The Author’s Title Page · Tanya: The Book of the Beinoni

שער

The Author’s Title Page

The title page of a Jewish book is traditionally called its “gateway.” In this case, the author has provided the gateway to his own work, describing in his typically minimalist form the path he wishes to take us on.

סֵפֶר

לִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים

חֵלֶק רִאשׁוֹן

הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם

סֵפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִים

מְלוּקָּט מִפִּי סְפָרִים וּמִפִּי סוֹפְרִים קְדוֹשֵׁי עֶלְיוֹן נִשְׁמָתָם עֵדֶן. מְיוּסָּד עַל פָּסוּק "כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאוֹד, בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ"; לְבָאֵר הֵיטֵב, אֵיךְ הוּא קָרוֹב מְאוֹד, בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲרוּכָּה וּקְצָרָה, בְּעֶזְרַת ה' יִתְבָּרֵךְ.

Collections of Teachings

Part One

The Book of the Beinoni

Collected from holy books and teachers whose souls rest in Eden. Based on the verse: “For this is something very accessible to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.” To explain clearly how it is very accessible, following a path that is long and short, with the help of G‑d, may He be blessed.

Notes

Deuteronomy 30:14.

This is the title given by the author to the entire work, originally composed of two parts: The Book of the Beinoni and The Portal of Unity and Faith. Later, he added Iggeret Hateshuvah, a treatise on repentance.

His sons posthumously added two more works: an anthology of the author’s letters, and a small collection of monographs he had written for himself while composing the first two books, probing passages of Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah that appear to contradict one another, bringing them to the resolution we find written in the first two books.

The title did not stick. Instead, the work became universally known by the first word of its first chapter, “Tanya.” Nevertheless, from the original title, we see that Rabbi Schneur Zalman viewed himself as a mere collector of counsel, both from his teachers as well as from certain written works, which he had transmitted to those who had asked him for advice.

Certainly, this was no false humility – something he openly shunned and disdained. Rabbi Schneur Zalman sincerely saw in all that he taught only the words of his predecessors. He had simply set them neatly upon a table, ready for consumption and practical implementation.

Yet, ironically, Tanya is often lauded as one of the most creative works of Torah literature. No previous work describes the human psyche in such detail. Neither had any author achieved such integration of Talmud, Kabbalah, philosophy, ethics, and halachah as a harmonious single voice. On every page, Torah verses and Talmudic dictums are given stunningly new interpretations. There isn’t a single chapter that doesn’t turn some common assumption on its head.

This was the genius of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, by which originality and conservation coincide in perfect complement. And it was critical that such a talent appeared just when needed.

When detractors attacked the Chassidic movement for innovating new practices and notions, the principal advocate, in letters and public debate, was Rabbi Schneur Zalman. In one well-publicized response, he declared that anything the Baal Shem Tov or the Magid of Mezritch had taught could be found in the classic Jewish texts.

This was a crucial and decisive stance. Like a tall tree on a stormy hill, a movement can only endure when firmly grounded by deep, well-spread roots.

It was also an astonishing feat. Employing his vast fluency in all areas of Jewish scholarship, as well as a penetrating insight and acute degree of abstraction, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was able to demonstrate how the Chassidic movement had not created anything new, but simply unearthed treasures that had lain dormant for centuries within well-known and accepted sources.

Of course, what greater form of creativity could there be than to create something that appears to have been here all along?

Source

Igrot Kodesh – Admur Hazaken, p. 27. See pp. 185–186. The word אמרים appears in Proverbs 22:21 as counsel provided to those requesting guidance; Rashi, ad loc.

The simple meaning of this word is “the in-between person.” Some have translated beinoni as “average,” or “mediocre.” But there is no average human being, and no life is mediocre. Perhaps the most accurate translation of the title would be The Book for the Rest of Us.

Meaning: Many books of ethics have been written to describe the ideal human being and encourage you to be that. This book is different. It’s a book of guidance for those of us made not of ideals, but of meat and bones, who struggle with storms of irrational passion, maverick urges, flashes of anger, inevitable failure, anxieties, self-doubt, and innumerous other internal monsters.

It’s a book that makes no guarantees that you will ever entirely rid yourself of any of the above. Yet it assures you that you can master the control panel of your ship and navigate the turbulence, even using its energy to your advantage.

And it also explains to you why such a life is in most ways far more precious, more powerful, and more potent to change the world than the life of the ideal superhero.

