Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Lessons in Tanya, chapter 20.
[00:00:02] Speaker B: Great to be diving in again.
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Today. We're really getting into a key text of Chabad Tchezidic thought Tanya, written by Rabbi Schnur Zalman of Layadi, the Altar Rebbet.
And if you're maybe newer to Tanya, it's more than just guidance. It's like a spiritual map, really, a very detailed one.
[00:00:23] Speaker B: It helps us understand our own souls and how we relate to the divine.
[00:00:26] Speaker A: Exactly. And our mission today with chapter 20 is to unpack something pretty fascinating, maybe even a bit challenging. It is how our connection to the divine, this deep sort of inherent thing, can actually motivate us for all spiritual instructions, everyday life stuff, not just the huge dramatic moments of faith.
[00:00:45] Speaker B: That really is the crux of it, isn't it? Chapter 20 is about making it practical. The Altar Rebbe, he's already laid the groundwork in earlier chapters.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: Right. The idea that connecting with the divine through love and reverence is actually very near to us.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Yeah. Not some far off mystical thing for, you know, saints or something. It's accessible, he says. It's innate. It's inside every single one of us.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: Like it's already there. We just need to tap into it.
[00:01:08] Speaker B: That's it. He emphasized that everyone, really everyone, no matter their background or where they are spiritually, has this natural built in love for the Divine.
[00:01:19] Speaker A: It's not something you have to work for years to get.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: No, it's fundamental part of the divine soul within us. Almost like you could say spiritual DNA. And this love, he explains, it comes from a really deep place in that divine soul, a part of us where the infinite light of the Divine is clothed.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: Is the term used clothed, meaning, like intrinsically connected?
[00:01:39] Speaker B: Yes, Signifying this absolute fundamental link at our very core. It's like the source code of our spiritual being.
[00:01:45] Speaker A: Okay, let's unpack this a bit more then. Because if this natural love is always there deep, deep down, why isn't it always driving our actions? Why do we still find it hard sometimes, daily life, the small stuff, it feels a bit contradictory, doesn't it? Where does this powerful love actually show up?
[00:02:02] Speaker B: That's the exact point the text gets into. And the Altar Rebbe shows where it manifests most clearly as the source of profound self sacrifice.
[00:02:11] Speaker A: Self sacrifice?
[00:02:12] Speaker B: Yes. He gives this powerful example, almost universal. People, regardless of how observant they are or what they're struggling with personally, they're willing to give up their lives rather than deny the divine's unity.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: You mean like in situations of forced idolatry or Persecution.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: Exactly. Choosing martyrdom over compromise. And this isn't just theory, right? History is full of stories like this.
[00:02:35] Speaker A: That's incredibly powerful. And it definitely rings true for those extreme moments. It's like the ultimate line in the sand. An absolute refusal to break that connection.
But I'm still trying to connect the dots.
Why that specific situation? Why does being forced into idolatry trigger such an intense immediate response? Even in someone who might usually be, let's say, less engaged spiritually?
[00:02:57] Speaker B: Ah, okay.
[00:02:58] Speaker A: Why then? And not when facing, I don't know, a temptation to cheat on taxes or lose your temper?
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Right. And that's where the altar Rebbe brings in this really crucial psychological insight. He says in those direct existential challenges, what he calls the spirit, spirit of folly just vanishes.
[00:03:14] Speaker A: The spirit of folly, what does that mean exactly?
[00:03:17] Speaker B: It's not just a metaphor in this system of thought. It's a real internal force. It's that subtle seductive voice of our lower nature. The animal soul.
[00:03:28] Speaker A: The part that rationalizes things.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: Exactly. Rationalizes cutting corners, self indulgence, taking the easy way out. It builds these elaborate justifications for why it's okay to bend the rules. Why this one small transgression?
[00:03:42] Speaker A: Ah, that little voice. Just this once, nobody will know. We all know that voice.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: We do. It's the master of self delusion. Whispering that sin doesn't really weaken our connection to the divine.
But.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: But when you're face to face with forced idolatry.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Right. The choice is so stark. It's undeniably an attempt to sever that core connection. The spiritual danger is blatant, immediate.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: So the self delusion just can't hold up.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: It can't. The stakes are too high. The spirit of folly is disarmed and then that deep inherent love for the divine just surges forward. It's powerfully aroused, overpowering everything else.
[00:04:16] Speaker A: Even in someone who seems outwardly disconnected.
