Tanya By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Chapter 20 - "Unity of G-D" - שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד

welcome to tonight's Tanya class we are studying in Tanya chapter 20 para cuff and Hebrew which chapter 20 tonight's chapter and Tanya and again we try to give the class completes this way you come for a class you get the whole concept that we're starting today but it happens to be chapter 20 of the book of Tanya which has 53 chapters and it comes into continuation torian's talking about the last few weeks not give this to brief summary just so you'll understand what we're talking about today and that is we are dealing with the life of the bane only the bane of me is the intermediate person the one that is not at sadak where he totally got rid of his animal soul or not a russia who totally ignores his godly soul we're dealing with the bay nanny who basically his godly soul is alive and well laura michelle and his animal soul is waiting to invade so thankfully in thoughts beach in action there was never an evasion there was never an evasion because in thought speech and action he basically thinks only positive only godly things and speech he only says the right things praise studies all good stuff and an action obviously does all the good things and does not transgress thought speech and action are we know thought speech and action are only garments so when it comes to his mind and it's hard that's where the struggle takes place and with the godly soul obviously he's trying to fill it exclusively but the animal cells trying to creep in and take over so the last few weeks we discuss at the outer process based on the first page of tanya the cover page of tanya is he's going daughter was made a commitment and he's going to show us how he can serve God love and or all day with all the Torah and all the midst fold and should be very very easy and again was based on a verse in the Torah he wasn't making an empty promise based on his ideas because in Deuteronomy it says ki koro V Lockhart over mode this thing to serve God with love and or is very easy for you so dr. I'm going to show you how to do so last week she spoke about idea that when a person's on self-sacrifice boom it's very easy you don't be disconnected from God I spoke at the fact that love comes from the fact that we have a godly soul and because we have a godly saw were able to totally connect with God this week Doppler was going to take it a step further to show us that not only are we able to really serve God easily though speech in action our mind our heart with our emotions of love and all four god we should be totally fired in all ways but here he's going to show us that by every single one of the 613 commandments the 248 positive the 360 by negatives the Rabbinical Commandments we can do every one of those easily with a tremendous love for God and be in awe of God in other words God's presence really real with it with us within us and everything that we do and therefore when it comes hi welcome welcome therefore were only any Mitzvah positive or negative biblically biblically obligated or romantically obligated we will do so very easily and very happily with tremendous love and tremendous all for God we're just getting an overview so perfect timing so in this week the album is going to show us how that is possible with all the midst phones now like when it's coming to all right oh my gosh I'm not giving up my relation of a god or you know I mean this is like I'm gonna go to the gas chamber saying that you know you know even the simple Mitzvah shabbos katras fill-in mezuzah name any you can have that same approach of real enthusiasm to doing them its vote preyer Torah study just like you would have in non-negotiable Mitzvahed so the Altima comes along he says how am I gonna explaining it to you he says we're going to discuss that based on a very very important important concept in Judaism and all throughout Cobalts explain and here in Tanya this is the first time after we really gets into it in chapter 20 and that is we talks about the unity of God the unity of God does it mean to unity so he starts off by saying that we know that God gave us 613 commandments but the first thing that God gave us was the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai now when God gave us a 10 commandments they were 10 but there was something unique about the first two what was unique about the first two of the ten commandments a God Himself said those two Commandments and when God said those two of the ten commandments people fainted God to revive atrani right mad mass production of the CPR God to bring him back alive and they begged the duty of beg God we can handle it so most shall be no actually was an inter married for the second the last eight um but the first two Commandments we receive directly from God God said on naughty america I am God your God and loyal holika moharram those two are the first two commandments so it's brought down in Kabbalah in many many holy books that in those two Commandments I am guard your gods you should have any other gods in the air is embedded all 613 commandments and today it's kind of embedded is much easier to understand take you can have a little like a chip small on the size or finger you can have the whole Torah and many other books in the teeny tiny chip so the kinds of embedded is something which we can comprehend to today and a practical example or like you have a phone how much Gaddy goes on the phone a chip that this is at suspect so the first two Commandments are what I'm God your God ain't shouldn't have any other cops in there is the basis for all the 248 positive Commandments including the Indian oak and oakley the first one the 360 o- are included in the second one witches don't have any other gods and this action opinion that says that even though the all 613 are included into the first commandment of God I am God your God now what does that mean practically that means that that the essence of all Judaism the essence of all 613 commandments the essence of faith in God true faith in God lies we're lies in the first two Commandments so if you get the first two Commandments you got a whole bottle means superficially if you really get the first two Commandments you got them all so what does that mean that in the first two Commandments all the commandments are there what does that mean so here the author explains the