We know what Geulah is about – gilui elokus in the world. The only way we do that is to Torah, mitzvos and avodas Hashem.

There is no “new answer.” We need to do it more and deeper – through learning and living Chassidus.

Learning about the geulah (when done correctly) will bring a person to live with Elokus which will reveal the Geulah.

According to your reasoning:

1. If its not the Tanya’s business to serve you cholent, why does it suddenly become busy with solving your depression?

2. You explain why sadness is addressed because it stands in the way of serving Hashem with joy. Can you name me one mental health challenge that doesnt stand in the way of Avodas Hashem?

– lha 7th and 8th graders

Should he also the phone in the middle of davening? Or lhavdil in the bathroom?

It’s self understood that he is sometimes busy but he will call back.

The Rebbe said that during learning a person should not answer the phone as if it’s Shabbos!

“How many people cant learn chassidus because they never felt genuine love from people that learn chassidus?”
Very well said. In my humble opinion, I believe that this is the core of the issue. Go ask people how their experiences were when they were teenagers in yeshiva etc.
Chassidus cannot just be taught as a subject. It must be shared as a lifestyle. If one did not receive positivity from should-be role models when they were younger, one cannot blame them when they are older.
This is something that’s missing from these breathwork-chassidus discussions. We need to talk about what our kids are told/taught/shown when they’re in school, yeshiva, seminary etc. The years that life foundations are set. This is a preventive measure in all senses, both in presenting the beauty of chassidus (which btw includes presenting the beauty of torah, mitzvos, and yiddishkeit in general, something that could use improvement as well. If the kids feel that we’re just trying to “keep them frum” or “chassidish”, that often receives much pushback, whether in the moment or years later), and in identifying those in need of medical intervention – let it be therapy, breathwork etc. – and giving them what they need.

Beautifully expressed, thank you!

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Thank you for your insightful comment.
There are many things the Rambam and the Alter Rebbe have in common, as noted by the Rebbe, but there are also differences.
The Rambam was a skilled and well known doctor, whose medical works are still read today. In his Mishneh Torah, as a doctor, he writes at length how to be a healthy person, covering a myriad of areas of a person’s life, both physically and emotionally. The Alter Rebbe in Tanya focuses on one: happiness. Or, the absence of depression.
Why?
The Alter is not writing Tanya as a doctor. He is presenting a path in Divine service. Emotional problems are relevant vis-à-vis they disturb that singular goal.
It is noteworthy that the Alter Rebbe doesn’t stop with “ירע לבבו ויהיה עצב”. He adds “ולא יוכל לעבוד ה’ בשמחה ובטוב לבב”. Why?
Serving Hashem with joy is a clear requirement. מקרא מלא דיבר הכתוב. The only reason the Alter Rebbe mentions depression is because it interferes with the singular goal of serving G-d.
Later, the Alter Rebbe emphasizes this further, with the moshul of the two people who are wrestling. The only way to be victorious in the struggle against the nefesh habehamis is with zrizus, which comes from joy. Sadness stands in direct opposition to avoda, and therefore must be targeted.
A critical mental health point that the Alter Rebbe is careful to point out is that it’s okay to be human. A person can be sincerely and earnestly pursing the path in Divine service that the Alter Rebbe prescribes, and still be troubled by distracting thoughts during davening. The Alter Rebbe writes that a person can’t let himself be discouraged by this. It is not a sign of failure, it is just a fact of life for anyone who is not a tzaddik. It shouldn’t be dwelled on, it should be pushed away.
Again, the reason why the Alter Rebbe clarifies a point of identity is so that it doesn’t disturb a person from his avoda, or make him abandon it entirely ch”v.

This is not a cold, intellectual reading of Tanya. Many people suffer from health challenges. Many people struggle to put food on their shabbos table. A person is not supposed to put his hand into the Tanya and take out cholent. This is not because the Alter Rebbe doesn’t care about you; in the introduction, as explained by the Rebbe, he wrote Tanya with you in mind. It’s just that that is not the problem that he’s solving with this sefer.

I encourage you, and everyone, to continue studying Tanya deeply. It is a never ending wellspring.

All the best,
— Yehuda Ringler

The app is working, the message you get when you register wasn’t clear, being changed now

And that just as in the past there was an evil that seemed to hunt down every last Jew in hate, we now must reach every single Jew with love 🥳

hopefully continues to expand

to address the authors last point though

Isnt there a community being built north east of Scranton? in the Mt Cobb area?

Lessons in Tanya translates it into “a privy of filth”. No one knows what a privy is. And filth takes away the whole punch of the moshol.

It hits home better when you translate it correctly. Also, imagine the smell.

No one is saying that being happy is not important. Just like you need to eat and sleep well. But Chassidus is much more than that. It’s about connecting to Hashem.

Of course that too will uplift you, but it’s not about you – it’s about Hashem!

How do you know whether you’re lifting up the prince or burying the king’s head in filth (as the Alter Rebbe himself writes)?
Not every intersection of Torah and lowliness is good. It depends who is serving who…
Check carefully and be honest!

What I will point out is how the author blatantly jumps to Shaar Hayichud V’haEmunah for his opening source, while completely ignoring the beginning of Tanya itself which starts off with the very question of self-identity (A question that doesn’t belong in Chassidus altogether, let alone for it to be the opening discussion of Tanya).

