In recent weeks, as security concerns and political tensions have intensified in Israel, leaders from across the political spectrum – coalition and opposition, religious and secular alike – have found unexpected common ground around the newly released Tanya HaSholeim.

Rabbi Mendel Wilhelm, the shliach who serves as rabbi of Israel’s Ministry of Transportation, has developed close working relationships with many of the country’s senior public officials through his role overseeing religious needs across Israel’s public transportation system.

Over the past several months, despite the surrounding political “noise,” he has been meeting with these officials for brief, focused learning sessions – about fifteen minutes at a time – studying selections from Tanya. The learning has centered on Tanya HaSholeim, which presents the original text alongside a clear, modern Hebrew explanation of every word, together with a carefully compiled collection of insights from the Rebbeim since the Tanya was first published.

Among the participating public officials are:

• Speaker of the Knesset — Amir Ohana
• Leader of the Opposition — Yair Lapid
• State Comptroller — Matanyahu Englman
• Cabinet Secretary — Yossi Fuchs
• Minister of Finance — Bezalel Smotrich
• Minister of National Security — Itamar Ben Gvir
• Minister of Justice — Yariv Levin
• Minister of Diaspora Affairs — Amichai Chikli
• Minister of Energy — Eli Cohen
• Minister of Tourism — Haim Katz
• Minister of Communications — Shlomo Karhi
• Minister of Education — Yoav Kisch
• Minister for Regional Cooperation — Dudi Amsalem
• Minister in the Ministry of Finance — Ze’ev Elkin
• Director General of the Knesset — Chico Edri
• Minister of Immigration and Absorption — Ofir Sofer
• Minister of Culture and Sport — Miki Zohar
• Minister of Transportation — Miri Regev
• Minister of Economy — Nir Barkat
• Minister of Agriculture and Food Security — Avi Dichter
• Minister for Social Equality — May Golan
• Minister of Welfare — Yaakov Mergi
• Minister of Science and Intelligence — Gila Gamliel
• Minister of Heritage — Amichai Eliyahu
• Minister for the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience — Yitzhak Wasserlauf
• Minister of Interior — Moshe Arbel
• Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office — Almog Cohen
• Deputy Minister of Communications — Yisrael Eichler

Released approximately six months ago, Tanya HaSholeim has already gone through multiple printings. All 80,000 copies printed to date have sold out at an unprecedented pace, reflecting a remarkable surge of interest in structured Chassidus learning across Israeli society – including at the highest levels of government.