whole idea of we said before about the idea of act as a chef so what is act as a xem access option is what the unity of God what does it mean uni of God so we all know that the prayer service that we pray what's the highlight or the centerfold the center point of the prayer service huh what well sure sham which play which players which prayer nothing this is not very good this month this summer very good in other words the whole prayer service starting with the blessings and the sacrifices and praising God so consumer that's cold and then the blessing of smart leading up to the Sh'ma it's like a climbing a mountain uphill and then from the Shema you start going down the blessings afterwards montessori and the toxin on days that you save happenin ashrae and Elena etc but what's the highlight of the prayer service shmeh manufacture smile we say how many times a day we take the full smart three times a day chakras Meyer before you go to sleep and another one more time in the morning you say shema in the in the in the preliminary prayers before the service now what is the Sh'ma so the Shema is actually several sections but what is before the several sections what is the Shema is that one line what are the saying that one line it says Sh'ma Israel hear o Israel Hashem we don't pronounce them as tremolo Kane of god oh god Hashem cut God our garnish em right infinite power of God a crowd is born and we supposed to meditate on their Hut they were hard there's many meditations for it one God seven heavens one earth the four sides are all many medications what is it what is the simple meaning of schmooze relish MLK no-show mahad hero is real right Lord is God the Lord is one so what does that mean one so here we r proclaiming as Jews and whoever says it and believes it is one God we have one guard we don't to God's three were any number you want to pick we have one God that's a simple verse and that is the unity of God comes along the Baal Shem Tov and the ball shantou stakes this a step further and gives us like a beautiful lens we can see deeper into the Sh'ma Israel and he says what is my strong mean so I shot a had the oneness of God not that this like the simple meaning is this one God because when you're saying this one guard what are you really saying oh there's other gods we accept one God he says no no I can't doesn't mean there's one versus two three it had means I'm going to we're going to expand on this that effort means one hear o Israel Gaza one what does anyone one means not one verses 21 in terms of oneness oneness that means the only existence that exists is God think about this for a moment the only existence that exists is God so not only there's no other God there's nothing else that exists you get it there is nothing is not only God there's no me there's no you there's no Kim is not her there's no table is the walls there's no cheers sounds funny right sounds a little strange person here this right guys been in before so it's not that shocking right but it's still hard to comprehend because the fact is you see a me and you see a you and you do see a table that you feel right and has a certain shape correct and you see the furniture and you see lamps and you see ceilings right you see doors and you see glass but one of the bolts time to say guess what it's all God so illusion it's also I don't know can't get right I say an illusion I said god we said it's also a god that's all it's all God so are we a concept of God what's it first let's first see what it says then we'll see what it's not okay if you can call that cons of illusion call it you want but the point is a means the oneness the only thing that exists is all God so in theory you can say gagaga right it's all gods but the reality is how can we call different people different names and tables and chairs and the pianos and the lanterns and whatever may be right and signs and wood and glass why is that are you gonna separates everything when everything is one so this is where we're gonna get into today to really understand that's why I said yeah that's why i asked you guys and getting a class you're wearing your seat belts cuz you could you could like get into this and wake up like you know where am i where you're here you're here okay so what does that mean the oneness of God what does that mean and this is like this is very very intense light you want and there's actually a whole section and tanya a separate section called try you know which goes into and graded that but in this chapter the outer right tackles the idea of in Hebrews called after session based on the Baal Shem Tov the oneness of God um as follows okay so what does it mean the oneness of God that means like this the truth is that the only real power and existence that exists is God now we're going to take it from a few different angles okay that's a it's a complicated concept hopefully when we're done we'll be a simple simple concept not simple simpler okay on the other hand you say to me okay Robert I see all these things and all these different things and if it's all God hacker my aunts he gone oh very good so basically when God decided to create this world how can you create a materialistic world how can you create it so God had to conceal himself as if God would reveal then you wouldn't have this world you wouldn't see what you're seeing you would not see what you're saying you would see godliness but in order to create a world that you would not necessarily see God God and godliness he have to conceal themselves so here maybe comes in a word used before an illusion so what looks like an illusion as a table a cheer a person is really an illusion because the real power that we have that we're here now someone created us and someone maintains us if God didn't create us a and B didn't maintain us where would ed you wouldn't exist so what is the real power the physical existence that we see or the real power that created them in Cannes us the real power is the power that created us and maintains us and concealed within us and conceal within us that's the real power so again the real power is the power that created us and maintains us what we see you want to call an illusion you want to call it a concealment but if you want to call it what really it is beyond the illusion and beyond the concealment it's really God it's all God's so therefore tell me what in this world is not God there's nothing that's not God everything is God