Ten years ago, a group of chassidim made a local hachlata at a Chicago farbrengen, never dreaming how it would take on a life of its own. Today, that small initiative is being published as a 3-volume set of Chassidus in clear English.
By Anash.org reporter
Ten years ago, at a Simchas Torah farbrengen at the Bnei Reuven shul in Chicago, Rabbi Baruch Hertz, the Rov of Bnei Ruven and the broader Anash community in Chicago, encouraged all members of the community to learn one maamar of the Rebbe every month. To make this possible for all skill levels, Rabbi Hertz turned to R’ Simcha Kanter, a member of the community, to prepare the program materials.
Seeing that there weren’t any translations available tailored to the needs of Anash, Simcha began creating new translations of the Rebbe’s maamarim written in simple modern English that focused on clarity and comprehension rather than a literal word-for-word translation. The translations followed a “text-based shiur” format focused on explaining the meaning and structure of the maamar, as well as providing helpful background information that enhances the reader’s comprehension.
The program quickly grew in popularity across a broader audience than was originally imagined: the concepts were approachable enough for use in a Chabad House setting, but still provided enough insight and clarity to benefit experienced students of Chassidus who were able to learn the maamar directly from the Hebrew text.
From the original program in Chicago, it quickly spread to distribution online to Anash throughout the world and was distributed locally in several communities, prominently Crown Heights, Pittsburgh, Melbourne, and London.
As the popularity grew, Rabbi Fishel Oster from Oholei Torah started to review the maamarim for accuracy and clarity. Between writing, research, and editing, each maamar took more than 40 hours to prepare. Feedback on the series was very positive, with many readers commenting that the translations even brought new clarity to maamarim that they had learned in the past.
After completing more than 50 of the Rebbe’s maamarim in this format, Kehos has started publishing the multi-volume set of the Simply Chassidus series, with the first volume now available for purchase.
Rabbi Hertz shared his enthusiasm for the new release. “This sefer is a great example of what a farbrengen can accomplish. One hachlata from a Simchas Torah farbrengen led to thousands of people gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chassidus.”
The first volume focuses on the first four months of the year—Tishrei through Teives—and includes the translation of eight maamorim related to this time period. This volume is part of a planned three-volume set, which will be released over time.
The project’s author, R’ Simcha Kanter, expressed his gratitude to those involved in bringing the sefer to life. “This sefer is the result of the contributions of so many people,” he said. “From the encouragement and participation of the original project participants to the people who helped spread the materials and prepare the sefer, it was truly a group effort.”
The sefer features a new easy-to-read layout, complemented by a beautiful design that enhances the learning experience. Additionally, the text has been enhanced with nekudos, making it easier to read for learners of all levels. Each section was meticulously reviewed by the Kehos editing team to ensure the highest standards of clarity and accuracy.
The new sefer is available online and in seforim stores.
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