“אם יהי’ בעיניו כרשע ירע לבבו ויהי’ עצב ולא יוכל לעבוד ה’ בשמחה ובטוב לבב”

Who cares about what you’re feeling, You think Hashem has to deal with your anxiety or feelings of inadequacy? Let me tell you about Achdus Hashem, pull out a Samach Vav and start learning!

The Alter Rebbe clearly rejected this approach.

Learn Samach Vav, learn Ranat, learn Tanya, but if you’re going to learn Tanya again please start from the beginning this time.

I wish everyone who reads this, the ability to recognize the relevance Chassidus can have to your life, and if you haven’t merited this gift yet, don’t be deterred, don’t stop learning as we are taught that “Hamaor Sheba Machziro Lemutav” learning Chassidus will put you in a better place in every sense of the matter; spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.

The story is well known. Though here Rabbi Groner shared all the details.

The Rebbe never spoke of a “committee of Akshanim.” The Rebbe said in the sicha that there will hopefully be persistent individuals who will do what is necessary to bring Moshiach. As far as what they should do, that is what this is clarifying.

Re: “Don’t put your head in the sand”

Thank you for looking out for me. My head is not in the sand and I do not plan on putting it in any sand any time soon.

I am aware that intentional breathing is practiced in multiple idolatrous religious. I do not deny that nor have I ever. It may also be the case that intentional breathing as a “thing” made its way to eh western world very much in the form of avoda zara.

That does not mean that any intentional use of breath is avoda zara.

The position that breathwork is problematic is an opinion.

Yoga ,Tai Chi, and Qigong are all at least borderline avoda zara (to the best of my knowledge). That does not mean that one can not practice physical exercises that are practiced by these disciplines. As far as I am aware it is the position of every serious posek who specializes in matters of alternative healing (I have asked multiple such shaalos of multiple poskim) that movements and exercises that are practiced by, and even originate from, these disciplines may be practiced as physical exercises with no intention beyond them being physical exercise.

Intentional breathing as a physical exercise to promote physiological healing is no different. If there are facilitators who are doing it i a problematic way that means that there are facilitators doing it in a problematic way, it does not mean that breathwork is problematic.

You write that “the risk is there.” What risk are you referring to – specifically?

I studied and trained to facilitate breathwork. The entire training was focused on physiology and the practical implementation of intentional breathing. It is a physical exercise like any other.

Is it possible that some facilitators may have trained and/or are practicing in ways that are halachically problematic? Of course it is (there are teachers and shopkeepers, and business people etc. etc. etc. who practice their proffessions in ways that are halachically problematic). If that is your concern, then suggest that people be cautious and do their due diligence rather than fear mongering and making egregious generalizing public insinuations like “modern breathwork, as it is taught and marketed in the Jewish community today, is not neutral. It carries a worldview rooted in eastern religion.”

I invite you to take a moment to slow down, let your heart rate calm, and think, rationally, about the insinuation you are making, and whether the Baal Shem Tov would be in such a rush to make such public accusations.

Not wanting avoda zara to make its way into our community R”L is apropriate and virtuous. making such public insinuations without apropriate evidence is not.

Transcendental Meditation is absolutely avoda zara. The halachic prohibition of Transcendental Meditation is associated with a very specific part of the practice and it is very simple to separate the therapeutic component from the avoda zara component and practice a version that has equal therapeutic benefit without any halachic concerns. There is substantial clinical data of the therapeutic effectiveness of the general practice of mediation practiced in TM without the avoda zara component.

The Rebbe literally pleaded for frum mental health professionals to create a kosher equivalent and make it accessible so that the people who stood to benefit from the therapeutic benefits of that style of meditation would be able to.

There is a rapidly growing body of clinical data showing incredible therapeutic benefits of breathwork. It is being made available in our community in a way that is halachically appropriate and there are people making it accessible that have been vetted but serious poskim machmirim who specialize in this field of halacha.

If you have genuine questions, pick up the phone and speak to someone who practices breathwork under the auspices of the Crown Heights Beis Din. If you would like to make a time to talk, I’d be happy to make the time, you can schedule a discovery call with me at calendly.com/rabbiglick.

If you have concerns about the way specific practitioners or programs are practicing it, I invite you to raise those concerns with the appropriate party rather than making egregious insinuations in public.

One last invitation if I may, if you feel confident about the position you are taking and making these comments in public, perhaps include your name in your comments.

. . . Yisroel Glick

And —
Could we find more simcha, chayus. Menuchas hanefesh and healthier relationships by learning chassidus?
Yes.

Because that’s part of avodas Hashem.

In a totally different discussion there are many practicing psychiatrists and doctors who found chasidus to be very capable where psychiatry and psychology hit a wall.
Obviously Chasidus is way more however it is not incapable when the alter Rebbe clearly says it is meant for those who are confused

The fact that Breathwork is an important part of Eastern religions is not an opinion – it’s a fact. You can check it up online (I don’t want to link to the avoda zara sources).

The only question is whether you can take the breathing without the avoda zara, and that is what some rabbonim permitted. Yet, there is no denying that the risk is there.

Some frum programs promoting Breathwork were recently shown (based on their own documentation) to be using in conjunction with Breathwork practices that are clearly avoda zara related.

You can say that you are different, but don’t change the facts.