The one hundred and fifteenth "room" in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Monday, 16 Adar II, Shushan Purim, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Tzav, Sheini, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 16th of the month, we say chapter 77 and chapter 78.
Tanya, we are still in the middle of chapter 37. The daily shiur begins with the words "Kaasher kol", and concludes on page 94 with the word "haavos".
The daily teaching is a brief description of how the Mitteler Rebbe engaged in the study of chassidus, teaching it to his chassidim, and transmitting it to them. Its source is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 12 Iyar 5695. I will first say a few words as background before the specific quote from the letter.
The Rebbe Rayatz relates there what he heard from his father, who heard from his father - the grandfather, the Rebbe Maharash - that the Mitteler Rebbe would divide the chassidim into several groups. First of all, there was a general division among the chassidim: there were those known as the "Maskilim", and there were those known as the "Ovdim". The "Maskilim" - those who possessed broad and vast knowledge in the teachings of chassidus and profound intellectual understanding of chassidus; and the "Ovdim" - those whose primary focus was prayer and avodah of Hashem.
Aside from the general division, within each division itself there were several sub-groups - different types of Maskilim and different types of Ovdim - and for each type the Mitteler Rebbe designated specific maamarim and a specific sefer, so that they would have the tools to engage in their respective areas. For example, for those in the category of "Ovdim" he wrote a sefer called "Shaar HaTeshuvah VehaTefillah", which contains several parts: for one type he designated part one, for the second type part two, and for the third type part three.
Similarly, regarding the "Maskilim" he wrote seforim: for one type he wrote a sefer called "Shaar HaEmunah", for a second type a sefer called "Ateres Rosh", and for a third type a sefer called "Imrei Binah". Each group had the material relevant to it.
In the daily teaching, the Rebbe relates briefly and directly to what I have just said at length, emphasizing that there are certain general seforim written for everyone. Let us read the teaching: "My grandfather [my master, my grandfather, my teacher and Rebbe, the Rebbe Maharash] said that for each and every type of the Maskilim and the Ovdim, the Mitteler Rebbe wrote specific maamarim and a special sefer" - for every type within the general division of the Maskilim and the Ovdim, the Mitteler Rebbe wrote maamarim in a special sefer. Here in the teaching, the Rebbe does not include the Rebbe Rayatz's lengthy elaboration detailing the different types within each of the groups.
"Except for Shaar HaYichud and Shaarei Orah" - aside from these two seforim, Shaar HaYichud and Shaarei Orah, "which are general" and were not written for a specific group, but rather "were written for all chassidim", regardless of which category.
And what is the difference between Shaar HaYichud and Shaarei Orah? Why did he make two seforim? Each sefer has its own purpose. And so he writes: "Shaar HaYichud is the 'key' to the teachings of chassidus" - Shaar HaYichud is the sefer known as the "key" to chassidus. In another sichah, the Rebbe Rayatz adds a few words to this definition, saying that this sefer contains profound intellect to comprehend the entire Seder haHishtalshelus, and it opens a gateway into the intellectual understanding of the teachings of chassidus. This is the nature of the sefer called Shaar HaYichud.
Conversely, "and Shaarei Orah is the 'Aleph-Beis' of the teachings of chassidus" - as the Rebbe Rayatz said in one of his sichos, Shaarei Orah is the comprehension, the Aleph-Beis of the teachings of chassidus. In another sichah, the Rebbe Rayatz adds another general sefer, called "Kuntres HaHispaalus", which also opens a general gateway to the avodah of Hashem. This is the difference between the two types of seforim.
In one of his letters, the Rebbe refers to this matter, and to Shaar HaYichud which we mentioned, adding a sentence: that at the beginning of the sefer Shaar HaYichud, the method of hisbonenus is also explained - how one knows at all that they need to contemplate something; the entire topic of hisbonenus and its guidance is found there in the sefer Shaar HaYichud.
And interestingly, how is this teaching connected specifically to today? It is because the aforementioned "Shaarei Orah" is also divided into parts, and it contains "Shaar HaPurim"; and since we are on the day of Shushan Purim, the Rebbe mentions the sefer, which is a general sefer.
I saw that someone wrote an interesting point regarding the order in which the Rebbe presents the seforim: first Shaar HaYichud, which is the "key" to the teachings of chassidus, and then Shaarei Orah, which is the "Aleph-Beis" of the teachings of chassidus. Why specifically in this order and not the reverse? He compared it to entering a house: first of all, you need the key to the house to open it, and only after the house is opened - do the first steps inside it follow. Therefore, Shaar HaYichud is the "key", without which it is impossible to enter at all; and after you have received the key, inside the house itself is the Aleph-Beis, the first steps. This is the difference between the sefer Shaar HaYichud and the sefer Shaarei Orah in the teachings of chassidus.