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Silence as Sovereignty: The Four Responses of the Tanya and the Discipline We Have Forgotten

by Ram ben Ze’ev


Silence as Sovereignty: The Four Responses of the Tanya and the Discipline We Have Forgotten
Silence as Sovereignty: The Four Responses of the Tanya and the Discipline We Have Forgotten

In recent years, I have written repeatedly about לשון הרע (lashon hara — harmful or degrading speech about another, even when true) in its modern form: the rapid, careless, and often self-justifying spread of evil through the Internet. Much of this behaviour presents itself as concern, awareness, journalism, or even moral responsibility. Yet our מסורה (mesorah — the received tradition; the faithful transmission of Torah, meaning, and practice from generation to generation) never measured speech by intention alone. It measured it by necessity, consequence, and spiritual effect. The questions were never only “Is it true?” but also “Is it necessary?” and “Will it build or will it break?” When the answer is not yes to all three, silence is not merely permitted; it is preferred.



What is often missing from contemporary discussion is the precision with which our sages graded silence itself. The Tanya does not speak in vague moral language. It lays out a clear hierarchy of responses to insult, provocation, and wrongdoing, each with a distinct spiritual consequence. This is not abstract חסידות (Chassidut — the inner, devotional dimension of Torah that focuses on serving G-D with awareness, character refinement, and attachment to Him). It is practical instruction, and it is urgently relevant to how Jews conduct themselves online.


The first response is anger, כעס (kaas — anger). This is the lowest level. A person reacts with irritation, rebuke, or retaliation. Even when the grievance is real, the Alter Rebbe explains that anger reveals a failure of אמונה (emunah — faith), because it places the self at the centre and denies that the event is permitted by Heaven for refinement. Anger animates the insult, gives it substance, and drives away the שכינה (Shechinah — Divine Presence). Spiritually, it is not neutral expression but loss.


The second response is restraint while burning inwardly, שתיקה מתוך רתיחה (shetikah mitoch retichah — silence while burning inwardly). Here, a person does not speak, repost, or retaliate, but remains internally consumed. This restraint is meritorious because it prevents further harm. It is genuine עבודה (avodah — spiritual labour). Yet the soul remains unsettled, because the ego is still engaged and wounded. The Tanya identifies this as the work of the בינוני (beinoni — one who controls behaviour but not inner emotion): mastery of action without mastery of emotion. It earns reward, but it is incomplete.



The third response is wit or composure, תשובת שכל (teshuvat sechel — a reasoned or wise reply). A clever reply, a calm explanation, or a light-hearted deflection demonstrates control of the mind over the heart. It reflects בטחון (bitachon — trust in G-D) and מנוחת הנפש (menuchat hanefesh — inner calm). Yet even here, the original provocation is granted a measure of reality. Engagement, however refined, still acknowledges the insult as something that requires response. This level is higher, but it is not transcendence.


The fourth response is complete silence, שתיקה גמורה (shetikah gemurah — complete silence). This is not silence born of suppression or fear, but silence born of clarity. The person neither answers nor harbours resentment. He understands that the insult is not the offender’s power, but Heaven’s instrument. It is a moment of בירור (birur — spiritual refinement), not reaction. This is the conduct of the חסיד גמור (chassid gamur — one perfected in piety), and the Tanya teaches that such silence draws the greatest blessing. One becomes a vessel for Divine light, shining without display, without argument, without noise.


This hierarchy matters, because much of what passes for Jewish “strength” today would not rise above the first or second level. Public outrage, endless reposting of hateful speech, and emotional fixation on Jew hatred may feel righteous, but they often amount to giving life to the very thing they claim to oppose. The Tanya is unambiguous: attention grants substance. Reaction grants energy.


We will not combat Jew hatred by focusing on the hatred. We will not preserve Jewish dignity by dragging filth into the communal square and asking everyone to look. Non-attention is not denial. It is strategy. It is discipline. It is fidelity to what our sages actually taught.


This is the lesson we should be teaching the Jewish community, and especially our children. Not how to shout louder, not how to rebut every provocation, but how to trust G-D enough to remain unshaken. Silence, when born of emunah and clarity, is not weakness. It is sovereignty.



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