Tanya by Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “The Magical 24 Hour Silent Meditation” Tanya Last Essays Number 9 SIYUM HATANYA IN FORT MYERS FLORIDA Based on the verse הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך the Talmud says even 100 times. The Alter Rebbe is pleading for us to have pity on our souls in 3 areas. 1. Prayer. Prayer is the service of the Heart to G-D. Prayer should be done. All together. One word at a time. No dreaming. No talking. The problem is not having a proper person to lead the service. The solution to chose people that are capable of leading the service. Either by lottery or majority approval. The requirements are. Saying each word. Medium pace. Loud voice. The community should gather around & pray with the same requirements. This Prayer practice will take away any & all struggles that we have. G-D should purify our hearts to serve him in Truth. Torah Study. To divide the study of the whole Talmud every year within each community. If it’s a big community to finish it multiple times. If it’s a small community to unite with other communities. All those that study the Talmud should recite every week psalm 119 as it has 8 verses per each letter of the alphabet. Fasting. When one sins. The way to cleanse yourself is via fasting. The amounts of fasts are listed in אגרת התשובה chapter 3. Substitute for fasting - Shabbas. Since we don’t have the strength to fast we can can use the advise from the Talmud כל השומר שבת כהלכתו מוחלין לו על כל עוונותיו״ “Whoever observes Shabbas according to its laws are forgiven for all their sins” The Talmud says specifically “כהלכתו Jewish Law” so we need to learn all the Halachot of Shabbas. To know what’s forbidden & to know how to prepare before Shabbas to avoid any desecration of Shabbas. “24 Hour Silent Meditation” Not to speak any unnecessary words on Shabbas G-D forbid. As it’s known to those that study the hidden teachings. That every mitzvah has פנימיות וחיצוניות the spiritual & the physical component in each mitzvah. The חיצוניות of Shabbas is just like Hashem rested so we rest from any physical work. The פנימיות of Shabbas is meditation in prayer & Torah study to cleave to Hashem. As the verse says שבת לה׳ אלקיך that we rest in a way that our soul gets deeply reconnected to Hashem our G-D. Specifically this is the פנימיות of the positive Mitzvah of זכור את יום השבת by meditation in Prayer & Torah study. The פנימיות of the Mitzvah of שמור את יום השבת is resting from speaking on Shabbas just like Hashem rested from speaking on Shabbas the ten utterances that we’re said the 6 days of creation. The חיצוניות is no physical work the פנימיות is no speech. The Alter Rebbe finishes off with a quote from King Solomon’s ecclesiastes that says זה לעומת זה that both sides are equal namely that The not speaking creates the same rest & spiritual elevation as does the meditation in Prayer & Torah study. Interesting the verse speaks about when life is great we are to be grateful & when life is challenging we’re to look & contemplate as both are from the same loving G-D hence the power of silence. Mazal Tov !!! A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/aVEJp4jrHCM Brought to you by: ALL THINGS PODCAST Contact us for all your podcast needs: [email protected]

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “Praying leisurely with meditation will develop a revealed Love for Hashem” Tanya Last Essays Number 8 The Alter Rebbe says that he’s not happy to hear that they don’t allow the chazan that prays leisurely to lead the prayer service. Praying leisurely creates life & long life. If the שליח ציבור prays leisurely he creates life & long life for the whole community. As the Talmud says that there are 3 things that create long life & one praying leisurely. If your in a rush it’s better for the chazan to pray slowly to grant everyone a long life even though you will have to leave early & miss קדושה וברכו. Since you need to leave early your considered a אונס and would exempt & the chazan can have you in mind in his prayers and it would be as if you fully participated in the service. As the Talmud tells us of the community out in the fields that cant make it synagogue that the big synagogue exempts them thru their prayers. In the times of the Mishna & Talmud when the main avoda was learning Torah they prayed leisurely. Now before Moshiach