Editing Maamar (section)

== Maamorim the Rebbe ==
[[File:הרבי אומר מאמר.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe during the delivery of a Chassidic discourse (maamar). Behind the Rebbe, elder Chassidim can be seen standing.]]
The Rebbe customarily holds a handkerchief (wrapping it around his palm and fingers) or some physical object while delivering the maamar. Chassidim would explain that this practice stems from the Rebbe's desire to hold something "physical" while delivering the words of the living G-d.

There are two types of maamarim: a maamar with the traditional tune or a maamar similar to a sicha (meaning that while delivering this type of maamar, the Rebbe did not close his eyes, the tune was that of a regular sicha rather than the traditional maamar tune, and the Rebbe wrapped the handkerchief only around his palm and not between his fingers). Most of the maamarim delivered by the Rebbe were of the second type.

In later years, the Rebbe reduced the frequency of delivering maamarim with the traditional tune, and the last maamar of this type was on Erev Shavuot 5749 - the maamar "Anochi Hashem Elokecha." This maamar was delivered unexpectedly and without the preparatory niggun (like its predecessor on Erev Pesach - "Matzah Zo"). The last maamar similar to a sicha was delivered on Shabbat Parshat Chayei Sarah 5751.

In the early years, the Rebbe rarely edited his maamarim, and they were written as hanachos (transcripts), occasionally with the Rebbe reviewing them and making comments, but not as edited maamarim. Exceptions were some of the Basi LeGani maamarim which the Rebbe did edit.

Beginning in 5746, the Rebbe started editing maamarim from earlier years, which were then published in kuntreisim (pamphlets) bearing the date of publication. These kuntreisim were printed in the Sefer HaMaamarim (Melukat) series. The last kuntres printed in this series was the maamar V'Atah Tetzaveh, published for Purim Katan 5752, which was the last kuntres distributed by the Rebbe, for now. This maamar is fundamental regarding the concept of hiskashrus (connection) to the Nasi HaDor.

At the beginning of 5753 (before Simchat Torah and Rosh Chodesh Kislev), two maamarim were published that had been "before his holy eyes" (in the language of the preface), and the Rebbe instructed to print them as edited kuntreisim. Additionally, before Shavuot 5753, when a copy of a maamar that the Rebbe had edited but never published was discovered in the Lubavitch Library, the Rebbe agreed that it should be released as an edited maamar at that time.

The preparation of maamarim for editing was done by the Vaad Hanachos B'Lahak team. The Rebbe entrusted the responsibility for printing to the Vaad L'Hafatzat Sichos, which published all the maamarim in six volumes in the Sefer HaMaamarim (Melukat) series. In 5765, the series of maamarim was published in four volumes according to the dates of the year by Vaad Hanachos B'Lahak, but rabbis, including members of the Crown Heights Beis Din and other rabbis, issued a signed letter stating that these books should not be purchased, as they were printed without authorization.

In 5763, the central Igud Talmidei HaYeshivos 770 began publishing a series called "Maamarim Mevoarim" to explain the Rebbe's maamarim. A similar series was published over the years called "Biurim B'Maamarei Rabbeinu" by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Ashkenazi, mashpia in Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Kfar Chabad.

Between the years 5774 - 5776, the Sefer HaMaamarim series was published according to the order of the weekly parshiyot, collecting all the Rebbe's maamarim throughout the year, published by the Institute for the Dissemination of Moshiach's Teachings.