The Sacred Writ of Hasidism The Tanya An

Books of the People
Revisitins Clnssip dorks or Jewist houstt
Books of the People.indd 1 12/20/16 3:09 PM

E
Dr. Stunrt d. Hnlpern
Strnus Center ror Tornt nnd destern houstt

Mnssid Books

Books of the People
Revisiting Classic Works of Jewish hought
First Edition,
Maggid Books
An imprint of Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
, New Milrord, - ,
& , Jerusnlem , Isrnel
www.mnssidoooks.pom
1 Strnus Center ror Tornt nnd destern houstt
All ristts reserved. No pnrt or ttis puolipntion mny oe reproduped,
stored in n retrievnl system or trnnsmited in nny rorm or oy
nny menns, eleptronip, meptnnipnl, ptotopopyins or otterwise,
wittout tte prior permission or tte puolister, expept in tte pnse
or orier quotntions emoedded in pritipnl nrtiples or reviews.
-- - - , hardcover
A pntnlosue repord ror ttis title is
nvnilnole rrom tte Britist Liornry
Printed nnd oound in tte bnited Stntes

Dedicated to members of the Grunberger and Pollack families
of Slovakia who perished, or survived but lost family, in the Holocaust
Grunberger Pollack
Henrich (Chaim) Grunberger Moric Pollack

Zali (Sarah) Friedman Grunberger Gisella (Gitel) Pollack
Erno Grunberger Yosef Pollack
Olga Grunberger Draizel and Henya Pollack
Emil Bernstein Alexander Pollack *
Vera, Judith and Tibor Bernstein Ritshu Srulovic Pollack *
Helen Grunberger Leah Pollack
Munsie Grunberger Lily Pollack
Rozsi Grunberger Ibi (Viola) Pollack *
Misi Klein Susan Pollack *
Yoshka Grunberger * Moric Berman *
Rozsi Grunberger * Hersh-Baruch Pollack
Miklos and Sandor Grunberger Irene Pollack *
Dezso Grunberger * Eugene Herskovitz *
Ibolika and Edith Grunberger Olga Pollack
Jeno Grunberger Kormendi * Miriam Pollack
Benjamin (Bela) Grunberger *
Moti (Matilda) Grunberger *
*Survived
‫תנצב"ה‬
May their memories be a blessing to all future generations

Contents
Editor’s Preface ix
Foreword
Rnooi Lord Jonnttnn Snpks xiii
Emunot ceDeot: he Contemporary Relevance

of Rav Saadia Gaon’s hought
Rnooi Yitzptnk Blnu
Jews, Japan, and Chosenness: he Extraordinary

Universalism of Rabbi Judah Halevi’s Kuznri
Rnooi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveiptik
Maimonides’ Guide or tte Perplexed:

An Enchanted Book of Puzzles
Dr. dnrren Zev Hnrvey
Serer HnIkknrim: Rabbi Joseph Albo’s

Exposition of Jewish Dogma
Dr. Stirn deiss
Learning rom Maharal: A Non-Mystical Approach with

Illustrations rom Gevurot Hnstem and Other Works
Rnooi Stnlom Cnrmy

he Sacred Writ of Hasidism: Tnnyn and the Spiritual
Vision of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady
Rnooi Dr. Ariel Evnn Mnyse
he Mnyses of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav: What Makes a Hasidic Tale?

Dr. Jeremy Dnuoer
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Nineteen Leters on

Judnism: Orthodoxy Conronts the Modern World
Rnooi Dr. Moste Y. Miller
Delving into the Mater: Rabbi Natali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin’s

Hnnmek Dnvnr as a Work of Jewish hought
Rnooi Dr. Gil S. Perl
Rav Abraham Isaac Kook’s Orot HnTestuvn: Repentance as Cosmology

Dr. Dnniel Ryntold
he Halakhist as Creator:
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s Hnlnktip Mnn
Rnooi Reuven Ziesler
Rav Isaac Hutner’s Pnĥnd Yitzĥnk: A Torah Map of

the Human Mind and Psyche in Changing Times
Dr. Ynnkov Elmnn
Contributors

he Snpred drit or Hnsidism:
Tanya nnd tte Spiritunl cision or
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn or Lindy
Rnooi Dr. Ariel Evnn Mnyse
T te plnssipnl texts or tnsidip liternture represent mnny senres. hey

inplude polleptions or sermons on tte weekly Tornt rendins, rnndom
nssortments or tnsidip tenptinss, pompendin or stories told noout –
nnd oy – tnsidip lenders, lists or mystipnl nnd pietistip prnptipes, nnd
leters writen oy tzaddikim. A smnll numoer or tnsidip oooks nre well-
ordered trentises intended to elupidnte pivotnl tteolosipnl ponpepts or
mettodipnlly desprioe nn inner spiritunl pntt. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
or Lindy’s Tanya is one or ttese rnre works. It is tteolosipnlly proround,
mystipnlly inspirins, nnd ptilosoptipnlly soptistipnted, presentins tte
nuttor’s spiritunl vision nnd devotionnl pntt witt utmost plnrity nnd
prepision. he puolipntion or Tanya wns n roundntionnl moment in tte
tistory or Ctnond Ĥasidut. It pnme to serve ns n polleption or mysti-
pnl irst prinpiples, n plosely studied pnnonipnl text to wtipt nll otter
works or Ctnond ttoustt nre intimntely linked. Tanya itselr tns oeen
tte suojept or numerous pommentnries, some or wtipt dnte to tte

Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse
movement’s enrly tistory, nnd it tns oeen suosequently trnnslnted into

mnny lnnsunses. Tanya wns so importnnt to tte Ctnond pommunity
ttnt it wns eventunlly deemed tte Torah Shebikhtav shel Ĥasidut, or tte
driten Tornt or Hnsidism.1
Tanya ofers its renders tte keys to spiritunl srowtt oy ptnl-
lensins two relisious orientntions ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn inds
unponspionnole. he irst is expressed in tte nuttor’s emptntip strus-
sle nsninst rote ooservnnpe, or tte notion ttnt relisious prnptipe nlone
is or explusive importnnpe. Perrormins tte mitzvot, te snys, must oe
nppompnnied oy spiritunl devotion. he sepond nppronpt rejepted
oy Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn is n purely pontemplntive model, wtetter
intelleptunl or epstntip, justiied oy tte plnim ttnt deeds nre rnr less sis-
niipnnt ttnn pultivntins one’s interior renlms. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
resists oott or tte extremes, demnndins responsioility rrom tis rend-
ers nnd pnllins upon ttem to onlnnpe tte inner nnd exterior elements
or tteir relisious lives. His pntt inpludes intelleptunl pontemplntion,
mystipnl love or God, nnd overwtelmins nwe oerore tte divine, out te
demnnds ttnt ttis interior work must oe expressed in ponprete nptions.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wrote Tanya in order to nwnken nnd inspire tis
“slumoerins” renderstip nnd inspire ttem to n tister mode or servins
God, providins ttem witt n struptured pntt ror trnnsrormins tteir
understnndins or tte world, tte Tornt nnd its prepepts, nnd ultimntely
tteir own inner worlds.2
. For exnmple, see Rnooi Yoser Yitzptnk Sptneersotn, Iggerot Kodesh (Brooklyn, ),
vol. , . Trndition repnlls ttnt Rnooi Mennptem Mendel Sptneersotn, tte ttird
Reooe or Ctnond-Luonvitpt, onpe soustt to ndd vowels to Tanya, wtipt rollowed
tte ponvention or most Heorew oooks nnd tnd oeen printed wittout ttem. But
Rnooi Sptneersotn experienped n drenm in wtipt te wns studyins tte lnws or tow
to write n Tornt sproll, pomins to tte rule nssertins ttnt vowels invnlidnte tte sproll.
Rnooi Mennptem Mendel srnsped tte nllusion nnd snve up tis wist. Tnles supt ns
ttis nre diipult to veriry out nre essentinl ror understnndins tte pnnonipnl stntus
of Tanya. See Kitzurim VeHe’arot LeSefer Likutei Amarim (Brooklyn, ), .
. On ttis dinleptip, see Rnptel Elior, he Paradoxical Ascent to God: he Kabbalistic
heosophy of Habad Hasidism, trnns. Jefrey M. Green (Alonny, ).

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady’s Tanya
he tnsidip movement emersed rrom tte tenptinss or Rnooi Isrnel oen

Eliezer or Medztyoizt, n ptnrismntip relisious isure oeter known ns
tte Bnnl Stem Tov (Mnster or tte Good Nnme) or oy tte Heorew npro-
nym Bestt (d. ).3 his enismntip mystip lived in Podolin (modern
bkrnine), nenr tte Cnrpnttinn Mountnins. de know very litle noout
tis lire ttnt does not pome rrom internnl tnsidip sourpes, out lesends
tell or tis tumole oesinninss, rollowed oy n period or prolonsed soli-
tude nnd mystipnl study witt tenvenly tenpters. Sometime in tte s
te “revenled” timselr nnd oesnn to sprend n new nppronpt to relisious
lire ttnt roresrounded tte vnlues or joy nnd epstntip prnyer. Mnny enrlier
Jewist mystips tended townrd nspetipism nnd even selr-mortiipntion, out
tte Bnnl Stem Tov wns quite nlert to tte dnnsers or relisious suilt nnd
tte psyptolosipnl nnd ptysipnl dnmnse wroustt oy penitentinl prnptipes.
His spiritunl pntt roresrounded devekut, or tte rndipnl experienpe or tte
Divine Presenpe. he Bnnl Stem Tov emptnsized ttnt one must oe ever
mindrul or tte divine vitnlity in nll nspepts or existenpe, oten desprioed
ns spnrks or toliness trnpped wittin tte ptysipnl world. Freeing these
spnrks is n prupinl sonl or relisious servipe, one ttnt mny oe nppomplisted
ttroust ordinnry deeds supt ns entins, drinkins, nnd dnnpins, nnd, or
pourse, oy perrormins tte pommnndments.
Severnl or tte Bnnl Stem Tov’s students led pommunities nter tis
dentt. Or ttese, Rnooi Dov Bner Friedmnn, oeter known ns tte srent
Mnssid (prenpter) or Mezritpt, wns tte most importnnt. he Mns-
sid ntrnpted n suostnntinl numoer or rollowers to tis study tnll, mnny
or wtom were orillinnt sptolnrs rrom tte most illustrious rnmilies in
. See Immnnuel Etkes, he Besht: Magician, Mystic, and Leader, trnns. Snndyn Sternoers
(dnlttnm, ).
. For mnny yenrs, Mnrtin Buoer nnd Gerstom Sptolem deonted Hnsidism’s pompli-
pnted relntionstip witt tte mnterinl world. Buoer underspored tte tnsidip mnsters’
positive ntitude townrd ptysipnlity, wtile Sptolem emptnsized texts ttnt nrtipulnte
tte movement’s more otterworldly, even nspetip, impulse. For n nunnped nnnlysis or
ttis pontroversy nnd nn insisttrul new rendins or tte tnsidip sourpes, see Sett Brody,
“‘Open to Me tte Gntes or Ristteousness’: he Pursuit or Holiness nnd Non-Dunlity
in Enrly Hnsidip Tenptins,” he Jewish Quarterly Review ( ): – .

Enstern Europe. hese dispiples plnyed n prupinl role in tte development

or tte tnsidip movement. Ater tte Mnssid’s dentt in (nnd pertnps
even oerore), ttese tnlented lenders oesnn to trnnsrorm Hnsidism rrom
nn elite ettos into n mnss movement. he ptorus or voipes “nround tte
Mnssid’s tnole” wns polyptonip, ror rnrely do nll or ttese tnsidip mnsters
spenk witt n sinsle voipe on nny siven issue. Yet tte lenders or tte move-
ment were nlso united oy n stnred pluster or tteolosipnl oeliers resnrdins
tte devotionnl lire, inpludins worstipins God witt joy; strivins ror deve-
kut in prnyer nnd study; pultivntins nn nwnreness or God’s immnnenpe;
reposnizins ttnt tte initinl tzimtzum, tte wittdrnwnl or tte divine rrom
tte ptysipnl world, is out nn illusion; rnisins up spnrks or toliness oy
servins God in ordinnry deeds; nnd reorientins nll or one’s middot, or
emotionnl, intelleptunl, nnd ettipnl ptnrnpter trnits, townrd God.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns one or tte Mnssid’s younsest nnd
most sited students. He wns oorn nnd rnised in dtite Russin, wtere te
repeived nn expellent edupntion in trnditionnl rnooinip texts, out nt some
point Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn went soutt to Mezritpt. dtnt ntrnpted tte
youns sptolnr to study witt tte Mnssid? He mny tnve oeen interested
in tte study or Knoonln, out Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn seems to tnve oeen
ntrnpted oy tte devotionnl style or tte Mnssid nnd tis resolute emptn-
sis on servins God ttroust prnyer ns n pomplement to relisious study.
he Mnssid died in , nnd Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn oepnme n
student or tte older Rnooi Mennptem Mendel or citeosk, nnotter mem-
oer or tte Mnssid’s pirple. But Rnooi Mennptem Mendel immisrnted to
tte Lnnd or Isrnel in tosetter witt Rnooi Aorntnm or Knlisk. hey
tnsked tte reluptnnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, wto tnd remnined in dtite
Russin, to npt ns lender in tteir proxy, stepterdins tteir students nnd
overseeins rundrnisins to support tnsidip lire in tte Holy Lnnd. But it
wns inprensinsly plenr ttnt tte Hnsidim in dtite Russin pould not mnin-
tnin sole nllesinnpe to tte two nosent lenders, nnd Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
estnolisted n powerrul nnd pentrnlized tnsidip pourt over tte pourse or
tte depnde rollowins Rnooi Mennptem Mendel’s dentt in .
. Immnnuel Etkes, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady: he Origins of Chabad Hasidism

(dnlttnm, ).

Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s pourt louristed in tte s. So mnny

dispiples pnme to tenr tim prenpt ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns rorped
to ennpt n series or deprees pnrerully resulntins tte rrequenpy witt
wtipt tis Hnsidim were nllowed to visit. his mennt ttnt tis tomilies
nnd tenptinss were pnssed nlons oy word or moutt rrom student to stu-
dent, out some were pirpulnted in semioipinl writen rorm. In pnrt to
pull erroneous popies or trnnspriptions, nnd in pnrt to nnswer tte pnll or
dispiples wittout nppess to privnte nudienpes witt tteir tenpter or tte
option to visit wtenever ttey wisted, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn mnde tte
depision to put tis tteolosy into n systemntipnlly writen trentise. he
work known as Tanya wns puolisted in , n wntersted event in tte
tistory or Hnsidism.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn took nn nptive pnrt in tte pontroversy
with the mitnagdim, tte Littunninn sptolnrs nnd students or tte Gnon
or cilnn, wto onnned tte Hnsidim ror ofenses oott sopinl nnd tteo-
losipnl. As enrly ns te pnrtipipnted in n puolip derense or Hnsidism,
to litle suppess. Alttoust tis eforts townrd reponpilintion were nppnr-
ently reoufed, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn never rorreited tis respept ror tte
Gnon or cilnn ns n pnrnson or sptolnrstip nnd piety. he ptnrses or tte
mitnagdim led to Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn oeins imprisoned oy tte Rus-
sinn nuttorities in nnd on suspipion or sedition nnd relisious
rnptionnlism. he dopuments produped rrom tis questionins nnd testi-
mony revenl tis understnndins or tte nnture or Hnsidism nnd tte role
nnd runption or tte tzaddik. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns relensed rrom tis
irst period or inpnrperntion on tte nineteentt or Kislev, tte nnniversnry
tte Mnssid’s dentt, nnd tte Ctnond pommunity snw ttis moment ns n
turnins point in tis pnreer. It is oten sussested ttnt nter Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn’s sermons oepnme lonser, more involved, nnd explipitly
knoonlistip, nnd ttnt te now snw tte ttrust or tis puolip servipe ns sprend-
ins tte tteolosy or Jewist mystipism to tte rnrttest renptes.
Ater tis sepond nrrest, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn moved tis ttrivins
pourt to tte pity or Lindy. He died in ns te wns leeins into Russin
. See Netemin Polen, “Ctnrismntip Lender, Ctnrismntip Book: Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
Tanya nnd His Lenderstip,” in Rabbinic and Lay Communal Authority, ed. Suznnne
Lnst Stone (New York, ), – .

in ndvnnpe or Nnpoleon’s invnsion. His son Rnooi Dov Ber ( – ),

known in lnter Ctnond pirples ns tte Miteler Reooe (tte Middle Reooe),
led tte pommunity nter tis dentt, movins tte pourt to tte Russinn pity
or Luonvitpt. his dirept suppession rrom rntter to son wns nn importnnt
development, sinpe nt ttis enrly point in Hnsidism tte dynnstip system
wns not yet tte norm. Furttermore, one or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s tnl-
ented nnd veternn students, Rnooi Anron Hnlevi Horowitz or Stnroselye
( – ), wns nlso vyins ror position or lenderstip. Rnooi Dov Ber
wns viptorious, nnd tis nspent mnrked tte oesinnins or n rnmilinl dynnsty
wtipt lnsted until tte dentt or Rnooi Mennptem Mendel Sptneerson,
tte seventt Luonvitpter Reooe, in .
Tanya is one or tte mnny works in Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s siznole oody
or tenptinss, out it is in nll respepts unique. It wns irst puolisted nnony-
mously in , nnd Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s nnme did not nppenr until
tte eisttt printins, in Stklov in , oy wtipt point Tanya renpted its
present rorm or ive septions. he nlternntive title Tanya (It Was Taught)
. See Nntnli Loewentnl, Communicating the Ininite: he Emergence of the Habad School
(Ctipnso, ); nnd Louis Jnpoos, Seeker of Unity: he Life and Works of Aaron of
Starosselje (New York, ).
. On Rnooi Mennptem Mendel Sptneerson, see Elliot R. dolrson, Open Secret:
Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson
(New York, ); nnd Ctnim Miller, Turning Judaism Outward: A Biography of
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe (New York, ).
. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns n sited tomilist, nnd nter tis dentt two importnnt vol-
umes or tis sermons were puolisted ns Torah Or (Kopust, ) nnd Likutei Torah
(Ztitomir, ). A sisniipnnt numoer or otter tomilies remnined in mnnuspript
rorm nnd were printed ror tte irst time ns tte Maamarei Admor HaZaken series
ttnt oesnn in nnd pontinues to tte present dny. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn edited
n version or tte litursy, lnter printed ns Nusaĥ HaAri, wtipt oepnme tte stnndnrd
prnyeroook ror tte Ctnond pommunity. But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn or Lindy wns
nlso n mistty sptolnr or Jewist lnw, nnd n pompilntion or tnlnktn known ns n
Shulĥan Arukh HaRav wns puolisted nter tis dentt. See Levi Cooper, “Townrds n
Judipinl Biosrnpty or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn or Lindy,” Journal of Law and Religion
. ( ): – . For nn overview or tis ttoustt ns round in nll or ttese works,
see Romnn A. Foxorunner, Habad: he Hasidism of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyady
(Tuspnloosn, ).

is tnken rrom irst word or tte openins ptnpter, out tte work nlso
pirpulnted under tte nnme Likutei Amarim (Collected Sayings).
he oook wenves tosetter idens rrom tte Zotnr nnd Snred
Knoonln, nnd espepinlly tte tenptinss or Rnooi Isnnp Lurin (known ns tte
“Ari”), wtipt nre pited more rrequently ttnn trnditions rrom tte Mnssid
or even tte Bnnl Stem Tov. Yet Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn rends ttese texts
in tte tnsidip rnstion, reinterpretins tte nnttropomorptip, myttip
tteolosy or enrlier Knoonln ttroust n devotionnl nnd psyptolosipnl
lens. Like tis tnsidip tenpters, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn employs tte snme
vopnoulnry to desprioe oott tte Godtend nnd tte inner spiritunl strup-
tures or tte tumnn mind, revenlins ttnt tte divine nnd tumnn renlms
nre intimntely intertwined. However, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn retnins
mupt more or tte Lurinnip terminolosy ttnn otter tnsidip mnsters or
tis dny, explninins tte idens or tte Bnnl Stem Tov nnd tis students oy
menns or plnssipnl Knoonln.
de will now turn to enpt or tte rour primnry septions or Tanya
in turn, explorins tte mnjor tteolosipnl issues ns ttey nrise.11 he
vnrious pnrts or Tanya were nddressed to diferent nudienpes npross
severnl depndes, nnd ttus difer in oott emptnsis nnd ttemntip ropus.
However, tte text ofers n lnrsely potesive spiritunl vision, reinrorped
oy tte rnpt ttnt tte pontempornry render ponrronts Tanya as a single
liternry unit.
. Likutei Amarim is n strnnse title ror ttis oook, sinpe it is nnyttins out n rnndom
nssortment or tenptinss. Most tnsidip works rrom ttis period nre loose nnttolosies
or tomilies ttnt rollow tte weekly Tornt rendinss, out tte primnry septions or Tanya
nre n pnrerully ponstrupted tteolosipnl trentise. his title mny tnve oeen ptosen ns n
wny or ponneptins Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s oook to tte work Likutei Amarim – Maggid
Devarav LeYaakov (Koretz, ). his tistly inluentinl oook wns tte irst puolisted
polleption or tenptinss ntriouted to Rnooi Dov Bner or Mezritpt, Rnooi Stneur Znl-
mnn’s own spiritunl tenpter. My ttnnks to Proressor Netemin Polen ror ttis insistt.
. he itt nnd oy rnr stortest seption or Tanya, pnlled Kuntres Aĥaron, inpludes n series
or ponpise essnys nddressins topips in Sefer Shel Beinonim or diipulties nrisins in
otter knoonlistip works. Here too we ind Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn returnins to tte
similnr ttemes or Tornt study, mystipnl prnyer, tte key elements or tumnn servipe,
nnd tte struptures or tte Godtend, out ttese stort expursuses nre quite pomplex.
Few idens nppenr in Kuntres Aĥaron ttnt pnnnot oe round elsewtere in Tanya, ttoust
mnny nre trented in ttis seption witt srenter detnil.

Pnrt : Sefer Shel Beinonim

he irst nnd lonsest seption or Tanya, pnlled Sefer Shel Beinonim (he
Book of the Intermediate Person), is tte tenrt or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
oook. his pnrt, wtipt spnns some ity-ttree ptnpters, opens oy outlin-
ins n risid sopinl nrptitepture or individunls witt diferins spiritunl pnpn-
oilities. hese pntesories, wtipt nre relntively ixed, inplude tte rollowins:
• tte pomplete tzaddik, wto lnpks nn Evil Inplinntion oepnuse it

tns oeen trnnsrormed into n positive rorpe;
• tte inpomplete tzaddik, wto tns uterly vnnquisted tte Evil
Inplinntion;
• tte (oten) wipked person, wto is rrequently oested oy tte Evil
Inplinntion;
• tte (pompletely) wipked person, wto is entirely ponsumed oy sin.
In nddition to ttese rour types or people, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn presents

n itt pntesory, tte beinoni, wto is tte primnry suojept or Tanya. his
“intermedinte person” is rorever lopked in tte strussle nsninst tte Evil
Inplinntion, out tns never oeen overpome nnd entiped into trnnssression.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt tzaddikim are present in each
senerntion. hey nre tte spiritunl elites, nspepts, or even reinpnrnntions
or Moses reoorn ttroustout Jewist tistory, inpludins tte tnsidip lend-
ers or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s own dny. But ttese lnwless tzaddikim
nre not tte intended nudienpe or Sefer Shel Beinonim, wtipt is direpted
townrd individunls ror wtom mupt or tteir spiritunl work is yet undone.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn soustt to inspire ttese renders to rise noove tteir
nnturnl stnte ns one or tte pntesories or “wipked” people, nnd to renpt
the station of the beinoni. his viptory, ttoust diipult, is tteoretipnlly
nvnilnole to nll. Besinnins Tanya witt ttis tiernrpty pustes most renders
to nonndon nny rnlse nspirntions or oepomins n tzaddik, ttus nllowins
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s students to tnke up tte inner work nepessnry nnd
npproprinte ror tteir true runs nnd ttereoy strive to oepome n beinoni.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tten desprioes tte nnture or tte tumnn
spirit. Jewist people, te sussests, tnve two souls. he irst or ttese, tte
nnimnl or vitnl-nnimntins soul (nefesh behemit or ĥiyunit), pomes rrom
the kelipot – tte “tusks” or tte mnterinl world ttnt oospure tte divinity

within. It sives us mnterinl lire, out it is nlso responsiole ror nll nesntive
ptnrnpter trnits, pompellins one to rollow tis onnnl instinpts nnd oepome
ntnpted to tte ptysipnl renlm. he nefesh behemit pnn oe uplited nnd
trnnsrormed into n sodly instrument, out doins so is n teroip tnsk. he
sepond soul, towever, is n pure nspept or God emoodied wittin tte
tumnn rorm (ĥelek eloha mimaal, see Joo : ). his indwellins divine
presenpe is tte key to tte spiritunl lire nnd tte sntewny ror ponneptins to
God. hese two souls, tte nnimnl nnd tte divine, nre respeptively toused
in tte let nnd ristt ptnmoers or tte tenrt. he divine soul, towever,
is nlso round in tte mind, n pornerstone or tte intelleptunl element or
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s tteolosy.
In ttese openins ptnpters, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt tte
souls or tte sentile nntions pome rrom nn even lower srnde or tte kelipot.
For ttis renson nnd oepnuse ttey lnpk tte indwellins or tte divine soul
ttnt ptnrnpterizes Isrnel, tte souls or non-Jews pnnnot nptieve tte snme
kind or spiritunl uplit. his weistty stntement, to wtipt we will return
in tte ponplusion, is round ttroustout Tanya, nnd is rnr more pentrnl
to Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ttnn ror most otter tnsidip mnsters or tis dny.
he results or tte stnrk, nlmost dunlistip ontle oetween tte nnimnl
nnd divine souls in tte beinoni is expressed ttroust tis ptysipnl nptions.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tenptes ttnt tte spirit is mnnirest ttroust tte
ttree exterior “snrments” (levushim) – ttoustt, speept, nnd nptions –
nll movements in enpt or ttese renlms impnpt tte posmos ns well ns
tte individunl. Ir tte devoted worstiper rollows God’s will, tis deeds
inprense tte divine listt in tte world. he opposite is nlso true, ror even
minor trnnssressions distnnpe n person rrom tte divine nnd oospure
God’s illuminntion. hey nlso extend tte exile or tte Shekhina, tte remi-
nine nspept or God ttnt dwells wittin tte world nnd nppompnnies Isrnel
ttroustout nll or tteir peresrinntions.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s portrnit or tte tumnn soul(s) is linked
to tis dunlistip vision or tte world. All elements ponnepted to God
oelons to tte divine renlm, nnd everyttins else pomes rrom tte Otter
Side (Sitra Aĥra), n domnin or dnrkness ttnt oppludes God’s presenpe.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn interited ttis oinnry tteolosipnl strupture rrom
medievnl Knoonln, out te reinterprets it nppordins to n pentrnl tnsidip
notion: ttere is no plnpe devoid or God, nnd evil is simply divine enersy

mnnirest in n nesntive rorm. he Sitra Aĥra tns no renl suostnnpe, eitter

metnptysipnl or ontolosipnl, oepnuse everyttins in tte posmos is n pnrt
or God’s ininite Beins. he renlm or dnrkness wns srnnted permission
to exist, out only in order ror mnnkind to rise up nnd overpome it. his
wns tte purpose or Crention, snys Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, nnd te pon-
stnntly reminds tte render ttnt our tnsk is to revenl more or tte divine
listt in tte world.
he notion ttnt God mny oe served ttroust all elements or tte
world, inpludins tte ptysipnl, wns pentrnl to tte Bnnl Stem Tov. he
Mnssid wns pirpumspept in tis ntitude townrd tte world, retninins
some or tte nspetip impulse nnd preoppupntion witt sexunlity round
in medievnl Knoonln nnd Astkennzip pietistip liternture. Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn rollows tte Mnssid, nnd ttroustout Tanya we ind n distrust
or tte enrttly renlm. he posmos is illed witt God, out te nrsues ttnt
expessive ensnsement witt tte porporenl will distrnpt people rrom tteir
own spiritunl work. Or pourse one pnnnot ent somettins protioited or
perrorm n deed ttnt tns oeen roroidden (assur) in tte nnme or servins
God, sinpe its divine spnrk is too rnr “oound” (assur) up in tte kelipot.
But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nlso sussests ttnt even nn npt ttnt is not
teptnipnlly protioited out is perrormed ror one’s personnl oeneit or
plensure is tte work or tte nnimnl soul. He repommends vnnquistins
tte Evil Inplinntion oy postponins menltimes nnd limitins oneselr in
nll permissiole mnters.
his position stnnds in tension witt tte senernl tnsidip ettos
or rnisins up tte toly spnrks, nnd, more orondly, witt our tnsk or
trnnsrormins tte ptysipnl world oy inrusins it witt divine listt. Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt ttese sonls nre to oe nppomplisted irst
nnd roremost oy perrormins tte pommnndments, sinpe in doins so
tte worstiper uses n ptysipnl oojept (nn etrog, money ror nlms, n shofar,
etp.) to efept tte divine will. his toly purpose snnptiies somettins
ttnt tnd onpe nppenred to oe purely mundnne. here is, towever, one
notewortty pnssnse in wtipt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn emptnsizes ttnt
entins, drinkins, nnd so rortt nre userul steps in illuminntins tte world
witt God’s snpred listt.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nlso tnkes n pnutious position resnrdins tte
pontroversinl prnptipe or litins up “strnnse ttoustts” (maĥshavot zarot)

durins prnyer.12 his notion is present in tte tenptinss or tte Bnnl Stem
Tov, wto plnimed ttnt nll ttoustts tnve n toly sourpe nnd must ttere-
rore oe “returned” to tteir divine orisin. For exnmple, lust ror somettins
ptysipnl stould oe trnnsrormed into desire ror God. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
relt ttnt ttis prnptipe wns too dnnserous ror tte beinoni, nnd sussests ttnt
worstipers pnst of nny distrnptins ttoustts wittout trnpins ttem onpk
to tteir sodly root. However, te ndds ttnt n beinoni stould not interpret
tte presenpe or supt ttoustts ns indipntins n lnpk or spiritunl prosress;
it is n sisn ttnt tte Evil Inplinntion is simply redouolins its eforts in tte
rnpe or tis nppomplistments.
Mupt or tte devotionnl pntt outlined in Tanya emerses rrom
n sustnined interpretntion or tte rollowins verse: “But ttis mnter is
very plose to you, in your moutt nnd in your tenrt, ttnt you mny do it”
(Deut. : ). Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn understnnds tte “mnter” (davar)
ns rererrins to tte innnte renr nnd love or God ttnt nre liternlly inoorn
wittin tte tenrt or every Jew. he “tidden love” (ahava mesuteret) inter-
ited rrom tte pntrinrpts is tte sourpe or tteir pnpnpity to ponnept to God.
To nrtipulnte ttis love Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ofers n pnrnole onsed on tte
verse “tte pnndle or God is tte soul or mnn (nishmat adam)” (Prov. : ):
he souls or Isrnel…nre like tte lnme or n pnndle ttnt ponstnntly

nnd nnturnlly stretptes upwnrds, sinpe n lnme rrom tte ire lonss
to sepnrnte rrom tte wipk nnd oepome ntnpted to its root noove.…
So too does tte soul or n person (nishmat adam), ns well
ns htis] spirit nnd pneumn (ruaĥ venefesh), intrinsipnlly lons to
sepnrnte itselr rrom tte oody in order to unite witt its orisin nnd
sourpe in God, tte ront or nll lire, even ttoust it would ttereoy
oepome totnlly nesnted, pompletely losins its own identity, witt
nottins remninins or its rormer essenpe nnd oeins.13
. Here too, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn difers rrom otter tnsidip ttinkers, inpludins tis tenpt-
ers nnd some or tis pollensues. For exnmple, see Peri HaAretz, trnnslnted in Arttur
Green, Speaking Torah: Spiritual Teachings rom Around the Maggid’s Table, witt Eon
Lender, Ariel Evnn Mnyse, nnd Or N. Rose (doodstopk, ), vol. , – .
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rols. n–o. All pitntions to Tanya refer to Likutei Amarim-
Tanya, Bilingual Edition, revised edition (Brooklyn, ), nnd tte present trnnsln-
tions nre onsed on ttose ttnt nppenr in ttnt volume.

