Applying Tanya To Life Today

MyLife Essay Contest

We live in a time when just one click can take you across the globe. Technology today gives us the ability to connect to anyone, anywhere. Dictation software has rendered pens obsolete. Instead of visiting the grocery store, we can shop online and it will be delivered to us within a matter of hours. The list of conveniences we have today is unending.

With our fast-paced lifestyle, no one has nor needs patience to fix broken items. It is easier and oftentimes cheaper to just buy new. If we cannot get what we want when we want it, we cannot afford to spend time and energy without certainty that our objective will be met.

Our devices are flooded with advertisements such as; “Lose six kilo in two weeks,” “build the perfect body in one month,”and “find the love of your life with just one click.”

In spite of the above, we become frustrated when these quick fixes do not yield results that last. Seemingly, the results reached dissipate faster than they arrived.

Can Chassidus offer us any insight into this pressing matter?

I will turn to the Tanya, for inspiration to address this subject.

On the verse (Devarim 30:14) which states: “This matter (Torah and Mitzvahs) is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart to observe it,” the Alter Rebbe asks: how is it true that Torah and mitzvos are ‘close’? Is it really accessible for the heart to embrace?

Surely it is a struggle on a daily basis to do what G-d wants, so why does Moshe say this closeness is easily attainable?

Prior to answering, the Alter Rebbe first warns us that we will only reach this goal by pursuing ‘a long short way’. We are not going to pop a few pills and expect everything to be nice and dandy, nor will we click a couple of buttons on a screen to receive success on our doorstep abruptly upon request. To properly address the issue at hand, we must be prepared to invest effort over an extended period of time. Alternatively, by taking the short long way, an acceptable result may be reached, but the reward is likely be so short-lived that the energy spent will not be worth it.

What is this ‘long short’ process to which the Alter Rebbe refers that will make Torah and mitzvos accessible to the heart?

In chapter one of Tanya the Alter Rebbe clarifies that a prerequisite for achieving a completely Torah-true life, is the recognition of the fact that we are aiming to become a beinoni (an intermediate). He teaches, that reaching the status of beinoni is no small task yet it is in every persons reach.

He continues to explain that prior to mastering success in the battle between the material life to which we are naturally inclined, and the spiritual life that we want to lead, we must understand that there is a ‘me’ and there is ‘Judaism’. Once we recognize this, we can progress to understand how Jthe two can work hand in hand.

To get there, we need to go through a process, commencing with figuring out who we are, and in the following nine chapters he explores the human psyche.

He informs us that we have two souls pulling us in different directions. One pulls us to physicality and the other towards spirituality. We explore these two souls and come to learn that each one is comprised of ten attributes. In addition to the above ten attributes, each of the souls also possess three garments – tools through which they express themselves.

He then says, now that we know who we are dealing with, we can move on to examine what we are dealing with, and spends the following four chapters defining the character of the beinoni.

Initially, he contrasts a beinoni with both a tzaddik (flawless Jew) and a rasha (sinful Jew), clarifying precisely the meaning of the description “beinoni” that we want to achieve. The tzaddik is beyond the scope of the average person, while the rasha struggles (and fails – at least occasionally) with keeping his negative tendencies in check. The beinoni is he who possesses the same inclinations as the rasha but does not allow them to get the best of him, so his negative tendencies do not manifest.

When the Alter Rebbe reaches the fourteenth chapter — thirty eight pages after beginning his quest, he finally address his initial question. How do we reconcile Moshe’s statement that Judaism is nigh for one’s heart to desire, with our life experience that dictates the opposite to be true. He does so by explaining how to become a beinoni.

This structure serves as an extremely powerful lesson. When we are faced with any challenge on either side of the spectrum, from losing weight or gaining muscle to preserving relationships and feeling content with religion, we should apply these three fundamental steps:

1. Realize that ‘I want to be a beinoni’. We have to identify the exact goal we have in mind in order to achieve it. This will enable us to know where we are heading.
2. Understand ‘who am I?’. We need to get in touch with our personalities and character traits. One’s selfhood lays the foreground for his respective decision-making process. When I am aware of myself, I can know what I require as an individual to fix my problem.
3. Ascertain what the problem is — both its nature and makeup. Every challenge is unique and we must acknowledge how to fix each issue independently.

Only after following these three meticulously can we begin to formulate a path to fix the problem, just as the Alter Rebbe only addresses his ‘problem’ after exploring the nature and characteristics of both the person and the problem.

Let us take anger for an example. When something or someone annoys a person, the person’s immediate reaction is to become angry. The anger will then create the courage to fight the cause of aggravation.

According to modern day study of psychology, anger usually serves as a defence mechanism. Anger is the body’s built-in system to muster the courage and energy to fight back. When we feel threatened we respond with anger.

It is probable that our initial reaction – our ‘quick fix’, which in this case is the feeling of anger, does not deal with the raw problem at all.

By following our three steps, we will approach the ‘threat’ from an entirely different angle. We will firstly acknowledge our goal, namely eradicate the feeling of being threatened. The second step will entail honest introspection, enabling us to understand why we feel threatened. Thirdly we will contemplate the nature of the threat, allowing us to attempt to eliminate it.

When we approach quelling anger in this manner we will actually take care of the root of the problem, preventing a relapse.

In addition to fascilitating the resolution of many issues, this approach brings other benefits. When we understand the reasons behind our issues, we perceive that it is within our reach to fix them, consequently feeling much better about ourselves.

Another factor will play out when we notice other people’s issues. Once we have the perception that issues are much deeper than they seem on face value, we will develop more patience for others, making our relationships with others so much more meaningful.

Real remedies are not conceived over night, they require investment; but once they are achieved, they never recede.