By COLlive reporter
The digitization of precious manuscripts and seforim in the possession of the Agudas Chassidei Chabad Library in Crown Heights has excited many scholars and Torah learners around the world.
One of them was Rabbi Avraham Alashvilli of Lod, Israel, who has been working with the library’s director Rabbi Berel Levine on publishing a new edition of the Alter Rebbe‘s Shulchan Aruch, also known as Shulchan Aruch Harav.
Rabbi Alashvilli, an author of several seforim, discovered on the library’s website a bichel – handwritten book that contains the simanim (parts) 195 and 196 from the Shulchan Aruch.
The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, was instructed by his Rebbe – the Maggid of Mezritch to write a code of Jewish law. He has done so, but a fire in his home burned most of his library including the original manuscript.
Fortunately, parts of the Shulchan Aruch were written by privately by his brother the Maharil and others (possibly, children, grandchildren and close chassidim). What was recovered has been constructed into the Shulchan Aruch that is available today and published by Kehot Publication Society.
“Until this week, we thought that this was it,” Rabbi Alashvilli told the Kfar Chabad Magazine, which reports about the discovery on its cover this week.
“This new discovery opened the Shulchan Aruch and adds another dimension that allows further in-depth learning,” he said.
The discovered parts discuss a Jew conducting business dealing with idol worshipers, how to relate to a Jew who might be considered a rasha (evil doer), the mitzvah of loving a convert and the prohibition against hating a fellow Jew.
i got the shivers seeing tnis
I wonder if someone could post the link to the actual manuscript .. that would be amazing to see!!!
How did he find the manuscript on a website? What about whoever scanned it in to the website? They didn’t realize what it was? Where was this “bichel” all along and why did nobody ever notice it before?
The newly discovered manuscripts are halochos from simanim 155 and 156 (not 195 and 196 stated in the article).
These simanim already appear in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchon Oruch. The found halachos are an addition to what is printed.
It is noteworthy that these two simanim are written in a unique style different than the rest of the Shulchon Oruch.
In the article it says “What was recovered has been constructed into the Shulchan Aruch that is available today and published by Kehot”. It wasn’t “constructed”, whatever was available was printed shortly after the Alter Rebbe’s histalkus.
What exactly was “found” recently? Whatever was on the website, where did it come from? Where is the original manuscript?
Actually: the manuscript discovered contains #155 & #156 of the alter Rebbe’s shulchon aruch orach chayim. Unlike the rest of the alter Rebbe’s shulchon oruch orach chayim which was published immediately after the passing of the alter rebbe (during the years 5574-5576 (1814-1816) which was not inspected by Russian censored prior to publication, these 2 simonim of the alter rebbe’s shulchon aruch orach chayim (155,156), were was published in Zitomir in the year 1856, where it was submitted to the Russian censor, under who’s supervision some passages were omitted (for instance: the discussion wether one is allowed to form a… Read more »
We for sure have to learn these halochos, as we have to learn all the Torah. Something new (which we did not have yesterday is always more exciting).
With regards to Halacha, surely we will be instructed by our Rabbonim how and what to do.
Easier to just Learn Mishnah Berurah as it has no missing simanim or seifim and is also most recent halacha sefer for Ashkenazim and is complete for orach chaim and lesser confusion. Not Alter Rebbe’s fault majority of S.A HaRav was lost in a fire, but the sefer is still incomplete and missing huge chunks. If your going to just cover the missing chapters and subsections of S.A HaRav with Mishnah Berurah might as well just learn Mishnah Berurah, yes ? Aruch Hashulchan also is incomplete and missing huge chunks and always confuses me when yidden say it covers all… Read more »