006 - TANYA CHAPTER 6 -תניא פרק ו

The Alter Rebbe begins Perek Vav by quoting the verse, זה לעומת זה עשה אלקים—“G‑d made one opposite the other.” This means that just as there is a structure of holiness, there is an equal and opposite structure on the side of impurity. G‑d created both sides in parallel, so that a person has true bechirah chofshis—free choice. The two forces, holiness and impurity, pull in opposite directions, and it is up to the person to choose the right path.

Just as the nefesh haElokis—the godly soul—is composed of ten holy sefiros (powers), and expresses itself through three holy garments—thought, speech, and action—so too, the nefesh d’sitra achra—the soul from the other side, which comes from קליפת נוגה—is also made up of ten powers. However, these are called עשר כתרים דמסאבותא—ten crowns of impurity. These ten powers are divided into two categories: seven negative middos—emotional traits—which come from the four negative elements mentioned earlier, and three intellectual faculties—חכמה בינה ודעת—which are the source of those emotions.

The Alter Rebbe explains that just as the godly soul’s intellect gives birth to holy emotions, so too, the animal soul’s intellect gives rise to negative emotions and desires. The difference is that the godly soul’s intellect is focused on understanding and loving Hashem, while the animal soul’s intellect is directed toward foolishness and material desires. The seven negative middos are rooted in the four spiritual elements—fire, wind, water, and earth—and each negative trait is an expression of these elements in the soul’s makeup.

In summary, the structure of the animal soul mirrors that of the godly soul: ten powers (intellect and emotion), and three garments (thought, speech, and action). But whereas the godly soul’s powers and garments are directed toward holiness, the animal soul’s are directed toward self-centered and material pursuits, deriving their vitality from קליפת נוגה.

The Alter Rebbe now elaborates on the relationship between intellect and emotion in the animal soul. He explains that a person’s middos—emotional traits—are shaped according to the quality of his intellect. For example, a child desires and loves trivial things of little value, simply because his mind is too limited to appreciate anything more precious. His intellect is too small to grasp greater things, so his desires are small as well.

Similarly, a child will become angry or upset over insignificant matters, and will boast or take pride in things that are not truly important. This is true for all the middos—the emotions and character traits—of the animal soul. The more developed a person’s intellect, the more refined and elevated his desires and emotional responses will be.

The key point here is that the intellect of the animal soul serves as the source and foundation for its emotions. The nature and quality of a person’s emotional life is determined by the level of his understanding. This is a parallel to what was explained earlier regarding the godly soul, but with the crucial difference that here, the intellect and emotions are directed toward material and self-centered goals, rather than holiness.

The Alter Rebbe now turns to the three garments of the animal soul—thought, speech, and action. When a person thinks, speaks, or acts in ways that are driven by the ten impure powers of the animal soul, his thought, speech, and action become what the Alter Rebbe calls לבושי מסאבו—impure garments.

For example, when a person uses his mind to plot or fantasize about negative things, or uses his mouth to speak words that are not holy, or uses his hands and other limbs to perform actions that are not for the sake of holiness, these faculties are then serving as the garments for the impure powers of the animal soul. At the moment of such thought, speech, or action, the soul’s impure powers are being expressed and clothed in the person’s physical faculties.

This is the parallel to the godly soul, where the garments of thought, speech, and action are used for Torah and mitzvos. Here, however, the same faculties are used for the opposite purpose, and thus become garments of impurity.

The Alter Rebbe explains that these impure garments—thought, speech, and action used for non-holy purposes—are what constitute כל המעשים אשר נעשים תחת השמש—all the deeds done "under the sun." This phrase, from Koheles, refers to all mundane activities that are not for the sake of Hashem.

He continues, quoting the verse, הכל הבל ורעות רוח—“all is vanity and grasping for wind.” The Zohar interprets these words to mean that such actions are a “breaking of the spirit”—they are empty and lack true substance. When a person’s actions, speech, or thoughts are not directed toward holiness, they are ultimately meaningless and do not bring lasting fulfillment.

Thus, the Alter Rebbe is teaching that any use of one’s faculties that is not for the sake of Hashem falls into the category of impurity and emptiness, even if it is not overtly sinful or negative.

The Alter Rebbe now broadens the definition of impurity. He says that כל הדיבורים וכל המחשבות אשר לא לה' המה—all speech and thought that are not for Hashem, for His will and service—are also considered to be from the side of impurity.

