Today's post is amazing. I have been having a lot of bad thoughts the past few days, BH I'm still clean, but was wondering why I suddenly have the old yh back after a very good stretch when he disappeared.
Maybe the very reason Igeret HaTeshuva (third section of Tanya) is learned during the three weeks is because of the power of the evil forces.
We all need to be especially careful not just with guarding ourselfs from our main sin, but extra careful with all the "small" sins like guarding our tongues and showing great chesed.
May HaShem give all of us the strength to remain strong.
Igeret HaTeshuva , end of Chapter 7
ואף מי שלא עבר על עון כרת וגם לא על עון מיתה בדי שמים
Even one who has never violated a sin punishable by excision or a sin incurring death by divine agency, such as vain emission and the like
שהוא הוצאת זרע לבטלה וכהאי גוונא
והנה, כמו שבמשל הזה, אם משים אדם נגד אור השמש בחלון מחיצות קלות וקלושות לרוב מאד, הן מאפילות כמו מחיצה אחת עבה, ויותר
In the illustration, if one obscures the sunlight streaming through a window with many fine and flimsy curtains, they will darken as much as one thick curtain will, and even more.
וככה ממש הוא בנמשל
This is exactly so in the analogue,
בכל עונות שאדם דש בעקביו
with all those cloud-like sins upon which man tramples indifferently, because they seem to be of little import: they obscure the Divine light by their multitudinous repetition as do many fine curtains, “darkening as much as one thick curtain will, and even more”;
ומכל שכן המפורסמות מדברי רז״ל, שהן ממש כעבודה זרה וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים
and certainly with those sins that our Sages often warned against, that are actually like idolatry, immorality and bloodshed.
כמו העלמת עין מן הצדקה
For example:5 ignoring the needy,
כמו שכתוב: השמר לך פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך בליעל וגו׳
concerning which Scripture writes,6 “Beware lest there be in your heart something unworthy….”
ובליעל היא עבודת אלילים וכו׳
Beliyaal (here translated “unworthy”) is used in reference to idolatry7..., from which we learn that ignoring the needy is likened to idolatry.
והמספר בגנות חבירו, היא לשון הרע, השקולה כעבודה זרה וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים
Or talebearing, the evil tongue, that is equated to idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed.8
וכל הכועס כאילו עובד עבודה זרה
Likewise, the vile-tempered is like the idolatrous,9
וכן מי שיש בו גסות הרוח
and so is the arrogant.10
וכהנה רבות בגמרא
There are many such cases described in the Talmud — of sins whose punishment is not as severe as that of idolatry and the like, but which nonetheless effect a similar spiritual blemish,
ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולן
and [the sin of neglecting] the study of the Torah equals them all.
6. Devarim 15:9.
7. Note of the Rebbe: “Until here, as in the Gemara, loc. cit., and Sanhedrin 111b.”
8. Note of the Rebbe: “Arachin 15b.”
9. Zohar II, 182b; Rambam, Hilchot De‘ot 2:3.
10. Cf. Sotah 4b.
