6564 —כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול ממנו – קודם עבודת האדם; וקביעות בנפש בלימוד החסידות

B"H, 22 Marcheshvan, 5719

Brooklyn.

The Rabbi and Chassid, the veteran Chassid, G‑d-fearing man, honored and elevated, engaged in communal needs, our teacher Rabbi Yitzchak, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh.

... As to your question on the saying of our Sages, כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול ממנו "whoever is greater than his fellow, his evil inclination is greater than his" (Sukkah 52a), and likewise on the well-known story printed in HaTamim concerning Avraham Avinu, that this is on account of the body; and further, from what is written in Tanya, that the evil is transformed into actual good (Tanya, ch. 10).

Understandably, your question is not on the Tanya, but on the Yerushalmi at the end of Berachos (Yerushalmi Berachos 9:5) and the Zohar (III, 107b), especially since in the Yerushalmi it is brought specifically with regard to Avraham Avinu.

(I do not cite the Bavli, Berachos 61b, since there Rashi explains it differently, which is not the case with the above.)

In truth, none of the above presents a difficulty, for the saying "whoever is greater than his fellow, etc." refers to the person in his own right, prior to a person's avodah; and even though [the inclination] was transformed into good, or he slew it through fasting (Tanya, ch. 1), this is akin [though of course in an exceedingly subtle measure] to what is said of baalei teshuvah, that their disposition is bad (cf. Bava Metzia 59b) because of their former nature. And in the same way is the above saying concerning Avraham Avinu.

And a further illustration of this: the eating of the refined body of (a) Moshe Rabbeinu, (b) when he ascended on high (Bava Metzia 86b), (c) with regard to bread from heaven, which has no waste (Yoma 75b) – and nevertheless he did not eat, because it simply is not fitting.

As to what you write, that you urged your brother-in-law, the Rav, may he live long and good days, to study the teachings of Chassidus, the "words of the living G‑d": surely you will not be content with saying it once, but will continue until the matter is put into practice, and with fixity – in keeping with the instruction of the Alter Rebbe: not only fixity in time but also fixity in the soul (see letter 6203 and letter 6273), and that is the main thing.

With blessing for good news in all the above,

M. Schneerson

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 10, p. 203, and completed according to a photocopy of the letter.

Our teacher Rabbi Yitzchak (מו"ה יצחק): Dubov, Manchester. Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, 6279, and the sources noted there.

The well-known story (בהסיפור הידוע): See also above, vol. 13, letter 4723.

What is written in Tanya (שכתוב בתניא): Chapter 10.

Summary

This letter explains that "whoever is greater than his fellow, his inclination is greater" describes a person in his own right, before his avodah, so it does not contradict the transformation of evil into good; like Moshe, who on high did not eat though his body was refined. It urges the recipient to keep encouraging fixed study of Chassidus, fixed not only in time but in the soul.