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Giving Up Our Lives Rather than Bowing Down

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi - the founder of Chabad - in his brilliant book the "Tanya" offers us an amazing mental "tool" to help us avoid (or stop) doing things we know are not good for us. This could include any kind of negative addiction related behaviour or aggression or any other kind of bad stuff.

GYE Corp. Sunday, 12 February 2012

Here's the tool in a simplified version:

1) We all know that throughout history, Jews for the most part willingly gave up their lives rather than bow down to idols or convert to other religions. In fact, says Rabbi Shneur Zalman, this is the nature of every Jew - that he just can't disconnect himself from Hashem [of course we always retain bechira (freedom of choice) and can alway choose to "overcome" our natural tendency to give up our lives for Hashem - but that is not the natural or normal default behaviour for a Jew].

2) Rabbi Shneur Zalman explains how philosophically and mystically, every sin/negative act which is against Hashem's will is a kind of idolatry. We don't intuitively always see it this way (because Torah punishments differ so much), but in reality this is the truth.

3) Since, if push came to shove and we were put to the test of idolatry, we would be willing to give up our lives for Hashem (which most likely would involve serious pain and discomfort i.e. giving up ones own life - the ultimate in pain and discomfort! and yet we would still be prepared to do this), we should certainly find it a whole lot easier to "suffer the pain" (a much smaller "pain") of depriving ourselves of the momentary pleasures we wish to receive by doing or seeing something we shouldn't.

There is a brilliant logic here, and all it needs is a little meditation. WITH TIME, IT COULD help you overcome temptation!