ShiurBank

A Journey Through the Tanya

Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

The Tanya is the fundamental work of Chabad Chassidic thought. Its author is Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe. In 1796, he printed this comprehensive guidebook, a program for living an inspired Jewish life. Two and a half centuries later, the world has changed. Radically. Yet Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s methods, disciplines and insights remain true, refreshing and relevant as ever. These classes were given at Chabad of Sherman Oaks, CA. The series began in Kislev 5781 (December 2020) and concluded in Kislev 5784 (December 2023), covering a new chapter every Wednesday night.

Shiurim

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 19

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    A prophet sees. A sage understands. The question is, who is greater?

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 10

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Celebrate the finite. Celebrate the infinite. Why you should go overboard with Tzedaka.

  • Tanya Book 3 - Review

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The heart of Teshuva: G-d’s door is open. We just need to know how to get in.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 6

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Do you live a life of balance or extremes? A tale of two Judaisms

  • Tanya Chapter 6

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Contrast creates clarity. Everything we know about the G-dly soul is mirrored perfectly in the Animal soul.

  • Tanya Chapter 23

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The Momentary Effect. The Lingering Effect. The Eternal Effect. These are some of the incredible properties of Mitzvos.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 31

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Cutting off another Jew means cutting off your own blood flow.

  • Tanya Chapter 21

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Tzimtzum. That’s the code word for the mechanism that allows us to perceive ourselves as independent from the CCF (Cosmic Creative Force).

  • Tanya Book 2 Chapter 9

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    More than G-d is, G-d is not. Let’s explore what we know and what we don’t know about our Creator.

  • Tanya Chapter 42

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Contemplative meditation is the key to the heart. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 11

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Hashem gave us the gift of relationship with Him. Then he gave us another gift. The ability to correct the relationship when it goes awry. Thank G-d for Teshuva

  • Tanya Book 2 Chapter 6

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Does G-d have a character? The Rationalists, the Mystics, and the Alter Rebbe.

  • Tanya Chapter 9

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Life is an awesome battlefield. Two voices are constantly vying for your attention. Each demands unconditional surrender from the other. Who wins?

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 1

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Teshuva is not crying or apologizing for the past. It’s a commitment for the future. That’s it.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 2

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    How should we respond when we experience G-d’s generosity in our lives?

  • Review - Tanya Book 2

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    For a Jew, an intellectual exercise is only as valuable as its practical application. In this class, we reflect on five takeaways from the second book of the Tanya.

  • Tanya Book 2 Chapter 12

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The Alef-Bet: 22 specific shapes. 22 conduits of infinity.

  • Tanya Chapter 28

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The cure to Jewish Schizophrenia. It’s more about embracing your split personality than resolving it.

  • Tanya Chapter 14

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Believe it or not, you can be a Beinoni. If not for a lifetime, at least for a moment. Here’s how.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 12

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    It’s a good thing G-d didn’t ask you: a Jewish approach to suffering. Plus, what we learned from the goat’s milk and straw mattress

  • Tanya Chapter 20

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Let me say something controversial: G-d is one. As in, the only one. As in, you don’t exist.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 15

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The 10 Sefirot: a study of the human psyche

  • Tanya Chapter 43

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    High fear. Low fear. Big love. Little love. Let’s unpack it all.

  • Tanya Chapter 22

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Independence is one thing. But ego is next level. How did we get here?

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 21

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Give often, give sooner: it’s better physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

  • Tanya Book 2 Chapter 5

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    If everything is G-d, do Mitzvos have meaning? Spoiler alert: they do. Here’s how.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 4

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    One of the things that makes Judaism so compelling, is that each Mitzvah has so many layers of significance. In this class, we begin discussing the mystical meaning of Teshuva.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 11

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    If it’s good, it’s You. If it’s not good, it’s also You. And if it’s You, then it’s good. A conversation on human suffering. NOTE: during the class, the conversation became very lively, with many participants expressing their thoughts on th

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 28

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    What does one Tzaddik tell another Tzaddik to comfort him on the loss of his young son, also a Tzaddik?

