Ta'anug (תענוג) — Delight

Core definition

Ta'anug is delight — one of the soul's two makifim (encompassing powers), alongside Ratzon (will), which have no vessels. It is the power in which the soul delights, the innermost sweetness of the soul's experience, and the root of all pleasure above and below. In the Divine realm it is the delight of the Essence itself, drawn down through the chain of worlds; in the soul it is the simple, essential joy that animates all service [58834/maamar_006 :: Overview; 15911/maamar_003 :: Overview].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The soul's powers divide into makifim — Ratzon and Ta'anug, which have no vessels — and penimi'im (inner powers), each of which has a suited limb, acting in "spirituality within the physical" [58834/maamar_006 :: Overview]. Both Ratzon and Ta'anug "rule by decree," but differently: Ratzon coerces from without, while Ta'anug draws near from within — delight is revealed in Binah's expanded comprehension ("the expanses of the river"), not in Chochmah's point-flash [58841/maamar_039 :: Overview].

The corpus develops a full taxonomy of delight. Ta'anug murkav (composite delight) is delight enclothed in comprehension — measured and limited, the "double" and "triple" song. Ta'anug pashut (simple delight) is the soul's own essential joy: the Song of the Sea, "zeh Eli," the melodies of Torah above the letters [15911/maamar_003 :: Overview]. Simple delight itself has two modes: felt — dancing, Dovid's leaping, the joy of Simchas Beis HaSho'evah, a joy that increases the faculties — and unfelt — delight so great that one stands like a silent stone: "parchah nishmasan" (their souls flew), the elders of the Idra, misas neshikah (death by a kiss), the World to Come "without eating." Yet even the "unfelt" is inwardly felt — in the inwardness of Chochmah, above comprehension — it withdraws the faculties rather than expanding them [15911/maamar_003 :: Overview].

Delight's supremacy over intellect is a recurring theme. Sha'ashuim (delights, play) is higher than learning — even in-depth Chabad learning — for intellect is from Chabad and below (inward powers), while sha'ashuim is from the delight's power, the soul's encompassing powers; so above, "the Torah from Chabad goes out," but sha'ashuim is above the Chabad sefirah — the Ohr Ein Sof's Essence above hishtalshelus [19801/maamar_019 :: Overview]. Shabbos is explained as the ascent when the essential delight shines without tzimtzumim, and the descent of ta'anug is traced from Atik through Wisdom's 32 paths [15962/maamar_003 :: Overview].

In avodah, the distinction bears directly on service: tzaddikim serve in ohr yashar (direct light — ordered, felt, "es zol derhert vern," it should be heard), while the ba'al teshuvah serves in ohr chozer (returning light — from the straits, desiring no revelation) — and therefore "mashchin lei b'cheila yaseir," the Shechinah rests upon him with greater force, from the Essence itself [15911/maamar_003 :: Overview].

Key distinctions

Among the soul's powers, the keren (horn/ray) is identified with simple delight — ta'anug pashut [31608/maamar_001 :: phr. 122].

Related concepts

Ratzon (will), Makifim, Sha'ashuim, Shabbos, Ohr Yashar and Ohr Chozer, Simchah, Atik.

Sources