everything is God God the etc yes agreed certain things until you go into a synagogue right you won't a holy place you go to the to the temple right holy place what does that mean the concealment is peeled off a little bit you see a Torah yeah can I say hey listen to a piece of parchment it maybe even though it is but you can see it's a holy object if you see something a destruction so you've seen more destruction but the truth is again sir things have more concealment less of a concealment but it's evil then how much concealment that has at the end of the day what do you have so God so if you're able to look past the curtain past the concealment you're going to see in everything God and godliness and that is the definition of what octa session so one so there's nothing in this world that exists other than God so for example let's say let's say you're going you should go free to and get sick right and yet what the doctor the doctor is gonna heal you I ask you who's gonna heal you the doctor of God God's gonna heal you it's a doctor thinks that he himself is gonna heal you he's arrogant run far away but the doctor will tell you honestly listen it's in the hands of God I'll try to be a vessel you know you know you know you have a chance the same thing with yourselves if you feel like oh you have a solution you're in trouble but do you feel like with the help of God will do something guess what you have a chance because ultimately the real power in this world is what is God and since the real power in this world is God and the only that really exists is God so you always want to connect to the real thing which is God in God's power now now that we know this what do we realize that what's the real power garden godliness what we see is what as a concealment now let's take it a step further anyway know how God created the world huh he spoke word liebherr God used he uttered God used the power of speech the power of speech to create the world we say in our prayers who all Marvel yeah he said it came to be right so the author explains as follows what does that mean God said became to be let's use an aldi Schmauss right we have the power to speak near the power to speak and then we speak now when we speak and some of us talk a lot some more than others right sometimes we think before we speak and then it makes sense sometimes we don't think it doesn't make sense right but when someone speaks is that really who the person is no because you can say things you don't believe him and many people do right no people say things they don't believe in people say things they believe in don't don't realize with the same the point is when you speak now sometimes it's connected but speech alone is not an indication really who you are you can be the nicest person and then some reason to say something silly or stupid you become also silly and stupid overnight no you just you know a slip of the tongue or you can be not a nice person and say all these nice things and mislead people are you really a nice person so in other words what's the point in the algae speech this doesn't necessarily tell us who you are yet now speech comes from where the power to speak in the power to speak you have tremendous power to speak infinite amount of words now where the where does the power of speech come from when we just like spit out words know before you think are well everything's from God but before in ourselves where we have the power to speak from we jumping one thing I want several times I got we're gonna get there but yet the young thing wants ever done now what no you're also jumping too many steps young thing you mean physically yeah where is the speech come from I'll keep my voice vocal cords right no obviously where's it come from the show rush where's it come from true where's it come from study for one step before close our thoughts our thoughts so our speech come to say wisdom no no wait one step at a time holiness is one step at a time so our speech comes from the power to speak the power to speak comes from watch my thoughts our thoughts have letters to it when you think you don't think abstract you think concretely right you think and then the word spit out your thoughts this one is a very quick but the point is usually you think something through and then you present your your case now where do I thoughts come from one step at a time where our thoughts come from our emotions our feelings exactly now feelings already don't have feelings don't have a structure don't have words right words are in speech words are in thoughts creating a right in our feelings our feelings feelings are like almost like in a certain way like an infinite type of experience their fear I its feelings you have to connect to your feelings think about your feelings and then you say your feelings articulate them where do your feelings come from huh a heart with what's the source of our feelings your intellect you need data your intellect knows different things and then you have feelings you don't have any luck how can you feel so you have intellect that gives you data and then base tonight your feelings now let's trace us back to God look how far away the speech that God used to create the world to the power of speech to the thoughts to the feelings intellect of God you see how far it's away pretty far away nevertheless nevertheless God used that to create the world what does that give us gives us two things first of all it gives us that when God created this physical world we know God's infinite he created a world that's that's finite do you think creating this world had an effect on God made a change in God no no its words its words you speak words right I didn't say thought thing I didn't say thinking or feeling or even thoughts you just spoke words does that make a dent in you hey what's your philosophy and how you feel no its words its words so it doesn't make an effect you say me also it doesn't affect God when God speaks God created the world it had no effect in god god then change that's point number one point number two point number two is our words that we say compared to our intellect our own intellect our own intellect the words have almost like zero value I said that I don't think that way because you can say things just talking we aren't even crossing any intellect or any emotions here gonna give an example right let's say this room was empty everything room totally empty four walls and the only thing person