Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Today is the 19th of Kislev. Today the Alter Rebbe, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, left a Russian prison. His students explain that on that same day Chasidut also left prison and began to spread, break through every boundary, and significantly increase its influence everywhere. Here are three crucial, revolutionary truths taken from a book titled “Tanya,” the fundamental text of Chabad Chasidim who finish the annual cycle today – after reading a portion of it every day throughout the year – and immediately begin to read it all over again:
- “Every Jew has a soul that is an actual part of G-d.” - Do we keep in mind that there resides within ourselves and within everyone else an actual part of G-d that we call a soul?
- “The mind rules the heart.” - The powerful surrounding culture strives to convince us to go with the flow, to do whatever feels good. However, the truth is that human beings can control their desires, exercise self-restraint, and govern their emotions. This is not easy, but this is possible. The mind is stronger than the heart.
- “A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness.” - We do not need to occupy ourselves all day long with darkness, evil, and the failures of others and of ourselves. If we only add a little light, darkness will go away and disappear all on its own.
Three simple truths, each one a revolution.
