The three hundred and sixth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Wednesday, 29 Elul, Erev Rosh Hashanah, 5703.
At the outset, the Rebbe notes practices connected to this day, Erev Rosh Hashanah, and afterward the teaching will follow.
The first practice — "Selichos". This year, 5703, the Selichos began already on the night following Shabbos of 25 Elul, as mentioned in the saying of 25 Elul — where it states that the first Selichos are recited on Motzaei Shabbos shortly after midnight, and the rest of the Selichos at the early morning watch. Here too the Rebbe reiterates this: the Selichos of Erev Rosh Hashanah, which are the final Selichos, are recited "at the early morning watch", and "there is no nefilas apayim" — since on Erev Rosh Hashanah tachanun is not said. On this day there is no nefilas apayim, neither during Selichos nor at Shacharis.
Another matter that the Rebbe emphasizes is "hataras nedarim" (the annulment of vows). On the eve of Rosh Hashanah one performs hataras nedarim, and what the Rebbe emphasizes here is that there are those who perform hataras nedarim and suffice with three people; although in principle three suffice to annul a vow, the Rebbe emphasizes that it should be "and with ten." And this is the wording of the Alter Rebbe in his Siddur: "and it is good that there be a complete congregation." Therefore, one endeavors to ensure that there is a full minyan at the time of reciting hataras nedarim.
The third matter that the Rebbe notes is "eruv tavshilin". In the calendar arrangement of 5703, Rosh Hashanah fell on Thursday and Friday, immediately followed by Shabbos; in such an arrangement one must make an eruv tavshilin, so that it will be possible to continue preparing on the second day of the festival for the Shabbos meals.
Shiurim: Chumash, Haazinu, Revii, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, the 29th of the month. Since this month does not have a 30th day, the 29th is the last day of the month, and therefore one recites from chapter 140 through the end of Tehillim, until chapter 150 inclusive — the chapters that in an ordinary month are divided between the 29th and the 30th. And the three chapters of the month of Elul for this day are chapters 15, 16, 17.
Tanya: On this day one concludes Iggeret 19. The lesson begins on page 256 with the words "ha'otiyot haniglot," and ends at the conclusion of the letter with the word "kanad"p."
In addition, the Rebbe notes what is special about this day of Erev Rosh Hashanah: "the birthday of the Tzemach Tzedek in the year 5549." The Tzemach Tzedek was born on this day, in the year 5549.
And in conclusion the Rebbe brings a saying whose source is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 8 Shevat 5698. In the letter — which is not long — the Rebbe Rayatz writes to a Jew that he must make every effort and do everything to strengthen his health, for according to Torah one is obligated to do everything to strengthen one's health. And as reinforcement for this, in addition to the obligation according to Torah and halacha, the Rebbe Rayatz brings a teaching of the Alter Rebbe: "From the sayings of our Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe: We have no conception whatsoever of how precious the body of a Jew is to the Holy One, blessed be He." Therefore a person must guard his health and his wholeness.
This teaching is brought in the context of erev Rosh Hashanah, and it contains an explanation that the Rebbe addressed in a chassidic maamar — a "mugah" (edited) maamar — which the Rebbe delivered on erev Rosh Hashanah 5742, and it also appears in a kuntres that the Rebbe published for Rosh Hashanah 5749, in the maamar beginning with the dibbur-hamaschil "Zeh HaYom Techilas Maasecha" (This day is the beginning of Your works). There the Rebbe brings this saying and explains that one must know that the preciousness of a Jewish body is above comprehension and above grasp, for it comes from the Etzem (the Essence) — the creation of the physical body.
In the sichah, the Rebbe connects this to the fact that on Rosh Hashanah — even though on this day the Jew accepts the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is a wondrous and exceedingly lofty day — we nevertheless engage in requests and eat physical and sweet foods, to emphasize the sweetness, and we pray for physical matters. Seemingly, what has physicality to do with such an elevated day? He explains that physicality, and also the physical body created on Rosh Hashanah, are part of the King's will, for He desires that you serve Him with the physical body. When you request expansiveness in physical matters and physical health, this is part of coronating the Holy One, blessed be He, for this is part of His will. The great preciousness of the physical body — that is the point here.
Interestingly, I once heard that a certain Jew asked the Rebbe about another person who was lying like a "vegetable," Rachmana litzlan, and had no connection to anything, and this went on for a long time; and he asked the Rebbe in order to understand what the Holy One, blessed be He, gains from this person living in such a state. The Rebbe answered him that we have no ability to comprehend how much delight the Holy One, blessed be He, derives from the very fact that there exists a Jew — the very existence of a Jewish body is something precious to the Holy One, blessed be He, even if there is no activity within it. The body itself is something precious, and we cannot grasp this at all. This is the meaning of "we have no comprehension" — how precious the body of a Jew is to the Holy One, blessed be He.