After applying all the advice the Alter Rebbe gave to combat our “inclination to evil,” that is, meditating on our transgressions, on how far we are from Hashem, ...about how far we are from where we should be... Let's be extremely attentive, because it can happen that we feel truly sad... and are unable to serve Hashem with joy.
The Alter Rebbe explains that there are several types of sadness, some with a positive aspect (arising from the "Bright Shell" explained in chapter 7) and others without (arising from the "Impure Shell" explained in chapter 6). The sadness generated by having inflicted these terrible blows upon our "Evil Inclination" is a positive sadness, whose true name is bitterness, because it is based on the fact that we are far from Hashem and not because we don't have the latest technological gadget on the market…
To understand the positive aspect of this bitterness, let's first formulate a very important rule, which summarizes what has been explained so far (since chapter 26): if the "inclination to evil" seeks to harden our hearts and make them like stone, then we must be insensitive to Hashem and His Torah, We must pay her back in kind: be as hard as a rock with her. In other words, be strict with her by subjugating her (itkafia), that's the way to treat her.
The example is that of an axe for cutting down trees in the forest: what is the axe handle made of? Wood! It seems strange to use wood to cut down trees, which, after all, are also made of wood. The same applies to the "inclination to evil": if it is harsh with us, let us be harsh with it!
And that's the positive aspect of this bitterness: it's a tool to fight against the "inclination to evil." But the Alter Rebbe advises that we shouldn't awaken this feeling of bitterness at just any moment. Rather, when we're already sad about something else, or simply because we feel sad for no reason, we should take advantage of that mood to cultivate this positive bitterness. We should reflect on how far we are from Hashem, And that very thing will lead us to be happy.
Does it sound strange? Can we go from being bitter to being joyful? To explain this, the Alter Rebbe says to think about the following:
“It’s true that I’m a disaster, and I’m very far from Hashem, But that is only my body, along with my "inclination to evil" (as explained in the previous chapter). Within me is a Divine Soul, which is a portion of HashemExcept that this Divine Soul is in exile (as explained in chapter 19), hidden behind the Animal Soul and the body, so I will do everything possible to bring it out of exile and free it: I will study Torah and I will fulfill MitzvotThat is how I unite my Divine Soul with Hashem (chapters 3, 4 and 5).
And that is the joy that arises from bitterness: that the Divine Soul comes out of exile within the body and returns to Hashem. The Alter Rebbe gives the example of a prince who is imprisoned, working hard in jail and becoming filthy. When he is released and returns to his father, the king, the father is undoubtedly overjoyed. Despite his son's filth, the mere fact of his release from prison fills him with happiness.
Similarly, we (the prince): although we are not just and do not transform our animal soul to good, when we study Torah and we fulfilled Mitzvot, We are bringing our Divine Soul out of exile, drawing it closer to Hashem (the king). And this brings enormous joy to the king and the prince.
But this joy is the joy of the soul, not of the body, because the body remains that of an "intermediate Man"—low, coarse, dirty, etc. Then, after all the bitterness caused by transgressions, the distance from Hashem, etc., there comes immense joy when we rejoice with the joy of the soul upon leaving exile, which should not be mixed with the bitterness of the body. The most important thing is the Divine Soul, not the body.
It is like the Exodus from Egypt, when the Jewish people “escaped,” as the story goes. Torah1. At that time, they were immersed in the impurity of Egypt. Their request to Pharaoh had been to leave for three days and return to Egypt, but they "escaped" because they realized it was the only way to liberate their Divine Souls from exile in their animal bodies and souls. In other words, the same idea mentioned earlier: even though their bodies remained impure (until the Surrender of the Torah), their souls had already been freed by escaping from the impurity of Egypt.
At the end of the chapter, the Alter Rebbe presents an incredible idea for further strengthening the joy of the soul. Until now, he had only spoken of a partial joy: joy of the soul on one hand, and bitterness of the body on the other. But with this novel idea, he explains a much deeper level of joy, one that includes the body.
Why did he do this? HashemWhy is the Divine Soul in exile in the prison of the body and Animal Soul? The Divine Soul descended from the spiritual worlds (see chapter 2 about this descent) to a place that we know is full of impurities and filth.
Why? Because in that way the Divine Soul can refine and work with the body and the Animal Soul to elevate them to Hashem. Like a bow, the more the string is drawn back, the farther the arrow flies. That is why the Divine Soul descended so low, to elevate the "Tools" of Intellect and Emotions of the Animal Soul and its "Garments" of thought, word, and deed, and the body.
So, when we study Torah and we fulfilled Mitzvot, all of them rise to Hashem and they elevate the Divine Soul even further, achieving a complete joy in all parts: the Divine Soul, the Animal Soul, and the body, because all draw closer to Hashem.
1Exodus 14:5