The Beinoni

The Alter Rebbe’s revolutionary path in navigating the struggle of the two souls is reflected in Tanya’s descriptive subtitle. Called Sefer Shel Beinonim, the book of intermediates, the Alter Rebbe informs the student that this book is not intended to shape perfectionism. The guidance provided by Tanya is for the Jew who struggles. It is for the person who wants to live up to the desires of the G‑dly soul, yet for whom that perfect reality remains to be attained.

The term beinoni is drawn from the Talmud, which categorizes people based on their inner state of being. It lists two grades of tzaddik, two grades of rasha, and the beinoni.69 They are defined as follows:70

A tzaddik is a person whose G‑dly soul claimed victory over their entire psyche. They took hold of the passions and desires of their animalistic soul and subdued them completely. Furthermore, the perfect tzaddik has even transformed these negative urges to be redirected in service of G‑d. Despising evil, the perfect tzaddik fully lives up to the ideals of the nefesh haElokis.71

Conversely, the rasha is at least partially dominated by the animalistic soul and its self-serving agenda. The G‑dly soul recedes as major or minor infractions of G‑d’s Will are conducted. As these choices seem wrong, the person rebounds and gets excited to serve G‑d, only to succumb yet again. While the complete rasha has no regrets about their hypocritical lifestyle absent of G‑dliness, the incomplete rasha fights the battles, tragically only winning sporadic success.72

The beinoni is neither a tzaddik nor a rasha. The beinoni copes, but doesn’t triumph. In the face of the inner animal’s pressure to self-indulge, the beinoni resists, but that urge is ignored, not vanquished.73

The levushim of thought, speech, and action are fully in the hands of the G‑dly soul, yet the battle is far from over. The ­beinoni gained control of their thinking mind, but the emotions and urges of the nefesh habahamis remain. The constant bombardment of foreign passions and ideas are tempting, yet the G‑dly soul holds its ground.74

Striving to lead a completely G‑dly life with the nefesh haElokis as the sole authority, the beinoni invests in avodah, hoping to see lasting results. While engrossed in prayer and Torah study, the nefesh habahamis may seem to disappear, only to come ­raging back just when the beinoni wishes to apply the Divine truth to real life.75

Climbing With No Plateau in Sight

The Alter Rebbe teaches that we were not all created to be perfect. We are not all positioned to be victorious in battle. We are not all equipped to summit the peak.76

It is by design that the beinoni struggles, striving while not attaining their true goal. If G‑d desired perfection, He would have created us that way. Instead, He prefers the unyielding effort, the relentless climb.77

Tanya explains that serving G‑d is a verb, not a noun. We are not meant to be “servants of G‑d,” we are meant to be “serving G‑d.”78 It is the persistence, not the destination. We should not become complacent with the status quo, instead, we are to constantly strive beyond our current capacities.

The term beinoni literally means in-between, because while the person is holding off from being a rasha with all their strength, they are also not a tzaddik. Yearning to be engaged completely in the truth of G‑dliness, the beinoni has not arrived at a place of personal comfort. The beinoni cannot settle with being a beinoni because they are still caught “in-between.”

Over time, the beinoni surely makes territorial gains. Their efforts bear fruit in that the challenges of today are likely to be less severe or gruesome than those of the time past. Negative prospects that were once particularly luring may now seem unattractive or even repulsive.79

However, despite these successes, for the beinoni the inner animal ever remains. Having “graduated” from the habits of the past, the relentless nefesh habahamis seeks to engage in more “stage-appropriate” temptations. Regardless of the spiritual growth, the animalistic soul is still unwilling to wholeheartedly serve G‑d.

The progress is certainly encouraging, yet it falls short of bringing the person to the spiritual security of the tzaddik.80

However unsatisfying it may be, the beinoni carries on. Rather than being broken by the failure of achievement, the beinoni knows that the purpose is not to arrive. G‑d desires the climb.

As explained above, the foundation of the chassidic approach to serving G‑d is that it is not about personal attainment – it is about fulfilling G‑d’s mission.81

While this attitude is simply a noble ideal for ­tzaddikim, it is essential to the beinoni’s morale and conviction. Rather than becoming disenchanted by the never-ending effort, the chassidic beinoni learns to embrace the challenge. Being “in-between” and serving G‑d without gaining any personal attainment is the ultimate opportunity to cause G‑d nachas, as it is service fully for G‑d.82

The Path for All

All in all, a bona fide beinoni who has been ever consistent in their struggle is hard to come by.83

To illustrate from a physical in-between zone: Few people master the art of biking up a steep incline without ever scaling back. To fall is human, to falter from the pedals is to be expected. However, one need not perfect the act to get the rhythm and message. You are a “pedaler,” so pedal on.

Addressing people on all levels, the Alter Rebbe emphasizes that the model of a beinoni is relevant to every person:

“The rank of beinoni is one that is attainable by every person, and each person should strive after it, because every person can, at any time or hour, be a beinoni.”84

We are all granted free choice, the ability to dedicate our thought, speech, and action towards the service of G‑d. We are stronger than our habits, and our souls’ resolve is more powerful than our temptations. At any moment, we can “turn the page” and draw ourselves into the life of a beinoni.85

Keep climbing and never stop striving to further advance your G‑dly soul’s territorial gains. Yet remember that your mission is not to conquer – it is to strive.86

To return to the above illustration: It is not about finding a place to park your bike on the top of the hill; instead, what matters is that you are pedaling up. Do not become content with where you are at, because if you do not pedal upwards, you will naturally regress.87 Just pedal, because G‑d chose you to be His “pedaler.”88