he essentinl, ournins desire or tte Jewist soul to oepome ntnpted to tte

divine is so srent ttnt it overpomes nny sense or selr-preservntion. Like
tte rnmous metnptor or tte mott drnwn to tte lnme, tte soul’s innnte
love ror God drnws it ploser nnd ploser until it is totnlly suosumed in tte
divine. But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nsserts ttnt tte Jewist soul tolds n por-
respondins “nwe,” or “renr” (oott expressed oy tte word “yira”) ns well,
wtipt tempers ttis elnted love ror God. his innnte nwe is not expressed
simply ns nnturnl nversion to sin, or pourse, out rntter ns nn intense renr
or oepomins put of rrom tte divine. How to pultivnte ttese nnturnl rnp-
ulties or love nnd nwe is one or tte most importnnt ttemes or Sefer Shel
Beinonim, nlttoust Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn emptnsizes ttnt tte sonl or
supt inner work is to serve God ttroust perrormins tte pommnndments.
his point, tte pnll to nption, is n sepond pnrdinnl messnse pro-
peedins rrom Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s rendins or Deuteronomy : . he
words “ttnt you mny do it” nre n reminder ttnt our inner spiritunl world
must oepome expressed ttroust ptysipnl deeds. he pommnndments nre
tte prystnllizntion or God’s will, nnd, wten perrormed porreptly, ttey ill
tte world witt nn ndditionnl mensure or divine listt. Only ttese snpred
nptions ouild n dwellins plnpe ror God in ttis world.
he tenor or Sefer Shel Beinonim ptnnses in ptnpter , ns we
ind Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn turnins to nnotter pnrdinnl tnsidip vnlue:
tte power or joy in divine servipe. Hnppiness (simĥa) sives us enersy
nnd vitnlity, wterens sndness (atzvut) is so dnnserous oepnuse it lends
to torpor nnd pnrnlysis, mnkins one prey ror tte Evil Inplinntion. In one
pnssnse, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ofers n prnptipnl mettod ror overpom-
ins despondenpy: pontemplnte divine unity, pomins to know ttnt you
too nre n pnrt or God’s ininite expnnse. Be ever mindrul or tte rnpt ttnt
tte world wns prented in order to oepome n tome ror tte divine, nnd
know ttnt enpt person tns n unique role in ttnt propess. his renssur-
ins nwnreness derends nsninst renr nnd nosurdity oy remindins us or
tte interdependenpe – nnd ttus interponneptedness – or nll oeinss ns
expressions or God.
But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nllows ror senuine reelinss or pontri-
tion. He distinsuistes oetween sndness stemmins rrom mundnne mnters
(milei de’alma) nnd ttnt wtipt pomes rrom relisious strussles (milei dish-
maya). he rormer stould oe totnlly isnored, sinpe even diipult ttinss

ultimntely tnppen ror tte sood. Sorrow noout n lnpk or spiritunl prosress,
towever, pnn serve ns n pntnlyst ror positive srowtt. Yet tte worstiper
must not rnll into sndness durins tis divine servipe or even ttroustout
tte dny. Rntter, one stould set nside times to relept upon tis journey,
nn enrnest ponrrontntion ttnt will orins one to n stnte or ponstruptive
contrition (merirut) nnd orokentenrtedness (lev nishbar). his npknowl-
edsment or one’s distnnpe rrom God nllows ror srowtt, ttus lendins tim
onpk to n stnte or joy nnd optimism.
he openins ptnpters or Tanya do not sive tte render interpretive
prinpiples or nostrnpt postulntes noout tte nnture or tte divine. Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn ropuses on tumnn nnture, tte inner workinss or tte soul,
nnd mnn’s role in tte snpred drnmn or overpomins tte dnrkness. But tteo-
losipnl releption is n prupinl element or Tanya rrom tte very irst pnse,
ror tte renlms or God nnd mnn nre tisttly interlopked. Trnnsrormntions
in one domnin lend to ptnnses in tte otter, nnd tte snme knoonlistip
terms used to desprioe tte divine nnd tte tumnn nre not simply tom-
onyms. his stnred vopnoulnry revenls tte essentinl ninity oetween tte
two resions, releptins tte deep-sented imoripntion or God nnd mnn.
In desprioins God Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn seeks to mnintnin n very
ine onlnnpe. Like mnny enrlier knoonlists, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn rerers
to tte divine ns possessins oott stntip nnd dynnmip ptnrnpteristips. On
one tnnd, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn interited Mnimonides’ unptnnsins
God, tte Prime Mover wto is permnnently unnfepted oy tumnn deeds.
his ponpeption or God, pnlled Ein Sof, is sinsulnr, unique, nnd ininitely
indesprionole. de mny projept our understnndinss onto tte divine, out
God is noove nll positive despription or ntrioution. But Tanya nlso drnws
on knoonlistip trnditions ttnt desprioe tte seirot ns luid nnd ponstnntly
ptnnsins. Humnn worstip nnd povennntnl deeds do tnve nn impnpt on
some nspept or tte divine, nnd our love nnd servipe nwnken God’s end-
less pompnssion. Furttermore, our nptions drnw snpred enersy into tte
Godtend nnd ptysipnl world oy unitins tte seirot, desprioed in tte
remnrknoly nnttropomorptip terms tnken rrom tte Zotnr nnd Lurinnip
Knoonln. hese two diferent understnndinss or God, tte immutnole
nnd tte ever-ptnnsins, must oe teld tosetter.
here is nnotter relnted pnrndox in Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
tteolosy ttnt must oe nddressed. He rerers to God ns simultnneously

trnnspendent nnd immnnent, usins tte zotnrip terms or “tte One ttnt
surrounds tte worlds” (sovev kol almin) nnd “tte One ttnt ills tte
worlds” (memale kol almin). his mny sound like n medievnl strupture
or tte universe in wtipt God is noove – or oeyond – tte world, ns well
ns immnnently mnnirest in tte tempornl resion oelow. However, Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn mnkes it plenr ttnt ttese metnptoripnl nnmes rerer to
tte desrees to wtipt God’s listt is displosed, not ptysipnl spnpes. Sovev
kol almin desprioes divine listt ttnt tns not yet tnken on nny rorm, nnd
is ttererore oeyond our ttrestold oepnuse it is too intense nnd nostrnpt.
Memale kol almin denotes God’s enersy ns mnnirest in tte worlds, nn
ntenunted illuminntion rerrnpted ttroust tte posmos. All elements or
tte ptysipnl renlm nre emoodiments or tte divine, out ttere nre nspepts
or God ttnt nre not restripted to tte posmos; tte expnnse or tte snpred
trnnspends tte worlds nt tte snme moment ttnt God’s divine vitnlity
is mnnirest wittin ttem.
his notion or nosolute divine omnipresenpe (poupled witt God’s
simultnneous trnnspendenpe) is nn importnnt tnsidip prinpiple ttnt is
oten linked to liternl interpretntions or tte verse “His slory ills tte
entire enrtt” (Is. : ) nnd tte plnim mnde in Tikkunei Zohar that “there
is no plnpe devoid or Him.” his rnises tte question or tow, ir God is so
totnlly omnipresent, we pnn spenk or n lopnlized indwellins or tte divine
pnlled Shekhina. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt ttis term rerers to nn
intensiied Divine Presenpe, tte mnnirestntion or Ein Sof in tte world
ttnt implies neitter n multiplipity or sods nor spntinl explusivity. He
nlso desprioes Shekhina ns tte ponduit ttroust wtipt snpred vitnlity is
ponstnntly delivered into enpt person nnd everyttins.
Any tteolosipnl system must nddress tte intertwined issues or
tte extent to wtipt tumnnity pnn know God, nnd tte desree to wtipt
we mny even use lnnsunse in rererenpe to tte divine. Rnooi Stneur Znl-
mnn understnnds ttese ponundrums nnd oten pites tte mnxim rrom tte
Tikkunei Zohar ttnt “no ttoustt pnn srnsp Him nt nll.” Indeed, te oten
drits plose to Mnimonides’ nesntive tteolosy, plnimins ttnt we pnnnot
even sny ttnt God is “oeyond pompretension.” To do so would imply
ttnt tte divine is oeyond tte ttrestold or tumnn understnndins, out
te nrsues ttnt tte term “pompretension” is irrelevnnt wten npplied to
God. But ttere is nn importnnt diferenpe oetween Mnimonides’ nnd

Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s ttinkins on ttis suojept. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn

plnims ttnt divine wisdom pnnnot oe srnsped – nnd indeed, God Him-
selr pnnnot oe known – oepnuse or His nosolute immnnenpe rntter ttnn
tte insurmountnole otterness or tte divine.
Yet Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn interprets tte plnssipnl notion ttnt “tte
Tornt spenks tte lnnsunse or mnn” ns sussestins ttnt tteolosipnl dis-
pourse is oott permissiole nnd nepessnry. It is ennoled oy tte symoolip
nnd metnptoripnl lnnsunse or tte Knoonln, understood oy Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn ns n revenled oody or inrormntion. he knoonlists tnve nppess
to tte tidden deptts or God’s wisdom nnd pnn ntnin n srenter knowl-
edse or tte divine ttnn even Moses, wto knew God “only” ttroust
dirept vision. Moreover, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn oten uses metnptors
nnd pnrnoles to illustrnte God’s nnture. dtile te oten reminds tte
render ttnt ttere is no essentinl pompnrison oetween tte metnptors nnd
tteir divine rererent, te employs ttese stirrins imnses ns nn evopntive
wny or desprioins God. Metnptors nnd pnrnoles nre linsuistip sestures
townrd tte God ttnt is inefnole – nnd inponpeivnole – nnd ttey nllow
us to srnsp somettins or n divine world ttnt would otterwise remnin
oeyond tte pusp or nrtipulntion.
Our understnndins or God will nlwnys oe pnrtinl until nosolute
knowledse or tte divine is revenled in tte ruture. his is tte tenrt or
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s intelleptunl messinnip vision. But tte new nwnre-
ness or tte divine will oe ouilt ttroust tumnn efort, not oe delivered
unto us rrom on tist:
he pulminntins rulillment or tte Messinnip Ern nnd or tte Res-

urreption or tte Dend, wtipt is tte revelntion or tte listt or tte
olessed Ein Sof in ttis mnterinl world, depends on our nptions nnd
servipe ttroustout tte durntion or tte exile. For wtnt pnuses tte
rewnrd or n pommnndment is tte pommnndment itselr, oepnuse
oy virtue or perrormins it tte person sufuses n lood or listt or
tte olessed Ein Sof downwnrd rrom noove, to oe plotted in tte
ptysipnl nspepts or tte world.
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. o.

he rewnrd ror perrormins tte pommnndments is neitter metnptysipnl

repompense nor nn expnnded portion in tte dorld to Come. Enpt deed
nppomplistes some pnrt or revenlins God in this world. his propess
stretptes rorwnrd into tte Messinnip Ern, out our involvement in tte
propess menns ttnt some or tte ruture ponspiousness spills onpk nnd
illuminntes tte present.
hese tteolosipnl releptions nre nn essentinl pnrt or Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn’s ponpeption or divine servipe. Tosetter witt tte nnimnl nnd
divine souls, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn oirurpntes tte ntrioutes or tte
tumnn psypte (tte middot, onsed on tte seirot or tte Godtend) into
ttree primnry intelleptunl rnpulties nnd tte seven “lower” elements or
one’s emotive personnlity. he upper rnpulties or ĥokhma (wisdom),
bina (understnndins), nnd daat (knowledse) drive tumnn intelleption
nnd ruel pontemplntive meditntion. hey nre tte ropus or Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn’s inner work, oepnuse ttey nrouse nnd pontrol tte otterwise
unprediptnole seven lower middot:
his is n srent prinpiple resnrdins divine servipe ror tte beinonim:

tte most importnnt ttins is to sovern nnd rule tte nnture ttnt
is in tte let ventriple hor tte tenrt] oy menns or tte divine listt
ttnt illuminntes tte divine soul in tte mind. hnt is, to rule tte
tenrt oy menns or meditntion in tte mind on tte srentness or
tte olessed Ein Sof, wtereoy tis understnndins will orins rortt
n spirit or knowledse nnd renr or God in tis mind, mnkins tim
turn nwny rrom evil pondemned oy tte Tornt nnd tte snses, even
rrom n minor rnooinip protioition, God roroid; nnd nt tte snme
time hinspirins] tte love or God in tis tenrt, in tte ristt ventriple,
witt n rervor nnd desire to plenve to Him ttroust tte rulillment
. his is similnr to Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s despription or tte redemption rrom Esypt
ns n pontinuous propess. In quotins tte rnmous mistnn ttnt demnnds ttnt we see
ourselves ns lenvins Esypt nnew in enpt nnd every senerntion, te ndds tte words
“enpt nnd every dny,” trnnsrormins tte one-time journey out or Esypt (Mitzrayim)
into n dnily strussle ror lioerntion rrom tte ponstripted ooundnries or tte sen or
ponspiousness (metzar yam) nnd tte onse elements or tumnn nnture. See Sefer Shel
Beinonim, pt. , rol. o.

or tte pommnndments or tte Tornt nnd tte snses, nnd ttroust

tte study or Tornt ttnt is equivnlent to ttem nll.
Contemplntion or God oesins in tte intelleptunl rnpulties, wtipt tte

beinoni ropuses upon tte nenrly overwtelmins expnnse or divine unity.
his pereornl meditntion nwnkens tte innnte love nnd nwe tidden wittin
the beinoni’s tenrt, wtipt nre tten expressed ttroust tte seven lower
middot. hese ntrioutes pnn oe mnnirest in eitter positive or nesntive
rorms, tte result or tte inner strussle or tte beinoni to devote nll nspepts
or tte selr to God. Alttoust n beinoni will never permnnently trnnsrorm
the middot into tteir most ennooled rorm nnd ttus eliminnte nny pos-
sioility or trnnssression, te never rnils to use ttem ns n ptnnnel ttroust
wtipt to mnnirest tte inner stirrinss or tis tenrt nnd mind.
hus, we stould not mistnke Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s pontempln-
tion ror dry or stultiied intelleption. He writes:
he essenpe or knowledse is not tte knowins nlone, ttnt people

stould know tte srentness or God rrom nuttors nnd oooks; out
tte essentinl ttins is to immerse one’s mind deeply into tte srent-
ness or God nnd ix one’s ttoustt on God witt nll tte strenstt
nnd visor or tte tenrt nnd mind, until tis ttoustt is oound to
God witt n strons nnd mistty oond…ror it is known ttnt “knowl-
edse” (daat) ponnotes union, ns in tte verse, “And Adnm knew
(yada) Eve.” (Gen. : )
Intelleptunl meditntion lends to n pontemplntive oond witt God ttnt is

pnssionnte nnd even erotip. It is no nppident ttnt te desprioes mystipnl
snosis in supt expressive terms. Love nnd nwe, tte dyndip pnir nroused
ttroust pontemplntion, nre tte pillnrs or tte devotionnl lire. hey nre tte
“winss” or tte spirit ttnt tosetter lit tte worstiper into tte tister – or
. Ioid., pt. , rol. o.

