Tanya: Compilers Foreword – Part 2 – video

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Tanya: Compilers Foreword – Part 1 – audio
Tanya: Compilers Foreword – Part 2 – audio

אך ביודעיי ומכיריי קאמינא, הם כל אחד ואחד מאנשי שלומנו שבמדינתינו וסמוכות שלה

I speak, however, of those who know me well, each and every one of Anash of our country and those countries nearby,

אשר היה הדיבור של חיבה מצוי בינינו

with whom affectionate words were often exchanged in private audience,

וגילו לפני כל תעלומות לבם ומוחם בעבודת ה׳ התלויה בלב

and who revealed to me all the hidden recesses of their heart and mind in matters related to the service of G‑d which is dependent on the heart.

אליהם תטוף מלתי, ולשוני עט סופר, בקונטרסים אלו הנקראים בשם לקוטי אמרים

To them shall my words seep through, and17 my tongue shall take the form of a scribe’s pen, in these pamphlets entitled Likutei Amarim (“A Compilation of Teachings”),

מלוקטים מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נשמתם עדן, המפורסמים אצלינו

being compiled from books and teachers, heavenly saints, who are well known to us.

The “books and teachers” alluded to have been explained above, in the comments on the title page.

וקצת מהן נרמזין לחכימין באגרות הקדש מרבותינו שבארצנו הקדושה, תובב״א

Some of these teachings, the wise (for whom “a hint is sufficient”) will find alluded to in the sacred letters of our teachers in the Holy Land.

As mentioned above, the Alter Rebbe considered certain senior disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch as his mentors, especially Rabbi Mendel of Vitebsk, who then resided in Eretz Yisrael.

וקצתם שמעתי מפיהם הקדוש בהיותם פה עמנו

Some of them I heard from their saintly mouth when they were here with us before they moved to Eretz Yisrael.

וכולם הן תשובות על שאלות רבות אשר שואלין בעצה כל אנשי שלומינו דמדינתינו תמיד

All of them are answers to many questions posed continually by Anash of our country seeking advice,

כל אחד לפי ערכו

each according to his stature in the service of G‑d,

לשית עצות בנפשם בעבודת ה׳

so as to receive guidance for themselves in the service of G‑d,

להיות כי אין הזמן גרמא עוד להשיב לכל אחד ואחד על שאלתו בפרטות

because time no longer permits [me] to reply to everyone individually on his particular query,

וגם השכחה מצויה

and also because forgetfulness is common.

על כן רשמתי כל התשובות על כל השאלות

I have therefore recorded all the replies to all the questions,

למשמרת לאות, להיות לכל אחד ואחד לזכרון בין עיניו

to be preserved as a sign, and to serve as a reminder in everyone’s mind.18

ולא ידחוק עוד ליכנם לדבר עמי ביחידות

No longer will one need to press for a private audience,

כי בהן ימצא מרגוע לנפשו ועצה נכונה לכל דבר הקשה עליו בעבודת ה׳,

for in these Likutei Amarim one will find tranquillity for his soul, and true counsel on everything that he finds difficult in the service of G‑d.

ונכון יהיה לבו בטוח בה׳ גומר בעדינו

Thus his heart will be firmly secure in G‑d who completes and perfects everything for us.

ומי שדעתו קצרה להבין דבר עצה מתוך קונטריסים אלו

He whose mind is too limited to understand how to derive advice from these pamphlets,

יפרש שיחתו לפני הגדולים שבעירו, והם יבוננהו

let him discuss his problem with the foremost scholars of his town and they will enlighten him.

ואליהם בקשתי שלא לשום יד לפה

Of [these scholars] I request that they not lay their hand upon their mouth, i.e., not to keep silent when asked for advice, for fear of appearing to be proud in their knowledge,

להתנהג בענוה ושפלות של שקר, חס ושלום

to conduct themselves with false modesty and humility — for misplaced modesty is falsehood.

וכנודע עונש המר על מונע בר

It is well known how bitter is the punishment of him who19 “withholds food,“ i.e., who withholds Torah knowledge from him who seeks it,

וגודל השכר, ממאמר רז״ל על פסוק: מאיר עיני שניהם ה׳

and also how great is the reward granted to one who provides such knowledge. This is well known from the comment of our Sages20 on the verse,21 “G‑d enlightens the eyes of them both.“

The verse reads, “The pauper and the wealthy man meet; G‑d enlightens the eyes of them both.” The Gemara applies this to a pauper in Torah knowledge and to one who is wealthy in Torah. When they meet, and the wealthy one teaches the pauper, G‑d enlightens the eyes of both of them — with a light that transcends them both.

כי יאיר ה׳ פניו אליהם, אור פני מלך חיים

Thus G‑d will cause His face to shine upon them, with the light of the countenance of the King [which provides] life.

ומחיה חיים יזכנו ויחיינו לימים אשר לא ילמדו עוד איש את רעהו וגו׳ כי כולם ידעו אותי

May He who provides life to the living grant us the privilege of living to see the days when22 “no longer will one man teach another… [to know Me], for they will all know Me, [… from the smallest to the greatest-,“

כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ה׳ וגו׳

23“for the knowledge of G‑d will fill the earth as the waters fill the sea.”

אמן כן יהי רצון

Amen. May this be His Will.