arrival Rabbi Chaim Vital says our main Avodah is Prayer how much more so do we need to pray leisurely. Praying leisurely is actually a biblical obligation for those that know how to meditate each according to their abilities the time that it takes to create Awe & love in his or her heart for Hashem. The meditation takes place during פסוקי דזמרה & the 2 blessing before Shema יוצר ואהבת עולם as we praise Hashem so that when we say the verse ואהבת in Shema the love that is concealed should be felt in a revealed way as that is the Mitzvah of ואהבת בכל לבבך as that is the source that inspires all the other 248 positive Mitzvot as the Rambam writes that in order to fulfill all Mitzvot with truth one needs to feel true Love for Hashem. The biblical commandment of ואהבת that is the biblical commandment to pray leisurely & with meditation, to awaken & reveal the hidden love for Hashem. As you can’t command to love so the Magid of Mezritch explains that the commandment is on the meditation. שמע ישראל we need to meditate that ה אלקינו ה אחד than we are assured that we will love Hashem. On the inner love that we all have for Hashem there is no need for a commandment as we love Hashem in that level. The commandment is to reveal it in the G-Dly soul, as well to reveal it in the natural soul where there it did not even exist in a concealed way. When we reveal the love for Hashem to the natural soul that operates our life we elevate the sparks as the purpose of prayer is to elevate the sparks thru the avodah of אתהפכא or אתכפי of the נפש החיונית to the נפש אלקית. As the blood is the soul & the life of the person, the Blood gets renewed everyday by the food & drink that we consume, we are also effected by our clothing & house that we live in. So when we use it for the נפש אלקית וקדושה that is the בירור הניצוצות that happens when our love for Hashem is revealed during Prayer. Therefore it is important to pray leisurely & meditate to bring out the love for Hashem. However in previous generations that had high level souls they were able to create that level of level of level by praying without the leisure pace & meditation. A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/cTCT9vkeS6w Brought to you by: ALL THINGS PODCAST Contact us for all your podcast needs: [email protected]

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “The powerful impact of Charity to draw down Love & Humility to the essence of your Heart” Tanya Last Essays Number 7 The Alter Rebbe quotes from the prophet Amos וצדקה כנחל איתן that charity will be revealed with great strength like the strong stream that flows with great strength. The Alter Rebbe explains the mystical insight to the verse נחל is a reference to the flow & איתן is a reference to חכמה. There are 3 interpretations to איתן they are תוקף, קשה ויושן which are all found in the חכמה of the נשמה of every Jew as the letter Yud is a Dot with a Point on top & on bottom which is a נקודה בהיכלא that from the Dot-the humility of Chochma it is drawn in to The chamber of Bina which is than drawn into the essence of the heart so that the essence of the heart gets to experience the Humilty & Love of the total nullification of Chochma. Chochma is called תרין ריעין דלא מתפרשין as you need Chochma for the world to continue to exist. The four letters that make up the word איתן are all a reference to the future so איתן that has all 4 letters is a reference to a future revelation when Moshiach will be revealed as then the infinite light & the oneness of Hashem into the essence of our heart. Thru drawing down the נחל איתן a reference to חכמה עילאה that will light up the essence of our hearts. The depths of our hearts will be nullified in the oneness of Hashem. By taking off the ערלת הלב מתאוות גשמיות As the חכמה will light up the Heart. The alter Rebbe says this experience that humility & love of חכמה should shine in our essence of our hearts is possible during exile as well. By awakening רחמים רבים העליונים on the fact that the spark of Hashem is in Galus because as long as חכמה עילאה is not revealed & felt in the Heart The spark is in exile as it can’t express it’s true powers in a revealed way. Thru the רחמים רבים it goes out from exile & it shines in the essence of the heart till it wants to cleave & unite with Hashem. As the verse in the Prophet ישעי׳ says ליעקב אשר פדה את אברהם the simple meaning is that the reason