Question & Answer With Rabbi Micha Golshevsky - Motivating People

A Simple Jew asks:

Jaime Escalante was successful motivating inner-city high school students in his class by beginning the year with the announcement that they all were all starting with A's and it was up to them to maintain these grades.

Tanya, on the other hand, begins by telling us that we are not tzaddikim, and that if we struggle tirelessly our entire life we may not even become beinonim.

At the end of the day, how are we come to grips with a realization that the majority of us will remain in the category of being a rasha v'tov lo? Wouldn't it be psychologically healthier for us to concentrate on the teaching of Azamra and focus on our good points?

Rabbi Micha Golshevsky answers:

We must understand the Tanya in proper perspective. First of all, as is well known, the Tanya has always been learned by many Chassidic groups, and is considered by many to be the best explanation of the essentials of Chassidus. It is easy to understand why many refer to it as the Tanya Kadisha. It is the Tanya Kadisha for us all.

Yet we find in the Ba'al HaTanya's introduction that the Tanya was written for his Chassidim when he was no longer able to give them each a personal audience. After listing some potential problems with a written work, as opposed to Torah received orally, he explains why he wrote the Tanya despite such problems, "I speak to those who know me well--all of 'anash' [a common acronym which refers to the Chassidim of a particular group]..." He continues to explain that the Tanya was written as way to give those close to him a private audience and contains the answers to all the questions in avodah that he received from his Chassidim. This relatively short collection of very deep Torah gives over the Ba'al HaTanya's advice to overcome all the impediments of avodah which his Chassidim confronted and often asked about.

In light of this, I would answer your question quite simply: The Tanya was written primarily for the Ba'al HaTanya's Chasidim. By and large, they had a positive outlook and did not require much chizuk--unlike people who are emotionally broken or in a low spiritual state for whatever reason (including inner city high school kids.)

For those who came to the Ba'al HaTanya for advice, the best way to begin the sefer was precisely as he did. Of course, not everyone is in such a positive state, and perhaps the Tanya was not really written for them. Indeed, many people will tell you that the Tanya never “did it for them." It is plausible that lack of chizuk is one reason why.

But then again, people may claim that as a Breslover, I should not be voicing an opinion regarding the Tanya and maybe they are right. To head off such a claim, I would like to point out that Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh essentially agrees with this view.

As I glanced at his book, “Transforming Darkness into Light” I was riveted by a discussion of Breslov vis-a-vi Chabad starting on pg. 126. He points out that the Tanya is subtitled Sefer HaBeinonim for a reason. Although in a certain sense the Tanya comprises its own Sefer HaReshaim in Igros HaTeshuva, there are actually three stages of Chassidus of which the Tanya is the middle tier. Each of these stages corresponds to a different aspect of the Ba'al Shem Tov's famous teaching regarding evil: the first stage of overcoming evil is hachna'ah, submission. Only after attaining submission can one proceed to the second step of havdalah, separation. Finally, one attains works on hamtakah, sweetening.

Rabbi Ginsburgh notes that Chassidim say that the Chassidic “Book of the Wicked” is Rebbe Nachman's Likutey Moharan, while the book of the Righteous” is Noam Elimelech. The Tanya is of course the “Book of the Beinonim.”

Rabbi Ginsburgh then explains: “The approach of Breslov is the underlying bedrock of the spiritual life.” In his opinion, through the teachings of Rebbe Nachman one subdues the evil within and sets the stage for the next step of "separation."

Although I think that is demonstratably true, I was surprised that Rabbi Ginsburgh takes such a dismal view of Breslov's ability to help one after it he attains the level of submission. He writes that Breslov enables people who are not yet emotionally mature come to a state of chizuk so they can "move on" to Tanya; relegating Breslov to domain of "spiritual adolescents." Strangely, in order to support this thesis, he implies that hisbodedus is to help people internalize that Hashem is always with them but not really meant to be a path to "face and rectify" the evil within (havdalah).

This is clearly incorrect since Rebbe Nachman writes that hisbodedus enables one to slowly overcome his character defects, one at a time, until he merits true unity with Hashem. Clearly hisbodedus is in itself a way to focus on and correct character defects.

In any event, this thesis is clearly flawed since there were many Breslovers who became exceedingly great ovdei Hashem. Many people who have never learned Chabad have progressed to "separation" and "sweetening" through the deep advice found in Breslov, especially diligence in properly balanced hisbodedus.

It is true that Breslov has its share of spiritual adolescents, but so does Chabad. Just as Chabadniks will surely explain that the spiritually immature are not really following the Ba'al HaTanya's advice, Breslov's immature do not truly follow Rebbe Nachman's path. Most of those who remain immature in both Breslov and Chabad are people who "do their own thing," without meaningful hadrachah or balance. Such people are often not learning much (or doing much...)

Getting back to your question, Rabbi Ginsburg postulates that the Tanya, as the “Sefer HaBeinonim,” is for those emotionally mature people who can begin to face the darkness within and are “ready to know the full extent of their darker side.”

And there is your answer. Tanya was only meant for those who already have enough chizuk to face the fact that his goal is to achieve the level of a beinoni. To a person with an abundance of chizuk this is a very beneficial attitude since it saves him from falling into arrogance. Of course this path can be very detrimental for someone who is not yet able to face his negative side for whatever reason; especially if he is sensitive. But after attaining an abundance of chizuk we are enabled to face and work on our spiritual failings with a healthy mindset. As mentioned above, this is one reason why many people begin learning Tanya and feel it is "not doing it for them." They lack the necessary chizuk for whatever reason and they are not on the level to learn Tanya.

It is not surprising that many of those who require the powerful chizuk of Breslov find all they need in its path and do not leave it. Interestingly, Rebbe Nachman says that the Torah that can reach the most distant person is actually the highest Torah.

Many people who find what they need in the deep wellsprings of Breslover Chassidus decide to focus the most on the highest Torah of chizuk, hisbodedus, and Rebbe Nachman's powerful advice to advance slowly but surely and reach very high levels.

Yet one need not be a "card carrying Breslover" to benifit from Breslov Chassidus. Indeed, Rebbe Nachman actually recommended that when one finds a misnaged "in need" that we give him Rebbe Nachman's eitzos without saying his name. He said, "What do I care if he unknowingly serves Hashem in my koach?"

Chazal tell us that Torah has two properties. It is either an elixir of life or a potion of death. Breslov helps us access the elixir of life aspect hidden in all genuine Torah. Every derech is enhanced through the yesodos of Breslov. Many Chassidim of all stripes get their vitality by learning their particular seforim in light of the hakdamos found in the Breslover seforim. I know people in Chabad, Ger, Slonim, and Ruzhin and many other groups who do not go to Uman and are not noticeably Breslov but their foundation is essentially Breslov. They learn Breslov and this truly sweetens their life and all the other Torah they learn. The same is true regarding Litvisher who learn mussar and Sephardim who learn Ben Ish Chai or anything else. As Rebbe Nachman said: Breslov stands for "lev basar," a heart of flesh.

Hashem should truly grant us a heart of flesh and enable us to truly connect to Him, heart and soul!