Tanya Edition Number 8,000 Was Printed at 770

by COLlive reporter

The 8,000th edition of the Tanya, the foundational book of Chabad Chassidic philosophy, was printed at Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights on Monday.

The Tanya was authored by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chassidim known as the Alter Rebbe, and was first published in 1796.

Lubavitch chassidim, at the encouragement of the Rebbe, have been printing local editions of the Tanya in locations around the globe to spiritually purify its air by bringing holiness to the location it was printed.

The milestone edition was organized by bochurim Meir Altman and Mendel Bleich, who have been part of a hachlata to print 120 Tanyas in 6 months in honor of the Rebbe’s 120th birthday on Yud Alef Nissan.

Together with Rabbi Zalmen Chanin and Shmuel Jacobson, they have arranged to have this Tanya printed in honor of the Rebbe’s birthday, which concluded the project with the 8,000th edition printed at 770.

The printing was sponsored by the Lipsker family in honor of Rabbi Barel Lipsker‘s 80th birthday. Technology was sponsored by the Holtzberg family of World Trade Copiers Inc.

“We chose to print it at 770 in the same way that other milestone editions were printed in notable locations,” the bochurim told COLlive.com. All the rounded 1,000 editions have been printed at 770 as well as the Kotel in Jerusalem.

The 7,000th edition was printed at the Kremlin in Moscow, at the Rebbe’s instruction, and the 6,500th English edition was the Kehot Bi-Lingual edition, for example.

There were times the Rebbe instructed to print Tanyas in 770, such as during the Seforim court case, and another time in the back of the 770 Shul, organizers said.

There were printings in the offices of Vaad Likkutei Sichos and the Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad as well.

Since the other 770 edition was printed in the back of the Shul, the bochurim decided to print it in the same location for this monumental occasion. Once the first pages were seen rolling out of the printer, people present said L’chaim and Mazal Tov.