Anonymous scribe. Kethav Yad

FOUR GENERATIONS OF CHABAD CHASSIDISM. A talented cadre of dedicated scribes preserved for posterity the spiritual legacy of Chabad Chasidism. The oral discourses (ma'amorim) of the admo”rim (chassidic rabbis), usually delivered on Sabbaths and holidays, when it is forbidden by Jewish law to write, would be recorded later and submitted to the Rebbe for review. If they met with the Rebbe's approval, they would be designated “Mugah” (Proofread). On occasion, the Rebbe himself would commit his thoughts to writing. A “buch” (book) or “bichel” (booklet) penned by a superior scribe would be prized highly. In time, a unique paleography developed, with the letters formed in a recognizably “Lubavitch” style. The hand of the anonymous scribe in the present manuscript markedly resembles the hands of both the renowned R. Samuel Sopher and of the Rebbe Mahara”sh himself with very slight deviations. Our manuscript, evidently from the year 1868 (the latest entries are dated “1868,” see ff. 113r., 119r.), spans four generations of Chabad leadership. It contains ma'amorim of the founder, R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (“Alter Rebbe”) (1745-1813), his son R. Dov Baer (1773-1827), grandson R. Menachem Mendel (author “Tzemach Tzedek”) (1789-1866), and grandson R. Samuel (Mahara”sh) (1834-1882), as well as material by distinguished disciples such as R. Hillel of Paritch (a follower of R. Dov Baer, and after his demise, of R. Menachem Mendel) (d. 1864), and the eminent halachist R. Nechemiah Birch of Dubrovna (1808-1852), author responsa “Divrei Nechemiah” and glosses appended to the Vilna edition of the Talmud (the latter was a disciple of R. Menachem Mendel). Thus on f.91 is a wedding discourse by the Alter Rebbe dated “Shabbath Bereshith, 1810,” which does not appear in the published volume “Ma'amrei Admo”r Hazaken [5]571.” On f.102v. is found Torah of “Admo”r Dov Baer.” On ff.5r.-11v. there appears a discourse for the portion “Shemoth,” located in the published writings of R. Menachem Mendel (“Tzemach Tzedek”) entitled 'Or ha-Torah, Vol. VII (Shemoth-Vayakhel) (1973), pp. 2475-2483. And again, R. Menachem Mendel's remarks on the Portion of Chukath 1865, which appear in our manuscript on ff.13r.-16v., have been published in 'Or ha-Torah, Bamidbar, Vol. III (1998), pp. 844-848. Several teachings of the Rebbe Mahara”sh (R. Samuel Schneersohn) are found in the printed volume “Torath Shmuel/Sepher [5]626” (1989), therefore they date back to the first year of Maharash's leadership: 1866. (Cf. ff.37r.-40v., 58r.-64v.,164r.-167v., 168r.-173r., 201r.-206v. of our manuscript to Torath Shmuel/Sepher[5]626, pp.215-220,67-73,150-155,227-233, 256-265.) On f.20r. R. Hillel of Paritch and Bobroisk records a teaching imparted to him by “Admo”r shelit”a” [R. Menachem Mendel] when he visited the distinguished chasid during the latter's illness, and R. Hillel's reservations concerning the teaching. On f. 386 is a halachic responsum of R. Nechemiah Birch regarding the proper procedure for selling the chametz (leavened bread)