ב"ה ער"ה ה'תש"ד

The enthusiastic reception enjoyed by last year’s Pocket Diary has prompted us to publish a similar “encyclopedic diary” for this year, too.

This volume is written as a continuation of last year’s. It is intended to serve you as a pocket encyclopedia of Jewish learning and scholarship, arranged in the form of daily lessons and quotations. A “pearl” of Jewish wisdom and scholarship for each day of the year is the motive.

Of last year’s volume we have retained only the form and certain essential calendar-information. In this volume, in addition to supplementing the table of “Some Outstanding Events,” we have added two important features: a) an article entitled “TORAH and MASSORAH,” showing how our sacred heritage has been handed down to us from generation to generation, since the divine Revelation on Mt. Sinai to the present day, and b) an INDEX OF AUTHORS AND BOOKS quoted in both this year’s and last year’s volumes.

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Grateful appreciation is herewith extended in the name of the Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, to Dr. Nissan Mindel for his English redaction of these volumes, and for compiling the said Index.

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Following the precedent of last year’s volume, where in my introductory talk I touched upon the priceless value of Time, I will again take advantage of this space to point out to you another outstanding feature of the Jewish outlook on life, brought out by the significant arrangement of the Jewish week.

Our week begins with a working day, while the day of rest - the holy Shabbos - comes only after the six working days of the week.

This indicates that the purpose of Man on this earth is not to spend his time indolently, in holidays and festivals, but to WORK for his spiritual, no less than for his material welfare, as well as for that of his community. Thus it is written in the Torah, immediately following the creation of the first man: “And the Lord G-d took Adam, and put him into the Garden of Eden to work it and guard it”. (Bereshis 2:15) It was G-d’s will that man should develop within him those Divine gifts - his Divine soul and spiritual qualities - in order that he may become a partner in bringing out the blessings of the world he lives in.

It is for this purpose that G-d gave us the Torah (a word derived from the Hebrew word meaning ‘to teach’) to teach us the form of 'work’ and the manner of ‘guarding’ to be done, in order that we fulfil our task and bring true happiness to ourselves and to the world around us.

And let no one say, What can I do to help in this lofty task? For this world is a great royal palace, the palace of G-d, King of the Universe, erected out of numerous component parts, big and small. Even the smallest particle of the great edifice would leave a gap if it were missing. Each one of us MUST, therefore, do his share.

Moreover, our Sages said: “They are alike who achieve more or less, so long as they do it with true devotion to G-d.” (Mishnah, end of Menochoth). Whatever one can do, big things or small, he should do it with all his heart, and with due recognition that he is fulfilling the Divine purpose which alone justifies his existence.

We trust that you will do your share with all your heart, and we wish you success.

לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם

Mendel Schneerson,

Chairman, Executive Committee