Sadness (Atzvus)

Sadness is the breaking of the soul.

Sadness was completely rejected among Chassidim. The reason for this is the parable of the Alter Rebbe: Just as to overcome a physical thing - such as two people wrestling with each other to knock the other down - if one is lazy and heavy he will easily be defeated and fall, even if he is stronger than his friend. The same applies to overcoming the evil inclination. It is impossible to overcome it with laziness and heaviness that stem from sadness and the heart being blocked like a stone. Rather, it can only be overcome with alacrity, which comes from joy, the opening of the heart, and its purification from any trace of worry and sadness in the world.

Although, at appointed times a person should set aside time, during Tikkun Chatzos or once a week, when he confesses his sins and cries over them with bitter tears. Through this, true joy in Hashem his G-d will come to him - joy that follows the genuine sadness at appropriate times over his sins with a bitter soul and broken heart.

The reason for this joy is because through teshuvah and subduing the evil inclination, the spirit of impurity and sitra achra is broken, along with the iron partition that separates him from his Father in Heaven.

Methods to Prevent Sadness

The Alter Rebbe explains the ways to rid oneself of this despicable trait.

Sadness from Worldly Matters

One should accept whatever comes to him with joy, even if it appears to be something that is not good, in the same measure that he accepts the revealed and visible good. For this too - what appears to his eyes as bad - is for the good, only that it is not revealed and visible to the eyes of flesh because it is from the concealed world (alma d'itkasya) which is above the revealed world (alma d'itgalya).

For this reason - continues the Alter Rebbe - about those who rejoice in suffering, the verse states, "But those who love Him are like the sun rising in its might." This is because the joy comes from loving Hashem's closeness more than all the life of this world, as it is written, "For Your kindness is better than life," etc. And the closeness of Hashem is with greater intensity and elevation without end in the concealed world.

Sadness from Spiritual Matters

One needs to devise strategies to rid himself of it. Needless to say, during the time of divine service, one needs to serve Hashem with joy and good heart.

Even someone who is occupied with business and worldly affairs, if sadness and worry about spiritual matters fall upon him during his business activities, it is known that this is a scheme of the evil inclination to later make him fall into desires, G-d forbid. For otherwise, how would genuine sadness due to love of Hashem or fear of Him come to him in the middle of his business affairs?

The Alter Rebbe concludes: Whether the sadness fell upon him during his service in Torah study or prayer, or whether it came upon him not during service, he should take to heart that this is not the appropriate time for genuine sadness, even for worry about serious sins, G-d forbid. For that, one needs to set aside specific times and opportune moments with a settled mind to contemplate the greatness of Hashem against whom he has sinned, so that through this his heart will be genuinely broken with true bitterness.

Sadness from Evil Thoughts

If they fall upon him not during the time of divine service but while he is engaged in his business and worldly affairs or similar situations - says the Alter Rebbe - on the contrary, he should rejoice in his portion, for even though these thoughts fall into his mind, he diverts his attention from them, fulfilling what is said: "And you shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes which you lust after." The verse does not speak of tzaddikim, calling them lustful ones, G-d forbid, but of beinonim like him who have thoughts of immorality falling into their minds, whether permitted, etc., and when he diverts his attention, he fulfills this negative commandment. And the Sages said: "If one sat and did not commit a transgression, he is given reward as if he performed a mitzvah."

For this reason, explains the Alter Rebbe, one should rejoice in fulfilling this negative commandment just as in fulfilling a positive commandment. On the contrary, the sadness comes from pride, from not recognizing his place, and therefore he is distressed that he is not on the level of a tzaddik, for tzaddikim certainly do not have such foolish thoughts.

But if he recognized his place, that he is very far from the level of a tzaddik, he would not be sad at all.

The Alter Rebbe concludes that he would be fortunate to be a beinoni and not a rasha all his days, even for a single hour - for this is the level of beinonim and their service: to conquer the evil inclination and the thoughts that rise from the heart to the mind, to completely divert his attention from it and push it away with both hands as mentioned above. With each rejection that he pushes it away from his thought, he subdues the sitra achra below, and as the awakening is below, so is the awakening above, where the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself brings down the sitra achra from its place.

Therefore, let not a person's heart fall within him, nor let his heart be greatly troubled, even if this will be the case all his days in this battle, because perhaps for this he was created and this is his service - to constantly subdue the sitra achra.

See Also

• Bitterness (Merirus)
• Melancholy (Marah Shechorah)
• Joy (Simcha)

Further Reading

• Likkutei Amarim - Chapter 26 and Chapter 27