About The Tanya

The seminal work of Chabad philosophy, Tanya distills deep kabbalistic ideas into practical advice.

A fast and exciting tour of the structure, contents and flow of Tanya, the foundational text of the Chabad system of chassidism. Perfect for complete beginners and seasoned scholars alike.

As the most direct and simple line between two points, it is misleadingly the surest way to town; but in truth, the "direct approach" is a dead end

I'll let you in on a little surprise: Who says that yourself is the real you? Maybe the real you is not a subject, not an object, but a verb? Maybe the real you is to be found not in who you are but in those things you need to do?

Imagine asking a Jew, “Did you ever eat on Yom Kippur?” and he answers, “I felt hungry in my stomach.”

I was just introduced to the book by a Chabad neighbor, and I’m considering exploring this new area.

One day about 200 years ago there was a fire in hell. The whole place burned down. It was bound to happen, with those infernal fires burning night and day and the old devils getting careless over the years...

The book of Tanya, a masterpiece of Chassidic philosophy, has captured the mind and heart of many. What is its message?

Rabbi David Bouskila translated the Tanya into Arabic thinking that he would enable Jews from Arabic-speaking countries to learn about G-d. Little did he know, he was stepping into the middle of an age-old cosmic battle and turning the tides of the war... (1980)

Why was the Tanya so novel? Who was the Rebbe's target audience and what was his objective for them? Looking no further than the Tanya's title page we read the Rebbe's self-stated mission statement spelled out lucidly.

Born at a time of bloody revolutions and a changing world order, the Tanya seeks to achieve a change in the way Jews perceive themselves in the world.

Imagine trying to instruct all of the Jewish people for all time in every area of their lives.