The holy teachers are Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), and Rabbi Dov Ber, the Magid of Mezritch (?–1772). Rabbi Schneur Zalman was a student of the Magid. He never studied directly from the Baal Shem Tov, but he considered him to be his spiritual grandfather. Tanya presents the spiritual path of these two masters, although the formula for following that path is Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s own.

As for the holy books, Tanach, Talmud, Zohar, and the standard midrashic anthologies are the stage upon which every Torah book is composed, and this one is no different. Along with them, as would also be expected, are those works most popular among Torah scholars of the time. Here are some of the most notable ones:

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon: Known by his acronym Rambam (1138-1204), plays a key role in Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s approach. The notion that the mind is the gateway to the heart, a key thesis of Tanya, could be traced back to Rambam’s Book of Knowledge. Rabbi Schneur Zalman deftly merges Rambam’s metaphysics with the more traditional theology of the kabbalists.

Shnei Luchot HaBrit (The Two Tablets of the Covenant): By Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz (1558–1626), known simply by its acronym Shelah, had loomed over Jewish thought and practice for a century and a half by the time Tanya was written. All those who came to study with the Baal Shem Tov and the Magid were deeply influenced by it in thought and practice.

Shelah is a kind of encyclopedia of Jewish thought, quoting verbatim from the gamut of philosophers and kabbalists, answering tough questions, and providing guidance in the entire spectrum of Jewish life. Most importantly, it introduces the reader to the most important discussions of the kabbalah, providing its fundamentals in an ordered progression. The written style and idioms of Tanya are very similar to the Shelah – including this phrase, “from holy books and teachers.”

R. Schneur Zalman acknowledged that in his formative years, from the age of nine, he immersed himself in the Shelah. At the age of thirteen, already thoroughly versed in Talmud, Halachah, Midrash, and Kabbalah, he began to formulate from Shelah’s teachings the basics of his Chabad approach – the idea that love and awe had to emerge out of focused contemplation. Only later, when he became a disciple of the Magid at age 23, did he embrace the path of the Baal Shem Tov, framing those teachings within his particular path.

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi: Known as “the Ari” or “Arizal” (1534-1572), his teachings resound throughout Tanya. The Ari had taken kabbalistic teachings to a new level of rigor and sophistication. He also presented “big ideas” such as the primal tzimtzum and the “shattering of vessels,” which explained in one fell swoop the purpose of all mitzvahs, the meaning of evil, and the place of humankind in Creation.

A mature Torah scholar, whether in Europe or in the Muslim lands, was expected to have delved into these teachings and adopted at least some of the Ari’s customs. In halachah, the practice of the Ari is frequently cited as a final ruling with almost unquestioned authority. While we only have a few pages of his teachings from his own hand, they were recorded by his students, the principal collections being those of his protege, Rabbi Chaim Vital (1543-1620): Etz Chaim and Pri Etz Chaim.

Rabbi Yehuda Loewe: Known as the Maharal of Prague (1525–1609), was an ancestor of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. He is known for having applied Rambam’s mode of philosophical abstract thought to other areas of Torah, especially in his interpretation of Midrash. In this way, ideas that others expressed in esoteric and mystical terms, the Maharal was able to dress in a garb of reason. Although mysteriously not quoted by name, there is a strong tradition that his books are among those to which Rabbi Schneur Zalman alludes here, and the influence of his prolific writings is unmistakable in Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s mode of thought and in many key ideas.

Vital to note is that alongside forging a new path in spiritual guidance for all Jews, Rabbi Schneur Zalman is universally considered a prominent authority in halachah, and was known in all of Eastern Europe as “the Rav.” At the behest of his teacher, the Magid of Mezritch, he composed several volumes encoding halachah and providing the reasoning behind each ruling. Known as Shulchan Aruch HaRav, its publication was a watershed event in the way halachah is decided.

R. Schneur Zalman’s halachic mind is readily apparent in Tanya. He applies halachic concepts such as bittul (chapter six) and issur v’hetter (chapter seven) to the spiritual realm while neatly categorizing spiritual matters with halachic precision. Indeed, the focus of his work is not so much spiritual enlightenment as it is an enlightened and inspired fulfillment of halachic responsibilities.

And as he repeats at every opportunity, “Torah study is equal to all other obligations.”

Source

Shiurim B’Sefer HaTanya (Kehot, 1982), p. 4. Igrot Kodesh – Admur Moharayatz, vol. 2, p. 362; Hayom Yom, 27 Iyar. Sefer HaSichot 5704, p. 131; 5700, pp. 78-79; HaYom Yom, Shalshelet HaYachat; The Rebbe, R. Menachem M. Scheneerson, Igrot Kodesh, vol. 17, p. 92; Sichot Kodesh 5740, vol. 3, p. 241; 5741, vol. 1, p. 830.

These words were among the last that Moses spoke to his people who were about to enter the Promised Land without him. Here they are in context:

For this mitzvah that I command you today is not impossibly beyond you (niflah) and neither is it distant.

It is not in the heavens that you should say, “Who will ascend to the heavens, get it for us, and then tell it to us, so we can do it?”

Neither is it across the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross over the sea, get it for us, and then tell it to us, so we can do it?”

Rather, it is very accessible for you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

Niflah is a word applied to those things that should be impossible and are wondrous and astonishing when they occur nonetheless. Moses is saying, “This is not impossible for you. Nobody should be astonished or consider it wondrous that you could pull it off.”

But note that Moses adds those words “for you.” That changes everything. Moses is saying that it truly is something wondrous and supernatural – but not for you. When G‑d asks you to perform wonders, He gives you wondrous powers to do it.

Tanya is meant to show a Jew how to achieve this wonder: to connect yourself at every moment to an Infinite G‑d with your mind, your words, your hands, and your feet.

Source

Torat Menachem – Sefer HaMaamarim 5730, p. 370ff.

Tanya is mostly about love, or if you will, passion. The index has 18 entries for love, one of the most referenced in the entire work, as opposed to, for instance, only seven for fear and six for wisdom. The word “love” itself appears 123 times in this small book.

What is love of G‑d? How do you achieve it? Well, that’s what the book is about, so let’s not spoil the ride.

Suffice it to say that there is love like fire, love like water, love that is painful, love that is pure pleasure, love that is born out of contemplation of the mind, and love that is innate and needs only to be awakened. All to be discussed in great detail.

Love’s twin is fear. They often appear in the same breath in Tanya. Indeed, the Zohar calls love and fear “two wings to fly above.” As Rabbi Schneur Zalman will point out, you can’t fly with one wing alone.

Many people wonder how fear could be a healthy ingredient in a relationship with G‑d. That’s because they assume there is only one sort of fear of G‑d – fear of punishment. But fear can take many forms.

It could be a deep reverence, similar to your reverence for your parents or your teacher. It could also be a deep state of awe. And then there is the fear that comes together with love, such as the fear of separation from the one you love. Lasting love requires profound respect for the other.

All of these are not only healthy, but vital parts to any relationship. They also all have something in common: The feeling of smallness before something bigger than you. Tanya asks that you treasure that smallness. It allows you entry into the highest places.

Tanya’s Top Five Words. The index to Tanya was compiled by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. The five entries with the most references: Soul, 24; World, 19; Love, 18; Torah, 17; Meditation, 13.

For more on this, see What’s Up With Fear of G‑d?

Source

Zohar III, 28a.

This is the book’s mission statement around which every word revolves. The first book of Tanya is meant to guide its readers on their spiritual journey to find G‑d, and connect to Him with love and awe. If any passage appears to you to fail that agenda, as though it were simply information, philosophy, perhaps a nice response to an academic query, or good guidance for someone other than you, go back and study it again. If you have learned something here and it does not affect your heart or your behavior, learn it deeper until it does.

Source

Torat Menachem – Hitva’aduyot, vol. 49, pp. 87–88. See correspondence of The Rebbe, R. Menachem M. Schneerson, dated Shevat 24, 5713.

This is the path Rabbi Schneur Zalman will be taking you along, which he called the path of Chabad. This title is taken from an anecdote told by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya in the Talmud:

While walking along a path one day, I saw a young boy sitting at the crossroads. So I asked him which path to take to get to the city.

He pointed to one path and said it would be short and long. The other path, he said, would be long and short.

I walked on the path that was short and long. But as I approached the city, I found my way obstructed by gardens and orchards.

So I went back and met the young boy again and said to him, “My son, didn’t you tell me that this way is short?”

He answered, “And didn’t I tell you it is also long?”

I kissed him on his head and exclaimed, “Happy are you, O Israel, for you are all exceedingly wise, from your old to your young!”

The city is your own self. To become an inspired, connected being, you need a path to reach inward toward the most essential powers of your soul.

