The one hundred and ninety-fourth "room" in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 6 Sivan, first day of Chag HaShavuos, 5703.
First of all, there is an interesting reference here to the acronym for "Chag HaShavuos". "Chag HaShavuos" is written here with the acronym Ches, Hei, Shin, whereas many times it is written Ches, Gimmel, Hei, Shin. There is an explanation here from the Rebbe to Rabbi Zeligson: when the latter prepared the footnotes for the sefer Hayom Yom, the Rebbe wrote to him that if one writes the acronym Ches, Gimmel, Hei, Shin - it makes no sense; since the word "Chag", the letters Ches and Gimmel, is a complete word, and what is the point of attaching a complete word to the acronym Hei Shin? But if one makes the acronym Ches, Hei, Shin, then it is all an acronym: the Ches is the first letter of "Chag", and the Hei and Shin are the first letters of "HaShavuos".
Although sometimes acronyms do contain a complete word inside them - for example, the word "Shamayim", which is a notarikon (abbreviation) of the two words "Sham mayim", and yet the word "mayim" appears there in its entirety, and only the Shin is the first letter of "Sham" - nevertheless, the more correct acronym is as written here: Ches, Hei, Shin, for "Chag HaShavuos".
In today's teaching, we have two customs and a teaching. In the first custom, it is written: "During the reading of the Ten Commandments, one stands facing the Sefer Torah." On this day, the holiday of Shavuos, the Ten Commandments are read from the Torah, and when the baal korei reads the Ten Commandments, the congregation must stand, facing the Sefer Torah. This directive appears in Hayom Yom two more times: on 24 Shevat, when Parshas Yisro is read, which contains the Ten Commandments; here, on Shavuos; and a third time on 13 Menachem-Av, when Parshas Vaeschanan is read, which also contains the Ten Commandments. Each time, this custom is repeated, detailing how one conducts oneself during the reading of the Ten Commandments.
The next custom: "We do not recite Akdamus." Let us say a few words about this. What is "Akdamus"? A very important piyut (liturgical poem), composed by the paytan Rabbi Meir son of Rabbi Yitzchak, who lived in the era of Rashi, in the year 4860 - a little over nine hundred years ago. This is a very important piyut, and many times excerpts from it appear in maamarim of chassidus along with their explanation.
In the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, siman 494 seif 7, there is a reference to various customs regarding exactly when to recite the piyut on Shavuos: whether, according to certain customs, it is recited after reading the first verse in the Sefer Torah, and then one pauses and moves to the piyut, or whether it is recited even before the Kohen begins the first blessing. And the Shulchan Aruch brings that on the second day of Shavuos in the diaspora, the piyut is recited before the Haftarah. In other words, there are different customs. The sefer Shaar HaKolel brings there that in all minyanim they were accustomed to recite it, but there are minyanim that did not recite it, and concludes that if there is time - they should recite it.
Here in Hayom Yom, it appeared from the Rebbe's diary what he heard from the Rebbe Rayatz in the year 5691, that the Rebbe Rayatz said that we do not recite Akdamus. Despite all the importance of the piyut, and despite the halachic discussion on the matter, in practice we do not have the custom to recite it. The Rebbe writes in one of the letters in Igros Kodesh that he did not hear from the Rebbe Rayatz the reason why we do not recite it; but if the Rebbe Rayatz said so - we do not recite the piyut.
And how did the Rebbe himself act? It is known that the Rebbe himself would recite the entire piyut of Akdamus between the aliyos on Shavuos, from aliyah to aliyah, and this is also how the Rebbe's father acted. However, when they asked the Rebbe explicitly - as it is told that in the year 5727, during the Shavuos meals, he was asked what his custom is in this matter - the Rebbe evaded the question and did not want to say openly how he acts; but it is known that this is how he acted.
Despite everything, at one of the farbrengens in the year 5717 on Shavuos, the Rebbe gave a certain reason why we do not recite it. The Rebbe explained that the main theme of Shavuos is receiving the Torah from the Holy One, blessed be He, whereas the theme of the piyut is primarily to tell of the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the creation of the world and the creation of the angels. And if we say the piyut properly, with great emotion and excitement, we might forget what the main point of Shavuos is - we will be more absorbed in amazement at the creation of the world and the creation of the angels, and we will not pay attention that the main thing is the day of receiving the Torah. If so, it is possible that this is the reason why we do not recite it - so that all attention will be given to the main theme of Shavuos, which is Matan Torah.
