Shvuos 5738 (1978) - Part 3

00:01 This is behemesek, in continuation to the earlier installment, where we have discussed the farbrengen by the Rebbe, which took place on Shvuet Tov Shin Lamed Ches, nineteen seventy-eight, forty-five years ago. We now continue with installment number three, where we will discuss one of the Sichas talks during the farbrengen of Shvuet, in which the Rebbe elaborated on the pamphlet, the kuntres, on the first chapter of Igeres HaKodesh, which contains commentaries from the Rabbeim, Igeres HaKodesh being the fourth section of Tanya. So it's the first chapter of the fourth section of Tanya, which the Rebbe requested that it should be distributed to all the Rabbonim will allow Chassidim going on taluka to speak in their shul. First, a short introduction regarding the background of this kuntres. This kuntres pamphlet is part of a series of all the commentaries of all the Rabbeim of Chabad and the Tanya, including also commentaries written by distinguished Chassidim throughout the generations. As the Tanya has five sections, Likutey Amorim, Shaarei Yichud ve'Emunah, Igeres HaTeshuva, Igeres HaKodesh, and Kuntres Achron. Likewise, in summation, there are volumes of these commentaries on all the five sections of the Tanya. This phenomenal, unique work was accomplished by the scholar Horav Aharon Chitrik, alav ha-shalom, who was the chief librarian at the Rebbe's library for many years. We will here read from the introduction, the pesach davar, in the preface to the publishing of the first booklet on the first chapter of Tanya, from the first section of Tanya. That is being translated here in English.

02:23 In fulfilling the directive of the Rebbe, we are hereby publishing a compilation of commentaries of our Rabbeim which are found in discourses of Chassidus and in talks, in letters, in manuscripts on the first chapter of Tanya. From the time the Tanya was published in the year Tov Kuv Nun Zayin, which is late nine-- seventeen ninety-six until now, there wasn't one encompassing commentary on the entire Tanya. And the commentaries that we have are spread out amongst writings of Chassidus, various writings which were delivered over the course of the last two hundred years. The first and foremost who began elaborating on the Tanya was the Tamach Tzedek, and mostly his insights are spread out in his discourses and manuscripts which were published in the series of the Eida Tes Svarim as the title of his Svarim. Today we have about fifty volumes, and also some are still in writing manuscripts which will be published in the future. Rabbi Chitrik was chosen by the Rebbe for this project, as well as for many other projects. Rabbi Chitrik and his great work, which is mostly unknown to the public, are highly noteworthy and merit to warrant a comprehensive overview in the Zichronus of the Rebbe series. The Rebbe's ultimate vision for this series was and is that the original Tanya text itself should be published, followed by a line below, and on the bottom section of the page will appear all commentaries. This project would need a long time period. Therefore, the Rebbe instructed that for the time being,

04:44 when there were a sufficient amount of commentaries on a few chapters of the Tanya, a booklet be published. This included the original images of the Tanya chapters, followed by the commentaries. After all the five above-mentioned volumes were published, Rabbi Chitrik then planned to begin this new project, which the Rebbe envisioned as mentioned earlier, that the text will be on the top and the, the commentary is on the bottom. Chassidim figure that this stems from the original plan of the Rebbe in Kislev Tov Shin Yud Dalet, late nineteen fifty-three, to publish a Tanya with the commentaries around the Tanya text. Which means the Tanya text is in the center and the commentaries are around it. The Rebbe describes this in his introduction to the Tanya published that year, late nineteen fifty-three. When the Rebbe's Reshimas manuscripts on the Tanya were discovered after Gimel Tammuz, they were published in this same format, the text in the middle, in the center, and the commentaries around it. And now we get to the sicha itself, the talk that the Rebbe gave in regards to this first chapter of Igeres HaKodesh, as is translated here by Sichas in English. The expression Pesachim BeBrocha, open with a blessing, is the title of the first letter in Igeres HaKodesh, the fourth section of the Tanya. A pamphlet containing that letter and a maimer delivered by the Alter Rebbe explaining the letter, which had never been published before, and other commentaries were published immediately before the Yom Tov of Shuas. The pamphlet was

06:41 intended to be published on Lag Beimer, but because of certain factors, the publication was postponed until Erev Shuas. Since everything is guided by Yashgacha Prati's divine providence, it is obvious that there is a direct connection between Shuas and the concepts explained in the letter Pesachim BeBrocha. The connection appears on many levels. The most fundamental being the principle begin with a blessing was also adhered to in the giving of the Ten Commandments, Aseres HaDibres, as the Rebbe mentioned in an earlier sicha before this one. Moreover, the main body of the letter Pesachim BeBrocha focuses upon the importance and value of Torah. The letter begins, I have heard good tidings which have enlivened my soul and there is no good other than that of Torah. The complete and perfect Torah of Hashem, the good tidings being the completion of study of the entire Talmud in most cities and congregations of our followers. The completion of study of the entire Talmud involving the public study of Torah is obviously related to Shuas. In addition, the expression the complete and perfect Torah can be seen as an allusion to the seven complete and perfect weeks of Sfirat HaOmer, the preparation for Shuas. Therefore, it is appropriate to recognize and congratulate all of those individuals who were involved with publishing the pamphlet and also those who publicized it and spread its lessons to the public. We will, im yirtzeh Hashem, continue in the next installment and discuss the second topic which the Rebbe elaborated on, a routine medical procedure and

08:49 its halachic implications.