With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, the Jewish world’s preparations are moving into high gear. In addition to shopping for apples and honey, baking round challahs, and cooking our favorite (sweet) Rosh Hashanah foods, we’re preparing on a spiritual front as well.
One very exciting resource that we just published is a classic Chassidic discourse that helps us understand the cosmic and personal significance of Rosh Hashanah by exploring the deep meaning behind sounding the shofar.
Published with an all-new translation and commentary by Rabbi Elisha Pearl of Sichos in English, it is part of a broader project to share the teachings of the Alter Rebbe—the founder of Chabad—on the prayerbook.
These teachings are from a unique book known as Siddur Im Dach, which was published by the Alter Rebbe’s son, the Second Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber, in 1816 and forms an integral part of the canon of Chabad teachings.
This particular essay has been cited by all subsequent Rebbes of Chabad, including the Seventh Rebbe, who quoted it frequently throughout the decades of his leadership.
As students will learn, the essay articulates one of Rosh HaShanah’s key themes: that by blowing the shofar, we reach out from our soul’s core and touch G‑d’s Essence, moving Him to take pleasure in creating the world anew.
“For many people, even attempting to learn an essay from Siddur Im Dach has always been no more than a dream,” says Rabbi Shmuly Avtzon, director of Sichos in English. “Baruch Hashem, after a lot of investment, this teaching will be accessible to all on Chabad.org.”
The essay was released on the new Torah Texts platform, which makes available a wealth of major Jewish works, including classic texts with their accompanying commentaries, halachic treatises and Chassidic discourses—with more being added all the time! It also integrates Chabad.org’s vast trove of video and audio classes, offering a “guided learning” experience, where users can listen to or watch world-class lectures alongside the text.
“We are excited for our readers to have the opportunity to access this fundamental teaching which stems from the Baal Shem Tov as taught by the Alter Rebbe,” says Rabbi Meir Simcha Kogan, director of Chabad.org, “and are deeply grateful to Sichos In English for their longstanding partnership and steadfast dedication to sharing the teachings of Chabad Chassidus as widely as possible.”
Get ready for Rosh Hashanah in a whole new way!
Study The Soul’s Cry on Torah Texts
