In time for Chai Nissan, the 145th birthday of HaRav HaGaon HaMekubal R’ Levi Yitzchok Schneerson zt”l, the Rebbe’s father – and notably, also the day of the Rebbe’s Bris Milah – a new sefer elaborating on his Torah novellae has been published.
This newly published sefer, sixth in a series entitled “Yalkut Levi Yitzchok al HaTorah”, includes insights and pirushim culled from throughout R’ Levi Yitzchok’s seforim, arranged according to pesukim and themes of the weekly sidra.
[In addition, in a more general scope of this series, “Yalkut Levi Yitzchok – Michtovei HaChasuna” has also appeared, covering the letters R’ Levi Yitzchok sent the Rebbe in the period before and after his chasuna. Appended therein, is his famous “Reshimas HaMaasar” with extensive elaboration and annotation. More volumes are in the works bez”h for this more general series, aside from the “Al HaTorah” series mentioned primarily in this article].
The current volume with 900 pages covers the parshiyos of Terumah through Pekudei, thereby concluding the pirushim on Sefer Shmois, and is published by Kehot Publication Society, the Chabad-Lubavitch publishing arm.
It is noteworthy that this volume encompasses the parshiyos which speak of the directives – and ultimate building – of the Mishkan in the desert and its many aspects, from the Garments of the Kohanim and the Mishkan’s Vessels, to the questions on Moshe’s count of the “Adanim” foundation sockets. Additionally, the Parsha of Ki Tisa and its topics of the “Chet HaEgel” and the “13 Middos HaRachamim” and differences between those here and in Michah – are covered extensively.
Compiled by Rabbi Dovid Dubov, shliach to Princeton, New Jersey, and reviewed by a team of scholars, the sefer, as the volumes which precede it, “opens up” and develops R’ Levi Yitzchok’s unique style in Torah to the reader.
Complete with punctuation, new paragraph subdivisions, numerous annotations, several clear illustrations & charts, and sources from Chazal, Kabbalah, and Sifrei Chassidus, it deciphers and explains Kabbalistic concepts and gematriyos, as well as detailed indices (Mafteichos) which aid the reader in finding anything within the sefer.
The new sefer includes facsimiles of R’ Levi Yitzchok’s original ksav yad on the Gemara in Sanhedrin 7a – incorporating the whole of ‘siman 15’ found therein. The preface also includes a few rarely-known anecdotes connected to the saintly mechaber.
A booklet-sampling of select pirushim from the new volume, including – from the “Preface” – a relatively unknown, beautiful vort and “takeaway” of RL”Y, which was later related to the Rebbe by a listener, as well as the response he merited to receive from the Rebbe about it, has also been released to be studied on the auspicious day of Chai Nissan.
