podcast – Page 6 – New beginnings: A blog about spirituality, chaplaincy and renewal

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 31

Chapter 20 – This chapter begins our journey into understanding Gd as the unchanged, true existence. We discuss how everything else is “non-existent,” or contingent existence. This discussion leads us into the beginning of a focus on speech. The previous chapters have been focused on we refine and understand our thought and action as it pertains to the Beinoni. This chapter begins to explain how speech is the revealed form of thought, the revealed form of the divine sparks in the world.

Episode 31

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Do you want to work on taking the actions of your life and find meaning in all you do and who you are? Are you struggling with your spiritual growth. Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 30

Chapter 19 – We continue to explore what is the meaning of the hidden love. We discuss his metaphor of a flame on top of a candle needing to remain attached to the candle while also striving to rise up. This chapter continues to explore the topic of connecting to Gd no matter the cost and also understand that the fear of Gd we should be cultivating is a fear of being distant from Gd.

Episode 30

All episodes can also now be heard on Apple Podcasts – here

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 27

Chapter 16. Today’s episode discusses the struggle of the Beinoni when they can’t feel love or fear of Gd. How do we keep ourselves motivated to fulfill our obligations when we aren’t finding the emotional connection we wish to have? In this chapter, we discuss how love and fear of Gd are innate and the mission to reveal that which is concealed through our actions, speech and thought. We also discuss how Gd, through the Torah, is the bridge of the mind and body, being the conduit to help us grow spiritually. This discussion leads to a message about not giving up the search and presuming the grass is greener on the other side because often the thing we are looking for is already here.

Episode 27

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 25

Chapter 14. We continue to explore the uniqueness of the Beinoni. This individual would be someone who recognizes that while they can never be a tzaddik in the soul sense of the term, they should always be striving to reach a level similar enough to the righteous person that they can connect to a truly righteous soul. This chapter lays the groundwork for the connection between a rebbe and follower, in that the Rebbe is the role of the tzaddik and the followers are all the people struggling and striving forward. We also discuss the work needed to avoid evil and do good, including contemplating the loathsomeness of evil. I end with a short piece highlighting why some of the Tanya begins to sound repetitive and why that is an important part of this work.

Episode 25

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 24

This podcast explores Chapter 13. Chapter 13 goes deeper into the beinoni’s struggles between the good and evil inclinations. We discuss how the beinoni will always be ruled by the divine soul even in the midst of the struggles internally between the two inclinations. We also answer one of the primary questions of the Tanya in discussing why a person should always view themselves as a “rasha,” for this perspective keeps people from getting complacent and falling into the wiles of the evil inclination. This is a great lesson for growth in general, always viewing oneself as needing to strive further.

Episode 24

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 23

Final section of chapter 12. We finish the initial discussion of the Beinoni as it relates to the righteous and wicked person. Much of the focus is on how the categories might be a case of mind over matter.

Episode 23

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 22

Continuation of chapter 12. Today’s short piece engages the question of why the Beinoni is not a Tzaddik. The focus is on what the person experiences when not in a prayer state of being. I use this is piece as a jumping off point to name a couple of similarities/differences between Tanya and another book of early 19th century Eastern Europe, Nefesh HaHayyim as a way of showing different approaches to connecting to Gd.

Episode 22

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 21

Beginning of chapter 12. This chapter brings us to the definition of the Beinoni, the intermediary, non-tzaddik, non-rasha, person. We discuss today the difficulty in defining this person based on the criteria presented, namely a person who has never sinned and never been a rasha, yet always lives with some form of struggle. We work to describe the beinoni based on this criteria and the scenarios of when this person has moments when the divine soul overwhelms the animal soul and when the person “doesn’t.” I offer my take on trying to grasp with the difficulty the term intermediary presents in relation to what the Tanya is trying to say it means.

Episode 21

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 19

Concluding chapter 10. We continue to discuss the incomplete tzaddik, focusing on how the incompleteness is due to a small minute amount of animal soul remains after it is vanquished. We explore imperfection and vulnerability along the way to becoming “perfect,” referencing a blog post, Vulnerability, from two days ago. We also discuss the ultimate goal of doing good as unification of the divine attributes, not spiritual growth as a means of the self desire to connect to Gd. From this, I offer a thought about spiritual growth in general as a continuous process that must go beyond self needs.

Episode 19

Do you want to work on taking the actions of your life and find meaning in all you do and who you are? Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com

Audio – Lessons in Tanya 18 (Chai episode)

Part one of chapter 10. This chapter presents the distinction between the complete and incomplete tzaddik (righteous person). We discuss the redemptive quality of overcoming our physical desires as it relates to the categories of complete and incomplete tzaddik. And, for the Star Wars people out there, I make a comparison to the battle of the light vs. dark side.

Episode 18