Today we will study another introductory lesson, an opening before we begin reading from the book "HaYom Yom" itself. We clarified that the book "HaYom Yom" is like a palace with hundreds of rooms. Each room contains its saying and its content, and we also saw the general structure of the book. With God's help, when we study, we will study each and every saying and each point, to understand its meaning, to see its sources — from where the Rebbe gathered it — and also to delve deeper into the hints contained within. In every part of Torah there is both the plain meaning (pshat) and the hidden hint concealed within the matter.
Let me share a bit of interesting history. The book was published in 5703 (1943). For many years, no one knew the sources of each and every saying, since the Rebbe did not note the sources. The Rebbe noted them for himself; today one can obtain a photocopy of the first edition of "HaYom Yom," alongside which is a photocopy of the Rebbe's handwriting on each and every saying, indicating the source of the material. But this was only revealed at a later stage, when the Rebbe agreed to release it for distribution. In the beginning, no one knew. There were a few chassidim who, little by little, gathered and attempted [to identify them], but a large portion of the material was truly difficult to decipher, and they did not find [the sources].
For example: In 5740, there was a chassid named Rabbi Zeligson, may he be well. He began searching for sources and asked the Rebbe. Moreover, he not only searched for sources, but also delved deeply in an attempt to understand the context of each saying. Why is it placed specifically on this particular day? And he searched and found a certain amount. In "HaYom Yom" there are over three hundred and eighty sayings. He found a certain amount, and did not know whether to print and publish what he had already found, and what to do with it. So he asked the Rebbe.
We see from the Rebbe's response how much importance he attached to delving deeply into the book and finding these matters. The Rebbe wrote to him as follows: "If there will be a significant portion also in quantity" — the Rebbe noted the number seventy — "the matter is worthwhile, as is obvious." That is, if he would have at least a minimum of seventy sources. "Received on the eve of Chai Elul of the year of Hakhel" — 5741 was a year of Hakhel — "and much thanks; I will mention it at the gravesite once again, and may he report good news." The Rebbe very, very much encouraged this endeavor, and yet it still had not come out.
Several more months passed, the month of Cheshvan 5742, and the Rebbe, on his own initiative, asks him about a note he had submitted concerning another matter: "Are the daily comments etc. actually being done in practice?", with a question mark, "and the main thing, make efforts to disseminate the book." That is to say, the Rebbe truly pressed him to hasten with this matter.
He, Zeligson, had many questions that he compiled in his work, many questions about details in the book. The Rebbe related in a very, very serious manner to every detail, even to details that seemed marginal. For example, he asked the Rebbe why sometimes, when the Rebbe notes a certain custom, the font of the printing is different — sometimes like this and sometimes a bit differently. Is this intentional or not? The Rebbe explained to him why, when the font is like this and when it is like that. For instance, he asked the Rebbe why during the month of Cheshvan, throughout the month, the Rebbe calls it Cheshvan, and not, as we know it, Marcheshvan. The Rebbe addressed this. He asked why in Adar of the year 5703, which was a leap year, in the first Adar it is written "Adar Alef," and in the second Adar it is written "Adar Sheni" — what is the reason for the difference. All sorts of such details, and to each matter there was a response from the Rebbe, explaining why each thing was done in this way.
This gives us an attitude of appreciation and respect, to know what important and serious regard is due to the book. We must relate to the book knowing that, first of all, the sayings themselves need to be studied and understood, but also the surrounding matters, even the hints within them, have a place worth delving into.
Many times we see aphorisms in the book, and we will see this during our study, that sometimes the aphorism, as is usually the case, is something with content—a story, an idea, an instruction. And sometimes only a certain correction to a source reference is written. Perhaps one could say that the Rebbe wanted, in this book, to convey the essence of all types of chassidus, meaning of all the topics, all the levels that exist in Godliness, from before the tzimtzum until Malchut and the levels in between. The Rebbe wanted the chassid who begins to learn to have an awareness, a knowledge that all these levels exist, and also to bring points from each of the Chabad books, meaning to become familiar with the foundational books of Chabad chassidus. Sometimes the aphorism appears to us as if it is a correction of something, and when you study it you receive further information, sometimes about the topic that it comes to correct—some topic in chassidus—or to become familiar with this particular book, which is also a very, very important point.
Another interesting point, which I saw someone wrote regarding the name "HaYom Yom." We spoke about this in a previous lesson as well. If we consider the source of "HaYom Yom," we have two interesting sources. One source: we know that the Mishnah tells of the song that the Levites would sing in the Beit HaMikdash. And every day, in Shacharit, we say "Today is the first day," "Today is the second day," on which the Levites would recite the song they would sing. One could say that each day of divine service that is derived from the content of the saying — every day that a Jew serves Hashem is like the service in the Beit HaMikdash. And in this saying that you study, this is "HaYom Yom" — what is the song of the day on which you serve the Holy One, blessed be He.
