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Tanya notes
Tanya is the Torah Shebichsav of Chassidus
Torah Shebichsav written form of Torah, given at Har Sinai. Its Tanach, its the
base of the Torah. Theres always more to understand even after learning it many
times.
Torah Shebaal Pe explanations, passed down orally.
The Tanya is the first Sefer of Chassidus, its the blueprint, its written down, and its
the essence of Chassidus Chabad which was started by the Alter Rebbe. Everything
else is explanations. When the Frierdiker Rebbe started learning Tanya, the Rashab
told him that a simple person could learn and a Talmid Chochom could learn it, but
everyone could always learn more from it.
We ask 5 questions about Chassidus:
1) What is it?
2) Who was it started by?
3) When was it started?
4) How was it revealed?
5) Why now?
This lesson we will be discussing what it is

Pshat

Simple

Remez

Hint

Possuk
and Nefesh
Rashi
Gematria
Ruach

Drush

Explain

Medrash

Sod

Secret

Kabbalah
Zohar

Neshama
- Chaya

Each part in the Torah corresponds to a different part of the Neshama. There is a 5 th
part of the Neshama called Yechida its the spark of a Yid that you always have no
matter what. Its Makif surrounds the person. The Yechida corresponds to
Chassidus.
Chassidus explains every part of the Torah on a whole new level. It give us a new
way of understanding our existence. It shows that G-dliness is found in everything
around us. Like a piano, which is its own existence, but the whole idea of it is to give
music.
Our existence is divided into 3 categories:
1) Yid who I am
2) Olam the world I live in
3) Torah the Torah I live by
1) how we define who we are. Many times we tend to judge our friends by the
things they have. Chassidus shows that we are all special because we have a
Neshama that literally a piece of Hashem. Each Yid has a Neshama, no one is

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different. Only my Neshama defines who I am and its my job to constantly express
it and live by what Hashem wants.
In the Baal Shem Tovs times, there was a big gap between the Talmidei
Chachomom and the Amei Haaretz simple people. The simple ones felt that
theyre not worth anything if they cant learn torah. The Baal Shem tov came and
uplifted them. Showing that each Jew is special because Hashem chose to create
him. He showed how the Neshama is whats important and brought out the simple
Yiddens love for Hashem.
Story: an Am Haaretz, simple man, davened the whole Siddur each day because he
didnt know how to daven. He once asked the Baal Shem Tov to put bookmarks into
his siddur. The wind blew the bookmarks out, so he ran back to follow the Baal
Shem Tov. When the besht came to a river, he steps on his kerchief and glides over
the river. The simple Chossid follows him and does the same thing! The besht tells
him that he can see that his simple Davening is so special that he should continue
to daven the whole thing.
2) Chassidus gives us a deeper and more beautiful understanding of torah on all
levels. Example: when the meraglim gave bad reports about Eretz Yisroel, Chassidus
explains that they really wanted to be able to learn torah without physical worries
and interruptions.
The baal shem tov also taught that even the simple jews are worthy of learning
torah.
3) the world hashgacha pratis. The besht taught that everything is run the way
Hashem wants, even to the detail of leaves falling down. Chassidus shows how to
see G-dliness in everything that happens. We should always be thinking, what does
Hashem want from me now? Chassidus teaches that what we want and what
Hashem wants are not opposites, they come together in one beautiful picture. We
should always work with and elevate Gashmius.
Were American jews, not jewish Americans. The most important thing is that were
a jew. Chassidus shows how being a yid is the center of our lives. We are always
connected to Hashem. Whenever we feel otherwise, its because thats our
challenge.
Who revealed Chassidus?
kol ma shetalmid vosik asid lechadaish nitna limoshe misinai any torah that will
ever be learned was given to moshe at har Sinai. But, some of this torah was only
revealed many years later. Chassidus was given at har Sinai, but was only revealed
by the baal shem tov a bit over 300 years ago.
The baal shem tov was born on chai elul tof nun ches. His parents are R Eliezer and
R Sara who merited such a special child with their hachnasas orchim. As a little
boy, all could already tell that the baal shem tov was very talented. His father
passed away when the besht was 5 years old. His last words to him were:

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1) dont be afraid of anyone besides for Hashem.
2) love every yid equally
These two things are the fundamental concepts of Chassidus Ahavas Hashem and
yiras Hashem. The beshts father and mother then passed away, and the besht is
left an orphan, cared for by his fathers students.
On beshts 16th birthday: he learns that a simple yids praising Hashem is more
precious to Hashem than the tzaddiks learning.
At age 11, the besht became accepted as a hidden tzaddik and became the most
respected of them.
The besht learns and spreads 5 things:
1) how much Hashem appreciates a simple yids baruch Hashem.
Story: a Parush (talmid chochom who learns secluded and undisturbed) was
learning in the back of the shul when the baal shem tov visited, and asks him if he
has everything he needs. The parush ignores him and the besht asks again until the
parush ponts to the door, hinting him to leave. The beht tells him, why are you
depriving Hashem of sustenance? Hashem gets sustenance when a yid says baruch
Hashem
2) dont condemn Yidden, show them positivity and concern. Encourage Yidden to
say tehillim. This is the time period right after the cossaks and shabsai tzvi and the
Yidden were feeling particularly down. Adding to this were the maggidim
preachers, who would use negative methods to get the Yidden to serve Hashem
properly. The besht realized that the way to speak with Yidden is with love. He
started amongst the tzaddikim nistorim that they would go around showing the
Yidden how much Hashem loves them.
Story: there was no rain in a city for a long time and there will almost be a
hunger. The besht comes to that city one Friday, and together with some other
hiddem tzaddikim, davens that Hashem should give them rain. The Yidden are so
happy that they come out and celebrate and decide that on that Shabbos, instead
of saying the tehillim twice, theyll say it a third time as a thanks to Hashem for the
rain. But then a maggid comes and forces the town to let him speak on Shabbos
during the time when the Yidden would have been saying the tehillim for the third
time at sholosh seudos. The maggid talks about punishment, and the Yidden are
crying. The besht comes on stage and tells the maggid stop, why are you rebuking
the Yidden, and then says to the Yidden, look Hashem is so good to us and gave us
rain, we should all turn to Hashem and do what Hashem wants.
3) uplift the simple and sincere Yidden.
In those days the simple and talmidei chachomim were kept so separate, they
werent even allowed to daven together. The simple felt that they were not
important to Hashem. The besht would tell them stories from gemara and about
how much Hashem loves them. This way, the simple people wanted to serve
Hashem. This was a chiddush new idea of the baal shem tov.
4) strengthen the economic situation. After the cossaks, the cities were not
protected and the Yidden were afraid, so they moved to bigger cities, where there

