Chapter 29

In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe mentions another problem that can befall the "Average Man": indifference. The Alter Rebbe calls it "Hardness of Heart," like when a person is insensitive to what happens to another. In the same way, it can happen that the "Average Man" is insensitive to Hashem and His Mitzvot.

The Alter Rebbe gives an example to explain the solution to indifference: when there is a log too large to light a fire, what is done is to break that log into many small pieces that will light.

What does the log in the example represent? The log represents the body that has become hard as a stone, insensitive to anything spiritual. Because we used it so much to satisfy the passions of the Animal Soul, it has now become incapable of feeling what is precious and beautiful about the Torah and the Mitzvot.

Then, the Alter Rebbe explains, by “tearing the body to pieces,” the light of the Divine Soul can illuminate it (“set it on fire”), with its love and awe of Hashem.

There is a very big difference between the "Average Man" and the Righteous One with regard to the body. In the case of the "Average Man," the most important thing in his life is his body, and the Divine Soul is like something added to the body. That is why, every time he wants to fulfill a Mitzvah, The Divine Soul has to convince the Animal Soul and the body to do it.

In the case of the Righteous One, the most important thing in their life is the Divine Soul, and the body is merely a garment for that soul, enabling it to act in this material world. It follows that the Righteous One experiences no conflict between the Divine Soul and their body, just as clothing automatically conforms to and takes the shape of the body, without any struggle.

Then, the “Middle Man”, when he feels that his heart is as hard as stone and cannot feel love and fear of Hashem During prayer, he has to do something with his body (which is like a large, hard log): break it. In this way he can kindle fire, that is, feel love and awe of God. Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe explains that, while in the Righteous the Divine Soul governs the body, in the "intermediate Man" it is the Animal Soul that rules. Therefore, when we speak of breaking the body, it means breaking the Animal Soul.

How does the Animal Soul break? The Alter Rebbe offers several pieces of advice. They all relate to something we might think about when we feel our heart is as hard as a stone. And, primarily, they are thoughts that lead us to understand that the Animal Soul isn't as special and fun as it seems because, in the end, it distances us from Hashem…

1) We can think that since the Animal Soul did not transform into good (as in a Just person), it has the capacity to desire even things that the Torah It forbids, such as forbidden foods, or stealing. It emerges that the Animal Soul is even worse than impure animals, because they never transgress the will of Hashem, nor do they even think about doing so.

2) When we recall all the transgressions we committed (God forbid) and the defect and filth they generated in the spiritual worlds, we will realize how terrible the Animal Soul is. And even if we have already repented of all that, it may be that we have now grown spiritually, and the repentance must be greater, because now we understand much better how terrible what we did was.

3) And even if we never transgress, what do we think about, what do we talk about, and what have we done since the day we were born? Do we use the “Garments” of the soul only to serve HashemIf we ever use them for anything else, at that moment we defile the soul and distance ourselves from Hashem.

4) We can also think about most of the dreams we have throughout our lives, which were about anything but holiness. And that also distances us from Hashem.

5) We can also shout at the Animal Soul with all our might (in our thoughts, otherwise when they hear us they will think we are crazy) saying to it: “Bad, evil, disgusting, abominable, filthy! How long will you hide me from you?” HashemStop bothering me! I want to serve Hashem with love and fear!”

Through all these tips, when we reflect on them honestly, we can bring the Divine Soul to the surface, so that it may illuminate our lives with its Divine energy. The Alter Rebbe already explained that even the “impure shell” receives its life force from Hashem. Therefore, as soon as the energy of Hashem, The “impure shell” remains silent and does not bother anyone.

But let us pay attention to this fact: even the “impure shell” remains silent when it reveals itself Hashem, How can the Animal Soul, which receives its vitality from the "Shining Shell," oppose the Divine Soul, which receives vitality from the Holiness of Hashem (which is much higher and more powerful)? As soon as the Divine Soul reveals itself, the Animal Soul should listen to it and desire to love and fear it. Hashem Just as the Divine Soul itself does! By what power does the Animal Soul oppose the Divine Soul? The answer is that Hashem It gives "permission" to the Animal Soul to oppose and bother the Divine Soul with the goal of making us work to silence the Animal Soul.

That's why, as soon as we realize how terrible our Animal Soul is, and the terrible things it made us do throughout our lives, we immediately Hashem It takes away the "permission" of the Animal Soul, and it falls silent, allowing the Divine Soul to emerge. In other words, by breaking the Animal Soul, we allow the Divine Soul to come to light and illuminate the body with its Holiness.

The Alter Rebbe ends the chapter by explaining a story in the Torah¹ which proves the idea he mentioned.

On their journey through the desert, the Jewish people sent spies to the Land of Israel to find the best way to conquer it. Most of these spies returned with a report stating that it was impossible to enter the land because of the power of the peoples who lived there, who not even Hashem I could let them in!²

The whole town began to weep and they had no faith in Hashem. After a while, when they realized how wrong they had been, they told Moshe that they were indeed going to the land to conquer it. What made them change their minds? Before, they thought that not even Hashem He could let them in, and now they wanted to go and fight against the peoples who inhabited the land: What made them suddenly have faith in Hashem?

The Alter Rebbe explains that what happened was that Hashem He became very angry with them and promised that, since they did not want to enter the land, they would not enter; they would die in the desert. He spoke many harsh words to them. When they heard these fearsome words, their Animal Souls immediately broke, and the natural faith of the Divine Soul arose, and so they wanted to enter the land.

From this we can learn that if we sometimes have doubts about our faith in Hashem, All those doubts are nothing more than ideas of the "impure shell", because the Divine Soul has no doubts.