Chapter Twenty-Nine

[In chapter 26 the Alter Rebbe stated that both depression and dullness of heart produce a state of sluggishness which prevents a person from overcoming the evil inclination of the animal soul.

He therefore outlined in chapters 26-28 methods of overcoming depression arising from various causes.

In this chapter the Alter Rebbe will discuss means of dealing with "dullness of heart" (timtum halev), after describing this state more clearly].

Those whose souls are of the level of Beinonim must seek means of contending with yet another difficulty.

Occasionally, and even frequently, they experience a dullness of the heart, as though it had turned to stone, and, try as they might, they cannot open their heart in prayer, which is [by definition] the [1] "service of the heart."

[Chassidut explains that prayer is the "service of the heart" in a two-fold sense:

1. It takes place in the heart, for in prayer one strives to extend his intellectual apprehension of G-dliness into the realm of emotions experienced in the heart - the love and fear of G-d;

2. The object of prayer is the heart, for in prayer one tries to transform the nature of his heart - to steer it away from the mundane desires to which it naturally inclines, and to direct it instead towards a yearning for the spiritual and the G-dly.

To accomplish both these objectives of prayer, the heart must of course be open and receptive, and thus timtum halev (dullness of heart) is a major hindrance].

Also, the heaviness in his heart prevents him at times from waging war against the evil impulse, in sanctifying himself in permitted matters.

[As the Alter Rebbe explained in chapter 27, it is the task of the Beinoni to suppress the desires of his heart, e.g., by not eating as soon as he has the urge to do so. This requires a battle with one's evil impulse, which demands that he gratify all of his desires.

When his heart is dull, heavy and insensitive he cannot fight the evil impulse].

In this case, the advice given in the holy Zohar [2] is, as the president of the academy of Gan Eden said: "A wooden beam which does not catch fire should be splintered, and similarly a body into which the light of the soul does not penetrate should be crushed," [and thereby the body becomes receptive to the soul's light, as the Zohar concludes.

In the analogy quoted from the Zohar we see that the wood is made receptive to the flame, rather than the flame being increased or improved to the point where it overwhelms the wood.

Similarly with the insensitive heart. Timtum halev must be eradicated (by removing its underlying cause, as the Alter Rebbe will soon conclude), rather than overwhelmed (by increasing the intellectual light of contemplation on the greatness of G-d)].

The reference to the "light of the soul" [which, in this case, does not penetrate the body] means that the light of the soul and of the intellect does not illuminate to such an extent as to prevail over the coarseness of the body.

Thus, although he understands and meditates in his mind on the greatness of G-d, yet that which he understands is not apprehended and implanted in his mind to the point where it enables him to prevail over the coarseness of the heart - because of the degree of their [the mind and heart's] coarseness and crassness. [3]

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Taanit 2a.

2. (Back to text) III, 168a.

3. (Back to text) Note the discrepancy:

   The Alter Rebbe began the chapter speaking of "dullness of heart"; here, the problem is identified as the crassness of mind and heart. It has accordingly been suggested - in light of the well-known doctrine that mind and heart have a cause-and-effect relationship, so that the emotions ought naturally to respond to any idea that the intellect apprehends - that any emotional insensitivity is indicative of a flaw in one's intellectual apprehension.

   The Rebbe Shlita rejects this suggestion, arguing that if this were the case, the Alter Rebbe would have mentioned the problem of this species of "mental block" at the beginning of the chapter.

   The Rebbe resolves the problem as follows:

   The Alter Rebbe, who addresses himself to the Beinoni, speaks of that type of insensitivity which can trouble the Beinoni. As explained earlier (in chapter 17), the Beinoni is always in control of his mind, and the Alter Rebbe therefore speaks only of "dullness of heart." When the Alter Rebbe mentions "the crassness of mind and heart" he is explaining the citation from the Zohar.

   The statement of the Zohar, while applicable to the Beinoni as well (which is why the Alter Rebbe cites it), does not address the Beinoni exclusively; it obviously deals with the rasha, too, who is not master over his mind; he indeed has a dual problem - the crassness of his mind as well as of his heart.