/

Dr. Norman Lamm, who teach-
es a course on Tanya, said that
the trick to learning it is to "in-
terpret and translate the work
into contemporary language.
Then you discover what a subtle
yet powerful work it is, rich in
ideas and still relevant today."
What's relevant?
How many of us talk about our
stressful days and lives? We get
up in the morning, race the chil-
dren off to school, run to work,
barely spend any quality time at
home during the evenings and
it's back to bed again. Tanya
teaches that if we were close to
God, if we were in the process of
learning more about ourselves,
then we'd be happy. The anxiety
of work wouldn't shake that hap-
piness, because we would be sure
of our relationship with God.
"The idea," said Rabbi Berg-
stein, "is not to battle with evil,
but to lift yourself above it. To be
happy to be who you are and re-
alize how special it is to be a Jew."
Rabbi Elimelich Silberberg of
Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield
also is an active teacher of Tanya.
Many of his students credit him
with making Tanya under-
standable and appropriate in
their daily lives.
Debbie Wrotslovsky, an actu-
ary from Southfield and yeshiva
educated, is attracted by the "rel-
evancy" she finds in Tanya.
"For me, Tanya offers truth.
What does truth mean? It means
that I can take what is written
• and apply it to my life on a daily
• basis."
Cheryl Golding, another stu-
dent of Rabbi Silberberg, said,
"Tanya enlightens you as to why
you're really here. You have
choices to make. I've learned
from Tanya how to forgive. I
learned that if I held on to my
anger, rd just be angry all of the
time. It teaches people to be
> humble."
Or as Rabbi Silberberg said,
"Tanya talks to the soul. The soul

transcends the intellect. Hap-
piness is something you have to
work on. Tanya teaches that it's
a struggle to find that nugget of
happiness."
Rabbi Silberberg said that he
is finding that more and more
Jews are making time to search
for that happiness, for that iden-
tity. What they love about Tanya
is that it sees each Jew as a be-
liever, no matter what level of
knowledge he or she might be at.
Lori Jacobs, a Troy resident
and research attorney for the
court of appeals, said that Tanya
has taught her about the "in-
finiteness of God."
"I'm finding Tanya very fasci-
nating, and I'm learning a lot
about my own religion," said Ms.
Jacobs, who takes separate
courses with Rabbi Silberberg
and Rabbi Fireman. "The learn-
ing of Tanya is creating more of
a spirituality in me, more of an
interest in Judaism and in prac-
ticing Judaism."
"I knew there was a Jewish
concept of the soul," said Myrna
Shanker, another student of
Rabbi Silberberg.
"But by learning Tanya, you
find that there are many differ-
ent attributes that each individ-
ual soul has. By understanding
that each person's soul is so high-
ly individualized, you under-
stand why people are so
different.
"Now, I go about elevating the
nature of my soul. I by to be a lit-
tle more humble, a little sweet-
er."
For Rabbi Bergstein, the rea-
sons to study Tanya are even
more dramatic.
"It offers a vista, a panorama
of spirituality," he said. "With-
out Tanya, the Torah looks dis-
jointed, more like a mumbo
jumbo. Without Tanya, it's all
very mechanical. Tanya teaches
us how to expand our horizons
and have a greater love for Torah
and Talmud." ❑

Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg gives Tanya lessons to Jews from many different levels of
observance.

A Short Look
At Tanya

This is a sample of Tanya
from its heralded Chapter 32
that scholars say the Alter
Rebbe used to emphasize one
of the cornerstone teachings
of Judaism, avhavat Yisroel,
or the love for one's fellow
Jew. The number 32, corre-
sponds to the Hebrew word
lay, or heart.
Chapter 32 is often the
piece of Tanya recommended
as a sample by rabbinic schol-
ars.
"Acting on the suggestion
mentioned above — to view
one's body with scorn and con
tempt, and finding joy only in
the joy of the soul alone — is
a direct and easy way to at-
tain the fulfillment of the com-
mandment "Thou shalt love
thy fellow as thyself' toward
every soul of Israel, both great
and small.
"For whereas one despis-
es and loathes one's body,
while as for the soul and spir-
it, who can know their great-
ness and excellence in their
root and source in the living
God? Being, moreover, all of
a kind and all having one Fa-
ther — therefore, all Israelites
are called real brothers by
virtue of the source of their
souls in the One Cr-d; only the
bodies are separated. Hence
in the case of those who give
major consideration to their
bodies while regarding their
souls as of secondary impor-
tance, there can be no true
love and brotherhood among
them, but only a love which is
dependent on a transitory
thing.
This is what Hillel the El-
der meant when he said in re-
gard to the fulfillment of this
commandment, "This is the
whole Torah, whilst the
rest is but commentary,"
and so on. For the basis
and root of the entire
Torah are to raise and ex-
alt the soul high above the
body, reaching unto the
Source and Root of all the
worlds, and also to bring
down the blessed light of
the En Sof (Holy Spirit)
upon the community of Is-
rael, as will be explained
later into the fountain-
head of the souls of Israel,
to become "One into One."
This is impossible if there
is, G-d forbid, disunity
among the souls, for the
Holy One, blessed be He,
does not dwell in an im-
perfect place. ❑

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