“This book is my love letter to the teachings of the Rebbe,” says Simcha Levenberg, author of the newly released Deep Cuts: Fresh Takes on the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. “For each weekly Torah portion, I chose my favorite corresponding talk of the Rebbe, the one that I personally found most disruptive and innovative.”
Over the course of nearly half a century, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, spent thousands of hours teaching publicly during farbrengens. These gatherings were held on Shabbat, Jewish holidays and special occasions on the Jewish calendar, when the Rebbe would expound on a wide range of topics, offering unique insights on the weekly Torah portion, in-depth analysis of Talmudic passages, profound exposition of the esoteric parts of Torah, and the Jewish worldview on historic and current events, all of it through the unique lens of Chabad Chassidic philosophy.
Most of these talks were painstakingly transcribed, relying on specially trained scholars to retain with their memories the Rebbe’s talks delivered on Shabbat or a holiday, when tape recording is not allowed, and are still being published today. Beginning in 1958, some of these talks were worked into Hebrew and Yiddish essays by a team of scholars, before being submitted to the Rebbe for his editing. Published under the unassuming title of Likkutei Sichot (“Collections of Talks”), these edited talks fill 39 volumes.
In Deep Cuts, Levenberg presents the talks with his own personal, slightly hyperactive, style, his excitement over the Rebbe’s teachings evident on every page.
“The Rebbe’s teachings are like a French wine that continues to develop with time, even after bottling and storage,” he explains. A Southern California-based marriage and family therapist, Levenberg finds the Rebbe’s words in everyday life, pointing out the life-changing lessons for modern times.
“My target audience is that person who sits in the back of the shul, with no interest in the rabbi’s speech or whatever else is going on,” says the author. “OK, it’s also the people who do have interest, but are new to the Rebbe’s talks, and don’t yet know how awesome they are. My goal is for them to find the excitement in it.”
Before the book, Levenberg hosted a podcast called “The Simcha Project.” Every week for a year he would talk about his favorite talk of the Rebbe for the week. Each talk was connected to the weekly Torah portion Parshah). The podcast was fun, quirky, and full of California humor. The podcast quickly spread.
“The last one came out just a couple days before October 7,” says Levenberg. “Then I knew it was time to put it into a book.”
Levenberg began learning Chabad teachings in 1997 and bemoans the fact that he never got to meet the Rebbe in person. “My relationship with the Rebbe is through his teachings. When I open up the books of the Rebbe’s writings or talks, I feel like I’m communicating directly with the Rebbe. The Rebbe is talking to me, and me to him.”
Discovering the Journey
Each chapter of Deep Cuts is dedicated to one portion of the Book of Bereshit, and includes five parts. It starts with a quirky “Breaking News,” sharing humorous headlines from the portion as current events. Then, “Parsha Consommé” gives a brief summary of the portion. The next section walks through the entire talk of the Rebbe, explaining it in everyday words that even the uninitiated can follow.
“That was essential,” says Levenberg. “I don’t want to make another ‘nutshell’ delivery. People don’t just need the end quote in a nicely wrapped lesson. You need to experience the whole joy of deconstructing the talk, of exploring every nook and cranny, and doing the work of finding it in your personal space and everyday life and culture.”
Don’t worry—Levenberg doesn’t leave the reader on their own at the end. In the fourth section, “Extra Credit,” he puts on his therapist hat, pulls out his notes, and discusses the practical application—showing readers what it was that made him fall in love with the Rebbe’s teachings, and how this specific talk should radically change everyone’s lives for the better.
“Chassidut isn’t therapy,” he says. “There are a lot of interactions between the two, a lot of overlapping and a lot of differences. I discuss that at different points in the book, and will point out where the two interact. But Chassidut has its own thing and will have you growing on your journey in its own uniquely powerful way.”
It seems that the author’s favorite section of each chapter is actually the endnotes. (“That’s where all the fun is,” he says.) The notes give bits of further learning, splashes of pop-humor, and then points the reader to the original source text.
“If I succeeded,” says Levenberg in his typical enthusiasm, “then the reader will pull out a Likkutei Sichot, find the source, and learn it for themselves. And I know they’ll love it!”
To order your copy of Deep Cuts, click here.
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