Raise your hand if you have ever felt an urge to get more spiritual, or felt motivated to study more Torah and be more Jewishly committed, only to have that urge overtaken by laziness, melancholy, feelings of inadequacy, or inertia. I figured there would be a few hands up. The Yetzer Hara is, to quote the Talmud, “a professional at his trade;” knowing exactly what methods to use in squelching any possible moments of inspiration and prevent them from being practically implemented. So often we are touched by something, be it something we read, studied or experienced, which has us excited about a new mitzvah and class. But when it comes time to act, we are not in the mood, we don’t have the time or some other lame excuse. Funny how those excuses never come up when we are engaged in unimportant or insignificant things.
So how does one combat these commitment killing sensations? Many Torah disciplines address this issue from various perspectives. Tanya, the fundamental work of Chabad thought, provides an extensive program for dealing with these spiritual ailments. It is not a quick fix by any means. As a matter of fact, the author himself refers to this program as the “longer shorter way.” Longer, because it requires an investment of time and effort. Shorter, because once implemented it has staying power.
Forgive me for turning this into an advertorial… but I would like to talk about our weekly Tanya class. Each Wednesday evening at 8 PM, a group of us gather to read and discuss the Tanya using the commentary of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. We have long adopted a no pressure approach in that we are content to move very slowly through the text in the interest of a greater appreciation for what is has to teach us. One of our members, Lou Furman, was recently interviewed by Chabad.org about his participation. You can read the entire article at www.chabadneworleans.com/1711493. Here are a few excerpts.
“Lou Furman started attending services at Chabad-Lubavitch of New Orleans because he was drawn by its intense focus on prayer and contemplation. Today, he reflects on how his weekly study of the Tanya has made a difference in his life. “The study of Tanya has allowed me to reconnect with my Jewishness,” he says. Learning Tanya and soaking in the wisdom of the Rebbe has provided lessons he shares with his wife each day after studying with his local rabbi. “The weekly program of study has deepened my understanding of my faith, broadened my knowledge of the Rebbe, and enhanced my spiritual life with my spouse,” details Furman.”
Several months ago, before Rosh Hashanah, we made a temporary change of course to focus on the aspects of Teshuvah. We are now returning to our original course, which has brought us to the Tanya’s solutions to dealing with the aforementioned struggles. We invite all of you to join us and explore whether it works for you.
The author, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, once walked into a house of study whose primary attendees were not inclined to the teachings of Chassidism. He pounded on the bima to get their attention and then declared in a singsong tone, “Ta’amu U’reu Ki Tov Havayeh, farzucht vet ir zen az der Aibeshter iz gut – taste and you will see that G-d is good.” What he meant was that without tasting for yourself – exploring the teachings of G-dliness and spirituality within Chassidism, one cannot know how good it is.
So in that spirit I pound on our proverbial bima and invite you all to “taste and see that G-d is good.” Join us on Wednesday evenings at Chabad uptown for a one hour discussion on Tanya’s solutions to many issues. Please let me know if you would like to come to a class so we can have copies of the material handy. I look forward to sharing this ride with you.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin