Likutei Amarim Chapter 12, Class # 6

Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 12

וכן בדברים שבין אדם לחבירו

So, too, in matters “between man and his fellow-man.”

The Beinoni will not grant expression in thought, speech or action to any evil feelings toward his fellow.

מיד שעולה לו מהלב למוח איזו טינא ושנאה, חס ושלום

As soon as there rises from his heart to his mind any animosity or hatred, G‑d forbid,

או איזו קנאה או כעס או קפידא ודומיהן

or jealousy, anger or a grudge, and their like,

אינו מקבלן כלל במוחו וברצונו

he will bar them from his mind and will, refusing even to think of them.

ואדרבה המוח שליט ומושל ברוח שבלבו לעשות ההפך ממש

On the contrary, his mind will prevail over and dominate the feelings of his heart, to do the exact opposite of that which the heart desires,

להתנהג עם חבירו במדת חסד

namely, to conduct himself toward his fellow with the quality of kindness (as opposed to the quality of “severity”, where hatred and anger originate),

וחיבה יתרה מודעת לו, לסבול ממנו עד קצה האחרון

and to display towards his fellow a disproportionate love, in suffering from him to the furthest extreme,

ולא לכעוס חס ושלום וגם שלא לשלם לו כפעלו, חס ושלום

without being provoked into anger, G‑d forbid, or to take revenge in kind, G‑d forbid, even without anger;

אלא אדרבה לגמול לחייבים טובות

but, on the contrary, to repay offenders with favors,

כמו שכתוב בזהר ללמוד מיוסף עם אחיו

as taught in the Zohar,2 that we should learn from the example of Joseph’s conduct with his brothers, when he repaid them for the suffering they brought upon him, with kindness and favors.

Thus, in his relations with his fellow-man as well, the Beinoni does not permit the evil in his heart to express itself in thought, word or deed.

It is thus understood from this chapter, that with regard to practice the divine soul is the Beinoni’s only master. He neither thinks, speaks nor does anything forbidden, but acts only in acordance with Torah and mitzvot. As regards his essence, however, i.e., his intellect and emotions, he has another master as well; his animal soul is still powerful, and it can and does arouse evil desires in his heart.

In connection with the statement made earlier in this chapter, that the time of prayer is propitious for spiritual elevation, an aphorism of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi J.I. Schneersohn, comes to mind:

When a Jew studies Torah he feels like a student before G‑d, his teacher, Whose wisdom he is studying. When he prays, he feels like a child before his father.

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FOOTNOTES
1. Ch. 9.
2. Zohar I, p. 201a.

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