they committed rather from a sense of depression over negative desires that crop up in their mind coming from the animal Souls four negative foundations, then: if these thoughts are coming to him when he is in middle of his workday (or a housewife in middle of her work) in fact he or she should be thrilled that they are not delving into these fantasies or negative thoughts and desires. This is truly a great Mitzvah (for as we say in Shema “one should not follow the fantasies of the heart and eyes.”) So in fact one has just united oneself in a very real way with G-d (by not contemplating negative fantasies), so instead of being depressed that one has received these desires one should be thrilled that they have fulfilled the Mitzvah of not fantasizing about (or trying to achieve) these bad desire.
Certainly this Mitzvah does not refer to Tzaddikim for Tzaddikim never get a conscious desire for evil (as we explained before.) This being the case a Benoini or average person who feels upset that they have fantasies or negative desires should realize that they are being arrogant in believing themselves to be like a Tzaddik who does not have such negative desires.
Certainly this Mitzvah does not refer to Tzaddikim for Tzaddikim never get a conscious desire for evil (as we explained before.) This being the case a Benoini or average person who feels upset that they have fantasies or negative desires should realize that they are being arrogant in believing themselves to be like a Tzaddik who does not have such negative desires.
Furthermore a Benoini or anybody who pushes away these fantasies or negative desires creates the greatest delight that G-d has. For then they subdue the Kelipos and as the Zohar says, “When the Kelipos are subdued the joy of G-d descends into all the worlds” Furthermore it is precisely this that is the job of the Benoini to achieve all the time, and it is precisely this that gives G-d the greatest joy.
Keep Fighting
Why one should not allow this constant battle to tire him or her out
Thus one should not be crestfallen and not get depressed (Chas Vshalom) though they might be constantly fighting the Yetzer Hara in what seems like an endless struggle as they cannot vanquish the Yetzer Hara (as it is firmly lodged in their left ventricle) so it might seem like a viscous cycle, however perhaps this is the very reason why G-d created you so you can subdue the Yetzer Hara constantly.
This is in fact another interpretation of the concept that G-d created wicked people. This does not mean that anyone should be wicked G-d forbid, but that a fundamental aspect of creation is the wickedness and immoral tendencies which is naturally found in man for the purpose is that man rise above this wickedness and become a good person constantly, by disregarding the urges of the Yetzer Hara and as mentioned before, this makes the Divine light go right through all the words from Heaven down to earth.
Thus one should not be crestfallen and not get depressed (Chas Vshalom) though they might be constantly fighting the Yetzer Hara in what seems like an endless struggle as they cannot vanquish the Yetzer Hara (as it is firmly lodged in their left ventricle) so it might seem like a viscous cycle, however perhaps this is the very reason why G-d created you so you can subdue the Yetzer Hara constantly.
This is in fact another interpretation of the concept that G-d created wicked people. This does not mean that anyone should be wicked G-d forbid, but that a fundamental aspect of creation is the wickedness and immoral tendencies which is naturally found in man for the purpose is that man rise above this wickedness and become a good person constantly, by disregarding the urges of the Yetzer Hara and as mentioned before, this makes the Divine light go right through all the words from Heaven down to earth.
Two G-dly Pleasures
The two kinds of pleasures that G-d receives. The pleasure from the work of Tzaddikim and the pleasure from the work of the Benoinim
The first pleasure is the pleasure that G-d receives from the work of the Tzaddikim whom change bitterness into sweetness and darkness into light. (Imagine going to a show where a magician changed a bitter radish into a sweet one and darkness into light it would truly be a wondrous and delightful sight.)
The first pleasure is the pleasure that G-d receives from the work of the Tzaddikim whom change bitterness into sweetness and darkness into light. (Imagine going to a show where a magician changed a bitter radish into a sweet one and darkness into light it would truly be a wondrous and delightful sight.)
The second pleasure is the pleasure that G-d gets from the service of the Benoinim who humble the Sitra Achra and Kelipos that rise up against G-d. (Wouldn’t it be great to see an evil arrogant man (say Hitler) fall)?
There are two kinds of pleasures for G-d similar to the pleasure from sweet foods and the pleasure from spicy foods
There is a delight from sweet foods. This is like the Tzaddikim who change bitterness into sweetness.
Then there is a second type of food that is enjoyable and that is a spicy food, (or spices that give a great taste to otherwise a bland piece of chicken.) This is similar to the work of the Benoinim who humble the Sitra Achra from arrogantly going against G-d. (The Benoini is like a bland food made tasty for he or she is the average person doing un-average (special) work.)
Iskafiyah
A new concept in Iskafiyah
(I would like to preface this with a little anecdote. When I was a child I once wanted food now. My mother was cooking and she was a little bit upset at my demand for food now so she said, “Haven’t you ever heard of Iskafiyah?” Well now it’s your turn to learn about Iskafiyah. Iskafiyah literally means humbling. This refers to the humbling of the Yetzer Hara and the Kelipos by not giving them what they want (like any person feels humbled upon not receiving their demands.)
There is another form of Iskafiyah, (not only doing the right thing) but delaying ones meal for the sake of Iskafiyah (to humble the Sitra Achra. It should be noted that in our generation of plenty the Rebbe refereed to Iskafiyah as not putting extra sugar on your already sugar friendly cornflakes.)
Torah Scholar’s Iskafiyah
The Iskafiyah of Torah Scholars
The Talmud tells that in the olden days everyone would eat breakfast four hours after sunrise but the Torah scholars would eat it only six hours after sunrise. This was in order to have Iskafiyah.
Iskafiyah in the mouth and mind
The Iskafiyah of the mouth and the Iskafiyah of the mind.
Similarly someone who really wants to say something (obviously
not something wrong but something not good either) and withholds himself from saying it or someone who wants to think about something (obviously not something wrong but also not something good) and has Iskafiyah, not only does this Iskafiyah give G-d great pleasure (as mentioned about the tasty spicy food) but it also causes a great assistance from Heaven in man's spiritual quest to unite with G-d.
Be Special
Being Holy
Often in the Torah it commands us to be holy. This concept of holiness does not mean to be a Tzaddik for we cannot be a Tzaddik however we can crush the Sitra Achra and Kelipos by not giving into their demands and in this way the average person becomes holy (holy is unique.)
The End Result
“And you will become holy”
Through acting in this holy manner – not giving into the Sitra Achra and in fact depriving it and thereby causing G-d’s glory to descend on earth eventually G-d will grant us that we truly become holy, banishing the Sitra Achra completely.
(It should be noted the famous statement of the Maggid of Mezritch that “a small hole in the body is a large hole in the Soul.” So Iskafiyah only applies to delaying gratification not to matters that affect a persons well-being including that which gives a person sustenance, it applies only to matters that one is humbling the Sitra Achra however one is not hurting oneself at all.)
