We are in the fortieth lesson of the Chain of Tradition, in the tenth part on the life story of the Rebbe Rayatz. Today we will study the books of the Rebbe Rayatz. First we will list all the books of maamarim of the Rebbe Rayatz. There are altogether twenty-one volumes. The books are arranged according to the years in which the maamarim were delivered. The Rebbe Rayatz assumed the leadership in the year 5680 (5"680), after the passing of the Rebbe Rashab on the 2nd of Nissan. So from 5680 the order of the maamarim begins. The first is 5680, then '81, '82, '83.
In just a few words I want to note something I have already told several times, but we are speaking about those years. When these books were first published—5741, 5742, 5743—it was in the year 5746. I then had the privilege of taking part in the holy work of publishing these books. At that time, on the 24th of Tevet 5746, Rabbi Levin wrote to the Rebbe expressing his uncertainty whether to print these books, since it was known from the reshima that during those four years the Rebbe Rashab had said a total of one hundred twenty-six ma'amarim. In practice, there were in the library, for all four of those years, only thirty-seven ma'amarim. That is to say, close to ninety were missing. So he was uncertain whether to print a small group of thirty-seven ma'amarim, or to wait until the time would come and they would be found. He posed this question on the 24th of Tevet.
The Rebbe answered him: "to wait," the word "to wait" in parentheses. "To wait a short time, in a way that they could publish it by Yud Shevat." That is, the Rebbe wants that within this short time it should already be published. The Rebbe added there "and clarify," in parentheses, "by telephone, in places where possible, if there are any." In practice, I merited to be the one who ran to search, and thank God I found, in the home of one of the chassidim—Rabbi Shkler was his name—maamarim that he had in copy. In the end, when these books were printed then, in 5746, they printed a few more maamarim, still not everything, forty-six maamarim. Over the years afterward, thank God, more were found, and it was already published as a book in its own right.
In recent years—5702, 5703, 5704, 5705, 5706, 5707, 5708—the Rebbe Rayatz no longer delivered new maamarim. Everything consisted of maamarim that had been said in earlier years, which were simply republished then. 5709, 5710, 5711—which is already after the histalkus of the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbe continued to publish maamarim of the Rebbe Rayatz even in 5711. There is still also a Sefer Maamarim Melukat of 5711 from the Rebbe Rayatz.
Afterwards there are the kuntreisim, three volumes in the sefer maamarim kuntreisim, which were published after the Rebbe Rayatz left Russia, mainly from Poland. Then maamarim were published from time to time. These were gathered together into about three volumes of sefer maamarim kuntreisim.
Afterwards there is the Sefer HaMaamarim Yiddish. As we already spoke earlier about the monthly journal called "HaKriah VeHaKedushah," which the Rebbe used to publish, there was a section titled "Yelamdeinu Rabbeinu." The Rebbe Rayatz inserted into it Chassidus maamarim in Yiddish, in very easy and very understandable language, so that even the general public who have no background could understand. In these maamarim there are many foundational concepts of Chassidus, in very clear language, and generally the maamarim discuss the connection of the maamarim to the period in which they were published, during the time of the war, and also the connection to the Geulah. The Sefer HaMaamarim Yiddish includes all of those maamarim. In those journals there were altogether sixty maamarim, fifty-three in Yiddish, and the first seven in Lashon HaKodesh. In this sefer, Sefer HaMaamarim Yiddish, are concentrated all fifty-three maamarim in Yiddish that were in "HaKriah VeHaKedushah."
Afterward there follows "Likkutei Dibburim," in four volumes. Likkutei Dibburim are talks, chassidic ideas, chassidic stories, things that the Rebbe Rayatz heard, and the first collection of Likkutei Dibburim was published in 5693 (1933). It is told that when the Rebbe arrived in the United States in 5701 (1941), he held a farbrengen with the students and said to them: "I heard that the American bachurim are well-versed in Likkutei Dibburim." The Rebbe tested them on Likkutei Dibburim. The Rebbe loved this very much.