. hese inplude ĥesed (lovins-kindness) nnd gevura (power or sternness), oten re-
speptively nssopinted witt love nnd nwe, out nlso tiferet (splendor), netzaĥ (viptory),
hod (oenuty, out nlso ndmission), yesod (roundntion), nnd malkhut (kinsstip).
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rols. n–o.

innermost – renlms. Bott nre nepessnry, ror enpt person must oe like n
tumole servnnt nnd n oeloved ptild to tte Kins or Kinss. Love nnd nwe
onlnnpe one nnotter, linkins nmorous expitement witt nrdent dispipline,
nnd eitter nspept in isolntion is destruptive.
Two kinds or nwe nre rooted in tte Jewist soul. he irst type, n
prerequisite ror tte next stnse, is litle more ttnn renr or punistment. It
is expressed oy perrormins tte prepepts or Tornt, sinpe ttese npts stow
dererenpe to God. But tte tister type is nn overwtelmins experienpe
ttnt pomes noout wten one understnnds ttnt te is nottins out nn ele-
ment or God. his is nppomplisted oy oeins mindrul or God’s sover-
eisnty over tte worlds, out nlso, nnd more importnntly, His immnnent
presenpe wittin tte posmos. Lookins pnst tte ptysipnl exterior to tte
divine Presenpe wittin lends tte mystip to tremendous nwe, wtipt tten
spurs tim to nption. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn writes:
he essentinl ttins, towever, is tte trninins to tnoitunte one’s

mind nnd ttoustt pontinuously, ttnt it ever remnin ixed in tis
tenrt nnd mind, ttnt everyttins one sees witt one’s eyes – tte
tenvens nnd enrtt nnd nll ttnt is tterein – ponstitutes tte outer
snrments or tte Kins, tte olessed Holy One. In ttis wny te will
ponstnntly oe nwnre or tteir inwnrdness nnd vitnlity.
his proround experienpe results rrom ntunins oneselr to tte inner

divine nnture or tte world, mnnirest ttroust nll nspepts or tte ptysipnl
renlm. But it is mupt more ttnn nn inner reelins, ror nwe snlvnnizes one
to perrorm tte pommnndments witt new intensity nnd visor.
Counteronlnnpins ttis nwe is tte tidden love ror God present in
tte divine soul. dten irst nroused ttis love mny oe mild, out it pnn oe
developed into n pnssionnte lonsins to plenve to tte divine:
he union or tte soul witt, nnd its nosorption into, tte listt or
God, mnkins ttem one, ttis is wtnt every memoer or Isrnel truly
desires, uterly, witt nll tis tenrt nnd nll tis soul, oepnuse or tte
nnturnl love ttnt is tidden in every Jewist tenrt to plenve to God
. Ioid., pt. , rol. n.

nnd not, under nny pirpumstnnpes, to oe pnrted or sundered or

sepnrnted, God roroid, rrom His olessed bnity nnd oneness, even
nt tte post or tis very lire.
his innnte love or tte Jewist soul pnn oe trnnsrormed into n ierpe yenrn-
ins to oe nosoroed into God. In ttese tister stnses it is mnnirest in two
diferent rorms: ahavat olam (eternnl love) nnd ahava raba (noundnnt
love). Ahavat olam is tte result or intelleptunl pontemplntion or God,
nurtured ns tte seeker deepens tis nwnreness or God’s omnipresenpe
nnd trnnspendenpe, eventunlly srnspins ttnt tis individunl identity is
renlly nn illusion. His power or love oesins to sted its enrttly rerer-
ents (i.e., lonsins ror porporenl ttinss), nnd turns explusively townrd
tte divine. Ahava raba, towever, is yet nnotter level or intensity. It is
iery, nll-ponsumins love ttnt is n sit rrom God, n divine nnswer to tte
devoted rnpture or tte mystip oelow. his kind or wondrous joy nnd pure
delistt in God pnnnot oe enrned; tte tistest rorm or lonsins is siven
to the tzaddikim nlone. Yet oott ahavat olam nnd ahava raba inspire a
response rrom God, nrousins divine love ns n result or tte worstiper’s
servipe oelow. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn does not repommend ropusins
explusively on ttis tteursip nspept or our servipe, nnd emptnsizes ttnt
nwnreness or God’s unpensins oenevolenpe townrd mnnkind stould onpe
more nrouse our love ror God.
hese kinds or pontemplntive meditntion nnd tte tnsk or pultivnt-
ins love nnd nwe oerore tte divine do not lend tte worstiper to retrent
rrom or espnpe tte world. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s spiritunl pntt is deeply
emoodied in prnxis, sinpe, ns te quotes, “ttoustt nlone nppomplistes
nottins.”21 He oten reminds tis renders ttnt tteir tnsk is to inruse ttis
world witt new listt nnd vitnlity:
he Zotnr tenptes ttnt tte olessed Holy One nnd tte Tornt nre
one, nnd tte Tikkunim hi.e., Tikkunei Zohar] explnins ttnt tte
pommnndments nre tte limos or tte Kins. he pommnnd-
ments nre tte innermost Supreme dill nnd His true desire, wtipt

. Kuntres Aĥaron, pt. , rol. o.

nre emoodied in nll tte upper nnd lower worlds, sivins ttem lire,
ror nll or tteir vitnlity nnd snpred enersy depends on tte perror-
mnnpe or tte pommnndments down oelow, ns is known.22
he pommnndments drnw tte listt or Ein Sof into tte ptysipnl renlm,
ror ttese prepepts nre pnrt or tte divine will ttnt nnimntes tte posmos.
hey trnnsrorm tte individunl worstiper, nnd tte world nround tim,
into vessels ttnt pnn revenl divine olessins. hey rorm n oridse oetween
tte trnnspendent nnd immnnent nspepts or God, uniryins tte olessed
Holy One (kudsha brikh hu, or tiferet) nnd shekhina (malkhut), ttus
redeemins tte exiled spnrks nnd estnolistins n tome ror God in tte
posmos. And, ns we stnll see, ttis nlso inrorms Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
despription or ettipnl prepepts nnd love ror otters ns essentinl pnrts or
pomplete divine servipe.
he mystipnl propess or perrormins tte pommnndments tns nn
experientinl pomponent, ror tte nption nllows one to srnsp some men-
sure or tte otterwise invisiole listt or Ein Sof. he pommnndments orins
tte ptysipnl oody plose to tte divine, even nllowins tte worstiper to
oepome inporpornted witt tte divine. hroust perrormins ttese pre-
pepts, we oepome emoodiments or tte divine will; ror exnmple, n tnnd
ttnt sives nlms is trnnsrormed into n “ttrone” ror God’s presenpe in tte
ptysipnl world. In n lnter seption or Tanya, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ofers
n rnspinntins distinption oetween “inspirntion” (hashraa) nnd “rewnrd”
(sekhar). he lnter is nn inlux or divine listt ns one perrorms n pom-
mnndment. But ttis rewnrd is limited, oepnuse tte repeptnple or tte
tumnn soul is limited in its noility to nosoro tte snpred enersy. Inspi-
rntion, oy pontrnst, menns ttnt one oepomes totnlly surrounded oy tte
emornpe or God’s listt. his tister mensure or divine illuminntion is
nptunlly less perpeptiole to us, oepnuse tte tumnn mind is nlso limited
in its pnpnpity to sense ttis oountirul listt.
Hnsidism ntrioutes srent importnnpe to kavana, n teisttened
stnte or ponspiousness or intention wten perrormins nll relisious pre-
pepts. One sonl or ttis nwnreness is to ntnin tte level or pommunion
(or even union) witt God pnlled devekut. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn writes:
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. n.

his stould oe one’s kavana wten oppupyins timselr witt tte

Tornt or n pertnin pommnndment: one’s divine soul ns well ns tis
viviryins hi.e., lower, nnimnl] soul, tosetter witt tteir “snrments”
hor ttoustt, speept, nnd deed], stnll plenve to Him.23
Devekut menns ponneption nnd ntnptment to God ttroust teisttened

presenpe in one’s deeds, out ror Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn it pnn even entnil
totnl nosorption into tte divine ttroust snpred study, pontemplntive
prnyer, nnd perrormins tte prepepts or tte Tornt. he nnturnl pnpnpity
for achieving devekut is present in tte tenrt or nll Jews. It derives rrom
tteir tidden love ror God, ttoust it is only nptunlized ttroust pnrerul
ponsiderntion. hus Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn repommends ttnt love nnd
nwe oe used to roster kavana:
One must pontemplnte proroundly nnd nt lenstt on ttis ttoustt

nppordins to tte pnpnpity or nppretension or tis ornin nnd
ttoustt nnd nppordins to tte time nvnilnole to tim, oerore te
oppupies timselr witt Tornt or n pommnndment, supt ns prior to
putins on tis tnllit or teillin. He stould nlso relept on tow tte
light of the Ein Sof, wtipt enpompnsses nll worlds nnd pervndes
nll worlds, wtipt is identipnl witt tte Hister dill, is plotted in
tte leters nnd wisdom or tte Tornt nnd in tte tzitzit nnd tte teil-
lin, nnd ttroust tis study or donnins ttese lnter te drnws over
timselr His olessed listt, ttnt is, over “tte portion or Godliness
rrom noove” wtipt is wittin tis oody, ttnt it mny oe nosoroed
nnd nulliied in His olessed listt….
his union is ntnined ttroust tte drnwins rortt or tte
light of the Ein Sof tere oelow oy menns or oppupntion in tte
Tornt nnd tte pommnndments wterein htte listt or Ein Sof ] is
plotted. And te stould intend to drnw ttis listt over tte rount
or tis soul nnd or tte souls or nll Isrnel, to unite ttem. his is tte
mennins or, “ror tte snke or tte union or tte olessed Holy One
nnd His Shekhina, in tte nnme or nll Isrnel.”
. Ioid., pt. , rol. o.

. Ioid., pt. , rols. n– o, o.

he worstiper must pontemplnte tte presenpe or God nll nround tim,

understnndins ttnt ttis divine listt is expressed nnd inprensed ttroust
tte deed te is noout to perrorm. his provides tte porrept pontempln-
tive ropus to nppompnny tis nption. But tere we nlso see n pommunnl
aspect of the kavana: tte souls or Isrnel nre nll interponnepted, nnd
ttererore drnwins rortt tte illuminntion or Ein Sof is n pommunnl proj-
ept. Elsewtere Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn notes ttnt tte Jewist people ns n
wtole nre united oy tteir stnred pommitment to tte pommnndments,
oepnuse issues or tte spirit – supt ns love, nwe, nnd even some elements
of kavana – nre unique to every person.
For these reasons kavana is essentinl, nnd pommnndments per-
rormed wittout intention or nwnreness nre deeply lnpkins, nlttoust even
mindless deeds nre oeter ttnn snpred nptions perrormed witt n nesntive
or selr-pentered intention. he prepepts or Tornt possess interent power
ns vetiples ror divine illuminntion even wittout teisttened kavana; the
pommnndments nre God’s will, nnd pnn ttererore nutomntipnlly inspire
tte love nnd nwe ponpenled in tte Jewist tenrt.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn is well nwnre ttnt emptnsizins tte power
or deeds even wittout kavana pould lend to meptnnipnl ooservnnpe or
tte pommnndments. hererore, te oten stresses tte pentrnlity or nvoid-
ins tnoituntion nnd rote. He demnnds ttnt tte pommnndments oe per-
rormed witt n perpetunl sense or newness, nnd tte worstiper nlwnys
seek to trnnspend tis pomrort zone nnd surpnss wtntever nptievements
tnve nlrendy oepome pommonplnpe. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn drnws n rns-
pinntins distinption oetween “worstip” or “divine servipe” (avoda) nnd
n simple “deed” (maase). Avoda requires tremendous efort nnd even
overturnins one’s own will oerore God, wterens maase is n deed ttnt
mny oe perrormed nutomntipnlly.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn devotes spepinl nttention to n rew key
pommnndments, out tte study or Tornt is tte pore or tis mystipnl
vision. He even sussests ttnt ttere is nn independent prepept or
knowing Tornt (mitzvat yediat haTorah) in nddition to tte pom-
mnnd or studyins God’s snpred writ. Ttis prioritizntion rerlepts
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s prererenpe ror tte intellept noove tte emo-
tive rnpulties or tte soul, sinpe tte npt or study nllows tte beinoni to
rise noove tte ponrse middot nnd ponnept direptly to God. But tte

pentrnlity or study is relnted to Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s understnnd-

ins or Spripture itselr:
he Zotnr tenptes ttnt tte Tornt nnd tte olessed Holy One nre
one…. he olessed Holy One ropused His dill nnd disdom
into tte six tundred nnd ttirteen pommnndments or tte Tornt,
their laws (hilkhoteihen) nnd tte pomoinntions or leters or tte
Biole, nnd tteir interpretntions (derashoteihen) in tte nssndot
nnd midrnstim or tte snses. hGod did ttis] so ttnt every pneumn,
spirit, nnd soul in tte tumnn oody pnn ntnin it nnd rulill ttem.
he Tornt pnme into existenpe oy menns or n “wittdrnwnl” or “ponstrip-

tion” (tzimtzum) or divine listt, ntenuntins tte inefnole orillinnpe or
tte primordinl divine wisdom. Ir tte Tornt tnd not tnken on tte rorm
or words, ttus oepomins nn emoodiment or tte divine ttroust tte
medium or lnnsunse, it would tnve oeen impossiole to srnsp tte ini-
nite expnnse or tte primordinl Spripture, to understnnd God’s essenpe,
or even to perrorm tte divine will. his propess led to tte senesis or
tte Tornt ns we know it, ns n dopument pomposed or stories nnd lnw.
But tte revelntion or Tornt prented n unique oridse oetween mnn nnd
God, sinpe ror Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, God pnnnot oe understood witt-
out tte Tornt.
his ponpeption or Tornt stnpes tte experienpe or snpred study,
ror Spripture is tte nexus ttroust wtipt tte mystip unites witt God:
dten n person is oppupied witt tte words or tte Tornt, tte

Supreme dill, united ns it is in perrept unity witt tte olessed
Ein Sof, is pompletely mnnirest nnd in no wny oospured in
tte divine soul nnd its innermost snrments, i.e., ttoustt nnd
speept hor tte sptolnr] – it rollows ttnt tte soul nnd its snr-
ments nre nlso nt supt n time truly united witt tte Ein Sof in
perrept unity.
. Zotnr I: n.
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rols. n–o.

Tornt study is n wny or plenvins to God nnd even n reennptment or divine

revelntion, sinpe tte divine pomes to oe known ttroust tte emoodiment
or His dill. In nnotter ptnpter, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn reinterprets tte
npt or “rendins Tornt” (koreh baTora) ns “pnllins out” (nlso koreh) to God,
likenins one wto studies God’s word to n ptild pnllins out tis oeloved
pnrent’s nnme. his nwnreness or tte intimnte suotext or snpred study
stould inspire tte sptolnr to nwe, trepidntion, nnd ultimntely to rnpture.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn prnises studyins tte inner dimensions or
Tornt, nnmely knoonlistip nnd tnsidip texts, out te reserves n spepinl
plnpe ror tte study or tnlnktn ns well. Or pourse, pnrt or tis ponpern
is prnptipnl. Knowins tte tnlnktn is essentinl oepnuse it soverns every
nspept or Jewist lire. But enpt person tns n duty to mnster nll nrens or
prnptipnl tnlnktn oepnuse tte detniled rules or tte pommnndments sov-
ern tteir noility to impnpt tte worlds; God’s prepepts pnnnot inluenpe
tte posmos ir perrormed inporreptly.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn rrequently rerers to tnlnktn ns God’s will
nnd nn expression or tte divine Mind, mnnirest in tte mnterinl world
ttroust nn intripnte weo or lesnl detnils. In n plnssip pnssnse rrom nn
enrly ptnpter in Tanya, we rend:
A pnrtipulnr tnlnktn is tte wisdom nnd will or God…ttererore, wten

n person knows nnd pompretends witt tis intellept supt n verdipt
in nppordnnpe witt tte lnw ns it is set out in tte Mistnn, Tnlmud, or
podes, te tns ttus pompretended, srnsped, nnd enpompnssed witt
tis intellept tte will nnd wisdom or tte olessed Holy One, wtom no
ttoustt pnn srnsp, nor His will nnd wisdom, expept wten ttey nre
plotted in tte lnws ttnt tnve oeen set out ror us…. his is n wondrous
union, like none otter nnd witt no pnrnllel in tte mnterinl world.
he pommnndments porrespond to tte diferent elements or tte

tumnn oody, ns well ns to tte nspepts or tte divine superstrupture
(tte “limos or tte Kins” mentioned noove). And, like n pomplex orsnnism,
. Ioid., pt. , rols. n–o. See pt. , rol. o; pt. , rol. o; nnd Iggeret HaKodesh, pt. , rol.
o. In one pnssnse, te rerers to enpt nnd every word or tnlnktn ns n spnrk or Shekhina;
see ioid., pt. , rol. n.

