The two hundred and thirtieth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 12 Tammuz, the Festival of Redemption, 5703.
In the heading the Rebbe states: "Tachanun is not recited." This day is the festival of the redemption of the Rebbe Rayatz, and therefore Tachanun is not recited on it.
Shiurim: Chumash, Balak, fifth aliyah, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, on the 12th of the month, one recites from chapter 66 up to and including chapter 68.
Tanya, on this day one completes the first chapter of Iggeret HaTeshuvah. The lesson begins with the words "V'hinei mitzvat," on page 91, and concludes with the end of the chapter, page 182, with the word "mi'yirah."
In the daily saying the Rebbe relates to the news of the day — to the redemption of 12 Tammuz. But even before the redemption of the Rebbe Rayatz occurred on it, this day was already an auspicious day connected to him. And thus he says: "The birthday of his honorable holiness the Rebbe [the Rayatz, may his soul rest in Eden] in the year 5640" — this day was the birthday of the Rebbe Rayatz, in the year 5640.
Afterward, the reference to the redemption: "the day on which he received the good news - in the year 5687 - that he was free from the exile to which he had been banished - after having been held in prison - for his work in strengthening Torah and Yiddishkeit." Here the Rebbe compresses two stages briefly: first he was held in prison, and the release from prison, as is known, was on 3 Tammuz; afterward he was in exile, which lasted until 12 Tammuz. The Rebbe mentions both of them — "free from his exile," after having beforehand "been held in prison." And the reason for the exile was his work in strengthening Torah and Yiddishkeit.
In the final passage, the Rebbe quotes from a letter that the Rebbe Rayatz wrote on 23 Iyar 5689, "from a letter of the Rebbe [the Rayatz, of blessed memory]" — a general letter to Anash. In that letter, the Rebbe Rayatz arouses the chassidim regarding conduct during the days of the redemption, 12 and 13 Tammuz [and as mentioned, in the following day in "Hayom Yom" 13 Tammuz will be discussed].
And this is the quote from the letter: "On the two days of the redemption, the coming 12 and 13 Tammuz" — for, as mentioned, the Rebbe Rayatz wrote the letter almost two months beforehand — "anash shall gather in farbrengen," that the chassidim should assemble together and hold a farbrengen, "for good and for blessing, materially and spiritually." That is, the farbrengen is beneficial and brings to all its participants good and blessing in every sense, materially and spiritually.
"As was established by our first father, the honorable, holy master, my lord, my grandfather, my teacher and my Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, may the memory of the righteous and holy one be a blessing for the life of the World to Come, his soul in the treasuries on high, may his merit protect us" — as was established by the Alter Rebbe. What was established by the Alter Rebbe? Simply put, the intent is that the Alter Rebbe himself established the observance of the day of the redemption. His day of redemption was on 19 Kislev, and afterward the Alter Rebbe established that it should be a fixed day, and he also established the content of the farbrengens of the day of redemption — as already appears in the Hayom Yom passage of 19 Kislev itself, that at the farbrengen one must arouse regarding the matter of upholding Torah and Yiddishkeit, etc. And just as the Alter Rebbe established it, so too must one conduct oneself on 12 through 13 Tammuz.
And here the Rebbe Rayatz specifies: "At this farbrengen, may anshei shlomeinu, may they live, speak with one another in brotherly togetherness". And about what should each speak with his fellow? "To strengthen the fixed times of Torah study" — a point that the Rebbe greatly emphasized in connection with 12 Tammuz, that the gatherings should be for the sake of strengthening the study sessions among the chassidim everywhere. "And I hereby send them my blessing, that Hashem shall lift up His countenance upon them, materially and spiritually" — in the language of Birkas Kohanim, that Hashem shall lift up His countenance upon them in all matters.
The continuation of the letter, which was not included in the Hayom Yom, is of interest. Although the letter is not long, in it the Rebbe Rayatz arouses every chassid with fascinating expressions. He says that each person must see himself as a limb of the collective of the chassidim, of the collective of anash. And there is another interesting expression there: "even the weak one shall say, 'I am mighty'" — meaning, even if it seems to you that you are weak, say "I am mighty." And then he turns with a call of affection to all the chassidim, with another interesting expression: "Come to be inscribed in the book of the chassidim" — that each one should be part of the book of the chassidim. And in what is this expressed? In establishing set times for study of Chassidus and in farbrengens. And he concludes there with a blessing "in great abundance to each and every one."
In his talks, the Rebbe points out that these days of redemption fall in the month of Tammuz — the month in which the days of Bein HaMetzarim begin, from the 17th of Tammuz until the Ninth of Av, which is a less joyous month. Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, planted within it — as a preemptive remedy before the wound — even prior to that, the days of redemption of the 12th-13th of Tammuz; and thus the entire month becomes a joyous month, for even before the days of Bein HaMetzarim begin, the message that these are days of redemption already begins.