An additional point: where else do we encounter the expression "hayom-yom" (today-day)? In the counting of the Omer, where every day that one counts the Omer begins with the words "Today is such-and-such a day." It is explained in Chassidus that the counting of the Omer is the work of refining the character traits in their most minute details. All the traits pass through all the days of the counting of the Omer. So too the book "Hayom-Yom" guides us in how to work on our soul, on our traits, and how to rectify these matters. As the Previous Rebbe expressed himself to one of the chassidim, saying "Hayom-Yom." This book carries a very important significance.
As they say, one must give credit: the explanations we will study in this book — there are chassidim who toiled and labored and created a wonderful collection of beautiful material on the book. We will mention four of them who published books. I already mentioned earlier, first and foremost, the name of Rabbi Michoel Seligson, who has merited to publish to date three books on the Hayom Yom. There is Rabbi Shmuel Raskin, a rabbi in Cholon, who also published a book in two volumes on the Hayom Yom. There is a chassid named Rabbi Yosef Chaim Beindman, who also published a beautiful book on the Hayom Yom, and also Rabbi Elyashiv Kaplan from Kiryat Gat. Each of them in a different style. In the classes we will try to take from each of them the point that will give us a special vitality in this saying.
And to conclude, before we begin, we will finish today with an interesting passage that the Rebbe himself says in a short talk from 5709, and here too we see an important reference to the "HaYom Yom." One can see this from the talk itself, on the 19th of Kislev 5749. The Rebbe made a conclusion of the "HaYom Yom" and an opening of the new year, and 5749 was forty-six years after the "HaYom Yom" was published. This concerns the 19th of Kislev — what is there to learn? Something that pertains to right now, the laws of this day. A chassid wants to know what the halacha of the day is. Where does one find out the halacha of the day? If we are speaking specifically about the 19th of Kislev, that means the matters through which the significance of this day becomes clarified. You want to know what the content of the day is? There is a place where one can see this — in the book "HaYom Yom."
At the beginning of the HaYom Yom book — a book that the Rebbe called a "seiferl," meaning a little book — which was written during the lifetime of the leader of our generation, and which was before his eyes in every last detail. And how much more so regarding the introduction of the book, which comes even before the first saying — there is an introduction, which is a letter from the Rebbe Rashab. I say, let us now delve into the introduction of the HaYom Yom book. There is brought the saying of the father of the leader of our generation — this is the Rebbe Rashab, who is the father of the Rebbe Rayatz, the holy Admur, may his soul rest in Eden. And then, after the parentheses, he brings a quotation from the introduction: "The nineteenth of Kislev — on this day there is drawn down from the level of the innermost and essence of the Ein Sof light, blessed be He, that it should shine within the innermost of our soul, so that our entire essence, our entire existence, both the essence and the extension, should be to Him alone, blessed be He." This is a short quotation from the letter which, God willing, we will begin to study in the next lesson.
From this it is understood that one should begin studying this matter as it appears in the Rebbe's [Rayatz's] own words. And "give to the wise man and he will grow yet wiser." It should be added that the aforementioned book, HaYom Yom, which was written for a leap year — for that year, 5703, was a leap year — is especially fitting for this year, a leap year. The year in which the Rebbe is speaking, 5749, is a leap year. Thus the book is suited to this year, for it contains sayings for the entire year, including the intercalated month.
Here comes an interesting addition that is very relevant to our relationship with the sefer. And although this does not correspond according to the days of the week—for in 5703 the sefer followed a consistent order on particular days, and now we are perhaps in a year where the days do not exactly align—nevertheless one can find a connection to each day, and especially when one is immersed in it, that is, when we place ourselves within this study of the Hayom Yom, then more easily, even more than one would imagine, we will be able to find the connection. Again, the Rebbe encourages us to delve deeply and to find the connection to each day.
The main point is that it should be as our generation's Nasi said regarding the meaning of the name HaYom Yom ("Today, Day-by-Day"). What is the significance of the words "HaYom Yom"? That each day should be as it ought to be, filled with all the matters of that particular day — in the sense of ba bayamim ("advanced in days"), that each day should come with its own content, that it comes within the days, meaning that the days are full and complete. How much more so this day — the very day on which the Rebbe delivered the sichah, which is Yud-Tes Kislev, the New Year of the teachings of Chassidus, which is full and complete in all of its matters.
Here again we see how much the daily study must be an in-depth study of substance, and it actually contains for us a chassidic Shulchan Aruch for every day of life. With God's help, we will enter into this wondrous palace, and may it accomplish the effects it is meant to accomplish upon each and every one of us.