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were not enough financial opportunities. The besht encouraged the Yidden to move
back to farms, where they would have food from the farm and parnassa.
5) education there was no money, so the jewish children werent getting a proper
chinuch because there was no money for a melamed. The besht collected money to
send teachers to villages, and other hidden tzaddikim became melamedim. The
besht was a melamed in a city called Brody. He sincerely loved the children. He
would also be like the busdriver, taking the children to and from school. After a few
years, he tutors an orphan who lived by R Gershom Kitov. The besht becomes
engaged to leah rochel, sister of r gershom. R Gershom wasnt happy because he
didnt know how great the besht was and thought he was a simple person. But leah
rochel realized that she was marrying a great person. R Gershom would bother
them for the first few years of their marriage until the besht revealed himself.
The baal shen tov had two children: tzvi and udel. The besht still taught, while leah
rochel owned an inn. One Friday afternoon, the besht has a dream of a man who he
didnt know. The man said that he was sent from shamayim to teach the besht the
secrets of torah. The besht ignores the dream, until that Erev Shabbos, while in the
Mikvah, the besht gets a vision of the same man. That night, the man appears again
and tells the besht to meet him on Sunday at an exact spot. That Sunday, Chai Elul
Tof-Pey-Daled, on the 26th birthday of the besht, is a blizzard, but the besht goes to
the mountains, where he sees the stranger who points to him to go into the cave.
Together they learned about deep spiritual worlds. They meet again each day and
learn, until Ruchnius becomes normal to the Baal Shem Tov. After a year, the
stranger reveals himself as Achiya Hashiloni, student of Dovid Hamelech. The besht
fainted when he heard this. He told the besht to relocate to a smaller village. The
besht would learn in the mountains a whole week and only come home for Shabbos.
Chai Elul Tof-Tzaddik-Daled, the beshts 36 th birthday he revealed himself. At first he
did not want to, so Achiya Hashiloni stopped coming to him and he had to learn on
his own. Besht learns by self for a month. One day, a shepherd boy tells that he saw
an old man putting a scroll of papers under rock, and the man called out not to
touch the papers or their hands will dry up. Then the man pays the shepherd boy to
find the besht and give him the papers. On the papers were written two stories that
made the besht reveal himself (mrs. Perlow gave out a thick booklet with the
stories)
The besht started revealing Chassidus to a few holy students who would then go
and spread Chassidus the learnin of Chassidus limud hachassidus for talmidei
chachomim, and darchai hachassidus the ways of chassidus for the simple people.
Many people were affected by Chassidus and this new way of life.
Story: a poor shoemaker in Russia used to always help people and give tzeddakah.
One day he wins the lottery, becomes rich, moves to a new town where he is now
the rich man, he gives a lot of tzeddaka. He is very well respected. His daughter
gets engaged, and he invites his beggar friends from his old town to the wedding,
he sends a carriage to bring them and money for them to buy new clothes. At the
wedding, one beggar gets up and says that this rich man is really a poor beggar like
him the rich man has as heart attack and faints and passes away.
R Yisroel Salanter was at the wedding and then started the Mussar movement to
teach people like the poor beggar to work on their middos.

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Chassidus came to teach the rich man that theres something higher than his ego,
bittul, and that our lives are really for Hashem
Here we got a handout of the Yiddish Sicha of the Rebbe. Please refer to it.
Why was Chassidus revealed specifically at this time?
281 years ago, in the year 5494 was the date. For Hashem, every thousand years is
one day. So at this time it is Friday Chatzos, when its a mitzvah to get ready for
Shabbos. Chassidus was revealed now in the in the darkest time of Golus in order to
prepare us for Moshiach.
R Pinchas koritzer was an older talmid of the mezritcer maggid. Once, he was
outside the maggids house when a paper of Chassidus was on the floor in the
street. He got upset because Chassidus is such a high level of torah. Since he was a
tzaddik, his thoughts made decrees above against Chassidus. So the alter rebbe
gave a mashal about the kings son whos about to dye and can only be saved
maybe by the kings most precious jewel being grinded and a drop going into his
mouth. The crown jewel is Chassidus, the king is Hashem, and the prince is the
Yidden. We are sick because of the Yetzer Hara and even if the littlelest of
Chassidus gets into the Yidden it can wake us up. Then the maggid comes out of his
house and tells to the Alter Rebbe you saved me
Torah chadash meiti tatzai when Moshiach comes, a new torah, Chassidus, will
comeout from me, says Hashem. Now its almost Moshiach, which is Shabboss, and
it says Toameha Chayim Zachu if you taste the food before Shabbos, you merit
good on Shabbos. Were tasting Chassidus now, and when Moshiach comes,
Chassidus will be so much stronger. By learning now, we will merit to understand
everything on a deeper level when Moshiach comes.
How was Chassidus spread to everyone?
Besht and mezritcher maggid spread the learnin of Chassidus Toras Hacahasiddus
Chapter 2
Overview of Tanya
Story:R Skmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg was a big Talmid Chochom, but he didnt
know much about Avodah. He went to Mezritch where he saw that Chassidim Daven
for a long time. R Zusia taught him the Gemara that says: if there are 9 people,
the Aron bookshelf full of Seforim can join them for the Minyan. But is the Aron a
person? then the Gemara takes back what it says that a bookshelf could be part of
aminyan R Zusia asked: why couldnt the Gemara just simply say that a bookshelf
with seforim cant be part of a Minyan why say it could, then argue that its not a
person so it cant? Because the bookshelf refers to a person whos just filled with
Torah knowledge. If there are 9 people, he can join them for a Minyan. But is this
type of person what makes man a man? No, a man is someone who has avoda. The
Tanya teaches us to have avoda and become a real person.
The perakim in Tanya have an organized flow:
Alef Ches = man is made up of Nefesh Elokis and Nefesh Habehamis, and
understanding them
Tes Yud Gimmel

