''Toras Chaim'' ( Hebrew: תורת חיים, " Torah of Life") is a two-volume work of

Hasidic 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 contem ...

discourses on the books of

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

and

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

by the second Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber Schneuri.The Mittler Rebbe
. ''ChabadLibrary.org''. Accessed April 5, 2014. The work is arranged in a similar fashion as ''

Likutei Torah/Torah Or ''Torah Or/Likutei Torah'' is a compilation of Chassidic treatises, ''maamarim'', by the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The treatises are classic texts of Chabad philosophy arranged according to the Weekly Torah portion, and a ...

'', a fundamental work on

Chabad philosophy Chabad philosophy comprises the teachings of the leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch, a Hasidic movement. Chabad Hasidic philosophy focuses on religious concepts such as God, the soul, and the meaning of the Jewish commandments. Teachings are often draw ...

authored by Rabbi Dovber's father, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad movement. Both works are arranged according to the weekly Torah portion. The treatises in ''Toras Chaim'' are noted for their length and complexity, as well as their elucidation of concepts discussed in ''Likutei Torah/Torah Or''.Schneerson, Menachem Mendel
''Igros Kodesh'' Vol. 19.
Kehot Publication Society. Brooklyn: New York. p. 55.

Teachings

Humor

* "Laughter is rooted in the soul’s potential for pure and uncompounded pleasure." * "Within the soul, the source of humor is higher than intellect, for the pleasure derived from intellect is compounded."

Elucidation of ''Tanya'' and ''Torah Or''

The seventh Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, recommended the study of ''Torah Or'' and ''Toras Chaim'' after one completed the study of ''

Tanya Tanya may refer to: * Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. * Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name * Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946) * List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tany ...

'', the central text of Chabad philosophy. Rabbi Schneerson explained that ''Torah Or'' expanded on the ideas in ''Tanya'', however, through studying ''Toras Chaim'' these concepts would be fully elucidated.

Published editions

''Toras Chaim'' was published slowly over the course of many years. The various editions slowly expanded the multi-volume work until it had included Hasidic treatises covering the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus.

Kapust

The first printing of ''Toras Chaim'' occurred during Rabbi Dovber's lifetime; it was printed in

Kapust The Kopust branch of the Chabad Hasidic movement was founded in 1866 by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Schneersohn after the death of the third rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn. The movement is named after the town of Kopys in the Vitebsk Reg ...

, 1826. The Kapust edition contained Hasidic treatises covering just the first half of the book of Genesis.Schneerson, Rafael Mordechai
"The Publication of ''Toras Chaim'' of the Mitteler Rebbe."
''Oholei Shem 4'':7. Machon Oholei Shem - Lubavitch. Kfar Chabad: Israel. (1992): pp. 73-74.

Warsaw

The next edition of ''Toras Chaim'' was published in Warsaw, in 1866. The edition was published by Rafael Mordechai Schneerson, the great-nephew of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri, together with Schneur Schneerson, a grandson of Rabbi Dovber. This edition included treatises covering the second half of the book of Genesis.

Shanghai

In 1946, the Chabad yeshiva in Shanghai and the central Chabad publishing house, Kehot Publication Society, republished the Warsaw edition of ''Toras Chaim''. Additionally, a series of unpublished Hasidic treatises by Rabbi Dovber covering the book of Exodus were included in a separate second volume. The edition was published. The second volume was never typeset. Instead, those treatises remained a photocopy of the original handwritten transcripts."Editor's preface." ''Toras Chaim''. Kehot Publication Society. 1993.

Brooklyn

The central Chabad publishing house in Brooklyn, Kehot Publication Society, republished ''Toras Chaim'' in 1974, 1993 and 2004. The 2004 edition is a 1,812 page, three-volume set; the Exodus treatises have been typeset and all treatises include extensive footnotes and annotations.Kehot Book Page
''Kehot Publication Society''. Accessed April 7, 2014.

References

External links

Toras Chaim
on ChabadLibrary.org {{Authority control 1826 non-fiction books Chabad-Lubavitch texts Chabad-Lubavitch (Hasidic dynasty) Hasidic literature Jewish philosophical literature Sifrei Kodesh Book of Genesis Book of Exodus Books published by Kehot Publication Society