why Abraham was saved from the furnace so that Yaakov can be born in the future. The spiritual meaning is that when what Abraham represents Love & Kindness is concealed we need Yaakov that represents Rachamim compassion to reveal the love & kindness that’s concealed. The Alter Rebbe brings from the Zohar that אתערותא דלתתא אתערותא דלעילא that when we awaken with in us רחמים רבים which is the attributes of רחמנים וגומלי חסדים to help materially with Gold & Silver the charity causes the flow of the pure intellect of love & humility into the essence of our hearts. The Alter Rebbe quotes from Job that says כי עור בעד עור וכל אשר לאיש יתן בעד נפשו that when it comes to saving the G-Dly Soul you should be willing to do anything in other words to give with out limit so that your life should be filled with the life of the infinite light. A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/BkPEh5iKieg Brought to you by: ALL THINGS PODCAST Contact us for all your podcast needs: [email protected]

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “Halacha of Torah is much higher than anything we can imagine” Tanya Last Essays Number 6 In last chapter we learned that Mitzvot & Halacha of Torah Draws down G-Dly light as well as elevation of the holy sparks. This chapter the Alter Rebbe teaches us that Halacha of Torah is so high in relation to the world as the world does not exist. When King David recaptured the Ark from the philishtim he carried it on a wagon as he forgot the Torah requirement of בכתף ישאו the reason why he forgot as he called the Halachas of Torah זמירות. Why was he punished for calling the Torah זמירות ? What is the connection to forgetting how to cary the ark as the appropriate punishment? The Alter Rebbe quotes the Talmud that says דוד זמירות קרית להו כו & we know he was punished for that. Why? The Zohar says שבחא דאורייתא ורננה that Torah is praise to HaShem. What is the praise to HaShem when you say something is forbidden or permissible? In psalms king David says מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳ מאד עמקו מחשבותיך seemingly Thought comes before action how come it says מעשיך before מחשבותיך? The Alter Rebbe explains that thru the גדלו מעשיך we know the מאד עמקו מחשבותיך. As we see that all the worlds higher & lower are dependent on the minute detail of the fulfillment of the Mitzvot. For example: A sacrifice when done correctly creates a high level union that all the worlds receive its life from. If not done correctly so the worlds are not elevated. When we put on kosher Tefilin the intellect of ז״א ומלכות דאצילות is revealed as a source of life for the worlds. If it’s not kosher so the intellect disappears. The same applies to all the negative precepts that it affects all the worlds. This is the meaning of מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳ when you think about all the worlds that are totally nullified to a minute detail of the Torah & The Torah is the depth of מחשבה עליונה וחכמתו יתברך so you see the infinite power of עמקו מחשבותיך. In other words thru the worlds that are dependent on the Torah that is dependent on the depth of the thought of HaShem we see the real power of HaShem. Just like our hair comes from our intellect. As the Zohar says that Halachas are like the hair that comes from the intellect. This is the reason for king David’s rejoicing as he was so happy with his Torah study in the midst of all his challenges. As he felt that the whole world & everything taking place in it has no value in comparison to one point of Torah study. For this he was punished. As this idea that the whole world is nullified by one nuance in Torah this Torah only comes from חיצוניות of the עומק המחשב of HaShem. As the Arizal says נובלות חכמה שלמעלה תורה. However the פנימיות שבעומק of the מחשבה עליונה which is the פנימיות התורה is unified with the infinite light that is totally one with the infinite light. In reference to the infinite light all the worlds are like nothing as if they don’t exist. As HaShem has not changed from before to after creation. Therefore even for פנימיות התורה which is unified with the infinite light there is no room to praise HaShem based on the worlds as the worlds have no value. The פנימיות התורה is not for humans to rejoice rather it’s for HaShem to rejoice as HaShem is the only one that understands it & knows it’s place & value as he’s one with the Torah. As it’s concealed from humans as the verse says ופני לא יראו as the arizal explains this to mean פנימיות התורה. And as the verse says in proverbs ואהי אצלו שעשועים that it’s for HaShem an enjoyment. This level of פנימיות is the source of the Neshamot as the verse says ואהיה אצלו אמון & the Medrash says to read it אומן like a child being fed from the פנימיות. The level of חיצוניות is what gives life force to the world. As the Torah has פנים ואחור says והיא כתובה פנים ואחור. Since king David praised חיצוניות of Torah that’s connected to the world therefore he was punished with שכחה as that comes from אחוריים as in פנימיות