[00:04:19] Speaker B: Even then, it's described as a raw fundamental truth rising to the surface.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Okay, so we've established everyone has this incredible innate self sacrificing love. It's deep within. Yes, but here's the big question, the dilemma chapter 20 really digs into.
If this profound love is mainly activated by these clear existential threats, while like idolatry, life or death stakes, how can it possibly help motivate us with all the other instructions?
[00:04:46] Speaker B: The day to day grind.
[00:04:47] Speaker A: Exactly. Avoiding all transgressions in the mundane moments.
It's one thing to face martyrdom for a core belief. It's quite another to, you know, get up on time. For prayer when you're tired, or resist gossiping, or be honest in a tricky.
[00:05:01] Speaker B: Business deal, or just be patient with your kids when you're exhausted.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: Right. That feels like the real challenge. We have this amazing spiritual power reserve, but it seems locked away for emergencies.
How do we bring that intensity, that commitment to the everyday stuff? It feels like a huge gap.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: And that gap is precisely what chapter 20 starts to bridge. It's why this chapter is so revolutionary. Really.
[00:05:22] Speaker A: It's not just a nice thought, then?
[00:05:23] Speaker B: No, it's a new lens, a way to see every single instruction differently, connecting the sublime to the ordinary.
This chapter explains a fundamental link between all instructions, positive and negative, and those core ideas, Divine unity and avoiding idolatry.
It lays the groundwork for activating that powerful love, not just in crisis, but in every choice we make.
[00:05:48] Speaker A: This is where the Alter Ebbe offers what seems like a really radical, but also kind of elegant idea.
[00:05:54] Speaker B: His answer to that gap problem.
[00:05:56] Speaker A: Yeah. He says that all divine instructions, the entire framework of spiritual life, are essentially contained within just the first two pronouncements given directly by the Divine.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Think about that. Everything boiled down to two statements. It's incredibly bold.
[00:06:09] Speaker A: Which two are those again?
[00:06:11] Speaker B: The ones heard directly at Sinai. I am the divine, your sustainer. That's the positive command to believe in the Divine's absolute unity. And second, you shall have no other powers. The prohibition against any form of idolatry, any notion of something existing independently from the divine. And the text argues these aren't just part of the system, they are the system.
The sum total, the essence, the spiritual DNA of everything else.
[00:06:36] Speaker A: So if I'm getting this right, the first one, I am the divine, holds all 248 positive commands.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: That's the idea.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: It's like a master key unlocking 248 different doors, each a positive action.
[00:06:51] Speaker B: That's a good way to put it. Every positive act, kindness, study, observing rituals, justice isn't just a separate rule. It's a direct affirmation of that foundational truth. I am the divine.
[00:07:02] Speaker A: Okay. And the second one? You shall have no other powers.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: That 1 contains all 365 prohibitive commandments. All the don'ts.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: So every time you refrain from doing something prohibited, you're essentially reinforcing the idea of no other powers.
[00:07:17] Speaker B: Exactly. And that's why the text explains, these two were heard directly from the divine. The others were transmitted through Moses. Because these first two are the foundation, the core principles. All the others branch out from them.
[00:07:28] Speaker A: Right? Right. Okay, here's where it gets really interesting for me. If all instructions are contained within these two, and our inherent love is super strongly activated by these specific two ideas, Unity and no idolatry.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: Then logically, that same inherent love can be the motivation for all our actions, not just the extreme ones.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: That's the connection. That's the bridge. The same depth of commitment that makes someone ready for martyrdom for these two principles.
That same level of devotion can and should extend to every single specific instruction.
[00:08:03] Speaker A: Because they're all expressions of the same core reality.
[00:08:05] Speaker B: Precisely. They're not just a random list of rules. They're facets of these two fundamental truths.
[00:08:10] Speaker A: Hang on, how does that actually work? It still feels like a bit of a leap.
[00:08:13] Speaker B: It does take some unpacking.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: I mean, okay, I can see how blatant idolatry is covered, but how is, say, resisting gossip a manifestation of rejecting other powers? Or how is giving charity an affirmation of I am the divine? It needs more explanation, right?
[00:08:28] Speaker B: Absolutely. And the Altar Rebbe anticipates that. He knows we need to understand the why. So he brings in this really helpful parable from an old commentary text.
Imagine a king entering a new country before he starts issuing laws. Do this, don't do that. What's the very first thing he does?
[00:08:44] Speaker A: He establishes his authority. Tells him he's the king.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: Exactly. He requests acceptance as their ruler. He wants them to acknowledge him as the sovereign, the one and only authority. Only then, after they accept him does he start giving decrees.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: Ah, I see.