This is the meaning of the term סטרא אחרא—the “other side.” It refers to anything that is not the side of holiness. If a thought, word, or deed is not for Hashem, it is automatically classified as סטרא אחרא, regardless of whether it is explicitly sinful. There is no neutral ground; anything not directed to holiness is already on the “other side.”

This is a crucial point: the definition of impurity is not limited to things that are obviously evil or forbidden. Even mundane or permissible activities, if not done for the sake of Hashem, are considered to be garments of impurity, expressions of the סטרא אחרא.

The Alter Rebbe now clarifies what is meant by the side of holiness. He explains that holiness is defined by the presence and influence of Hashem’s holiness. Hashem only rests His presence on something that is nullified to Him—that is, something that recognizes its dependence on Hashem and is humble before Him.

This nullification can be either actual, as with the angels above who have no independent existence and are completely subservient to Hashem, or potential, as with every Jew below, who has the capacity to be totally nullified to Hashem, even to the point of mesiras nefesh—giving up one’s life for the sanctification of Hashem’s name.

Because of this inherent potential for bittul, even a single Jew learning Torah brings the Shechinah—the Divine Presence—to rest upon him, as our Sages say: “Even one who sits and studies Torah, the Shechinah rests upon him.” And when ten Jews gather, the Shechinah is always present, even if they are not actively learning, because the collective potential for bittul is so great.

In summary, the side of holiness is defined by the presence of Hashem’s holiness, which only rests where there is true or potential nullification to Him. This is what distinguishes holiness from the other side.

On the other hand, anything that is not nullified to Hashem, but instead sees itself as a separate, independent entity, does not receive its vitality from the inner essence of Hashem’s holiness. Instead, it receives life from what the Alter Rebbe calls אחוריים—the “backside” or indirect aspect of holiness.

This means that Hashem gives life to these entities in a way that is distant and concealed, as if He is turning His face away from them. The life-force descends through countless levels, through the chain of worlds and many contractions, until it is so diminished that it can be enclosed within something that is separate from Hashem, giving it existence so that it does not revert to nothingness.

This is the concept of klipah—a shell or covering that conceals the Divine source of life. The vitality is present, but it is in a state of galus—exile—within the separate entity. The entity exists only because Hashem continues to give it life, but it does not recognize or reveal this dependence. This is the fundamental difference between the side of holiness, which is characterized by bittul and direct connection to Hashem, and the side of impurity, which receives its life in a concealed and indirect manner.

The Alter Rebbe explains that עולם הזה ומלואו—this world and all that fills it—is called עולם הקליפות וסטרא אחרא, the world of klipos and the sitra achra. This means that the very nature of our world is dominated by forces that conceal G‑dliness, that cover over the true source of all existence.

Because of this, the Alter Rebbe says, all the deeds and affairs of this world are kashim v'ra'im—difficult and bad. The world is a place where negativity and hardship are prevalent, and the wicked often seem to prevail. This is not just a matter of perception, but a reflection of the spiritual reality: the energy that enlivens this world comes primarily through the klipos, which are spiritual blockages that obscure the Divine.

The Alter Rebbe cites the Etz Chaim as a source for this idea, emphasizing that the dominance of klipos in this world is the reason for the prevalence of evil and the strength of the wicked. The world is structured in such a way that the forces of concealment are strong, and therefore, the challenges and struggles of life are so pronounced.

However, the Alter Rebbe clarifies that even within this world, which is generally dominated by klipos, there is still a presence of kedusha—holiness. He points out that within this physical world, there exist the עשר ספירות דעשיה דקדושה—the ten holy sefirot of the world of Asiya. This is based on the teachings in Etz Chaim, which explain that the ten sefirot of Asiya are present even in the lowest world.

Moreover, within these ten sefirot of Asiya are contained the ten sefirot of Yetzira, and within those, the ten sefirot of Briah, and within those, the ten sefirot of Atzilus. At the core of all these levels is the Or Ein Sof—the Infinite Light of Hashem. This means that even in the lowest realms, the Divine presence is still found, albeit in a very concealed and contracted form.

This teaching is crucial, because it shows that despite the overwhelming presence of klipos in this world, holiness is not absent. There is a chain of Divine energy that descends through all the worlds, and even here, in the physical world, the light of Hashem is present through the structure of the sefirot.

The Alter Rebbe continues by stating that the Or Ein Sof—the Infinite Light of Hashem—actually fills this entire lower world. How does this happen? Through its enclothing in the ten sefirot of the four worlds: Atzilus, Briah, Yetzira, and Asiya. This is a process of descent, where the Divine light is progressively concealed and filtered through each world, until it reaches our physical reality.

