With G-d's help we are beginning a series of lessons on the sefer "Hayom Yom" - the first sefer that the Rebbe published. First we will devote a lesson or two to an introduction: background on how the idea of writing the sefer began and on its structure; and afterwards we will begin with the introduction to the sefer and with the first saying, and with G-d's help we will learn the entire sefer.
The beginning of the idea - the farbrengen of Acharon shel Pesach 5700:
The idea of writing the sefer began in the year 5700, the year in which the Rebbe Rayatz arrived in the United States in the month of Adar. Immediately in the following month, in the month of Nissan, at the farbrengen of Acharon shel Pesach, the Previous Rebbe said publicly words from which we will quote a short passage (the original is in Yiddish, and here it is in translation):
"In truth, one ought to gather together all the minhagim of our holy fathers and Rebbes, may their merit protect us, and establish a sefer of minhagim that would be relevant and suited to day-to-day life," and he adds that this sefer would be a kind of code for Chabad chassidim containing the minhagim of Chabad, and that it would also include certain sayings and very short stories.
And in the next passage he continues: "Such an organized compilation can be made only by a deep, inward person, a person who is thoroughly organized, a person who has a broad and deep understanding. And I maintain regarding this that, thank G-d, in a good hour, I know that I have, thank G-d, divine success that the Holy One Blessed Be He has granted me, that anything I consider to be good for the benefit of the many, for Torah, for fear of Heaven, for the livelihood of Jews, of chassidim, the Holy One Blessed Be He helps that sooner or later, through various causes, the thing that I considered important comes to be. And so too is my hope that this organized compilation will certainly, with G-d's help, in the end come from potential into actuality, to the joy of my heart and to the benefit of anash, may G-d watch over them and may they live." That is the sichah that the Previous Rebbe said on Acharon shel Pesach of the year 5700.
The letter to the Rebbe - 20 Kislev 5703:
Almost three years later, the Rebbe Rayatz wrote a letter to the Rebbe, on 20 Kislev 5703, and this is what it said: "My dear son-in-law, of distinguished lineage, the Rav and Gaon, veteran and chassid, a G-d fearing man, Moreinu HaRav" - and he then mentions the Rebbe's name - "greetings and blessing. On the basis of the igeres hakodesh of his honor, my master, my father, my teacher and Rebbe," that is, on the basis of the letter of his father, the Rebbe Rashab, together with the titles appropriate to him after his passing.
The letter deals with the festival of festivals, Yud Tes Kislev. The Rebbe Rashab writes that this day is the Rosh Hashanah of the teachings of Chabad chassidus. And note: the Previous Rebbe writes his letter on 20 Kislev, and says that the previous day, Yud Tes Kislev, is the Rosh Hashanah of the teachings of Chabad chassidus. And from here comes his request of his son-in-law, of the Rebbe: "I hereby request of him that he be so kind as to arrange a calendar for the year, beginning from this Yud Tes Kislev until the coming Yud Tes Kislev."
The sefer was actually published several months later, toward the end of Adar or in Nissan, but it was published bearing the date of Yud Tes Kislev. And from this we learn that even though the sefer is arranged according to dates, it is nevertheless a fundamental sefer that one learns at any time and on any date.
The three aims of the sefer:
In his letter the Rebbe Rayatz details how the sefer should be built and what should be included in it - "and there should be included in it in particular," in a focused manner - and he divides this into three:
Shiurim of learning: "Shiurim of learning as a daily fixed portion equal for every soul, apart from that which each and every one has according to his own measure" - that is, in addition to the personal shiurim that each and every person has, the sefer would include general shiurim fixed as a daily portion, equal for every soul. And these are:
Chumash with Rashi's commentary - learning the daily portion in Chumash every day.
Tehillim after Shacharis, as it is divided according to the days of the month.
Shiurim of learning Tanya, "as I have divided it for the days of this year" - the Rebbe Rayatz divided the Tanya for the year 5703 into daily learning, and asked that the Rebbe include this in the calendar. This is what is called Chitas: Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya.
