Shabbat Sh'vat 3 5703
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Va'eira, Shevi'i with Rashi. Tehillim: 18-22. Tanya: Ch. 16. This then (p. 67)...explained at length. (p. 71).

Torah Or was first printed in 5597 (1837) in Kopust (without supplements). The Tzemach Tzedek, in his letter of Sh'vat 3 that year, wrote: The book Torah Or now printed...contains Maamarim, most of them from 5556 (1796) until the end of 5572 (1812).

Our Master, [1] of blessed memory, carefully examined and edited many of these and agreed to have them published. The book is comprised of two parts:

The first is on two [2] of the Five Books of the Chumash, Chanuka and Purim, with several discourses on Shavuot (time of Giving of the Torah) in Parshat Yitro and a few for Pesach included in Parshat Vayakheil.

The second part (with G-d's help, will be) on the last three Chumashim, Shir Hashirim, the Festivals, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur...The name of the author is fitting: Schneur, (literally, "two lights"), just as V'aha vta ("you shall love") in numerical value is twice that of the word [3] "light."

Before the second part could be printed, informers had the government close a number of Hebrew printshops in Russia, including the one in Kopust where the Torah Or was printed. In 5608 (1848) the second part was printed in Zitomir with a different title, Likutei Torah.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) The Alter Rebbe, his grandfather.

2. (Back to text) Bereishit and Sh'mot.

3. (Back to text) Or is 207 numerically, and V'ahavta is 414.