Hayom Yom 27 Nissan - Permissible actions must be invested with holiness

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

Day 12 of the Omer

דְּבָרִים הַמּוּתָּרִים

Permissible actions

אִם עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָם לַהֲנָאָתוֹ הֵם רַע גָּמוּר

performed for one’s own pleasure are utterly evil,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רַבֵּנוּ נִשְׁמָתוֹ עֵדֶן (תַּנְיָא פֶּרֶק ז')

as the Alter Rebbe states in ch. 7 of Tanya,

לְפִי דְּקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמְךָ בַּמּוּתָּר לָךְ

for one must “sanctify himself in those matters that are permitted.”

צָרִיךְ לְהַכְנִיס קְדוּשָּׁה בַּדְּבָרִים הַמּוּתָּרִים

These matters must be invested with holiness,

שֶׁיִּהְיֶ' בָּהֶם תַּכְלִית שֶׁל תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וּמִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת

so that they will be undertaken for reasons related to Torah, mitzvos, the fear of G‑d, or self-refinement.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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