The minhagim of Chabad chassidim: there was as yet no single sefer collecting the minhagim of the chassidim, and therefore he asked that the minhagim of Chabad chassidim be included in this sefer.
A collection of sayings from the teachings of chassidus and the ways of chassidim: short matters for each day of the year - sayings from chassidus and from the ways of chassidim, short items for each day.
And he concludes, "And may G-d help him and grant him success materially and spiritually."
The name of the sefer:
The name of the sefer was set by the Previous Rebbe, who concludes his letter: "The calendar that he arranges, let him call it by the name Hayom Yom: Luach Or Zarua LaChassidei Chabad." And so indeed it appears on the first page of the sefer - the sefer's designation is exactly as the Rebbe Rayatz called it, "Luach Or Zarua LaChassidei Chabad." And he concludes as the Rebbe Rayatz always concluded in those years: "Immediate teshuvah, immediate redemption. His father-in-law who inquires after his welfare, who esteems and honors him and blesses him materially and spiritually."
After the sefer was published:
After the sefer was published toward the month of Nissan, there was printed in the Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe a letter that he wrote to a Jew by the name of Rabbi Alexander Cohen, from 28 Nissan 5703. This letter too is in Yiddish, and we will bring one passage from it in translation:
"Surely you have received the sefer 'Hayom Yom.' It is a sefer of small format, a little sefer of small format, just as a chassid ought to be small in his own eyes. But the sefer is filled with pearls, with precious gems from the greatest and finest wellspring. This is, thank G-d, something, the light of life in a chassidishe direction with real, strong influence. G-d, may He be blessed, without an evil eye, granted my son-in-law the Rav and Gaon Rabbi [the Rebbe's name] that he should be able to establish such a fundamental chassidishe palace with three hundred eighty-three rooms, that day unto day utters speech, each day saying something. This is the true Hayom Yom, every day is a day."
And in that same letter the Rebbe Rayatz also relates to the daily saying: the letter was written on 28 Nissan, and he quotes to the recipient what is written in the saying of that day and relates to its content.
The Rebbe's relationship to the sefer:
The Rebbe himself, in that same year, 5703, several months later - and of course during the lifetime of the Previous Rebbe - writes a letter to someone, and in the middle of the letter he writes to him: "It is a wonder to me that you have not yet ordered the volumes of Hayom Yom." He mentions another particular volume that had recently been published, which aroused great joy and much happiness in the chassidishe world, and he says: apparently you did not order it because you have not yet grasped the great light that is here, and therefore I am sending you five copies, and surely you will look into the matter. And also at the conclusion of the letter, when the Rebbe speaks about ahavas Yisrael, he immediately says: "See the Hayom Yom of 15 Kislev, what the Alter Rebbe said about this." One sees that the Rebbe truly lived the sefer.
And in a sichah from the year 5729 the Rebbe notes that every single saying in the sefer "Hayom Yom" was reviewed by the Previous Rebbe - which saying would suit which day. It emerges that this is a sefer that contains within it without end. In the coming lessons, and also in the additional introductory lesson that will be given with G-d's help, we will see just how much this sefer contains - in addition to the plain meaning, which one must learn and understand - also realms of hints and secrets and the most wondrous things.
A hint in the name of the sefer:
We will conclude with one interesting point: things that the Rebbe did not say himself, but that chassidim thought of, and which indirectly received confirmation from the Rebbe as well, since the Rebbe confirmed many such hints. One of the interesting hints: as we saw, the one who set the name of the sefer was the Rebbe Rayatz, and the sefer is called "Hayom Yom." In the words "Hayom Yom" there are hinted the initials of the name of the Rebbe Rayatz and also the initials of the name of the Rebbe - the letters yud in "HaYom-Yom" are the initials of the Rebbe Rayatz (Yosef Yitzchak), and the ending letters mem are the initials of the Rebbe's name (Menachem Mendel). It emerges that in the name of the sefer too, the Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe are hinted at. And there are further hints in this.
With G-d's help, tomorrow we will continue with a further introduction, and afterwards we will begin little by little to stroll through this wondrous palace, with its three hundred eighty-three rooms, that the Rebbe has set before us. With G-d's help.