יוֹם הוּלֶדֶת אֶת אַדְמוּ"ר הָאֶמְצָעִי — תקל"ד — וְיוֹם הִסְתַּלְקוּתוֹ — תקפ"ח. וּמְנוּחָתוֹ כָּבוֹד בְּניעֶזשִׁין.

ט' בְּכִסְלֵו תקנ"ד אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן מַאֲמָר — וְהוּא חֵלֶק פֶּרֶק נ"ג מִסֵּפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוּנִים (תַּנְיָא) הַמְדַבֵּר עַל דְּבַר בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן. לְמָחֳרָתוֹ אָמַר חֲסִידוּת עוֹד הַפַּעַם — סִיּוּם פֶּרֶק הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל עַד גְּמִירָא. כִּי הַמַּאֲמָרִים מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָׁנָה תק"ן עַד י' כִּסְלֵו תקנ"ד (אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם נִכְלְלוּ לִקּוּטֵי עֵצוֹת מִשָּׁנִים הַקוֹדְמוֹת) מֵהֶם נִסְדְרוּ נ"ג פִּרְקֵי סֵפֶר שֶׁל בֵּינוּנִים.

The birthday of the Mitteler Rebbe in 5534 (1773) and the anniversary of his passing in 5588 (1827). His resting place is in Niezhin.

On 9 Kislev, 5554 (1793), the Alter Rebbe delivered a maamar that was [later to appear as] part of chapter 53 of Tanya, which discusses the First Beis HaMikdash. On the following day he taught Chassidus again, concluding [what later constituted] the end of that chapter [and the entire book]. For the 53 chapters of Sefer shel Beinonim (the first part of Tanya)were constructed from the maamarim he delivered from Rosh HaShanah, 5550 (1789)1 until 10 Kislev, 5554 (1793), which include selected words of counsel from earlier years.2

A Faithful Shepherd

The Alter Rebbe labored over the composition of the Tanya for many years. It was not published until Yud-Tes Kislev, 5557 (1796) — three years after the maamarim had been delivered. According to one chassidic tradition,3 he worked on it intermittently for twenty years, and could deliberate a goodly number of weeks over the placement of even a single letter.

As he wrote in his Compiler’s Foreword, he designed its chapters for the chassidim “who revealed to me all the hidden recesses of their heart and mind in matters related to the service of G‑d which is dependent on the heart…. All of them are answers to many questions posed continually by members of the chassidic brotherhood of our country seeking advice, each according to his stature, so as to receive guidance for themselves in the service of G‑d.”

As it transpires, the Alter Rebbe was answering the questions that his chassidim had asked him, and also those that would be asked in the future. He took this mission seriously enough to devote to it a major part of his time — surely a good reason for us to labor over the Tanya and strain to understand even those passages we may find formidable.

His Foreword also explains the course of action to be taken when, even after serious attempts to comprehend the text, one still lacks clarity: “Let him discuss his problem with the foremost scholars of his town and they will enlighten him.” And to those men of distinction, the Alter Rebbe appeals that “they should not cover their mouths with their hands and conduct themselves with false modesty and humility.” He encourages them instead to reach out to those less learned, with brotherly compassion.