Explanation on the Study of Chitas

If we were to advertise a book that saves lives, heals, and opens heaven’s doors to
our most fervent prayers, Chitas sales would be brisk indeed.

Each era is born with its own spiritual key, a particular observance or practice that serves
more than all others as the gateway through which a generation travels. The Lubavitcher Rebbe  unwaveringly insisted that in the modern era, the security and success of individual Jews as well as our collective travels is a daily journey through a brief helping of sacred phrases recorded  by Moshe Rabbeinu with their immortal commentary set by Rashi; the praises and pleas of  King David; and insights into the soul of a Jew and the soul of the Torah as revealed by the Baal  HaTanya.

[To this, the Rebbe later supplemented a daily serving of Rambam’s Mishneh Torah,
which details all the laws of the Torah].

Yes, this brief daily study initiative emerged from the holy mouths of the Rebbes of
Chabad, but these spiritual giants made it abundantly clear that the daily undertaking is the legacy of all Jews.

WHAT IS CHITAS?

Chitas – חתת

1. A Hebrew acronym formed by the three letters ches/ח , tav /ת , tav /ת , the initials of Chumash (the Five Books of Moses), Tehillim (book of Psalms), and Tanya (Chabad Chassidic thought authored by the first Rebbe of the Chabad movement, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.)

2. The daily study cycles of the three books.

3. A single volume entitled Sefer Chitas which contains the Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya.

4. The word Chitas (חתת) is also taken from the verse “ויהי חתת אלקים על הערים” “And the fear of Hashem was upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue Yaakov’s sons” (Bereishis 32:5).

1 חתת- Chumash

The daily Chumash studied as part of Chitas follows precisely the weekly Torah readings.

Starting from the Sunday of each week, the entire parshah that will be read publicly on the following Shabbos is studied, in the following manner: On Sunday itself, the first aliyah is studied, along with the commentary of Rashi. On Monday, the second aliyah is studied with Rashi, and so on throughout the week, until the seventh and final section of the parshah is studied on Shabbos itself.

2. חתת – Tehillim

Tehillim is divided in a monthly cycle, in which only a few chapters are read each day and the entire book of Tehillim is completed on the final day of each Jewish month. During months containing twenty-nine instead of thirty days, the thirtieth portion is combined with the twenty-ninth portion.

3. חתת – Tanya

The Tanya was authored by the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–

1812). It is the main work of Chabad philosophy, in which the fundamental teachings of Chassidism are given systematic intellectual structure, with the goal of providing a universal guidebook that each Jew can use to navigate his spiritual path and advance in his personal service of G-d.

The sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn divided Tanya into daily portions, so that it is studied over the course of a year. He prepared an alternative division to fit the thirteen months of a Jewish leap-year.

Either cycle is designed to begin anew annually, on the nineteenth of Kislev. [That date marks the liberation of Tanya’s author from incarceration in Czarist Russia on charges related in part to his Chassidic teachings].

Using your Time

There are three general ways of dividing time into days: 1) days of the week, 2) days of the month, 3) days of the year. The study of Chitas daily combines all these elements of time: The Chumash is divided according to the days of the week. The Tehillim is divided according to the days of the month. The Tanya is divided according to the days of the year.

The Soul calls “The daily studies as they were arranged for daily [learning] — the chapters of Tehillim, Chumash with Rashi, and the lesson in Tanya — vitally concern the soul of every single person”

 (“זיינען נוגע לכל אחד ואחד אין נפש”).

[Previuos Lubavitcher Rebbe, Sicha Pesach 5705]

REWARDS AND BENEFITS OF CHITAS STUDY

Source of blessing for a great many matters

I would like to use this opportunity to encourage you to observe the three well-known study schedules of Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya, which my esteemed father-in-law the Rebbe told us about on numerous occasions. These schedules apply equally to all, and they are a Segulah [spiritual remedy] for a great many matters.

[Igros Kodesh, Letter 6036]

Faith

Concerning that which you write about simple faith. It is explained in Seforim (Holy Torah books) that [simple faith] is found, in complete form, by every single Jew – and every Jew is called a son of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, or a daughter of Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah – it is only that the evil inclination sometimes bombards the mind and tries to mislead a person into thinking otherwise, and sometimes the

opposite…. And to combat this… observe the well-known three [daily] study schedules of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya.

[Igros Kodesh vol. 20, Letter 7513]

Physical Healing

… you requested a blessing for healing from an eye disease, and for your wife. When I will be at the resting place of my esteemed father-in-law the Rebbe, I will mention both of you for healing. I hope that you will be able to report good news to me in this matter. Each Jew must fashion vessels in which to receive G-d’s blessings. Therefore, if you have not done so until now, you should now begin reciting Tehillim each day – the portion of Tehillim that was allocated for each particular day of the month, so that the entire Tehillim is completed during the course of a month – and also studying the daily portion of Chumash, so that the Sedra is completed during the course of a week.

[Igros Kodesh, vol. 4, Letter 1012]

                  Livelihood

It is astonishing that your entire letter fails to mention a word about that which forms the channels of livelihood for each Chassid… namely, a fixed schedule for the study of Chassidus (together with friends, if possible, but at the very least on your own). Naturally, this comes in addition to observing the study schedules that apply to everyone equally, namely, the daily Tehillim, Chumash with the commentary of Rashi, and Tanya …

[Igros Kodesh, Letter 1058]

Sleep Disorder and Anxieties

I received your letter… in which you ask for a blessing concerning your difficulty falling asleep and your anxieties, and you ask me for a suggestion. In my opinion, you must totally cease from thinking about this…and you should resolve to commit, without a binding promise, to fulfill the directive of my father-in-law to say Tehillim daily after morning prayer, as apportioned for the days of the month… and also see that not a day goes by that you do not learn at least some verses from the week’s Torah portion.

[Igros Kodesh, vol. 21, Letter 7928]

IN SUMMARY

The Yom Tov of Shavuos is approaching and we know that we are one nation and affect each other כאיש אחד בלב אחד. We therefore call on all Yidden to please start learning Chitas daily, and encourage your family and friends to also learn Chitas.

Moshiach will ask you:

“When Moshiach comes, he won’t understand excuses (kuntzin). He will demand a factual  statement: List for me on a piece of paper — How many Yidden did you influence to study (the shiurim of) Chitas”?

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbas Parshas Pekudei 5727.

Bezras Hashem we should see Moshiach now in the third Beis Hamikdash and to celebrate Sholosh Regalim, all together in Yerushalim.

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Credit to Chayenu for the content about chitas.