that there's no the only thing that's really just you the only ones in this room is you and I put you in middle the room aight i wanted to meditate grounds rolling to meditate you know and you look around the room empty there's nothing to even attach anything do you start thinking about whatever you thinking about and you're like in this deep meditation and all of a sudden as you're meditating a little bug crawls in teeny teeny bug crawls into on the floor does that make an effect on you yes a little teeny but not making any noise making a little teeny about crawling on the floor that bother you your deep meditation you know you get it let's do it again you're sitting at middle of the room on a chair comfortably you close your eyes and you're in deep meditation looking you're not looking at the book you're in deep meditation notice the bug see the bugger hit exactly your deep meditation you're thinking about all these beautiful things that you're thinking about you the pacification in future occasion whatever you are whatever you whatever you like thinking about right and a bug and a little bug crawls into the room it doesn't make any noise and it's crawling around you don't even know it's there is that effect you know why not it's your room the only thing that all is you because you don't see it you don't hear it it has no effect new has zero connection zero value that's the same way just for analogy speaking when God said create this world that's the same effect a tad and God that's number one and number two is when so if somebody walks into the room afterwards right and sees you sitting and meditating whoa you think he's in noticed a bug no because the active real power in this room right now is what is this guy sitting in a 30 minute meditation and it's like wow that's a scene who notices bugs and anything the same thing also with this physical world that you look around that God created from speech why are we getting excited about the world it's like that bug why are we getting excited about the physical part of the world I mean why are you getting excited about a table any people fight over tables families don't talk for months or years and decades over a table which is a piece of concealment of God or over I said or he said or she said which is all a concealment of God is there really an eye or he or she is the bug really exists I'm not saying it doesn't make sense the buggers in the room but compared to the meditation that's going on in middle the room is that bug he'll hold any weight 008 so here I said she said he said you didn't listen to me hello we're getting excited about the bug when you have a major meditation going on here when the mind is wandering all over the world so in other words the author uses this is an analogy could bring out what does it mean acquisition what does it mean the wonders of God the oneness of God means to show us that the only real existence is what is God the infinite power of God God has not changed or affected by the whole chaos in this world the materialism the distraction the confusion God has not changed be and more important that the whole world really is truly nullifying to God because the whole existence of anything in this world is only by the power and the concealment of God so in other words bring a back full circle when a person realizes and obviously next chapter altom is going to go into one more in depth and then we'll bring you back full circuit was to give you a complete class so to bring a full circle the outer is telling you here is once a person realizes that what what's the reality the oneness of God all the commandments are I am got every one of the 613 commandments and you're a beautiful Commandments and any law in the Jewish law is coming from where from the fact that I am God your God you shouldn't have any other gods so when a person fulfills any one of the 248 positive Commandments or that or you don't just grass a 365 negative Commandments at that moment you're connecting to the oneness of God the odds of it if you don't do a commandment you could could have done or you transgress one- Commandments what are you doing at that moment you're disconnecting yourself from the oneness of God or not connecting yourself when you could be deep Liam more connected to the wonders of God's sake just jennette wait so the truth is again in reality ultimate you never really totally disconnected but but you have a weak connection like you're trying to surf the internet and Wi-Fi connection and so we connection the dial-up can actually Chinese a dial connection when you have real limited when you have a strong Wi-Fi DSL cable or t1 or fiber and using a dial-up connection the point if you want to keep your connection with God with the oneness of God on the highest possible connection highest possible speed then every single one of the 248 pounds of Commandments order binnacle Commandments as you do them it keeps the speed in full speed God's but if you transgress your you're basically cutting down on your speed you're cutting down on the speed so your goal really want hi welcome so your goal really has to be what to realize that every one of the commandments everyone the 613 commandments and your vertical Commandments is a real opportunity to do what to stay connected to the oneness of God now therefore based on once you get that and you really get that who wants to be disconnected who wants low internet connection you can have the highest need who wants to be disconnected from the oneness of God and just focus on the concealment part when you can be connected to the infinite part of God to the oneness of God so when a person beer gets it and beers that in mind think about it is it easy to observe every one of the 613 commandments with love and all yeah sure it's easy not only is it easy not only is it easy the real question is how can you not stay connected like that as if you have the opportunity to always be connected to the ones of God which is the real light force and not get caught up in the concealment part guess what happens peace and joy you're able to observe every one of the 613 commandments 248 positive 365 negative all the rabbinical comments with tremendous joy and happiness and a very easy way as long as you be your mind that by doing this you're connected to the oneness of God and God's but if not you're connected to concealment and missing the opportunity to connect to the real oneness of God