Room one hundred and eighty-one in the hall of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 22 Iyar, 37 of the Omer, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Bechukosai, Chamishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 22 of the month, chapter 106 and chapter 107.
Tanya, on this day we begin chapter 50, from the beginning of the chapter, from the word "Vehineh", and the shiur ends on page 140 with the words "chas veshalom".
The source of the daily teaching is a letter written by the Rebbe Rayatz on 22 Iyar 5700. A chossid wrote to the Rebbe Rayatz with feelings of love, that he constantly desires to know of the Rebbe's wellbeing. The Rebbe Rayatz responds and tells him that this is also his own wish - to know the wellbeing of anshei shlomeinu and their families in detail, their conduct and way of life, in gashmiyus and in ruchniyus. Following this, he brings words that the early chassidim said at their farbrengen, which are the daily teaching.
Before the quote, it is related that the chassidim sat and discussed among themselves: What was the chiddush of the Alter Rebbe? They prefaced by saying as follows: Torah - they did not lack, since they learned a great deal and thoroughly, so this was not the chiddush. Avodah - they did not know there was a need for it, and thus they did not feel its absence, so the chiddush was not expressed in this either. Gashmiyus - there were no luxuries, and there was no need for luxuries. If so, what was the chiddush? Then came the teaching.
And this is the text of the teaching: "Once the early chassidim farbrenged - in the years 5544-5547, and the content of their conversation was" - what did the chassidim speak about? - "the Rebbe - Rabbeinu Hazaken - removed loneliness. Formerly, the Rebbe - the Rosh Yeshivah and Gaon - was isolated to himself", situated in his place and practically closed within himself, "and the students were isolated to themselves" - consequently the students were also alone; there was a distance between the Gaon and his students.
And what was the chiddush that the Rebbe innovated: "The path of chassidus founded by the Rebbe is the great G-dly achievement, that the Rebbe is not isolated and chassidim are not isolated" - that the Rebbe is not alone and the chassidim are not lonely, but rather there is a true inner connection between them.
It is interesting to add that in the year of the Rebbe Rayatz's histalkus, the Rebbe wrote a letter to a shliach in Morocco, in the month of Cheshvan 5711. The shliach wrote to the Rebbe that he feels lonely and isolated, and a great weakness falls upon him, to which the Rebbe replies that what he wrote is "from the yetzer".
Then the Rebbe cites this teaching to him - that the Rebbe is not alone and the chassidim are not alone - and adds that this is true regarding all the Rebbeim; although the chassidim said it about the Alter Rebbe, it is especially true regarding the Rebbe Rayatz, who himself wrote after the histalkus of his father, that the shepherds of Israel will not forsake their flock - and by doing so he ruled concerning himself as well. The Rebbe Rayatz is with everyone who belongs to him and is connected to him, and especially with those who are on his shlichus, and in the specific details of the shlichus of hafatzas hamaayanos chutza. If so, the Rebbe is with you all the time, and there is no reason to feel lonely and isolated.
Perhaps we can add another point: The Rebbe spoke on the night following Pesach Sheni 5710, exactly three months after the histalkus of the Rebbe Rayatz, and said that anyone who merited to see the Rebbe - many times or once - anyone who merited to receive a letter from the Rebbe, and anyone who merited to learn from the maamarim and sichos of the Rebbe, the hiskashrus with him remains in full force. There too, he brings this teaching, that the Rebbe is not alone and you are not alone, and that he is with you all the time, thinking of you, blessing you, and caring for you in every single detail. This is the great chiddush that the Alter Rebbe revealed and innovated in the special path of chassidus.