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Tes = the struggle is on two levels
1) how you express g-dliness. Machshava dibur maaseh
2) how you feel g-dliness inside sechel and midos
The nefesh habhamis and nefesh elokis want to control both levels.
Yud tzaddik
perfect internally
o nefesh habehamis is silent or not there
perfect in expression
o only Mitzvos
no struggle
His avoda is to go higher and higher in his levels of ahavas Hashem.
Yud Alef rasha
Internally
o Ego and desires control
Externally
o Does averos, doesnt control actions.
Even 1 little aveira makes someone a rasha
Yud Beis, yud gimmel Beinoini
Perfect in expression
Struggles internally
o Has ego and desires
o Feels his nefesh habehamis
o Doesnt give in to struggle constant avoda
Story: R Zev Valf of Zhitomer teaches someone that they can control their thoughts
by choosing when to open the door to let him into the house.
Story: R Nissim Nemanov is a Beinoini, and he says that he just controls his actions
and thoughts for 60 seconds, and he does this every 60 seconds. A beinoini is a
constant avoda to make the right decisions.
Yud Daled Yud Zayin and Yud Ches Chof Hey
How to inspire yourself so your mind will control you actions
1) clarity know whats right and wrong
2) use your ability, it doesnt come automatically, but were capable
There are 2 ways to inspire yourself to do the right thing.
Theres a mashal in shir hashirimkol dodi dofek pischi li achosi rayosi the voice
of my Beloved in knocking. Open for Me, My sister my bride. The Yidden are
sleeping, and Hashem is knocking in our hearts, He wants to connect with us. The 2
expressions of sister and bride represent 2 types of avoda.
Perakim yud daled yud zayin
Bride = ahava sichlis you put energy into it, its a passionate love, its not
necessarily consistent, you work on your love for Hashem, but what happens if a
challenge arises when youre not in a state of excitement?
Perakim yud ches through chof hey
Sister = ahava mesuteres strongest relationship, youre born with it as an
inheritance from Avraham avinu, its always there, its usually a quieter love, its the
emergency unit, its the mesiras nefesh that will make or break your relationship

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with Hashem. No Yid can ever be disconnected from Hashem he always has ahava
mesuteres.
Hashem is knocking for both ways, but Chabad focuses on the workedon
relationship.
Chof vov chof ches
What will interfere with these avodas? When someone is depressed and not
using all their ability to fight the yetzer hara. By depression, a person only wants to
make himself feel better. It can come from physical or spiritual challenges. Its the
bigges key of the yetzer hara. These perakim talk about how to look at challenges
and not get depressed.
Chof tes lamed daled = how to serve Hashem with Simchah
Story: R Yossi Raichik got someone to go to a farbrengen. The man told him we
get chayus from the Rebbe youre so lucky to have a Rebbe and know your
direction in life.
Perek Alef.
There are 2 ways of life
1. being honest with yourself and pushing yourself, but your failures really make
you feel down
2. Easygoing and happy, take life one day at a time
It says in Nidah that a baby promises, which means he has the Koach to fulfill, 1 to
be a tzaddik and not to be a rasha 2 view yourself as like a rasha. We have 3
questions on this
1. In Avos it says dont view yourself to be a Rasha
2. focusing on shortcomings by viewing like a rasha leads to depression and were
supposed to serve Hashem with joy
3. If you think that you wont get depressed, this can lead to lightheadedness and
apathy
To answer, we get a new perspective on the levels of people. Its the derecho arucha
uktzara a longer explanation which leads to less struggles. The answer later on is
in the fact that it says view yourself as like a rasha and internally, a beinoini is like
a Rasha, so its really saying to strive to be a beinoini. Then why does it say like a
rasha it shouldve just said beinoini? Because to continue your avoda, you cant
look at yourself as someone who one the war, because youre still struggling.
Theres a Mashal that illustrates why the struggle of the Beinoini is valued by
Hashem: theres a naturally sweet food and a naturally bitter food. The bitter food
prepared in the right way is even sweeter than the naturally sweet food. When the
Beinoini, who struggles and sometimes fails, wins a struggle, its so much greater
and more appreciated than the Tzaddik. And when we realize that the purpose of
creation is the struggle, we wont get depressed by thinking about the fact that we
struggle.
The Alter Rebbe scanned through the entire Gemara and found that there are 5
types of people:
1) Tzaddik Vtov Lo a tzaddik with good in Gashmius also
2) Tzaddik Vra Lo a tzaddik who does not have it good BGashmius

