99 —בירור מקורות מאמרי חז"ל והאזכורים שלהם בספרי חסידות

Shalom u'Vrachah! [Elul 5703]

In continuation to the holy correspondence from Menachem Av... Department of "Answers to Readers": Chaim Aharon Dovber P. Regarding our response in the holy correspondence from Menachem Av, where it is stated by our Sages, "They permitted speaking words of Torah on Shabbat only with difficulty," as brought in the supplements to Torah Or and Likkutei Torah—they wish to know if this is also found in earlier books.

For such questions, one must bring proof from our Sages, and be careful with their coals (i.e., words), lest you be burned. For it is fitting to rely on the Alter Rebbe and his son, the Mitteler Rebbe; when they cite a saying from our Sages, it is certain that our Sages said it, even if we do not currently know the source. However, since we judge the questioners favorably—that they have no doubt at all about this but only wish to clarify the source of the saying, as is customary: "From where do the Rabbis know this? The verse says..."—we instruct that this saying from our Sages is found in Sefer HaYirah by Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona, near its end. In the Midrashim available to us, this saying does not appear; but it is known that many Midrashim seen by the early authorities have been lost and are not with us.

Rabbi Y. Y. H.¹ [As above regarding our Sages' saying: "And I will dwell among them—'among it' is not stated but 'among them,' among each individual Jew," which was found in discourses of our Rebbe Shlita.] See previous response. This saying appears several times in Chassidus. It is also found in Reishit Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah chapter 6; Shelah, Shaar HaOtiyot letter Lamed; and elsewhere. It is clear that what is cited in books as "our Sages said" can refer to our Rabbis after the period of the Talmud and Midrashim, and it does not have to be specifically in the Talmud or Midrash.

From my handwritten note.

In continuation to the holy correspondence from Menachem Av: There, in the section Answers to Readers (Entfers Tzu-Brief-Schreiber, p. Z), it was written in response to our questioner that the source is in supplements to Torah Or and Likkutei Torah. See above letter Tzav, whose publication was delayed until mid-Elul.

Regarding our Sages' saying: "And I will dwell... among Israel": There, in response to our questioner: In one of the Midrashim and currently it cannot be found.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that when early Chabad leaders cite a rabbinic saying as originating with our Sages—even if its exact source eludes us—we can trust their citation. He also clarifies where such sayings may be found or why some sources are now lost.