TanyaYomi tweets are based on the book Tanya by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), founder of Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidism: “indispensable to understanding the philosophy of the Chasidic movement and the essence of the Jewish soul. It unifies Kabbalah and Talmud to explain the “mechanics” of Creation, the infinitude of G-d, and the structure of the human personality.” The entries have been broken up according to Chabad’s daily learning schedule.
#TanyaYomi
19Kislev: Book of Beinonim. R’ Meshulam Zusil of Anipoli: This book printed to correct mistakes of Kuntresim that have gone out.
20Kislev: Listening to moral advice is not the same as reading it. Everyone’s mind is different, absorb lessons differently.
21Kislev: Responsa to many questions of faithful seeking moral guidance in service of God. Will find counsel on every matter.
22Kislev: 5 types: Tzadik prospers/suffers, wicked prospers/suffers & Beinoni. Beinoni is motivated by both good & evil nature.
23Kislev: Evil traits from 4 elements, Kelipa, SitraAhra: Fire|anger, pride; Water|pleasure-seeking; Air|frivolity; Earth|sloth.
24Kislev: Infinite gradations of soul, include Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama. Descend thru worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzira, Asiya.
25Kislev: Soul gradations correspond 10 Sefirot: 3 “mothers”: Chohma(wisdom), Bina(understanding), Daat(knowledge) + 7 multiples.
26Kislev: Even wise & understand greatness of the Infinite, unless binds knowledge & fixes thought, won’t have true love & fear.
27Kislev: Each divine soul (nefesh elokit) has 3 garments: thought, speech & action, that can be expressed in 613 Torah commands.
28Kislev: 3 garments deriving from Torah & commandments infinitely higher & greater quality than nefesh/ruach/neshama themselves.
19Kislev: Book of Beinonim. R’ Meshulam Zusil of Anipoli: This book printed to correct mistakes of Kuntresim that have gone out.
20Kislev: Listening to moral advice is not the same as reading it. Everyone’s mind is different, absorb lessons differently.
21Kislev: Responsa to many questions of faithful seeking moral guidance in service of God. Will find counsel on every matter.
22Kislev: 5 types: Tzadik prospers/suffers, wicked prospers/suffers & Beinoni. Beinoni is motivated by both good & evil nature.
23Kislev: Evil traits from 4 elements, Kelipa, SitraAhra: Fire|anger, pride; Water|pleasure-seeking; Air|frivolity; Earth|sloth.
24Kislev: Infinite gradations of soul, include Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama. Descend thru worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzira, Asiya.
25Kislev: Soul gradations correspond 10 Sefirot: 3 “mothers”: Chohma(wisdom), Bina(understanding), Daat(knowledge) + 7 multiples.
26Kislev: Even wise & understand greatness of the Infinite, unless binds knowledge & fixes thought, won’t have true love & fear.
27Kislev: Each divine soul (nefesh elokit) has 3 garments: thought, speech & action, that can be expressed in 613 Torah commands.
28Kislev: 3 garments deriving from Torah & commandments infinitely higher & greater quality than nefesh/ruach/neshama themselves.
29Kislev: Can only apprehend God when clothed in Torah & Mitzvot, 1 & the same. Like embracing a king in his robes; king in robe.
30Kislev: When comprehend Torah part, intellect grasps, encompasses it, in turn clothed in it, wisdom, will of God, unity w/ Him.
1Tevet: Superiority of knowing & comprehending Torah, more than doing. Torah like “food” & “garments”, Mitzvot just “garments”.
2Tevet: God created 1 thing vs other. 10 holy Sfirot vs 10 crowns of impurity. If think/talk/act on unclean things, ruins spirit.
3Tevet: Those that don’t surrender selves to God sustained “behind back” through contractions, diminished Light & Life, exile.
4Tevet: KelipatNogah=intermediate category between 3 totally unclean kelipot & order of Holiness. Neutral things can be elevated.
5Tevet: Glutton, leads to lust, energy of wine & meat absorbed into 3 evil kelipot until repents. Trace of evil remains in body.
6Tevet: Wasteful emission of semen big sin; begets many unclean kelipot, unless repents w/ great love & transforms into merits.
7Tevet: Body undergoes “Purgatory of the grave” to purify uncleanliness from enjoyment of mundane pleasures from kelipat nogah.