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “Halacha of Torah is much higher than anything we can imagine” Tanya Last Essays Number 6 In last chapter we learned that Mitzvot & Halacha of Torah Draws down G-Dly light as well as elevation of the holy sparks. This chapter the Alter Rebbe teaches us that Halacha of Torah is so high in relation to the world as the world does not exist. When King David recaptured the Ark from the philishtim he carried it on a wagon as he forgot the Torah requirement of בכתף ישאו the reason why he forgot as he called the Halachas of Torah זמירות. Why was he punished for calling the Torah זמירות ? What is the connection to forgetting how to cary the ark as the appropriate punishment? The Alter Rebbe quotes the Talmud that says דוד זמירות קרית להו כו & we know he was punished for that. Why? The Zohar says שבחא דאורייתא ורננה that Torah is praise to HaShem. What is the praise to HaShem when you say something is forbidden or permissible? In psalms king David says מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳ מאד עמקו מחשבותיך seemingly Thought comes before action how come it says מעשיך before מחשבותיך? The Alter Rebbe explains that thru the גדלו מעשיך we know the מאד עמקו מחשבותיך. As we see that all the worlds higher & lower are dependent on the minute detail of the fulfillment of the Mitzvot. For example: A sacrifice when done correctly creates a high level union that all the worlds receive its life from. If not done correctly so the worlds are not elevated. When we put on kosher Tefilin the intellect of ז״א ומלכות דאצילות is revealed as a source of life for the worlds. If it’s not kosher so the intellect disappears. The same applies to all the negative precepts that it affects all the worlds. This is the meaning of מה גדלו מעשיך ה׳ when you think about all the worlds that are totally nullified to a minute detail of the Torah & The Torah is the depth of מחשבה עליונה וחכמתו יתברך so you see the infinite power of עמקו מחשבותיך. In other words thru the worlds that are dependent on the Torah that is dependent on the depth of the thought of HaShem we see the real power of HaShem. Just like our hair comes from our intellect. As the Zohar says that Halachas are like the hair that comes from the intellect. This is the reason for king David’s rejoicing as he was so happy with his Torah study in the midst of all his challenges. As he felt that the whole world & everything taking place in it has no value in comparison to one point of Torah study. For this he was punished. As this idea that the whole world is nullified by one nuance in Torah this Torah only comes from חיצוניות of the עומק המחשב of HaShem. As the Arizal says נובלות חכמה שלמעלה תורה. However the פנימיות שבעומק of the מחשבה עליונה which is the פנימיות התורה is unified with the infinite light that is totally one with the infinite light. In reference to the infinite light all the worlds are like nothing as if they don’t exist. As HaShem has not changed from before to after creation. Therefore even for פנימיות התורה which is unified with the infinite light there is no room to praise HaShem based on the worlds as the worlds have no value. The פנימיות התורה is not for humans to rejoice rather it’s for HaShem to rejoice as HaShem is the only one that understands it & knows it’s place & value as he’s one with the Torah. As it’s concealed from humans as the verse says ופני לא יראו as the arizal explains this to mean פנימיות התורה. And as the verse says in proverbs ואהי אצלו שעשועים that it’s for HaShem an enjoyment. This level of פנימיות is the source of the Neshamot as the verse says ואהיה אצלו אמון & the Medrash says to read it אומן like a child being fed from the פנימיות. The level of חיצוניות is what gives life force to the world. As the Torah has פנים ואחור says והיא כתובה פנים ואחור. Since king David praised חיצוניות of Torah that’s connected to the world therefore he was punished with שכחה as that comes from אחוריים as in פנימיות