He brings sources from Etz Chaim and Sefer HaGilgulim to support this idea, showing that the Divine presence is not absent from the world, but rather, it is hidden within the structure of the sefirot as they manifest in each world. This means that even in the most physical and material aspects of existence, the light of Hashem is present, though it is deeply concealed by the layers of klipa and the limitations of the physical world.

This understanding is fundamental to the Tanya's approach: even in a world that seems to be dominated by concealment and negativity, the Divine is still present, sustaining and enlivening all of creation from within.

Now, the Alter Rebbe explains that the klipos themselves are not all on the same level. Rather, הקליפות הן נחלקות לשתי מדרגות זו למטה מזו—the klipos are divided into two categories, one lower than the other.

The lower category is called שלש קליפות הטמאות ורעות לגמרי—the three completely impure and evil klipos. These are forces that are entirely negative, with no good in them at all. The Alter Rebbe references the vision of Yechezkel, where these klipos are described as רוח סערה וענן גדול וגו'—a stormy wind, a great cloud, and so on. These represent the most intense forms of spiritual blockage, where G‑dliness is totally concealed and cannot be accessed or elevated.

This distinction is important, because it sets the stage for understanding the different sources of vitality in the world: some things are sustained by klipos that are totally impure, while others, as will be explained, come from a higher, less negative form of klipa.

From these three completely impure klipos, the Alter Rebbe says, flow and are drawn the souls of all the nations of the world who serve idols—Umos ha'olam—and the very existence of their bodies. This means that the spiritual source of the vitality of non-Jewish nations, who are not connected to Torah and mitzvos, comes from these lower klipos.

It's not only their souls, but also the physical existence of their bodies that is sustained by this level of klipa. This is a fundamental point in Tanya: the source of spiritual and physical life for different beings is determined by the level of klipa or kedusha from which their vitality is drawn.

Similarly, the souls of all impure animals—בעלי חיים הטמאים ואסורים באכילה—and their physical existence are also drawn from these three impure klipos. These are animals that are forbidden to be eaten according to Torah law.

The Alter Rebbe emphasizes that both the soul and the body of these animals are sustained by the same source as the souls of the nations who serve idols. This explains why these animals are prohibited for consumption: their spiritual source is entirely impure, and thus, they cannot be elevated through eating or use by a Jew.

The same principle applies to all forbidden foods that grow from the earth—מאכלות אסורות מהצומח—such as ערלה (the fruit of a tree's first three years) and כלאי הכרם (forbidden mixtures in a vineyard), and so on. The Alter Rebbe explains that both the existence and the vitality of these prohibited plant foods come from the three impure klipos.

He cites the Etz Chaim as the source for this teaching, making it clear that the reason these foods are forbidden is because their spiritual root is entirely impure. This is not just a matter of ritual law, but a reflection of the spiritual reality: their life-force is derived from a source that is completely disconnected from holiness, and therefore, they cannot be elevated through human action.

Here the Alter Rebbe explains that just as the vitality and existence of all actions, speech, and thoughts that are connected to the 365 negative commandments and their offshoots—meaning, all the prohibitions in the Torah—derive their energy from a specific spiritual source. When a person transgresses a לא תעשה—a negative commandment—whether through action, speech, or even thought, the life-force that animates that forbidden act, word, or thought comes from the side of קליפה—the spiritual shell or husk that conceals G‑dliness.

The Rebbe elaborates that every act in this world, even a prohibited act, must have some life-force, some spiritual energy that enables it to exist and be carried out. However, the source of that energy is not from Kedusha—holiness—but rather from the side of קליפה. Specifically, when a Jew uses his faculties—his mind, his speech, or his actions—to violate a prohibition, the energy for that transgression is drawn from the Nefesh HaBehamis, the animal soul, which itself is rooted in klipah.

This is why the Alter Rebbe emphasizes that the vitality of all prohibited actions, speech, and thoughts—whether it is a direct violation or even just contemplating or speaking about a forbidden matter—draws its spiritual sustenance from the side of klipah. In fact, when a person engages in such prohibited behavior, he is actually lowering his soul, dragging it down from its original source in klipas noga to the even lower level of the שלוש קליפות הטמאות—the three completely impure klipos.

So, the key point here is that the spiritual energy for all the 365 negative commandments and their branches, when violated, comes from the side of klipah. This is a fundamental concept in Tanya: that not only does holiness have its source and its way of expressing itself through the soul and its garments, but even the opposite—when a person uses his faculties for the wrong things, the energy is also spiritual, but it is derived from the side of impurity, from klipah.