Takonas Limud HaRambam - The Rambam Study Initiative

The Rebbe at the entrance to the his Sukkah with the book Rambam from the 'Rambam for the People' edition in his hand

The Rambam study enactment is a daily learning schedule of the Rambam's Mishneh Torah. The Rebbe established this enactment on Acharon Shel Pesach in 1984. The purpose of the enactment was to unite the Jewish people through studying Mishneh Torah, which encompasses all of Torah She'bal Peh (Oral Law), including laws that are not currently practiced.

Development of the Enactment[edit | edit source]

At the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Vayeshev, 20 Kislev 1984, which was essentially a continuation of the 19 Kislev farbrengen that fell on Friday that year, the Rebbe mentioned and encouraged that the time had come to arrange a division similar to the division of Shas for studying the Rambam's Mishneh Torah. The directive was not implemented immediately, but the Shluchim-students at the Chabad Yeshiva in Casablanca, Morocco, where the Rambam lived for several years, who studied this sicha, divided the entire Mishneh Torah among the Torah-observant community in Morocco. They arranged for it to be learned between Yud Shevat (the day the Rebbe accepted the nesius) until the Rebbe's birthday on Yud Alef Nissan and the Rambam's birthday on Yud Daled Nissan. The Shluchim-students themselves took "Hilchos Shluchin V'Shutfin" in connection with their role as the Rebbe's shluchim, and Reb Shlomo Matusof, the head shliach and yeshiva director, gave them shiurim on these halachos. In Adar I, the tmimim received a general-private letter from the Rebbe, the mere sending of which they interpreted as an expression of gratitude from the Rebbe. The letter opened with the words: "The letter report and enclosure were received and thank you."

At the Yud Alef Nissan 1984 farbrengen, the Rebbe made a siyum on the Rambam, but did not explicitly connect it to the division made in Morocco. Eleven days later, at the Acharon Shel Pesach farbrengen, the Rebbe again raised the initiative for a general division of the Rambam, but in a general way that the learning should be according to order and finish "in proximity" to the Rambam's birthday on Yud Daled Nissan the following year in 1985 (following these words, the bochurim arranged the study schedule (which began on 27 Nissan) to conclude on Yud Alef Nissan). The Rebbe expressed similar sentiments at the general yechidus for guests that took place a few days after Pesach, where the Rebbe focused on the learning track of studying three chapters each day. The Rebbe added that when everyone studies all the halachos, it will create wonderful unity and lead to finding a common learning language between students who can then debate and innovate on the same topic.

Initially, there was no clear concept of where to begin and exactly how to arrange the division of shiurim. The Vaad L'Hafatzas Sichos members arranged the division (the "foreword" to the Rambam study guide states that the Rebbe made the division) for the three-chapter track and submitted the study guide to the Rebbe for review and approval.

Learning Tracks[edit | edit source]

The ordinance is divided into three learning tracks:

Three Chapters Daily - Completing the entire Mishneh Torah within approximately eleven months (339 days).
One Chapter Daily - Completing the entire Mishneh Torah within approximately two years and ten months (1017 days).
Learning the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot (In this track, the mitzvot dealing with the topic learned that day in the three-chapter track are studied daily, and it concludes simultaneously). This track is intended for women and children.

The main purpose of the ordinance is learning and understanding the Rambam. However, some say the Rebbe stated that one fulfills the ordinance even through recitation alone. (This is also explicitly indicated in Chassidus, that when learning is done with a 'movement' of kabbalas ol, its value is priceless "even if one forgets, and even if one doesn't understand what is being said, as it states 'my soul yearns with desire'").

According to Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, it is preferable to listen to a shiur on three chapters than to learn one chapter alone.

Learning Time[edit | edit source]

Regarding the learning time, the Rebbe says that since Torah is above time, yet it is drawn down and comes within the boundaries of time, a certain portion of Torah belongs specifically to that day, like the daily Rambam shiur, and similarly when a new sefer about Torah study is published, due to the great fondness for something new, one should learn that topic at least in this new sefer.

In a footnote there, the Rebbe details the exact time (in addition to saying it that day) when one says the Rambam: One should try to learn the daily shiurim during the day, and if for some reason they couldn't complete them during the day, they can and should complete them at night until chatzos, and if they couldn't complete them until chatzos, they can and should complete them until alos hashachar, like the burning of fats and limbs where "we try to burn everything during the day, a mitzvah is beloved in its time" and if one couldn't during the day - their mitzvah extends until alos hashachar and the reason the chachamim said until chatzos was only to distance a person from transgression.

When the yeshiva administration in Kiryat Gat once asked the Rebbe whether to make a special 'seder' in yeshiva for learning Rambam, the Rebbe's answer was that the temimim's Rambam study should be during their free time.

Rambam Editions Published in Connection with the Ordinance[edit | edit source]

Starting in 2014 (5774), the Machon HaRambam HaMevuar was established and publishes a clearly explained and comprehensively interpreted Rambam. The explanation includes commentary integrated into the Rambam's own words as well as concise notes. There is also a practical halacha section briefly reviewing every place where the Shulchan Aruch, its commentaries, and the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch until contemporary poskim disagree with the Rambam. The edition also includes studies on each chapter at the end of each sefer. The edition is called HaRambam HaMevuar Chitruk Edition. As of 2020 (5780), 7 volumes have been published from the series.

Starting in 2015 (5775), the Vaad Talmidei HaTemimim began publishing part of the Rambam in the one-chapter track with English translation and explanation.

Starting in 2019 (5779), Rav Meir Elituv began publishing the Pardes HaMelech series, which aims to encompass all the Rebbe's explanations on the Yad HaChazaka.

At the completion of the 40th Rambam cycle (3 Tammuz 5781), Rav Yosef Yitzchak Lipsker (California) began publishing the "Otzar HaMelech" books which aim to encompass all of the Rebbe's explanations in brief on Mishneh Torah.

Benefits of Learning[edit | edit source]

Rabbi Raichick once asked the Rebbe for a blessing for someone with certain medical issues, and the Rebbe said: "If he needs a miracle - he should learn Rambam, since Rambam is an acronym for 'Many are My wonders in the land of Egypt'."

Special Cycles[edit | edit source]

Since the establishment of this takana (enactment), there have been 3 times when they started and completed the Rambam cycle in the same year, resulting in 2 Siyumei Rambam in that year - one at its beginning and one at its end. This occurrence happens once every 13 years, and has happened in the years 5752 (1992), 5765 (2005), and 5778 (2018). The next time this will occur will be in 5791 (2031).

Since the establishment of the takana until today, there have been 3 times when the completion of all three learning tracks coincided in a Hakhel year, in the years 5755 (1995), 5769 (2009), and 5783 (2023) (every Hakhel year with skips). The next time the celebration of completing all three tracks together will meet in a Hakhel year will be in 5797 (2037).

Siyum HaRambam[edit | edit source]

At the completion of the Rambam study cycles, according to the Rebbe's takana, a siyum is conducted in the presence of a congregation.

Throughout the years, Gedolei Yisroel from all circles have graced the Siyum HaRambam events, speaking in praise of the takana and its founder. In Eretz Yisroel, the main siyum ceremony takes place at the Rambam's tzion in Teveria.

Besides the main siyum at the completion of the study cycle, according to the Rebbe's instruction, Chassidim hold a more modest celebration for each completion of Halachos (83 times in each cycle). The Rebbe regularly provided a bottle of 'l'chaim' as participation in these siyumim, and in 770, siyumim are regularly conducted upon completion of each set of Halachos by Rabbi Menachem Nachum Gerlitzky.