TALKS
A range of talks on subjects like education, marriage, prayer, meditation, modernity; as well as insights into some of the luminaries of Jewish history like the Rambam.
Torah Way 3 May 2020 - Bar Mitzvah Before Pesach Sheni
What happens when a boy is Bar Mitzva between Pesach and Pesach Sheni, as regards bringing a make-up Pesach offering in the Temple? This question has intrigued scholars over the generations.
Torah Way 9 February 2020 - I Come Into My Garden
Presenting a discourse taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Yud Shevat, 1980. Today in 2020 we celebrate 70 years since the Rebbe became leader in 1950.
Searching for the Melody
An account of a talk given by R. Yoel Kahn at the Shluchim Conference in NY, November 1980
Torah Way 6 October 2019 - The Concept of Teshuvah
Shortly before Yom Kippur, exploring the concept of Teshuvah from a discourse by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a page of Hayom Yom, a chapter of Tanya, and Talmud Tractate Yoma
Achos Hatemimim 5779
In 1938 Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn established groups for girls studying Chassidic teachings. One group was in Riga and another in Brooklyn. This was a new departure leading to the future.
Torah Way Sedra Bechukotai 26 May 2019
The Sedra speaks of the terrible 'curses' of suffering and exile. But when Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi chanted this Sedra in the Synagogue, his young son did not hear any curses. Why not? Can suffering be seen on a higher level?
Torah Way - 30 December 2018 - 22 Tevet - The Divine Name
Sedra Va'era presents the idea of the importance of the Tetragrammaton, the ineffable Divine Name. This is reflected in the thought of the Rambam and R' Shneur Zalman of Liadi whose yartzeits fall on 20 and 24 Tevet respectively.
Torah Way 7 Oct 2018 - Bereishit & Noach - Evolution & Science & Torah
The account of Creation in the Torah raises the question of the theory of evolution. What is the Jewish attitude to this? We discuss a letter about evolution by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This leads to a discussion of the relationship between science and Torah in general, based on a fascinating comment by the Zohar on a verse in Sedra Noach.
Torah Way 8 July 2018
Discussion of the Temple in Maimonides Laws of the Temple ch.1, and in Chassidic Teachings (Bati LeGani chs.1-2).
Torah Way 12/11/17 Sedra Toledot
Explaining the struggle between Jacob and Esau in terms of the struggle between the Divine Soul and the Animal Soul within the individual, based on Tanya ch.9
18 Elul - Birthday of Two Great Lumiaries ~ Torah Way 3/09/17
18 Elul is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (1698) and Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745). This talk discusses their teachings.
Chassidism and Modernity - Is Chassidism Relevant to the Modern World? - 26 June 17
At Kinloss Finchley Synagogue with Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence
Torah Way - Sedra Chukat and the Yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
The Yahrzeit of the Rebbe, 3 Tammuz, falls on 27 June 2017. This talk discusses the Rebbe's final teaching in relation to Sedra Chukat.
Contemplative Prayer 3
3rd and final talk on contemplative Prayer at Beit Shvidler School, May 2017
Contemplative Prayer 2
A series on Contemplation in prayer in Beit Shvidler school May 2017 Part 2
Contemplative Prayer 1
A series on Contemplation in prayer in Beit Shvidler school May 2017 Part 1
Torah Way Lag B'Omer Talk May 2017
Discussing the significance of Lag B'Omer and exploring relevant passages in the Talmud.
Living Life to the Full 10/01/17
The Rebbe said this discourse in January 1965 for Sedra Vayehi. "Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years" - one lives life to the full when one faces the challenge of "Egypt" in every epoch and every form.
Tenth of Tevet 2017 at Torah Way
Discussing the significance of the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet.
The Torah Way 6/11/16
For Sedra Lech Lecha, considering the life and work of Abraham as told by the Rambam in Laws of Idolatry ch.1. the Talmud Shab. 54b emphasises that we should try to influence others for good.
Saul Dzanogly Shiur: Tanya Chapter 15
The dynamic principle in Judaism. Even if you are perfect, you always have to try to advance
Saul Dzanogly Shiur: Tanya, Letter on Repentance
An overview of the 3rd Part of Tanya, discussing the concept of Teshuvah. 15 Sept.2016
The Torah Way 15/05/16
The counting of the Omer - investigating its spiritual dimension.
Saul Dzanogly Shiur - 'Freedom' - Leaving Egypt every day
Tanya Ch.47 starts with what seems like a quote from the Haggada. But it is slightly different. It teaches us about daily freedom from our inner 'Egypt'.
Saul Dzanogly Shiur - Love of the Divine
7 Jan 2016 - exploring 'Love of the Divine' with the Saul Dzanogly group, examining texts from the Rambam and Tanya.
Healing in Hasidism: From the Baal Shem Tov to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
A talk by Naftali Loewenthal given at the Boston U Campus Chabad House in December 2015, based on a paper presented at the AJS Conference. This presents rational and supra-rational aspects of the healing techniques of both the Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.
The Rambam and Rabbi Shneur Zalman
This talk, given just before 18 Kislev 5776, compares Rambam's Laws of the foundation of the Torah with Rabbi Shneur Zalman's Tanya.
Rabbi Chaim Rapoport - Maimonides and Anthropomorphism
Rabbi Chaim Rapoport discusses Maimonides' quest to remove anthropomorphic conceptions of G-d. Presented at Oxford Chabad Yom Limmud 22 Nov 2015.
Dr. Naftali Loewenthal - Maimonides' Approach to Creation
Dr. Naftali Loewenthal discusses Maimonides' approach to creation and how this was understood by later scholars. Presented at Oxford Chabad Yom Limmud 22 Nov 2015.
Rabbi Eli Brackman - Apostasy and Maimonides
Rabbi Eli Brackman discusses the case of "Jacob the Jew", an early 17th century figure in Oxford, who fled to escape public baptism. The case is analysed in terms of relevant halachic literature on Apostasy. Presented at Oxford Chabad Yom Limmud 22 Nov 2015.
Dr. Israel Sandman - Historiographical passages in Maimonides' Mishneh Torah
Dr. Israel Sandman explores the significance of Maimonides depicting the history of idolatry, of Abraham discovering Monotheism and other historiographical passages in this work. Presented at Oxford Chabad Yom Limmud 22 Nov 2015.
Thoughts on Kol Nidrei
Lecture at Yom Limmud at the Oxford Chabad Centre Sept 2015 on the legal and mystical aspects of Kol Nidrei.
12 Tammuz - What does it Mean?
A talk at The Torah Way, 28 June 15, on the significance of 12 Tammuz, the day the Previous Rebbe Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn was freed by the Soviet Government in 1927, after his imprisonment for strengthening Judaism and teaching Torah under the Communist regime.
The Counting of the Omer
A talk given at 'The Torah Way', 19 April 2015, on the significance of the Counting of the Omer. Based on teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Tanya by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
Pesach - the Spiritual Dimension
A Shiur to Bnei Akiva in the London Bayit, on finding the spiritual dimension of Pesach, March 2015.
I have Come into My Garden
A presentation of a famous teaching, the Bati LeGani discourse, about the goal of creation. This was presented at a study group in NW London in February 2015.