Rebbe’s Plan From 1943 Fulfilled

By COLlive reporter

A new booklet in the ongoing project of the “Complete Tanya” has been released by the Kehot Publication Society, just in time for Chai Elul, the birthday of its author, the Alter Rebbe – Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

This new edition of Tanya, presents the Tanya text surrounded by three elements: a concise commentary by the Rebbe, references and glosses, and an anthology of commentaries by the Rebbes.

The origins of this grand project, to publish a “Complete Tanya” seems to date back as early as the 1940s.

In a 1943 letter, the Rebbe writes: (Igros Kodesh vol. 21 p. 37) “We may publish a Tanya with references etc.” So too in a letter from 1947 (Igros Kodesh vol. 2 p. 192): “We plan to publish the Tanya (obviously page-by-page) with additional references, notes, comparisons to the first print etc.”

The Rebbe actually announced this plan in 1954 in his Introduction to “Indexes to Tanya,” printed in the f every Tanya published since: “[Included] in the Complete Tanya that we’re currently preparing for print: Tanya [text] in middle of the page, surrounded by: references; a concise commentary; a compilation of the writings of our Rebbeim on Tanya etc.”

Over the course of the 220 years since the Tanya published in the city of Slavuta, many explanatory compositions were published on it. The foremost amongst these are the Maamarim and hemsheichim of our Rebbes containing novel insights on Tanya; those explaining various concepts discussed throughout Tanya; and finally, various collections of explanations that were passed down from generation to generation by great Chasidim and Mashpi’im.

In recent times as well, the Rebbe encouraged various authors, to publish explanatory compositions as well as reference books on Tanya, in order to broaden the precise-study and understanding of the most fundamental book in Chabad Chasidus.

It is evident, however, that the Rebbe himself planned on publishing a special edition of Tanya. An edition the likes of which has not yet seen publication.

For several years now, a select group of Maareches Otzar Hachasidim scholars, under the auspices of Kehot led by Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman, has been working on gathering our Rebbeim’s commentary and explanations on Tanya.

Rabbi Aharon Leib Raskin heads up the editorial team, and the main writer and editor is Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of Detroit, famous for his brilliant handiwork on the Rebbe’s Torah.

This mammoth endeavor is only possible thanks to the ‘Yissachar-Zevulun partnership’ between the project director Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook, and Mr. George Rohr and family, who spearheaded this project in loving memory of the late philanthropist Shmuel ben Yehoshua Eliyahu, of blessed memory.

Eight booklets have been published to date. Now, in honor of Chai Elul, Maareches Otzar Hachasidim published an additional booklet containing chapters 13, 14 and 15. Additional chapters in this series will be published in honor of Chag HaChagim, Yud-Tes Kislev.