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “Why is it crucial to Study all of Jewish Law before you pass away” Tanya Last Essays Number 5 The Alter Rebbe is going to explain the reason why by studying Jewish Law even of Law that might not apply or perhaps never even happen we are elevating the holy sparks of תהו. The Alter Rebbe explains that anything that is forbidden according to the Torah even a small sin receives its life force from the קליפות other wise it would not exist. Even If the prohibition never happened the source for it’s possibility exists in the world of the kelipot. Even sins that never happened or never will happen is still rooted in חכמה עילאה that was all given to Moshe Rabeinu at Mount Sinai as the Talmud says שכל תלמיד ותיק עתיד לחדש was given to Moshe Rabeinu at Sinai as well as all the hypothetical questions of Rabbi Yermiya as well as the hypothetical questions of a sleeve over the first born as the Torah that is from חכמה עילאה has with in it אין סוף as the Zohar says אבא יסד ברתא from חכמה עילאה it goes in to Malchus & Torah is פה a reference to Malchut & from there it goes into בי״ע. The kelipot receive their life force from the אחורים of the ten holy Sefirot, specifically from the garments of the ten Sefirot of בי״ע more specific from the garments of יצירה & עשיה. When you learn Halacha with Speach & thought the Kelipot are separated from the Kedusha. How come the Torah itself did not separate the Kelipah out? The Alter rebbe brings the Talmud Nedarim page 81 side 1 that the reason the Torah is not handed over automatically as they have not made the blessing before they studied. The mystical interpretation is: Beracha means to draw down a reference to drawing down the infinite light into the Torah. When we study Torah we draw down the infinite light into the torah & that has the power to elevate the sparks of the subject we are learning about even if what we are learning did not or will not exist. The drawing down happens when your דיוקן העליון your image above studies what your studying down here in its source בנוקבא דזעיר אנפין דבי״ע. This is the reason why every נפש רוח ונשמה has to study all 613 commandments in thought speech & action on the level of פשט רמז דרוש וסוד to elevate all 288 sparks if we don’t accomplish our mission we need to come back in another גלגול to complete the task. When moshiach arrives & we will have finished the elevation of the holy sparks so the main study of Torah will be in the positive commandments to elevate the נפש רוח ונשמה higher & higher to the infinite light. We will also study the Torah of the 365 negative commandments in the source which is גבורות דקדושה to sweeten them with the חסדים of the 248 positive commandments to unify them together. Hence the Torah is everlasting in general & even specifically all the Mitzvot even those that might not apply as they are all part of the one Torah & have a place in the ה גבורות דקדושה like they 365 negative precepts as they are the blood that gives life force to the vessels of זעיר אנפין. A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/ATb5JtR2l-8 Brought to you by: ALL THINGS PODCAST Contact us for all your podcast needs: [email protected]

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “The Power of Prayer to Heal & the powerful connection with G-D thru Mitzvot” Tanya Last Essays Number 4 In פרי עץ חיים it says that today the main transformation of the holy sparks that are dispersed in קליפת נוגה is thru תפלה. The Alter Rebbe will explain why this is so & not thru תורה or מצוות. Hashem set a certain amount of infinite light that is revealed in אצילות when we study Torah or do Mitzvot we add light in the world of Atzilut. Thru Torah study we add light to the intellect of Atzilut when we do Mitzvot we add light to the external midot of Atzilut that are drawn down to Torah & Mitzvot in this world however the light does not penetrate in the world itself. However thru Prayer the light of Atzilut comes down in this world to affect real change where if a person is sick they can be healed or to bring down real tangible blessings. Which does not happen thru Torah