Tanya 157 Page

Located within the fifth section of the Tanya known as Iggeret HaKodesh ("The Holy Epistle"), this chapter addresses one of the most common human conditions: spiritual depression, melancholy, and the feeling of divine abandonment.

The Alter Rebbe ends the chapter with a stunning promise: When a person breaks their sadness with joy, they draw down a light that is infinitely higher than the light available to those who never experienced darkness. tanya 157

Tanya 157 commands the person to develop Azut d’Kedusha —a holy audacity. The person must say to the darkness: "I don't care how I feel. Regardless of the logic in my head, I know the truth. I will serve God with joy even if I have to scream it out loud." Located within the fifth section of the Tanya

The Alter Rebbe states that physical joy generates spiritual joy. This is revolutionary: You do not need to feel happy to start. You need to act happy. By dancing, clapping, or jumping, you force your body to adopt the posture of joy, and eventually, the soul follows. The Alter Rebbe acknowledges that the "Thick Veil" may whisper thoughts of heresy: "There is no God," or "God hates you." The person must say to the darkness: "I

The Alter Rebbe writes to a disciple who is suffering from "heaviness of the heart" ( Koved HaLev ), a state the Rebbe argues is worse than any physical ailment or even spiritual sin. The central verse anchoring Tanya 157 is from Psalms 100:2: "Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha" — "Serve God with joy."