In the category of Beinoni there are also two levels: "He who serves G-d" and "he who serves Him not."

Yet he [who "serves Him not]" is not wicked, [although he does not wage war with his evil nature], for never in his life has he committed even a minor transgression [in the realm of negative commandments].

He has also fulfilled all the [positive] commandments which he was able to fulfill, including the precept of Torah study - which is equal to all the other commandments combined - to the extent that his mouth never ceased from study, [despite the difficulty involved in this].

Yet [he is still described as one who "does not serve G-d," for he does not wage any battle against his evil inclination to vanquish it through the aid of the Divine light that illuminates the G-dly soul abiding in the brain, which rules over the heart - as explained above [7] - [that the G-dly soul and the Divine light illuminating it are the Beinoni's answer to his evil inclination. He ("who serves Him not') does not struggle with it] - for his evil inclination does not oppose him at all in an attempt to deter him from his Torah study and divine service, and thus he need not wage any war against it.

So it is, for example, with one who is by nature an assiduous student due to his stolid temperament, and who is also free of conflict with sexual desire due to his frigid nature; and similarly with other mundane pleasures [he need not exert himself to master a desire for them], for he naturally lacks any feeling for enjoyment.

For this reason he does not need to contemplate so much on the greatness of G-d to consciously create a spirit of knowledge and fear of G-d in his mind in order to guard himself from transgressing any prohibitive commandments.

[He also need not create] a love of G-d in his heart, [which would motivate him] to bind himself to Him through fulfilling the [positive] commandments and through Torah study which equals all [the other commandments together].

The hidden love of G-d found in the heart of all Jews, who are called [8] "the lovers of His name," is sufficient for him [to motivate his fulfilling the commandments], since he is naturally so inclined.

[For a Jew who must engage in battle with his evil inclination, the love hidden in his heart is not enough. He must arouse it to an active, conscious state. For the person who is free of conflict with evil, however, this hidden love (together with his naturally favorable character traits) is sufficient].

For this reason, he is not considered "one who is serving G-d" at all.

For this latent love is not of his making or achievement by any means. It is our inheritance, bequeathed by our Patriarchs to the entire Jewish nation, as will be explained further. [9]

[With this the Alter Rebbe concluded the thought that within the level of Beinoni there are two sub-categories - "he who serves G-d," and "he who serves Him not."

He now goes on to say that even one who is not naturally endowed with traits favorable to G-d's service, may yet come under the category of "he who serves Him not]."

So, too, he who is not inherently studious, but has accustomed himself to study diligently, so that this habit has become his second nature; thus, [diligence is now natural for him], - for him, too, the hidden love of G-d is now sufficient, unless he wishes to study more than he usually does.

[To do so, he must arouse a conscious love of G-d in his heart. Only such a love can supply the strength necessary to free himself from the restraints of his acquired nature].

   

Notes:

7. (Back to text) See chs. 12 and 13.

8. (Back to text) Tehillim 69:37.

9. (Back to text) Chs. 18, 19, and 44.