What Happened October 7, 1836
In today’s Hayom Yom it talks about the printing of the Likutei Torah and Torah Ohr. Here is some of the background story • Full Story
In today’s Hayom Yom it talks about the printing of the Likutei Torah and Torah Ohr. Here is some of the background story:
There was a man by the name of Wolf Tugendhald, he was one of the leaders of the Haskala movement in Vilna, and an inspector of Jewish books on behalf of the Russian government.
In the year 1831, wolf complained to the minister of education of Russia at the time about Chassidim and their Seforim, in the very negative way.
Following that, in the year 1833 Leib Merkel and Yaakov Bernstein – also from the Haskala Movment – complained to the interior minister of Russia about the Chassidim, claiming that Chassidus and the Chassidim are a danger not just the Jewish nation, rather also to the whole kingdom of Russia.
They suggested 3 steps to ensure that the Chassidim don’t influence more people:
1. Search all Jewish Seforim in Russia, any Safer Chassidus should be burnt!
2. Close down all Jewish printing presses in the country and leave open just 3 of them, in Zitomir, Brisk and Shkolv.
3. Appoint a professional inspector in the 3 remaining print houses to make sure that they won’t print any books of Chassidus.
Based on these 2 Mesiros, the interior minister started investigations on all Jewish print houses and Jewish books in general, but more specifically books of Chassidus.
After 3 years of deliberation and discussion between the interior minister, the minister of education and the local ministers from the Jewish parts of Russia, on Ches Cheshvon 5597 – October 7th 1836, the interior minister notified on behalf of the czar:
1. Inspect all Jewish books in the whole Russia, any Chassidus or suspicious ones should be burnt!
2. Close all Jewish print houses in Russia and leave just 2 open, in Vilna and Zitamir.
Shortly after that, in the month of Teves 5597, all Jewish print houses in Russia were closed besides for 2.
Among the print houses that were closed was the print house in Kapust, where the Torah Ohr was being printed. So the printing was cut short, and they only managed to print the first volume.
The print house that was allowed to stay open in Vilna did not have any spare time to print Seforim. they were tasked with printing all the basic Jewish books needed in Russia at the time, like Sidurim, Chumashim, Slichos, Machsorim, Hagados, Tehillim exc. because they were the only active Print House.
Although the government allowed a second print house in Zitamir, there were technical difficulties surrounding its reopening, leaving Russia with just 1 Jewish print house for a number of years.
finally in the year 5607 the print house opened. Only then the Chassidim began working on the printing of Likutei Torah.
Meanwhile, within the 10 years from when the Torah Ohr was printed until they started working on the Likutei Torah, the Chassidim discovered that the Rebbe at the time, the Tzemach Tzedek had lots of Hagohos (commentary) on the Ma’amorim of the Alter Rebbe That was about to be printed.
So they tried asking the Tzemach Tzedek if they can add it to the print, but the Tzemach Tzedek refused.
That year was completing 18 years of the Nesius of the Tzemach Tzedek. one night, he had a dream of his grandfather the Alter Rebbe. In his dream, the Alter Rebbe told him to print his commentary as part of the Safer. However, the Tzemach Tzedek decided not to tell anyone about the dream, because he really did not want to print it.
shortly afterwards 3 of his sons had the same dream. Only then he agreed for it to be printed.
Finally in the year 5608, they printed the Likutei Torah in the Print House of Zitamir.
(based on a letter of the Frierdiker Rebbe, Igros vol. 4 page 563, also, the source of today’s Hayom Yom, 15th of Shvat)
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