In today’s Tanya, the Alter Rebbe begins to categorize the Benoini by explaining what a Tzaddik (a higher level) is.

To preface – we all know that God challenges man (otherwise we would be angels and perfect.) To do so, he implanted within us a Yetzer Hara (demon – negative desire.) A Tzaddik is one who like King David, having fasted for forty years (eating only at night) so overpowered any natural instinctual desire that he eradicated his Yetzer Hara.

Interestingly, it states, “God foresaw there would be very few Tzaddikim, hence he spread them through the various generations.”

In addition (and it would seem the Alter Rebbe is going off on a tangent, but really it is a lengthily explanation arriving only in chapter 12 on the true level of the Benoini) the Alter Rebbe quotes from Kabbalah that every Jew possesses two distinct souls!

The first soul is called the animal soul and it resides in man’s blood – it gives man life – but as it comes from the Kelipah (in heaven, there are one of two possibilities, either something is God (for example an angel can be a conduit or a soul) or something has an independent desires – as soon as something exists with an independent desire, this desire in fact conceals God! (for example, if I own a company and I have an employee that does things “His Way!”)

So as the animal soul comes from kelipah, it contains independent selfish (self-serving) desires:

Namely – as all matter is divided into the realms of air, earth, fire, water, similarly (the selfish desires have counterparts, as)

Fire is anger and arrogance – which similar to fire’s tendency to rise, they both come from a delusional sense of superiority – obviously arrogance, but anger is its offshoot; for a person who is humble (doesn’t see value, certainly not greater than another) wouldn’t get angry  (for anger is the result of believing you didn’t get what you were owed! – hence the less you are owed, the less you get angry. – We see this clearly in the fact that in Africa the average poor black is very amenable, however once they get into positions of power (like government) they become oftentimes savages – for their newfound arrogance creates a premise that they are entitled, which causes anger when there is (like a child throwing a tantrum) a lack of getting their way.)

Water is the addictive side to us – whether for drugs, intercourse – all pleasure based.

Air is the “fun” side, the enjoyment of chatting, comedy, preening – compared to air, as they are non-tangible pleasures.

Earth refers to the lazy and depressive / sad side – characteristic of the heaviness of earth, the lazy and depressed / sad person seems to be bogged down.