study or Mitzvot for even the change of an item when dedicated to a mitzvah is a human accomplishment not divine as in prayer. The reason why prayer is so powerful as when one prays בכל מאדך that creates feminine waters that reaches the powerful name of ס״ג that is the source of the רפ״ח lights of תהו that draws down a בלי גבול energy. Hence תפלה is called חי שעה the literal meaning as we pray for transient items the spiritual meaning is that שעה is a reference to the sefira of Malchut that draws down the light to lowest worlds. תורה is called חיי עולם as עולם is a reference to ז״א of אצילות as the Torah creates more light in אצילות. Hence we see the power of prayer as prayer has the power to elevate the holy sparks of תהו to the highest level of the name ס״ג until the infinite light. Especially today when when our souls are not on such a high level we need prayer to do the transformation. If there is a mitzvah to do & no one else can do it we may stop studying Torah or Praying to do the mitzvah as thru Mitzvot we transform the holy sparks & this is the purpose of creation. When you learn Kabbalah you only connect to the מציאות. Nevertheless it is a huge mitzvah as the verse says in Devarim וידעת היום and in Divrei Hayamim דע את אלקי אביך that we need to know & meditate on the spiritual structure & flow as that will bring us to ועבדהו בלב שלם as it says in Devarim ויצונו ה לעשות את כל החוקים האלה ליראה את ה׳ אלקינו since the purpose is to have Yirat Hashem & studying Kabbalah & chasidus will bring us to Yirat Hashem. Now this is only one mitzvah. However in order to transform the world we need to study & observe all the Mitzvot. Another reason why Mitzvot are so powerful as Mitzvot receive their energy from the name ס״ג the filler of hashem name with ו of the פנימיות of אדם קדמון which is associated with תהו & we receive our energy from the name מ״ה the filler of hashem name with א of the מצח of אדם קדמון Which is associated with תיקון hence we that are from מ”ה need to eat from דומם צומח וחי as they are from ס”ג. Another reason why Mitzvot are so powerful is meditation & inspiration cause you to be elevated for a short while & Mitzvot draw down the external light into this world that causes the internal world to be elevated hence moshe Rabeinu prayed 515 prayers to enter the land of Israel that he can draw down the light into the world. How does the physical item that we are using to do the mitzvah have the power to draw down such a great light. Just like when we plant the seed just acts as מין נוקבין to awaken the כח הצומח in the ground the same is when we do a mitzvah or study about the mitzvah the physical item awakens the שם ס״ג to draw down the light to this world. Even with the 365 negative Mitzvot or positive Mitzvot that don’t necessarily apply when one studies these Mitzvot you still draw down the same level of חכמה עילאה into this world. As in reference to love & awe there is a real concealment. However with the halachot there is no real concealment of the חכמה עילאה. The

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “The Power of Prayer to Heal & the powerful connection with G-D thru Mitzvot” Tanya Last Essays Number 4 In פרי עץ חיים it says that today the main transformation of the holy sparks that are dispersed in קליפת נוגה is thru תפלה. The Alter Rebbe will explain why this is so & not thru תורה or מצוות. Hashem set a certain amount of infinite light that is revealed in אצילות when we study Torah or do Mitzvot we add light in the world of Atzilut. Thru Torah study we add light to the intellect of Atzilut when we do Mitzvot we add light to the external midot of Atzilut that are drawn down to Torah & Mitzvot in this world however the light does not penetrate in the world itself. However thru Prayer the light of Atzilut comes down in this world to affect real change where if a person is sick they can be healed or to bring down real tangible blessings. Which does not happen thru Torah study or Mitzvot for even the change of an item when dedicated to a mitzvah is a human accomplishment not divine as in prayer. The reason why prayer is so powerful as when one prays בכל מאדך that creates feminine waters that reaches the powerful name of ס״ג that is the source of the רפ״ח lights of תהו that draws down a בלי גבול energy. Hence תפלה is called חי שעה the literal meaning as we pray for transient items the