We are in the fourth lesson of the "Chain of Tradition," in the midst of describing the life of the Alter Rebbe. Today we begin with the account of the year 5527. The Rebbe relates as follows: 5527 was when the Alter Rebbe was twenty-two years old. The wording written here is: "he accepts the position of maggid of Liozna." In that era there was a custom in many towns—there was the maggid of the town, the one who led the town, giving words of Torah and the like. The Alter Rebbe took upon himself to be the leader in Liozna. This is the place where, according to various opinions, he was also born, in Liozna, as appears from the book "Toldot" and the account of the Alter Rebbe's life. Apparently at that time, in that year, he had not yet moved to live there in Liozna permanently. He was still living in Vitebsk, but a few years later he apparently already moved to live there on a permanent basis.
In Liozna, it seems they agreed to accept him as the permanent maggid, even though he was not yet actually living there, because they recognized his virtues and greatly wanted him to be their maggid. Although in practice he had not yet moved to truly live among them, they very, very much wanted him, so they accepted him, and then he became the maggid in Liozna. This was in 5527 (1767).
Let us continue further. In the year 5539 (1779), the Alter Rebbe was already twenty-five years old. The language written here is: "He began to arrange the Shulchan Aruch." It is known that it was the Maggid of Mezritch who instructed the Alter Rebbe to write the Shulchan Aruch. And it is told that the first laws which the Alter Rebbe began to write were the laws of Tzitzit and the laws of Pesach, and these laws he completed around the year 5539. As for the rest of the sections of Orach Chaim, he continued on, and that took about another two years. What is written here regarding 5539, "he began to arrange," means that in that year at least these two sets of laws—the laws of Tzitzit and the laws of Pesach—were already completed.
Let us continue further. In 5532, two years later, the expression already appears: "he founded the method of Chabad chassidus." When one looks in the various biographies or accounts, it seems there are different stages that can be identified as the year of the publicizing and dissemination of the special method of the Alter Rebbe. This found expression in the service of prayer in a special way, and in the study of the works of philosophy and mussar in the Chabad manner. In general, there was a difference between the rest of the Maggid's disciples and the Alter Rebbe: their methods were called "from above to below," whereas by the Alter Rebbe it was called "from below to above" — meaning that the Jew, by his own powers, would study and elevate himself. This was the method of Chabad in a special way.
And there are some who attribute this beginning of the founding of the Chabad approach to earlier years, already 5525 or 5526. But here the Rebbe notes that he means that it was already a stage in a more significant form, so he indicates that 5532 is the year that is marked as the year of the founding of the Chabad chassidic approach.
Regarding that period, the Rebbe added an interesting point here. Let us read the wording and explain it: "director of a campaign that the Jews living in the Vitebsk region should relocate their dwelling across the border into the country of Russia." What is meant here? In general, we find in the accounts of our Rebbes—and we will see this later here when we reach the Mitteler Rebbe and the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek. And in truth, we saw this earlier as well with the Alter Rebbe in the preceding lines, that they undertook many efforts so that Jews would have a livelihood, so that Jews would have an ample livelihood, that they would have good housing, that they would have good conditions. They occupied themselves with this greatly. We saw earlier that with the money of the "dowry" that the Alter Rebbe received, he conducted a campaign for Jews to occupy themselves with working the land.
Now, the Alter Rebbe was not content merely with helping and encouraging Jews specifically in agricultural work. He was also very much interested in their general situation in commerce, and the Alter Rebbe was very displeased—he did not like that Jews had nothing organized, nothing established in terms of livelihood, what is called "managing somehow." Rather, he wanted there to be substance, that Jews should have an organized livelihood, and he worked very, very hard at this and extended assistance. Also Jews who worked at all sorts of handicrafts, in honest business dealings, Jews who supported themselves by the toil of their hands—he greatly encouraged this and invested very, very much in it.
There was a custom in Russia to hold a fair. What was a fair? It was a market day held in the large cities, and then merchants would come from Poland or Germany and exchange goods with those who were there in Russia. Usually this would happen twice a year, and Jews who were highly skilled craftsmen would participate there. Usually the nobles in Russia, the very wealthy and important people, would come there and buy all kinds of works and all kinds of crafts that people made in weaving, in precious stones and gold vessels and silver vessels and glass vessels, all kinds of things that Jews would make. Many of them were made by Jews—not necessarily Jews, but many of them were Jews, Jews who were influenced by the Alter Rebbe, and the Alter Rebbe very, very much encouraged this.
Now a situation developed where these noblemen, since they very much loved these crafts, would propose to the professional Jews that they remain in Russia longer, that they not leave after the fair, that they stay there for a longer time, and they would pay them for the merchandise that they bring. And then every year it happened that more and more families moved across Russia, because they had a livelihood, they had buyers for their merchandise.
This is what the Alter Rebbe did. In addition to being a great Torah genius and a great tzaddik, he was simply a public activist—what would be called first-rate—in Russia on behalf of all of Israel, so that Jews would have a livelihood. And this is the emphasis here: that he carried out the campaign for them to relocate their dwelling to a place where they would genuinely have a livelihood, since they were engaged in various trades, and they would have the possibility of selling their merchandise.
The final point here, on which we will dwell today, spans the years 5533 to 5538. He noted that regarding these years, here too there are various versions when one examines the records—there are different versions concerning the years—but here it is written that this took place in these years, between 5533 and 5538. What did the Alter Rebbe do? He founded the yeshiva in Liozna. At that time the Alter Rebbe announced that he was establishing a center for young married scholars (avreichim) in Liozna. Over the course of time, dozens of avreichim came—some forty avreichim—and they came to be in the Alter Rebbe's yeshiva.
At first, they thought that the arrangement would be such that in the daily study each person would learn whatever he wanted—study partners or each one whatever he felt like—with just a general involvement in studying Chassidus. But the Alter Rebbe established set orders for the study of Nigleh (the revealed parts of Torah), very strict orders. I will give a few examples of what he set down regarding how the study would be conducted. He established that every day one studies Gemara in depth for a minimum of four hours, in study partnerships according to one's abilities—a minimum of four hours a day of Gemara in depth. To study Gemara by way of broad review, a minimum of one page a day that each person learns.
His brother, the Gaon Rabbi Mordechai, brother of the Alter Rebbe, was appointed to ensure that at least twice a week, on fixed days at fixed hours, there would be a time when all the young married scholars would engage together in in-depth analytical discussion of the matters they were studying. And in the realm of halacha as well, it was the Alter Rebbe's brother, the Gaon the Maharil, who was appointed over the realm of halacha. What was the arrangement in the realm of halacha? Every day, they would study halacha in depth for two hours a day—that was one order of study. And in addition to that, each day a chapter (siman) in the Shulchan Aruch, according to the progression through the Shulchan Aruch, and only if a siman was very long, then they would divide it into two.
And the most outstanding avreichim among the group, with whom he founded what we would call the highest tier, are known by the name First Chamber, Second Chamber, Third Chamber. That is, there were three levels among these avreichim, who were the very, very most outstanding avreichim. The First Chamber (Cheder Aleph) refers to the highest level, the Second Chamber (Cheder Beis) is a bit lower, and the Third Chamber (Cheder Gimmel) is lower still. Even those who were in the Third Chamber were, of course, people of a very, very high level of learning, and all of this in the revealed [parts of Torah], even before the special approach of Chassidus that the Alter Rebbe introduced to them there—rather, simply in the revealed [Torah]. It was a very, very high level, both in halacha and in Gemara, as we have noted up to this point.