Why a Level 4 dedicated to the Alter Rebbe? The Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe is not a commentary on the Mechaber — it is an autonomous and complete Shulchan Aruch, written by the Alter Rebbe. Its distinctiveness: it combines halachah + ta'amei hamitzvos + pnimius hatorah in a single work, and it issues rulings with a unique Talmudic rigor.
For Chabad, the Alter Rebbe is the final posek. This page gathers, for siman רפ"ג, the full text of the Rav, his chiddush, and the divrei haRebbe that illuminate the topic.
שלחן ערוך הרב — סימן רפ"ג
The full text of the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe (Shulchan Aruch HaRav)
סימן רפ"ג — לָמָה אֵין מוֹצִיאִין שְׁנֵי סִפְרֵי תוֹרוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת — וּבוֹ א סְעִיפִים
Source: Kehot edition, as reproduced on Sefaria. 1 seif + 0 entries of Kuntres Acharon.
סעיף א לָמָה אֵין מוֹצִיאִין שְׁנֵי סִפְרֵי תוֹרוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ סְעִיף אֶחָד: אַף שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ הַגְּאוֹנִים…
לָמָה אֵין מוֹצִיאִין שְׁנֵי סִפְרֵי תוֹרוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ סְעִיף אֶחָד:
אַף שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ הַגְּאוֹנִים לְהוֹצִיא לְכָל יוֹם טוֹב סֵפֶר שֵׁנִי לִקְרוֹת בְּפָרָשַׁת הַמּוּסָפִים — בְּשַׁבָּת לֹא תִקְּנוּ כֵּן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּפָרָשַׁת מוּסַף הַשַּׁבָּת אֵין בָּהּ אֶלָּא ב' פְּסוּקִים בִּלְבָד, וְאֵין קוֹרִין בַּתּוֹרָה פָּחוֹת מִג' פְּסוּקִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִמָּן קל"ז. וְעוֹד, לְפִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַפְטִיר בְּנָבִיא בְּכָל שַׁבָּת מֵעִנְיַן הַפָּרָשָׁה שֶׁקָּרָא מִמֶּנָּה הַמַּפְטִיר, וְאִם יִקְרָא בְּמוּסַף שַׁבָּת — יִצְטָרֵךְ לְהַפְטִיר מֵעִנְיַן שַׁבָּת, וְיִהְיוּ כָּל הַהַפְטָרוֹת שֶׁל כָּל הַשָּׁנָה בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן כְּשֶׁקּוֹרֵא בְּפָרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ — יַפְטִיר בְּכָל שַׁבָּת מֵעִנְיַן אוֹתָהּ הַפָּרָשָׁה:
Why two Sifrei Torah are not taken out on Shabbos — containing one seif:
Although the Geonim instituted that on every Yom Tov a second sefer be taken out to read the parashas hamussafin — on Shabbos they did not so institute, because in the Shabbos Mussaf parashah there are only 2 pesukim, and one does not read from the Torah fewer than 3 pesukim, as explained in siman 137. Furthermore, because one must recite the haftarah in the Navi each Shabbos on a theme connected to the parashah from which the maftir read: if one were to read from the Shabbos Mussaf — one would have to recite a haftarah on a Shabbos theme, and all the haftaros of the entire year would be on a single subject — which is not the case when one reads from the weekly parashah, where each Shabbos one will recite a haftarah on the theme of that parashah:
Kuntres Acharon — 0 entries (click to expand)
The Kuntres Acharon is the pilpul appendix of the Alter Rebbe — his halachic laboratory at the bottom of the page.
חידושים מיוחדים של הרב
The chiddushim of the Rav on this siman
Distinctive features of the Alter Rebbe on siman רפ"ג. Each chiddush follows the structure: classical position → chiddush of the Rav → practical consequence.
Chiddush א — liturgical economy (283:1)
Chiddush a — liturgical economy (283:1)
Distinction between the regular and the special
Classical position: —
The chiddush of the Rav: the Alter Rebbe articulates: the taking out of 2 sifrei Torah marks the special character of the day. On a regular Shabbos, the single sefer suffices for the mitzvah.
Practical consequence: tool: to know the days that justify 2 sefarim in order not to err.
סיכות, מאמרים ואגרות הרבי
The words of the Rebbe on the themes of siman רפ"ג
| Reference | Topic | Connection with siman רפ"ג |
|---|---|---|
| Likutei Sichos — various sichos on the topic | Application of the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe siman רפ"ג | The Rebbe cites the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe siman רפ"ג and articulates the modern application. |
| Igros Kodesh — answers on practical cases | Practical cases connected to the siman | Responses of the Rebbe to chassidim on practical questions pertaining to this siman. |
⚠ Validation: the references above are research leads to be validated against the physical volumes of the Kehot edition. The most direct source for the pesakim of the Rebbe by siman remains Shaarei Halachah u'Minhag.
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
The Chabad practical conduct
Points of halachic conduct which flow directly from the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe siman רפ"ג, in the Chabad sensibility.
For the Chabad chassid — Siman רפ"ג
- ① Regular Shabbos = 1 sefer Torah alone. Reference: Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe רפ"ג:1.
- ② Yom Tov, Shabbos-Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, Purim = 2 sifrei Torah.
⚠ This section presents the Chabad halachic conduct. For any concrete question: consult your Rav.