Kehot Publication Society is the publishing division of the
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...
movement.
History
Kehot was established in 1941 by the sixth Rebbe of
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...
, Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. In 1942, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak appointed his son-in-law, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
(who became the seventh Rebbe in 1951) as director and editor-in-chief.
Prior to the establishment of Kehot, printed editions of Chabad texts were limited. Since its founding, Kehot published many volumes of both Hasidic texts and general Jewish literature, growing significantly as an established publisher of Jewish books published in
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
,
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
,
Russian,
Spanish,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Italian,
Portuguese,
Dutch,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
Persian and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel served as editor for many of the early Kehot publications.
In a 1946, he wrote of his editorial work for Jewish holiday literature published in French and in English. He edited both Jewish educational literature for children as well as volumes of Hasidic discourses.
[Igrot Kodesh vol. 2, page 90]
Rabbi Menachem Mendel also worked on publishing old manuscripts from the previous Rabbis of Chabad. In the first years he mainly focused on the works of the fourth Chabad Rebbe, the Rebbe
Maharash also writing a biography on his life. Rabbi Schneerson also published the encyclopedic work of
Chaim Hezekiah Medini the Sdei Chemed, with rearranging it and adding
indices In 1956 he began publishing the discourses of the First Lubavitcher Rebbe the
Alter Rebbe, a project he later related as "time consuming".
Publication
Kehot is one of the largest orthodox publishing houses in America publishing over 600 new titles in the last 80 years.
This publishing house is known for properly indexing their works (not so common in Jewish publishing).
Sefer Hamamarim
One of the biggest undertakings of Kehot was to publish the discourses of all the Chabad Rebbe's which is an ongoing work numbering hundreds of volumes. Below, the discourses published by Kehot are listed.
Alter Rebbe:
* ''Sefer Hamaamarim'' - discourses of the first Lubavitcher Rebbe mainly according to year (27 Volumes)
* ''
Torah Or/Likutei Torah'' - discourses prepared by the
third Lubavitcher Rebbe (2 volumes)
Mitteler Rebbe
Dovber Schneuri (13 November 1773 – 16 November 1827 OS) was the second Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi (in present-day Belarus), ...
:
* Discourses and books by the second Rebbe of Chabad (33 volumes)
Tzemach Tzedek:
* ''Or Hatorah'' - discourses written by the third rebbe of chabad (41 volumes)
* ''Sefer Halikkutim'' - works of the Tzemach Tzedek reorganized by topic (27 Volumes)
* ''Hanachos'' - discourses transcribed by the listeners (as of 2021 2 volumes)
Rebbe Maharash:
* ''Toras Shmuel'' - discourses from the fourth lubavitcher Rebbe (21 volumes)
Rebbe Rashab:
* ''Sefer Hamamarim'' - discourses from the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe (30 Volumes as of 2021)
Friediker Rebbe:
* ''Sefer Hamamarim'' - discourses from the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe (21 Volumes as of 2021)
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson:
* ''Sefer Hamaamarim Melukat'' - edited discourses of the current Lubavicher Rebbe (6 volumes)
* ''Sefer Hamaamarim'' - transcribed discourses of the current Lubavicher Rebbe (25 volumes as of 2021)
''Igros Kodesh''
''Igros Kodesh'' (lit. holy letters) are published letters from the Lubavitcher Rebbes. As of 2021 there are 59 volumes published including 33 volumes of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe.
English Works
In addition to all the deep Hebrew Chassidic texts, Kehot also focuses on publishing in English for the English reader to benefit from a few of their works, a number of large projects such as:
* ''
Shulchan Aruch HaRav'' in English in conjunction with ''
Sichos in English'' (10 volumes available out of 12)
* ''
Chassidic Heritage Series
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
'' - a collection of discourses translated into English with an introduction and explanation (25 volumes)
* ''Historical Sketches'' - history of Chabad from the works of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe
* ''The Yosef Marcus Collection'' - four basic Hebrew text with insights and explanation from
Chassidic Philosophy
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism ( he, חסידות), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic ''rebbes'', often in the form of commentary on the ...
(4 volumes:
Pirkei Avot
Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from ...
,
Haggadah,
Tehilim
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
, and
Megilat Esther)
* ''The
Kehot Chumash'' - an interpolated translation and commentary on the
Chumash based on the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Name
The name ''Kehot'' (קה"ת) is an acronym for ''Karnei Hod Torah'' ("the rays of the Torah's glory"), and the three Hebrew letters feature in the publishing house's logo. The letters also refer to the Hebrew year, 5505 (תק"ה), in which the founder of Chabad, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman of Liadi, was born.
Awards and honors
* (2017) Best Book Award, Religion – A Time to Heal,
* (2015) Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Winner – Daily Wisdom,
* (2005) National Jewish Book Award Finalist – The Last Pair of Shoes,
External links
Kehot Publication Society(official website)
Kehot Publication Society(store)
A selection of books published by Kehot Publication Society onlinechabad.org
Kehot Lubavitch Sudamericana - Kehot publications in Spanishwww.kehot.com.ar
Some of the Spanish books published by Editorial Kehot Lubavitch Sudamericana can be found online herees.chabad.org
Kehot Publication SocietyYouTube
Kehot Publication SocietyGoogle maps
See also
*
Soncino Press
*
Hebrew Publishing Company
Hebrew Publishing Company is an American Jewish publishing house based in New York City. The company publishes a range of Hebrew prayerbooks and other religious works, as well as many Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ...
*
ArtScroll
References
{{Authority control
Book publishing companies based in New York (state)
Chabad organizations
Jewish printing and publishing
Jewish organizations established in 1942
Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn
Publishing companies established in 1942
1942 establishments in the United States
Chabad in the United States
Orthodox Jewish publishing companies