So belief in the one divine isn't just one command among many.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: It's the foundation. Without accepting the king, the decrees don't really have ultimate meaning for you. They might seem arbitrary.
[00:09:12] Speaker A: That makes sense. As the foundation, you need to accept the Lawgiver before you accept the laws. Yes, but the Altar Rebbe goes further. Right. He says these two aren't just foundational, they're the sum total.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: Yes. All other instructions are just extensions, details.
[00:09:25] Speaker A: So why? Why are these two everything? This seems to push us into a much deeper, maybe even kind of mind bending, understanding of divine unity itself.
[00:09:33] Speaker B: It really does. We have to go beyond just, you know, simple monotheism. Believing in one Creator, the Altar Rebe is about to dive into an understanding of unity that radically redefines existence itself. It challenges our basic assumptions about what's real.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: So how does he define this? Well, one and unique. It sounds like more than just the number one.
[00:09:53] Speaker B: Oh, much more. It's not just saying there's a single divine being or that the Divine isn't made up. Of parts. The real meaning here is, well, it's that the Divine is the only truly existing being, the only one.
[00:10:06] Speaker A: But what about us? What about the world?
[00:10:09] Speaker B: Exactly. Here's the mind bending part. All of existence, everything we perceive, this world, the higher spiritual realms, everything from the Divine's ultimate perspective is absolutely nullified before the Divine.
[00:10:21] Speaker A: Nullified like it doesn't exist.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Not quite doesn't exist from our perspective, but rather it's utterly one with the Divine's essence, so completely dependent and subsumed that its independent being is, from that ultimate viewpoint, sort of illusory.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Okay, nullified before the Divine. That's a huge concept to wrap your head around. Can you give that a bit more shape? Like, is it like a drop of water in the ocean?
[00:10:42] Speaker B: That's a decent starting point. The drop exists, but it's totally lost in the ocean's vastness. Or think about sunlight, okay? The light reaches us, warms us, it's real to us. But compared to the blinding, overwhelming reality of the sun itself, the light is just an effect and an emanation. It doesn't exist apart from the sun. It is the sun expressed.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: So our existence, while real to us.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: Is so utterly dependent on and contained within the Divine reality that from the Divine's perspective, our separate selfhood is essentially out as not nullified within the ultimate source.
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Wow. That implies that the Divine is one alone now, after creating everything. Just like the Divine was before creation.
[00:11:25] Speaker B: Exactly like before creation, when nothing else existed. Because fundamentally nothing else truly exists independently now either.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: I remember that line from the prayers. You are he who was before the world was created, and you are he who is since the world was created.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: Precisely. And the text points out the repetition. You are he who. It means the Divine is exactly the same he unchanged. And as the verse says, I, the Divine have not changed.
[00:11:45] Speaker A: But that feels like such a paradox. How could the Divine be unchanged when this vast universe seems to have come into being? How can the Divine be one alone when we see stars, planets, people, billions of seemingly separate things?
[00:12:01] Speaker B: It's a paradox from our limited human viewpoint, which is bound by time and space, concepts that are themselves creations.
From the Divine perspective, beyond time, creation isn't an event that adds something or changes the Divine essence. It's more like a thought within the Divine mind. The thought exists, but it doesn't change the thinker's essential being.
[00:12:21] Speaker A: So the universe isn't something alongside the Divine?
[00:12:23] Speaker B: No, it's an emanation within the Divine, continuously sustained and ultimately nullified in the Divine singular reality.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: So the answer given is all the worlds, physical and spiritual, their creation out of nothing doesn't cause any change in the Divine's unity. Because from that ultimate view, all is as not. Beside, the Divine is if absolutely non existent.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: Exactly. Utterly subsumed in the infinite Divine light. Their existence is relative, not absolute.
[00:12:50] Speaker A: Okay, so what does this mean for us then? Practically?
This isn't just abstract theology, right? It must connect back to our actions.
[00:12:57] Speaker B: It absolutely does. This is the crucial link back to motivation.
If the Divine is the only true existence and everything else is essentially nullified within that reality, think about what happens when we act against the Divine's will.
[00:13:12] Speaker A: We're setting ourselves apart, asserting our own separate reality.
[00:13:15] Speaker B: Precisely when you choose to go against the Divine instruction, you're acting as if you are a separate, independent entity with your own will that matters more than the Divine's.
[00:13:25] Speaker A: And if the Divine is the only.
[00:13:26] Speaker B: True reality, then asserting your independent reality and defiance is fundamentally a denial of that absolute Divine unity. It's like creating a little bubble of separation.
