"The rank of benoni is attainable by every person," the Tanya declares in chapter fourteen, "and each person should strive after it."
This is Rabbi Schneur Zalman's most democratic statement. The benoni is not a spiritual elite. Being a benoni does not require prophetic gifts, kabbalistic mastery, or extraordinary natural piety. It requires one thing: the willingness to control your actions, speech, and thoughts even when your heart is screaming in the opposite direction.
The Tanya spells it out. Even when your heart craves a physical pleasure—whether permitted or forbidden—you can refuse. You can declare to yourself: "I will not be wicked even for a moment. I will not be separated from God under any circumstances." This is not suppressing emotion. It is choosing behavior despite emotion. The heart wants what it wants. The benoni does not change what the heart wants. He simply does not obey it.
The key insight: every Jew already has the capacity for this, because every Jew carries a hidden love of God inherited from the Patriarchs. Even the most seemingly disconnected Jew will, when pushed to the absolute limit, choose death over idolatry. This is not theoretical—the Tanya points to actual historical examples of Jews who lived far from observance but chose martyrdom rather than deny God. If even such a person possesses this hidden love, then that same love can be activated in daily life to resist far smaller temptations.
The Tanya distinguishes between what is "entrusted to the heart" and what is "entrusted to the will." Transforming your emotions—actually coming to despise evil and love good with your whole heart—is the work of the tzaddik, and it requires extraordinary divine love. But controlling your behavior, speech, and conscious thought? That is entrusted to the will. And the will is always free. Every person, at every moment, can choose not to sin. This is the benoni's path, and it is open to everyone.
The rank of benoni is one that is attainable by every man, and each person should strive after it. Every person can at any time or hour be a benoni, because the benoni does not revile evil1 See above, chs. 11 and 12.—for that is a feeling entrusted to the heart, and not all times are alike.2 Prayer time, for instance, is more propitious, as mentioned in ch. 12. See note 5, ibid. [His task is] only to “Turn away from evil and do good,” 3 Psalms 34:15. in actual practice—in deed, speech, or thought, wherein the choice, ability, and freedom are given to every man that he may act, speak, and think even what is contrary to the desire of his heart and diametrically opposed to it.4 Note that “thought” is also included in the ability of self-control. Even when the heart craves and desires a material pleasure, whether permitted or, G–d forbid, prohibited, he can steel himself and divert his attention from it altogether, declaring to himself, “I will not be wicked even for a moment, because I will not be parted and separated, Heaven forefend! from the One G–d under any circumstances, being mindful of the admonition, ‘Your iniquities interpose between you and G–d.’5 Isaiah 59:2. Instead, my real desire is to unite my nefesh, ruach, and neshamah with Him, through investing them in His three garments, blessed be He, namely, in action, speech, and thought dedicated to G–d, His Torah, and His commandments, by virtue of the love of G–d that is hidden in my heart, as in the heart of all Jews, who are called ‘those who love Your Name.’6 Psalms 5:12. Even the most unworthy among the worthless is capable of sacrificing himself for the sanctity of G–d; surely, I am not inferior to him. It is only that a spirit of folly has overcome him, and he imagines that committing a sin will not affect his Jewishness and his soul will not be severed thereby from the G–d of Israel, forgetting also about his love of G–d which is hidden in his heart. But as for me, I have no desire to be such a fool as he to deny the truth!” It is different, however, with something that is entrusted to the heart, namely, that the evil should actually be despised in the heart and abhorred with absolute hatred, or even not quite so absolutely.7 Referring to the two categories of tzaddik (above, ch. 10). This cannot be attained, truly and sincerely, except through great and intense love of G–d, the kind of ecstatic love and Divine bliss which is akin to the World to Come. Of this experience the Rabbis said,8 Berachot 17a. “You shall see your world in your lifetime…,” and not every man can attain this state, for this is in the nature of a gracious reward, as is written, “I will make your priestly office a rewarding service…,”9 Numbers 18:7. as is explained elsewhere.10 Cf. below, ch. 43. Therefore Job said, “You have created righteous men….”11 The category of tzaddik is therefore “created,” i.e., given to a very few by Divine grace, and not easily attainable by one’s own efforts. Hence it is possible for Job to say, “You have created righteous men.” See beg. ch. 1. It is also found in Tikkunei Zohar12 Introduction 1b. that in the souls of [the people of] Israel there are many kinds of gradations and distinctions—pious men, strong men who gain mastery over their nature, scholars of the Torah, prophets, and so on, tzaddikim, and so forth. Note there. Now we can understand the redundancy of the oath, “Be righteous (tzaddik) and be not wicked,”13 See above, beg. ch. 1. which is unintelligible at first glance: Since he is warned, “Be righteous!” where is the need to put him on oath again that he shall not be wicked? The answer is that inasmuch as not everyone is privileged to become a tzaddik, nor has a person the full advantage of choice in this matter to experience true delight in G–d and to actually and truly abhor evil; he is consequently adjured a second time, “You shall,” at any rate, “not be wicked!” Here the right of choice and freedom is extended to every person, to check the drive of his heart’s desire and to conquer his nature, so that he shall not be wicked even for a moment throughout his life, whether in the realm of “turn away from evil” or in that of “do good,” there being no “good” other than Torah,14 Berachot 5a. that is, the “study of the Torah which balances them all.” Nevertheless, a person must set aside specific periods in which to commune with his soul in order to cultivate the abhorrence of evil, as, for example, reminding himself of the admonition of our Sages15 Shabbat 152a. that “a woman is a vessel full of filth…,”16 In her menstrual period. and in like manner. So, too, all dainties and delicacies turn into a “vessel full of filth.” Likewise in regard to all pleasures of this world, the wise man foresees what becomes of them, for in the end they rot and become worms and dung. Conversely, [let him] delight and rejoice in G–d by reflection on the greatness of the En Sof, blessed is He, to the best of his capacity. He may well realize that he cannot attain to this degree with a full measure of truth except in illusion; nevertheless he should do his part in an effort to uphold the oath administered to him, “Be righteous,” and G–d will do as He sees fit. Furthermore, habitude reigns supreme in any sphere and becomes second nature. Therefore if he accustoms himself to despise evil, it will to some extent become despicable in truth; similarly, when he accustoms himself to gladden his heart in G–d, through reflection on His greatness—for self-impulsion induces heavenly inspiration.17 Zohar II:135b. With all that, perhaps a spirit from above will descend upon him, and he will merit something of the spirit (ruach) that is rooted in some tzaddik that will attach itself to him, so that he may serve G–d with true joy, as is written, “Rejoice, in the L–rd, you righteous.”18 Psalms 97:12. Then will in truth be fulfilled in him the avowed oath: “Be righteous.”
