Tanya

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Note: Tanya Rabbati, a 16th century Italian code of Jewish law, is an unrelated work with a similar name. For other uses, see Tanya (disambiguation).

Likkutei Amarim ( ליקוטי אמרים, Hebrew, "collection of statements"), more commonly known as the Tanya (תניא, Aramaic, "it was taught"), is an early work of Hasidic Judaism, written by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad, in 1797 CE. The name "Tanya" derives from the book's first word, which is Aramaic for "It is stated in a baraita."

The Tanya deals with Jewish spirituality and psychology, from a Kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) point of view. Most of the work's first part, "The Book of the Average Man", the beinoni, serves as a fundamental and basic guide to the spiritual service of God. The state of the beinoni is described as one of ongoing tension and struggle. This struggle is not simply the confrontation between good and evil, but rather the ongoing encounter between one's two souls - the animal and the divine - the soul that draws downward toward the earth and the soul that aspires upward toward the Divine. The Tanya seeks to demonstrate to the "average" Jewish man or woman that knowledge of God is there for the taking, that spiritual growth to ever higher levels is real and imminent, if one is willing to engage in the struggle. [1]

Unlike other early Hasidic works, this book is not a collection of sermons or stories, but rather a systematic exposition of Shneur Zalman's philosophy. Its lengthy sentences and complicated syntax make the study of this work a demanding task. Lubavitcher Hasidim are enjoined to study from this work each day. They see it as a sacred duty to publish and distribute this book as widely as possible.

Shneur Zalman published his Likkutei Amarim anonymously in 1797. Later editions incorporated additional writings by Shneur Zalman. The latest version of this work, dating from 1814, consists of five parts.

Sefer shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Average Man"). This book describes how exactly, through contemplation of greatness of the Creator and the union that a Jew has with him through Torah's commandments can a Jew achieve love and fear necessary for the sincere service. This approach is the fundamental idea of Chabad: the goal is to achieve emotion during the service of a Jew (including everyday following of commandments and during the prayer), but this emotion must come from the intellectual understanding of the mystical and spiritual aspects of the service. That is why this approach and the movement are called Chabad, after the intellectual forces of creation: Chochmah (knowledge), Binah (understanding), Daat (caring). [All three words can be translated as "knowledge", but they are translated specifically as above within the framework of Chabad philosophy.]
Sha'ar ha-Yihud ve-ha-Emunah ("The Gateway of Unity and Belief") This book describes how although the Creation is different from the Creator, they are united. Furthemore, it talks about how although on the surface it seems that the Creator uses multiple forces to create the world, in their origin within the Creator, these forces come from the same source.
Iggeret Teshuvah ("Letter of Repentance".) This section is also known as the "Tanya Katan" ("Brief Tanya".) It describes the mystical aspect of repentance that not only leads to forgiveness for the sins but can actually move the repenting person to a spiritual place that is higher than where he was before sinning.
Iggeret ha-Kodesh ("Letter of Holiness".) This section was not published until 1814, after Shneur Zalman's death. It is a collection of letters which the author wrote to his disciples and different Chassidic communities, in which he talked about mystical aspects of certain commandments (such as charity, Torah study, or in general, all commandments concerned with a physical deed). Today it is used as a source of certain in-depth concepts of the Written Chassidism not concerned specifically with emotion felt during service or repentance. It is a more profound and more focused work of mysticism than the previous sections.
Kunteres Aharon ("Last Thesis".) This section was not published until 1814, after Shneur Zalman's death. It is also a series of letter in which the author resolved certain seeming controversies in Kabbalah. This section is an even more in-depth revelation of certain mystical ideas than the previous one.

In general, although the first book is more concerned with avodah (service), while the later ones are increasingly concerned with more complicated and in-depth mystical concepts, the author unites abstract Kabbalistic ideas with the importance of everyday service and an emotion that must accompany it.