Study sessions: Chumash, Naso, Revii, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 6 of the month, from chapter 35 to chapter 38 inclusive.
Tanya, on this day we begin the second part of the Tanya, which is the introduction to Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, from the words "Likkutei Amarim hanikra beshem", until the end of the section called "Chinuch Katan", which concludes with the words "ve'achduso yisbareich veyis'aleh".
Afterwards we have the teaching: "The histalkus (passing) of the Baal Shem Tov". Here we are talking about the date of the Baal Shem Tov's histalkus. Interestingly, in the Chassidic world - outside of Chabad - it is accepted to say that the Baal Shem Tov passed away on the second day of Shavuos; but here the Rebbe brings that the final clarification is not so, rather that the histalkus of the Baal Shem Tov was on the first day of Shavuos. In that year when the Baal Shem Tov passed away, the year 5508, Shavuos fell on Wednesday and Thursday - the first day on Wednesday and the second day on Thursday - and thus his histalkus was on Wednesday of the week.
Regarding this matter, that the Baal Shem Tov passed away on the fourth day (Wednesday), there is an interesting statement. Let us continue reading the teaching: "The histalkus of the Baal Shem Tov was on Wednesday, the first day of Shavuos, 5520, and his resting place of honor is in Mezhibuzh."
And how do we relate to the fact that the Baal Shem Tov passed away on Wednesday? "The Alter Rebbe said about this". Let me provide some background on when the Alter Rebbe said this - and as it appears here: "Wednesday, 20 Kislev, 5559 in Petersburg". It is known that the Alter Rebbe was released from his famous imprisonment in the year 5559, on Tuesday, 19 Kislev, and at night, the eve of 20 Kislev, he left the house of the misnaged; and therefore we celebrate two days, 19 and 20, which were Tuesday and Wednesday.
That night, when the Alter Rebbe left the misnaged's house, he saw the joy of the chassidim, who were literally rolling in the streets of Petersburg out of sheer joy. The Alter Rebbe - not because he was afraid, Heaven forbid, since he had been openly released to freedom - but rather he was concerned about this form of expression, and wanted to bring them into a certain order. The next morning, on Wednesday, 20 Kislev, after the prayer, he said a single sentence - let us say it in its entirety: "On the fourth day the luminaries were taken (nitlu)."
And this is how the Alter Rebbe explained it, and the Rebbe Rayatz brings this in one of the sichos in greater detail: On the fourth day of the world's creation, the verse says, "Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens," and the word "me'oros" (luminaries) is written in a defective spelling - Mem, Alef, Reish, Tav - without a Vav. The Ramban explains why it is spelled defectively: On the first day of the world's creation it is written "Let there be light," and the light of the first day served for three days - on the first, second, and third days; and on the fourth day the luminaries were suspended (nitlu with a Tav), while the light that was there previously disappeared.
Then the Alter Rebbe explained regarding himself, saying: There were three generations here - the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, and... - and here he stopped and did not finish, since he himself was the third generation. And then he said, "On the fourth day the luminaries were nitlu": one can say "nitlu" with a Tes, which means they were taken away, and this also hints at the histalkus of the Baal Shem Tov, who passed away on Wednesday - that on the fourth day the luminaries were "taken" (nitlu). And one can say "nitlu" with a Tav, meaning the luminaries were hung (suspended) - that on this day the Alter Rebbe went out to freedom, and now the light continues. The Alter Rebbe said that this day was "nitlu" with a Tes, taken; and the continuation, that it should be "nitlu" with a Tav - depends on the chassidim. In other words, the continuation of the redemption depends on the chassidim.
Let us conclude this topic with another interesting point. At one of the farbrengens of the Rebbe Rashab, the day of the Baal Shem Tov's histalkus was discussed, and it was said that his histalkus was on the first day of Shavuos, a Wednesday. The Rebbe's father, the mekubal Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, sat there at the farbrengen and asked the Rebbe Rashab: It is written in halachah that a person who passes away on the first day of Shavuos is buried by non-Jews; if so, how is it possible that non-Jews would involve themselves in the burial of the holy body of the Baal Shem Tov, who passed away on the first day of Shavuos? The Rebbe Rashab responded and said that the holy body of the Baal Shem Tov did not need anyone to involve themselves with it - he buried himself. This was the expression with which the Rebbe Rashab answered the question.