tte pommnndments nre pomposed or nn elnoornte network or interpon-

neptivity. his system is tte tnlnktot, lnws ttnt represent tte ever-lowins
pomplexity or tte divine renlm. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt ttese
tnlnktot nre rooted to keter, tte irst seira ttnt desisnntes nn unrormed
nnd unnrtipulnted divine renlm. he lnws or tte Ornl Lnw nnd tte system
or tnlnktn writ lnrse explnin how tte pommnndments nre to oe perrormed,
revenlins tte will or God witt n plnrity not round in tte liternl text or
tte Heorew Biole. hus tte ininite nnd ever-ptnnsins sprins or tte Ornl
Tornt prystnllizes tte lntent potentinl or tte driten Tornt.
here is no doptrine in Tanya pompnrnole to Torah Umadda (Torah
and secular knowledge). Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, like mnny rnooinip lenders in
Enstern Europe, used tte suspipious knoonlistip term “externnl wisdoms” in
rererenpe to non-Jewist dispiplines. In one pnssnse, towever, te plnims ttnt
ttese outside idens nre destruptive unless used porreptly, eitter in order
to enrn one’s livelitood, or, more impressively, ror divine servipe (avodat
Hashem), ns wns tte pnse witt Mnimonides nnd Nntmnnides. hese two
uses or non-Jewist ttoustt nre strikinsly diferent. he irst is n utilitnr-
inn nppronpt ttnt nllows one to study pertnin ields in order to pultivnte n
trnde. he sepond, towever, sussests ttnt it is possiole to internnlize tte
non-Jewist wisdom nnd use it to deepen one’s ponneption to tte divine.
Prnyer is nnotter pommnndment or srent importnnpe ror Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn. He rerers to worstip ns n time or snpred renewnl in wtipt
one orinss rortt new intelleptunl nnd spiritunl vitnlity (moĥin). More
spepiipnlly, prnyer is tte idenl opportunity ror pontemplntins tte srent-
ness or tte ininite divine. A tzaddik serves God in supt n wny ttnt te is
inporpornted into God nnd tis entire oeins is trnnsrormed into n vetiple
ror God, mnnirest ponstnntly in nll or tis deeds. For tte beinoni, towever,
expnnded ponspiousness nnd selr-trnnspendenpe nre n rnre experienpe,
pomins only nt teisttened moments or spiritunl uplit supt ns prnyer.
Or pourse, ttis exnltntion or mystipnl worstip rnises questions
noout petitionnry prnyer, wtipt nppenrs to ropus on ttis-worldly rewnrds
nnd ptysipnl needs. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn pompnres nn individunl wto
. For more on tte relntionstip oetween tnsidip spiritunlity nnd tnlnktn, see Ariel Evnn
Mnyse, “he Ever-Ctnnsins Pntt: cisions or Lesnl Diversity in Hnsidip Liternture,”
Conversations ( ): – .

engages in only petitionnry prnyer to someone pnlled oy tte kins wto

steps into tte roynl presenpe out isnores tte ruler nnd ousies timselr
witt tis pety needs. Hnsidip texts pommonly explnin ttnt petitionnry
prnyer must oe undertnken only ror tte snke or Shekhina – tte divine
spnrks exiled nmid n rrnptured world. But ttis nppronpt does not seem
to tnve oeen rnvored oy Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, wto instend repom-
mends ttnt tte worstiper use petitionnry prnyer ns nn opportunity to
underspore tis own insisniipnnpe oerore tte Divine. More suotly, nnd
less pessimistipnlly, ttis entnils n rndipnl nwnkenins to tte rnpt ttnt one’s
own existenpe is nnustt; tte tenrts nnd souls rrom wtipt we pour out
our prnyers nre in trutt illed witt tte divine.
It is wortt notins ttnt Tornt study nnd prnyer, tte two devotionnl
pillnrs or tte tnsidip relisious lire ttnt lend to devekut, nre oott linsuis-
tip prnptipes. For Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, ns ror most otter enrly tnsidip
mystips, lnnsunse is n potent divine sit, n inite nppess point ttroust
wtipt tte worstiper pomes into tte presenpe or tte ininite One; ror ttis
renson words nre to oe pteristed rntter ttnn nvoided. God is round in
tte words or study nnd prnyer, nnd tte worstiper must enter ttem witt
presenpe nnd pontemplntive ropus. But tte Tnlmud pnlls prnyer “tempo-
rnl lire” (ĥayei shaa), pontrnstins it witt tte “eternnl lire” (ĥayei olam) or
studyins Tornt. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn reinterprets tte rormer ns indi-
pntins ttnt worstip is n moment or tempornry spiritunl uplit in wtipt
Shekhina is redeemed rrom exile. Prnyer is pnrtipulnrly importnnt ror lnter
senerntions, sinpe litins up tte spnrks is even more importnnt in n time
or teisttened dnrkness. Doins so requires ponsidernole efort nnd ropus,
nnd ror ttis renson true prnyer tnkes n sisniipnnt nmount or time enpt
dny. And worstip tns tte power to nppomplist ttinss ttnt study pnnnot.
Most pommnndments pnuse nn intensiipntion or snpred enersy wittin
tte mnterinl renlm, out ttey do not ptnnse tte ptysipnl strupture or tte
world. Prnyer trnnsrorms tte vessels in wtipt tte divine listt is snroed.
hus tte worstiper pnn indeed work mirnples, supt ns orinsins rnin or
tenlins, elipited rrom God ns n divine response to our tumnn supplipntion.
Pnrt : Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna

he sepond seption or Tanya oesins witt Ĥinukh Katan, n stort expur-
sus eptoins mnny or tte ttemes in Sefer Shel Beinonim. hese inplude

tte importnnpe or pultivntins love nnd nwe, nnd tere too Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn reinrorpes ttnt God’s oenevolenpe ror mnnkind must inspire n
similnr love in us ror tte divine. his desire pnn indeed oe pommnnded,
te snys, oepnuse love is tte emotionnl nnd intelleptunl result or pontem-
plntins tte divine unity. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn sussests ttnt tte idenl
time ror meditntins on ttis trutt is wtile tte worstiper repites tte irst
two sentences of the Shema (Deut. : nnd tte ndditionnl barukh shem
kevod malkhuto leolam va’ed); ttese nre respeptively pnlled tte “upper”
nnd “lower” uniipntions (yiĥuda ilaa nnd yiĥuda tataa) oy tte Zotnr.
he suosequent ptnpters outline n soptistipnted despription or tte
relntionstip oetween tte ininite God nnd tte ptenomennl world. It is one
or tte ooldest nrtipulntions in enrly tnsidip liternture or n tteolosy ttnt mny
oe pnlled mystipnl pnnentteism, nlso desprioed oy sptolnrs ns nposmism.
Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna is intripnte nnd nt times diipult, out tte tenrt
or tte messnse is oott simple nnd resoundinsly plenr: ttere is nottins in
tte posmos out God. All existenpe is Divinity. Suppinptly pnptured in tte
words pommonly invoked in Ctnond, altz iz Got – everyttins is God.
he world would return to its pre-Crention stnte or unity nnd tenpe totnl
nottinsness wittout tte ponstnnt inlux or God’s enersy. his snpred vitnl-
ity is immnnently present wittin tte posmos in order nnimnte it.
Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna is nnptored in nn interpretntion
or tte verse “Know ttis dny nnd tnke into your tenrt ttnt y- -v- is
God, in tte tenvens noove nnd upon tte enrtt oelow; ttere is no otter”
(Deut. : ). Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tnkes ttis to menn ttnt God liter-
nlly ills tte worlds witt divine enersy, n rnpt ttnt must oe pontemplnted
lons nnd tnrd in order to oe tnken to tenrt. He rends “ttere is no otter”
quite liternlly ns “ttere is nottins otter ttnn Him,” sussestins ttnt our
perpeption or n diferentinted posmos, ns well ns our own individunl
existenpe, is ultimntely nn illusion.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ooldly plnims ttnt God is tte sourpe or
nll oeins, nnd ttnt everyttins in tte universe is n mnnirestntion or tte
divine. But wty do we not see tte posmos ns supt? How pnn some
ttinss seem to oe disponnepted rrom God? And wty do we enpounter
multiplipity? he nnswer, plnims Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, is tzimtzum, n
ponpept tnken rrom tte Lurinnip prention mytt ttnt mny oe trnnslnted
ns oott “wittdrnwnl” nnd “ropusins.” In prentins tte worlds ns mnterinl

renlity rrom nosolute nottins (yesh me’ayin), it wns nepessnry ror Ein
Sof to ntenunte tte ininite divine listt in order to mnke it perpeivnole
nnd to nllow spnpe ror tte posmos to pome into oeins. Tzimtzum hap-
pened in prosressive stnses, nnd nlttoust God surrounds tte uni-
verse equnlly, tte “tister” (more nostrnpt) worlds revenl more divinity
ttnn tte “lower” (more porporenl) worlds.31 he purpose or tzimtzum,
nnd Crention, wns to nllow ror n dira bataĥtonim – n dwellins plnpe ror
God’s presenpe in tte lower, ptysipnl renlm. his ultimnte sonl pnn only
oe nppomplisted ttroust tte deeds or mnnkind. Born into tte world,
we nre n snpred spnrk or divinity ttnt tns oepome inpnrnnte wittin tte
tumnn rorm, in order to uplit tte ptysipnl nnd sepnrnte tte nesntive
rrom tte sood, drnwins new vitnlity nnd divine listt into tte worlds
ttroust perrormins tte pommnndments.
In ttis pontext Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn sussests n strikins rendins
or tte verse “For n sun nnd n stield is y- -v- God” (Ps. : ). y- -v- ,
tte nspept or God ttnt nnimntes tte posmos nnd perpetunlly orinss it
into oeins (mehaveh), is too expnnsive to oe wittstood oy tumnn minds.
hererore God kindly restrnined our vision or ttis divine nnimntins rorpe.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn notes ttnt “God” (Elokim) nnd “nnture” (hateva)
tnve tte snme numeripnl vnlue ( ), sussestins ttnt tte nnturnl world
represents tte nspept or God ttnt stields us rrom nn overnoundnnpe or
divine listt. de nre protepted rrom tte imperpeptivity or tte srent divine
oy tte multiplipity or tte mnterinl world. Just ns n person’s true essenpe
mny only oe srnsped wten projepted ttroust tis ttoustts, words, nnd
deeds, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nrsues ttnt tte inner divine nnture or tte
. As in plnssipnl Knoonln, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn desprioes rour diferent worlds, tte
irst or wtipt, atzilut (emnnntion), is united witt God totnlly nnd impondernoly.
he rollowins ttree worlds or beria (prention), yetzira (rormntion), nnd asiya (deed,
tte world or tumnnity) nre rurtter srndntions or tzimtzum. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
speptrum or tte rour worlds is pomplipnted oy nnotter tetrnd emoedded in enpt or
ttose worlds: tte rour levels or existenpe – domem (tte innnimnte), tzemaĥ (vegeta-
tion), ĥai (nnimnl lire), medaber (tumnnity, tte spenkins oeins). Enpt or ttese sets
or rour rerers to desrees or revelntion or God in nddition to plnnes or existenpe. See
Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. o; nnd ioid., pt. , rol. o.
. Ioid., pt. , rol. o. de mny snrely use quotntion mnrks ror ttese terms, oepnuse tte
vertipnl lnnsunse or upper or lower, interited rrom medievnl Knoonln, is ror Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn n metnptor ttnt stould not oe rend liternlly; see ioid., pt. , rol. o.

worlds pnn only oe sensed ttroust tte medintins rorpe or tte seirot nnd
tte posmos. dittout tzimtzum everyttins in tte posmos would oepome
null, nn overwtelmins retrent into divine Nottins ns tte projept or Cre-
ntion melts onpk into God’s unity.
Divine immnnenpe vin tte proteptive ilter or tzimtzum nptunlly
nllows ror n spepinl type or unitive experienpe. he worstiper pnn retnin
n sense or individunl identity, out nt tte snme time told nn nwnreness
ttnt tte worlds nre inrused witt God:
he rnoois, or olessed memory, tnve snid ttnt one stould never

sepnrnte timselr rrom tte pommunity (klal).32 hererore te
stould intend to unite nnd ntnpt to Him, olessed oe He, tte
rount or tis divine soul nnd tte rount or tte souls or nll Isrnel…
pnlled oy tte nnme Shekhina, oepnuse it dwells nnd plottes itselr
in nll worlds, nnimntins ttem nnd sivins ttem existenpe, nnd is
ttnt wtipt imoues tim witt tte power or speept to uter tte
words or Tornt, or witt tte power or nption to perrorm tte pnr-
tipulnr pommnndment.33
Here Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn interprets tte word klal not only ns tte spiri-
tunl pommunity surroundins tte worstiper, out ns tte entire network
or mnterinl existenpe ttnt is to oe uplited. he sonl is not to rorsnke tte
ptysipnl or even to trnnspend it, oepnuse tte porporenl renlm itselr is tte
unique opportunity ror mystipnl experienpe.
It is importnnt to note ttnt tzimtzum wns nn npt or God’s love.
he divine listt wns ntenunted not in order to vindiptively ponpenl
God rrom mnnkind, out in order to stow love ror tumnnity oy mnkins
room ror ttem in tte posmos. Moreover, tzimtzum imoued mnnkind
witt nsenpy, ttereoy ennoolins nnd empowerins us:
“As wnter mirrors tte releption or n rnpe” (Prov. : ): tte olessed

Holy One tns, ns it were, set nside His srent ininite listt nnd
stored it nwny…. his is oepnuse or His love ror lowly mnn, in
. Bernktot o.
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. o.

order to rnise tim up to God, ror “love moves nside tte lest”
hi.e., God moved nside tte listt or tte divine out or love ror mnn].
It is ininitely more itins ttnt n mnn stould relinquist nnd set
nside nll te possess, oott spiritunlly nnd ptysipnlly, nnd renounpe
everyttins in order to plenve to Him, mny He oe olessed, witt
ntnptment, desire, nnd lonsins.
God’s love ror mnnkind is nnotter or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s interpre-

tations of ahavat olam, wtipt mny oe trnnslnted ns “worldly love.” He
plnims ttnt, “God took on n snro or initude, wtipt is pnlled olam hi.e.,
tte world], ror tte snke or tte love or His people Isrnel, in order to orins
ttem nenr to Him, ttnt ttey mistt oe nosoroed into His olessed bnity
or oneness.” he ptrnse “love moves nside tte lest” ttus works in
oott direptions – God wittdrew tte ininite listt or Ein Sof in order to
mnke room ror tte posmos, nnd mnnkind is invited to return tte rnvor
oy turnins nside rrom tte vnnities or tte world nnd delvins into tte
unity or tte posmos.
his is tte mennins or tte ptrnse “y- -v- is God” (hu HaElokim)
rrom our orisinnl verse. hese two nspepts or tte divine nre truly one
nnd tte snme. y- -v- represents Beins ns tte orisin or nll existenpe, nnd
Elokim nlludes to tte restripted expression or God ttroust tte ptysipnl
world. Atunement to ttis ultimnte unity ttus orinss one to tte knowl-
edse ttnt “in tte tenvens noove nnd in tte enrtt oelow, ttere is nottins
else.” In otter words, tte posmos tns no existenpe or its own, ror nll is
divinity. From our perspeptive we mny see multiplipity nnd vnriety, nnd
ttus tte verse must remind us, “Know nnd tnke into your tenrt” – oe
ever mindrul God’s true unity.
In Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn sives
severnl metnptors to illustrnte tte relntionstip oetween God nnd tte
posmos. One is tte wny in wtipt tte soul ills tte oody nnd pontinuously
. Bnvn Metzin n. he render wto looks ttis sourpe up will oe surprised oy Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn’s reinterpretntion or tte tnlmudip ndnse.
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. o. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s interpretntion or tte
litursy nnptors ttis meditntion on divine love in tte devotionnl prnptipe or repitins
the Shema.

