Opening The Tanya: Discovering The Moral And Mystical Teachings Of A Classic Work Of Kabbalah

Opening the Tanya: Discovering the Moral and Mystical Teachings of a Classic Work of Kabbalah

Written by the great Hasidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in the late eighteenth century, the Tanya is considered to be one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written.A seminal document in the study of Kabbalah, the Tanya explores and solves the dilemmas of the human soul by arriving at the root causes of its struggles. Though it is a classic Jewish spiritual text, the Tanya and its present commentary take a broad and comprehensive approach that is not specific to Judaism nor tied to a particular personality type or time or point of view.Opening the Tanya is a groundbreaking book that offers a definitive introduction, explanation, and commentary upon the Tanya. As relevant today as it was when it was first written more than two hundred years ago, the Tanya helps us to see the many thousands of complexities, doubts, and drives within us as expressions of a single basic problem, the struggle between our Godly Soul and our Animal Soul.ReviewRabbi Steinsaltz has written an inspiring and illuminating introduction to the Tanya, a fundamental work of Hasidism and one of the greatest books of moral teaching (mussar) of all time. He presents overviews of its broad philosophical and spiritual messages as well as a point-by-point commentary on the text, originally written by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812). Steinsaltz's commentary. which covers only the introduction and the first 12 basic Hasidic concepts, theoretical background, metaphors and parables from daily life, and stories from the past and present lives of the Hasidim. A glossary defines and expounds on various terms and concepts. Best known for his monumental commentary on the Babylonian Talmud, Steinsaltz is a recipient of the Israel Prize and a resident scholar at academic institutions, including Yale. No library should be without the complete Kehot Publications Society bilingual edition of the Tanya, and Steinsaltz's commentary willl help to make a significant part of the original text better understood. Also helpful is Nissan Miindel's Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi: A Bography of the First Lubavitcher Rebbe. Recommended for large public, Jewish, and religion libraries and university libraries hosting Jewish studies departments. -David B. Levy, Beth Abraham Synagogue Lib. Baltimore (Library Journal, September 1, 2003)From the Inside FlapWritten by the great Hasidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in the late eighteenth century, the Tanya is considered to be one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written.A seminal document in the study of Kabbalah, the Tanya explores and solves the dilemmas of the human soul by arriving at the root causes of its struggles. Though it is a classic Jewish spiritual text, the Tanya and its commentary take a broad and comprehensive approach that is neither specific to Judaism nor tied to a particular personality type or time or point of view.As relevant today as it was when it was first written more than two hundred years ago, the Tanya helps us to see the many thousands of complexities, doubts, and drives within us as expressions of a single basic problem, the struggle between our Godly soul and our animal soul. Opening the Tanya is a groundbreaking book that offers a definitive introduction, explanation, and commentary upon the Tanya.The internationally celebrated Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who has dedicated his life to the study, teaching, and writing of books that explain Jewish scripture, religious practice, spirituality, and mysticism to Jews and non-Jews throughout the world, is the author of this explanation and line-by-line commentary on the Tanya.Opening the Tanya guides us to achieve harmony of body and soul, of earthliness and transcendence. This remarkable book helps us to learn how we can each elevate our soul to a higher level of awareness and understanding, until our objectives and aspirations are synonymous with our Godly potential.Fro