spiritual meaning is that שעה is a reference to the sefira of Malchut that draws down the light to lowest worlds. תורה is called חיי עולם as עולם is a reference to ז״א of אצילות as the Torah creates more light in אצילות. Hence we see the power of prayer as prayer has the power to elevate the holy sparks of תהו to the highest level of the name ס״ג until the infinite light. Especially today when when our souls are not on such a high level we need prayer to do the transformation. If there is a mitzvah to do & no one else can do it we may stop studying Torah or Praying to do the mitzvah as thru Mitzvot we transform the holy sparks & this is the purpose of creation. When you learn Kabbalah you only connect to the מציאות. Nevertheless it is a huge mitzvah as the verse says in Devarim וידעת היום and in Divrei Hayamim דע את אלקי אביך that we need to know & meditate on the spiritual structure & flow as that will bring us to ועבדהו בלב שלם as it says in Devarim ויצונו ה לעשות את כל החוקים האלה ליראה את ה׳ אלקינו since the purpose is to have Yirat Hashem & studying Kabbalah & chasidus will bring us to Yirat Hashem. Now this is only one mitzvah. However in order to transform the world we need to study & observe all the Mitzvot. Another reason why Mitzvot are so powerful as Mitzvot receive their energy from the name ס״ג the filler of hashem name with ו of the פנימיות of אדם קדמון which is associated with תהו & we receive our energy from the name מ״ה the filler of hashem name with א of the מצח of אדם קדמון Which is associated with תיקון hence we that are from מ”ה need to eat from דומם צומח וחי as they are from ס”ג. Another reason why Mitzvot are so powerful is meditation & inspiration cause you to be elevated for a short while & Mitzvot draw down the external light into this world that causes the internal world to be elevated hence moshe Rabeinu prayed 515 prayers to enter the land of Israel that he can draw down the light into the world. How does the physical item that we are using to do the mitzvah have the power to draw down such a great light. Just like when we plant the seed just acts as מין נוקבין to awaken the כח הצומח in the ground the same is when we do a mitzvah or study about the mitzvah the physical item awakens the שם ס״ג to draw down the light to this world. Even with the 365 negative Mitzvot or positive Mitzvot that don’t necessarily apply when one studies these Mitzvot you still draw down the same level of חכמה עילאה into this world. As in reference to love & awe there is a real concealment. However with the halachot there is no real concealment of the חכמה עילאה. The

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “The most impactful Prayers & Torah study” Tanya Last Essays Number 3 In chapter 39 & 40 of the first section of Tanya we learnt that when one prays or studies Torah his soul is elevated. The elevation depends on the כוונה of אהבת ה׳ ויראת ה׳. If the love & Awe is based on intellect than the soul is elevated to the world of Beriyah the world of intellect, if the the love & Awe is natural as all Jews naturally love Hashem than they are elevated to the world Yetzira the world of emotions. If one studies Torah with out the love & Awe for Hashem than it’s elevated to the external Worlds & creates angels in the world of Yetzira. When one prays with out love & Awe it is not elevated to the world of Yetzira. The question is why is Torah & tefilah equal when done with love & Awe, however when done with our there is a distinction as Torah is still elevated & prayer is not elevated rather actually descends lower. The Alter Rebbe explains. When one learns Torah you have to use your mind otherwise it’s not called learning so even when your lacking the revealed love & Awe the natural love & Awe exists so that the Torah is elevated to the world of Yetzira. When one learns Torah for ulterior motives Honor or money than the Torah is not elevated. When one does not have love & Awe in prayer even though that itself does not downgrade the prayer however the strange thoughts enter & that does downgrade the prayer. Nevertheless one can recite those prayers again & have the right feeling of love & Awe that will elevate all the past prayers done with out love & Awe. So even though Torah has an advantage over prayer in that neutral Torah is elevated & neutral prayer is not. Prayer has an advantage as downgraded prayer for