Manuscript written by several copyists (Chabad "bichel"), transcripts of discourses given and written by rebbes of Lubavitch: R. Dov Ber Shneuri – the Mitteler rebbe; R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn – the Tzemach Tzedek; R. Shmuel Schneersohn (Maharash) and R. Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn (Rashab). [Belarus? presumably early 1900s, ca. 1904-1911).
Leaves 92-121 contain a transcript from the book Derech Mitzvotecha (the book was first printed in 1911). The discourses of the Maharash in this "bichel" are from 1870-1873. The discourses of the Rashab are from 1890-1906.
This "bichel" was evidently produced during the lifetime of Rebbe Rashab, since he is referred to in several headings as amongst the living.
The contents of the discourse beginning on p. 257a, entitled "Emor, 1904", were printed in Sefer HaMaamarim 1904, based on the notes of the Rashab. In this "bichel" however, the discourse was recorded by an attendee of the discourse, in his own style. It was presumably never published, and contains some content which does not appear in the printed discourse (discourses as delivered in public would vary somewhat from the rebbes' notes). Another unpublished discourse is recorded on p. 283a. This "bichel" may contain other unpublished discourses.
[235] leaves (written on both sides). Lacking 64 leaves (according to manuscript pagination). Unbound leaves (placed in a ring binder). 18.5 cm. Overall good condition. Stains and wear. Minor tears to inner margins, not affecting text. Worming.
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The Chabad "Bichel"
From ca. 1790 onwards, for close to one hundred and fifty years, the Chabad "bichel" was an integral part of Chabad life in Belarus (Reisin). Researcher and bibliographer R. Chaim Lieberman describes the development of the "bichel" and its distribution in one of his essays:
"…Chabad set up a system of copyists or writers ("schreiber" in Chabad terminology). First in Liozna, birthplace of Chabad Chassidut, then in Liadi… and later in Lubavitch… there the copyists sat and transcribed the teachings of the rebbe, which he had given over earlier to his Chassidim…
On Shabbatot and festivals, and occasionally on weekdays as well, the rebbe would deliver discourses to the Chassidim. After Shabbat and Yom Tov, the rebbe would give his own handwritten notes of the discourse to the main copyist. The latter would copy it, return the manuscript to the rebbe and keep the copy, of which he would then make further copies, and sell them to the Chassidim. If he did not manage to supply all the required copies, and the Chassidim were rushing to return to their towns, he would give a copy to the secondary copyist, who would also produce copies and sell them. A Chassid who could not afford to buy a copy would copy it himself.
Upon returning home with a new discourse, a chassid was met by the awaiting townspeople, and was compelled to allow them each to copy the discourse… A Chassid who over the course of time accumulated a significant number of discourses, would have them bound, and thus the "bichel" was born, and in this way, over the years, Chassidim would amass a library of Chassidic discourses…" (Ohel Rachel, III, p. 26).
Zalman Shazar, third president of the State of Israel, who came from a Chabad home, dedicated a special chapter in his memoirs to his father's library, and writes: "High up on the bookcase was a special bundle, containing unbound booklets of Dach (Divrei Elohim Chaim). These were booklets of Chassidic teachings, written by copyists, which my grandfather would bring back from the court of the Rebbe in Liadi, or the 'choizer' every year on his traditional visit, and my grandfather would study them with my father, while I sat and listened. How engraved in my heart were those glowing, gem-like letters..." (Kochvei Boker, pp. 9-16).

Letter of blessings from Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn – the Rayatz of Lubavitch, with his signature. Brooklyn NY, Tammuz 1942.
Typewritten on the official letterhead stationery of Rebbe Rayatz, with his signature.
Words of encouragement, and inquiry on the situation of Holocaust refugees. The Rayatz blesses him: "May G-d help him with what he needs, and may he receive good tidings from the members of his family, and may G-d help them in material and spiritual matters… may G-d help them in all their material and spiritual needs".
