Hayom Yom: Sh'vat 3

Torah Or was first printed in 5597 (1837) in Kopust (without supplements). The Tzemach Tzedek, in his letter of Sh'vat 3 that year, wrote:

The book Torah Or now printed...contains maamarim, most of them from 5556 (1796) until the end of 5572 (1812). Our Master,1 of blessed memory, carefully examined and edited many of these and agreed to have them published. The book is comprised of two parts: The first is on two2 of the Five Books of the Chumash, Chanuka and Purim, with several discourses on Shavuot (time of Giving of the Torah) in parshat Yitro and a few for Pesach included in parshat Vayakheil. The second part (with G-d's help, will be) on the last three Chumashim, Shir Hashirim, the Festivals, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur...The name of the author is fitting: Schneur, (literally, "two lights"), just as v'ahavta ("you shall love") in numerical value is twice that of the word or,3 "light."

Before the second part could be printed, informers had the government close a number of Hebrew printshops in Russia, including the one in Kopust where the Torah Or was printed. In 5608 (1848) the second part was printed in Zitomir with a different title, Likutei Torah.