Likkutei Sichos, lit. "Collected Talks," (Hebrew: ליקוטי שיחות) is an anthology of essays by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, relating to the weekly portion of the Torah and special occasions in the Jewish and Hasidic calendar.
Likkutei Sichos contains both the scope and the core of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s teachings, and is the most authoritative source text for the Rebbe's unique, original, and often revolutionary explanation of Judaism.
Rabbi Schneerson's primary vehicle for conveying his teachings were the farbrengens held on Shabbat, the festivals, special occasions and random weekdays, at which he would speak for many hours. These talks were transcribed and compiled in dozens of books that, together taken with his thousands of letters and maamarim (chassidic discourses), represent the legacy of the Rebbe’s teachings to the world.
Of the many of thousands of talks that Schneerson delivered, those that were the most basic to his weltanschauung and message were compiled in the Likkutei Sichot, which originally appeared in weekly pamphlets. He reviewed and extensively edited each of these transcriptions before it went to press, making the Likkutei Sichot the authoritative medium with which to disseminate his teachings.
The thirty-nine volumes of Likkutei Sichot are organized according to the weekly Torah reading (Parshah) and the Jewish calendar.
The volumes of Likkutei Sichos are published by the Lubavitch Publication House Kehot Publication Society. The edited Sichos represent much of Schneerson's central teachings, and unique spiritual voice for the generation, with other major works being the deeper, mystical Maamarim (Hasidic discourses), unedited talks, personal correspondence etc. The nature of his leadership and thought marks a culminating fulfillment of Hasidic history, representing the fullest measure of the Hasidic ideal to disseminate the "wellsprings" of Chassidus in the widest and most accessible forms, and united with the other dimensions of Judaism. The many aspects of Likkutei Sichos present the most accessible form of the Rebbe's thought, and its practical application.
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The talks were transcribed by redactors (meinichim) who were often also choizrim, and then submitted to Rabbi Schneerson for editing. This traditional method was used, especially, because many of the talks were delivered on Shabbat, when writing is forbidden.
Farbrengens were sometimes delivered on weekdays in order to mark occasions like Chasidic festivals. These were at first available directly around the world by phone-link, and in later years, broadcast across America on live television channels. They were then put in writing, like the talks delivered on Shabbos. After being edited personally by Schneerson, they were distributed in booklet form worldwide. They were later compiled into books, of which there is a set of 39 volumes. Vols. 1-9 are in Yiddish; vols. 10-14, in Hebrew; vols. 15-29 are in Yiddish; and vols. 30-39, in Hebrew.
In particular, Reb Yoel Kahn is noteworthy for having prepared the first nine volumes of Likkutei Sichos. Other talks were released as unedited talks, and included in the Sichos Kodesh series.
Some of the volumes of Likkutei Sichos are devoted to explaining mystical Hasidic philosophy, as it explains the weekly portion of Torah, Jewish festivals, or other ideas drawn from all aspects of traditional Jewish thought. Other talks are devoted to elucidating the "Revealed" dimensions of Judaism, such as Talmudic commentary. In this category are the celebrated "Rashi Sichos". The Medieval, French Rashi is among the most important traditional Jewish commentator on the books of the Torah, and the many volumes of Talmud. His commentary on the 5 Books of the Torah elucidates the simple meaning (p'shat), with some additional meanings from the Midrashic method, which initially appear to be utilised when the simple meaning still leaves questions.
The essential nature of Rashi's explanations on the Torah has historically drawn many sub-commentaries from leading Rabbis, who explain why Rashi says what he does. It can be said that the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Rashi Sichos perhaps represent his personally most innovative contribution to Jewish thought, out of a complete mastery and innovative teaching in all areas of Judaism. In the Rashi Sichos, Schneerson brings a new approach, that initially cites all previous sub-commentaries from earlier authorities, and then proceeds to explain why each of them falls short. Often these earlier explanations rely on Talmudic thought. He elucidates a deceptively simple explanation of Rashi that he often culminates by additionally relating his conclusions to their spiritual, mystical parallels, and practical outcomes.
It can be said that in all of Schneerson's many-dimensional scholarship, he captures the simple essence of Hasidic mysticism, and unites it with the Revealed aspects of Judaism, always seeking to bring ideas into greatest tangibility, and above all practical outcomes ("The main thing is the deed"). This reflects the essential meaning of Hasidism, which uncovers the inner spiritual meaning of Kabbalah, and seeks to bring this Divine essence down to the lowest levels. The talks represent this, as in contrast to the Maamarim (Hasidic discourses), the historically more traditional vehicle for Hasidic mysticism, in the informal Sichos (Talks), the Rebbe tends to avoid deep Kabbalistic terminology. The talks bring Hasidic thought into everyday language. This represents a culminating stage to the historical development of Hasidic thought.