tanya – Page 6 – Study Torah Online: Live and Interactive Torah Learning with Rabbi Eliyahu Shear

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 23 – Two Kings Ruling Over One City – Chapter 9

A fascinating chapter into the world of the city of the human body. Its inhabitants include the limbs of the body. But who is the king? There are two. There is the Animal Soul which believes it has full rights to rule over the city and there is Godly Soul which believe it has full rights to rule over the city.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 22 – Blemishes Caused by Kelipah Nogah & The 3 Impure Kelipot – Chapter 8

Ending chapter 8 of Tanya, we learn about the blemishes that the Kelipah Nogah caused to one’s soul (ultimately through the body) and how those blemishes can be purified and cleaned. We also learn about the problems associated with purifying the 3 totally impure Kelipot.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 21 – Uplifting The 3 Evil Kelipot and The Kelipah Nogah – Chapter 8

Chapter 8 continues the theme of the 3 evil kelipot (husks/shells/peels) and the kelipah nogah (the glowing husk). The Alter Rebbe (1745-1812) teaches us about the quality of evil inherent within various worldly things and our ability to refine it.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 20 – Repentance Out of Love – Repairing Damage Done Through Sin – Chapter 7

The three Kelipot (husks/shells/peels) are completely evil. Nevertheless, if a person engaged in an activity which is bound by these three Kelipot, he can still make repair to the sin which was committed. This can be done through Teshuvah Mei’Ahavah – repentance out of love.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 19 – The Kelipah Nogah Within the Animal Soul – Chapter 7

Having gained an understanding of the three totally impure Kelipot (husks/shells/peels) we turn our attention to understanding the Kelipah Nogah (the translucent / glowing husk) and as it manifests itself within the animal soul of the Jew.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 18 – The Animal Soul (Part 2) – Chapter 6

The Alter Rebbe explains in further detail the generality of life in the world below.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 17 – The Animal Soul (Part 1) – Chapter 6

Having completed a basic understanding of the Godly soul, the Alter Rebbe turns his attention to the composition of the animal soul. Chapter 6 will give us an insight into how the animal soul works. Indeed, just like the Godly soul – the animal soul is a perfect parallel of the Godly soul.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 16 – Why Torah Study is Greater than Mitzvah Performance – Chapter 5

After concluding Chapter 4 dealing with “hugging the King”, we move in to understanding why Torah study is even greater than Mitzvah performance. Studying Torah means “grasping” the very mind of God. Hidden within the words of Torah and the Halachot (the laws) is the actual will of God.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 15 – “Touching God” – Hugging the King – Chapter 4

The Torah is the manifestation of God into the physical realms. The Torah descends like water from a high place to a low place and so the revelation of God in the physical world is an exact likeness of God as He exists in the higher worlds of spirituality and even above this (so to speak.)

The Alter Rebbe teaches us that when we perform Mitzvot and study Torah, we are able to literally grab a hold of God. The physical Mitzvot and the letters of Torah are not something separate from God – but rather they are completely attached to God in a complete unity.

When we study Torah, we attach ourselves to God. When we perform Mitzvot, we hug God as He allows us to within the physical realm. This is even higher than the levels of sublime joy we encounter in the higher realms, because there, we find only a glimmer of God’s light. Here, in this physical world, we can “touch” God (so to speak) as we embrace the Torah and the Mitzvot – just like a person would hug the king – even if he had many garments on. What an inspiring teaching that will help us to feel excited about the Torah we study and the Mitzvot that we perform!

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 14 – Garments of the Soul – Chapter 4

We continue in Chapter 4 discussing the garments of the Godly soul and how we make use of them to connect with God. we must be aware that in the event that we transgress the Mitzvot that we literally give life to the forces of the Other Side (of holiness).