Chabad Research Unit - Professor Tali Loewenthal

Explores morning prayer order, bowing in Amidah, High Holiday textual changes, praying for others, forgiveness via shame, and Shema inclusions like Exodus mentions, with Steinsaltz and Chassidic commentaries. 28 December 2025 sourcesheet: https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTour%20-%20Berachot12a-b.pdf

Explores Divine Name "Ehyeh," redemption promise, Elijah's double plea, and morning Shema timing from dawn distinctions to three hours. Chassidic comments highlight prayer's transcendence, kingship of Jews, and juxtaposing blessings without interruption. 7 September 2025 sourcesheet: https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTour%20Berachot9b-10a.pdf

Topics include the virtue of praying with the community, the importance of the Halachah (as opposed to varied opinions in the Talmud), physical and spiritual death, the importance of marriage and womanhood, work and study, relationship with one's teacher, the concept of reciting the Hebrew text of the verses of the Sedra of the week, verse by verse, twice, and then the Aramaic translation. 20...

Explore divine prayer, mercy, and human blessings. Shammai's emphasis on consistent Torah study and kindness. God's prayer seeks mercy over anger. Kabbalistic interpretations connect divine attributes to human actions, highlighting repentance and blessings' impact. 22 June 2025 sourcesheet: https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTourBerachot7a.pdf

Berachot 6b discusses God's metaphorical phylacteries, symbolizing Israel's praise, and the importance of synagogue attendance. It emphasizes running to mitzvot, prayer's spiritual impact, and rewarding actions like rejoicing at weddings, with Chassidic insights on divine connection. originally given 8 June 2025 https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTourBerachot6b.pdf

The Talmud Tour on Shabbat 88a-89a, honouring Shavuot, explores the Giving of the Torah at Sinai. It discusses the Torah’s threefold nature, its dissolution of the spiritual-physical divide, coercion and acceptance, and the Divine Presence. Chassidic insights emphasize Torah’s role in elevating the physical world. originally given 25 May 2025 sourcesheet: https://files.chabadresearch.net/Talmud%20...

Studied in preparation for Lag B'Omer which falls this year on Thursday-Friday 15-16 May 2025. This passage describes Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son having to hide from the Romans in a cave, and the spiritual process which they went through in their understanding of the interface between intense spirituality and life. originally given 11 may 2025 https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTou...

Explores prayer and synagogue practices, detailing Abba Binyamin's teachings on prayer timing, bed orientation, and communal prayer. It discusses the Divine Presence in synagogues, Torah study, and judgment, emphasizing spiritual focus and the revelation of G-d's presence through these acts. class originally given 27 April 2025 source sheet: https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudTour-Bera...

Berachot 5a-b concerns the topic of Suffering. Hasidic concepts are also discussed, such as Tanya ch.26, which speaks of apparent suffering coming from a higher spiritual dimension, Yud and Heh of the Divine Name. class originally given 30 march 2025 sourcesheet - https://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudBerachot%204a-5a.pdf

In the middle of the discussion about the prayers, the Shema, Ashrei and other prayers, the Talmud includes a brief passage on the origin of the Torah.  We explore this, examining other related texts from Talmud, Midrash, Rambam, Ramban, Tanya. Class originally given 16 March 2025

The importance of Ashrei (Ps 145) which is said 3 times daily, saying Shema before going to bed, and battling against one's inner Yetzer Hara, the Animal Soul. 2 March 2025

Discussing the correct time to recite the Shema, the holiness of hebrew letters in the power of creation, praying with certainty for Moshiach 16 February 2025

The spiritual meaning of the three 'watches' of the night. The Divine 'roar' at the exilic state of existence. The dangers of entering a 'ruin'. Class Material - http://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudBerachot3a-b.pdf

From when does one say the Shema in the evening? The Rebbe explains how this first Mishnah in the entire Talmud hints at each of the six Orders of the Mishnah. 'Evening' represents a state of darkness, in which one injects a declaration of faith in G-d, the saying of the Shema. Class Material: http://files.chabadresearch.net/TalmudBerachot2a&Intro.pdf

The Alef Kabbalah group (13 May 2008) explored the unedited Chassidic-kabbalistic discourse taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe during the week of Parshat Behar 1986. This begins 'When you Come to the Land..the Land should rest" The discourse explores the fact that the Torah text first presents the idea of the Sabbatical year, the seventh year,when the Land rests, and only later describes the...

THE MILI G. KABBALA GROUP WITH TALI LOEWENTHAL, 14 July 2008. Discussing the Fifth Day of Creation.

12 April 2026 This discourse, taught by the Rebbe in 5735 (as a continuation of his maamarim on Yetziat Mitzrayim from Pesach and Shmini that year), discusses the verse "UveRoshei Chodsheichem" and how all Rosh Chodesh are elevated through their root in Nisan - the head of months and month of redemption - linking it to Israel's "kinyan kedem" (acquired before creation), the...

THE MILI G. KABBALA GROUP WITH TALI LOEWENTHAL, 23 June 2008. Discussing the Fourth Day of Creation. 

THE MILI G. KABBALA GROUP WITH TALI LOEWENTHAL, 22 May 2008. Discussing Lag B'Omer, Rashby and his teacher Rabbi Akiva, the exploring the theme of the creations on the Third Day.

THE MILI G. KABBALA GROUP WITH TALI LOEWENTHAL, 21 Jan 2008. Exploring the theme of the 'Breaking of the Vessels' hinted at the beginning of the Torah

This is the second part of the discourse that the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught in 5718 on the Shabbat after Pesach. It discusses the transition from leaving Egypt to receiving the Torah and yet further, to the future Redemption. Taught 17 April 2018

Final Episode in Introduction to Kabbalah: 5. From Creation to Redemption   CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ACCOMPANYING POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 'Global Perspective'"

The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught this discourse in 5718 on the Shabbat after Pesach. It discusses the transition from leaving Egypt to receiving the Torah and yet further, to the future Redemption.

THE MILI G. KABBALA GROUP WITH TALI LOEWENTHAL, 25 March 2010. Discussing Pesach - going out of Egypt every day, and the theme of searching for the Chametz of the Soul

Ultimate Freedom From Pharaoh 28 March 2023 Tzav Pesach The Rebbe taught this discourse, which begins with a quote from the Haggadah, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt..' on Shabbat Parshat Tzav in 1988. It explains that enslavement to Pharaoh comes about through a dislocation within the person. His or her outer manifest will is dislocated from their inner, spiritual will.  Bringing abou...