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 9

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Revisiting your trauma to align with your inner center. That’s what higher Teshuva looks like.

  • Tanya Chapter 17

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Is Judaism relevant? If you’ve been following us till now, you should already know the answer. But just in case you don’t, take a listen.

  • Tanya Chapter 26

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Real estate agents say: Location. Location. Location. The Beinoni says: Motivation. Motivation. Motivation.

  • Tanya Chapter 32

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Love your fellow as yourself. We say it every day. Believe it or not, we can actually do it.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 5

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Socrates and the Onionaire: the story of every Jewish soul

  • Tanya Chapter 2

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Your soul is a piece of G-d. What does that mean? And if it’s true, why are there different types of Jews? Aren’t we all a continuum of the Singular Infinite Being?

  • Tanya Chapter 15

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Nobody likes boring people. Not even the Alter Rebbe. If there’s no tension in your life, create it!

  • Tanya Chapter 7

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    If we’re honest, we acknowledge that at any moment we’re doing one of two things: serving G-d, or serving Self. Plus: is there redemption for unholy acts?

  • Tanya Chapter 11

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    We’re all weak from time to time. The question is, do we care?

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 17

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    You did a Mitzvah. You also infused it with meaning and life. You get a reward for each. But not the way you might think.

  • Tanya Chapter 19

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    There’s a flame inside you. You can ignore it. You can fight it. The thing is, you can never put it out.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 22

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Before you run to the Rebbe to solve your issues, look inward first. Maybe there’s a reason for your pain.

  • Tanya Chapter 44

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    I want you because you’re my life. I want you because you’re my father. Have you ever said that to anyone?

  • Tanya Chapter 29

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    When you’re stuck and you don’t know why, your dreams might be a clue. And a few other things too. Listen and you’ll understand.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 18

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    The love of wanting and the love of having. Which one is more beautiful?

  • Review - Tanya Chapters 18-37

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    We’re two thirds in now. There’s no turning back. Let’s recap what we’ve learned about our inner potential, inspiring motivation, and why we struggle.

  • Review: Tanya Chapters 1-17

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    We’re roughly a third of the way through. So we pause to review. What is a Jew? And what is his existential battle?

  • Tanya Chapter 45

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Why is there no such thing as a center? For the same reason that beauty is created only through fusion. And for the same reason that compassion works when nothing else does.

  • Tanya Book 2 Chapter 10

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    When a lie is exposed, it vanishes. When a truth is exposed, it’s elevated. This explains a lot of things.

  • Tanya Chapter 33

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Faith and Knowledge. The two ingredients for wholesome Judaism.

  • Tanya Book 5 Note 3 (Letter 34)

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Studying with the wrong agenda vs. studying with no agenda, and why it’s impossible to pray robotically.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 16

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Just when it seems like you can’t give Tzedaka, that’s when you need to give it most

  • Tanya Chapter 18

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Judaism is a paradox. On the one hand, we’re climbing the mountain. On the other hand, we were born at the top.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 25

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    When G-d is in a Straitjacket: a small teaching with cosmic meaning.

  • Tanya Chapter 53

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Bringing it all together. If you want to know whether G-d is in your life, first find out how much you’re sacrificing for Him.

  • Tanya Chapter 41

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Respect and awe are the beginning and the end of Judaism.

  • Tanya Book 4 Letter 26

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    When reality shifts, our purpose shifts: a tale of two Torahs.

  • Tanya Chapter 50

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    When even the Alter Rebbe says he can’t communicate it properly in writing, you know we’re onto something big.

  • Tanya Chapter 47

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    Your body is holding your soul underwater. Give it the breath of fresh air it so desperately wants.

  • Tanya Book 5 Note 6 (Letter 36)

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    If you’ve got greatness, don’t celebrate pettiness: a new look at one of King David’s mistakes.

  • Tanya Book 3 Chapter 3

    Rabbi Yossi Lipskier

    What’s the Chassidic position on fasting for atonement? Smash the play button to find out.