בַּיי חֲסִידֵי חַבַּ"ד אִיז מְקוּבָּל מִדּוֹר דּוֹר, דעֶם אַלטעֶן רֶבִּי'ס אַ תַּקָּנָה, אַז אַלעֶ טאָג זאָל מעֶן לעֶרנעֶן אַ פַּרְשָׁה חוּמָשׁ מִיט פִּירוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י פוּן דעֶר וואָך סִדְרָה. אַזוֹי האָבּעֶן זִיך אוֹיך נוֹהֵג געֶוועֶן דִי רַבֵּיִּים נְשִׂיאֵי חֲסִידֵי חַבַּ"ד.

There is a custom among Chabad chassidim that was instituted by the Alter Rebbe and that has been passed down from generation to generation — that one should study a passage of Chumash from the weekly sidrah every day,together with the commentary of Rashi. The Rebbeim who headed Chabad in their respective generations1 also followed this practice.2

To Fill In the Background

In the year 5703 (1943), when HaYom Yom was compiled, the Rebbe Rayatz called upon his chassidim to study Chitas every day. The above teaching indicates that part of this practice had an earlier source.

The term Chitas appears as a word in the Torah: “And there was a fear of G‑d (chitas Elokim) upon all the towns around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Yaakov.”3 Since the three Hebrew letters that spell this word are also the initials of the words חומש תהלים תניא — Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya, the acronym Chitas serves in Chabad usage as a name for these daily readings.4

The value and benefit of this observance have been the subject of numerous teachings,5 such as the Alter Rebbe’s comment that “the commentary of Rashi on the Chumash is ‘the wine of the Torah.’ It unlocks the heart and reveals one’s essential love and fear [for G‑d].”6

A practical indication of how central this observance is in the Chabad lifestyle may be seen in the frequency with which this subject or its components are mentioned in the present work. Likewise, a great number of the Rebbe’s letters conclude with a gentle reminder to his correspondent: “No doubt you are scrupulous in your observance of the daily readings of Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya, which apply equally to all.”