The short route is to go straight to the heart: Find yourself an inspiring teacher and be carried high by the flame of his soul. Listen to tales of holy men and women and let their spirit carry yours. Cry out in your prayers, dance with joy with a heart blazing with faith, joy, and love.

But you will not enter into yourself. You can get close to the city walls but not inside. That makes it interminably long, because you will forever be standing on the outside.

Taking the short route, it is not you that cries and dances, and neither does your heart burn with its own flame. The brilliant jewels of great tzadikim dazzle your eyes, but you never take ownership of your own hidden treasure.

The long route is to reach the heart through the mind. Contemplate, internalize, and learn to realize the divine. Spontaneously, the innermost of your soul will awaken and emerge, shining through all that you do.

Taking the long path gets you into the city through its main gate. You do more work and travel more ground, but you get inside.

R. Schneur Zalman chose the second path. You need to do the labor of uncovering your soul – your own, unique soul. The tzadik is here to teach, guide, and assist. But every person must travel their own spiritual journey and find their own wings with which to fly.

He cited a scenario described in the Talmud: A thief has burrowed beneath a mansion, intending to break in and rob. He knows full well that he is putting his life in mortal danger and is well-equipped to take deadly action if needed. Nevertheless, just before breaking in, he utters a heartfelt prayer, “G‑d help me!”

Does he believe in G‑d or not? If he does not believe, how is it that this earnest prayer leaps out from his heart? And if he does believe, why does he steal and risk murder? Why doesn’t he trust G‑d to provide for him without needing to violate His laws? Why doesn’t his behavior reflect his faith?

He believes, but, like most of us, he does not own his faith. He has failed to render himself and his beliefs into a single integral whole.

The longer-shorter path is to do that work – to integrate your faith within yourself, through your mind and into your heart. It is a job no one else can do for you.

This is the theme of Tanya, throughout every one of its chapters: To show you the way to the core-essence of your soul, to awaken it and break it out of its shell, so that it will shine and every fiber of your being will be saturated with its light. That achieved, your heart, your thoughts, your words, and your actions will all be in sync, connected Above at every moment. But to achieve this, you must put in the work, the labor of your own mind and heart.

R. Schneur Zalman called his method Chabad – an acronym for the three faculties of the mind: chochmah, binah, and da’at (as we will explore in chapter 3). It is not an easy path, and his book, though small, is not an easy book. But it is an empowering book when read to its depths, and its pathways take you in peace through the gateways of a city that is your own.

It is a long journey on which you are about to embark. And yet, it is also a short one. Because the place to which you are traveling is very close. It is within you. Indeed, it is who you truly are.

Source

Eruvin 53b; Berachot 63a, according to Ein Yaakov; Likutei Torah, Va’Etchanan, 7a; Igrot Kodesh – Admur Hazaken, p. 342.

There was a chassid – a chassid is a disciple of a chassidic master (a “rebbe”), someone who studies the teachings of his rebbe and is committed to making them real in his everyday life. This chassid, we don’t know his name, but we will call him Beryl. Beryl was a chassid of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

Beryl, like many Jews of his time, gave a few hours a week to his business and spent every other hour available immersed in studying Torah and in prayer, as his rebbe had taught him.

Beryl had a friend who was also a chassid, not of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, but of another student of the Magid of Mezritch, Rabbi Chaim Chaykl of Amdur.

Beryl was envious of his friend. He himself struggled every day to focus his mind and heart in prayer. Sometimes it went well. Often, it did not. But his friend seemed to burn like a fire every day in his prayers.

At his next opportunity to visit Rabbi Schneur Zalman, Beryl lamented over what he had seen.

“Every morning, we both rise early for prayers,” he said. “Every morning, Chaykl’s chassid is on fire. He sings. He cries. He says every word from his heart, with his entire soul. He prays like a little boy pleading with his father – the words are so genuine, so sincere.

“And I,” Beryl continued, “I struggle every morning to wipe my mind clean, and then to focus and review and ponder everything I had heard from you. But so often, my mind is in one place, my heart in another, and my mouth utters words that have no connection to either. My prayers are lies, while his shine with the light of his soul!

“And if so,” Beryl concluded, choking through his tears, “Why am I your chassid?”

R. Schneur Zalman listened carefully, then shook his head.

“The chassid prays?” he asked. “No. Chaykl prays!”

Source

As heard from R. Yoel Kahan.