Shiuring is Caring

Shiuring is Caring

by Moshe Gordon

Season 4

Tanya is a ברייתא: You’re Probably Mistaken

Welcome back to Tanya is a ברייתא! This week, we take a look at the Alter Rebbe’s take on the prohibition of lustful thought, and it’s surprising implications in his overarching thesis regarding the definition of a Beinoni. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: the Scoop on Secular Studies

Welcome back to Tanya is a ברייתא! This week, we take a look at the Alter Rebbe’s view on secular studies, as it’s discussed in his niglah’dike works, and how it ties into his (seemingly) novel approach in Tanya. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: Who Owns the Tanya?

This week, we take a deep dive into the idea of copyright, as it’s expressed in the Tanya. We give a background on the teshuva of the Rama, the common copyright practice, and then we look at the five “copyrights” given to the Tanya, and what they can show us about why the Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: Can We Talk for a Second?

This week, we take a deep dive into an idea expressed at the very end of Tanya, to not talk idle talk on Shabbos. We discuss the halachos of talking on Shabbos, talking in general, and ultimately how they build the Alter Rebbe’s platonic ideal of Shabbos. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: pros of prose (4:32)

This week, we take a deep dive into a line in Iggeres Hakodesh 32, in which the Alter Rebbe emphasizes that he’s quoting from a poet. We discuss some theories as to how he felt about poetry in general, and why he would choose to quote a poet when he seemingly could’ve quoted a prophet. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: where’s our crown? (4:29)

This week we take a look at Igeres Hakodesh 29, and we take a deep dive into how the subtle changes in the Alter Rebbe’s wording between this letter and his Hilchos Talmud Torah. The estuary of halacha and kabalah tell a compelling story, about how grammar and typos can make a world of a difference. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: Zohar is the New Shulchan Aruch (4:26)

This week we take a look at Igeres Hakodesh 26, in which we ask a slew of questions on the Alter Rebbe’s conception of Talmud Torah when Moshiach comes. We weave through seeming contradictions and absurdities, until we arrive at an understanding of the chapter, which lends clarity in the Alter Rebbe’s conception of Talmud Torah in general. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: Hashem is Truly Everywhere? (4:25)

This week we take a look at Igeres Hakodesh 25, in which we ask a nudnik question: why does the Alter Rebbe choose to quote a less common pasuk to prove G-d’s omnipresence? In a very conspiracy-theorist-with-a-corkboard kind of way, we go through Midrash, Kabalah, philosophy, Musar, and Halacha, showing how this pasuk is the perfect choice to bring out every point the Alter Rebbe was trying to make simultaniously. (The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. Enjoy the shiur!)

Tanya is a ברייתא: talking in middle of davening (4:24)

Welcome to a new series of shiurim! The intention of this series is to attempt to bring out the Alter Rebbe’s intention by doing a deep dive into his (oftentimes niglah’dike) sources. This week we take a look at Igeres Hakodesh 24, which discusses talking in middle of davening. The fundamental question is, what exactly concerned the Alter Rebbe about talking during davening? We take apart the whole notion of talking in middle of davening and put it back together again, with the hope that by the end of it, we appreciate the inner mechanisms in a whole new light. Enjoy!

Season 3

Tanya Summary Shiur 55

Tanya Summary Shiur, Chapters 5-9 of part 5. The intention behind these shiurim is to be able to have an overview of Tanya in digestible chunks. Often, it feels like each days Tanya shines on its own, but it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture without taking a step back. The goal of this series was (and is, continuing here on Spotify) to give an opportunity to step back and review the weeks Tanya in 10-15 minutes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy! We’re not going into past tense; Tanya is timeless, these shiurim are still relevant. But we’re still pushing forward. New series already started dropping (although these last two weeks I was working on these last two summary shiurim, long story). But exciting things are on their way! Ultamitely to culminate with the coming of Moshiach, teikef umiyad, literally!!!

6 of 18