Further in the letter, the Rayatz mentions his son-in-law, the Lubavitcher Rebbe: "My son-in-law R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn sent them [the refugees] a package of books".
The Rayatz ends the letter with a request to ask an activist "to send packages to my daughter [Shaina Horenstein] and son-in-law [R. Menachem Mendel Horenstein], whatever is possible to send". The daughter and son-in-law of the Rayatz both perished in Treblinka on 2nd Tishrei 1940, however the Rayatz was not informed of their passing until his dying day.
[1] leaf. 22 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks. Linen-backed.

Letter from R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, with his signature. Brooklyn, New York, 1964.
Typewritten on official letterhead stationery of the Rebbe and hand-signed by him.
Blessings for a "good and sweet year in material and spiritual matters".
[1] leaf, official stationery. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Folding marks.

Letter of blessings from Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn of Lubavitch. Addressed to R. Moshe Irenstein, mayor of Bnei Brak. Brooklyn, NY, Nissan 1988.
Typewritten on the official letterhead stationery of the rebbe, with his signature and the addition of one word in his handwriting.
In his letter, the rebbe blesses: "With the approach of the festival of Matzot… I wish to express my blessings for a kosher and joyous holiday, and for true freedom". At the end of the letter, the rebbe writes to the mayor: "With respect, with blessings for the festival and for great success in his most responsible position".
The following line was added after the signature: "The letter of condolences was received on time, many thanks – many thanks" (the last word was handwritten by the rebbe). The rebbe is thanking here for the letter of condolences which the mayor sent him after the passing of his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn, on 22nd Shevat 1988.
[1] leaf. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Tear to upper margin, not affecting text.

Siddur Torah Or, prayers for the year-round, Shabbat and festivals, following the rite of Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya, compiled by R. Avraham David Lawat Rabbi of Nikolayev; proofread and corrected by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Brooklyn, NY, 1941.
On the second front flyleaf, a dedication signed by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn – the Lubavitcher Rebbe: "As a sign of friendship and with good year blessings, M. Schneersohn, Erev Rosh Hashanah 1941".
Signature on the first front flyleaf: "Nissan Mindel".
This siddur was proofread and prepared for print by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. When the rebbe arrived in the United States from France on 28th Sivan 1941, his father-in-law, Rebbe Rayatz, asked him to proofread, correct and prepare for print the Torah Or siddur (first printed in 1887, see adjoining article). During Av and Elul 1941, the rebbe was busy proofreading and correcting this siddur. It was published several days before Rosh Hashanah 1941.
The wording of the dedication inscribed in this siddur is unique. In all the letters printed in Igrot Kodesh, written during the rebbe's leadership, the word "Yedidut" (friendship; or "BiYedidut" – in friendship) is never used in the letter endings. Even in the years preceding the rebbe's leadership, this word was only used once (Igrot Kodesh, I, p. 35). The rebbe's usage of the expression "LeOt Yedidut" ("as a sign of friendship") in this dedication appears to be unprecedented.
The recipient of the siddur, R. Nissan Mindel (1912-1999), director of Chabad institutions in the United States, was the close confidant of Rebbe Rayatz and his son-in-law the Lubavitcher Rebbe. From 1932, he served as personal secretary of Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch, and from 1950, of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. In winter 1940, he was one of the few who joined the Rayatz in his flight from occupied Poland to the United States. His exceptional friendship with the Rebbe, and the gift of this siddur, is reported in Sipurim MiCheder HaRabbi (Bnei Brak, 2009, p. 323): "Over the years, intense feelings of friendship towards the rebbe developed in his heart… he stated… the rebbe was 'my best friend'. One of the expressions of this friendship was on Rosh Hashanah 1941, when the rebbe gave a Torah Or siddur to R. Mindel, with a personal dedication 'As a sign of friendship'" (see ibid. for a picture of the rebbe's dedication in this siddur). He typed all the rebbe’s English letters, and even published some of them in several volumes. R. Mindel was a prolific author on Jewish thought and Chassidut. His books were reviewed by the rebbe before being published, and were later translated into many languages. He served as editor of the Chabad periodical for youths – Talks and Tales, for over forty years. His magnum opus was his translation of the Tanya to English, which earned him a doctorate degree from the Columbia University in New York.
