Rav Shlomo Katz learns from Sichot HaRan 41, where Rebbe Nachman makes a life-changing distinction: atzvut (destructive sadness) and lev nishbar (a broken heart) are not the same. Sadness, rooted in despair and complaint, belongs to the sitra achra and leads to paralysis. A broken heart, however, is beloved before Hashem — an honest cry of the soul that, at its core, contains joy because it expresses the yearning to return and draw close. Rebbe Nachman teaches that one should set aside time each day to pour out a broken heart before Hashem, but never give space to sadness, which only seals the heart.

Rav Shlomo Katz continues exploring the Alter Rebbe’s Tanya (Chapter 31), clarifying the difference between atzvut (paralyzing sadness) and lev nishbar (a broken heart alive with feeling). True depression seals the heart like stone, but holy bitterness breaks it open — allowing vitality, teshuva, and ultimately simcha to flow in. Drawing on the teachings of Rav Kook, Rebbe Nachman, and the Arizal, we discover how sadness can be transformed into sweetness, how gevurah and chesed both shape the heart, and why leaving Mitzrayim is the ongoing work of breaking free from emotional constriction.

Rav Shlomo Katz dives deeper into the Alter Rebbe’s Tanya (Chapter 26), uncovering his practical guidance for transforming sadness into a tool for growth. What is the difference between sadness over worldly struggles versus spiritual struggles? How can fixed times of contemplation prevent depression while opening the heart to teshuva and true joy? Through the lens of Chassidus, we discover how the Alter Rebbe empowers us to embrace moments of brokenheartedness with discipline — turning heaviness into renewed faith, clarity, and lasting simcha.