הַדְפָּסַת סֵפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוּנִים — תַּנְיָא — בַּפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה נִגְמְרָה יוֹם ג' כ' כִּסְלֵו תקנ"ז בִּסְלאַוִויטאַ. וְכוֹלֵל:

חֵלֶק רִאשׁוֹן — סֵפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוּנִים, חֵלֶק שֵׁנִי — חִנּוּךְ קָטָן וְשַׁעַר הַיִּחוּד וְהָאֱמוּנָה. אִגֶּרֶת הַתְּשׁוּבָה — מַהֲדוּרָא קַמָּא — נִדְפְּסָה לָרִאשׁוֹנָה: זאָלקוִוי תקנ"ט; מַהֲדוּרָא בַּתְרָא — נִדְפְּסָה לָרִאשׁוֹנָה: שׁקלאָוו תּקס"ו. אִגֶּרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ — בַּפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה — שׁקלאָוו תּקע"ד. תּוֹצָאָה מְתוּקֶּנֶת שֶׁל כָּל ד' הַחֲלָקִים — וִוילנאָ ראָם תּר"ס, וְחָזְרָה וְנִדְפְּסָה כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים.

The first printing of Sefer Shel Beinonim1 — Tanya was completed on Tuesday, 20 Kislev, 5557 (1796), in Slavita. It comprised: Part I — Sefer shel Beinonim,and Part II — Chinuch Katan and Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah.

The first edition of Iggeres HaTeshuvah was originally printed in Zholkva in 5559 (1799).2 The second edition was first printed in Shklovin 5566 (1806).

Iggeres HaKodesh was first printed in Shklovin 5574 (1814). The revised edition including all four parts3 was printed in Vilna at the Romm press in 5660 (1900), and has since been reprinted numerous times.4

To Fill In the Background

The Alter Rebbe had originally intended to complete the printing of the Tanya in time to be studied on Yud-Tes Kislev, 5557 (1796), in honor of the yahrzeit of his mentor, the Maggid of Mezritch.There weredelays, however, and ultimately the printing was not completed until the 20th of Kislev.

When the first copy was handed to the Alter Rebbe he looked at it for a long time and then said, “ ‘Many are the thoughts in a man’s heart….’5 It was my desire that this sefer be completed by the beginning of the month of Kislev, so that it could be studied on the day of my master’s yahrzeit. But, [as that verse continues,] ‘the counsel of G‑d prevails,’ and the printing was completed on the 20th of Kislev…, the 20th of Kislev.” He repeated the date even a third time, and concluded: “ ‘All that the Merciful One does is for the good.’ “6

Exactly two years later, after his liberation from prison on Yud-Tes Kislev, 5559 (1798), his chassidim felt that they now understood the farsighted significance of those words. For on the day of his release, the Alter Rebbe was mistakenly taken by the Russian authorities to the home of a misnaged, who gave him far less than a warm welcome. It was not until later that evening, which was already the 20th of Kislev, that he was reunited with his chassidim.7