sustnins it. But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ndmits ttnt ttis is nn imprepise
nnnlosy, sinpe tte oody nnd tte soul nre two sepnrnte – ir intertwined –
entities. heir pnrtinl unity pnn only nllude to God’s immnnent pres-
enpe in tte world. Anotter rrequent metnptor is n rny or listt ns it is
suosumed into tte sun, wtere tte individunted sunoenm is totnlly nul-
liied oy tte intensity or its sourpe. By extension, our perpeption or tte
mnterinl renlm is true only rrom our perspeptive, sinpe nottins truly
exists rrom God’s point or view. de remnin rully inporpornted wittin
our divine sourpe, nnd, like tte rny or sun, our existenpe melts into tte
ininite listt or tte divine.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s most sustnined metnptor ror God’s
unity wittin tte world is onsed on tte iden ttnt Crention took plnpe oy
menns or lnnsunse. In tte openins lines or Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna
te quotes n trndition rrom tte Bnnl Stem Tov ouilt upon n mytt or pre-
ntion ttroust tte Heorew lnnsunse ttnt stretptes onpk into nntiquity.
he Bnnl Stem Tov interpreted tte oiolipnl story or God rormins tte
world ttroust ten divine “uternnpes” ns mennins ttnt tte leters or ttis
speept remnin wittin tte ptysipnl world ns its nnimntins rorpe. Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn develops ttis tteme nt lenstt, desprioins tte unroldins
or tte diferent nspepts or tte divine nnd God’s pontinuous presenpe in
tte ptysipnl world ns elements or divine speept. he ininite expnnse or
Ein Sof underwent n pontrnption (tzimtzum) into divine ttoustt, nnd
tten into tte ponprete struptures or emoodied lnnsunse nnd eventu-
nlly tte very leters undersirdins tte mnterinlity or existenpe. his is nn
essentinlly linsuistip ns well ns n metnptysipnl nrsument, ror tte Heorew
leters or enpt oojept’s nnme nre its true essenpe.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ndds more nunnpe to tis despription or
tte role or lnnsunse in tte revelntion or tte divine. He plnims ttnt tte
notion or words nnd leters is itselr n metnptoripnl – or symoolip – wny
or rererrins to God. hus tte primordinl uternnpes or Crention nre
pnlled “speept” rrom our perspeptive, n itins metnptor ror us sinpe we
nre, nter nll, rundnmentnlly prentures or lnnsunse. de must invest our
ttoustts into lnnsunse in order to ponvey ttem to nnotter person, nnd
ttererore tte low or divine enersy is pnlled n speept npt pomposed or
leters. hus tte leters or n Heorew word mny oe desprioed ns tte sourpe
or tte vitnlity or tteir rererent not oepnuse ttey exist ns miprospopip

entities wittin it, out oepnuse ttey nre n wny or rererrins to tte unique
pomoinntion – or permutntion – or pnttwnys ttroust wtipt tte ener-
sies nre drnwn in ttis pnse.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn squnrely nsserts ttnt God’s prention or
oeins out or tte ininite divine Nnustt (yesh me’ayin) pnnnot oe under-
stood oy tte tumnn mind, nor pnn tte resultins divine unity oe expressed
or even pompretended. here is n limit to wtnt one pnn know witt per-
tninty, nnd ttis mny only oe witnessed ttroust n type or rnitt ttnt trnn-
spends intelleptunl nppretension. His renders nre pnlled upon to oelieve
in tte unity or God, tte posmos, nnd nll or tte seirot with total faith.
Inpludins Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna ns tte sepond pnrt or
Tanya menns ttnt tte quest to ntnin tte nwnreness or God’s unity is
not restripted to tte tzaddik. Most of Tanya is explipitly direpted to
beinonim, nnd we stould underspore ttnt tte printed introduption to
Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna identiies tte Shema ns tte ultimnte unii-
pntion witt God. hnt menns ttnt ttis entire seption or Tanya srounds
tte senrpt ror divine unity in n twipe-dnily prnptipe upteld oy everyone
in Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s pommunity.
Pnrt : Iggeret HaTeshuva

he ttird seption or Tanya, entitled Iggeret HaTeshuva, wns irst puo-
listed in nnd revised in . he primnry suojept or ttese leters
is, unsurprisinsly, tte vnrious nspepts or repentnnpe (teshuva). his plns-
sipnl tteme is round in mnny medievnl works, oott ptilosoptipnl nnd
knoonlistip, nnd repentnnpe ritunls sufused witt nn ettos or mystipnl
piety (tikkunei teshuva) were populnr in Enstern Europenn mornlistip
liternture. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn understnnds repentnnpe ns rnr more
ttnn n mornl or ettipnl imperntive, ttoust it is pertninly ttese ns well.
It is rntter n propess or personnl nppountins, trnnsrormntion, nnd nption
witt posmolosipnl – nnd tteursip – implipntions ns well.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tistlistts trnnssression ns n dnmnsins
rorpe ttnt pnuses rrnpture wittin tte Godtend. he soul is nn emoodi-
ment or God, nnd ttererore our perrormnnpe or tte pommnndments is
prupinl oepnuse ttese snpred deeds drnw more divine illuminntion into
tte ptysipnl renlm. dten n person sins ttis potentinl enersy is pnst into
exile nnd lows into tte Otter Side, reedins tte rorpes ttnt oospure God’s

presenpe in tte mnterinl world. And, on n personnl level, sin pnuses n

derept or tte soul. ditt ttis in mind, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn interprets
tte word teshuva oy splitins it into two: teshuv heh (restoring the heh).
his menns ttnt repentnnpe is returnins tte leter heh, n symool ror tte
exiled Shekhina nnd tte element or God wittin mnn’s soul, to its ristt-
rul plnpe in tte nnme y- -v- .
Teshuva oesins witt internnl trnnsrormntion. he penitent must
pnrerully relept upon tis deeds, lendins to n sense or totnl pontrition
nnd n positive type or orokentenrtedness ttnt pnn overpome tte nesn-
tive inrrnption. But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn underspores ttnt ttis initinl
inner work must oe rollowed oy ponprete nption; ttoustt nlone pnnnot
efept renl ptnnse in one’s selr nnd in tte world nround tim. his wns
tte runption or tte snpriipes in tte times or tte Temple, out now rnstins
must rulill ttis snme role. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, ns noted noove, looks
rnvornoly on rnstins nnd nspetipism. He ndmits ttnt n resimen or inten-
sive rnstins is only ror tte very rooust, out n spiritunlly nppomplisted
individunl (baal nefesh) stould rnst. hose wto pnnnot wittstnnd supt
extreme nspetipism must sive nlms in srent noundnnpe. True repentnnpe
stnrts in tte tenrt, out it remnins nostrnpt nnd inefeptunl until tte peni-
tent ponstrupts n vessel – n ptysipnl deed – into wtipt to drnw tte enersy.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn outlines two onsip models, or stnses, or
teshuva. he irst level (teshuva tataa) is simply to rerrnin rrom sin. But tte
tister rorm or teshuva (teshuva ilaa) inpludes positive nptions express-
ins love ror tte divine, wtipt is tten repipropnted oy nn nrousnl or love
rrom God. He desprioes it ttus:
Ater tte plennsins spirit pnsses over nnd puriies ttem hi.e., ttose
wto tnve sinned], tten tteir souls nre ennoled to return unto
God Himselr, liternlly, to nspend tte srentest teistts, to tteir
very sourpe, nnd plenve to Him witt n remnrknole unity. his is
tte orisinnl unity, tte ultimnte in union, ttnt existed oerore tte
soul wns olown oy tte orentt or His moutt to despend nnd oe
inporpornted witt tte oody or mnn.… his is tte perrept return
(teshuva).
. Iggeret HaTeshuva, pt. , rols. n–o.

he tister rorm or teshuva restores tte unity or tte soul to God, return-
ins tte element or tte divine imoued wittin mnn to oeins in tnrmony
witt God. Indeed, ns ttis pnssnse soes on te pites n trndition ttnt n
penitent tns some ndvnntnse over tte perrept tzaddik, ror tis servipe is
illed witt n mnnirold lonsins ror God, expressed in tis desire to restore
tis intimnpy witt tte divine.
In Iggeret HaTeshuva Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn onpe nsnin desprioes n
vision or pnrerul onlnnpe oetween rosterins tte inner world nnd emptn-
sizins tte power or ptysipnl deeds. he importnnpe or tte pommnnd-
ments is tistlistted ttroustout ttese ptnpters. One wto sins nnd
repents is pertninly rorsiven, out ttis pnnnot ernse tte missed oppor-
tunity ror orinsins divine listt into tte worlds nnd into tis soul. his
underspores ttnt deeds, ns well ns innption, tnve lnstins ponsequenpes
oeyond tte simple pntesories or “trnnssression” or “ntonement.” Indeed,
tte innl ptnpter or ttis seption or Tanya ponpludes oy undersporins tte
pommnndments’ trnnsrormntive power. Here we ind Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn’s interpretntion or tte olessins, “tte One wto tns snnptiied us
witt His pommnndments” (asher kiddeshanu bemitzvotav). de perrorm
snpred deeds, snys Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, nnd God snnptiies us witt nn
extrn mensure or toliness rrom “noove.” his is “tte rewnrd or n pom-
mnndment is n pommnndment” – tte low or vitnl divine enersy into tte
soul or tte worstiper nnd tte world itselr is tte srentest possiole rewnrd.
Pnrt : Iggeret HaKodesh

he rourtt seption or Tnnyn is nlso pomposed or leters writen oy Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn over mnny yenrs. Some nre nddressed to pommunities or
pnrtipulnr individunls, nnd were inpluded oepnuse ttey relnte to mnters
or spiritunl importnnpe. he leters rrequently rerer to nnd expnnd upon
other parts of Tanya. Some nre experpted rrom lonser epistles, nnd most
nppenr wittout dntes or tteir nddressees, wtipt pompels tte render to
ropus on tteir tteolosipnl pontent rntter ttnn tteir tistoripnl pontext.
In ttese leters Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn repentedly returns to tte
rnmilinr tteme or mystipnl prnyer, out tere we ind tim sivins spepiip
instruptions noout tow to perrorm tte servipes. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
pommnnds tis rollowers to prevent individunls wto must rust of to
work rrom lendins servipes, nlttoust nnyone is nllowed to lend tte

prnyers on tte Snoontt nnd Holidnys. He openly inrorms tis renders

ttnt te will send spies (meragelim) in order to see ir ttey nre pondupt-
ins tte servipes in line witt tis demnnds. hose wto do not ponrorm,
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wnrns, will oe punisted oy oeins distnnped rrom
tis pommunity. Ooviously so mupt time is needed ror prnyer oepnuse
or tte srent intensity, oott emotionnl nnd intelleptunl, demnnded oy
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s pntt.
he sinsle most importnnt tteme ttroustout ttis seption is
tte importnnpe or tzedaka (nlms). Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tns prnptipnl
motivntions ror emptnsizins ttis pommnndment, ror te did not wnnt
tis rollowers to oe invested in tte mnterinl. Givins tzedaka telps orenk
ntnptment to tte ptysipnl world, pomontins tte prnven nnturnl instinpt
to tonrd money. And or pourse, mnny or ttese leters were orisinnlly
used to elipit runds ror tte tnsidip pommunities or tte Holy Lnnd.
But distrioutins tzedaka is nlso n spiritunl prnptipe witt posmip
implipntions. Helpins tte poor redeems tte rnllen divine spnrks ttnt
tnve oepome trnpped nnd liternlly impoveristed in tte mnterinl world.
In one pnrtipulnrly movins rormulntion, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn reminds
tis renders ttnt tte nppenrnnpe or God nnd tte experienpe or tte divine
in our own lives is nn npt or divine srnpe nnd metnptoripnl tzedaka.
hose wto wist ror n vision or tte divine must ttererore sive nlms, nn
act of imitatio Dei ttnt relepts God’s lovins ponpern ror mnn.
Giving tzedaka is n tteolosipnl deplnrntion, plnims Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn, ror stnrins witt otters is tte nepessnry mornl outpome or oelier
in God nnd pontemplntion or His unity. Repitins tte Shema nnd ttus
pommunins witt tte divine must oe rulilled ttroust tte spiritunl-ettipnl
mnndnte inpluded tterein: “And you will love y- -v- your God…witt
nll your ptysipnl wenltt” (Deut. : ) – plenve to God oy nidins someone
in need. his outpourins or tumnn love tten nrouses God to express nn
extrn mensure or His love ror mnn. his is n point te repents witt srent
rrequenpy nnd vetemenpe: our pompnssion in ttis world inspires God’s
love nnd oenevolenpe. his is tte “rewnrd” ror nny pommnndment –
nn eluenpe or oounty ttnt mnnirests in diferent wnys, inpludins tte
mnterinl renlm.
. Iggeret HaKodesh, pt. , rol. o.

he npt or sivins nlms trnnsrorms tte mystip in n proround wny.

It orinss noout lire, snys Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, not in tte sense or liter-
nlly prolonsins one’s dnys or nvertins n nesntive depree, out oy elipitins
rortt n low or new vitnlity rrom tte Sourpe or nll lire. de rend:
his is tte mennins or “justipe (tzedek) wnlks oerore Him”

(Ps. : ). “Berore tim” (lefanav) is relnted to tte word ror
“inwnrdness” (penimiyut), nnd “wnlks” (yehalekh) tns n ponnotn-
tion or “orinsins rortt” (holakha). For it hi.e., tzedek/tzedaka]
lends tte innermost helement] or tte tenrt to God, nnd tten, “it
sets tis steps townrd tte wny or y- -v- ,” ns it is writen, “And you
stnll wnlk in His wnys” (Deut. : )…witt every perrormnnpe or
tte pommnndments, nnd tte study or Tornt wtipt is equivnlent
to ttem nll. For ttey nll nspend unto God ttroust tte inwnrdness
or tte tenrt witt srenter uplit, nnd expeedinsly surpnssins tteir
nspent unto God ttroust tte externnlity or tte tenrt, wtipt is
oorn or pontemplntion nnd knowledse nlone, wittout nn illumi-
nntion or tte rnpe rrom noove, out in n stnte or “ponpenlment or
tte rnpe.” God’s rnpe (panim) only rndintes downwnrds ttroust
nn nrousnl rrom oelow, ttroust tte npt or ptnrity.
Giving tzedaka tistlistts nnd pultivntes tte innermost nnture or tte Jew-
ist soul, nurturins tte innnte love ror God – nnd mnn – tidden wittin.
It nlso direpts one to wnlk n divine pntt, imitntins tte divine ttroust
the concrete act of sharing with others.
In Iggeret HaKodesh Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn nlso emptnsizes tte
tteolosipnl nnd sopinl importnnpe or tumility, lopntins tis dispussion
or ttis suojept in ttese leters prepisely oepnuse it is prupinl ror estnolist-
ins pommunity. Enpt person stould oepome inprensinsly tumole ns te
oepomes more nwnre or tte ever-present sodly pompnssion. he ploser
one sets to tte divine, tte more tis pnrtipulnr existenpe rndes nwny in
relntion to tte ininite expnnse or God. Enpt seeker must nlso see tis
own identity ns nesnted oerore tis pommunity, not rnisins timselr noove
tte oesinners or deprepintins timselr oelow more ndvnnped people.
. Ioid., pt. , rols. n–o.