* * *

והנה אחר שנתפשטו הקונטריסים הנ״ל בקרב כל אנ״ש הנ״ל בהעתקות רבות מידי סופרים שונים ומשונים

As the aforementioned pamphlets have been distributed among all the Anash mentioned above, by means of numerous transcriptions at the hands of sundry and diverse copyists,

הנה על ידי ריבוי ההעתקות שונות רבו כמו רבו הטעויות סופרים במאוד מאוד

the multitude of transcriptions has given rise to an exceedingly great number of textual errors.

As mentioned above, the words “sundry and diverse (copyists)” may well allude to two kinds of errors — the intentional as well as the innocent.

ולזאת נדבה רוחם של אנשים אפרתים הנקובים הנ״ל מעבר לדף לטרוח בגופם ומאודם

Therefore the spirit of the noble men mentioned on the previous page24 has generously moved them to make a personal and financial effort

להביא את קונטריסים הנ״ל לבית הדפוס, מנוקים מכל סיג וטעות סופר ומוגהים היטב

to have these pamphlets published, cleared of all dross and copyists‘ errors (— another possible allusion to the two types of errors mentioned above, with “dross” representing the forgeries), and thoroughly checked.

ואמינא לפעלא טבא יישר חילא

I congratulate them on this worthy deed.

ולהיות כי מקרא מלא דבר הכתוב: ארור מסיג גבול רעהו

Inasmuch as the verse states explicitly,25 “Cursed be he who encroaches on his fellow’s border,”

וארור בו קללה בו נידוי, חס ושלום וכו׳

and where the expression “cursed” is used, it implies both damnation and excommunication,26 G‑d preserve us, it is actually superfluous to add any further prohibition on violating the copyright of the publishers.

על כן כיהודא ועוד לקרא קאתינא

I come therefore only to reinforce the words of Scripture as [the Talmud cites] a mere practice in Judah in order to reinforce an explicit Scriptural statement,27

למשדי גודא רבא על כל המדפיסים, שלא להדפיס קונטריסים הנ״ל לא על ידי עצמן ולא על ידי גירא דלהון

invoking a strict prohibition on all publishers against printing these pamphlets, either themselves or through their agents,

בלתי רשות הנקובים הנ״ל

without the permission of the above-named,

משך חמש שנים מיום כלות הדפוס

for a period of five years from the day that this printing is completed.28

ולשומעים יונעם ותבוא עליהם ברכת טוב

May it be pleasant for those who comply, and may they be blessed with good.

כה דברי המלקט לקוטי אמרים הנ״ל

These are the words of the compiler of the aforementioned Likutei Amarim.

——— ● ———

Footnotes
1. The abbreviation may also represent: “May our Stronghold and Redeemer preserve them,” or some similar expression. Compare the phrase (in the morning prayer): “Stronghold of Israel, arise to the aid of Israel…” It is possible that the Alter Rebbe wrote the words in abbreviation to allow for a variety of interpretations of the blessing. (— Comment of the Rebbe)
2. The reading in the text is ששים ריבוא — “sixty ten-thousands,” corresponding to the number of adult male Israelites in the Exodus from Egypt (Shmot 12:37; Bamidbar 11:21).
3. Berachot 58a.

4. Commenting on Alfasi’s omission of this passage in the Gemara.
5. Bamidbar 27:18.
6. Rashi, too (ibid.), cites the interpretation that “he could meet the spirit of every man,” yet the Alter Rebbe quotes it from Ramban. This may be because Ramban suggests the possibility that a great sage may be the equivalent of, and incorporate within himself, the minds of 600,000. (Ramban accordingly explains why, as the Gemara relates, Rabbi Chananya the son of Rabbi Icka recited the blessing of “he who is wise in secrets” when he met Rav Papa and Rav Huna the son of Rabbi Yehoshua.) However, recognizing such a sage requires a discerning mind on the part of the observer, and for this reason Ramban rules in practice that one should recite the blessing only when he actually sees 600,000 people. We see from Ramban, at any rate, that the alternative possibility theoretically exists. The chassidim, who “know” and “recognize” the Alter Rebbe (as he says of them later), know him to be such a sage “who can meet the spirit of every man”; for inasmuch as his was a “comprehensive soul” (נשמה כללית), he contained within himself the spirit of every one of them.
7. Paraphrase of II Shmuel 23:2.
8. Cf. Zohar I, 24a; II 60a.
9. See Tanya, ch. 37.
10. III, p. 73b.
11. Based on the verse (Devarim 29:28): “The hidden things are for G‑d Almighty, and the revealed things are for us and our children….”
12. Eruvin 13b.
אלקים חיים13. , rather than אלקה חי.
14. P. 103a, b.
15. Mishlei 31:23.
16. Torat Shalom p. 56.
17. Tehillim 45:2.
18. As in the expression concerning the tefillin (Shmot 13:9): “They shall be for you as a reminder between your eyes.”
19. See Sanhedrin 91b on Mishlei 11:26.
20. See Temurah 16a on Mishlei 29:13.
21. Mishlei 29:13.
22. Yirmeyahu 31:33.
23. Yeshayahu 11:9.
24. Referring to the partners R. Shalom Shachna and R. Mordechai; see approbation of Rabbi Zusya of Anipoli and footnote 11 there.
25. Devarim 27:17.
26. Shevuot 36a (in inverted order); and Rambam, Yad, Hilchot Sanhedrin 26:3.
27. Kiddushin 6a.
28. As above, in the approbations: Tuesday, Parshat Ki Tavo, 5556.

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