This final segment of the “Intro to Kabbalah” series introduces the Alter Rebbe, successor of the Baal Shem Tov and founder of the Chabad movement. It describes his revolutionary method of teaching Kabbalistic ideas with a philosophical form, using analogies from the human experience that even a non-mystic could relate to. It elaborates on some of his most significant teachings and how they were developed into a unique mystical movement for the masses.

A unique opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes and meet with one of Chabad’s most influential thinkers. For the past thirty-five years Rabbi Zweibel has been the teacher and spiritual mentor of a generation of Chabad Rabbis, at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ. He is a major contributor to this generation’s leading works on chassidic philosophy.

Soul Maps: Kabbalah to Navigate Your Inner World
Soul Maps introduces you to the Tanya, a 200-year-old text with a revolutionary new look at human psychology. It provides Kabbalah-based tools to help you understand yourself.
Until the publication of Tanya, the Kabbalah was an esoteric discipline that was studied and understood by only a select few. Tanya, however, sought to make the teachings of Kabbalah practical, relevant, and accessible. Its numerous reprints attest to its success in achieving this goal.

A precursor of the modern self-help genre, Rabbi Shneur Zalman authored Tanya as a substitute for his personal mentorship. If you attend this course, you will experience six virtual sessions of spiritual counseling from a master of Kabbalah and the nature of the soul. You will come to understand the source of guilt, conflict, and confusion, and find useful strategies for developing joy, purpose, and direction in everyday life.

Lesson Four: The Joyride
Constant doubt and emotional unhappiness can gradually sap you of the strength and will to change. But joy provides the boost that allows you to live each day with enthusiasm and resolve. This lesson provides useful perspectives that can help you generate a positive attitude.

The Chasidic movement arose as one of Judaism’s responses to modernity. Chasidism sought to intensify traditional Jewish observance, placing greater emphasis on mystical spirituality, enthusiasm, and community. Trace the rise and development of Chasidism in Europe, its move to North America and Israel, and its influence on Judaism. Explore the particular contributions made by Chabad and its role as a mystical movement that focused on outreach.

“The Vilna Gaon”

What’s the difference between Chasidut and Mussar?

Tanya was the world’s first self-help book.

The Alter Rebbe, Baal HaTanya, wrote that each Jew has a piece of the divine essence located at the center of his being and he can discover his answers within himself.

Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski compares this to charity, the highest form of which is to help a person to help himself.

The Baal Shem Tov’s success as a leader was not in writing books, but in touching souls and igniting within them a fire of passion above diligence and faith above reason.

This episode of Rabbi Paltiel’se series on the development of Kabbalah shifts into describing the founding of the Chassidic movement by the Baal Shem Tov.

It describes how the Baal Shem Tov formed a mass movement based on Kabbalistic form and ideas by communicating the faith, love and lifestyle of the mystic to the common person. It explores some of the drastic shifts Chassidism made in Jewish life and theology and their ramifications.

Travel back in time to 17th century Europe to learn how Chasidism was born and grew. Where did it spring from? What are its beliefs? And does it have any relevance to today’s society? Get a fresh perspective on this misunderstood movement and find out how we can still be mystics in a modern world.

Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet discusses the importance of kabbalah study in bolstering our spiritual, mental, and emotional health.

Soul Maps: Kabbalah to Navigate Your Inner World
Soul Maps introduces you to the Tanya, a 200-year-old text with a revolutionary new look at human psychology. It provides Kabbalah-based tools to help you understand yourself.
Until the publication of Tanya, the Kabbalah was an esoteric discipline that was studied and understood by only a select few. Tanya, however, sought to make the teachings of Kabbalah practical, relevant, and accessible. Its numerous reprints attest to its success in achieving this goal.

A precursor of the modern self-help genre, Rabbi Shneur Zalman authored Tanya as a substitute for his personal mentorship. If you attend this course, you will experience six virtual sessions of spiritual counseling from a master of Kabbalah and the nature of the soul. You will come to understand the source of guilt, conflict, and confusion, and find useful strategies for developing joy, purpose, and direction in everyday life.

Lesson Three: Sync or Sink
When your heart’s passion pulls you one way and your measured mind pulls another way, the disconnect can be agonizing. This lesson will teach you two methods for aligning reason and emotion, so you can reduce stress and live decisively.

For more information about Soul Maps, visit: www.myjli.com

In this segment of the series “Intro to Kabbalah,” Rabbi Yossi Paltiel examines the life and personality of the Arizal – Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, father of Lurianic Kabbalah.

The Arizal is the famed student of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, and upon the death of his teacher, he undisputedly filled the position as head of the Kabbalists. Much of the Kabbalah and Chassidut studied today are inspired by the Arizal’s work.

In this enlightening clip, Rabbi Yossi Paltiel, who has dedicated his life to studying and promulgating chassidic teachings, describes this spiritual giant and the many contributions he made, including the novel concept of Tzimtzum – the implementation by G-d to contract His light to allow our world to be born.