A new kuntres titled V’Hachochmah Mei’ayin Timatzei has been published, featuring explanations and notes on various topics in Chassidus authored by two renowned chassidim and maskilim, the chossid Reb Nosson Gurary, and his father, the chossid Reb Moshe Gurary.

The kuntres was compiled and edited by Reb Shalom Kesselman of Los Angeles, Mashpia of Anash and director of OK Kosher West Coast, and a grandson of R’ Nosson.

“Their approach to learning and explaining the teachings of Chassidus was through clarity, simplification, and profound analysis,” R’ Kesselman writes. “Through their search for the central point and essential concept, their words were at times written in a brief and concentrated style, with an abstract approach.”

To make the material more accessible, Rabbi Kesselman added punctuation, divided the text into sections, and included footnotes to clarify ideas that were stated briefly and expand upon points where needed, while taking care not to alter the original form of the writings or detract from their unique style.

The kuntres is divided into six sections, including explanations by Reb Moshe Gurary on the concept of Chochmah and the passage of “ein lanu esek b’nistaros” in Tanya, a lengthy explanation by Reb Nosson Gurary on Chochmah, three sections by R’ Moshe Gurary discussing methods of learning Chassidus, and an appendix presenting all the material in its original, unedited form.

“Reb Nosson testified about his father, Reb Moshe, that he was ‘vi in di gor amolike tzeiten, dergein dem or un di pashtus in a vort Chassidus’ – ‘Like in the truly bygone times, arriving at the light and simplicity within a word of Chassidus,'” Rabbi Kesselman said. “Indeed, Reb Nosson himself followed that same path and was known for that very same style of learning and depth.”

Reb Moshe Gurary was born in 5659 in Kremenchug, Ukraine, and learned in Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch, where he became known as a great maskil in Chassidus. He later settled in Riga, where his efforts to send food packages to Russian Jews at the Frierdiker Rebbe’s encouragement led to his arrest. On the Frierdiker Rebbe’s instruction, he settled in Tel Aviv in 5695.

There he built a successful business, eventually becoming the owner of the Dubek cigarette company, while his farbrengens and shiurim at the Nachalas Binyamin shul drew Anash and temimim from across Eretz Yisroel. He was among the founders of Agudas Chasidei Chabad in Eretz Hakodesh and played a role in establishing Yeshivas Achei Temimim Tel Aviv, Tomchei Temimim Lod, and Kfar Chabad. He passed away on 26 Shevat 5733.

Reb Nosson Gurary was born on 30 Tishrei 5689 in Moscow and came with his family to Tel Aviv as a young child, growing up immersed in his father’s world of iyun in Chassidus. He arrived in New York in 5710 and, after his marriage, settled in Montreal, where he worked as a shochet while deliberately avoiding a rabbinic position, allowing him to devote himself fully to giving shiurim in Chassidus and to long hours of tefillah and limud each day. He passed away on 4 Menachem Av 5762. The booklet is being released in connection with his yahrtzeit.

“It is my hope that those who cherish the study of Chassidus will delve into this kuntres and find within it a bit of the light that is good,” Rabbi Kesselman says. “Through this, a desire will awaken in them to continue growing and deepening in Toras HaChassidus.”

Download the new kovetz here.

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