The two hundred seventy-eighth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 1 Elul, Rosh Chodesh — the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul — 5703.
Studies: Chumash, Shoftim, fourth aliyah, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, first of the month, which is the beginning of Tehillim, from chapter 1 through 9. But here we should note that an additional indication begins to appear in Tehillim, as we will see within the teaching: in addition to chapters 1-9, there are the special chapters of Tehillim recited during the month of Elul, when each day three more chapters are added; and therefore on this day one also recites chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Tanya: On this day we continue with the tenth letter of Iggeret HaKodesh. The daily portion begins on page 109, in the middle, at the word "vehinei," and concludes on page 230 with the words "omdim etc."
The source of the saying we are now studying is a diary that the Rebbe Rayatz recorded on 1 Elul 5659, when he was nineteen years old. This diary is also printed in every "Ohel Yosef Yitzchak" edition of the Book of Tehillim, in the collection of letters at its end. There he tells of what had happened earlier, while he was still a child — a very interesting account, well worth reading in the original — and we will read the passage relevant to our subject.
There the Rebbe Rayatz relates that when he was nine years old his father, the Rebbe [Rashab] — the point in brief — called him and told him that when he himself was nine years old, his father, the Rebbe Maharash, called him; and the Maharash told him that when he was nine years old his father, the Tzemach Tzedek, called him; and the Tzemach Tzedek related that when he was nine years old his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, called him and told him the words in the daily saying. That is, this teaching is passed from Rebbe to Rebbe at a very specific age, and even before then, as we shall presently see from within.
Here begins the teaching: "When the Tzemach Tzedek was nine years old, our Rebbe the Alter Rebbe said to him: 'I received from my teacher the Maggid'" — the Alter Rebbe received from the Maggid, who was his teacher — "who received from his teacher (the Baal Shem Tov)" — the Maggid received from his teacher, the Baal Shem Tov — "in the name of his well-known teacher" — the well-known teacher of the Baal Shem Tov, namely Achiya HaShiloni. We will speak more about this, but let us first continue with the saying. We thus have a chain of transmission from Achiya HaShiloni to the Baal Shem Tov, to the Maggid, to the Alter Rebbe, to the Tzemach Tzedek, and to all the Rebbeim.
And what is the recital? "That from the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul" — this is that day, 1 Elul, the second day of Rosh Chodesh — "until Yom Kippur," inclusive, "one should say each and every day, over the course of the day, three chapters of Tehillim" — three chapters of Tehillim each day — "and on Yom Kippur, thirty-six chapters"; when one reaches the final day of this order, Yom Kippur, one completes all the remaining chapters, and recites on it thirty-six chapters.
And how does one arrange the division of the thirty-six chapters for Yom Kippur? He specifies: "Nine [chapters] before Kol Nidrei, nine before going to sleep, nine after Mussaf, nine after Neilah" — and with this one completes the entire book of Tehillim along this schedule from 1 Elul. "And one who did not begin on the second day of Rosh Chodesh and became aware of this — should begin on that very day he became aware, and make up whatever he missed" — one who reached 1 Elul and did not begin the schedule, and recalled the matter at some point along the way, should begin on that very day he recalled it by saying the order of that day and proceed onward, and make up all the earlier chapters he had missed.
Let us add a few words about what is stated here — that the Baal Shem Tov received this "from his renowned teacher." The Rebbe's intent, as he notes, is to Achiyah HaShiloni, who came as a soul from the upper world and taught the Baal Shem Tov. What is the connection between Achiyah HaShiloni, who lived many generations earlier in the times of the prophets, and the Baal Shem Tov, whose renowned teacher he was? In Likutei Sichot, volume 2, there is a very lengthy note in which the Rebbe explains several interesting points.
The Rebbe cites what is written in Sefer HaGilgulim of the holy Arizal, that Rashbi — Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — was a reincarnation of Achiyah HaShiloni. On this basis the Rebbe explains what is brought in the Talmud Yerushalmi, that Rashbi said he could exempt the entire world from judgment until the days of Mashiach if Achiyah HaShiloni would join with him — because Rashbi was the reincarnation of Achiyah HaShiloni. And how will Rashbi in the future exempt the world from judgment until the days of Mashiach? Through the study of his teachings — the inner dimension of the Torah, the Sefer HaZohar, of which it is said "yifkun min galuta," that the Jewish people will go out of exile in the merit of the Sefer HaZohar. This is the power of Rashbi, together with Achiyah HaShiloni who is his reincarnation, to bring about that the world will be exempted from judgment and the Redemption will come.
According to the Rebbe's words: it was said of the Baal Shem Tov as well that Mashiach told him that when the wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov would spread outward, Mashiach would come — as the Zohar states regarding the Sefer HaZohar. And just as Rashbi is bound up with Achiya HaShiloni, so too the Baal Shem Tov, who continues that same matter, is bound up with Achiya HaShiloni; and this is why Achiya HaShiloni was revealed to the Baal Shem Tov in the same matter as to Rashbi.
The Rebbe adds there another fascinating point: Achiya HaShiloni was the one who prophesied about the splitting of the kingdom of Israel into two, a division that brought less favorable matters upon the Jewish people; and therefore Achiya HaShiloni would be the one through whom and by whose power this matter would be rectified — Mashiach will come, there will be unity, and all the damage caused by that division will be repaired. For this reason the matter is connected specifically to Achiya HaShiloni, and therefore he is the one who revealed himself to the Baal Shem Tov. This is "his well-known teacher" — a wondrous and G-dly point, which we have merited that the Rebbe explained its inner meaning to us.