The Rebbe once spoke about the printing of sacred books in his day. The number of printers of both recent and earlier works had increased. They had no lack of customers, for everyone was buying these volumes.
The Rebbe said that the Talmud teaches, “The day will come when the Torah will be forgotten among Jews” (Shabbat 138b). Therefore, many books are printed and bought, with people building up their own libraries, so that the Torah is not forgotten. Even the simplest tailor has books. As each book is published, people rush to buy it, building up respectable collections
What people do not realize is that these books are of no help unless they look into them and study their teachings. But today, Torah study has fallen very low and few people engage in it. [How can books prevent the Torah from being forgotten if nobody studies them?]
פַּעַם אֶחָד סִפַּרְנוּ עִמּוֹ מֵעִנְיַן הַדְפָּסַת סְפָרִים, שֶׁבַּדּוֹרוֹת הַלָּלוּ נִתְרַבּוּ מְאֹד בַּעֲלֵי מַדְפִּיסִים וְהֵם מַדְפִּיסִים בְּכָל פַּעַם סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד [מתקופתם של] מֵ"רִאשׁוֹנִים" וְ"אַחֲרוֹנִים". וְקָפְצוּ עֲלֵיהֶם זְבִינָא [קונים] מְאֹד, כִּי הַכֹּל קוֹנִים סְפָרִים עַכְשָׁו וְכוּ'.
The Rebbe once spoke about the printing of sacred books in his day. The number of printers of both recent and earlier works had increased. They had no lack of customers, for everyone was buying these volumes.
וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ, ז"ל: כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל (שַׁבָּת קל"ח:) "עֲתִידָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁתִּשָּׁכַח מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל", עַל־כֵּן מַדְפִּיסִים סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה וְכָל אֶחָד קוֹנֶה סְפָרִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ סְפָרִים בְּיַד כָּל אֶחָד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשָּׁכַח הַתּוֹרָה, עַל יְדֵי רִבּוּי הַסְּפָרִים הַנִּמְצָאִים בְּיַד כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּיַד חַיָּט וְכַיּוֹצֵא נִמְצָאִים עַכְשָׁו סְפָרִים, וְכָל אֶחָד חוֹטֵף וְקוֹנֵה סְפָרִים כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה סְפָרִים בְּיַד כָּל אֶחָד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תּוּכַל הַתּוֹרָה לְהִשְׁתַּכֵּחַ עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה.
The Rebbe said that the Talmud teaches, “The day will come when the Torah will be forgotten among Jews” (Shabbat 138b). Therefore, many books are printed and bought, with people building up their own libraries, so that the Torah is not forgotten. Even the simplest tailor has books. As each book is published, people rush to buy it, building up respectable collections
אֲבָל זֶה אֵין יוֹדְעִים, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאֵין לוֹמְדִים הַתּוֹרָה, אֵין מוֹעִילִים הַסְּפָרִים כְּלָל. כִּי בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים נָפַל לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה מְאֹד וְהַלִּמּוּד הוּא מֻעָט מְאֹד עַכְשָׁו בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים (הַיְנוּ כִּי מַה יּוֹעִילוּ הַסְּפָרִים הָרַבִּים שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁתַּכַּח הַתּוֹרָה מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין לוֹמְדִים אוֹתָהּ בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים)
What people do not realize is that these books are of no help unless they look into them and study their teachings. But today, Torah study has fallen very low and few people engage in it. [How can books prevent the Torah from being forgotten if nobody studies them?]