Tanya: The Kabbalah of You | with Rabbi Levi Dubov

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #9 - Chapter 2 pt. 3

Seeing the collective of Jewish souls as many parts of a single "body" allows us to understand the role of a Rebbe and leader of the Jewish people. The soul of the Rebbe is compared to the "head" of the entire body, nourishing and leading all the particular souls within the singular organism that is the Jewish people.

The chapter concludes by asking: who decides what soul level we get? While the parents play a role in determining the "garment" of the soul, it is ultimately G-d's exclusive decision what type of soul each person receives.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #8 - Chapter 2 pt. 2

Through a careful analysis of the father-child metaphor and applying it to the G-d-soul relationship, we uncover profound depth in the nature of our souls:

All Jews are one organism; each soul a pure piece of G-d in its source, and even as each specific soul evolves into its own unique and diverse role, it never loses its original identity as a piece of G-d.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #7 - Chapter 2 pt. 1

Chapter 2 of Tanya introduces us to our second soul: The Divine Soul, a literal piece of G-d. This soul is the core identity of the Jew and is present in every single Jew.  

Because of this soul, the Torah refers to the Jewish people as the children of G-d, a theme that will be greatly expounded upon further in the chapter.  

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #6 - Chapter 1 pt. 3

The Alter Rebbe introduces us to the doctrine of the Two Souls. We don't have one identity, we have two, distinct and completely independent souls, each with their own identities, drives, and personalities.  

We conclude chapter 1 by learning about the Animal Soul. This soul is motivated by its ego and is fully self-absorbed. The spiritual source of this soul is Kelipah, which suppresses any awareness of G-d, allowing the ego to emerge.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #5 - Chapter 1 pt. 2

The Alter Rebbe begins to resolve the mystery of our purpose, but leaves more questions than answers. The conclusion of this opening exploration is that we must shift from searching on the superficial behavioral level and begin to explore ourselves deeper.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #4 - Chapter 1 pt. 1

We begin our journey through Tanya with a fundamental question: Who am I? What am I meant to become? What does G-d expect from me? An enigmatic citation from the Talmud leads us into an exploration to define the terms Tzadik (a righteous person), rasha (a wicked person), and a beinoni (an inbetweener).

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #3 - Author's Introduction pt. 2  

In response to concerns from his community, the Alter Rebbe boldly illustrates that the Tanya is no ordinary book: the Alter Rebbe intimately knew his followers and wrote the book with each of them in mind. The book would serve as a practical guide to spiritual living dedicated to serving G-d. It would include all the answers to all the questions.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You #2 - Author's Introduction pt. 1

In his introduction to the Tanya, the Alter Rebbe addresses the concerns of his community in response to the publishing of Tanya: can a book truly replace personal guidance and mentorship by a Rebbe? 

The question is a personal one for the modern student of the Tanya: is the Tanya for me? Can the Tanya talk to me on a personal level?

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].

Tanya: The Kabbalah of You - Class 1

This class explores the historical roots of the Tanya. The condition of the Jewish community in the European heartland in the second half of the seventeenth century, the founding of the Chassidic movement by the Baal Shem Tov in the early eighteenth century, and the revolution of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, to create a model with which the energy and ideas of Chassidus can be internalized.

In conclusion, we study the "author's title page", where we learn the mission of the book: to understand how Judaism is "within reach" and meaningful on a deep level, and that this book takes the "long-but-short" approach.

You can contact Rabbi Dubov at [email protected].