Publisher's Foreword

As every Lubavitcher who was once a chassan recalls, his own wedding celebrations began with an inspired and solemn moment -- the recital of the classic maamar that begins with the phrase, Lechah Dodi. This is the very same discourse that was first delivered by the Rebbe Rayatz in the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah in Warsaw, at the marriage of his second daughter to the Rebbe on the 14th of Kislev, 5689 [1928].

The maamar was translated by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, and prepared for publication by the staff of Sichos In English. Though the translation carries no official authority, every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.

For the benefit of those who are perhaps unfamiliar with the structure of a maamar, many implied links between concepts have been articulated and many terms have been explained. All bracketed phrases, both within the text and within the footnotes, are additions; all parenthetical phrases and unbracketed footnotes are part of the original text.

This edition has been supplemented by a translation of the wedding customs enumerated in Sefer HaMinhagim: The Book of Chabad-Lubavitch Customs, pp. 174-177.

At the kabbalas panim that preceded the chuppah of the Rebbe and the Rebbitzin, the Rebbe Rayatz prefaced his delivery of the maamar with the following words:

“As is well known, the souls of the forebears of the bride and groom from as far back as three generations, and in certain instances, from even further back come from the World of Truth and are present when a Jewish wedding is celebrated. By way of invitation to the souls of the tzaddikim our forebears, the Rebbeim of their respective generations to attend the chuppah and bless the new couple, we will now deliver a maamar. Its teachings derive partly from the Alter Rebbe; partly from the Mitteler Rebbe; partly from my greatgrandfather [the Tzemach Tzedek]; partly from my grandfather [the Rebbe Maharash], the greatgrandfather of the bride; partly from the groom’s greatgreatgrandfather [R. Baruch Shalom, the eldest son of the Tzemach Tzedek]; and partly from my father [the Rebbe Rashab], the bride’s grandfather.

“Our Sages remind us:1 ‘Whoever cites a teaching in the name of its author should visualize that mentor standing before him.’ ”

And with those words, the Rebbe Rayatz proceeded to deliver the maamar before us.

Sichos In English

25 Adar II, 5755