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Lessons in Talmud: Tractate Berachot Daf 2a – Lesson 1

Join me in studying Talmud! We are beginning with the first Masechet (Tractate) known as Berachot (Blessings). Text is shown in the lesson so that you can follow along.

We’re using the beautiful Koren Talmud Bavli edition written by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. It features the text in easily digestible paragraphs, biographies of various Sages featured on the page, practical Halachot (laws), notes to help understand the text, pictures to help understand the text – and really so much more!

What is the Tanya?

If you’d like to join us as we work through the Tanya in our video Shiurim (and you can even take part by joining us live!), do see our Tanya channel on YouTube:

Derech Hashem – The Way of God – Lesson 6 (of Part 3) Making Use of Spiritual Beings

The Ramchal, in the second chapter of Part 3, discusses the issues of using Divine Names and Witchcraft. What are the spiritual and divine forces all about?

Tanya – Lesson 7 – The Garment That Surrounds the Soul – Chapter 2 Part 3

We conclude Chapter 2 of Tanya.

While all souls come from the same Source, their journey through the spiritual worlds until they enter their bodies is different for every person. When bringing a soul down into this world, the parents are able to assist the soul in this world by having pure thoughts at the time of intimacy. However, though they can assist the soul through the purity they have at the time of intimacy (and their following the laws of Family Purity), their thoughts do not change the nature of the soul they bring down.

Derech Hashem Lesson 5 – The Reason for Day and Night

In our fifth lesson (of Part 3) of the Ramchal’s work Derech Hashem, we move deeper into the realm of the soul. The Ramchal brings us into understanding the mystery of G-d’s creating the day and the night. Night is not just a time for sleep. There is more that happens to the soul during this period. It is as much a part of our lives as the day. Whereas the day allows us to attend to our physical matters, the night allows us to explore the spiritual worlds.

Tanya Lesson 6 – All Souls Come From the Same Source – Chapter 2 Part 2

In our second lesson of Chapter 2 of the mystical Chassidic work of Tanya, the Alter Rebbe teaches us that all souls come from the same Source – the “Father’s Mind”.

How can it be that people are so different – some who are more intelligent than others, some who are more pious than others etc. when in fact ultimately all souls come from the very same Source?

Derech Hashem- The Way of God – Lesson 4 (of Part 3) – Deja Vu!

Our fourth lesson of the wonderful work of the Ramchal – Derech Hashem -concerns itself with deepening our understanding of the higher level Godly soul and how it is given the ability to interact in our lives. Though it is constantly attached to a higher source and though it may also seem like we don’t really feel it, there are moments in our lives when we get a glimpse that this soul is well, healthy and active in our lives. Just look – you’ll see it!

Tanya – Lesson 5 – The Godly Soul

We begin Chapter 2 of the Likutei Amarim – also known as Tanya and the Sefer Shel Beinonim because for the most part it deals with the duties of the average person (neither overly righteous nor overly evil.) We begin by learning more about the Godly soul itself – which is a portion of God in reality (as invested in a human body.) We continue to learn more about how it is that we can even speak about God in a physical manner – after all, God is by no means physical in any way whatsoever. How can we then relate anything of our physical world back to a God who exists outside of physicality (and really even outside spirituality!)? Yet the souls that enter bodies are an actual part of God manifesting themselves in the physical world.

Tanya – Lesson 4 – The Animal Soul, The Godly Soul – and The Kelipah

We conclude Chapter 4 of the book of Tanya written by the Alter Rebbe – Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. After having examined the different categories of souls – the Tzaddik, the Beinoni and the Rasha, we begin to delve further into understanding two different types of souls that reside within the body – the animal soul and the Godly soul. We discuss the animal soul in more detail speaking about the elements that affect it causing it to bring out the worst of traits found in each of us. We learn about the kelipot (the “shells” or “peels”) which surround the “fruit” (i.e. the good within) and how these affect us on a daily basis – and really every moment of the day and night! There are different types of kelipot that exist. One type is translucent in nature and can be used for good. The other three are pure evil and can never be converted into good!

Derech Hashem – The Way of God – Lesson 3 – The Five Levels of the Soul

Our third lesson in this exciting work written by the Ramchal adds to our previous lessons discussing the animal and Godly souls in each of us. Now we delve deeper into understanding that in fact there are five levels to the soul known as the Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah and Yechidah. Through these different levels, the soul is able to interact in various ways in higher and lower ways with both the physical and spiritual worlds.