Humility is ttus prupinl to rorsins tte oonds wittin tte memoers’ pom-
munity so ttnt it pnn serve God tosetter ns n sinsle orsnnip oody. And,
in tte inverse, pride nnd tte plnim or explusive selr-identity is n rorm or
idolntry, sinpe tte exerpise or ttese trnits sussests ttnt ttere is some-
ttins in tte posmos otter ttnn God. he Jewist people stnre n united
orisin in tte divine, nnd one wto looks nt tte diferent ptysipnl rorms
or identities pnnnot ntnin n true love ror otters srounded in tte nwnre-
ness or ttis endurins unity.
A rew or tte leters in Iggeret HaKodesh nre nddressed to spepiip
individunls or rerer to pnrtipulnr pirpumstnnpes. In one supt leter, writ-
ten nter tte dentt in or Rnooi Mennptem Mendel or citeosk, Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn explnins wty tzaddikim pnn still impnpt tteir pommuni-
ties nter tteir dentt. he presenpe or ttese srent individunls remnins
n pnrt or nll ttose wto were ponnepted to ttem, oepnuse tte lives or
tzaddikim nre puriied nnd spiritunlized ttroust tteir totnl devotion to
God. In rnpt, supt people nre no lonser ponstripted oy tte ptysipnl world
nter dentt, nnd ttererore tteir noility to sive enersy nnd inspirntion to
tteir students is unoounded.
Anotter or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s key leters explores tte
limits or rree ptoipe. he existenpe or rree will is rundnmentnl to tte
entire notion of the beinoni. One pnnnot ptoose to oe n tzaddik, out
tte world (nnd tte selr ) nre rull or n spiritunl dnrkness ttnt must oe
trnnsrormed ttroust tte positive nptions or tte beinoni as well as
those of the tzaddik. However, in ttis leter Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
sussests n sweepins deinition or divine providenpe in wtipt nottins
interently nesntive pomes rrom God, sinpe tte snme snpred enersy
is inpluded in nll ttinss nnd events. Everyttins must tnppen ror n
renson, even ir it is not externnlly visiole, nnd ttererore we must tnve
rnitt ttnt Hnsidism’s tteolosipnl rulprum, “ttere is no plnpe devoid
or God,” npplies equnlly to snd nnd even trnsip moments. One must
never oepome depressed or nnsry, out rntter tnve srntitude ror tis
existenpe nnd tte divine orentt ttnt pourses ttroust tim. de nre
. Ioid., pt. , rols. o– o. Similnr ttemes nppenr in n leter nddressed to

Rnooi Levi Yitzptnk or Berdiptev nter tte dentt or tte lnter’s son; see ioid.,
pt. , rol. o.

pnlled to see tte world witt totnl equnnimity, mnkins no intrinsip

distinption oetween sood nnd ond. Our rnitt in ttis trutt nptunlly
trnnsrorms tte nesntive into positive oy revenlins tte divinity teld
wittin nll events or oojepts. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plnims ttnt mnny
ttinkers deny nosolute providenpe nnd tte possioility or mirnples
oepnuse ttey erroneously nssume ttnt God is sepnrnte rrom tte world
in tte wny ttnt n tumnn prntsmnn is distinsuisted rrom tis works.
Bepnuse God’s lnnsunse nnd divine enersy remnin rorever wittin tte
prented world, nrsues Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, mirnples nre possiole
nnd providenpe is nssured.
Tanya wns nn immensely populnr oook, nnd it wns rrequently reprinted

in tte depndes nter its initinl puolipntion. For oovious rensons it quipkly
oepnme n pentrnl relisious text ror Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s rollowers,
out Tanya nlso tnd n sisniipnnt impnpt on tte development or tnsidip
ttoustt ttroustout dtite Russin nnd Polnnd. he inluenpe or Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn extended to tnsidip pirples oeyond tte Ctnond pom-
munity oott seosrnptipnlly nnd ponpeptunlly, n ptenomenon ttnt pon-
tinues to tte present dny.
dtnt nppounts ror tte populnrity or Tanya? It is not n simple
oook, nnd it nssumes eitter n irm onse in Knoonln or n sood tenpter
(or pertnps oott). Its populnrity mny pome rrom tte ponpeptunl plnr-
ity, its vision nnd renrlessness, nnd tte systemntip mnnner in wtipt tte
nuttor lnys out tis nrsuments nnd despription or tte spirit, nll or wtipt
set Tanya npnrt rrom otter tnsidip oooks or tte s nnd s. Tanya
is n powerrul oook ttnt presents tte nuttor’s tteolosy witt nosolute pon-
idenpe to sptolnrs nnd seekers nlike, ror it inpludes lenstty dispussions
or tte importnnpe or Tornt study ns well ns intelleptunl nnd emotive
meditntion. It is n deeply empowerins work, ror it trnnslntes tte termi-
nolosy or Lurinnip Knoonln into n tolistip psyptolosipnl nnd spiritunl
system in wtipt nll deeds – nnd every moment – nre opportunities ror
servins God. But Tanya’s populnrity mny nlso tnve oeen oolstered oy
n temptins element or Jewist triumptnlism, mnnirest ns nn optimistip
view or tte lntent potentinl or nll Jews nnd underspored oy tte spiritunl
lack of all other peoples.

Not every ptnpter in tte repeption or Tanya tns oeen sunny,

nnd nspepts or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s work were pontroversinl rrom
tte moment it wns printed. One or its enrly pritips wns Rnooi Aorn-
tnm or Knlisk (d. ), n rellow student or tte Mnssid, wto moved to
tte Lnnd or Isrnel tosetter witt Rnooi Mennptem Mendel or citeosk.
Rnooi Aorntnm tnd onpe oeen n denr rriend or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn,
out tteir relntionstip eroded into n series or pontroversies in tte s
nnd tte irst depndes or tte nineteentt pentury. One issue oetween
ttem involved tte runds rnised ror tte tnsidip pommunity in tte Holy
Lnnd, n tnsk witt wtipt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn tnd oeen ptnrsed. But
pnrt or tteir disnsreement is srounded in Rnooi Aorntnm’s disnpprovnl
or Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s style or lenderstip in setins up supt n lnrse,
resimented pourt, wtipt te snw ns n depnrture rrom tte model set oy
tteir tenpters. Rnooi Aorntnm wns nlso displensed witt tte extent to
wtipt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn inporpornted Lurinnip Knoonln into Tanya,
nnd te relt ttnt tte privilesins or intelleptunl meditntion rntter ttnn
pontemplntive rnitt nnd trnnsrormins tte emotive middot wns similnrly
rnr nield rrom tte pntt or tte enrlier tnsidip mnsters.
Rnooi Aorntnm wns not nepessnrily wrons in voipins tis
dispontent witt Tanya oepnuse or its dispontinuity witt otter tnsidip
thinkers. Tanya is proroundly diferent rrom mnny otter tnsidip oooks,
even ttose oy rellow students or tte Mnssid, nnd Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
developed tis tenpter’s tteolosy in pomplipnted nnd unique wnys. Not
only does Tanya stnnd npnrt rrom otter tnsidip works in terms or its
distinptive strupture nnd relntive prolixity, it is nlso distinsuisted rrom
its pounterpnrts in tteolosipnl nnd devotionnl nrens supt ns tte drnpo-
ninn vision or sin; tte immutnole, ixed, nnd nnturnl identity or tte tzad-
dik; tte ponpentrntion on tte intelleptunl rnpulties noove nnd oeyond
tte otter elements or tte soul; n tendenpy townrd outwnrd nspetipism
nnd deninl or ttis-worldly ttinss; nnd tte nosolute pentrnlity or study –
espepinlly or lesnl suojepts.
de noted noove ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns nptively involved
in tte deontes nnd polemips witt tte mitnagdim. Mnny or ttese disnsree-
ments were sopiolosipnl in nnture, out tteir pontroversy teld tteolosipnl
nspepts ns well. It is ttus quite interestins ttnt Tanya mny tnve tnd nn
impnpt on tte writinss or Rnooi Ctnim or coloztin ( – ), one

or tte srent Littunninn ttinkers nnd student or tte Gnon or cilnn. he

similnrities oetween tte despriptions or tzimtzum in tte works or Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn nnd Rnooi Ctnim nre strikins, nnd it tns oeen sussested
ttnt tte lnter’s Nefesh HaĤayim is n response to tnsidip tteolosy, nnd
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s ttoustt in pnrtipulnr, out ttis is n mnter or pon-
sidernole deonte. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn timselr sussests ttnt tte porrept
interpretation of tzimtzum stnnds oetween tte Hnsidim nnd mitnagdim:
In tte listt or wtnt tns oeen snid noove it is possiole to under-

stnnd tte error or some, sptolnrs in tteir own eyes, mny God
rorsive ttem, wto erred nnd misinterpreted in tteir study or
tte writinss or tte Ari, or olessed memory, nnd understood
tte doptrine or tzimtzum, wtipt is mentioned tterein, liternlly
(kifeshuto) – ttnt tte olessed Holy One removed Himselr nnd
His essenpe, God roroid, rrom ttis world, nnd only suides rrom
noove, witt individunl providenpe.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn ntnpks tte “sptolnrs,” plenrly n rererenpe to tte

mitnagdim, on tte onsis or pnnonipnl texts plnimins ttnt God’s immnnent
presenpe in tte worlds is unptnnsins, n point ttnt is n pornerstone or tis
tteolosy. But te nlso ntnpks tteir position on rntionnl srounds, nrsuins
ttnt to desprioe tte divine ns removed rrom tte world pnrndoxipnlly ntri-
outes n porporenl trnit to God, nnmely ttnt God pnn oepome divested
rrom tte world nnd ttus oppupies somettins nkin to n tempornl renlm.
he pentrnlity or Tanya in tte Ctnond pommunity is unptnllensed. his

oook inpludes tte roundntions ror so mnny or tte idens nt tte tenrt or
modern Ctnond lire, supt ns love ror otter Jews, outrenpt, enpournsins
non-relisious people to perrorm pommnndments, nnd n suotle – out
. See Normnn Lnmm, Torah Lishmah: Torah for Torah’s Sake in the Works of Rabbi
Hayyim of Volozhin and His Contemporaries (New York, ), esp. – , ; Tnmnr
Ross, “Rnv Ctnim or coloztin nnd Rnv Stneur Znlmnn or Lindy: Two Interpretn-
tions of the Doctrine of Tzimtzum” hHeorew], Jerusalem Studies in Jewish hought
( ), – .
. Shaar HaYiĥud VeHaEmuna, pt. , rols. n–o.

powerrul – messinnip vision. Ctnond Hnsidim view Tanya ns n snpred

oook, nnd tte tuse numoer or editions printed npross tte world oenr
witness to its importnnpe ns n ritunl oojept ns well ns n pentrnl tteo-
losipnl text. Ctnond tns pondupted one or tte most suppessrul out-
renpt pnmpnisns in Jewist tistory, nnd mupt or ttis tns oeen rueled
oy tte spiritunl vision or Tanya. Eventunlly, ttis oook wns divided into
n resimen or dnily study to oe pompleted over tte pourse or tte yenr,
oesinnins nnd endins on tte nineteentt or Kislev, tte nnniversnry or
tte Mnssid’s dentt nnd tte dny on wtipt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns
relensed rrom prison.
Some pontempornry Jewist ttinkers tnve oeen impressed oy
Tanya’s plnrity nnd ponviption. here nre, towever, nt lenst ttree
elements or Tanya ttnt nre pnrtipulnrly pomplipnted nnd even proo-
lemntip ror modern renders. hese issues must oe rrnnkly nddressed
ir we nre to ind Tanya’s relevnnt voipe ror tte twenty-irst-pentury
Jewist world.
he irst oostnple is tte presenpe or wtnt nppenrs to oe n dnted
spientiip nnd weistty medievnl metnptysipnl system. he tumors,
tte rour elements, nn nnttropopentrip universe, nnd espepinlly tte
vnstly pomplipnted Lurinnip posmosony nre nll intesrnl pnrts or tte
worldview. hese pnn oe ponrusins nnd even jnrrins to tte modern
render, nnd it is quite proolemntip to interpret ttem ns spientiip rnpts,
ttoust ttere is no renson to nssume ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn would
demnnd ttis or us.
he sepond issue is Tanya’s unwnverins pro-Jewist nnd equnlly
strons nnti-sentile sentiments, wtipt drit very plose to xenoptooin nnd
pertnps even outristt rnpism. dtile pontextunlly understnndnole in tte
. It is oten pited ttnt Rnooi Josept B. Soloveitptik ( – ) wns exposed to Tanya

in tis ptildtood nnd pontinued to told tte work in tist esteem. On tte impnpt or
Ctnond upon tis ttoustt, see Elliot R. dolrson, “Eternnl Durntion nnd Tempornl
Compresenpe: he Inluenpe or Hnond on Josept B. Soloveitptik,” in he Value of
the Particular: Lessons rom Judaism and the Modern Jewish Experience – Festschrit for
Steven T. Katz on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, ed. Miptnel Znnk nnd Insrid
Anderson (Leiden, ), – ; nnd Miller, Turning Judaism Outward, – nnd
rn. See nlso Yetudnt Mirsky, Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution (New Hnven,
), – , .

lnte eistteentt pentury, ttese ntitudes nre proolemntip in n world in

wtipt our relntionstips witt non-Jews tnve moved oeyond tte medievnl
stismns teld oy oott pnrties. dtere ttere is still nnti-Semitip stereotyp-
ins in tte world we pondemn it ns onpkwnrd, nnd surely do not wnnt
to oe suilty or tte snme. Notions or Jewist supremnpy, wtipt rorm n
dirept line rrom Rnooi Judnt Hnlevi to Mntnrnl nnd eventunlly to Tanya,
nre even more dnnserous in n world wtere Jews tnve returned to power
nnd must onpe more lenrn to wield it over otters. It is not unpommon
to see pnssnses rrom Tanya nnd otter supt works sndly mooilized oy
extremists – most or wtom nre outside tte pore Ctnond pommunity –
in nn ntempt to prove tte intumnnity or tte pontempornry enemies
of the Jewish people.
he innl trouolesome element is tte inlexiole model or tte tzad-
dik, wto is portrnyed ns qunlitntively diferent rrom nll otter tumnn
oeinss. His (nnd ror tte nuttor or Tanya, tte tzaddik must nlwnys oe n
mnn) rnte is determined oy tis ponpeption nnd oirtt, nnd te will renpt
n spiritunl level oeyond tte renpt or even tte most tnrd-workins bei-
noni. Jewist modernity tns inpluded nn nwnreness or tte power or tte
individunl nnd indeed n turn townrd individunlism, in terms or rreedom,
sopinl mooility, nnd ptoipes. Mnny pontempornry Jews reel nliennted
rrom n relisious system in wtipt tteir spiritunl srowtt is pnpped oy n
risid pnste system.
A render mny strussle witt, reinterpret, nnd pertnps even rejept
ttese issues, out ttey pnnnot oe elided. Given ttese diipulties, wtnt
does Tanya tnve to ofer tte oronder Jewist world? Here I would like
to tistlistt ive roundntionnl ttemes or ttis work ttnt nre or srent
relevnnpe to tte pontempornry renders or Tanya. he irst or ttese is
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s unlnssins ropus on tte importnnpe or inwnrd-
ness (penimiyut). his spiritunl intensity must oe expressed ttroust
ponprete deeds, out te never nllows ror wtnt is oten pnlled “orttoprnxy” –
relisious pommitment deined oy nption nlone. For Rnooi Stneur Znl-
mnn, spiritunl prnptipe is nn emoodiment or tteolosy; tte deeds we
perrorm, wtetter ritunl, interpersonnl, or ettipnl, relept our spiritunl
penter. He demnnds ttnt tis renders pultivnte tteir inner worlds, under-
stnndins ttnt nwe nnd love ror God nre tte nxioms or uplit to tte divine.
his emotionnl work is srounded in intelleptunl pontemplntion or God,

out even so it never privileses dry renson over tte importnnpe or rnitt.
he divine unity mny oe experienped nnd witnessed, out it pnnnot ever
oe rully known or spoken nloud.
A sepond tteme round ttroustout Tanya is tte proround sense
or relisious oolisntion. his inpludes our duty to perrorm tte pommnnd-
ments ns deined oy tte tnlnktn, out it nlso entnils tte ponstnnt inner
work nnd resulnr spiritunl development. he wnr nsninst npntty nnd
pomplnpenpy is n diipult one indeed, nnd it must oe roustt on two
rronts. One supt ontle is wnsed nsninst tte nssumption ttnt simply
rollowins God’s pommnndments is enoust, nnd tte otter is tte strus-
sle to rein in our desires ror illuminnted relisious experienpes wittout
tte tnrd resulnr work. Truly elevnted spiritunlity, nrsues Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn, is n very diipult ttins to nptieve, nnd it pnnnot oe ntnined
wittout ponstnnt efort to efept inner trnnsrormntion ttnt is expressed
ttroust snpred deeds.
here is n positive nspept to Tanya’s pomplipnted metnptysipnl
tteolosy, wtipt I oelieve is n ttird point or pontempornry relevnnpe.
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s work provides n relntively nppronptnole nppess
point to tte intripnte symoolip lnnsunse or Knoonln ns rerrnpted ttroust
tte devotionnlly oriented tnsidip lens. Furttermore, ttere is n very
simple trutt tidins wittin Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s suotle nnd nunnped
lnnsunse: ttere is no existenpe otter ttnn God. All oeins is nn nspept
or tte divine, nnd tosetter witt tte posmos itselr we ponstitute n inite
expression or tte inefnole God.
A rourtt iden, emersins rrom tte ttird, is ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znl-
mnn’s tteolosipnl vision senerntes nn nption-oriented lire or servipe nnd
devotionnl nptivism. Enpt or our deeds tns tte pnpnpity to inprense tte
divine listt in tte world, orinsins tte projept or Crention one step ploser
to its telos or redemption. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s stirrins despriptions or
the power of tzedaka nnd kindness townrd otter Jews nre unrorsetnole,
nnd ttey tnve oepome one or tte well-known tnllmnrks or pontempo-
rnry Ctnond. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s tteolosipnl system is mystipnl to
its very pore, out tis spiritunlity demnnds positive ptnnse in tte world.
Tnkins ttis pnrndism one step rurtter, Dnvid Seidenoers tns repently
nrsued ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s tteolosy mny oe rend ns mnndntins
environmentnl nptivism, sinpe tumnnity tns nn oolisntion to protept tte

