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An abridged version of the Tanya, written by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1813), known as the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Habad Hasidism. The abridgement was done by R. Abraham Zvi Bruno (also spelled Brudna) (1850-1936), who is also the author of many other books, including Sefer Haye Moshe (Jerusalem, 1922), Sefer Magine Avraham (Jerusalem, 1925) and many others.
The Tanya (תניא) is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Habad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim (ליקוטי אמרים, Hebrew, "collection of statements"), but is more commonly known by its opening word, Tanya, which means "it was taught in a beraita". It comprises five sections that define Hasidic mystical psychology and theology as a handbook for daily spiritual life in Jewish observance.
The Tanya is the main work of the Habad approach to Hasidic mysticism, as it defines its general interpretation and method. The subsequent extensive library of the Habad school, authored by successive leaders, builds upon the approach of the Tanya. Habad differed from "Mainstream Hasidism" in its search for philosophical investigation and intellectual analysis of Hasidic Torah exegesis. This emphasized the mind as the route to internalizing Hasidic mystical dveikus (emotional fervour), in contrast to general Hasidism's creative enthusiasm in faith. As a consequence, Habad Hasidic writings are typically characterized by their systematic intellectual structure, while other classic texts of general Hasidic mysticism are usually more compiled or anecdotal in nature.
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