Chapter Twenty-Five

[In this chapter the Alter Rebbe concludes the discussion begun in chapter 18.

There, he began to explain the verse, "For this thing is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it," meaning that to serve G-d out of a feeling of love and awe for Him, is a very easy matter for everyone.

This assertion seems contrary to our experience, for it is no easy matter (as the Alter Rebbe pointed out in chapter 17) to turn one's heart from worldly matters to a love and fear of G-d.

In answer he stated that it is indeed an easy matter, for we need not create these feelings: we already have them.

All that is required of us is to arouse our innate love and fear of G-d from their latent state, and to employ them in the service of G-d.

He then went on to explain (in chapters 18 and 19) the nature and essence of this love and fear.

The soul, with its power of faith in G-d by which it is attached to Him, intrinsically desires to cleave to its Divine source.

This desire also contains an element of fear - the fear of anything that constitutes separation from G-d.

So powerful are these feelings that, by his very nature, a Jew will sacrifice his life rather than practice idolatry, which is a repudiation of G-d's unity.

In the following chapters, the Alter Rebbe explained that all the mitzvot are an affirmation of G-d's unity, which means that everything exists within G-d and is one with Him.

For in the mitzvot G-d's Will is revealed, and he who performs them becomes perfectly united with Him. Conversely all sins constitute idolatry, for idolatry implies that there is something - anything - that exists outside of G-d, and separate from Him.

Through any transgression, one separates himself from G-d's Will as expressed in the commandments, and thus from G-d Himself, placing himself in the domain of the kelipot who deny G-d's unity.

By his very nature, then, a Jew would always observe the mitzvot and would never sin - were it not for a "spirit of folly" that obscures his innate hidden love for G-d, and does not permit him to feel the diverse effects of mitzvot and sins on his connection with G-d.

In this chapter the Alter Rebbe concludes the discussion, stating that every Jew, at any time, is able to dispel the "spirit of folly" and to arouse his hidden love for G-d. Thus when he is tempted to sin, he will actually feel how the sin would tear him away from G-d, and he will therefore resist the impulse. Similarly, when he is required to perform a mitzvah, he will feel his love for G-d dictating that he do so, so as to be united with Him].

This, then, is the meaning of the verse, [1] "For this thing is very near to you ...." - [to observe the Torah and its commandments out of love and fear of G-d].

For at any time and moment a person is capable and free to rid himself of the spirit of folly [which renders him insensitive to the separation between himself and G-d caused by sin], and the forgetfulness [that he has a love of G-d by virtue of which he desires to unite with Him, through the fulfillment of the mitzvot].

[He is always able] to remember and arouse his love of the One G-d, that is certainly, undoubtedly, latent in his heart - [since everyone, even the most hardened sinner, is endowed with this inborn love].

This is the meaning of "in your heart" [i.e., that everyone can serve G-d out of love, which is an emotion of the heart.

Yet love of G-d, by itself, is insufficient.

One needs also a fear of G-d, to guard against violating the prohibitive commandments.

Therefore the Alter Rebbe continues]:

This love carries with it also fear; that is, the dread of being separated on any account from G-d's unity and oneness. Even if it means sacrificing his life [so as not to be separated from Him, he will do so], without any reason or logic, but purely out of one's divine nature.

[As illustrated in chapter 19 by the analogy of the flame of a candle, which intrinsically seeks to unite with its source, the soul instinctively seeks to unite with its Divine source. Because of this nature, it recoils in fear from anything that may sever its connection with G-d, even at the cost of life itself].

Surely, then, it is far easier to subdue one's appetites, since this entails much lighter suffering than death [which he would willingly endure so as not to be torn away from G-d. Mastering his evil inclination is easier], both in the category of [2] "turning away from evil" [and the category of [2] "doing good" - i.e., refraining from sin, and observing the positive commandments, respectively].

[To be specific]: Even when it concerns a minor Rabbinic prohibition [one can easily master his evil inclination] so as not to transgress G-d's Will, since at the time that he does the forbidden act, he thereby becomes separated from G-d's unity just as much as through actual idolatry, [as explained in the previous chapter.

It follows therefore, that he ought to display the same strength in resisting the temptation for such a sin as he would display (even to the point of sacrificing his life) in rejecting idolatry, since this sin too separates him from G-d.

There would appear to be a difference, however, between idolatry and the minor sin with which we are dealing.

With idolatry, the sinner remains separated from G-d even after the idolatrous act (as explained in the previous chapter), whereas with a minor sin the separation lasts only as long as the sinful act itself.

The Alter Rebbe refutes this argument in the next paragraph by stating that in the case of idolatry, too, there is a means of ensuring that the separation from G-d brought on thereby end immediately after the act.

That method is teshuvah - repentance. Yet, despite the fact that this resource is available to him, a Jew would rather be killed than practice idolatry, for he cannot accept even a momentary separation from G-d.

He may now apply the same consideration to refraining from even a minor sin, since it too imposes upon him a separation from G-d, albeit a momentary one].

Now, even with regard to idolatry, he can repent afterwards [and thus assure himself of unity with G-d after the idol-worship.

Nevertheless, a Jew would give up his life rather than exercise this option.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Devarim 30:14.

2. (Back to text) Cf. Tehillim 34:15.