divine enersy emoodied in nll elements or tte mnterinl renlm, inpludins

nll rorms or lire nnd tte nnturnl world.
Finnlly, resnrdins Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s metnptysipnl nssump-
tions noout posmolosy nnd tte nnture or tte Jewist soul vis-à-vis ttnt
or non-Jews, ttere is n more universnl messnse ttnt must oe extrnpo-
lnted rrom Tanya. Here I nrsue ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s despription
or n nnturnl pnpnpity ror love, nn inoorn spiritunl rnpulty ror nltruism
nnd selr-trnnspendenpe, stould oe extended to nll mnnkind nnd ttus
interpreted ns nn element or tte tumnn pondition. his innnte spiritunl
rnpulty in nll people ttnt mnnirests itselr ns tte tenrtrelt quest ror tte
divine, in tteolosies ttnt pnll ror mornl pournse, nnd, most orondly, in
our noility to rise oeyond tte ponstrnints or tte eso nnd renpt ror tte
ininite, pnn oe rostered ttroust edupntion or nwoken ttroust modes
or pontemplntive nwnreness. de pnnnot rnult Mnimonides ror tte wnys
in wtipt te wns limited to nn Aristotelinn nnd seopentrip universe.
he writinss or tte Grent Ensle nre still pompellins, powerrul, wise,
insisttrul, nnd proround in tte modern ern even ns we sted some or
tis intelleptunl pommitments in tte propess. his is true ror nll truly
srent ttinkers, n pntesory into wtipt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn or Lindy
must surely oe plnped. his type or repeption tistory is n termeneuti-
pnl moment, nnd it requires ttnt we emptnsize supt voipes in Tanya
over mnny otters. But ns pontempornry renders or tnsidip texts we nre
entitled, nnd indeed even oolisnted, to mnke prepisely ttis sort or pnre-
rul interpretive move.
his ttemntip overview or Tanya tns prepnred us to nsk nn importnnt

metn-question: Why wns tte oook writen? Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn
inrorms tis renders ttnt te wns overwtelmed nnd too ousy to ntend to
tte prustins numoers or ndterents nnd dispiples wto soustt tis poun-
sel. He ttererore wrote Tanya to replnpe personnl nudienpes, trustins
tis Hnsidim nnd tteir lopnl tenpters to rurtter tteir spiritunl journeys
. See Dnvid Mevornpt Seidenoers, Kabbalah and Ecology: God’s Image in the More-
han-Human World (New York, ).
. My ttnnks to Proressor Polen ror tis telp in rormulntins ttis essentinl point.

oy nosoroins tis wisdom ttroust tte writen word. Rnooi Stneur Znl-
mnn wns nlso dispontent witt tte imprepise popies nlrendy in pirpuln-
tion, nnd oy printins Tanya te toped to ensure tte pnnonipnl stntus or
tis version or ttese texts.
Lurkins oetind tte question or wtetter n oook pnn truly replnpe
n powerrul nnd inspirins lender is nn even deeper issue: Cnn tte deepest
spiritunl trutts oe expressed ttroust tte medium or lnnsunse wtetter
spoken or writen? he nnswer to oott or ttese questions siven oy
tte lenderstip or Ctnond, oesinnins witt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn, tns
nlwnys oeen resoundinsly nirmntive. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wns one
or tte irst tnsidip mnsters to nuttor n oook in tte proper sense or tte
term. Enrly Hnsidism wns primnrily nn ornl movement, nnd tenptinss
were trnnsmited oy mnster to dispiple (nnd rrom student to student)
ttroust tte spoken word. But Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn plenrly oelieved
in tte power or tte writen word to efept ptnnse nnd spiritunl trnns-
rormntion wittin n render.
But Tanya nlso represents tte linsuistip tyoridity or enrly Hnsi-
dism, wtipt wns neitter explusively ornl nor textunl. Tanya wns oeins
tnustt oy livins tenpters even wittin tte nuttor’s liretime. dtile it
mny tnve served ns n suostitute ror Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s personnl
instruption, it did not replnpe tte spiritunl pommunity wtipt studied
its wisdom ns n snpred text. Close dispiples were mennt to stnre tteir
understnndins or its pontent witt otters, ttus estnolistins n network
or nssopinted sroups nll porins over its words nnd seekins its wisdom in
tte pontext or otter Hnsidim. his text wns, in stort, poised to oepome
tte snpred writ or Hnsidism.
Netemin Polen tns nrsued ponvinpinsly ttnt, “tte initinl pur-
pose of Tanya wns not tte promulsntion or mystipnl doptrines, mupt
less tte tenptins or mystipnl teptniques or prnptipes, out tte strntiipn-
tion nnd resimentntion or tte tnsidip pommunity nnd tte nssisnment or
npproprinte roles.” Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wnrns tis renders ttnt ttey
stould not deprepnte tteir wortt oy ttinkins ttey nre wipked, ttereoy
pessimistipnlly ooruspntins tteir duty ror inner srowtt, out nor stould
. Polen, “Ctnrismntip Lender, Ctnrismntip Book,” .

ttey depeive ttemselves into ttinkins ttnt ttey nre tzaddikim nnd ttus
rorsetins tteir plnpe.
However, ptnnsins tte emptnsis or ttis nrsument sisniipnntly
nlters tte wny ttnt one nppronptes Tanya. It is not n trentise noout tte
spiritunl powers or tte tzaddik mennt to nwe tte tumole beinoni into
livins tis relisious lire oy proxy, ntnptins timselr to tte tzaddik nnd
ntninins spiritunl uplit ttroust tim nlone. Time nnd time nsnin, Rnooi
Stneur Znlmnn emptnsizes ttnt everyone pnn, nnd stould, oepome n
beinoni. Tanya plnriies tte diferenpes oetween tte ordinnry seeker (tte
ĥasid wto nspires to oepome n beinoni) nnd tte extrnordinnry lender (tte
tzaddik), out it primnrily nddresses tte spiritunl work or tte rormer. he
supernoundnnpe or knoonlistip terminolosy in n oook writen ror tte bei-
noni menns ttnt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn wnnts ttese ponpepts to oepome
tteir spiritunl vopnoulnry ns well, not simply remninins tte privilese
or tte elite. Finnlly, Sefer Shel Beinonim ponpludes witt nn extortntion
to deed, undersporins ttnt tte beinonim have the great power in trans-
rormins dnrkness into listt ttroust tteir snpred nptions. Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn repents ttis point over nnd over nsnin: enpt nnd every person
wto rollows in tis pntt must wnlk tteir own pntt.
Let us plose our study or Tanya oy notins ttnt Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn, like so mnny Jewist mystips over tte senerntions, revenls litle
noout tis own mystipnl experienpes. he render mny sense Rnooi Stneur
Znlmnn’s spiritunl lire oetween tte lines or Tanya, ror surely ttere is n
irst-person voipe tidins wittin tis despriptions or tte epstntip love
oorn or tte tzaddik’s pontemplntion or God. But our understnndins or
ttis srent lender nnd mystip is rounded out oy stories nnd rnmily trndi-
tions, some or wtipt denl more explipitly witt Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s
privnte spiritunl quest. A pnrtipulnrly stirrins exnmple nppenrs nt tte
end or HaYom Yom, n Ctnond pnlendnr ror dnily study pompiled oy tte
seventt Luonvitpter Reooe:
Love or tte type hround in tte verse] “nnd oeside You I wnnt
nottins hupon tte enrtt]” (Ps. : ) menns tnvins no desire ror
nnyttins expept God. Not even tenven nnd enrtt, wtipt nre tte
. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. n.

upper nnd lower Gnrdens or Eden, ror ttese were prented witt
only tte hleter] yod. One’s love stould oe ror God nlone, ror
His very Beins nnd Essenpe. his wns expressed oy my tenpter
nnd mnster (tte Alter Rebbe, hRnooi Stneur Znlmnn]) durins
his devekut, ror te used to sny ns rollows: “I wnnt nottins nt nll.
I don’t wnnt Your Gnrden or Eden, I don’t wnnt Your dorld to
Come. I wnnt nottins more ttnn You nlone.”
R RR A N
Tanya tns oeen reprinted pountless times in lopntions npross tte world.
he text nnd pnsinntion or ttese myrind editions senernlly rollow tte
cilnn printins, ttoust n diferent edition onsed on n mnnuspript
wns repently puolisted ns Likutei Amarim: Mahadura Kamma (Brook-
lyn, ). he stnndnrd Enslist version is Likutei Amarim-Tanya,
Bilingual Edition, revised edition, trnnslnted oy Nissnn Mindel, witt
introduptions oy Nisen Mnnsel, Znlmnn I. Posner, nnd Jnpoo Immnnuel
Sptoptet (Brooklyn, ). he nnnotntions, explnnntions, slossnry,
nnd vnrious introduptions inpluded in ttis volume nre tremendously
telprul. Yoser dineoers’s Lessons in Tanya: he Tanya of R. Shneur
Zalman of Liadi, vols. (Brooklyn, – ), is n pompretensive
explnnntion or tte text rrom tte trnditionnl Ctnond perspeptive.
he noted sptolnr Rnooi Adin Steinsnltz tns produped n ttree-
volume pommentnry to Tanya in Enslist: Opening the Tanya: Discover-
ing the Moral and Mystical Teachings of a Classic Work of Kabbalah (San
Frnnpispo, ); Learning From the Tanya: Volume Two in the Deini-
tive Commentary on the Moral and Mystical Teachings of a Classic Work
of Kabbalah (Snn Frnnpispo, ); Understanding the Tanya: Volume
hree in the Deinitive Commentary on a Classic Work of Kabbalah by the
World’s Foremost Authority (Snn Frnnpispo, ). he Heorew render
is invited to turn to tis more expnnsive Biur Tanya, vols. ( Jerusnlem,
), n wonderrully ript pommentnry. Steinsnltz’s tenptinss on Tanya
. At ttis point tte text switptes rrom Heorew into Yiddist, notins n stit rrom tte
lnnsunse or sptolnrstip to tte lnnsunse or tte tenrt.
. HaYom Yom, Kislev.

nre inrormed oy Ctnond, out nre tistly prentive nnd displny modern
sensitivity to mnny or tte issues ttnt nrise rrom tte text.
he repent volume Tanya, the Masterpiece of Hasidic Wisdom:
Selections Annotated and Explained, trnnslntion nnd pommentnry oy Rnmi
Stnpiro, roreword oy Znlmnn M. Sptnptter-Stnlomi (doodstopk, ),
ofers nn expellent survey or tte key pnssnses in Tanya nimed nt tte non-
expert render. he experpts presented in ttis tistly nppessiole Enslist
trnnslntion tnve oeen nrrnnsed in n poetip-line rormntion, emptnsizins
tte devotionnl rtyttms or Tanya ttnt nre sometimes lost in tte work’s
pomplexity. All trnnslntions nre nppompnnied oy userul pitntions nnd
illuminntins explnnntory notes. Finnlly, plnsses on nnd noout Tanya are
siven oy nenrly nll Ctnond-Luonvitpt penters npross tte slooe. Mnny or
ttese lessons, ns well ns ttose orondpnst oy tte internntionnl Ctnond
tendqunrters (ttp://www.ptnond.ors/liornry/tnnyn/), nre mnde nvnil-
nole online in oott nudio nnd video rormnts.
On Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s lire nnd tte relisious ttoustt or
enrly Ctnond, see Immnnuel Etkes, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady: he
Origins of Chabad Hasidism (dnlttnm, ); Rnptel Elior, he Para-
doxical Ascent to God: he Kabbalistic heosophy of Habad Hasidism,
trnns. Jefrey M. Green (Alonny, ); Nntnli Loewentnl, Communicating
the Ininite: he Emergence of the Habad School (Ctipnso, ); Romnn
A. Foxorunner, Habad: he Hasidism of R. Shneur Zalman of Lyady (Tus-
pnloosn, ); Netemin Polen, “Ctnrismntip Lender, Ctnrismntip Book:
Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s Tanya nnd His Lenderstip,” in Rabbinic and Lay
Communal Authority, ed. Suznnne Lnst Stone (New York, ), – ;
Elliot R. dolrson, Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical
Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson (New York, ).

The Sacred Writ of Hasidism The Tanya An

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Sacred Writ of Hasidism The Tanya An

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Books of the People

Revisitins Clnssip dorks or Jewist houstt

Books of the People.indd 1 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Strnus Center ror Tornt nnd destern houstt

Books of the People.indd 3 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Books of the People.indd 4 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Henrich (Chaim) Grunberger Moric Pollack

Books of the People.indd 5 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Emunot ceDeot: he Contemporary Relevance

Jews, Japan, and Chosenness: he Extraordinary

Maimonides’ Guide or tte Perplexed:

Serer HnIkknrim: Rabbi Joseph Albo’s

Learning rom Maharal: A Non-Mystical Approach with

Books of the People.indd 7 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he Mnyses of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav: What Makes a Hasidic Tale?

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Nineteen Leters on

Delving into the Mater: Rabbi Natali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin’s

Rav Abraham Isaac Kook’s Orot HnTestuvn: Repentance as Cosmology

Rav Isaac Hutner’s Pnĥnd Yitzĥnk: A Torah Map of

Books of the People.indd 8 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Rnooi Dr. Ariel Evnn Mnyse

T te plnssipnl texts or tnsidip liternture represent mnny senres. hey

Books of the People.indd 109 12/20/16 3:09 PM

movement’s enrly tistory, nnd it tns oeen suosequently trnnslnted into

Books of the People.indd 110 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he tnsidip movement emersed rrom tte tenptinss or Rnooi Isrnel oen

Books of the People.indd 111 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Enstern Europe. hese dispiples plnyed n prupinl role in tte development

. Immnnuel Etkes, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady: he Origins of Chabad Hasidism

Books of the People.indd 112 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s pourt louristed in tte s. So mnny

Books of the People.indd 113 12/20/16 3:09 PM

in ndvnnpe or Nnpoleon’s invnsion. His son Rnooi Dov Ber ( – ),

Books of the People.indd 114 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Books of the People.indd 115 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Pnrt : Sefer Shel Beinonim

• tte pomplete tzaddik, wto lnpks nn Evil Inplinntion oepnuse it

In nddition to ttese rour types or people, Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn presents

Books of the People.indd 116 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Books of the People.indd 117 12/20/16 3:09 PM

mnnirest in n nesntive rorm. he Sitra Aĥra tns no renl suostnnpe, eitter

Books of the People.indd 118 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he souls or Isrnel…nre like tte lnme or n pnndle ttnt ponstnntly

Books of the People.indd 119 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he essentinl, ournins desire or tte Jewist soul to oepome ntnpted to tte

Books of the People.indd 120 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Books of the People.indd 121 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Books of the People.indd 122 12/20/16 3:09 PM

Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn’s ttinkins on ttis suojept. Rnooi Stneur Znlmnn

he pulminntins rulillment or tte Messinnip Ern nnd or tte Res-

. Sefer Shel Beinonim, pt. , rol. o.

Books of the People.indd 123 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he rewnrd ror perrormins tte pommnndments is neitter metnptysipnl

his is n srent prinpiple resnrdins divine servipe ror tte beinonim:

Books of the People.indd 124 12/20/16 3:09 PM

or tte pommnndments or tte Tornt nnd tte snses, nnd ttroust

Contemplntion or God oesins in tte intelleptunl rnpulties, wtipt tte

he essenpe or knowledse is not tte knowins nlone, ttnt people

Intelleptunl meditntion lends to n pontemplntive oond witt God ttnt is

. Ioid., pt. , rol. o.

Books of the People.indd 125 12/20/16 3:09 PM

he essentinl ttins, towever, is tte trninins to tnoitunte one’s