Dear Friend,

Did you ever try to take a shortcut, only to discover that you’ve just tacked on additional travel time to your trip? Have you ever purchased a cheap replacement part on the Internet, only to discover that it wasn’t worth the packaging it came in? Most of us do that at least once in a while. Our sages call it taking the short-long route. It seems to be shorter, but it’s actually longer.

Then there is the long-short route. Taking the time to find the right contractor, choosing the fast-moving highway even if it’s a few blocks out of your way, having a nutritious breakfast before you start reading your e‑mails, are all examples of time and energy well spent.

This Thursday is 19 Kislev, celebrated as the Chassidic New Year. On this day, we begin anew the annual Tanya learning cycle. In his intro to the book, the author, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, writes that his purpose is to chart out the long-short way to serve G‑d. Curious to learn what it is? Join us as we begin the study cycle and find out for yourself.

Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team

P.S.: Remember, this is not a quick fix. Don’t expect all the answers in the first few chapters. Keep on learning, and you’ll get the hang of it.

P.P.S.: Have you ever traveled the long-short way? Please share your experiences with us in the comments.