Core Concepts Tanya: Chapter 11

Brief Recap of Chapter 11:

Tanya turns its attention to the "Rasha," the "wicked person," who, according to Tanya isn't necessarily an evil person, but rather a person who transgresses.
The distinction is important, because we’re already learned that sin and evil are things alien and foreign to us, since inherently we want to do good.
However, there are days or hours or minutes when the animal soul gains control of our body and uses it as a chariot for self-indulgence, self-advancement, self-self, and even sin.

1. "Zeh L'umas Zeh," "this opposite this," the same way that the G-dly soul and Animal soul mirror each other in their basic makeup, so does the highest level of righteous and the lowest level of wicked mirror each other.
The highest level of righteous person has so conquered his Animal Soul that he has essentially turned it into another G-dly soul. The lowest level of wicked person has so blocked and overshadowed his G-dly soul that it almost doesn’t feel welcome in the body.

There are three levels of "Rasha," each of which contain many, many levels.

2. The first type we've dubbed a "Borderline Rasha."
This is a person who may sin sometimes, but it's very rare, "little" sins, and he repents immediately.
When he does something wrong, the animal soul has gained control over one of his three garments (thought, speech, action) during the time of his wrongdoing.
In spiritual terms, thinking about sin is also considered doing something wrong because thought is even more refined than speech or action.
If we can "dirty" our speech and action through wrongdoing, then we can certainly "dirty" our thought in thinking about doing wrong.

3. There are three levels of repentance:
A. If someone transgresses a positive commandment, aka missed an opportunity to reveal more holiness in this world, if they repent immediately, they are immediately forgiven.
B. If someone transgresses a negative commandment, aka fed "The Other Side" and blocked revelation, if they repent immediately, then they will be granted atonement on Yom Kippur.
C. If someone transgresses a severe command, one that carries kares, then even with repentance and Yom Kippur, the person will have to undergo suffering to attain atonement.

Lucky for us, G-d is truly patient and compassionate when it comes to forgiving us. No matter how many times we do wrong, true repentance, regret, and remorse will earn us G-d's forgiveness. Think of a white shirt. If it gets dirty, we clean it. Then it becomes white again.
Sure, eventually if it gets dirty enough, or if we have to wash it enough then there will be stains that don't come out, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's still a white shirt.
Eventually, we may need G-d's help to make it truly white again, but we must remember that it's possible, it will happen.

4. The second type is a "Remorseful Rasha."
This is someone who commits more severe sins, more frequently.
At these times, the animal soul gains total control over all three of his soul garments and uses them to do things he shouldn't.
However, in between, he sincerely regrets any wrongdoing.

5. Type three is a "Pathological Rasha."
This is someone so steeped in wrongdoing that his G-dly soul can hardly gain a foothold within him, to the point that it’s basically hovering above him.
He never regrets any wrongdoing and his animal soul has complete control over him.

HOWEVER, he is still a JEW with a G-DLY SOUL and no sin can ever take that away from him! He can still be counted in a minyan. He can still do mitzvot. He can still change.

All things considered, it's important for us to remember a few things:
It is not our place to judge what level someone else is on or to think we know anything about their spiritual level or capacity (outside of the general idea that we can always do more to get closer to the Infinite).
The Alter Rebbe warns us in the first chapter to not walk around and berate ourselves if we fall short of reaching a more ideal spiritual level, because this will discourage us from ever trying. The point is to know where we are so we can know the next level we should be aiming for.
Yes, this is an ongoing process. Yes, this will take a lifetime. Yes, some days will be better than others. But, as we said before, "Chassidus is Divine intelligence, an understand which shows man how small he is, and how great he can become."
One good deed at a time.