Editing Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad (section)

== History ==
Throughout the history of [[Chabad|Chabad Chassidus]], a collection of books and manuscripts existed at its center, in the possession of the Rebbe, leader of the movement.

The collection from the first generations of Chassidus barely survived. The vast majority of books and manuscripts were burned in the numerous fires that struck small towns in those days, or were lost in other vicissitudes of time. The main part of the current collection began to be gathered in the third generation of Chabad Chassidus, and expanded over the generations, until it became one of the most important Jewish libraries in the world, if not the most important.

From the first generation of Chabad Chassidus, we know of a list of about one hundred printed volumes that were taken for inspection from the home of [[The Alter Rebbe|the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi]], during his imprisonment. These volumes were part of his books taken by them to determine whether they contained any material against the monarchy.

It's possible this was only a library of a few hundred books; but even this sum of hundreds of volumes was substantial in [[Russia]] of those days.

At the end of his life, there were two fires in the Alter Rebbe's house, one in 1810, when his handwritten composition of the [[Shulchan Aruch]] that he authored was also burned. The second occurred during the Napoleonic War when the Alter Rebbe left his home in Liadi in late 1812, and was forced to wander until his passing on 24 [[Tevet]] 5573 (1813).

His son, [[the Mitteler Rebbe]], his successor and the Rebbe of the second generation of Chabad, settled in the town of [[Lubavitch]] at the end of that year, built a house and a large synagogue there, with a library that included 611 volumes, arranged in four cabinets. This is reported in the record written after the search conducted at his house in 1826.

A large collection of books began to be built in the third generation - by [[the Tzemach Tzedek]], and grew from generation to generation.

This collection underwent many adventures and transformations: in fires that broke out in Lubavitch, a large part of it was burned. Part of the printed books of this collection passed to the heirs of the Tzemach Tzedek - after his passing, and to the heirs of [[the Rebbe Maharash]] - after his passing.

Most of the collection of printed books gathered by our Rebbes until [[World War I]] was confiscated by the Communist government, as will be described below. [[The Rebbe Rayatz]] began to build a new collection of printed books.