negative thoughts can be elevated by praying the same prayer with holy thoughts Torah can not be elevated with such a simple task. Torah can still be elevated once downgraded by doing Teshuva hence a person should always learn Torah even for the wrong reasons as we can repent & elevate the Torah. The Alter Rebbe clarifies two different pieces of Zohar that talk about the elevation of prayer with out love & Awe where in one place it says it’s elevated to מלכות דעשיה & in another place it says can’t be elevated the Alter Rebbe explains that it can’t be elevated to ז״א however all agree it is elevated to מלכות the issue is that מלכות can’t effect change or blessings as it has to go higher to draw down blessings. The Alter Rebbe clarifies another place in the Zohar where it says that prayer with out love & Awe is elevated to as high as ז״א דבריאה the Alter clarifies that even sins are elevated to those high levels buy unfortunately they are elevated & create a Blemish not a desirable elevation. The Alter Rebbe gives an example where when does a mitzvah he receives garments for his soul from גן עדן התחתון דעולם העשיה & in another place it says היכל ב׳ דעולם הבריאה as the elevation to a higher level is not necessarily the same quality of an elevation. Prayer with strange thoughts is higher than Torah for selfish reasons. As prayer with strange thoughts is elevated to מלכות דעשיה however the Torah study is not elevated at all. Torah study neutral in other words no love & Awe on the other hand no selfish thoughts just plain study of Torah since every Jew has a natural love for Hashem is not worse than the pure & innocent Torah study of children that is totally elevated (with a child even if he is studying for reward or punishment it’s elevated as a child is pure). The Zohar says that the angels take the Torah study of the children till Atzilut. A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/K4JxdTRMM04 Brought to you...

A New Tanya class By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz “Mitzvot creates & protects the Holy Union of Male & Female” Tanya Last Essays Number 2 The Alter Rebbe quotes from עץ חיים that the face to face Union of Male & Female ז״א ומלכות only takes place by fulfilling physical Mitzvot. As before Adam was created the Union was back to back so that the kelipot won’t leach on to them. The reason is that by fulfillment of physical Mitzvot we create the union on high. The reason why specifically physical Mitzvot as the Zohar explains that to create the union on high we need to elevate מ״ן דנוק׳ דז״א the feminine water of the feminine of the small face which is action in other words Mitzvot. Mitzvot have the power to cut & trim all the kelipot that leach onto the union & elevate the good with in the physical to its source to the holiness of Atzilut which has been transformed. This that Adam was able to transform thru prayer (which is seemingly not a physical Mitzvah) as prayer done properly with articulation of speech is considered action as it’s from the נפש החיונית of the body which it’s source Is from Noga. The transformation of Asiyah are elevated to Yetzira wth the permutation of the name Ban from there to Beriah & Atzilut as explained in the Zohar. Hence we understand why meditation on its own does not accomplish anything as you need the elevation of the feminine waters of Noga to draw down a great light to create the union of זעיר אנפין ונוקבא as ז״א would rather receive from its mother “Bina” & not draw down however when we do Mitzvot that draws down huge energy ז״א is ready to continue sharing the light. The Alter Rebbe shares from the Zohar that there are some special people that can thru meditation alone draw down this powerful energy that normally only happens by Physical Mitzvot or Saying the words of prayer the reason is as their Soul נר״ן create the feminine waters מ״ן by their self sacrifice for Torah & when they say Tachnun and recite the words אליך ה׳ נפשי אשא however most people need to do the actual Mitzvot to create the face to face union of ז״א ומלכות that causes G-D to be revealed in this world. A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected] A Special thanks to Warren Kahminsky for Video Taping the Class Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/WZufBteBBvg Brought to you by: ALL THINGS PODCAST Contact us for all your podcast needs: [email protected]