Not the Body

Remember you are not the body. Neither are you the animal that pounds within the body, demanding its way in every thing. You are a G‑dly soul.

Do not confuse the pain and struggle of the body with the joy and purity of the G‑dly soul.

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With the Body

Advice on Anger

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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Rebbe means teacher. Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson is seventh in a prestigious line of chassidic rebbes. Even after his passing, he is known worldwide as simply "The Rebbe"- a Rebbe for any person in the world. This book offers every person a taste of the Rebbe's wisdom, condensed from over 50 years of letters, public talks, private conversations, and written works. Presented in an accessible format.

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8 Comments

Chaya London February 8, 2013

For Dwight regarding Sarah and Rebecca So please, continue, what would Sarah and Rebecca do with these 'two children'? Reply

Justin J. Roth Staten Island, NY (I will be with my family in Virginia soon) February 4, 2013

First "With the Body" and then "Not the Body"? A person is a body, a mind and a soul. To say that any one is more or less important than the other is a very bad way to go about existence. If you negate the body, you will not have a healthy mind or soul. If you negate the mind, you will be a vegetable. If you negate the soul, you will die. The truth is, if you negate any one of those, you will wind up not living a proper, well-balanced life. Reply

Dwight D. Williams Garland, TX February 2, 2013

A question for Chaya What would Sarah and Rebecca do with these two "children"?

Shalom and Blessings Reply

Michelle Fl February 1, 2013

Hashem did it again! Yes, have no choice but to return to school a on your feet position all day while embracing 2 knee injuries and the latest a foot injury! Why all this happen to me? Remember Jakob's fight with the devil! The devil will not win with me because G-d was invited to fill my soul! Through G-d all good things are possible! Wow, Hashem reassured me though today's reading I will live today through the G-dly Soul! Rabbi G-d worked through once again! Amen! Reply

Chaya Wargon London, UK February 1, 2013

The animal that pounds within the body This isn't a comment as much as a question: but what do you do about 'the animal that pounds within in the body'? I've turned my back on it, I've prayed, I've meditated but it's a hungry baby that refuses to stop screaming until I feed it, acknowledge it. At least, that's how it feels/appears, is how I've dealt this, clearly, not very successful. It does feel like there are indeed two hearbeats within me; one that is the G_dly soul and the other that is the animal soul. I feel more at war with this than at peace, there's a constant battle going on. What to do about this? This is my question because I want peace. Reply

Robert Bauer February 1, 2013

The morning blessing which begins "Elohai" has always confused me on this point. The prayer is translated : You breathed it into me, You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me and restore it to me..." Here the soul is not me but put in and out of me. Help me on this confusion.
Thank you Reply

Tzvi Freeman (author) February 19, 2008

Q&A Question:
In Tanya, chapter 29, it says clearly that a person is not the G-dly soul, rather the "vitalizing soul". Only the Tzadikim are the G_dly soul. May i please get an explanation.

Answer:

Glad to see someone's on the ball.

If you think into it a little more, you'll see that the Alter Rebbe appears to contradict himself with this statement. After all, in chapter 18 he explained that even the simplest Jew is ready to give up his or her life, G_d forbid, not to be separated from the G_d of Israel.

Later, in chapter 32, he explains how true love can only be found among those who focus on the nefesh and not the body--so if that's the animal soul, what sort of unity and love is going to ensue? And why love someone s/he's just an animal (or vitalizing) soul?

Quite simply, it depends on whether we are talking about the Jew from the outside-in or from the inside-out. From the outside-in, his thoughts, his personality, his ego may all be under the domain of an animal soul. From the inside-out, however, every breath and every heartbeat is powered by the G_dly soul.

This becomes clear in Iggeres HaTeshuva, chapter six, where the Alter Rebbe describes how when a Jew sins, chas v'sholom, he is choosing to draw his vitality from the chambers of tuma. If so, you would think that's the end of his connection to G_dliness. But no. By doing so, the Alter Rebbe continues, the Jew is drawing his G_dly soul--and even the latter hey of G_d's name--into exile.

Why? Because no matter what, that's the source of every ounce of his being. It's only that he is forcing that Divine current to pass through the sewers of tuma--and feed them along the way--in order to get to him. Sort of like living it wild on your dad's credit card--and then calling him to get you out of trouble.

This is the gist of the Rebbe's footnote to Likutei Sichos vol. 11, page 71, footnote 51. Reply

Shmuel Graybar June 28, 2018

in response to Tzvi Freeman (author):

Wow! What a perfect image for the 21st century! Boy we Jews are really gettin' good with those hip metaphors! Reply

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