[00:13:35] Speaker A: So a transgression isn't just breaking a rule, it's treated as if it's a form of idolatry.
[00:13:41] Speaker B: In a sense, yes. Not necessarily bowing to a statue, but idolatry in the sense of setting up something else. Your own ego, your own desire, your own will as having independent reality apart from the Divine.
[00:13:52] Speaker A: Wow, that puts every single choice in a different light, doesn't it? Every action becomes a reflection of whether we're acknowledging that ultimate unity or denying it.
[00:14:02] Speaker B: Exactly. Let's take gossip again.
[00:14:03] Speaker A: Okay?
[00:14:04] Speaker B: When you gossip, you're basically saying, my opinion, my judgment about this person, my desire to speak negatively, is more important right now than the divine perspective of unity and kindness. No, you're momentarily elevating your own little viewpoint.
[00:14:19] Speaker A: Like making an idol of your own opinion.
[00:14:20] Speaker B: In a way, yes. You're acting as if your perspective exists independently and is more valid than the divine truth of interconnectedness.
[00:14:28] Speaker A: It's asserting separation and something like dishonesty, or maybe anger.
[00:14:33] Speaker B: Same principle. Dishonesty prioritizes your game or fear over the absolute truth stemming from the Divine. You act as if your version of reality, your convenience, is more real. Anger often comes from feeling your will is thwarted, your expectations aren't met.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Right. Feeling like things aren't going my way.
[00:14:50] Speaker B: You're asserting your emotional reality, your sense of being wronged as primary, momentarily forgetting or denying the Divine's perfect orchestration of everything.
It's a subtle assertion of self against the backdrop of absolute divine unity.
[00:15:05] Speaker A: So every choice Becomes this profound statement about reality itself.
[00:15:09] Speaker B: It does. Affirming unity or creating an illusion of separation.
[00:15:13] Speaker A: Okay. This idea of nullification of existence being as not relative to the divine, is still pretty hard to grasp fully. So the Altareba gives an analogy. Right, Using human expression.
[00:15:25] Speaker B: Yes, a really detailed one, to help clarify how creation can be considered non existent relative to the divine source. He starts by reminding us that all worlds exist only because of the continuous divine word or breath animating them.
[00:15:38] Speaker A: That constant recreation idea. Not like building a chair that just stays there.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: Exactly. Without that constant input of divine creative energy, everything would just blink out of existence. Poof. Gone.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Okay, got it. So the analogy, it involves the human soul.
[00:15:51] Speaker B: Yes. Comparing the soul's essence to its various expressions, or garments, as the text calls them. He starts with the most external one, a single spoken word.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: Okay, one word.
[00:16:02] Speaker B: That single word, he says, is absolutely nothing compared to the person's whole power of speech, Their capacity to generate endless words.
[00:16:09] Speaker A: Right. One word is negligible compared to the infinite potential for speech. Makes sense.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Then he goes deeper. That word is even less significant compared to the faculty of thought.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Because thought is the source of speech.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: Yes, it's the source, the life force. It's more refined, more expansive.
Thought also uses letters, mental concepts, but they're more subtle than spoken ones. So the spoken word is like a tiny speck compared to the universe of thought.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Like comparing one printed letter to the entire library it came from.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: Good analogy. But then he goes deeper still, beyond.
[00:16:41] Speaker A: Even thought, to the soul's core attributes. Yeah, like intellect and emotion.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: Exactly. Intellect, understanding, knowledge, love, awe, compassion.
Compared to these core attributes, the essence of the soul itself, that single spoken word is utterly insignificant. And crucially, these core attributes, before they're expressed in thought, don't even have letters.
[00:17:04] Speaker A: No letters. Meaning they're formless, Completely formless.
[00:17:07] Speaker B: Pure concepts, pure feelings before they're shaped into specific mental constructs or words.
[00:17:14] Speaker A: Like the raw feeling of love before you even think about the person or what you love about them.
[00:17:18] Speaker B: Precisely. He gives that example, a love or desire first arising in the heart before it moves to the brain to be thought about. It's just pure desire, pure feeling. No letters yet.
[00:17:28] Speaker A: And even before that stage. Yeah, like just intellectually understanding something is good.
[00:17:32] Speaker B: Yes, like appreciating the value of wisdom, or knowing a certain food is healthy before any emotion is even sparked, that initial intellectual grasp. Also, no letters in the mind yet. It's pure concept.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: So when do the letters actually appear in the mind?