The next item that appears in the list is the book of sichos spoken by the previous Rebbe. There are a total of seven volumes. From 5680 until 5687 is one volume. 5688 until 5691, 5692 until 5695, 5696, then begin the years when the Rebbe was in the United States, from the summer of 5700. After that, each year has its own: 5701, 5702, 5703, 5704, 5705, 5706 until 5710.
The following is called Kuntres Toras HaChassidus. Kuntres Toras HaChassidus is a manuscript that the Rebbe wrote. There are thirty chapters there, and their content is to explain the essence of the wisdom of the teachings of Chassidus and the necessity of the service of prayer, what its essence is and what its effect is. This is called Kuntres Toras HaChassidus.
Afterwards there is the Kuntres Limud HaChassidus. One could say that this serves as a supplement to the previous kuntres. It is a letter of the previous Rebbe, which he wrote in response to someone who asked what the point is of studying Chassidus matters publicly, which also include very deep concepts that perhaps the audience does not understand at all. The Rebbe answered in a lengthy letter, and this is called the Kuntres Limud HaChassidus.
Afterward there is the kuntres "The Movement, the Tzemach Tzedek, and the Haskalah Movement." This is a kuntres that contains more than ten chapters. The Rebbe Rayatz documents there the struggles of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek against the maskilim, what took place at the famous conference in 5603 (1843), and so on.
Afterwards there is the "Prison Diary." The "Prison Diary" is likewise included in "Likkutei Dibburim," and it was also published on its own—what the Rebbe Rayatz writes as a journal, everything that he went through during his imprisonment.
Afterwards there are various abridgments that the Rebbe Rayatz produced for various books: "Likkutei Torah," "Imrei Binah," "Biurei HaZohar," "Derech Chaim," "Sha'arei Orah," "Peirush Chaim," Sefer HaMa'amarim 5626, "Kuntres HaTefillin," "Kuntres HaMan," abridgments of all the works of the previous Rebbes. Here we have the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and his father.
Afterwards there is the "Sefer HaZichronot" (Book of Memoirs), two volumes. These are memoirs that the Rebbe Rayatz heard from his grandmother, the Rebbetzin Rivkah, the Rebbetzin of the Rebbe Maharash, and also from his uncle, the holy Rav Zalman Zorach, brother of the Rebbe Rashab. The Rebbe Rayatz heard from them memoirs about the beginnings of Chassidut and the beginning of the unfolding of matters, and wrote it all down in the Sefer HaZichronot.
Afterwards there is a "moreh shiur," the moreh shiur in Tanya, this is essentially what we are familiar with, the division of the book of Tanya for each day. This the Rebbe Rayatz published, another composition of the Rebbe Rayatz.
The "order of Selichos" was established by the Rebbe Rayatz in 5701. The Rebbe Rayatz put out a list according to the order of Selichos that was customary in Russia, established the list, [for] each day of Selichos before Rosh Hashanah, what should be said. This entire list is also brought in the Sefer HaMinhagim.
We have a "collection of letters," which is found at the end of Tehillim, a collection of letters concerning the strengthening of the matter of reciting Tehillim. And we have afterward a collection of letters, three booklets.
There is, of course, the set of Igrot Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz, which is seventeen volumes. And there is the Kuntres Bar Mitzvah, from [5]725 until [5]753.
The last item is Kuntres Divrei Yemei HaChozrim. What is Kuntres Divrei Yemei HaChozrim? It is known, as we related, that "HaTamim" was published back in Warsaw, altogether nine issues. The ninth issue had already been prepared, and the Rebbe Rayatz prepared a letter with thirty-four chapters, in which the entire development of the chozrim—those who would review the maamarim by the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek—is told. Everything was ready. The war broke out, the whole matter fell apart, and that was it. As if no one knew about it. Over the course of many years—I don't remember exactly in which year—it was found, and it was published on its own. This is called Kuntres Divrei Yemei HaChozrim, which the Rebbe Rayatz brought out. The last item is Reshimot, and that's everything.