tanya – Page 7 – Study Torah Online: Live and Interactive Torah Learning with Rabbi Eliyahu Shear

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 13 – Garments of the Soul – Chapter 4

We do a quick revision of the first few points in Chapter 4 before exploring the chapter in depth. Chapter four discusses the garments of the soul – thought, speech and action.

Lessons in Tanya – Lesson 12 – Daat – Attachment – Chap 3 Part 5 / Garments of the Soul – Chap 4

We conclude chapter 3 with the concept of Daat. Though translated as knowledge, in the mystical sense, Daat is really the concept of attachment. We process knowledge through a three stage process.

Tanya – Lesson 11 – Bringing Intellect into the Fear and Love of God – Chapter 3 Part 4

Continuing with the theme of the ten soul powers, we learn about the importance of bringing Chochmah (wisdom) and Binah (understanding) into one’s being in order to arouse a fear – and then a love – of God.

Tanya – Lesson 10 – Bringing the Intellect into the Emotions – Chapter 3 Part 3

The Alter Rebbe continues to share with us the ten soul powers of the Godly soul. The theme concerns the three Mothers who give birth to the seven Doubles.

Tanya – Lesson 8 – The Soul’s 10 Soul Powers – Chapter 3 Part 1

We begin Chapter 3 on this Kisleiv 19 – Chag HaGeulah (Festival of the Redemption – of the Alter Rebbe [Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi] from prison.) We give a short description of the meaning behind the Rosh HaShanah of Chassidut. Then we give a quick summary of the first two chapters – helping us understand where we are at by the time we reach Chapter 3.

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:

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.

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?

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!