Tanya

The Tanya written by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic Movement, labored for twenty years to complete the Tanya. The work was immediately embraced by the leadership core of the emerging Chassidic movement. Upon receiving the book the legendary Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev exclaimed, "Reb Schneur Zalman did the impossible--he put so great a G-d in so tiny a book!"

The reawakening of the Jewish soul and the return to mitzvah observance was according to the Tanya inevitable. The Alter Rebbe’s belief in the readiness of every Jew, man and woman, to serve G-d through the observance of all mitzvos informs the outreach phenomenon of our times. And his love for every Jew and the feeling of interdependence of all Jews fuels our commitment to spreading Yiddishkeit to the far corners of the world!

This belief, love and commitment is the content and substance of the holy Tanya – a small but awesome sefer.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that every Jew can serve G-d with love and joy:
the Alter Rebbe taught us how.

In Tanya the Rebbe presents both a long and short path to the service of the heart. The first path is through study and contemplation. For although the heart and its emotions are not always responsive to our wishes, the mind is always available to us – to think the thoughts we choose. Thus “Chabad” is the intellectual style of Chassidus: using the mind to stimulate the heart; contemplate G-d’s greatness; understand His true existence; become thoroughly familiar with G-dliness that fills the universe and the G-dliness that transcends creation.


Recognize the total nothingness of all existence; “ there is nothing besides Him” and your heart will fill with awe and love for G-d and you will fulfill His mitzvot with all your heart, soul and might. This is the long way.

The first seventeen chapters of Tanya are devoted to this theme. Chapter 18 introduces a path of service more easily available to every Jew. Unlike the recalcitrant heart, the obedient mind is amenable to Divine contemplation – but to contemplate, one must first understand. Since most Jews in our era will not attain understanding, contemplating G-d’s greatness is not an option to us.

We must look to the Jewishness of the Jewish soul in us all.

Our soul embodies a love and fear of G-d expressed in the Alter Rebbe’s words: “ a Jew cannot be, nor does he want to be, separated from G-d.” In the realization of the true nature of our soul, we fulfill every mitzva with love and joy greater and truer than the love born of contemplation.

For our souls are truly “ a part of G-d from Above.”

The struggle between good and evil begins with creation. As does the need for “Tikkun Olam”, bringing the world to G-dliness. Because creation appears independent of a creator, we experience two realities instead of one: creation and Creator.

This duality represents a loss of oneness, it introduces the G-dly and the ung-dly,
which then deteriorates to good and evil.

Part Two of Tanya (Shaar HaYichud) teaches us to see the truth of creation.
He is everything and everything is Him.

Part Three of Tanya (Igeret HaTshuva) illuminates the subject of Tshuva,
forgiveness and reconciliation…