A few Tanya summaries
By zevi770 · December 23, 2015
Summary of Daily Tanya # 13
Amazingly there are fundamentally two garments which the person can don – the first as mentioned is the Divine soul’s garments of light, then there are the animal’s souls garments of darkness.
So we can ask, if I am not engaging in the study of Torah and performance of Mitzvos, why would this be garments of darkness? (For at every moment you are receiving energy and the very atoms in your body are being recreated – if you are engaged in garments of light your recreation stems directly from light but if you are engaging in garments of darkness then the Divine light passes through the realms of evil which draw energy out of your disobedience – of-course it is necessary to live, hence all living which has a higher intent – for example working to provide, to give charity etc. is also (perhaps even more so) garments of light.)
The answer is, that the Divine is obviously only a source for Divine thoughts, speech and behavior – if it seems innocuous but it simply is self-serving (say chatting, comedy etc.) the very fact that it is not connected to light already means, at that moment you are connected to darkness (of-course this is why it is far easier for someone who never engages in Torah to descend quickly, as we see for example from the German society etc.)
Summary of Daily Tanya # 14
This world, as it gives the opportunity for selfishness and worse cruelty therefore there is so much of it.
Summary of Daily Tanya # 15
Chapter 7
So now we understand that there are three categories – realms – one good, one opaque and one completely dark.
If I engage in good then at that moment I am connected to the Divine light.
If I engage purely self instinctual desires – say I am eating, as I like food and this includes even if I am simply hungry (for there is no light / higher intent) then I am connected to the realm of opaque light – this is a realm which is mostly selfish, yet allows for expression of compassion etc. as long as my ego remains (in other words, the person who feels compassionate doesn’t sacrifice himself – he may give a donation – but if you asked “would you give up your life?” – Hence only when a person is willing to forgo their ego / identity / pride / sense of self, can we say they are truly part of light.)
Finally if I engage in any unkosher act – anything forbidden by the Torah, say God-forbid anger, revenge, at that moment I become a vehicle for the dark forces – which is why all evil stems from ego, resentment, anger, jealous hate (for ultimately a person wishes to feel good, and when the ego feels “it’s not fair that you feel happy while I feel miserable,” this causes bullying, terrorism, antisemitism – though the mind will whitewash the desire, so though subconsciously the intention is the action (namely cruelty) consciously the person believes they are entitled, as the other is evil and deserves it.)