[00:17:46] Speaker B: Only after that initial concept or desire goes down to the heart, becomes an actual emotion, and then rises back up to the brain to figure out how.
[00:17:53] Speaker A: How to get it, how to do.
[00:17:55] Speaker B: It right, how to achieve the desired outcome, how to study that subject, how to obtain that food. Then the mind starts forming letters, the specific thoughts, plans, words needed to act. These mental letters give form to the formless feeling or idea.
[00:18:09] Speaker A: That's a fascinating breakdown. It shows this flow from pure formless essence down into structured thought and finally into concrete expression. Like speech.
[00:18:19] Speaker B: Exactly. A descent from infinite potential to finite manifestations.
[00:18:23] Speaker A: But I'm now the big leap, applying this back to the Divine.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Here it is. If a single human word is utterly insignificant, basically nothing compared to the vast potential of the human soul that produced it, then how much more so is the Divine word, the creative force that brings forth and sustains all worlds absolutely without value, completely negligible compared to the truly, absolutely infinite divine essence itself.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: The scale is just infinitely different. Incomparable.
[00:18:50] Speaker B: Infinitely incomparable. And that reinforces the conclusion.
All the worlds, despite their seeming reality to us, their complexity, their vastness, are from the Divine's ultimate perspective, as if non existent, utterly nullified.
[00:19:05] Speaker A: Their existence doesn't change the Divine's absolute perfect unity one bit.
[00:19:09] Speaker B: Not in the slightest. They are continuously emanating from and nullified within that ultimate reality.
[00:19:16] Speaker A: Wow. Okay. This isn't just theology. Like you said, it's a completely different way of viewing reality. It changes how you see everything, including yourself.
[00:19:24] Speaker B: It really does.
[00:19:25] Speaker A: So let's bring it home. What does this mean for you, listening right now? Yeah, for our everyday lives. This deep dive into divine unity isn't just, you know, mental gymnastics.
[00:19:35] Speaker B: Not at all. It's presented as the key, the key to understanding why every single instruction matters so much.
[00:19:40] Speaker A: Because.
[00:19:41] Speaker B: Because when we start to grasp, even intellectually, that small transgressions aren't just small slip ups, but are fundamentally acting as if we're separate from the only true reality.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Denying that absolute oneness.
[00:19:52] Speaker B: Yes, by asserting our own little independent ego or desire, that understanding can actually reactivate that deep inherent love for the Divine, the love that wants unity, not separation.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: So it bridges that gap we talked about between martyrdom situations and daily life.
[00:20:11] Speaker B: That's the idea. Because every action seen through this lens becomes a statement about ultimate reality. It's either affirming the Divine's unity or promoting the illusion of separation.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: So it encourages this huge shift in perspective. Every good deed, kindness, charity, study isn't just a good deed. It's actively saying, yes, the Divine is the only true reality.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: And Every time you hold back from a negative action, anger, gossip, dishonesty, you're not just avoiding bad behavior. You're rejecting the illusion of separation. You're choosing alignment with the ultimate truth of oneness.
[00:20:43] Speaker A: You're consciously choosing unity, moment by moment.
[00:20:46] Speaker B: And the potential transformation there is huge. That inherent love, which might normally only burst forth in a crisis, can start to be felt and activated much more consistently.
[00:20:55] Speaker A: It moves from being an emergency backup to being a guiding force.
[00:20:58] Speaker B: Exactly. Leading to a deeper, more committed spiritual life where the mundane itself becomes infused with this profound awareness of unity.
[00:21:07] Speaker A: And this whole theme, absolute divine unity, the nullification of creation. It's so central. The Altar Rebbe is going to explore it even more in the next chapter.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: There's always more depth to uncover in Tanya.
[00:21:18] Speaker A: Absolutely. So as we wrap up this deep dive into chapter 20, here's something maybe.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: To reflect on a provocative thought.
[00:21:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
If all existence is truly nullified before the divine, if our sense of independent self is from that ultimate view as not, what does that really imply about our own identity, our achievements, our struggles?
[00:21:39] Speaker B: Hmm. That's a deep one.
How does acknowledging that ultimate reality change how we see our daily lives, our successes, our failures?
[00:21:47] Speaker A: How could recognizing this absolute oneness shift your approach to the choices you make, the challenges you face, even what you perceive as truly real around you? What stands out most to you from this exploration of Chapter 20?
[00:21:59] Speaker B: Lots to think about there.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: Definitely. Thank you for joining us on another deep dive.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: Always a pleasure exploring these profound ideas. Until next time.