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3) Rosha Vtov Lo a Rasha who has a good Gashmius life
4) Rasha Vra Lo a Rasha who does not have good Gashmius
5) The Beinoini the in between who we need to understand
Gemara: Tzaddikim also have other names. A Tzaddik Vtov Lo is also a Tzaddik
Gamur a complete tzaddik with complete love for Hashem, and this affects his
Gashmius so that he has a complete material life. Similar is with the Tzaddik Vra Lo
he is not complete Bruchnius, and therefore does not have complete Gashmius.
Raya Mehaimna in Zohar: the name Tzaddik Vra Lo shows on his Ruchniuc level.
Hes a Tzaddik with Ra- bad, but the bad is Lo in his control, it has no say and is
silent and given over to the Nefesh Elokis. A Tzaddik Vtov Lo, on the other hand, has
no evil at all.
The terms of Tzaddik meaning mostly merits, Rasha meaning mostly sins, and
Beinoini meaning half half are only boorowed terms Shem Hamushal, and are used
to describe reward and punishment in Bais Din Shel Maaleh and on Yom Kippur. But
the Shem Hatoar true description, is that a Tzaddik is perfect, a Beinoini struggles
and wins, and a Rasha struggles and sometimes gives in.
A beinoini doesnt even have 1 Aveira. A rasha has 1+ aveiros. A tzaddik has no
evil, struggle, or Nefesh Habehamis, like Dovid Hamelch whose Yetzer Hara was
missing because he fasted.
The essence of a person is his Nefesh Elokis and Nefesh Habehamis. The Behamis
makes the struggle. It is sourced spiritually in Kelipas Nogah, the Kelipa with which
we can fulfill the purpose of creation by elevating it. And physically it is sourced in
the left side of the heart, where oxygenated comes from, which gives us life. The job
of giving us life is given to the Nefesh Habehamis because it relates both to Hashem
and to physical life, and because the Nefesh Elokis is way to gdly to be in the body
on its own, so it needs the Nefesh Elokis to come first and create a home for it. The
Alter Rebbe discusses the Behamis first because it enters the person first when a
person becomes separate from its mother. The jobs of the Nefesh Elokis is 1. To
give life to the body and be an intermediary between the body and godliness 2. To
create a struggle for the beinoini 3. So a tzaddik can elevate it to kedusha

