The Alter Rebbe spends many chapters succinctly summarized in the opening words of chapter 32: “By doing what was previously mentioned to observe your body (yourself) as despicable and loathsome in your estimation, however your joy (pride/happiness) should derive from the soul’s joy…”

This seems like a rather radical statement and I am sure all our self-esteem exponents would have a hard time with this.

But as is obvious, and as the Alter Rebbe never fails to mention, there is not one but two separate divergent opposing good and evil, souls in us.

The soul stemming from God and the soul stemming from the forces of darkness, the kelipos which are directly opposite.

If I take pride in myself, then any desire that comes my way becomes part of my identity – so this is why we see such an inordinate amount of insanity, from sexual to drug addiction etc. etc. in the west; for we have extolled our rights, our freedom to desire, and we have been left with complete anarchy, for the instincts found within man are selfish at best, cruel at worst.

Conversely, we have, asserts the author of the Bible of Jewish mysticism, a second soul, pure Divine goodness and kindness!

Now if I despise my first soul – yes, despise all of my instinctual urges – there is no pride in desiring sex, no pride in desiring money; these are no different to every animal on the planet who likewise desires its instinctual urges – Am I truly no better than a cockroach??!

However, if I can identify exclusively with my soul’s desire, the desire to exclusively follow God, despite come what may; to fulfill my ideals, despite ridicule; then and only then do I reveal God.