Quotes from the Tanya – Chapter 30
By zevi770 · February 22, 2012
CHAPTER 30
“Additionally a Benoinie must fulfill the directive of our sages to be humbler than all men.”
“One truly needs to be humble before, even the lowest person around.”
“The method to be more humble than anyone is to realize that everyone’s situation is different.
Hence the person you might be judging unfavorably, had you had his desires and opportunities to do bad you probably would have done so as well.”
“Now despite the fact we must be more humble than the bad person nonetheless this does not excuse bad, for all people must rectify themselves.”
“For all people should place God before ones eyes, and hence fear him and be embarrassed to do wrong before his omnipresence and all people do have the capacity to control their behavior.”
“The truth is, its truly a very difficult matter to control oneself before the Yetzer Hara’s passion that burn intensely within man’s bosom.”
“One should truly judge oneself to see if one is truly dedicating oneself to pray with full concentration and study Torah diligently, furthermore before prayer one needs to humble oneself (through reminding oneself of one’s sins) to crush the Yetzer Hara. To meet what can be expected of you is truly a lofty, noble, and necessary task.”
“If one has not met what is expected of him (in this context to pray and study with concentration and diligently) then certainly one shouldn’t judge another whose circumstances and Yetzer Hara lead him to sin for the two challenges (namely for you to pray and study with all your might and for him to withhold temptations) are equal.”
“Another important meditation, idea, to bear in mind, is, one who is not religious, his transgressions are considered actually to be mistakes (for one cannot be obligated to do that which he was not educated in, and Halachikly he is called a Tinnuk Shenishbah, a child who was captured and raised amongst gentiles and hence even if he somehow hears about Shabbos, as his entire role modelship was gentile behavior, he is not obligated to keep the Shabbos though of course we should only lovingly try to draw him closer to Torah and Mitzvos) hence the sins of the religious who know of their obligations are genuine, especially if one desires to come closer to God as it states by Acher (Rabbi Elishah Ben Avuah, a famous learned Rabbi who become irreligious,) his sins is great for he was aware of the greatness of God and yet chose to leave it.”