As of this morning, I'm starting a new seder once a week. My 6-7 AM Sunday morning slot opened up, so I asked me rebbe what I should learn then. He asked me if I'd ever learned Tanya. I told him that I'd dabbled a little here and a little there, but not to deeply. He said that I should defninitely learn Tanya then. He said that it's the real nuts and bolts, the meat and potatos, so to speak, of Chassidus. And that if I really wanted to get a handle on the basics of Chassidus, that I needed to learn Tanya, b'iyun.
I said that I don't get into English seforim, so that I wouldn't be likely to enjoy "Lessons in Tanya," which I've perused. He suggested Rav Shteinzaltz's peirush on Tanya, Biur Tanya, which you can get from Kehot's webiste.
My friend Izbitza also suggested the book, Flames of Faith, by Rabbi Zev Reichman, giving over Shiurim of Rav Moshe Wolfson. Rabbi Boshnack said that although it's not explicitly written in the book, those shiurim by Rav Wolfson are an explanation of certain aspects of Tanya. So, IY"H, we'll have some good learning!
-Dixie Yid
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-Dixie Yid
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9 comments:
Tanya's great-I learned it through. Just make sure you stay far far away from the state of Chabad today.
A few other recommendations:
1) You can get lesson in Tanya in Hebrew, though it is a translation from the yiddish
2) R Reichman's book is based on Rav Wolfson's Tanya shiurim that he gave to a group of guys in English. You can call the person who puts out R Wolfson's tapes and get them all. They are very excellent!
3) They have also put together a work on Tanya based on R Wolfson's shiurim. They gave out a perek of it for someone's wedding. Don't know if they are still working on.
4) Heichal Menachem was working on Tanya mevueres (like Chasidus mevueres) and put on the first perek.
BTW, Who is your Rebbe? He sounds very special.
please take my comment with a grain of salt, or many grains of salt, but I think its a crime to learn a sefer like the Tanya b'iyun without a healthy dose of b'kiut.
when i first started the tanya i did a perek a day, you finish the entire thing in about four months.. and it only takes about 15 minutes a day. The advantage is you get a feel for the Baal HaTanya, his style, his system, and what the Tanya's about..
Then Rav Steinsaltz's peirush is invaluable.. especially if you know Rav Steinsaltz because you can hear him in every word. It's very modern intellectual hebrew though, so it doesn't always feel like 'learning' the way most other sefarim do, at least to me.
They also have tanya mevueres chapter 2 and something like it for chapter 48. I haven't seen the kuntres on tanya in a while. The tapes, if you can find them are good, but long. R Zev puts in a lot from R motel zilber, R wolfson's son in law too...
Maybe one day, I'll really understand the Tanya...
Anonymous,
Thanks for the advice. I had heard that Heichal Menachem was coming out with Tanya Mevueres on perakim 1-12 at some point, but that it still hasn't come out yet. I do like Chassidus Mevueres on the other Ma'amarim of the Baal Hatanya.
Yitz,
A crime? In terms of getting a feeling for the Baal Hatanya, I have learned a few pieces in Chassidus Mevueres from the Maamarim of the Baal Hatanya. Do you think that would do it?
I have noticed the more modern, intellectual Hebrew of R' Shteinzaltz. It is somewhat challenging but I think I'll get used to it. He does have a nice way of putting things though.
Izbitza,
Thanks again for the advice on Tanya learning supplements! I think that compairing your learning of Tanya and mine would be like compairing Apples and Oranges, but may we both merit to understand Tanya!
-Dixie Yid
You might want to see my Sefer Tanya blog -- http://sefertanya.blogspot.com/. I'd love feedback on it.
R' Feldman,
Thanks for the reference. I checked it out and added it to my sidebar links. Thanks!
-Dixie Yid
Rav Paltiel has excellent audio shiurim on Tanya in which he overviews the tanya learning for the coming week according to the yearly learning cycle of chabad. They are available to download on his website insidechassidus.org
I would be remiss as well if I didn't mention R Itche Meir's comments on the Tanya (in Yam Hachochma 5766) Call Biegelheisen on 16th ave in Brooklyn to order it.
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