233, [1]; 37, 39-41 leaves + 2 leaves of errata (not bound with book). 22 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear. Minor marginal tears to several leaves. Inner margins of endpapers and binding reinforced. Original binding, damaged (spine partially detached).
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Siddur Torah Or
The siddur compiled by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya, was printed already in his lifetime in several editions, in Shklow and Kopust (see Kedem Catalog 63, p. 277). From the passing of the Baal HaTanya until 1887, the siddur was reprinted in dozens of editions. In many of the editions, the printers were not particular to preserve the accurate text of the prayers and laws, and in some editions the printers combined the text of Siddur HaRav with the texts of other prevalent siddurim. In the 1880s, R. Avraham David Lawat, Rabbi of Nikolayev (Mykolaiv; maternal grandfather of the Lubavitcher Rebbe), began studying and researching the original text of Siddur HaRav. To that end, he searched for editions of the siddur published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya. Upon finding such a siddur, he set to work proofreading and correcting the text of Siddur HaRav, according to the siddur he found, and in 1887, he printed the Siddur HaRav in Vilna under a new title – Siddur Torah Or. He appended to it his own composition, Shaarei Tefillah – sources of the prayer texts and rulings of the Baal HaTanya.
However, immediately after the siddur was published, R. Lawat obtained another edition of Siddur HaRav published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya. In light of this, R. Lawat produced a new, corrected edition of Siddur Torah Or – the Vilna 1889 edition. Yet the same occurred once again. As soon as the 1889 edition was published, R. Lawat obtained a third siddur edition published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya, and he began preparing a third, updated edition of Siddur Torah Or. This third edition was only published after the passing of R. Lawat (Adar 1890), in Vilna 1896, and it includes the latter's illustrious work – Shaar HaKollel (see Beit Aharon VeYisrael, 186, pp. 136-137).
The 1941 Edition
The 1941 edition, which is mostly a photocopy of one of R. Lawat's editions, was edited by the Rebbe, based on the instructions and rulings of his father-in-law, Rebbe Rayatz. Any doubt which arose, particularly pertaining to the vocalization, was resolved by Rebbe Rayatz. This edition contains several additions and changes (described in great detail in the booklet Hagahot LeSiddur Rabbenu HaZaken, Brooklyn 2007, by R. Shalom Dov Ber Levin). Approximately a month after the siddur was printed, Rebbe Rayatz wrote an open letter to Chabad Chassidim, in which he asks them "to pray from this siddur, and to educate their sons to pray from this siddur".
This edition was printed in only two thousand copies (Hagahot LeSiddur Rabbenu HaZaken, Brooklyn 2007, p. 36).
The Rebbe's Siddur
This edition of the siddur was constantly used by the rebbe, from the day it was published
until his final day. Every prayer, every Birkat HaMazon and blessing after eating, every blessing at weddings he officiated, were recited all from this siddur edition. "The rebbe would keep it with him at all times, and it almost never left his hands. He would take it with him to the synagogue and Beit Midrash, into the Hitvaadut, to recite the blessings over the moon and sun, into the Sukkah and to Tashlich. He used it to pray and recite blessings. During his entire tenure, the rebbe used the same siddur, never exchanging it for a different one… as is well-known, preparing this siddur for print was the first project undertaken by the rebbe upon his arrival in the United States… and from that moment, he prayed with it for the rest of his life, without fail" (Introduction to Siddur HaRav, Chazak edition, 2015, pp. 11-12, note 14).