Quotes from the Tanya – Chapter 13

 

CHAPTER 13

 

“Now we understand the meaning that Benionim, both the Yetzer Hara and Yetzer Tov judge.

 

In other words, not to say they God-forbid rule them, rather like a three court Beth Din (court,) so there are three judges sitting at a trial.

 

The Yetzer Hara feeds his desire to the mind which is repudiated by the Godly soul and the Yetzer Tov sitting in the right ventricle, and then God Himself – as the verse states “He stands at the right side of the poor man to save him from the judgers of his soul” – so God Himself shines an extra radiance which gives the Godly soul the ability to overcome the foolishness of the Yetzer Hara’s argument (that man can sin and not sin simultaneously) as our sages state, were it not for God’s assistance man would never be able to conquer his Yetzer Hara.”

 

“We now come to the understanding of the oath ‘even if the entire world tells you that you are a Tzaddik consider yourself like a Rasha;’ for this refers to a person who doesn’t receive desires of the animal soul into his mind, nonetheless, he should consider himself like a Rasha, namely, a Benoine; for the evil in the Benionie’s left ventricle is just as pronounced as the Rashas (and one should never believe others who claim that all evil has dissipated from one’s heart.”)

 

“Though truth is everlasting, yet despite the fact that the Benionie’s love for God dissipates after his prayers unlike the Tzaddiks that is eternal, I herby call their love also truth, for it can always be reawaked with proper concentration during prayer.”