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Perek Bais Nefesh Elokis
The Tanya speaks much more about the Nefesh Elokis than the Nefesh Habahamis,
because by tapping into positivity, we accomplish more.
The Nefesh Elokis is Chelek Elokai Mimaal Mamash literally a piece of Hashem.
There are different levels of Neshamos, but theyre all connected to Hashem.
Self Esteem
A self of self-worth helps us achieve our goals. If you dont have self-esteem, you
cant fell happy about yourself. The world says you get self-esteem by finding your
talents and being special compared to others, but then your self-worth is based on
how people view you. This kind of self-esteem can eventually lead to depression and
questioning purpose. Its being a slave to society because your feelings are based
on how people perceive you, and your abilities and circumstances could change, so
your self-esteem will be shaky and as limited as the physical thing its based off. But
then theres Bitul. Bitul is self-nullification. Its not a lack of self-worth. It says that
Im relatively insignificant, even with all my talents, beauty, and glory. Those that
make me feel good and worth something will eventually pass on, and Ill have had
no impact on the world. But through Bitul we find true self-worth. We carve away
the physical perception of the human being and tap in to who and what I really am.
And who I really am is my Chelek Eloka, my Neshama which is literally a piece of
Hashem. It has infinite power and ability to change the world. Through every Mitzva
that we do, we make a forever lasting impact on the world. Using the Kochos of the
unlimited Neshama makes an unlimited impact on the world. Knowing this is
knowing your true self-worth.
The Neshama comes from above Ruchnius, but its down here in Gashmius.
Hashem puts a bit of His unlimited self into a limited person so that I can
accomplish the unlimited. And the Ruchnius can affect the Gashmius.
Neficha
Hashem blew a Neshama into Adam and into each and every person. Blowing
comes from a deep place, very internal. The deep breath that Hashem blows the
Neshama from very deep inside Hashem. As opposed to speaking, which is more
external, so you can speak for a long time. The world was created with the Asara
Maamoros ten sayings, so the world is more external. But the Neshama is the
most special thing in existence down here.
Chachma Ilaah
A child comes from Moach Haav, the fathers brain. We are Hashems children, so
were from Hashems brain. Hashem is one with His Chochma, says the Rambam.
This is a concept thats impossible to understand Ain Beyicholes Haadam Lehovein
Al Boryo. Since Hashem is the same as His Chochma, and we come from Hashems
Chochma, we come from the essence of Hashem Himself. But if we all come from
the same place, how can there be different levels of people. Worksheet.

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Connecting to a Rebbe connects you to Hashem and gives you Chayus from
Hashem. Chayus is a Pnimiusdike, internal life force that helps you do your Avoda
and reveal your Neshama, while Yenika is a more external aspect of life. Those who
work on their connection to the Rebbe get the deepest Chayus. They get it in a way
of Panim El Panim face to face. The Rebbe is happy to give Chayus to those that
actively want a connection. Those who dont work on their relationship, the Poshim
sinners and Mordim rebels, get their life force in the form of Yenika, they only get
the ability to live, but it doesnt help them in their Avoda. They get this life force

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through Bechinas Achorayim a backwards way, from a lower level of the Rebbe.
Since these people dont show consciously that they want this life force, it only
affects them subconsciously and externally. The life that the Poshim and Mordim
get is less in quantity, quality, awareness, and absorption.
Mashal of a Kings feast, and his servants are making and preparing and taking care
of it. When the feast is over, the servants party on the leftovers, and put the
whatever is still leftover into the garbage can. Then the mice and rats eat from the
garbage can. The mice and rats are still getting food, but its obviously on a much
lower level than those at the party, or even the servants.
Connecting to a Rebbe is literally connecting to Hashem Keilu NIdbak Beshchina
Mamash, because the Rebbe has a Neshama that is on a high level, so the Rebbe
gives us Hashpaa (Brachos) so that we have the ability to connect to Chochma
Ilaah.
Q: the Zohar says that the behavior of the parents while conceiving the child affects
the level of Neshama, but isnt it only Hashem Who decides what level of Neshama
a person will get?
A: Only Hashem can decide which level of Neshama a person should get, but the
parents can affect the Neshamas Levush. The Levush is like a clothing that
surrounds the Neshama, covering and expressing the Neshama. Although the
Levush covers some of the G-dliness, it gives the Neshama ability to do its Avoda
and sensitivity to Yidishkeit. A more refined Levush equals and easy time doing
Torah and Mitzvos. The Levush also gives the person ability to receive Hashems
Hashpaa.
Story of a Tzaddik from a lower level type of family said that had his parents acted
holier, he wouldve had an easier time with his Avoda.
If Hashem sees that parents are working hard to have holy children, Hashem can
give them a gift to have a child with a higher level Neshama.