The Steinsaltz Tanya V1: Likkutei Amarim 1-32

n this groundbreaking commentary on the Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi's classic work, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz seeks to reveal the author's powerful fire and spirit contained therein. In doing so, he unmasks his own burning spirit, his own love, awe, and closeness to God.

Through vivid explanations and metaphors from our daily lives, along with stories from the lives of hasidim of the past, Rabbi Steinsaltz draws the world of the Tanya into our world, providing a detailed elucidation of foundational concepts in Kabbala and in Judaism in general. 

The Tanya is one of the most important books of mussar (ethical instruction) ever written. It provides a complete and comprehensive worldview, penetrating the depths of the spiritual struggles a person will face in life, while offering practical ideas and guidance.

This first section of the Tanya, Likkutei Amarim, comprises fifty-three chapters. In The Steinsaltz Tanya, this section has been divided into two volumes. Volume 1 contains chapters 1-32, and the forthcoming volume 2 comprises chapters 33-53.

This first section of the Tanya, which its author refers to as the "Book of Beinonim", presents a novel human and ethical archetype: the beinoni, or the intermediate-level person. The beinoni is neither righteous nor wicked, but he is not an average person either. The beinoni is a category of its own, which expresses the ideal level that each an every individual, in accordance with his specific capabilities, can and should aspire to achieve. 

The Tanya is presented in a format that invites a person to put the ideas presented here into practice, one concept building on another, one leading to the next so that the reader is guided toward attaining the level of beinoni that is the focus of this book. Its ideas are condensed, its words packed with meaning, and the one who studies the Tanya cannot help but appreciate its subtle and beautifully crafted writing style. 

The Steinsaltz Tanya includes a vocalized Hebrew Tanyatext and a groundbreaking translation of the Tanya alongside Rabbi Steinsaltz's novel commentary. One does not have to come from the world of Hassidism to study the Tanya. Rabbi Steinsaltz's clear, readable elucidation makes this dense, concise work accessible to all.