The Rebbe's efforts to find, collect, safeguard and authenticate manuscripts of Chassidus (IK = Igros Kodesh letter number):
Searching for manuscripts. In our generation, searching for seforim and manuscripts is an act of saving them from decay, and should be done diligently (IK 4685). The Rebbe asked families whether any Chassidus manuscripts, letters or stories remained from fathers and ancestors who had been chassidim, even just a list of them (IK 1954, 2601, 3805, 3845, 4399, 9599); encouraged a traveler to search for rare seforim and manuscripts in Africa, especially among heirs and in shuls (IK 3658); urged acquiring the manuscripts of a chassid's son (IK 6872); and explored retrieving chassidic manuscripts held by an institution in Poland (IK 8124). He requested unpublished letters and talks of the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe Rashab (IK 228, 321), and information about chassidic booklets of the Tzemach Tzedek and discourses whose dates were recorded (IK 2880, 6817).
Receiving and working with them. The Rebbe thanked those who sent manuscripts, asked for more, and discussed their contents and origins (IK 235, 473, 2841, 3224, 6911); asked to borrow manuscripts of maamarim for identification (IK 6996); welcomed a catalog of Hebrew manuscripts from Russia (IK 5616); and was preparing an index of the Frierdiker Rebbe's maamarim (IK 473). On the manuscripts in Paris, see IK 1699; on manuscript arrangements with Kollel Chabad, IK 1652. Work on manuscripts must be entrusted only to carefully chosen, trustworthy people, and the manuscripts kept from unqualified hands (IK 2669). The customs printed in Hayom Yom were included at the Frierdiker Rebbe's instruction (IK 235).
Authenticity and authorship. Having personally seen hundreds of the Geniza Chersonit letters, the Rebbe had no doubt of their authenticity (IK 2497). A manuscript attributed to the Baal Shem Tov should be compared with the published text (IK 1966). A claim that Reb Adam Baal Shem wrote Merkevet HaMishneh needs evidence and tradition (IK 4952). In organizing manuscripts, remember that chassidim traditionally cared more about a teaching's content than about who authored it (IK 5488).
See also: Accuracy – History and biographies; Accuracy – Torah texts and editions; Jewish outreach – Publishing and spreading Torah books.