Likutei Amarim Chapter 30, Class # 3

End of Chapter 30

ואפילו בבחינת סור מרע, יכול כל איש משכיל למצוא בנפשו שאינו סר לגמרי מהרע בכל מכל כל

Even in the category of “turn away from evil,” every thinking man can discover within himself that he does not turn completely and totally away from evil,

במקום שצריך למלחמה עצומה כערך הנ״ל, ואפילו פחות מערך הנ״ל

in a situation requiring a battle of the level i.e., magnitude described above, i.e., the battle required of the kal shebekalim, or even in a situation requiring a battle of a lesser magnitude.

כגון להפסיק באמצע שיחה נאה, או סיפור בגנות חברו

For example, he may find that he does not summon up the strength to stop in the middle of a pleasant gossip, or in the middle of relating a tale discrediting his fellow,

ואפילו גנאי קטן וקל מאד, אף שהוא אמת, ואפילו כדי לנקות עצמו

as he ought to do even if it is a very slight slur, and even if it be true, and even though his purpose in relating it is to exonerate himself —

כנודע מהא דאמר רבי שמעון לאביו רבינו הקדוש: לאו אנא כתביה אלא יהודא חייטא כתביה, ואמר לו: כלך מלשון הרע עיין שם בגמרא, ריש פרק י׳ דבבא בתרא

as is known from what Rabbi Shimon said to his father Rabbeinu HaKadoshconcerning a problematic bill of divorce that was improperly written: “I did not write it, Yehudah the tailor wrote it,” where the slur was a minor one, and the purpose was self-vindication — and yet his father replied: “Keep away from slander.” (Note there in the Gemara, Tractate Bava Batra, 9 beginning of ch. 10.)

וכהאי גוונא כמה מילי דשכיחי טובא

The same applies to very many similar things which occur frequently.

There, too, one will find that he does not resist his evil impulse as he ought to, even in the category of “turn away from evil.”

ובפרט בענין לקדש עצמו במותר לו, שהוא מדאורייתא, כמו שכתוב: קדושים תהיו וגו׳, והתקדשתם וגו׳

This is especially true with regard to sanctifying oneself by refraining from indulgence in permitted matters — and this is a Biblical commandment, 10derived from the verses: 11 “You shall be holy,” and “Sanctify yourselves,” etc.

וגם דברי סופרים חמורים מדברי תורה וכו׳

Moreover, even according to the opinion that this commandment is not of Biblical origin, yet12 “Rabbinic enactments are even stricter than Biblical laws,” etc. — and yet one will often find himself succumbing to self-indulgence when the temptation is strong and requires a battle to overcome it.

אלא שכל אלו וכיוצא בהן הן מעוונות שהאדם דש בעקביו

But all these and similar matters are among13 “the sins which people trample underfoot,” insensitive to their importance,

וגם נעשו כהיתר מחמת שעבר ושנה וכו׳

and which have come to be regarded as permissible because they are committed repeatedly. 14

All the above-mentioned calculations, then, can lead one to conclude that he is no better than the kal shebekalim. Like the kal shebekalim, he too fails to wage war against his evil impulse when it is required of him. Yet this still does not explain the requirement that one consider oneself lower than every man. In what way is he worse than the kal shebekalim? In answer, the Alter Rebbe continues:

אבל באמת אם הוא יודע ספר, ומחזיק בתורת ה׳, וקרבת אלקים יחפץ

In truth, however, if he is a scholar and upholds G‑d’s Torah, and wishes to be close to G‑d,

גדול עונו מנשוא, ואשמתו גדלה בכפלי כפליים במה שאינו נלחם ומתגבר על יצרו בערך ובחינת מלחמה עצומה הנ״ל

his sin is unbearably great and his guilt is increased manifold for his not waging war and not overcoming his impulse in a manner commensurate with the quality and nature of the war mentioned above that the kal shebekalim must face.

מאשמת קל שבקלים מיושבי קרנות הרחוקים מה׳ ותורתו

His guilt is far greater than the guilt of the kal shebekalim, the most worthless of the street-corner squatters, who are remote from G‑d and His Torah.

ואין אשמתם גדולה כל כך במה שאינם כובשים יצרם הבוער כאש להבה מפני פחד ה׳ המבין ומביט אל כל מעשיהם

Their guilt for not summoning up the fear of G‑d Who knows and sees all their actions, in order to restrain their impulse which burns like a fiery flame, is not as heinous

כאשמת כל הקרב הקרב אל ה׳ ואל תורתו ועבודתו

as the guilt of one who draws ever nearer to G‑d, His Torah and His service.

וכמו שאמרו רז״ל גבי אחר: שידע בכבודי וכו׳

As our Sages of blessed memory said of the apostate “Acher”, Elisha ben Avuyah: 15“Because he knew My glory…,” said G‑d; if despite this he still sinned, his guilt is far greater.

ולכן אמרו רז״ל על עמי הארץ שזדונות נעשו להם כשגגות

Therefore our Sages declared in regard to the illiterate that16 “Deliberate sins are regarded in their case as inadvertent acts,” since they are unaware of the gravity of their sins.

With a scholar, the reverse is true: an oversight due to lack of study is adjudged as being as grave as a deliberate sin.17 Thus, his failure to restrain his evil impulse is indeed worse than the failure of the kal shebekalim.

By contemplating this, the observant scholar will now be able to fulfill the instruction of the Mishnah (quoted at the beginning of this chapter): “Be lowly of spirit before every man.” Thereby he will crush his own spirit and the spirit of the sitra achra in his animal soul, enabling the light of his soul to permeate and irradiate his body, as explained in ch. 29.

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FOOTNOTES
9. 164b.
10. See ch. 27.
11. Vayikra 19:2; 20:7.
12. Sanhedrin 88b.
13. Avodah Zarah 18a.
14. Yoma 86b.
15. Chaghigah 15a (in fourth marginal gloss by the Bach).
16. Bava Metzia 33b.
17. Avot 4:13

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