Tanya Printed in Bangladesh

In 1978, the Rebbe initiated a campaign that the Tanya should be printed in every country in the world. Later, the Rebbe encouraged the printing of additional Tanya editions in every community. Since that time over 5,000 editions of the Tanya have been printed in dozens of countries and hundreds of cities on every continent. When Israeli forces were stationed in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria at different times over the period since then, Tanyas were printed in those countries too.

Today only a few countries remain where Tanyas have not been printed. Until a few days ago, one of those countries was Bangladesh, a densely populated Muslim country located at the North East edge of India. Now, the 5,525th edition of the Tanya was printed by the “Dhaka branch” of Kehot. The printing took place at the ACS textiles factory near Dhaka. Max Cohen of Manchester, England organized the project.

In accordance with the Rebbe’s instructions, and as for all Tanyas printed in this campaign, an official edition number was designated by Rabbi Sholom Jacobson of Vaad L’Hafotsas Sichos. Rabbi Jacobson also prepared originals with the location name typeset on the cover page.

After the completion of the printing, Max joined with his business partner Martin Sluckis, also of Manchester, who was with him in Dhaka, and with his brother Eli Cohen in New York connected by Skype, and studied the daily shiur for 23rd of Adar out of one of the newly printed sheets. Appropriately, the daily shiur discusses the way in which a Jew through his performance of Mitzvot and Torah study, transforms the material of this world, from being a “neutral shell” that can be used for good or evil, into a vessel for the revelation of G-d’s desire.

It is precisely that transformation of the world into a vessel for G-dliness that the Rebbe seeks to achieve by calling for the printing of Tanyas all over the world, thereby making the entire world a fitting vessel in which G-d’s presence can rest in the times of Redemption and beyond. May we see it very soon.