הפטורה: וַתִּשְׁלַם כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה. בְּבִּרְכוֹת הָהַפְטוֹרָה אוֹמְרִים תָּמִיד: נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אָתָּה, תּוֹשִׁיעַ וּתְשַׂמַּח.

The haftarah to be read this week1 begins Vatishlam kol hamelachah [from I Melachim 7:51 and 8:1-21].

In the blessings that follow every haftarah, the wording to be used is ne’eman verachaman Atah and toshia u’sesamach.2

מְקוּבָּל אֵצֶל זִקְנֵי אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ: סֵפֶר הַתַּנְיָא הוּא לִקוּטֵי עֵצוֹת מַה שֶׁעָנָה רַבֵּנוּ הַגָּדוֹל לְאַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ עַל יְחִידוּת בִּשְׁנוֹת תּק"מ-תּק"ן. בְּקַיִץ תּקנ"ב הִתְחִיל לְסַדֵּר אֶת סֵפֶר הַתַּנְיָא בְּצוּרָתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא עַתָּה לְפָנֵינוּ. תּקנ"ג כְּבַר הָיוּ הַעְתָּקוֹת רַבּוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ, וּבְמֶשֶׁךְ הַזְּמַן נִשְׁתַּבְּשׁוּ, וְגַם הִתְחִילוּ לְזַיְּפוֹ. וּמֵ‏הַאי טַעְמָא נִזְדָּרֵז רַבֵּנוּ לְמָסְרוֹ לִדְפוּס. יֵשׁ נוּסַח אַחֵר: עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה כָּתַב רַבֵּנוּ אֶת סִפְרוֹ הַתַּנְיָא, וְדִיֵּק בְּכָל תֵּיבָה וְתֵיבָה. בִּשְׁנַת תּקנ"ה כְּבַר הָיָה צָרוּף וְזָקוּק, וְאָז נָתַן רְשׁוּת לְהַעְתִּיקוֹ, וּכְשֶׁרַבּוּ הַהַעְתָּקוֹת וְנִשְׁתַּבְּשׁוּ מְסָרוֹ לִדְפוּס.

הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק סִפֵּר אֲשֶׁר, בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לְחַיָּיו — שְׁנַת תּק"ן — אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַגָּדוֹל דְּרוּשׁ מַשְׁבִּיעִין אוֹתוֹ תְּהִי צַדִּיק וכו', וְהוּא הוּא שְׁלֹשֶׁת פְּרָקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁל סֵפֶר הַתַּנְיָא.

According to a tradition handed down by chassidic elders, the Tanya comprises the words of counsel that the Alter Rebbe gave to chassidim who consulted him individually at yechidus3 between the years 5540 (1780) and 5550 (1790). In the summer of 5552 (1792), he began to give the Tanya its present structure.4 By 5553 (1793) there were already many manuscript copies. Over the course of time, errors crept into the text and [the misnagdim] also began to produce forgeries. This is why the Alter Rebbe applied his energies to having it printed [in 5557 (1796)].5

According to another tradition, the Alter Rebbe composed the Tanya in the course of 20 years, choosing every word precisely.6 By the year 5555 (1795), when the text was refined and polished, he gave permission to copy it. When the manuscript copies increased and errors crept in, he gave it to print.7

The Tzemach Tzedek related that on the first Rosh HaShanah of his life, in 5550 (1789),8 [his grandfather] the Alter Rebbe delivered a maamar [that opened with the teaching],9 “An oath is administered [to the soul]: ‘Be a tzaddik….’ “ That discourse constitutes the first three chapters of the Tanya.10

To Fill In the Background

The fact that the Tanya grew out of the words of counsel that the Alter Rebbe offered his chassidim is significant. In an abstract work, though the author may labor hard to make his theoretical exposition relevant to his readers, it may remain afloat above their heads. By contrast, when a book comprises answers to practical difficulties experienced by real-life people in their Divine service, readers facing similar challenges will more easily identify with its message.