8Tevet: Idle chatter, soul cleansed by “hollow of sling.” Forbidden speech, goes to Purgatory. Torah neglect, Snow Purgatory.
9Tevet: Animal soul from left ventricle, filled w/ blood goes to body, brain. Divine soul in brain goes to body, right ventricle.
10Tevet: Body like small city, w/ 2 souls battling for domination: Divine vs vitalizing animal soul. Each wants complete control.
11Tevet: Expels evil from soul, but fragment of wickedness lingers=righteous man who suffers. Evil subjugated, nullified by good.
12Tevet: Completely righteous=men of ascent=convert evil, make it ascend to holiness. Have you converted darkness into light?
13Tevet: Type of person, rare occasion evil prevails over good, becomes evil’s subject. Then good asserts self, remorse, repents.
14Tevet: Intermediate man=Benoni=evil never gets enough power to capture “small city” to make it sin. Animal vs divine soul tied.
15Tevet: Man created w/ willpower to restrain self, lust in heart. Can prevent expression of heart’s desires, direct to holiness.
16Tevet: Benoni: no plans to violate sins, just thinks about it. Man not safe from 3 sins: thoughts; distracted prayer; gossip.
17Tevet: Prayer’s effect on intellect, innate fear, love of God enable triumph over evil of cravings & from carrying out desires.
18Tevet: Evil nature states opinion in heart’s left part, ascends to brain for consideration; challenged by divine soul in brain.
19Tevet: Evil in Benoni dormant in left part during Shma & Amida when heart aglow w/ love of God, but later it can wake again.
20Tevet: Benoni’s prayer not like Tzadik’s who serve in perfect truth, but considered perfect service at their level of truth.
21Tevet: Everyone can strive & reach rank of Benoni. At any time or hour can be Benoni. Can reject evil in deed/speech/thought.
22Tevet: Embryo accepts oath before born “Be righteous, not wicked!” Seems redundant. Means that we all have free will.
23Tevet: Difference between one serving God (Oved) vs Tzadik: Oved in present struggle. Tzadik=Eved, won war vs evil in him.
24Tevet: Difference between 1 who is serving God & 1 who isn’t, is if he goes beyond his customary nature. Arouses love of God.
25Tevet: Directs desire to Divine Torah; studies day, night; does Mitzvot: gets intelligence, vitality & “wings” to soar on high.
26Tevet: “God unites good thought to the deed.” Different meaning than “Intended to do Mitzva & prevented, counts as if did it.”
27Tevet: “The thing is very close to you, in your mouth & heart to do.” Counter-intuitive; hard to change. Easy if control brain.
28Tevet: For the wicked to repent, they have to shatter the Kelipot, an iron partition between them and God, with broken spirit.
29Tevet: “Very close,” even person w/ limited understanding of God, His greatness, can still easily observe Mitzvot, study Torah.
1Shvat: Chochma(wisdom) source of intelligence/comprehension above Bina(understanding) intellectual understanding/comprehension.
2Shvat: “Candle of God is soul of man.” Like flame wants to rise from wick, soul wants to leave body, unite w/ God, be nullified.
3Shvat: The love of the divine soul, whose desire is to unite with God, the fountainhead of all life, is called “hidden love.”
4Shvat: Wicked under control of heart, yet when faith in God tested, which is rooted in heights of holiness, the Kelipot vanish.
5Shvat: God was Alone, Single & Unique before He created existence & remains Alone, Single & Unique after He created existence.
6Shvat: When man utters word, it’s nothing compared to faculty of speech, more so to faculty of thought, & even more so to soul.
7Shvat: Man’s speech apart from Man. God’s “speech” not separate, means Revealing. 10 of these emanations created the world.
8Shvat: God’s speech & thought absolutely united w/ His essence & being, even after His speech materialized creation of worlds.
9Shvat: Contractions & concealment of God’s Countenance is so powerful, that even unclean things, Kelipot & Sitra Achra created.
10Shvat: Arrogance truly compares to idolatry. Root of idolatry, regarded as thing in itself, sundered from Divine holiness.
11Shvat: Torah & God entirely one. Commandments are Supreme Will, His true desire. Life & sustenance dependent on performance.